Gladstone School District is pleased to announce that Dr. McKenzie Meline will be our next director of student supports. Meline, who has a Ph.D. in special education and teaching from the University of Oregon, will replace Gladstone’s current special education director Michael Shelton, who is retiring at the end of the school year.
With over a decade in special education and four years in leadership roles, Meline is passionate about creating inclusive environments where all students can thrive. Currently, as assistant director of special education for Portland Public Schools, she is passionate about partnering with school principals and school teams to address student needs.
“One of my proudest contributions has been supporting PPS’s neighborhood school initiative, which focuses on inclusivity and stronger community connections. I’ve trained staff, worked closely with principals and guided three schools in successfully implementing this model — an initiative that connects directly with Gladstone’s vision of inclusivity and collective responsibility,” she said.
Gladstone Superintendent Jeremiah Patterson was impressed by how Meline has taken a leadership role in coordinating with outside agencies to support students, and how her organizational skills and attention to detail have been instrumental in these efforts.
“In talking with PPS leaders, I’ve learned about how McKenzie oversees the transition of students into and out of programs, which requires not only a thorough understanding of local supports for students using special education services but also a strong ability to collaborate effectively with administrators from those programs,” Patterson said.
Beyond special education, Meline spent much of her career focused on literacy and teacher preparation. She co-authored “The Parallel Universe,” an online reading intervention program to help students make gains in reading fluency, and teaching courses on reading development and instructional design at the university level. She shares the belief that great teaching has the greatest impact on student success.