Chief Joseph Elementary

Dear Familias, Students and Colleagues,

One of my favorite experiences in my nearly thirty-year educational career was in my first year teaching. I was a Spanish bilingual teacher, and I was happy and proud to be “el maestro” – a role that carried esteem and respect in the predominantly-Latino neighborhood where I lived and worked.

My mother, like many immigrants, instilled in me the importance of education and in working to make a difference in the community. I was fortunate in that my own elementary school experience was filled with an abundance of cultural and linguistic affirmation. As a new educator, I was honored to do the same for my students and their families. I bring this, and the whole collection of lived experiences I have as a Latino, to my leadership at Portland Public Schools.

All students deserve to have their heritage and background celebrated as part of their educational experience. Our community’s racial, cultural, and linguistic diversity enriches each of us, adults and kids alike. Learning about our rich diversity will help prepare our students to lead a more equitable and socially just world.

Today, we begin celebrating Hispanic/Latino Heritage Month, which offers an opportunity to honor, recognize, and celebrate Latino contributions to our community, state, and country. Over the next month, you’ll see social media posts, and information on events occurring across the district, to educate and inform our community about this cultural celebration, and to highlight the unique history and contributions of Latinos in Portland and across our country. 

Con mucho orgullo,

Guadalupe Guerrero
El Superintendente de las Escuelas Públicas de Portland