A Student Advocate They Don’t Forget

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THE SMALL SCHOOL DISTRICT in Umatilla, in rural northeastern Oregon, looks rather unremarkable at a glance: Nearly three-quarters of its 1,400 students are Hispanic, many are English language learners, and nearly all are living in poverty.

When Heidi Sipe became superintendent in 2007, she vowed that Umatilla students would not be overlooked. During her time as the district’s federal programs manager, she had built relationships with officials in Salem, Ore., and Washington, D.C. Then, as superintendent, she moved beyond being a frequent presence in the state and national capitals by often bringing groups of students with her to show lawmakers the beneficiaries of their funding and policy support.

Sipe, her state’s superintendent of the year in 2016, has taken what she considers a “radical” stance on the district’s overall student performance, which languishes behind statewide averages. Rather than be driven strictly by test scores, she has focused on individualized learning in native languages at the elementary level and strategies focused on STEM and career development, replete with internships, in later grades.

As a result, state assessments start low, and the district relies on MAPS assessments to show students’ academic growth. State scores gradually have increased into high school, and one of her proudest accomplishments is elevating the district’s graduation rate to more than 93 percent. Sipe also worked to build recovery programs and reintegrate students who were previously sent to an out-of-district alternative school.

At least 12 percent of those graduates today also have an associate’s degree. Sipe uses the district’s small size to her advantage to recruit 9th-grade student ambassadors — her son was the first several years ago — to talk up the program and encourage participation.

“We were finding that too often the high school students didn’t see themselves as college material, so we felt that we had to give exposure early in the high school environment,” she says. A class called Success 101 helps students map their path through high school and consider what careers could support the lifestyle they desire. 

“We found that rural students have all the talent but none of the access,” she says.

Salud Campos was “mesmerized” in Sipe’s middle school social studies class by her work in support of every student and every student’s ambitions. Now as a parent, she sees the superintendent’s impact on the overall community as well as individual students.

“She is an excellent role model,” Campos says. “She’s always had her students’ back and encouraged them to go above and beyond what they think they could do.”

Umatilla’s students understand how to advocate for their needs at the state capitol. Each year, she accompanies a bus of students to witness policymaking firsthand and meet their lawmakers. In Washington, U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkey, D-Ore., calls her a “trailblazer for education opportunity at the local level,” adding “she’s also provided me with valuable insights over the years about how we can best enrich schools across America.”

The coronavirus pandemic interfered with 2020’s plans to visit the state capitol. Once school buildings shut down, Sipe and her staff rushed to deliver workbooks, computers and meals to students. The biggest challenge in 2020-21 has been to ease the digital divide so every student has internet access. She worked with area businesses and community donors to support Wi-Fi hubs and connectivity for each student.

And while small, rural schools can have steep challenges and unique benefits, she adds, “I think it’s important for people to realize small districts do not mean small work.”