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Greetings colleagues -
Winter has made a belated, albeit dramatic entrance in Oregon.
What is ordinarily a time for reflection and service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. became a long weekend rife with event cancellations and weather-related hardship. Tremendous gratitude is owed to our utility workers and public partners who have been working around the clock to restore power, operate warming shelters, and help stranded motorists.
Before the arctic blast arrived, our classrooms were humming. We even hosted state lawmakers for a tour de Beaverton Early Childhood Center in anticipation of the short legislative session slated to begin on Feb. 5. Thank you to Reps. Courtney Neron and Lisa Reynolds for attending and to Rep. Susan McLain for sending a member of her team to participate.
I’m urging our legislative colleagues to adequately fund our early learning services so babies, toddlers and preschoolers who experience disabilities are prepared for kindergarten and beyond.
Read on to learn more about how these critical — though often invisible — programs are currently experiencing a fiscal crisis, in addition to many more events and happenings at NWRESD. |
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In partnership-
 Dan Goldman
Superintendent
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 Oregon Rep. Lisa Reynolds, left, meets a student who receives Early Childhood Special Education services at the Beaverton Early Childhood Center. The student attends a better together class that brings neurotypical and neurodivergent children together so children who experience autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or other related conditions can interact with and learn from peers. Photo by Tracey Goldner.
Last year, the Oregon Legislature cut the biennial general fund budget of a critical early education program. The program is called Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education, (EI/ECSE), and it provides essential intervention services to families with babies, toddlers and preschoolers who are experiencing disabilities and/or delays.
Most programs around the state have put off making drastic cuts, pinning their hopes on a legislative correction during the upcoming short legislative session beginning in February. The children who receive services in this program are too young to advocate for themselves, so their parents and educators are speaking up on their behalf.
“What occurred in the Legislature last year is unconscionable,” says Dan Goldman, superintendent of Northwest Regional Education Service District. “Our children and their families deserve better.”
On Tuesday, Jan. 9, parents, educators and staff from Northwest Regional ESD gathered at the Beaverton Early Childhood Center in south Beaverton to ask legislators to adequately fund the program that provides services to children from birth to age 5.
Oregon Representatives Courtney Neron (District 26) and Lisa Reynolds (District 34) attended alongside Elisabeth Gade, a legislative assistant from Rep. Susan McLain’s (District 29) office for a morning presentation and a tour of the program.
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 Image description: Portraits of our nine board members with text that says our board is unbeleafable and illustrations of leaves.
It’s January. That means it’s time to pause for a moment to recognize the service of our nine board members. Our members come from all over our four-county region. Some live in rural towns and others live in big cities. Some have decades of experience in education and others are experts in business, health care, social work, project management and fundraising.
Each month this group of dedicated professionals comes together to set a vision for what our community members, families, students and educators want their educational system to become and how to make student achievement the top priority.
“I am grateful for their countless hours of unpaid time to provide the best opportunities to the students most in need,” says Dan Goldman, superintendent. “They are steadfast advocates for educational access, student achievement, educator professional growth, equity, transparency and innovative service on behalf of our 20 component school districts and their communities.”
Thank you to:
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Doug Dougherty - Chair, Zone 2 (Astoria, Banks, Forest Grove, Jewell, Knappa, Neah-Kah-Nie, Nestucca Valley, Seaside, Tillamook and Warrenton-Hammond)
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Maureen Wolf - Vice Chair, At-Large
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Christine Riley - Zone 1 (Gaston, Sherwood and Tigard-Tualatin)
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Yadira Martinez - Zone 3 (Hillsboro)
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Tony Erickson - Zone 4 (Beaverton - Sunset and Westview attendance areas - Clatskanie, Rainier, Scappoose, St. Helens and Vernonia)
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Becky Tymchuk - Zone 5 (Beaverton - Aloha, Beaverton, Mountainside and Southridge attendance areas)
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Ross Tomlin - Higher Education
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Miriam Meneses-Rios - Social Services
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Ernest Stephens - Business
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 Image description: Illustration of six students of various ages, abilities and ethnicities.
There’s only one document that details the nearly 100 services our ESD provides. That’s our local service plan. This winter, our staff will present our 2024-25 plan to every school board in our region (every board that requests a presentation, that is). Boards must vote whether to approve the plan by March 1.
Within the plan, you’ll find:
- Information about our service area, board of directors, key staff contacts, timeline for plan development and how the plan is funded
- Core services and menu services, including administration, early learning, instruction, K-12 special education and technology
- Student Success Act and Integrated Guidance Technical Assistance plan
- An appendix with grant-funded and value-add services and financial summary information that includes detailed and summary service credits, core services and county allocations
We also provide a current services report to every district.
