The following comments are responses to a list of questions sent by the CUJ to the Nixyaawii School Board candidates. Votes can be cast March 18 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the NCS parking lot. Two candidates will be elected. On this page, the CUJ has provided one location for all candidates’ responses in the the following order: Briana Spencer, Modesta Minthorn, Jaimie Crane, and Steven Hart.
Candidate: Briana Spencer
Tell us a little about yourself and why you are interested in running.
I am CTUIR member and a descendent of the Cayuse, Nez Perce, Oklahoma Seminole, Cascade, and of Chief Spencer of the Klickitat tribe. I am also Afro Puerto Rican, Irish, and French.
I’ve served on the CTUIR Education & Training Committee, Washington State Indian Education Association, and the Nixyaawii School Board. Additionally, I’ve been a Campaign Manager and I am currently a grassroots activist for several coalitions that serve eastern Oregon and Washington.
I am running to continue the fight of improving and providing a quality and equitable education for all children; to continue this district in an upward path of providing an education which will ensure that our children have a bright future and fighting chance in society by being educated for the future.
What involvement have you had with the school and/or school board?
I am a previous Nixyaawii student and school board member.
What particular strengths will you bring to the school board?
My particular strength is the experience of attending 5 high schools. This allowed me to encounter different school environments, services, and learning techniques.
What do you see as the greatest challenges facing Nixyaawii Community School and how would you address those issues?
I believe chronic absenteeism is the greatest challenge and one idea I have addressing it is to provide free classes to parents that would teach nutrition, health, impacts of social media and family dynamics on learning, etc. We have generations of families who were never taught the importance of school so they don’t have the tools they need. It is my hope that these classes would help parents learn how to motivate their children to come to school and do their best.
How do you view the board’s role vs. the administration’s role in running the school?
The board review, evaluates, and adopts policies that help the future vision of the school and the administration manages the day-to-day operations. The school board and administration work together to set priorities for the school with the administration providing sufficient information so the board can informed decisions.
Describe your experience in working with parents, community members, the business community and human services agencies.
When planning the Black Lives Matter march, I spent hours talking to parents, community members, and the business community about the event to quell any fears they may have had. Although they made the choice to attend the event, I was still responsible for their safety. Which is why I, along with John and Nolan worked with the former Chief Roberts for weeks to ensure we had a safety plan down.
What is your vision for an outstanding school?
To provide an environment where all students can be welcome, happy, safe, and supported while they achieve success to their fullest potential.
Candidate: Modesta Minthorn
Tell us a little about yourself and why you are interested in running.
My name is Modesta Minthorn. I am an enrolled member of the CTUIR and I am 51 years old. I am a graduate of Pendleton High School and have my Bachelor’s of Science from the University of Oregon and my Master’s of Arts in Linguistics from the University of Oregon. I have worked in the CTUIR Education Department for 15 years working in various roles.
I am interested in running for the Nixyáawii Community School Board at this time because I feel that I have attained enough experience to provide good support for NCS and the students. I am willing and ready to put in the work and effort to maintain and grow the NCS goals.
What involvement have you had with the school and/or school board?
I have been a Language Teacher and taught Umatilla at NCS.
I have been a substitute Teacher for NCS. I substituted for P.E., Health, Language Arts, Math, Art and other Language Classes.
I was the Project Director for the US Department of Education grant received by NCS. For this grant I was able to help with blending of Native American values and promotion of higher education. This grant allowed me to work at NCS for 4 years.
I have been a mentor for NCS students through the College Readiness program at NCS.
What particular strengths will you bring to the school board?
I have 5 years of experience working with the Oregon Department of Education as the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation tribal representative on a Government to Government level where policies affecting tribal nations are worked out.
I have 3 years of experience being on the Oregon State Board of Education that oversaw the policies for all 197 school districts in the state of Oregon. My last position with the Oregon State Board of Education was 2nd Vice Chair.
I am familiar with the tribal languages of the CTUIR which tie to our customs and traditions.
What do you see as the greatest challenges facing Nixyaawii Community School and how would you address those issues?
