The new superintendent for Seattle Public Schools started her tenure July 1. Denise Juneau signed her three-year contract during a school board meeting in April.
She posted a message to members of the state's largest district: "I am deeply committed to ensuring each and every Seattle student graduates college, career and community ready." Read her full message here.
Seattle Public Schools' first Native American Superintendent says she noticed a recurring issue come up during the hiring process.
"The issue is always equity. And that's across the board," said Juneau, who signed her new three-year contract during a school board meeting in April.
With that in mind, Juneau will be tasked with closing Seattle's achievement gap, one of the biggest in the country between white and black students according to a 2016 Stanford University study.
The former Montana state superintendent is credited with improving graduation rates in her home state and integrating ethnic studies, which she hopes to do in Seattle too.
"I can walk into classrooms across our state and see American Indians reflected in the walls, the books they're reading, and our resources, and I think that's a great goal for Seattle Public Schools as well," Juneau said.
Juneau said she welcomes input from city leadership. She hopes by working with Mayor Jenny Durkan, the school district can get new ideas on dealing with problems students face, like homelessness, mental health, and transportation.
"I think one of the primary partners that will be a help with the district is the city," she said.
"I rose in the ranks as a teacher," she said. "I'm a strong union member. As a state superintendent, I had a strong relationship with our state's union. In fact, when I talk about schools of promise and transforming some of the lowest performing schools in our state, it was with the union."
