Board to Board
November - December 2023
News from the Board of NWESD A message from our superintendent
As many of you may know, I recently announced my intent to retire at the end of this current school year after nearly three and a half decades in public education. The majority of those years has been spent in the NWESD 189 region. Throughout those years, I have been influenced and supported by some extraordinary mentors and champions and have also had the opportunity to work with some incredibly talented and dedicated educators, colleagues, board members, and friends. I have truly been blessed with an incredibly fortunate and fulfilling career. While it is too early in the year to start getting overly nostalgic, contemplating retirement over the past year has also been an opportunity for me to reflect on the changes I’ve witnessed over the years. My first full-time teaching position was at a high school that received one of the first generation 21st Century Grants. At that time, the turn of the century was still over a decade away, and the grant enabled our staff to envision the skills, experiences, and habits students would need to be successful in the new century. And now, we are nearly a quarter of the way through the 21st century. Time does indeed fly!
What’s inside?
In those early days, we got many things right, including an early emphasis on what would later become more commonly known as the six Cs – character, citizenship, collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking. Other things we got wrong, or more accurately simply had no way to foresee, even with the benefit of working at the time with several nationally renowned futurists. While we saw the evolution of technology as key to students’ future, the scale and pace of technological advancements far exceeded anything we could have dreamed of in the late 1980s. The ubiquitous nature of technology, miniaturized into thin, rectangular smartphones carrying hundreds, if not thousands, of times the computing capacity of some of the earliest personal computers on which the Microsoft Works suite was a productivity revolution was beyond our imagination. State and national learning standards, the WASL, Columbine, Y2K, NCLB, AYP, SBAC, RTL, RTI, the Great Recession, ESSA, Sandy Hook, TPEP, STEM, STEAM, CTE, McCleary, WaKIDS, TK, HIB, LGBTQ+, COVID, global pandemic, and HSBP are just a mere sampling of the acronyms, initiatives, events, movements, and trends that have defined and shaped the past several decades in American education. Depending on your age, some of the
items in this list may be completely unfamiliar to you. Change has been the only constant, it would seem. Amongst all that change, I would also argue that a few things have endured. The first is that public education – available and accessible to all regardless of gender, race, creed, or means – remains the backbone and lifeline of our democratic society. Students’ self-perceptions and future aspirations are molded by the relationships and interactions – positive, negative, spoken, and unspoken – with the educators in their lives. The bus driver, the custodian, the crossing guard, or the lunch lady can be the most important and influential daily interaction a student experiences. And educating all kids to high levels as the unique individuals they are remains the most challenging, exhausting, worthwhile, and fulfilling endeavor there is. Whatever the future may hold for me, and for all of us, I know that young people will continue to look to all of us for leadership, guidance, support, and compassion as they navigate their individual paths of exploration, growth, and development. If that sentiment makes me seem a bit nostalgic, I’m good with that.
Larry Francois
Superintendent, NWESD 189
• The search for a new superintendent begins – Page 2 • The NWESD continues to grow – Page 3 • Celebrating area teachers, students, school boards – Page 3
NWESD starts search for new superintendent The time has come to find a new leader for Northwest Educational Service District 189. Superintendent Larry Francois recently announced his plans to retire in June after eight years with the NWESD. “This year marks my 34th in public education, my 31st as a building or district administrator, my 21st as a superintendent, and my eighth as NWESD 189 superintendent,” Francois said. “With the recent retirement of my wife, good health, two grandchildren, prospects for more in the coming years, and the growing needs of aging parents, it personally and professionally feels like the right time for me to make a life and career change of this magnitude. As our organization continues to grow along with our regional and statewide reputation and standing, now seems like a good time for a leadership transition, recognizing that there is never an ideal time.” “That said, I hope to remain engaged and contributing in some capacity in the coming years. I don’t know yet what that looks like, but I am incredibly fortunate to be in a position where I can explore what may be out there matched to my experience, talents, and interests.” The NWESD Board of Directors will lead a search over the next few months to find Francois’s replacement. “Larry Francois is moving on to retirement and we are sorry to see him go. I have worked with Larry for seven years and he will be sorely missed,” said Board Chair Charlie Crabtree, who will help lead the search process. “From instituting great management practices to handling the COVID crisis, Larry has been a stellar leader, increasing communication and teamwork throughout the statewide ESD network. He has also given the Board the time to fully perform due diligence in selecting a new superintendent. We already have
Photo by Les Valsquier
a timeline and look forward to a very positive result in our search. Larry will stay on until the end of his current contract, mentoring his successor.” Joining Crabtree on the Board’s search process sub-committee are board members Sue Phillips, Mark Venn, and Merle Kirkley. “With a lot of work by the Board and our ESD community,” Crabtree said, “we hope to have a person selected to replace Larry in the first quarter of next year. I think we are all happy with the fact he will continue to be involved, when and where it works, in the leadership of educating our children.” In addition to the Board sub-committee, two regional superintendents and an OSPI (Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction) representative will form a review committee to evaluate all applications received. The Board selected the search firm of Northwest Leadership Associates at its Oct. 23 meeting to facilitate the superintendent search and selection process. Several board members noted this firm’s thought-out application, their knowledge of the NWESD region, and previous experience conducting ESD superintendent searches. Northwest Leadership Associates also led the
process to recruit and hire Francois in 2016. Board member Venn is a search consultant for Northwest Leadership Associates but publicly stated at the Oct. 23 meeting that he will not be involved in any consultant capacity with the NWESD search process so that he can participate in the search solely as a NWESD board member. He abstained from the vote to choose the search firm. During November, the search firm will conduct focus groups and a survey of NWESD staff, as well as regional district staff, board members and leadership, to help inform the leadership profile, and characteristics desired of the incoming superintendent. The Board expects to post the position by the end of November with applications due in mid-January. Following that, the review committee will select finalists to present to the Board. Interviews will take place in early February with the goal of selecting and approving a new superintendent by the end of that month. The superintendent oversees NWESD 189, with its more-than 225 educational professionals, and its service to nearly 450 schools across the 35 school districts of Snohomish, Skagit, Whatcom, Island, and San Juan counties.