I believe one of the biggest challenges for NCS is student motivation throughout the 4 years of high school. I firmly believe a solid grounding in our traditional languages, customs, and beliefs will help with motivating students. Our languages, customs, and beliefs all provide a deep connection to our sense of place and allows for youth to grasp and hold on to their identity. These are all positive ways to help students stay motivated to complete their schooling.
How do you view the board’s role vs. the administration’s role in running the school?
I believe the NCS board’s role is to help provide policy support for the school, including support for the administration. I believe the administration’s role is to conduct day to day business for the Nixyáawii Community School.
Describe your experience in working with parents, community members, the business community and human services agencies.
It has been my privilege to work in our community for two decades plus. I have worked with at risk youth in the Salmon Corps program through the 1990’s where we provided community service work to elders and the public, I have worked in the Language Program for numerous years as an Apprentice, Linguist, and Language Instructor where I have worked with student and parents on language learning and grades, I have worked with tribal elders in the Language Program as a student and language advocate and with the Family Violence Services Program where I was able to bring awareness to elder abuse and provide training for tribal police and other agencies. As a part of the many events associated with my work I have had numerous contacts with our local businesses requesting donations for events.
What is your vision for an outstanding school?
My vision for an outstanding school is a place where students of all ages and backgrounds can succeed. I envision a school that supports a student that wants to be a plumber, construction worker, electrician, horticulturist, botanist, nurse, lawyer, doctor, teacher, and all other occupations, so that they meet their full potential and are active members of our community.
Candidate: Jaimie Crane
Tell us a little about yourself and why you are interested in running.
My name is Jaimie Crane. I am an enrolled member of the CTUIR. I grew up in Pendleton and graduated from PHS. I have spent a majority of my professional life has been based in behavioral research and education. I am interested in running for the NCS School Board because I recognize the value of working collaboratively, and transparently, with a focus on ensuring a successful educational journey for all students by maximizing access to appropriate resources and supports.
What involvement have you had with the school and/or school board?
I returned home in June of 2020 so I have not had direct involvement with NCS, to date. However, I have spent the last 22 years working with at-risk youth, students/people with various levels of disabilities, high school students preparing for their post-secondary endeavors, and the families, communities, and service providers dedicated to working as a team to meet the diverse goals of each.
What particular strengths will you bring to the school board?
I have had the good fortune of gaining my experience and skill set while working in various capacities both inside and outside the educational realm. I have been a paraprofessional, Career Center Coordinator, Developmental Specialist, Reading Specialist, Coach, and a Special Education Instructor so I have firsthand knowledge of the unique challenges that students, educators, Administrators, and families face while trying to ensure the receipt/delivery of quality education. My experience as a behavioral Research Assistance provided perspective on the disparities that impact youth nationwide and the barriers to equity that underrepresented populations face. Each position presented opportunities to observe, analyze and problem-solve as a team to identify effective, functional solutions for all stakeholders.
On a less technical note, I miss the students and families and creating fun, engaging, and safe spaces for learning. Supporting students during their challenges and celebrating their victories, regardless of size, is one of the most rewarding aspects of teaching. As a Board member I would be willing to share my ideas and experiences around grant-writing, fundraising, assessment and data interpretation, and creative input for events to ensure the community, staff, and students could focus on those moments of success and learning that will forever be a part of their own educational experiences.
What do you see as the greatest challenges facing Nixyaawii Community School and how would you address those issues?
I think some of the greatest challenges facing Nixyaawii Community School are the very same ones schools across the nation face. Funding, inconsistently interpreted and enforced policies, and creative limitations due to standardized testing protocols are issues commonly found at the top of the complaint list. Balancing the diverse needs of students and providing adequate access to supports often gets lost in translation when teacher salaries or school scores are determined by test scores or other arbitrary standards. Students, staff, and community members should be confident in the policies and practices of the school and the enforcement and accountability protocols for each and know that they are grounded in values of equity and improvement.
How do you view the board’s role vs. the administration’s role in running the school?
