A brief training will be followed by a couple of hours canvassing in the nearby neighborhoods. For newbies, this will give us a chance to practice so you can gain the skills to venture into your own neighborhoods. For veterans of political organizing, this will get our campaign legs (or wheels) under us again! Come together with your friends, family, and neighbors to join our historic campaign to defeat Trump and transform America! Together, we will talk to our neighbors and have the conversations that matter in an election that is as important as this one.
“My parents immigrated from Jamaica so I could access free public education, as it costs money to attend school after the 6th grade in Jamaica. My ability to succeed in the classroom was doubted, which led to me not finishing high school. After pursuing a GED, I received an undergraduate and graduate degree. In my later educational pursuits I discovered the true impact of educational equity work, and dedicated my career to centering students at the margins. As a community organizer and educator who centers culturally-responsive pedagogy, I would be in a position to better advocate for the needs of teachers and community members.
As an educator, an advocate, and a progressive community organizer who proudly calls Portland home–I care deeply about our students, families, and education professionals. I’m a 26 year old high school dropout, and my journey brought me to become the educator I wish I had in high school. This puts me in a position to better understand how students are impacted by policy change in PPS.
We are long overdue for schools that guarantee any student a promising educational experience, regardless of who they are, or where they come from. That’s why I am running for Portland Public School Board, Position 2. I am running to lead our district towards a future where equitable student success is a given and not a perennial goal.”
Learn more at http://tinyurl.com/shanice4pps
Read BerniePDX’s endorsement statement at www.BerniePDX.us/2019-endorsements
Michelle DePass and Shanice Clarke are both such qualified candidates for the Portland Public School Board (Zone 2) that for the first time, we are offering a dual endorsement in the May 2019 election, because both candidates received virtually the same number of votes from BerniePDX members.
Both are women of color who are deeply involved in the community and education — Michelle as a fourth generation PPS student and parent who has been involved in advocacy and volunteered in schools, and Shanice as an educator and advocate.
Michelle and Shanice are passionate about centering the needs of the most vulnerable students, including students of color, houseless students, and those from low-income backgrounds. They both oppose the presence of School Resource Officers in schools, and they support raising taxes on the most privileged in our community to properly fund our schools.
If elected, Michelle would focus on the priorities listed above, and on the achievement gaps that are systemic in PPS, while Shanice is also passionate about creating wraparound services to aid students in crisis. Most importantly, both women are committed to changing the systemic issues in Portland Public Schools that have left so many students behind.
These candidates represent the values of BerniePDX and we are proud to endorse Michelle DePass and Shanice Clarke.
Deb Mayer also requested an endorsement from BerniePDX for the Portland Public School Board (Zone 3). Unfortunately, it was after our endorsement process. BerniePDX is excited that more progressive candidates are stepping up to bring fresh perspectives to all levels of government, and we wish Deb the best.
It’s endorsement time again, and BerniePDX needs your input! We’re excited that two great women of color, Michelle DePass and Shanice Clarke, are running for Portland Public School Board (Zone 2) in the May election! Both candidates requested a BerniePDX endorsement, and we need you to vote on who we should endorse.
Click here to learn about the candidates, read their responses to our questionnaire, and cast your vote! Voting ends April 15.
