We have partnered with the Lake Oswego Sustainability Network (LOSN) to create a questionnaire for the candidates in the May 20 school board election to see where they stand on issues of equity and sustainability. Neelam Gupta’s answers are copied below, verbatim.
Remember to vote in the May 20 election! Voters can use the Clackamas County Equity Coalition’s Equity Ratings Guide as a helpful tool for voting with an equity lens.
Candidate: Neelam Gupta, Incumbent, Position 2
- The LOSD website states “the Board appoints advisory committees to consider matters of district-wide importance.” Beyond “consideration,” what, in your opinion, is the role of the advisory committees (SACs, strategic plan and academic advisory committees)? How would/do these committees help you in your role as a board member? What changes would you make to improve the effectiveness of these committees (structure, board interaction, recruitment, agenda-setting)?
School board members are elected to represent all residents in Lake Oswego, and advisory committees play a key role in helping us understand the needs and perspectives of students, educators, families, and community members. These committees offer the school board and district valuable insights that help inform board decisions and support student success, especially when the committees include engaged community members.
These committees provide thoughtful feedback, raise important questions, and contribute diverse viewpoints that shape strategic direction. We’ve seen their impact through recommendations made to the school board which have been implemented, including but not limited to initiatives like the hiring a Belonging Coordinator, developing a Sustainability TOSA role, introducing BizTown for all 5th graders, and conducting a special education evaluation.
Committees need consistent attendance and active participation from appointed members to be effective and ensure balanced, productive discussions. Encouraging members to connect with the broader community between meetings also helps bring a wider range of perspectives to the table. As far as recruitment, we have tried to advertise in the spring with little success, and more recently, we moved to the fall in the hope of recruiting more parents.
- During the February 24 School Board meeting, it was revealed that graduation rates for Hispanic students have dropped and that graduation rates for underserved students have dropped nearly 10%. Reading and math proficiency have also disproportionately dropped for Black elementary students in the district. How will you combat these disparities in education outcomes?
The data presented requires further explanation, which was discussed during the February 24 meeting, on both graduation rates and reading/math proficiency.
Our district’s graduation rates continue to trend upward for all students. The graduation rates presented include students from Parrott Creek, a separate program temporarily located within our boundaries but not operated by LOSD. While the state attributes this data to our district while it is located in our boundaries, we do not oversee the program. When Parrott Creek data is removed, the Class of 2024 from Lake Oswego, Lakeridge, and Harmony High Schools achieved a 96.32% graduation rate, which is up from 95.8% last year. Harmony High School is a LOSD charter school that operates independently.
Lakeridge and Lake Oswego High Schools alone reached 97.34% graduation rate for all students and 95.7% for Hispanic students, reflecting the dedication of our students, educators, and families.
The data presented on reading/math proficiency is from iReady, which is not meant to measure academic achievement. iReady is a formative assessment that LO educators use with K-8 students to determine a student’s needs, differentiate their learning to their needs, and monitor their progress throughout the school year. The school board receives updates on iReady data throughout the school year, and these results were on the winter assessment showing progress since the fall assessment.
That said, disparities in outcomes, whether in graduation rates, academic achievement, or student experiences, require our full attention. As a board, we receive educational data every month where LOSD staff show and explain the current data, and school board members have discussions to identify areas in which progress has been made and other areas in which improvement is needed. We remain committed to identifying and addressing gaps, especially for historically underserved students. Graduation rates, and the increasing trend over the past 10 years, reflect the support students receive throughout their K–12 experience. We continue to invest in early interventions, culturally responsive teaching, and strong family partnerships to ensure every student has what they need to succeed.
- How do you envision the LOSD Board of Directors and the district engaging with community based sustainability and antiracism organizations? For example, the Coalition of Communities of Color’s “Cultivating Belonging in Clackamas County” report recommends dominant institutions partner with community based organizations and provides suggestions for effectively and ethically approaching those partnerships.
Educational outcomes are strengthened through active engagement with our families and community. While our primary focus is on supporting students and staff within our schools, partnering with sustainability and antiracism organizations is essential to living out our core value of shared leadership.
These partnerships help us better understand and respond to the lived experiences of those we serve. They can also foster trust, build capacity, and create opportunities for collaboration that extend beyond the school day. As we face budget constraints and staff reductions, we will increasingly rely on community-based leadership to help us meet shared goals.
