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School-Wide Improvement

Eco-Explorers: Turning Ideas into Action!

By Administration, News, School Improvement Services, School-Wide Improvement

What an incredible day at Eco-Explorers! The SOESD STEAM Hub, in collaboration with community partners and dedicated educators, came together to design relevant, place-based, career-connected projects that students will engage in throughout the school year. With the generous support of Innovaciones Alumbra, educators from Josephine, Klamath, and Jackson counties worked alongside local industry and community partners to develop meaningful learning experiences that introduce students to careers in sustainability, conservation, and green industriesā€”all while deepening their connection to the places they live and learn.

From firewise school campuses to habitat restoration projects, these collaborations are just getting started, and we canā€™t wait to see students bring them to life in the coming months. Stay tunedā€”weā€™ll be sharing their progress along the way!

Hereā€™s what participants are saying:

ā€œThank you for such a powerful workshopā€”this has inspired me to do so many things with my students.ā€
ā€” 4th Grade Teacher

ā€œThis is such an amazing opportunity! Many of my students have difficult family situations and providing them with a chance to experience hands-on learning outside the normal scope of their day is such a gift! Thank you for this!ā€
ā€” 3rd Grade Teacher

ā€œThank you so much for hosting such a wonderful event! It was a great opportunity to sit down and connect with Southern Oregon educators.ā€
ā€”Community Partner

Refocusing Professional Learning

By News, School Improvement Services, School-Wide Improvement

SOREN Implementation Jay Schroder co-authored an article, “Refocusing Professional Learning: Cultivating Teacher Wellbeing to Promote Agency” that has been published in theĀ Holistic Ed ReviewĀ Journal. This article discusses Jayā€™s work with Teach From Your Best Self (TFYBS) and shares promising results from early research findings about the impact of this important professional learning. You can read the article here:

https://her.journals.publicknowledgeproject.org/index.php/her/article/view/3221/3058.

 

Oregon Regional Teacher of the Year Nominations are Now Open

By News, School Improvement Services, School-Wide Improvement

The Oregon Department of Education, in partnership with the Oregon Lottery, is pleased to announce the continuation of Oregon Regional Teacher of the Year to honor exemplary educators in every region of the state!

  • Nominations are open statewide through February 6, 2025
  • Teachers will submit their applications by April 6
  • Oregon Education Service Districts will select a winner from their region
  • Regional Teachers of the Year will be honored across the state in May 2025!
  • One of the Regional Teachers of the Year will be named the 2025 Oregon Teacher of the Year in September 2025 and will be eligible to apply for the honor of the National Teacher of the Year!

Regional Teachers of the Year will receive a cash prize of $1000 and will be celebrated across the state.Ā  The 2025 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.

Anyone can nominate a teacher! All Oregonians are encouraged to nominate their favorite teacher today at: oregonteacheroftheyear.org

Herald & News Article: Klamath Community College helps find transitional housing solution

By News, School Improvement Services, School-Wide Improvement

The apprenticeship program at Klamath Community College is about to roll out temporary housing units under two separate projects that are giving its students hands-on experience in home building, while helping those in need.

The construction of small cottages is part of Gov. Tina Kotekā€™s housing initiative pumping millions of dollars into small home construction, or transitional housing. Once completed, the homes are sent to areas of need. In Klamath County, two such cottages and a storage shed will help families who lost their homes to the Copperfield Fire east of Chiloquin. Eight primary residences and 22 other buildings were destroyed in the 3,822-acre fire which started on Sept. 1, according to the Oregon Department of Forestry.

Read More.

Southern Oregon STEAM Hub at Culture Night

By News, School-Wide Improvement

Southern Oregon STEAM Hub had an incredible time at Culture Night with the amazing students and families from SOESD Indian Education! šŸŽ‰ We loved sharing tools from our lending library and watching everyone dive into hands-on coding and problem-solving with BeeBots, Ozobots, and LEGOs. The students blew us away with their creativity and curiosity! šŸŒŸ Thank you for inviting us to be part of this special evening!

#IndianEd #SOESDSTEAM #CultureNight

Southern Oregon AI Summit 24

By Autism, Curriculum and Assessment, Distance Learning for All, Homepage-Notices, News, School Improvement Services, School-Wide Improvement

Oregon! This state-wide in-service October 11th, come join us for a full day of session on AI and emerging developments in the field. We will cover education uses from teacher support, and student use to AI and the law. We hope to have something for both our educational audiences, and the larger community. A wide range of speakers has been selected to provide topics designed to meet your needs and inspire your exploration into the expanding uses of AI.

