South Coast Education Service District Director Position 6 at Large Choose 1
The 19 education service districts in Oregon were created by the Legislature to oversee and support the school districts in their area. They provide supplemental services such as special education and coordinate services shared among several school districts. They also certify teachers, maintain school property, and are empowered to create new school districts.Qualifications: Candidate must be a registered voter and a resident of the district for at least 1 year. Employees of the district are not eligible. ORS 334.090(5), 334.090(6).Term: 2 years (incomplete term)
Biographical Information
Your Experience/Qualifications
I am a retired mathematics teacher and an advocate for quality education for all. I have served on school committees, bargaining teams, as well as having taught for over 30 years. I have volunteered in schools since retiring.
County
Coos County
Term
2 year
Term Expires
2027
What relevant skills and experience do you bring to this position?
Through my career in education I worked on committees, including working with boards to make sure that students were best served. While teaching in 1-8 classrooms, I held parent nights and parent math nights, coached math teams and brought in community members to demonstrate the mathematics they used in their careers. I have been a constant advocate for what was once called career centered, hands on instruction, today known as STEM and CTE.
What functions of the ESD are most important to you?
It's most important to me that our South Coast ESD provides high quality programs to our 10 local school districts and homeschoolers so that the 11,710 students in our three county coastal area have the best chance of achieving educational success with the cost effectiveness that ESDs provide. Students with special needs, CTE students, college bound students, all should be given an equitable chance to learn. That means meeting ALL students where they are at, and helping ALL learn the skills they need to achieve success. This is the job of Educational Service Districts (ESDs).
Check out the SCESD at https://www.oaesd.org/esd/south-coast-esd/ (or search for "South Coast ESD"). To see SCESD services use the "Overview Document" link.
How can the ESD better serve the area’s school districts?
Staffing is an issue. Each month SCESD has positions to fill, but educational professionals simply cannot find a place to live here. Lack of housing and child care, as well as housing costs, are issues. SCESD needs to find creative ways to both attract and keep staff. I hope to join board members in helping with these efforts.
Board members should have, and must make, the time to lobby for the limited educational funds that are available. While the SCESD did invite our state legislators to a legislative dinner which was well attended by local school board members and superintendents, it is going to take much more work to fund the services students here on the south coast deserve.