I hope you had a wonderful 4th of July weekend! I just got back from spending four days in San Antonio, Texas with my daughter Emily for the National Federation of State High School Associations' (NFHS) National High School Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. NFHS Chief Executive Officer Dr. Karissa Niehoff said of the ceremony, "the NFHS honors the contributions and accomplishments of these individuals who are worthy of national recognition as examples for others to emulate. We take great pride in inducting the members of the Class of 2022, members who symbolize ultimate achievement in competition as well as the professions of athletic administration, coaching, officiating, and performing arts."
I had the honor of being inducted as a member of the class of 2022 in the Performing Arts category, in recognition of my 40+ years as a Speech and Debate coach. It was an incredible honor to be a member of such a diverse group of inductees that included the late Walter Payton, Thurman Thomas, and Sanya Richards-Ross to name a few. I want to take this opportunity to thank the amazing students that I have had over the years who made the role of coach and teacher a truly amazing career. I was also supported by excellent administrators, fellow coaches, and work colleagues, all of whom made it possible to dedicate myself as a coach and educator. This weekend's experience was amazing, overwhelming, and humbling most of all. The individuals that I met were incredible examples of service at its best. It is not about winning or getting an A, it's about helping young people improve their skills, excel at their talents, and create pathways to success in their careers and their lives.
The 39th Annual Induction Ceremony of the National High School Hall of Fame, with another outstanding group of inductees to honor, including four former high school athletes, three coaches, one official, three administrators, and one fine arts educator:
It was wonderful to share this experience with my daughter, Emily, and a former student who is now a teacher and coach of performing arts, Jennifer LeSieur, and Jennifer's husband Larry Burke.
INTERIM EDUCATION WORK
This summer's interim work has been largely focused on Transportation and Education topics and I wanted to share some of what I've been doing in Education this week. Through Education Work Groups focused on teacher retention and support, to my work as a Director on the Educator Advancement Council, I have been striving to find the best ways to support our current teachers and to ensure that we can recruit a diverse and well-qualified group of potential new applicants.
I am particularly proud of the work that the Educator Advancement Council (EAC) is doing but I realize that the organization is not as well-known by the public as the Oregon Department of Education, so this is a great opportunity to share about our mission and our work.
The EAC is an innovative partnership aimed at helping Oregon achieve high-quality, well-supported and culturally-responsive educators in every classroom. This effort recognizes that high-quality educator preparation and ongoing, effective professional learning and support for educators are critical variables to excellent teaching, improved student learning, and educator retention.
The EAC coordinates a systemic approach to continuously assessing needs as well as coordinating priorities for services and resources to support Oregon educators. As a Director, I and other directors meet frequently to ensure that we create a system. that allows educators to experience a seamless system of support throughout their careers, and to ensure that students experience high quality and culturally responsive learning, in particular students of color, students with disabilities, emerging bilingual students, and students navigating poverty, houselessness, and foster care.
One of the EAC programs that I am most excited about is the Grow Your Own initiative. Grow Your Own (GYO) programs are a promising strategy for easing local teacher shortages and for increasing the racial and linguistic diversity of the teacher workforce. Partnerships between educator preparation programs, school districts, and community organizations, Grow Your Own (GYO) programs recruit and prepare local community members to enter the teaching profession and teach in their communities.
GYO programs share a common goal of recruiting teachers from the community for the community, but use a variety of methods to achieve their aims. Some programs target high school students by providing them with exposure to careers in education. Other programs focus on helping paraeducators earn their teaching degree by removing barriers to accessing and persisting in higher education.
UPCOMING EVENT: BROOKINGS INSTITUTE
On Monday, July 11 at 11:00 am PST, I have the pleasure of participating in a Brookings Institute panel on the future of U.S. transportation policy through a state-level lens.
The program will highlight findings from a recent University of Texas study that I participated in, which studied how lawmakers are framing the prospects for state-level policy innovation, particularly with respect to transportation funding and energy transition. I will be joined by more state legislators from around the country to discuss our priorities, strategies for aligning key stakeholders, and how new federal funding is affecting legislative agenda-setting.
State legislatures are a key partner in the provision of the transportation systems and services that drive metro area regions and their economies. State governments and their local government partners are responsible for nearly three-quarters of total U.S. expenditures on transportation, and that share has been increasing over time.
See the video below for a preview of the topic:
State legislators and the future of transportation:
Viewers can submit questions by emailing events@brookings.edu or via Twitter at @BrookingsGov using #StateTransportation.
MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE AS OF JULY 1
Oregon Minimum Wage
Oregon workers must make a minimum wage. The minimum wage depends on work location. For July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023, those rates are:
$14.75 per hour - Portland metro - Within the urban growth boundary, including parts of Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington Counties
$13.50 per hour - Standard - Benton, Clatsop, Columbia, Deschutes, Hood River, Jackson, Josephine, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Polk, Tillamook, Wasco, Yamhill, and parts of Clackamas, Multnomah, & Washington outside the urban growth boundary.
