board to board
January-February 2021
News from the Board of NWESD
A Note From Our Superintendent COVID-19 and the effects across our region, state, nation, and world continue to occupy nearly every waking (and not so waking) moment for educational leaders. As much as I’d welcome the opportunity to write on another topic, doing so would seem tone-deaf to the single biggest challenge facing educators in this moment. Despite rising community infection rates in recent weeks and regional districts dialing back their plans to expand in-person instruction, these developments give me hope that has too often been in short supply these past months. Perhaps we are starting to finally see glimmers of light at the end of the long tunnel we’ve been in since mid-March. And that gets me thinking about what our post-pandemic public education world may look like. I don’t profess to have a clearer crystal ball than anyone else, but here are my current “top ten middle of the night thoughts” about our post-pandemic new normal: 1. Widely reopening schools will be relatively seamless and welcomed for most students and staff, while very difficult for some. Grace, patience, and understanding will be key. 2. Some families will choose not to return to traditional school environments. Districts will need to expand – potentially permanently – new instructional delivery models to serve these families. 3. The pandemic has been traumatic for many, and while there will undoubtedly be pressure to dive headlong into academic content to make up for lost instructional time, primary attention must be paid to the social/emotional and mental health needs of students and staff. 4. Academic content will need to be prioritized to those concepts and skills most foundational to future learning. Educators will need to permission themselves to let go of some content that has unavoidably been short-changed during the extended period of remote learning. 5. Student academic growth has likely been more variable than typical during the pandemic. Great care must be taken to assess where students have grown, where extra support is needed, and how, when, and where to provide such support. 6. Athletics, activities, and the social rituals, celebrations, and rites of passage at all grade levels have been major losses for many students. Space for such “non-academic” pursuits must be generously provided and embraced. 7. A once-in-a-century pandemic also offers a once-in-a-century opportunity to rethink entrenched systems and structures such as grading, seat time, daily schedules, school calendars, and instructional groupings and delivery. A push to return to “business as usual” will fail to acknowledge that many students were already not being well-served by such systems and structures before the pandemic. 8. Widely reopening schools is all educators’ “Apollo 13 moment.” Failure is not an option, and all hands from the board room to the custodial closet will be needed to achieve success. 9. The pandemic has tested the bonds between communities and their public schools. Leading with transparency, humility, compassion, and integrity can renew and strengthen those ties. Leading differently could damage them for years to come. 10. The imperative to focus on equity in all its complex dimensions will be even more apparent and pressing. I’m sure I’ve missed the mark on any number of my middle-ofthe-night musings and am likely oblivious to others of potentially even greater significance. Regardless of whether this is the right top ten list, the post-pandemic challenges will be immense. But I firmly believe that the opportunities can be even greater if we Larry Francois choose to lean into them. NWESD Superintendent
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) AESD/ESD 112 provide purchasing power for all schools
In the spring of 2020,the AESD/ESD 112 cooperative extended discounted PPE pricing to all school districts, private schools, and tribal compact schools in Washington state that wanted to participate via their respective ESD. School districts were surveyed on interest level through their regional ESD superintendents. “It was so gratifying to be part of this statewide initiative for such an essential service for our districts. This process, headed up by ESD112 in Vancouver, has proven to be an invaluable way for our districts to realize significant cost savings while ensuring the safety of district staff and students. The NWESD region had 41 private and public schools/districts place orders, which represented 22% of the value of the statewide order this time around. The logistics and behind the scenes work and planning that has gone into this from our own NWESD staff has been outstanding – they have and will, continue to go above and beyond in support of our region’s districts,”said Lisa Matthews, NWESD CFO The NWESD extends our gratitude to everyone who was involved and who made this order possible. Together We Can...
Migrant Education Program (MEP) Supporting Migrant Education in Western Washington
The NWESD’s Migrant Education Program (MEP) team includes Sarah Southard, Clint Weckerly, Tanya Rojas, Enrique Lopez, and the newest member Oscar Sanchez. This team of five energetic, compassionate individuals supports migrant education for all of Western Washington (including: ESDs 112, 113, 114, 121, and 189)! You read that correctly, these five people support half of the state! During the last several months our MEP team has worked tirelessly to develop innovative, capacity-building ways to offer support for migrant-inclusive distance instruction strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Working with the MEP, I am constantly reminded of the power that comes from respectful collaboration, authentic connections with the community, and clear purpose. That clear purpose for our team is to do whatever it takes to ensure that migrant students are engaged in meaningful learning experiences that address, or are inclusive of, wellness, generational wisdom, and positive identities. I am inspired daily by the incredible work that this team carries out with migrant staff, students, families, and countless community partners to this end.” - Sarah Southard, Early Learning & Migrant Education Program Director
New to the NWESD
January School Board Appreciation Month
Oscar Sanchez
Starleen Maharaj-Lewis
Migrant Reengagement Coordinator
Threat Assessment Coordinator & Behavioral Health Navigator
Trinh Pham
Cassie Stevens
Instruction Technology Specialist
Rae Allen
Program Specialist Special Programs & Services
Inclusionary Practices Coordinator/Director
Thank you for your critical role in public education!
Dr. Carl Bruner
Interim Superintendent Lopez Island SD
Erin Wood
Threat Assessment Program Manager
Behavioral Health News Legislation Passed for Behavioral Health Work The recent passing of RCW 28A.310.510 designated educational service districts to provide regional behavioral health Coordination and Navigation within school districts. To begin this work, the NWESD Behavioral Health and Prevention Department Director Jodie DesBiens and Assistant Director Natalie Gustafson, will conduct regional behavioral health system assessment and data collection through a survey process with each district. By speaking to superintendents and any staff associated with behavioral and mental health supports, the plan is to gather what current practices may be in place, determine what gaps exist, and explore future behavioral health support possibilities. The NWESD Behavioral Health team will conduct the initial surveys via Zoom starting January 2021. Additionally, this legislation allows for all of Washington’s ESDs to provide system level technical support, suicide prevention policy consultation and training, as well as promote and facilitate coordination with community-based providers.
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 Claudia Talmadge, District 4 Coupeville, Lakewood, Mukilteo, Oak Harbor, South Whidbey, Stanwood-Camano
Educational Service Districts have served Washington State for almost 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, and Technology Services. Please visit us on our website at nwesd.org for more information on each of these departments.
Stay in touch
Dr. Alan Erickson, District 5 Everett
Cory Duskin, District 6 Arlington, Granite Falls, Index, Marysville, Sultan Claudia Buxton, District 7 Edmonds, Mukilteo
Sue Phillips, District 8 Edmonds, Mukilteo
Merle Kirkley, District 9 Lake Stevens, Monroe, Snohomish
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