Partners with Portland

Dr. Paul Coakley is the Superintendent of Centennial School District.

Dr. Danna Diaz is the Superintendent of Reynolds School District. On April 23, 2020, Warner Pacific University signed the Grow Your Own (GYO) memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaborate with public school districts and higher education institutions in Multnomah County for the purpose of fulfilling two critical priorities for school districts: • Diversify the teaching workforce to more closely match the demographics and lived experiences of our students; and • Increase the available pool of licensed educators to meet current and projected hiring needs, particularly in hard-to-fill positions.

One of the prominent priorities of the collaborative is to ensure that racial equity, social justice and culturally sustaining practices are at the center of all regional GYO programs. Warner Pacific is the most racially and ethnically diverse university in Multnomah County and committed to preparing future teachers who are equipped to teach and serve students in a culturally responsive manner that honors and respects them and their heritage.

As a university partner, Warner Pacific will continue to work actively to recruit students through our Paraprofessional Educators Program (PEP) and to provide scholarships to assist with the cost of education and responsive scheduling that supports paraprofessionals’ continued employment. ▪