$12.50 per hour - Non-urban - Baker, Coos, Crook, Curry, Douglas, Gilliam, Grant, Harney, Jefferson, Klamath, Lake, Malheur, Morrow, Sherman, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, and Wheeler Counties
Oregon's Minimum Wage Increases as of July 1, 2022
AROUND WESTERN WASHINGTON COUNTY
Public Memorial for Ralph Brown
Ralph Brown represented the best of our community, and I feel fortunate that our paths crossed often as fellow elected officials and educators. He was a good friend, and I recognize that this is a sentiment shared by many. As we grieve this momentous loss, I wanted to make sure you were aware of an opportunity to express your admiration for the man Ralph was and send condolences to his family.
A celebration of life will be held at 5 p.m. Saturday, July 23, at Harleman Park in Cornelius, followed by a free concert in the park. Well-wishers are asked to bring their own chair or blanket.
For too many Oregonians, covering even daily expenses has become a challenge and folks are struggling to get by as the cost of living has skyrocketed. That’s why last session I was proud to vote for House Bill 4157. This provides a one-time $600 payment to over 200,000 working and low income Oregonians across every corner of the state.
This week the Oregon Department of Revenue (DOR) began distributing payments. Qualified households can expect to see a bank deposit or check by the end of July.
These payments can make a huge difference for low-income individuals and working families: they can help cover a utility bill, pay for childcare or gas, buy necessary prescriptions, or other essentials like diapers and groceries.
To qualify, households must have received the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) on their 2020 tax filing and lived in Oregon the last six months of 2020. No application was needed for these individuals to receive the $600 payment, which will be tax-free. To see how the payment will be distributed across every corner of the state, click here.
COVID-19 INFORMATION
Where can I get a vaccine or booster in Washington County?
All of the major health systems are providing COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters. You can use this CDC tool to figure out when to get your booster.
Washington County Vaccine Team: The team is in the community five days a week providing vaccinations at schools, shelters, and other locations. These are walk-in clinics. No appointment, ID, or insurance is required. This schedule lists public clinics only. We are now giving additional boosters at these clinics.
In-home vaccinations: Are you or a loved one unable to get to a vaccine clinic because of a disability or other physical or mental health barrier? See if you qualify for a free in-home vaccination by calling 503-846-8123, emailing us or filling out this form.
Tektronix: This is a walk-up clinic operated by Oregon Health Authority. It is located at 2540 SW Alan Blumlein Way (inside Building 58) in Beaverton. The clinic is open Thursday through Saturday from 12-7 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Beaverton Resource Center: This clinic takes place every Friday inside the Beaverton Resource Center, 13565 SW Walker Road. Make an appointment at Project Access Now's website.
La Mixteca Oaxaca: This clinic is open every Sunday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. It is operated by Oregon Health Authority and Vive NW. It is located at 1050 SE Walnut Street in Hillsboro. No appointments, ID, or health insurance required. Testing is also available at this site. Questions? Call the Vive NW hotline at 844-291-4970.
Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center: Vaccination and testing at the new Hillsboro 7th Avenue clinic (226 SE 7th Ave) is open to all community members. You don't have to be a Virginia Garcia patient. Testing is drive-thru and vaccination is walk-up. Hours are M-F, 9a.m. to 4 p.m. You will need an appointment. Find more information at VG's website.
Centro Cultural: This clinic is located at 1110 N Adair Street in Cornelius. It is open on the last Saturday of each month from 8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. No appointment, ID, or health insurance is required. Find more information at Centro's website.
WILDFIRE UPDATES AND RESOURCES
Oregon Launches Wildfire Risk Explorer
OEM has put together this list of contacts to help speed up the process of replacing these documents:
Green cards: Phone (800)-375-5283; Website: www.uscis.gov
Insurance documents - Check with your insurance agent.
Medical records - Call your doctor or your medical insurance company; medical and prescription records are tracked electronically.
The Governor’s office has put together a Wildfire Resources page that you can access from the Governor’s home page. It has links to many of the most important updates about the status of fires and resources for evacuees. This website will be updated regularly.
Legal Resources: Oregon State Bar’s Lawyer Referral Program, Oregon lawyers, through the Oregon State Bar, are partnering with FEMA and the American Red Cross to provide legal assistance on FEMA claims, contract claims, insurance claims, landlord-tenant matters and more.
The following list of resources is from Oregon’s Secretary of State’s Office. The fastest way to get in touch with the SOS team is by emailing business.sos@oregon.gov, using the “Need Help?” button found on most state agency websites or visiting www.oregon.gov/smallbusiness.
Phone lines are busy and it has been difficult to get through. Work is being done to ease this bottle neck, but for now, keep calling (multiple times per day) until you can get through.