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 A teacher stands in front of the classroom and calls on students.
Grants are available to educators, grade level teams, building administrators, equity teams, superintendents, etc. in Clatsop, Columbia, Tillamook and Washington counties. We’re looking for applications that propose ways to address inequities in our schools.
Proposals should focus on one or more of the following areas:
- Culture and climate
- Flexible school systems
- High-quality professional learning
- Improved systems
- Preparation and growth
The application is open through Feb. 2. There are currently no set caps on grant requests, so dream big for your community.
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 We all know dozens of phenomenal teachers — or more. Please take a moment to nominate one or two of them for this statewide recognition. And share the word with families and partners so they can do the same.
Here are the key dates:
- Nominations are due Feb. 21
- Teachers will submit their applications by April 5
- Our teacher of the year panel will select a winner from our region in the spring
- Regional teachers of the year will be honored across the state in September
- In October 2024 one of the regional teachers of the year will be named the 2024-25 Oregon teacher of the year and will be eligible to apply for the national honor
Regional teachers of the year will receive a cash prize of $1,000 and will be celebrated across the state. The 2024-25 Oregon teacher of the year will receive a $10,000 cash prize (with a matching $5,000 going to their school) and serve as a spokesperson and representative for all Oregon teachers.
Read about our region’s 2023-24 teacher of the year Carissa Martos.
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Education support professionals work together with teachers and administrators in Oregon’s schools to keep schools organized, safe, clean, secure and operational. They ensure students are fed, transported to and from school, cared for and connected to any needed services and resources. Please take a moment to recognize these dedicated staff for their work on behalf of students and school communities.
Nominations are due Feb. 21. To be nominated, education support professionals must work in an Oregon K-12 public school or school district and meet the definition of an education support professional in Oregon.
The 2024 Oregon Education Support Professional of the Year will receive a $5,000 award during a surprise ceremony to be held later this spring.
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NWRESD Early Literacy Supports Training Series #2
1/18/2024 9:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. | Hillsboro
5 PDUs
Come learn about the science of reading, the science of teaching and data-based decision making. There will be differentiated options for learners based on the needs of participants as well as opportunities for goal setting and interim coaching available.
This training is free for instructors in pre-K through fifth grade settings, literacy coaches and specialists, school instructional leadership team members and school administrators in Clatsop, Columbia, Tillamook and Washington counties. We have funding available to cover substitute costs. Learn more and register.
Section 504 for General Educators
1/24/2024 | 3 - 4 p.m. | Virtual
1 PDU
Understanding the legal requirements of Section 504 is crucial for teachers, classified staff and administrators working with students with disabilities in general education settings. Come learn more about the legal requirements of Section 504, nondiscrimination and how to successfully participate on a 504 team. This free training is for teachers, administrators, specialists and classified staff working in a general educational setting in Clatsop, Columbia, Tillamook and Washington counties. Learn more and register.
Two-Day Comprehensive: Preschool/Elementary Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) & Evidence-Based Practices for In-Person Learning
1/30-1/31/2024 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. | Hillsboro
12 PDUs
Participants will receive training on how to use the following Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) instructional strategies:
- discrete trial training
- pivotal response training
- functional routines and positive behavior intervention and supports as used in the STAR Program
This training is for teachers, assistants, related service providers, specialists and administrators who work with students on the autism spectrum or who have other related developmental disabilities. Learn more and register.
School Safety and Mental Health Summit
1/31/2024 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. | Virtual
6 PDUs
 As we emerge from the pandemic, it's clear that school safety and mental health remain pivotal areas of concern. Research confirms that students who are mentally healthy are more likely to actively engage in school, use appropriate problem-solving skills, and add to positive school culture.
That’s why we’re hosting a free, one-day virtual summit focused on fostering collaboration and coordination between educators, administrators, mental health professionals, and other community partners in creating environments where students feel both physically and emotionally safe.
Learn more and register for the School Safety and Mental Health Summit.
Transformative Social Emotional Learning Collaboratives (2 sessions)
2/29/2024 & 4/2/2024 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. | Hybrid (Hillsboro)
6 PDUs
Join our school culture and climate team for two sessions focused on the Oregon Department of Education’s new transformative social emotional learning standards.
These sessions are designed to help a school and/or district team of educators, counselors and administrators better understand the new standards and also give them time to plan for implementation. The sessions will be hybrid, so join us virtually or in-person at the ESD office in Hillsboro. Learn more and register.
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The Monthly Messenger is a monthly update for Northwest Regional Education Service District partners. Would you like to see your team's work featured? Email communications. |
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