The Board’s role is to focus on the success of the students and to recognize and value that each journey in unique and has value. The Board develops and implements a vision for the district, sets goals, and monitors progress to report to the community in a spirit of collaboration and transparency. An effective Board will advocate on all levels of government to communicate successes, needs, and will work as a team to oversee finances and the overall financial health of the district. Overall, it is creating and maintaining positive working relationships while using feedback, discourse, and data to reflect the district’s challenges and progress. They are the voice of the community to Administrators and the voice of the students and school to the community.
The Administrator’s role is to oversee the day-to-day operations of the school. They ensure curriculum standards are met, address staff issues, provide professional development and supports, develop schedules and communicate with parents. They create an overall school environment that is safe, functional, and appropriate to meet diverse needs of students and staff while implementing the goals and policies established by the Board.
Describe your experience in working with parents, community members, the business community and human services agencies.
I have worked with parents, families, and warp-around service providers to ensure that students receive access to any available supports they might benefit from. I have conducted, interpreted and presented data on many levels from parent to scientist and am comfortable conveying different levels of information to different audiences. I appreciate the value of networking and building professional relationships with tribal and community organizations to ensure that needs are acknowledged and addressed effectively and efficiently. Supporting our students and community in accessing resources to relieve stressors will free up time and energy to focus on education that might otherwise be dedicated to safety and/or survival.
What is your vision for an outstanding school?
My vision for an outstanding school would be one filled with happy students. Happy because they have choices in their educational pursuits. Happy because they feel heard and supported. Happy because their culture and strengths are honored. Happy because they are excited to pursue their postsecondary goals because they were provided with direction and have been prepared to work through obstacles. It would also be outstanding if teachers had creative freedoms to teach what they love in dynamic ways that would engage students and foster a love of learning. Finally it would be outstanding if this could happen with the support of a dedicated school board, Administration, and community that were willing to fight the necessary battles to ensure this for each and every student.
Candidate: Steven Hart
Tell us a little about yourself and why you are interested in running.
I would also like to start out by saying thank you to Randy Milton for reaching out to me about this opportunity to be involved with my kids’ education, Nixyaawii Community Schools Activities, and helping make big decisions or recommendations on any aspects or concerns of our youth.
Because they will be doing the same for us. This next generation will be making big decisions and choices for our community. In the near future for The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.
I am interested because this is right my ally. For instance I am at every school event, I have one young adult graduating and I have one sophomore, a freshman starting in 2022. My youngest will be entering Nixyaawii 2025.
I know every single student and teacher in the building. So NCS is like my third home. My residence, Walmart, and then NCS. I really want to be on the school board to help in any way I can for the Future, Present, and always remember the past, the ones that made it possible for us to have the things we do today.
A little bit about myself huh? Where to start with that. I am an enrolled member of CTUIR X-1269. My Mother is Patricia A. Thompson and My Father is John John W. Withers. I am a father of four beautiful daughters. I will start from oldest to youngest. Adilia M. Hart is 18 yrs. old and getting ready to graduate from NCS, Class of 2021. She has been accepted to Portland State University and wants to pursue her degree in Children and Family Services.
Mersayus L. Hart is 16 yrs. old and sophomore here at NCS and she is the athlete, and the glue of the family. She keeps all of us on our toes. Then there is Kadence Y. Hart my 13 yrs. old daughter. She is my girly girl, loves to shop and she is my human calculator. The youngest is the BOSS & her name is LeAndra M. Hart 11 yrs. old. She is the go getter, wild horse racing, all sports, and gamer, curious gorge is her nickname.
What involvement have you had with the school or school board?
I really have not been involved with the school too much besides school sporting events, and donating gifts and money for the fundraisers for the school travel activities. Also just being a good team player I really try to help when asked. Like rides for the kids that need them after practice. Help clean up the new gymnasium after games. Things of that nature. So not much involvement for the past four year because of my work schedule. Now that I transition to a new position and department. I will be able to do more with my kids and community and hopefully for the Nixyaawii Community School. I want to make up for lost time and show the kids that EDUCATION is very, very important. “Education is your most powerful weapon. With education you are the white mans equal, and without it, you are his victim.”
