Student success starts with people who care. Our classified employees show that care every day, keeping schools running and students supported. They are the backbone of our public education system. They work with students, educators, families, and partners. They keep offices running and buildings safe. Our community depends on them.
At Clackamas ESD, more than 60 classified job types support this work. To honor their impact, our Board of Directors has proclaimed March 2–7, 2026, as Classified Employee Appreciation Week.
Their work reflects our mission to lead, serve, and innovate for learning. We are grateful for the more than 260 classified staff members and contractors who make a difference every day. Meet five of our classified employees and learn how they serve our community.
If you ask Nathan Woodruff what he does for a living, his answer is simple: he works with students with disabilities. But spend a few minutes talking with him, and it is clear that a large part of Nathan’s work is driven by advocacy, which includes standing alongside students and families and helping ensure each child gets what they need to thrive.
A Day that Never Looks the Same
Nathan is a behavior coach based primarily at Sandy High School, where he supports students in the Life Enrichment Education Program. His days don’t follow a predictable script. Some days involve one-on-one support in the classroom. Other days, they involve walking miles around campus with a student who needs movement, routine, and connection more than a desk and worksheet.
“I walked about 20,000 steps with a student today,” Nathan shares. “That’s what he needed. So we worked on math and other lessons on our walk.”
That flexibility and responsiveness are hallmarks of Nathan’s approach. He’s quick to point out that success looks different for every student. While some students work on academic skills like reading and counting, others focus on routines, emotional regulation, or learning how to move through their day safely and confidently.
A Career Rooted in Care
Nathan’s journey to LEEP wasn’t a straight line, but care work has always been at the center. While studying special education, he worked in group homes supporting adults with disabilities. From there, he became a certified nurse aide and worked in a nursing home. Later, he completed a mortuary apprenticeship, working closely with families navigating grief and loss.
“That work taught me a lot about people,” Nathan says. “You meet people at their most raw, their most human. And you learn that most people are good.”
Ultimately, Nathan found his way back to education through a temporary position as an educational assistant with LEEP. Encouraged by colleagues, he applied for a behavior coach role and hasn’t looked back.
“It’s honestly been the best two working years of my life,” he says. “I really love this job.”
The Importance of Advocacy
Ask Nathan what motivates him, and he returns again to the idea of advocacy. He describes his role as being the key person standing between a student and a system that may not fully understand them.
“These students aren’t giving you a hard time. They’re having a hard time,” he says. “When things are intense, I think: what can I do right now to help?”
That mindset carries Nathan through the hardest parts of the job, including supporting students with high behavioral or medical needs, or students who struggle with attendance due to challenges at home. “Man, I miss them when they’re not here,” he says simply.
Nathan brings a trauma-informed lens to his work, recognizing that students and families carry far more than what’s visible during the school day.
Life Beyond the School Day
At home, Nathan and his wife are raising two young boys, ages one and three. “I take care of kids all day, then go home and take care of my kids all night,” he says with a laugh. “It’s exhausting, but it puts things into perspective.”
Despite the challenges, Nathan looks forward to coming to work. “It’s hard, but it’s fun,” he says. “We wake up the next day and try again.”
Whether he’s supporting a student, helping a classroom in crisis, or advocating behind the scenes, Nathan brings empathy and care to his work every day. As he puts it, “It’s really a blessing to work with these kids.”
