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Spring is a time of awakening, renewal and growth. As our students and educators re-engage in face-to-face programming, and our early learning staff embark on a new, family-centered model to better serve our youngest citizens, it certainly feels like springtime to me! Most of all, it’s been absolutely wonderful to see our students!!
 An elementary student who attends one of our schools celebrates National Unicorn Day 2021 with her coloring of unicorns.
Let’s keep up the positive momentum so we can continue to physically connect in our learning communities by following the health and safety guidance of the scientific community: keep social distance, wear a face covering, wash your hands often, stay home when sick and get vaccinated.
Springtime also brings important legislative and budgeting decisions. In this year’s budget message, I wrote:
"The global pandemic, along with a national reckoning on historical and present-day social injustice toward communities of color, has required us to throw previous playbooks out the window.
The economy, instructional strategies, curricula, family connection and collegial relations in a virtual environment have required Oregon educators to adapt, reinvent and grow in substantial ways. As we embark on a new school year, a new biennium, and a new budget plan to try to meet the needs of those we serve, it is with a mixed sense of purpose, caution, urgency and uncertainty that we move forward."
Currently, the legislature is proposing a reduction to programs in the K-12 education State School Fund. In order for most of our region’s schools to maintain current staff and programs, the legislature would need to appropriate an additional $500 million.
Unfortunately, at the current levels being proposed by the legislature, many schools will be reducing support at a time when we need all hands on deck. Read the Oregon School Board Association's assessment here. Conversely, the legislature is planning on significant investment in early childhood programs where we will see additional possibilities for young children and families.
The NWRESD Budget Committee meets on May 18 at 5:30 p.m. to discuss the coming year’s budget and programs.
This week is Teacher Appreciation Week in the state of Oregon. The late Andy Rooney said it best: “Most of us end up with no more than five or six people who remember us. Teachers have thousands of people who remember them for the rest of their lives.”
Our board of directors put this purpose and responsibility in the spotlight when at our April 20 board meeting they proclaimed this week Licensed Employee Appreciation Week, stating, “Our country’s future depends upon providing quality education to all students; and teachers spend countless hours preparing lessons, evaluating progress, counseling and coaching students and performing community service.” Thank you licensed educators!!!
Watch a short video of our students saying thank you.
Thank You to Our Resigning Northwest Regional ESD Board Members
Continuing with the theme of transitions, we are bidding farewell to three veteran board members at the close of this school year. Our organization is profoundly grateful for the many years of service from Renée Bruce, Dave Hollandsworth and Marilyn McGlasson. Join me in thanking them for their many years of service!
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Renée is stepping down after 12 years in the social services position. As the executive director of Hillsboro-based Community Action, Renée has brought a lens of equity, inclusion and service to the communities we serve.
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Dave, who represents zone 2 (Astoria, Banks, Forest Grove, Jewell, Knappa, Neah-Kah-Nie, Nestucca Valley, Seaside, Tillamook and Warrenton-Hammond), is stepping down after 6 years of service. Dave brought a sense of personal connection and business acumen to Northwest Regional ESD—he has a son who received services from NWRESD for many years and his expertise as a small-business owner has been much appreciated.
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Marilyn is resigning after 35 years on our board. Most recently, she served in the at-large position. I have so appreciated her wisdom and experience as a longtime educator and leader, a community volunteer and a champion for the NWRESD.
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My best-
Dan Goldman
Superintendent, Northwest Regional ESD |
Northwest Regional Education Service District has five board seats up for election or appointment.
Two Elected Positions Open
Zone 2: Astoria, Banks, Forest Grove, Jewell, Knappa, Neah-Kah-Nie, Nestucca Valley, Seaside, Tillamook and Warrenton-Hammond
- School boards within Zone 2 will vote for an ESD board member by June 30, 2021. The newly elected board member will take office July 1, 2021 and their term will end June 20, 2023.
Zone 4: Beaverton (Partial), Clatskanie, Rainier, Scappoose, St. Helens and Vernonia
- School boards within Zone 4 will vote for an ESD board member by June 30, 2021. The newly elected board member will take office July 1, 2021, and their term will end June 20, 2025. Incumbent Board Member Tony Erickson will seek reelection.
Click here for the Elected Board Member Application.
Three Appointed Positions Open
At-Large, Higher Education and Social Services
- The five elected members of the NWRESD Board will vote for an appointed ESD board member in the at-large, higher education and social services positions by June 30, 2021. The newly appointed board members will take office by July 1, 2021. The term for the at-large position will end June 20, 2022, and the higher education and social services terms will end June 20, 2025. Incumbent Board Member in the higher education position, Ross Tomlin, will seek re-appointment.
Click here for the Appointed Board Member Application.
What Retiring Board Members Are Saying
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“I can’t thank Northwest Regional ESD enough for allowing me to serve on such a wonderful board. The work we have done will always be a highlight to myself and my family.” -Dave Hollandsworth, Zone 2 |
Nicholas, a Washington County preschooler who receives special education services through Northwest Regional ESD, is featured in this year’s Governor’s Report on Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education (EI/ECSE).
“The staff from the program have been amazing to my family,” says Nicholas’ mom, Julia. She said she has been impressed with how the staff are always thinking of ways to better serve her and her son.
“Northwest Regional ESD teachers were able to assist my son through preschool even while his own teachers could barely handle him,” she says. Nicholas could not regulate his emotions and that led him to struggle with almost every aspect of his life.
Read Nicholas' story.
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 Several Northwest Regional ESD educators are retiring at the end of this school year. If you work or have worked with any of the educators below, please take a moment to share a few words about how they influenced you, your students or your school.
This year’s retirees include:
- Laura Anderson - Autism Spectrum Disorder Specialist - Columbia Service Center
- Margaret Brown - Coordinator of Nursing, Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy Services
- Janice Cuciti - Occupational Therapist - Hillsboro School District
- Marty Flynn - Instructional Assistant - Levi Anderson Learning Center
- Nancy Ford - Executive Director of Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education
- Warna Lounsbury - Instructional Assistant - Day Treatment Program
- Scott Osborne - Behavior Specialist - Cascade Academy
- Kevin Penner - Speech-Language Pathologist - Charles F. Tigard Elementary
- John Saltveit - Instructional Assistant - Columbia Academy
- Jana Swedo - School Psychologist - Jewell, Scappoose and Vernonia school districts
- Tamera Sweeney - Instructional Assistant - Columbia Service Center
Please use this form to share a comment, memory, photo or story by next Wednesday, May 12.
We are pleased to announce Johnna Timmes will be Northwest Regional ESD’s next executive director of Early Learning.
Johnna has worked as the executive director of Instructional Services for NWRESD since 2018. After a rigorous recruitment process, she was selected for this new leadership role.
Starting July 1, Johnna will oversee Northwest Regional ESD’s Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education program, Child Care Resource and Referral, Northwest Early Learning Hub and Northwest Parenting Hub. By combining these four programs under one umbrella, our agency will be poised to provide a more holistic and coordinated early learning system for communities in Clatsop, Columbia, Tillamook and Washington counties.
Johnna has been preparing for this role since the day she first entered an early childhood special education classroom as an educational assistant in 1989.
Read more about Johnna.
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 Next school year, 10 districts in our region will use ion Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) software to help their school-level teams use data to track students’ progress in reading, behavior and social emotional learning.
Participating districts include Astoria, Clatskanie, Gaston, Jewell, Knappa, Neah-Kah-Nie, Scappoose, Seaside, St. Helens and Tigard-Tualatin.
We are hosting three workshops in May on using ion MTSS software. The dates are listed below.
Read more about how your district could use MTSS.
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