When

October 11th is Statewide In-service Day!

Location

Jackson County Health & Human Services
140 S Holly St.
Medford, OR 97501

Free for Southern Oregon ESD Region Educators, Community Partners and educators from other areas welcome at a nominal $50 registration. If you group would like to set up group registration please contact us.

Contact Information

Aaron Cooke at 541-261-0107 aaron_cooke@soesd.k12.or.us

Register Here

Speakers

Dr. Rachelle DenƩ Poth

Educator, Attorney, Consultant, Author
Dr. Rachelle DenĆ© Poth is an edtech consultant, presenter, attorney, author, and teacher of Spanish and STEAM: Emerging Technology. Rachelle has a Juris Doctor degree from Duquesne University School of Law, a Masterā€™s, and a Doctorate in Instructional Technology. Rachelle specializes in AI, AI and the Law, AR/VR, Cybersecurity, SEL, and STEM, in addition to other topics as requested. She has more than six years of teaching and presenting on AI in her classroom and working with educators worldwide.
Rachelle is an ISTE-certified educator and recipient of the ISTE Making IT Happen Award and several presidential gold and silver awards for volunteer service. She presents regularly at state, national, and international conferences and provides professional development and coaching for educators on a variety of topics, including assessments and emerging technologies such as AI, AR and VR, and STEM. She is the author of nine books and a blogger for Defined Learning, Edutopia, and Getting Smart.

 

Mandy DePriestĀ forĀ AI for Education
Our mission is to provide AI literacy training to 1 million educatorsĀ and lead the responsible adoption of Generative AI in the education ecosystem, empowering teachers and ultimately improving student outcomes while preparing them for the future.

Mandy is a Curriculum & Content Developer at AI for Education. SheĀ has over 15 years of experience in public education, having served asĀ a classroom teacher, library media specialist, and instructional coach.Ā She has also taught education technology courses in higher educationĀ settings as well as professional development workshops for teachersĀ on the transformative power of technology. She is committed toĀ ensuring that students are prepared for the dynamic demands of theĀ future by leveraging the power of technology-driven instruction.

Victor Villegas

Broadband & Digital Technologies Adoption Coordinator
Oregon State UniversityĀ |Ā Extension & Engagement Computing Technology Unit

As Broadband and Digital Technologies Adoption Coordinator at Oregon State University, I engage with communities and organizations across Oregon to help them access and use broadband and digital technologies safely and responsibly for education, telemedicine, workforce and economic development. This includes promoting and educating on topics such as digital equity, digital literacy, safe computing/cybersecurity, and digital technologies adoption.

Anjali Rajpara from Brisk
Brisk Teaching is a Chrome Extension designed for educators and school leaders, offering tools that streamline lesson planning, align curriculum with academic standards, and provide real-time data insights, helping teachers reclaim 10-20+ hours per week.

Anjali serves as the Customer Success Lead at Brisk Teaching. Since joining the team early this year, she has supported hundreds of schools and districts in implementing Brisk. Previously, Anjali spent five years on the Customer Success team at NoRedInk, also partnering with districts in a similar capacity. She is passionate about supporting teachers and students through leveraging the power of technology.

 

Little girls and teacher learning at preschool.

Grants Pass EI/ECSE SOESD Programs Featured in Media

By News, School Improvement Services, School-Wide Improvement

Free Preschool for 4 and 5 Year Olds

With the assistance of SOESD, starting in the 2024-25 school year, the Grants Pass School District will offer FREE preschool for four and five-year-olds living within GPSD7 boundaries. The new preschool program will accommodate 36 children in its first year, and bring together children with and without disabilities into one inclusive classroom.

Read the article

______________________________________________

The Power of Inclusive Classrooms at Gilbert Creek Child Development Center

In this episode, host Rafael Otto visits Grants Pass, Oregon, to talk with Shannon Bilbao and Susan Peck from Gilbert Creek Child Development Center. They discuss why inclusive classrooms are so valuable for the healthy development of all children and share examples of what they see in their classrooms.

Listen to the Podcast

 

 

 

Southern Oregon Career Center

By News, School Improvement Services, School-Wide Improvement

OUR MISSION FOR TODAY

Empowering Southern Oregon students for career success and regional prosperity.

