Santha Cassell
Although her role as a high school educator has evolved since she began her career in 2000, in every position, student success has been Santha’s mission. Her deep belief in the power of education to transform lives, and certainty that every student must have access to excellent instruction, has informed her work as a classroom teacher, school leader, and instructional specialist.
Prior to being a Ninth Grade Success Coach, Santha lead the instructional team at Portland’s Madison High School for 7 years, focusing on teacher collaboration, school-wide best practices, credit attainment and optimizing learning opportunities for all students. In her position at Madison, Santha coordinated, created, and presented professional development opportunities for staff. She has also loved teaching AVID, English Language Arts, Humanities, Culinary Arts, and Journalism. Her career in education has been marked by her passion for social justice and equity, and her position as a Ninth Grade Success Coach is an opportunity for her to employ those core beliefs in a larger arena, the North Willamette Valley.
When she is not visiting ninth grade success teams and coaching educators, you will find Santha running trails in Forest Park, immersing in the natural beautify of the Portland area, reading books, and making delicious food.