NWESD staff continues to grow The NWESD continues to see tremendous amounts of growth in its staff.
Center, Northwest Regional Learning Center, Open Doors and Detention Programs.
Between May 1 and Nov. 1 of this year, 50 new people have joined our NWESD staff. Those numbers include staff at our main office site in Anacortes, as well as those who are located at districts throughout our region. They also represent staff at our Discovery programs, Science Materials
The biggest area of growth came through the Behavioral Health and Prevention Services team, which in that time hired 11 mental health specialists and eight student assistance professionals. These professionals are working in districts across the region to bring mental health care and support
to students. Brand-new positions within our Administration Department include a workforce diversification and equity administrator and regional bike education admin coordinator. The NWESD will share more about the mental health professionals and these new administration positions in the coming months on nwesd.org.
Teacher, classified employee earn top spots Madison Huscher, from La Conner Middle School, is the NWESD 2024 Teacher of the Year, and Brenda Flett, a paraeducator at Post Middle School in the Arlington School District, is the NWESD 2024 Classified Employee of the Year. The Regional Teacher of the Year program celebrates educators who exhibit exceptional teaching skills and provides them with a platform to advocate for educational issues close to their hearts. Award recipients like Huscher have the opportunity to deliver
going above and beyond to prioritize the needs of her students without hesitation.
Madison Huscher (left) and Brenda Flett
trainings or workshops at the NWESD and may be invited to serve as trainers or speakers in regional school districts. Peers nominated Flett for her award, citing her unwavering commitment,
Both colleagues and students note that Brenda consistently demonstrates a remarkable ability to put students’ needs first, ensuring a supportive and nurturing environment where they can thrive. Brenda’s dedication extends beyond the classroom as she actively monitors student progress, provides invaluable assistance, and adeptly adapts to the everchanging demands of middle school life. Read more at nwesd.org.
Good news from around our region OSPI features student writing This school year, OSPI is launching the Student Stories Program to highlight student writers from across the state. The high school writers will each write four stories throughout the year, shared through OSPI. Of the six students selected, four are from within the NWESD region: Megan Jewell (Burlington-Edison School District), Trillium Keith (Mukilteo School District), Amira Saadi (Edmonds School District) and Monica Velasquez (Lake Stevens School District).
Information on the program and each of the students is available at medium. com/waospi.
School boards honored The Washington State School Directors’ Association (WSSDA) recently announced its 2023 Boards of Distinction. The state agency honors boards that align their efforts with the Washington School Board Standards. This year, WSSDA honored 34 school districts. “Each selected school board has shown a clear focus on assessing their students’ outcomes and exploring ways to enhance
their leadership,” WSSDA Director of Leadership Development Tricia Lubach said in a statement. “As schools return to fully in-person instruction after a challenging couple of years, it is evident that these school boards have refocused their attention on closing opportunity gaps for students within their districts and committing to consistent communication with their communities.” The NWESD region Boards of Distinction are from the Anacortes, Arlington, Edmonds, Everett, La Conner, Meridian, Mount Vernon, and South Whidbey school districts.
Board of Directors Charles Crabtree, District 1 Bellingham*, Burlington-Edison, Meridian Dr. Jack Thompson, District 2 Anacortes, Blaine, Ferndale, Lopez, Oak Harbor, Orcas Island, San Juan Island, Shaw Island Mark Venn, District 3 Bellingham*, Conway, La Conner, Lynden, Mount Baker, Mount Vernon, Nooksack Valley, Sedro-Woolley Oscar Escalante, District 4 Coupeville, Everett*, Lakewood, Mukilteo*, South Whidbey, StanwoodCamano Dr. Alan Erickson, District 5 Everett*, Marysville
Cory Duskin, District 6 Arlington, Concrete, Darrington, Granite Falls, Index, Monroe, Snohomish*, Sultan Ann McMurray, District 7 Edmonds*, Mukilteo*
Sue Phillips, District 8 Edmonds*, Mukilteo*
Merle Kirkley, District 9 Everett*, Lake Stevens, Snohomish*
* Partial representation
Educational Service Districts have served Washington state for more than 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, Fiscal Services, Behavioral Health and Prevention Services, Special Programs and Services, Teaching and Learning, NWRDC, and Technology Services. Please visit our website at nwesd.org for more information.
Stay in touch
Briana Lindquist is the new NWESD communications specialist. Reach out to blindquist@nwesd.org or communications@nwesd.org for more information, to request email updates or to subscribe to our Ed Talks blog. Join us on social media. Follow, like, comment, reshare.