We have a strong history of collaborative work with community organizations, which allows us to incorporate diverse perspectives, amplify underrepresented voices, and ensure our practices are ethical, inclusive, and responsive. Building relationships with trusted partners committed to mutual respect will strengthen our work as a district and school board.
- Teach and Practice Sustainability is a pillar in the current strategic plan. Do you support including sustainability in the next strategic plan? Why or why not? How would you like to see sustainable practices addressed by the district in the future?
I remain committed to ensuring sustainability remains in the next LOSD strategic plan. When LOSD begins to develop the next strategic plan later in 2025, we must examine the progress we have made towards achieving the priority. The strategic plan is designed to evolve as our district’s needs change. While our mission—to be a learning community dedicated to educational excellence and a culture of belonging—remains constant, the steps we take to fulfill that mission adapt over time.
If sustainability has become fully embedded in our district’s practices and culture, then it could possibly shift from a strategic priority to a foundational value that informs all areas of the district’s work. This is similar to how focusing on facilities in a past strategic plan laid the groundwork for long-term improvements. We continue to focus on facilities to ensure our students and educators have spaces supporting learning and belonging. Once a priority is firmly established, it no longer needs to be called out as a separate priority but continues to influence every part of the plan.
I support including sustainability in the next strategic plan, whether it is an area that requires focused attention and growth or as a core foundational value. If it has become part of our district’s daily operations, then we should still uphold it as a core value while making space to include emerging priorities that will help us further our mission.
In the future, I’d like to see the school district build on its solid foundation to keep doing what we’ve put into place, as well as continue looking for new opportunities to grow and deepen engagement with students, educators, families, and the broader community. Sustainable practices are most impactful when integrated into daily operations, curriculum, and culture and when everyone has a chance to contribute.
- We’ve heard from current and former students that taking Ethnic Studies helps them feel better prepared to work with people from diverse backgrounds. Will you support reinstating Ethnic Studies and making it mandatory? If so, how will you go about it? If not, why?
I share your commitment to ensuring that all students engage with diverse histories, perspectives, and experiences as part of their LOSD education. In 2024, the State Board of Education adopted updated social science standards that embed Ethnic Studies across all grade levels and content areas, replacing the previous multicultural standards.
These new standards require instruction that fosters safe, inclusive environments where students can explore topics such as equity, racism, discrimination, and identity. They also integrate content from SB 13 (Tribal History/Shared History) and SB 664 (Holocaust and Genocide Studies), creating a more comprehensive and inclusive curriculum.
All Oregon school districts must implement these standards by 2026, and Lake Oswego has already begun incorporating them into required K–12 history courses starting in 2024. My focus is on ensuring that these new required standards are being fully and effectively implemented across all grade levels, so that every student benefits from this important learning throughout their entire educational journey. These standards offer a core understanding of the topics covered in an introductory Ethnic Studies class for all students. In addition, teachers can propose a new course to be added with unique content not already addressed in our curriculum, which would be offered if there was sufficient student interest.
- We have heard from our students that climate literacy is critical to be prepared for life after graduation. How would you ensure our students are learning about the climate crisis at all grade levels?
State academic standards guide what students learn in schools. Just as the State Board of Education recently embedded Ethnic Studies into updated social science standards, I support a similar approach for climate literacy, integrating it across all grade levels and subject areas. Embedding climate education into the existing curriculum ensures all LOSD students gain the knowledge and skills they need to understand the climate crisis and prepare for the future.
The goals of climate literacy—understanding change, developing critical thinking, promoting engagement, fostering responsibility, and preparing for future careers—align closely with the fundamental skills we strive to build in every student. We aim to teach students how to think, not what to think. These skills are not only essential to climate education but are valuable across all subjects, lessons, and life paths.
- School administrations tend to be reactive rather than proactive when it comes to addressing the needs of BIPOC students. For example, students often have to come to their administrators with requests, and are rarely, if ever, asked what they need unprompted. What steps will you take to ensure that schools are more proactive in addressing the needs of BIPOC students? For example, one of the most common obstacles BIPOC students report is navigating microaggressions. How will you implement a district-wide approach for addressing microaggressions?
