board to board
April - May 2022
News from the Board of NWESD
A Note From Our Superintendent A few weeks ago, I hosted a regional superintendent meeting at which a prominent school attorney spoke on the subject of collective bargaining. If you’ve been around Washington State public education for any length of time, particularly in district or board leadership, you likely recognize the passions that collective bargaining can stoke. As part of his presentation, the attorney showed a short video of an experiment conducted by Heineken (as in the beer) titled Worlds Apart (available on YouTube). The video begins with a series of individual interviews where the experiment subjects are asked their views on a range of hot button issues such as feminism, climate change, and transgender rights. The views of the individual subjects were highly opposed, and likely off-putting and offensive to those with a different world view. Not knowing the views of each other on these issues, the subjects were then paired up and given an assignment to jointly assemble some furniture. As they did so, they did what most of us would do in such a situation with a stranger. They made small talk and got to know one another while completing their assigned task. They were also given some prompts to share personal information about themselves so their partner would get to know them better. When they were finished with their task, the pairs were shown videos of the individual interviews they had earlier conducted in which they expressed their widely divergent views on a range of sensitive and politically polarizing topics. Many of the subjects were visibly shocked and offended to hear the views expressed by the partners they had been working with on their shared task. The subjects were then given the choice to leave or to stay and enjoy a beer (obviously a Heineken) and continue talking. They chose to stay. Now, a cynic might say that this experiment was all staged, and an optimist might say that no one walks out on a free beer. Regardless, the attorney who shared this video offered the following takeaways from the experiment and their applicability to collective bargaining, which in many ways can mirror the conflict and polarization we’ve all experienced over the past two years with various COVID mandates and restrictions. Those lessons are: • • • • •
Work on a common objective Engage in joint learning or inquiry Get to know people socially Be curious about the other side Stay in the relationship without compromising your values
As I am writing this, we are about a week away from the end of the mask mandate that has proven to be so polarizing in many school communities. Watching how this controversial mandate has played out in places, I’m saddened and concerned about what seems to be a growing trend of those on all sides of a passionate issue to dehumanize those with whom we may disagree and abandon basic levels of common courtesy and human respect. By the time you are reading this, I hope we are continuing to see the pandemic wane. Given the last two years of COVID peaks and valleys, however, we could just as easily be in the middle of a new surge and the return of mandates and restrictions. While I desperately hope that is not the case, I continue to believe that the lessons of the Heineken experiment will serve not only our school communities but our larger society well as we navigate an uncertain future. When disagreements are strongest and passions are at their highest, let’s model continued dialogue and authentic inquiry with those on the other side. Maybe keep talking over a beer, and it doesn’t have to be a Heineken.
Larry Francois
NWESD Superintendent
Welcome New Region 7 Board Member On January 26, 2022, the Northwest Educational Service District (NWESD) Board of Directors approved Ann McMurray as District 7 Representative. McMurray, a resident of Brier, WA, will represent the Edmonds and Mukilteo school districts east of Highway 99. McMurray replaces Claudia Buxton who served as the District 7 Representative for seven years. Buxton retired from the NWESD Board of Directors on September 23, 2021. Please join the NWESD in welcoming Ann to the NWESD Board of Directors. Ann McMurray
Region 7 Representative
New Regional Superintendents
Michelle Kuss-Cybula Oak Harbor Superintendent
Dr. Zachary Robbins Marysville Superintendent
NWESD High School Art Show View all 360 works of student art, online from students in the NWESD region. nwesd.org/2022-nwesd-high-school-art-show-gallery
Dr. Krisit Dominguez Ferndale Superintendent
AESD & OSPI Statewide Collaboration Updates from the NWESD Region
Educational Technology
The AESD Educational Technology network has developed multiple online resources, tools, and information to support local efforts to develop and implement more inclusive learning environments focused on educational technology best practices, digital equity and inclusion, media literacy and digital citizenship, cybersecurity and IT best practices, and procurement and fiscal resource planning. EdTech professional learning opportunities include: • EdTech Regional Educator Network (REN), our online professional learning network focusing on educational technology best practices • Learning Management Systems (LMS) • Video conferencing best practices • Deep-Dive courses We are excited to share that Digital Equity Forum - The WA Department of Commerce Digital Equity Forum to listen to ways to advance digital equity. The state’s goal is to provide all residents access to high-speed broadband – 150 Megabits per second download and upload – by 2028. Sign up to attend an upcoming community listening session bit.ly/3Lo93Gg Sessions are May 10, 5:00 – 6:30 PM or May 11, 12:00 – 1:30 PM.
Contact: Trinh Pham, NWESD EdTech Coodinator tpham@nwesd.org
ClimeTime
Since 2018, NWESD has worked, through Washington’s ClimeTime Climate Science Initiative, with numerous community based educational organizations to increase teacher access to Climate Science and Next Generation Science Standards professional learning. While the focus has been on teacher professional development, many of the learning activities either provide materials and lessons that teachers can use with their students, or they help teachers learn about the instructional materials they are already using. For questions or requests related to climate science and NGSS related learning for teachers Contact: Brian MacNevin, Regional Science Coordinator bmacnevin@nwesd.org
Multi-Tiered Systems of Support
As of March 2022, twenty-eight district leadership teams from around the state are engaged in the first year of the MTSS implementation cohort. With the support of professional learning and technical assistance, these teams are working to build the supporting infrastructure necessary to implement a continuum of holistic evidence-based practices to achieve positive outcomes for every student.
Contact: Abby Trimble, MTSS Regional Implementation Coordinator atrimble@nwesd.org
Charles Crabtree, District 1 Bellingham, Meridian
Dr. Jack Thompson, District 2 Blaine, Ferndale, Lopez Island, Lynden, Mount Baker, Nooksack Valley, Orcas Island, San Juan Island, Shaw Island Mark Venn, District 3 Anacortes, Burlington-Edison, Concrete, Conway, Darrington, La Conner, Mount Vernon, Sedro-Woolley Oscar Escalante, District 4 Coupeville, Lakewood, Mukilteo, Oak Harbor, South Whidbey, Stanwood-Camano Dr. Alan Erickson, District 5
Educational Service Districts have served Washington State for over fifty years, providing vital services and functioning as advocates for local districts. Northwest Educational Service District 189 (NWESD) serves Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, Island, and San Juan counties. NWESD’s more than fifty programs are organized into seven departments to serve you: Administration, Early Learning, Fiscal Services, Prevention Center, Special Programs and Services, Teaching and Learning, NWRDC, and Technology Services. Please visit us on our website at nwesd.org for more information on each of these departments.
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Everett
Cory Duskin, District 6 Arlington, Granite Falls, Index, Marysville, Sultan
Annual Report
Ann McMurray, District 7 Edmonds, Mukilteo
Sue Phillips, District 8 Edmonds, Mukilteo
Merle Kirkley, District 9 Lake Stevens, Monroe, Snohomish View the Annual Report online: nwesd.org/20-21-a-year-in-review