Tenneal Wetherell, Assistant Superintendent, Office of Enhancing Student Opportunities, Oregon Department of Education

After receiving her master’s in Special Education, Tenneal began her career in education twenty years ago as a resource room teacher and autism specialist before moving into special education administrative roles.. In 2011, she became the Superintendent at South Coast ESD Superintendent in Coos Bay, Oregon and she is currently completing her doctorate in Education Leadership.

During her 16 years as a school administrator, she has had the pleasure of combining her special education background to guide the ESD in designing and delivering specialized services that support EI/ECSE children, K-12 students, and the districts, families, and caregivers they serve in reaching their individual goals and maximizing their potential. Throughout this time Tenneal served on a number of statewide councils and committees including:

• Governor Brown’s Healthy Schools Reopening Council
• Governor Brown’s Superintendent Advisory 
• PACE Trustee (Board Member)
• Oregon Association of ESDs Leadership Team
• Various ODE committees

Tenneal is an educator who cares deeply about expanding educational opportunities for all youth, believes that partnering and walking alongside others to develop and implement effective education systems is the key to success, and that the sum of all of us working together is how we will achieve equity and excellence for every learner in the state.

Tenneal has dedicated her professional career to ensuring that all students are provided the opportunity for an inclusive, equitable education that builds upon student’s individual assets, values who they are as people and their individual learning needs and helps them to achieve the lives of their dreams.

The role of an ESD superintendent is to bring people together from all walks of life, build consensus, develop, and grow partnerships in the local community, and connect our region to other state endeavors through advocacy. In the South Coast region of Oregon she has been able to create cohesion amongst the region’s local school districts, partner with multiple agencies to create innovative programs, and weave supports together to develop financial efficiencies for our local districts.

Regarding her recent addition to the leadership team at the Oregon Department of Education, Tenneal stated, “This is a challenging and exciting time in education. I am thrilled to accept the position of Assistant Superintendent of the Office of Enhancing Student Opportunities. I am looking forward to helping the Oregon Department of Education to grow and improve the opportunities for students, districts, families, and communities throughout the state.”