Jennifer Schmidt recently joined Oregon Conference as a new associate superintendent of education. No stranger to the Oregon Conference education field, Schmidt made the transition from her role as Columbia Adventist Academy vice principal and teacher in Battle Ground, Washington.
In an interview with the Oregon Conference communication team, Schmidt shared that she recognizes the struggles and hardships teachers have faced in recent years and wants to do all she can to support them.
“In my [job] interview, we talked a lot about supporting teachers,” said Schmidt, “and that’s really what I want to do — support our teachers. I want to know their stories and classrooms and to understand what they need. Coming out of the pandemic has been so tough for so many, and our teachers are really on the front lines. They’re doing such good work, but at the same time, I know they’re tired. I just want to do everything I can to help support the teachers in this conference.”
Schmidt has been serving in educational spaces since her youth and has worked in classrooms internationally. “My mom worked as a teacher, and I would go to her school to help her," said Schmidt. "That was probably when I started to really think about working in education. I was also a student missionary in the Democratic Republic of Congo. I think it was those things that led to me wanting to find some way to work with kids and help them — not only in achieving good academic outcomes but also in bringing them to Jesus.”
Ron Jacaban, Oregon Conference vice president for education, shared, “Jennifer’s knowledge and expertise in all areas of Standards Based Learning make her a major asset to Oregon Conference. She has been on the cutting edge for years and was practicing SBL before it became a focus in Adventist Education.”
One of Schmidt’s top priorities, she said, is making teachers’ jobs easier. “I would like to be an instructional leader,” she said, “and to provide support as we map out our path for the future. I want to help provide those things teachers need to be the best they can be — to go from good to great. I want to be part of helping them do well.”
