Superintendent's Update
November 2020
Great Happens Here in ESD!
I am so thankful for our ESD Team! We are fortunate to live in a community that supports our schools.
Topics addressed in this Sup Update include:
- Staff Celebrations: National Board Re-Certification for Sam Nelson, School Leadership for Haley Naboychik
- Kudos to Nutrition Services: # of meals
- Equity in ESD: Moving Forward
- Native American Heritage Month: MMS "Rock the Mocs", Honoring Native American Leaders with the Naming of ESD'S New School
- Support for Students' Academic Success: Learning pods on Wednesdays
- Update on Safety
We truly have an awesome team, and I look forward to what the future holds for ESD.
ESD Staff Celebrations
We would like to congratulate EHS Teacher Sam Nelson for achieving her re-certification for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Receiving this level of distinction is a result of her engaging in an extremely rigorous process, and we are grateful for Sam’s commitment to educational excellence. Currently, there are stipends given to teachers from Washington State for becoming Nationally Board Certified, and ESD honors teachers who earn this distinction by moving them to a Master’s Degree level on our pay scale. Please click on this link (www.nbpts.org) for more information about this amazing process.
We would also like to recognize EHS Student Activities Advisor Haley Naboychik for receiving a stellar evaluation from Eastern Washington University (EWU) for her first year as an EWU College in the High School adjunct professor. This role allows her to provide dual credit opportunities for our students by instructing on leadership . Haley’s EWU’s evaluator said that EHS was doing “way more” than any of the other schools or classes she has visited. An example of this process is Haley’s co-facilitation of the Student Senate. The Student Senate includes ESD’s Student Board Representatives Jaden Burroughs and Olivia Berthon-Koch. This student group has been working on how to put an effective student-cellphone-use protocol and process in place at the high school. More to come on this topic in future Superintendent Updates.
ESD Nutrition Services, Successfully Serving Our Community
Kudos to ESD's Nutritional Services! So far this year (since Sept 9) they have served 111,358 meals. During the same time frame last year, ESD served 92,501 meals. I had the privilege of serving alongside them on Veteran’s Day and experienced firsthand this team’s dedication to our families. For more information about meal services please visit their website at https://www.esd401.org/departments/food-services.
Equity in ESD, Moving Forward
Providing equitable services and achieving equitable results are priorities for ESD. For the last three years, we have worked together as a team to promote inclusive classrooms through actions like increasing student access to co-taught classrooms (where general education and special education teachers instruct together). We also ensured that every elementary school was able to hire a certified English Language Learner (ELL) endorsed teacher to teach English Language Development sessions with smaller groups of ELL students. Our ELL students are true assets to our district, and we are excited to see the progress that many of them have made in becoming bilingual. Please access this link to view (towards the beginning of this Board meeting) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7x5dKSSEt6g, Mt. Stuart principal Kathi Keefer sharing examples of their successes with ELL students.
Another important approach to promoting equitable outcomes for students is to give students multiple ways of demonstrating their learning. The first grade team at Lincoln Elementary School has been encouraging students to explore topics and develop projects related to what is most interesting to their students. Please take time to watch this delightful video of first grader Kara Foss https://youtu.be/0KJTyUe04XY , who is passionate about changing her world.
Additionally, we know that there are systemic barriers that exist for our students in ESD. We recently joined a state-wide equity cohort in partnership with Hanover Research Center and Washington Association of School Administrators. This partnership will provide opportunities for us to learn from our colleagues across the state, as well as, from professionals who have expertise in helping ESD to identify our next steps. These next steps will include gathering data from all of our stakeholders to identify strengths and systemic barriers that we may have related to equity. Currently, we are planning to send this survey to staff, secondary students, and parents sometime in early January. Additionally, the ESD Board of Education is in the process of developing an ESD Equity Policy. We will continue to update you concerning these efforts.
November: Native American Heritage Month
Additionally, Morgan Middle School sponsored the "Rock Your Mocs" event to support the celebration of Native American Heritage Month. https://rockyourmocs.org/
Student Academic Supports on Wednesdays
Top ESD Priority: Safety for Staff and Students
Together We Accomplish More
This upcoming holiday season feels very different. I think it is true that the experience of grief outlined in this article (https://elemental.medium.com/your-surge-capacity-is-depleted-it-s-why-you-feel-awful-de285d542f4c) could be ever present as we lock arms and move forward through this difficult time. I am thankful for my amazing colleagues here in ESD and am humbled by the privilege of being on the ESD team. Together we have accomplished much for our students. I look to the future with hope, knowing that we will continue to be intentional about connecting with students and supporting their success.
Sincerely,
Jinger Haberer, ESD Superintendent