The Multnomah Education Service District Board of Directors will meet in Regular Session at 6:00 p.m. on August 20, 2019, in the Board Room at 11611 NE Ainsworth Circle, Portland, OR 97220.

The Multnomah Education Service District Board Equity and Inclusion Committee will meet on Friday, August 16th at 1:00 p.m. at the main headquarters, 11611 NE Ainsworth Circle, Portland, Oregon  97220.

In an effort to regionally and systematically break down institutional barriers to college completion and improve the educator workforce pipeline, the region’s school districts and institutions of higher learning are working in partnership to create a barrier-free credit system, improve communication and coordination, align instructional systems, and improve the educator workforce pipeline.

“I’m honored to step into this role and work alongside education leaders to break down barriers and create equitable opportunities for all students. With a shared vision and clear goals, the partners at the table are poised to create lasting change to our systems and that is the work that inspires me,” said Waas Shull.

In his role, Waas Shull will work with school districts, community colleges, private and public universities to facilitate actions that will expand opportunities for students and future educators.

“The MESD has a responsibility to support regional efforts to improve student outcomes,”  says MESD Superintendent Sam Breyer. “This is a huge opportunity to do things better, and differently, for students in our region.  Nate’s experience, connections, and passion for the work make him the perfect person for this role” says Breyer.

With over 15 years of community leadership and facilitation experience —including 10 years as Vice President, Partnerships, at All Hands Raised, two years with the Office of the Mayor for the City of Portland as Education Strategies Coordinator and four years with the Oregon Council for Hispanic Advancement as Oregon Leadership Institute Director—Waas Shull brings a depth of knowledge facilitating teams of faculty, administrators, students and community partners to eliminate opportunity gaps and increase student success from cradle through college and career.  

Mr. Waas Shull earned his Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Spanish from Manchester University, Indiana. He recently completed 9 years of service on the board of Latino Network, most recently as Vice-Chair.

The Multnomah Education Service District Board of Directors will meet on Saturday, August 17, 2019 for a Planning Retreat at 8:00 a.m. in the auditorium at the main headquarters, 11611 NE Ainsworth Circle, Portland, Oregon  97220. 

Measures of student success—including assessment scores, graduation rates, college-going rates, and attendance rates—frequently expose glaring differences in a child’s likelihood to succeed based on their race, family income or zip code. In an effort to regionally and systematically break down barriers impeding a child’s success, the three Metro-region education service districts launched a collaborative effort to examine school and government practices, and provide professional learning. Clackamas, Northwest Regional and Multnomah Education Service Districts (ESDs) selected Sharif Zakir Liwaru to head up this urgent work.

I am deeply honored to represent education service districts across Northwest Oregon,” says Liwaru. “Since high school, my focused passion is to open more doors for more students, and I’m blessed to join a team that understands the value in doing this work shoulder-to-shoulder.”

In his role, Liwaru will partner with school districts and their staff, community-based organizations, and elected officials to advise on strategic actions that will expand opportunities and improve outcomes for historically marginalized students.

“Our three education service districts are committed to providing the best possible service to schools, educators and students in our regions,” says Clackamas ESD Superintendent Jada Rupley. “We’re grateful and excited to welcome Liwaru who will bring creative and strategic thinking to help us genuinely tackle challenges spanning many generations of students.”

Dan Goldman, Northwest Regional ESD’s Superintendent says “Each student in our public schools deserves every opportunity to dream big and fulfill their potential. What’s clear is our education systems have yet to consistently deliver on this promise for our communities of color - and, if we are truly to achieve excellence as a state, this undeniable reality must change. Liwaru is committed to helping educators across our region open the doors of success for our historically underserved students and families.” 

In its first large-scale professional learning opportunity, the tri-ESD collaborative, dubbed Cascade Alliance For Equity (CAFE) will host nationally renowned speaker Tim Wise at a conference on October 31 at the Portland Airport Sheraton.

With over 26 years of leadership in equity and education—including as the Equity and Diversity Office Director for Omaha Public Schools, the Attendance Collaborative Director for the University of Nebraska, and the President of the Malcolm X Memorial Foundation—Liwaru brings a depth of knowledge in building positive partnerships, engaging community, developing leaders and expanding opportunities for historically marginalized students. He holds a Master of Public Administration for Nonprofit Management and a Bachelor of Arts in Black Studies from the University of Nebraska-Omaha.

Oregon has 19 education service districts (ESDs) that provide leadership and often fill voids in the service continuum of local schools. ESDs are conveners, collaborators, visionaries and leaders that, in partnership with the Oregon Department of Education, ensure every student in Oregon has access to dynamic and responsive education programming–no matter where they live. Multnomah, Clackamas and Northwest Regional ESDs serve local schools, students, and districts in northwest Oregon including the Portland Metro area representing approximately 50% of the students in Oregon.  For more information about the work of the ESDs visit:

www.clackesd.org    www.multnomahesd.org     www.nwresd.org

Multnomah Education Service District Superintendent Sam Breyer announced today that MESD was granted accreditation from the AdvancED Accreditation Commission, the national commission that confers the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI) accreditation seal. 

 “Accreditation provides MESD with a nationally-recognized mark of quality for our agency,” shared Superintendent Breyer. “It demonstrates our commitment to excellence, our openness to external review and feedback, and our desire to be the best we can be on behalf of the students we serve.”

Offering accredited education assists in reducing barriers for students, provides exceptional criterion for feedback, increases transparency to stakeholders and promotes regional leadership for quality education.

"Becoming accredited is a huge milestone for MESD," said Helen Ying, MESD Board Chair. "Enabling the students we serve in all of our programs to be able to earn credit, or its equivalence, that they can bring back to their home school as they move in and out of our programs helps remove barriers and makes transition less challenging. The board also appreciates the helpful feedback we received from the accreditation team."

The AdvancED ESA Accreditation Process provides a national protocol for school districts and education service agencies committed to systemic, systematic and sustainable continuous improvement. The process supports, enhances and stimulates growth and improvement throughout the agency.

The accreditation process involves three ongoing components: 1) meeting high-quality standards; 2) implementing a continuous process of improvement; and 3) engaging in quality assurance through internal and external review. The agency’s accreditation is for a five-year term with regular monitoring of progress and reporting occurring during the term.

Dr. Mark Elgart, President/CEO of AdvancED, stated, “Education Service Agency Accreditation is a rigorous process that focuses the entire agency on meeting high quality standards. Multnomah ESD is to be commended for engaging in this process and demonstrating a commitment to continuous improvement.”

Parents and interested community members can learn more about the accreditation process at www.advanc-ed.org. 

About AdvancED and NCA CASI

Dedicated to advancing excellence in education through accreditation, research and professional services, AdvancED is the world's largest education community, serving and engaging 30,000 public and private schools and school systems more than 70 countries and serving over 16 million students.  AdvancED is the parent organization of the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI), Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI).

NCA CASI is a non-governmental, voluntary association of nearly 10,000 public and private elementary and secondary schools throughout the world.