I have seen our school administrators’ commitment to listening, learning, and acting in support of all students’ needs, including changes in policies, practices and attitudes. I bring my lived experiences as a sibling to a graduate, a parent to a student, and a BIPOC person, plus my professional expertise as a public health professional to school board service. Ensuring that all students, especially BIPOC students, feel valued, seen, and supported must be an ongoing and intentional part of a K–12 education.
To continue to move from responsive to more proactive, we must continue offering structured opportunities for students—particularly those from historically marginalized groups—to share their experiences and perspectives. Currently, we conduct consistent listening sessions (e.g. Superintendent Student Council), student advisory groups (Engage to Change and No Place for Hate), and culturally responsive climate surveys (YouthTruth) that help inform building-level and district-wide decisions. In addition, we have affinity groups for students on the secondary school level focused on supporting students with shared identities or experiences.
Addressing microaggressions requires our continued districtwide approach that includes staff training, reporting and response protocols, and a shared understanding of how microaggressions impact student well-being and learning. We continue to equip staff and students with the tools to recognize, name, and respond to harm in a way that supports growth, accountability, and belonging.
- How would you integrate sustainability into the existing curriculum and district operations? What role do you see professional development playing in support of teaching and practicing sustainability?
Sustainability is well integrated into our curriculum and district operations. Instructionally, students engage with sustainability through innovation labs, school gardens, and science and social studies lessons across grade levels, as well as through a standalone course at our high schools. Many schools also have active Green Teams that promote student-led environmental initiatives.
Operationally, LOSD is a model for sustainability. We’ve invested in solar panels, microgrids, electric buses, and long-lasting, energy-efficient building materials. Our Nutrition Services team also models sustainability—both in the food we serve and the way we serve it. These efforts reflect our commitment to sustainable practices that benefit our students and the environment.
As education funding tightens and staffing is reduced, partnerships with community experts will be essential to continuing our focus on sustainability. Collaborating with local organizations, businesses, and subject-matter experts can bring valuable real-world learning opportunities to our students and help maintain momentum in this area without placing additional strain on our existing staff.
- How will you address students’ lack of trust in the bias reporting system? How can schools better protect students who file bias reports from peer and staff retaliation? How can you improve accountability from LOSD staff and administrators?
Bias incidents occur everywhere, including in LOSD schools, and how we respond to them as a school district is important. I know there is fear and shame associated with reporting bias incidents, and that responding to bias incidents requires a great deal of empathy, awareness and practice. It is a culture change that I’ve seen happening in LOSD, and I know there is still more work to do. All LOSD staff and the school board has a role in making every student feel welcome in the LO schools.
I’ve seen improvement in acknowledging these incidents and increased accountability since joining the school board. The school board has policies and procedures that district administrators and educators must follow in reporting and responding to bias incidents.
LOSD receives a small number of bias incident reports each year, and our administrators and educators take those reports seriously, responding with a high level of accountability. As board members, we are committed to ensuring that accountability remains strong and consistent.
I can understand that BIPOC students lack trust in the reporting system and fear retaliation. I’ve spoken to people so they know about the district’s policies and practices, and offered support as a school board member. I would like to find other ways to ensure BIPOC students feel safe and supported in sharing their experiences, so that we can make improvements in the schools.
Our administrators are actively working to address these issues by inviting direct conversations with students who have expressed these concerns. In addition, our Belonging Coordinator regularly meets with students in high school affinity groups to hear about their experiences and elevate their voices.
We’ve asked families and community members to encourage students to participate in these conversations. The goal is to build trust, listen with intention, and take meaningful action based on what students share. Protecting students from retaliation—by peers or staff—is critical, and we must continue refining our systems to ensure students feel safe, supported, and heard so they come forward. How LOSD responds to these incidents is incredibly important, and I remain committed to ensuring the continued culture change.
- School board members oversee the district’s budget. For the sections of the budget over which the board has discretionary authority, how do you approach evaluating and prioritizing what should be included both generally and specifically with respect to equity and sustainability?
Every dollar in LOSD’s budget is dedicated to supporting student learning and well-being, our highest priority. The district’s strategic plan, with its four guiding priorities (Create a Culture of Belonging, Achieve Equitable Academic Outcomes, Promote Health and Resiliency, and Teach and Practice Sustainability), serves as the foundation for all resource decisions. It helps ensure that equity and sustainability are integrated into how we evaluate and prioritize investments that benefit all students.