Our mission at the Oregon Alliance of Black School Educators (ORABSE) is to celebrate, support and inspire Black Educators so they may provide the best educational experiences and outcomes for all students while leading the way on best practices for Black students. Now we are looking for new officers to help uphold our mission.
The present Executive Committee members were elected in 2020. Nichole Watson was sworn in as our President by Dr. Charlene Williams at our Gala on January 20th. It is time for the ORABSE members to vote their choices for the incoming ORABSE Executive Committee - President-Elect, Treasurer, and Secretary.
Members of the Oregon Alliance of Black School Educators (ORABSE) have the opportunity to elect the organization's officers.
Below is information about the President-Elect, Treasurer, and Secretary candidates Members - review the info and cast your vote by March 15, 2024, at 5:00 p.m.
President-Elect
The president-elect stands in for the president when the president cannot perform their duties. The current president will assign the president-elect projects in their preparation to be president at the end of their three-year term.
James Jones Jr. is the middle of three children born to Toye and James Sr. He was raised in Portland, Oregon, and attended Martin Luther King Jr. Kindergarten through 8th and De La Salle North Catholic High School. He received his bachelor's in sociology from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. James served as the co-chair of the Student Alliance for Student Activities at Morehouse.
After graduating from Morehouse, James returned to Portland and currently works in the nonprofit sector as a school coordinator and a child well-being policy advocate as the Senior Front Office Coordinator at KairosPDX. James is pursuing his Master's in Teaching and aspires to open a school for black and brown boys in Oregon.
James brings over six years of experience developing, planning, implementing, and managing programming in both education and nonprofits.
Yusuf Leary is a public speaker, community activist, and educator with a passion for equity, social justice, and Empowering Youth. He is the Lead Equity Facilitator at the Multnomah Education Service District, which serves eight component school districts in Multnomah County. He brings five years of experience in youth programming, facilitation, and restorative practice to the position of President-Elect.
Yusuf received his Bachelor of Arts in History from Rutgers University and his Masters in Teaching from Warner Pacific University. He was awarded the Wilma I. Perry Award for academic excellence and community service at Warner Pacific.
He uses his platform to create equitable change in educational systems and organizations.
Secretary
The secretary keeps meeting minutes and notes and reviews documents for ORABSE. The secretary also responds to inquiries and correspondence and coordinates communication with members via newsletters and correspondence.
My name is Aden Cador. I would first like to thank you for considering me for the ORABSE secretary position; it is an honor to be considered.
I am a fourth-year kindergarten teacher, and I was born and raised in Portland! As a black woman growing up on the westside of Portland, I
continuously faced discrimination and racism due to being the only kid of color in almost all of my classrooms. I became a teacher to represent black girls and boys like me and give back to the community I grew up in. I am so excited to work with black educators and leaders who have paved the way for me to grow as a teacher!
D.L. Richardson has been a member of the Oregon Alliance of Black School Educators (ORABSE) since 2021. He served on the ORABSE strategic planning committee in 2021 and 2023. DL is an educator with experience in teaching, diversity training, and public speaking. He has taught communication courses at the university and high school levels. He serves and has served on several nonprofit boards, including Black-serving organizations, educational advocacy groups, and Oregon governmental educational advisory collaboratives.
Among his intentional work to serve the Black community, he co-founded an organization serving Black families in Southern Oregon.
He will be a voice for our members in Southern Oregon.
Treasurer
The treasurer is in charge of all funds for ORABSE and leads the budget committee. Alongside the president, the treasurer establishes the organization's annual budget. The treasurer is also a co-approver of checks and expenditures for the organization and will review and validate ORABSE’s financial statements for accuracy.
LaKeyshua Washington has been an educator for over 25 years in various roles: high school science teacher, curriculum specialist, high school assistant principal, elementary assistant principal, high school principal, middle school principal, and director of curriculum. She currently serves as the Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction at Lake Oswego School District. She holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Science in Psychology from the University of Oregon. With a long-standing passion for understanding the brain and the mind, she has focused all her career on the science and art of teaching and learning. Throughout her career, she has prioritized applying social-emotional learning, STEM, and critical thinking to engage students and adults in meaningful learning experiences.
She will bring her experience managing school and department budgets to the role of ORABSE treasurer.