Coordinating Body

Ben Baldizon has worked in education for over 15 years across the K-16 system. His experience includes being an educational assistant, bilingual liaison, tutor, and SUN manager as well as working to support teams of educators in increasing racial educational equity. He is currently the Project Manager of Paraeducator Professional Learning at Multnomah Education Service District (MESD).

Dorothy Berry has spent over 22 years in elementary education. She is currently a third grade teacher in the Oregon City School District where she spent 7 years as the I-Team Chair facilitating the SST/SCT team in her building. She serves as the Equity Coordinator for John McLoughlin Elementary. Dorothy believes that our education system is at its best when there is collaboration among our community, our families, and our schools. For this reason she became a member of the Oregon City Equity Steering Committee in the fall of 2021.

I am very passionate about education, especially equitable education. Being a part of the work of the REN is one step to building a more equitable space for the young people who are in our education system, and I am honored and excited to be a part of this important shift.

I have worked in education for 16 years, I spent the majority teaching middle school English and student leadership, I was a high school activities director and student leadership advisor, then spent five years as a New Educator mentor, and am currently in my second year as Vice Principal for Portland Evening and Summer Scholars, and alternative program through Portland Public Schools.

As a bi-racial woman, who grew up in Portland and experienced public education, I want to make the experiences of our students, particularly our students of color, a positive, engaging, and meaningful one.

Amy Chapin is entering her seventh year as a physical education, health, and leadership teacher at Molalla River Middle School in the Molalla River School District. This past spring she served in a TOSA position supporting the counseling department. She has been involved in the school and district level leadership teams as a teacher representative for the past four years, including the district equity team and district improvement team.

Kathy Childress is currently the principal of Corbett High School. She previously worked as a science teacher in Lake Oswego and Gresham-Barlow schools for over 27 years. Her experience at Gresham High School included coordinating the International Baccalaureate program and coaching soccer.

Jessica Classen has been in education since 2006. She’s spent the last three years as a New Teacher Mentor in the David Douglas School District, and prior to that, taught multiple levels of ELA at David Douglas High School. In addition to her work at David Douglas, Jessica serves at the regional and state level as a member of the Coordinating Body of the Multnomah/Clackamas REN and as a TSPC commissioner. She also taught at the now-shuttered University of Phoenix MAT program for nine years. She initially received her MAT from Concordia University and later completed the Reading Specialist program there. She also received the Oregon Writing Project’s Certificate in the Teaching of Writing from Lewis and Clark

Mayra is currently the Executive Director of Students and Family Services in North Clackamas School District. As an administrator, she has held the positions of assistant principal at Reynolds High School and Federal Programs Coordinator at Centennial School District as well as Director of College and Career Readiness in West Linn-Wilsonville School District. In the community she holds the position of Board Chair for the Gresham-Barlow School Board and Board member of El Programa Hispano and the Oregon Association of Latino Administrators (OALA).

Gabe Hunter-Bernstein has worked in education for over forty years in New York, Massachusetts, California, and Oregon in positions ranging from teaching preschool and elementary, directing professional development in arts education, directing a teacher education program, directing k-12 education-related programs at a community college, to his present position as School Partnership Director at Portland State University College of Education.

Theresa Just is entering her eighth year as an elementary learning specialist in a resource room setting in the North Clackamas School District. Prior to receiving her teaching license, she worked as an instructional assistant in Title I and special education programs for five years in NCSD. Theresa is a member of her district’s Affinity Group for BIPOC educators, and  a member of the MCREN Coordinating Body. 

SPED Instructor, K-5 Learning Center, Creative Science School

Duncan is a 4th year Special Education Teacher currently working in a K-5 Learning Center at Portland Public Schools. Prior to this, he worked as an Instructional Assistant in multiple special education schools in Lane/Clatsop County and led an after-school program through an AmeriCorps program in the Bay Area. In his first years of teaching, he worked with Junction City SD to develop and implement an equity lens, a five-year strategic vision for their Racial Justice Team, and created trainings on racial discrimination and harassment for staff. He works with MCREN to transform the systems that have been central to his own development and to ensure more equitable outcomes for students from historically underserved communities.

Michael is in the seventh year of elementary education, working in both the Centennial and Gresham-Barlow School Districts. Formerly a fourth and fifth grade teacher, he is now a Behavior TOSA at Hall Elementary in GBSD. He has been a perennial member of the school’s leadership team and served as the building’s liaison to the Right Brain Initiative. Additionally, he is member of the Racial Equity Education team. Working closely with All Hands Raised, this team makes data driven decisions to eliminate inequities in student discipline and increase attendance and student engagement for minorities through systematic changes and targeted professional development.</span>

Gustavo Olvera currently serves as the Interim Dean of Education at Warner Pacific University. He previously worked as a district office and building administrator in the Hillsboro School District. His experience includes being a bilingual teacher, bi-literacy coach, English language acquisition specialist, and instructional coach in the Salem-Keizer School District. His work in the field of education expands from P-12 to higher education serving as an assistant professor of education and teacher candidate supervisor.  

Bekah Sabzalian has worked in education for over twelve years in Oregon. Her education experience spans the nonprofit sector, teaching elementary and middle grades in North Portland and education-focused philanthropy. Each position she’s held has been centered on strengthening education equity and racial justice in Oregon’s public schools. She is currently the Equitable Education Portfolio Program Officer with Meyer Memorial Trust.

Matt Wilensky has been an upper elementary educator for 9 years and has worked in Hawaii, Florida, and Oregon. He is entering his 4th year of teaching in the Estacada School District as a 4th grade and 4th/5th blend teacher.  He has served on his school’s leadership team for the past two years.