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October 9, 2019
The
Oregon Teacher of the Year
Franklin
educator
receives top
honor
Franklin High School special
education educator Mercedes
Muñoz was named Oregon’s 2020
Teacher of the Year during a sur-
prise assembly Friday.
Director of the Oregon Depart-
ment of Education Colt Gill was
joined by Portland Public Schools
Superintendent Guadalupe Guer-
rero and Franklin High Principal
Chris Frazier in honoring Muñoz
for the encouragement, equity and
voice she offers to her students ev-
ery day.
“Great educators are at the heart
of student success in Oregon’s
public schools,” said Gov. Kate
Brown. “What Mercedes has done
to advance equity and inclusion at
Franklin High School, especially
with students from historically un-
derserved communities, is a great
example of the standard we must
continue to strive for to ensure that
every student in Oregon, regardless
of their background, has the oppor-
Mercedes Muñoz
tunity to learn and achieve.”
As a learning specialist at
Franklin since 2013, Muñoz has
been instrumental in the develop-
ment and implementation of the
special education push-in model.
She is a member of the school’s
equity team and safety and poetry
slam committees. She is also high-
ly involved in the recruitment of
historically underserved students
in Franklin’s Advanced Placement
Program.
“Every student deserves a
teacher who is unwaveringly
committed to their success,” said
Colt Gill, Director of the Oregon
Department of Education. “As a
special education teacher, Mer-
cedes delivers daily hope and en-
couragement to a wide range of
students with varying academic,
social and emotional needs. I
look forward to her impact as a
model for all teachers across our
state this coming year.”
In a letter of recommenda-
tion, Muñoz was referred to as
“a force of nurture” at Frankin,
a champion in advocating for
the learning needs of all students
and ensuring they are seen, heard
and prepared for the transition
from high school.
“Teaching requires excellence
and grace, which means stay-
ing up to read the article that
will inform your instruction for
weeks to come,” said Muñoz.
“Teaching is so much more than
issuing a grade or collecting an
assignment. Teaching is a revo-
lutionary act of social justice that
empowers children to evolve and
grow.”
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E stablishEd 1970
Week
in
Review
role in the 1968
series
“Julia,”
died Friday. She
was 84. Carroll
also performed
as the wealthy
and
cultured
Dominique
Deveraux
in
the 1980s ABC
prime-time soap opera “Dynasty.”
Hotelier Rebukes Congress
Deadly Smith Tower Shooting
A dispute over a caregiver fueled
an elderly man to shoot three
people in the lobby of Smith Tower
Thursday, a retirement community
in downtown Vancouver, killing
a male neighbor and injuring
two women, authorities said. The
80-year-old suspect was taken into
custody after a police standoff.
He faces murder and attempted
murder charges.
Drone Used to Steal
A man who reportedly used a
drone to break into the Piedmont
Station Food Carts on Northeast
Killingsworth Street was arrested
last week. The owner of Hapa
Howie’s food cart said the burglar,
identified by police as Christopher
Behurst, 34, used a drone for
surveillance after closing hours
and then snapped the lock right off
of the door and helped himself.
Town Surprised by Snopp Dogg
An appearance
from celebrity
rapper
and
actor
Snoop
Dogg surprised
authorities in
a small eastern
Oregon city Saturday. Thousands
of fans flocked to Ontario, which
sits on the Idaho border, to
celebrate a marijuana dispensary’s
grand opening. The sudden influx
backed up traffic for miles.
Gordon Sondland, the Portland
hotelier appointed ambassador to
the EU after donating $1 million
to
Trump’s
inauguration
in 2016 and a
key figure in
the
Ukraine
controversy that
was set off after
President Trump
asked Ukraine to investigate
Democrat Joe Biden, was
ordered not to testify before
Congress Tuesday by the Trump
Administration. House Democrats
say the move is interference and
an impeachable charge.
Plea Against Death Penalty
Defense attorneys for Jeremy
Christian, who is accused of
aggravated murder in the killings
of two passengers on a MAX
train, filed court papers last week
asking a judge to dismiss the
death penalty murder charges
against him. The attorneys say
under a new law passed by the
state Legislature, he would not
be eligible for the death penalty if
he’s found guilty.
Protesters Sue Police
Three protesters filed a federal
civil rights lawsuit Monday
against the city and Portland
Police Bureau claiming officers
used excessive force against them
during a demonstration in August
2018. Aaron Cantu, James Mattox
and Tracy Molina claim the police
response was in part because
TV Legend Dead at 84
they disagreed with the their
Diahann Carroll, the first African-
anti-fascist political message and
American woman to star in a
sympathized with fascists.
network sitcom with her starring
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