OUR VISION FOR THE FUTURE

Transforming Southern Oregonā€™s future workforce by empowering students to pursue meaningful career pathways. We envision a regional hub where students discover their passions, acquire in-demand skills, and gain hands-on experience, preparing them for successful careers that drive our regionā€™s economic growth.

OUR VALUES ALONG THE WAY

  • Equity and access to opportunities
  • Partnerships with education, community, and industry
  • Community involvement and investment
  • Innovation in the way we teach, learn, and apply knowledge
  • Responsiveness to evolving needs
  • Commitment to achieving a future of possibilities

Meet the School Improvement Team 2024-2025

By News, School Improvement Services, School-Wide Improvement

SOESDā€™s School Improvement Team serves our 13 component districts in a variety of ways including:

 

Supports for Focal Student Groups

  • English Learners
  • Migrant Education
  • Indian Education
  • Southern Oregon Black/African American Student Success (SOBAASS)
  • LGBTQ2SIA+ Student Success (pending grant funding)

Supports for Educators

  • Southern Oregon Regional Educator Network (SOREN)
    • Mentoring/Supports for Novice Educators

Ā Supports for Partnerships

  • Klamath Promise
  • Student Behavioral Health and Wellness (collaboratively w/ SOESD Student Services)

Supports for Systems and Conditions

  • Student Success and Integrated Planning
    • Attendance and Engagement

Supports for Resources

  • Educational Technology and Data Analytics
  • Division 22 Library Media

Supports for Career Connected Learning

  • STE[A]M Hub
  • Southern Oregon Career and Technical Education Consortium (SOCTEC)
  • Grow Your Own
  • Registered Apprenticeship in Teaching
  • Regional CTE Center (in development)

Members of this team also provide service and leadership on a variety of regional and state initiatives, including:

 

Dr. Mark Angle-Hobson, Director of School Improvement Services, serves on

  • Oregon Department of Educationā€™s LGBTQ2SIA+ Student Success Advisory Group
  • Coalition of Oregon School Administratorā€™s (COSA) Equity Board
  • Resolve Center for Restorative Justice Board of Directors and Secretary
  • Community of Stewards, Region 16 Comp Center (serving Alaska, Oregon and Washington)

Heather Armstrong, School Improvement Specialist, Southern Oregon STE[A]M Hub, serves on

  • Oregon Math Leaders, co-chair
  • Oregon Council of Teachers of Mathematics (OCTM), Area 8 Representative
  • Rural STEAM Leadership of Oregon, facilitator
  • Oregon Science Leaders

Karla Clark, Program Manager for the Southern Oregon STE[A]M Hub, serves on

  • ODEā€™s STEM/CTE Network State Planning Team
  • Statewide CTE Advisory Council
  • Oregon STEM
  • Rogue Workforce Partnerships and Business Education Partnerships
  • Associated General Contractors Workforce Coalition
  • Oregon Career Connected Learning Design Team
  • Oregon YOUSCIENCE integration Lead
  • SOREDI Foundation Board Member
  • Josephine County Vocational / Mentor Committee
  • Oregon ACTE Board Member
  • Oregon Housing & Community Services TeamOregonBuild Think Tank

Aaron Cooke, Program Manager for Data and Integrated Instruction, serves on

  • Oregon Department of Educationā€™s Rules Advisory Committee
  • Oregon Department of Educationā€™s Remote Learning Advisory Committee
  • Southern Oregon Civics Learning Project Educator Advisory Committee
  • Josephine County Broadband Advisory Committee
  • Rogue Valley Broadband Access Committee
  • COSA Student Supports Workgroup
  • Oregon Registered Apprenticeship in Teaching Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee Board Member
  • Oregon Department of Educationā€™s EDTech Cadre
  • Southern Oregon CUE
  • Oregon Digital Leaders Coalition, as Board Member
  • Oregon Department of Educationā€™s Integrated Technology and Learning Standards Committee
  • Southern Oregon Fire Ecology Education Board

Miranda Doyle, Library Media Specialist, serves on

  • Oregon Association of School Libraries
  • Oregon Intellectual Freedom Committee

Erin Green, Program Manager for Student Behavioral Health and Wellness, serves on

  • Resolve Center for Restorative Justice Board of Directors
  • Behavioral Health Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) Action Team
  • Jackson County Youth Systems of Care Work Group
  • Parent Support/Family Preservation Work Group
  • SO Health-E Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion Work Group
  • SOREN Advisory
  • ACEs Interface Team
  • CASEL SEL Fellowship

