Merry
Christmas!
&
Happy
Kwanzaa!
Established in 1970
PO QR code
Volume XLVIII • Number 49
‘City
of
Roses’
www.portlandobserver.com
Wednesday • December 18, 2019
Committed to Cultural Diversity
photo courtesy of M ilken f aMily f oundation
Gresham High School teacher Julie Rowell (left) reacts to hearing the news she won ‘the Oscars for teaching,’ a highly esteemed education award from the Milken Family
Foundation. On Rowell’s right is Amari Thomas, the school’s attendance liaison.
An ‘Oscar’ for Teaching
Educator removes
barriers to expand
opportunity
Nothing is more important to Julie
Rowell than removing barriers and ex-
panding opportunities for students in
the Gresham-Barlow School District and
specifically at Gresham High School.
Rowell’s English Language Learner
classes engage students who typically
have only two to three years of English,
propelling them to achieve in the class-
room and in life.
In celebration, Rowell has earned a
prestigious award for teaching and an
unrestricted $25,000 cash prize from the
Milken Family Foundation, the organi-
zation’s only winner from Oregon this
year and among just 40 teachers they
recognized nationwide, receiving the
honor last week in a surprise assembly at
Gresham High School.
Rowell’s students regularly advance
more than a year per grade. As a fluent
Spanish speaker and dedicated bilingual-
ist she goes the extra mile for struggling
students, inspiring learners with her high
expectations and aspirational messages
of inclusiveness.
“A teacher like Julie Rowell knows
how to really connect with students and
make an extraordinary impact,” said
Greg Gallagher, senior program director
for Milken. “Her dedication, commit-
ment and creative approach exemplify
c ontinued on p age 4