Yes, it’s April already! We’re having more and more warm days lately, students are learning about spring, and we’re spending more time outside. 

Governor Brown has declared April as both Sexual Assault Action Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month, giving us an important time to redouble our efforts creating safe and inclusive school communities for all Oregon students. We hope that you’re able to explore the many prevention resources and events that are offered in this newsletter. This also is a great time to infuse some new age-appropriate prevention resources into your Erin’s Law lessons and to strengthen your staff trainings with child abuse prevention tips and strategies.

This week is also Oregon Public Health Week! This year’s theme is “Public Health is Where You Are.” See events in Oregon and nationwide, including a student day that can provide resources to infuse in your health and sexuality education classes.

ODE Sexuality Education Updates 

Sex Ed Spotlight: Sexuality Education is Violence Prevention

There is a mounting body of evidence that shows that comprehensive sexuality education supports the prevention of violence, bullying, harassment, and child abuse. What can this look like in K-12 classrooms? 

• In elementary school - Students can start by learning positive ways to express their emotions, values, and boundaries– and what to expect from friends, family, and their community.  
• In middle school - Building off of this, students can learn skills like how to recognize healthy and unhealthy relationships, how to seek help from trusted adults, and how to communicate consent. 
• In high school - Sexuality education becomes a protective factor for students as they practice skills to build and maintain mutually supportive and respectful relationships, learn strategies for recognizing, avoiding, and ending unhealthy ones, and analyze media and cultural messages around relationships, violence, and sexuality with a critical lens.
• Every year - Students learn advocacy skills to affirm themselves and their peers, interrupt and prevent bullying, and ask for support along the way. This ensures a safe learning environment for LGBTQ2SIA+ students and students from underserved and underrepresented communities. 

Additionally, research shows that when students learn these skills early, they are more likely to use them with confidence and consistency later in life. A recent study shows that comprehensive sexuality is most effective at preventing violence when these issues, such as respecting differences and understanding consent, are covered throughout a student’s K-12 experience.

Unfortunately, according to the 2020 Oregon Student Health Survey, only half of 6th graders reported being taught about healthy and respectful relationships. It’s imperative to think about prevention education, especially while we consider the all-too-high rates of sexual violence experienced by Oregon students– for example, more than a third of 11th graders have experienced dating or intimate partner violence.

Comprehensive sex education can provide young people with information and skills they need to build and be a part of school communities that are safe, inclusive, and affirming. For more resources to explore the connections between sexuality education and violence prevention, please see:

• Infographic: Healthy Sexuality Education is Necessary to Prevent Violence and Abuse in and Outside of our K-12 Schools, a new resource by the the Oregon Attorney General’s Sexual Assault Task Force.
• Health & Sexuality K-12 Education Essential Questions, a resource for educators by the Oregon Department of Education.

This spotlight section is a feature by ODE staff that shines a spotlight on one aspect of K-12 comprehensive sexuality education. If you have a topic request for a future Spotlight, let us know at ode.sexed@ode.oregon.gov. 

Photo by Shane Rounce on Unsplash

Menstrual Dignity for Students Program Update

As the Menstrual Dignity for Students program continues to be implemented across the state, ODE appreciates hearing about the amazing work that districts, charter schools, and ESDs are doing to ensure that all students have access to dignified self-care. In the past month, there have been some important changes to the program. Please see the Menstrual Dignity for Students Update Bulletin for a summary of the changes, which includes information on:

New Permanent Rules

The State Board of Education passed the Menstrual Dignity for Students Rules on March 17, 2022. The permanent rules have replaced the temporary rules, passed on September 16, 2021, and have been renumbered as OAR 581-021-0587, OAR 581-021-090, OAR 581-021-0593, and OAR 581-021-0596.  For more information on the changes and what they mean, please see the bulletin.

2022 Legislative Session Changes to Statute 

The 2022 Legislative Session passed the omnibus SB 1522, which offered clarifying changes to HB 3294 (2021). For more information on the changes and what they mean, please see the bulletin.

Reimbursement Process and EGMS

2021-2022 School Year

As a reminder, districts charter schools, or ESDs, need to submit reimbursement forms (for expenses incurred between July 1, 2021 and July 1, 2022) by September 1, 2022. Grantees will find their grant on the EGMS platform in the coming weeks. For more information on how the distribution process works, see the explanatory bulletin.

2022-2023 School Year

District, charter school, and ESD grantees shall receive reallocated grant funds for year two of the program in accordance with the ADM formula. Districts can start using their base grant amount as an estimate for planning purposes, which can be found on the 2022-2023 funding calculator. 

Click here for the Menstrual Dignity Update Bulletin

For more information, please refer to the Menstrual Dignity for Students Toolkit. If you have any questions, please contact the Menstrual Dignity team at ode.menstrual-dignity@ode.oregon.gov. 

Section photo by Natracare on Unsplash

Job Opportunities: Oregon Department of Education

Culturally Specific After School Learning (CSASL) Program Analyst (Program Analyst 4) (Limited Term), closes 04/04/2022

Indian Education Engagement Coordinator (Program Analyst 3), closes 04/10/2022

Child Nutrition Specialist, closes 04/10/2022

Migrant Education Specialist (Bilingual Spanish Required), closes 04/10/2022

Multilingual Education Specialist (Bilingual Spanish Required), closes 04/10/2022

Tribal Nations Educator Collaborate Program Analyst, closes 04/17/2022

Job Opportunities: Safe Harbors

Safe Harbors in Wallowa County is hiring a Legal/Crisis Advocate and a Shelter/Crisis advocate. To apply: please email your resume, and cover letter that includes responses to the questions listed in the job descriptions to mel@wcsafeharbors.com.

Job Opportunity: Resiliency Skills Coordinator

Sexual Assault Support Services (SASS) is hiring for a Resiliency Skills Coordinator to provide crisis intervention, advocacy, and support for both Spanish and English speaking survivors of sexual violence as well as outreach to community partners. Please access the application on the SASS website. 

Job Opportunity: Executive Director 

The Oregon Attorney General’s Sexual Assault Task Force is hiring for their Executive Director. The Executive Director supports agency staff and programmatic activities, reports to the Board of Directors and the SATF Steering Committee, and is responsible for the organization’s consistent achievements, legislative advocacy, fundraising efforts, and financial objectives. To Apply: Send a resume, cover letter, and three professional references to satfboard@oregonsatf.org with “Executive Director” in the subject line. Application review begins May 1st, 2022.