Chris Howard, Klamath Promise Specialist

  • Cascade Health Alliance – Advisory Committee
  • Klamath and Lake Long Term Recovery Group/Community Organizations Active in Disaster COAD – Board Member
  • Klamath Youth Serving Cohort
  • Klamath Youth Advisory Board
  • Suicide, Overdose, and ACEs Prevention Program
  • Southern Oregon Family Resilience Project

Jacquie Jaquette, School Improvement Specialist, serves on

  • Jackson Care Connect Board Member
  • Jackson Care Connect, Community Advisory Committee
  • Jackson Care Connect Financial Advisory Committee
  • Jackson County Youth Development Work Group
  • Jackson County Chamber of Commerce Education Task Force
  • Josephine County All Care Systems Of Care Advisory Executive Committee
  • Josephine County All Care Systems of Care Committee
  • SOREN Advisory Team Member
  • Statewide EDM , DEI, SEL/SEB, SSA, HSA, EIIS Collaboration Group Member
  • Southern Oregon Success Youth Development Work Group Member
  • Southern Oregon Success Network Work Group Member

Jenni Jones, School Improvement Specialist for Mentoring, serves on

  • Chautauqua Poets and Writers Board President
  • Southern Oregon Computer Using Educators (SOCUE) Board Member
  • Oregon Association of School Libraries
  • ODE EdTech Cadre

Jessie McClung (DuBose), Program Manager for Klamath Promise, serves on

  • Foundations for a Beī€‰er Oregon, At-Large Board Member
  • Oregon Opt-In Initiative Advisory Committee
  • Oregon Opt-In Initiative Flexible Resource Design Committee
  • OHSU Research in Oregonā€™s Community Review (ROCR) System Advisory Board
  • Oregon MESA Regional Equity Committee
  • SMART Reading Leadership Council for South Central Oregon
  • South-Central Early Learning Hub – Professional Advisory Committee
  • Klamath County Commissioner Roundtable
  • Healthy Klamath Coalition
  • Tobacco Coalition (Klamath County)
  • Klamath Basin Career Connections Initiative
  • Klamath Youth Attendance Taskforce (YAT)
  • Klamath County School District School Improvement Advisory Committee
  • Klamath Falls City Schools Attendance Team
  • Ross Ragland Theater and Cultural Center, board member
  • Klamath County Well Water Work Group

Dr. Heidi Olivadoti, Southern Oregon REN Coordinator, serves on

  • Oregon Education Association – Region 3 Uniserv Council
  • Social Emotional Learning for Oregon (SEL4OR) Statewide SEL initiative
  • Southern Oregon Success
  • Family Connections
  • Transformative Education Leadership Fellow
  • Oregon Educator Advancement Council – Region F Educator Network

Brian Robin, CTE Regional Coordinator, serves on

  • ODEā€™s Career and Technical Education State Teachers Recruitment and Retention Team
  • ODEā€™s Career and Technical Education State Communications/Planning Team
  • ODEā€™s Career and Technical Education State Small/Rural/Remote Schools Planning Team
  • CTE Program of Study Stateside Standards Review Panel
  • CTE Perkins Reserve Grant Managers Panel
  • Oregon Housing & Community Services TeamOregonBuild Think Tank
  • Regional Advanced Manufacturing Partnership (RAMP)
  • Rogue Healthcare Workforce Partnership
  • Associated General Contractors Workforce Coalition
  • Klamath Basin Career Connections Initiative

Jasi Swick, Facilitator for SOESD Indian Education, serves on

  • CEEN: Cultural Ecological Enhancement Network Board
  • KODIAC: Keeping Our Diverse Indigenous Ancestry Alive Collective Board
  • Southern Oregon Native American Advisory Council
  • Cobell Alumni Leadership Council
  • Southern Oregon University Raider Advocate
  • State of Oregon, Native American/Native Hawaiian/Alaskan Native Professional Learning Community

Andrea Townsend, Coordinator for Focal Student Groups, serves on

  • COSAā€™s Equity Board
  • Governorā€™s Quality Education Commission
  • ODEā€™s Ad-Hoc ELL committees/advisories
  • Regional ELL/Migrant /Indian Ed. Meetings
  • COSAā€™s Administrators of Color Attinity Group
  • Meyer Memorial Trust Fund EDI Collaborative
  • Oregon Equity Directors and Leaders Collaboration Meetings
  • USCIS Southern Oregon Partnership Meetings

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