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Legislature's education committees hear about CLASS

This month, a joint meeting of the House and Senate education committees spent time getting an update on the CLASS Project. Testifying on behalf of Chalkboard were Chalkboard President Sue Hildick, Sherwood School District Superintendent Dan Jamison and local teacher’s union President Terrel Smith.

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The Oregonian featured an op-ed this month by Tillamook Superintendent Randy Schild where he highlights how the CLASS Project has helped build a "field of dreams” for teachers and students.

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Chalkboard opposes Sizemore initiative

The Chalkboard Project is standing firmly opposed to the “pay for performance” ballot measure sponsored by anti-tax activist Bill Sizemore. The initiative would not provide the kind of support for staff collaboration, leadership training and career growth options that we think contributes to greater student success. In fact, it undercuts the significant efforts we are making to support teachers in Oregon through the CLASS Project.

Read our statement

Read five myths about the Chalkboard project

NBPTS-certified teachers rise to the top

What makes a good teacher? Just ask Chalkboard Teacher Advisory Committee member Ford Moroshita. He helped put together a new study assessing how advanced teacher-certification programs affect student achievement. The study shows that students taught by teachers certified through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) consistently outperform their peers on achievement tests.

Read the article from US News and World Report Article

John Gray supports CLASS Project

The Chalkboard Project would like to thank John Gray of Portland for his generous grant to the CLASS Project. Teachers and school leaders in Sherwood, Tillamook and Forest Grove are piloting new education career paths with the aim of enhancing student performance. Mr. Gray’s leadership is vital to the success of the CLASS Project.

Chalkboard presentations in Bend and Newport

Chalkboard is traveling around the state this summer to update citizens on our ongoing work and to get them involved. On June 12th we presented to the board of Economic Development for Central Oregon, a private non-profit organization dedicated to building a vibrant and thriving regional economy by attracting new investment and jobs through marketing, recruitment and working with existing employers. Then, on June 20th, we gave a presentation to the Newport Chamber of Commerce. Both audiences were very engaged in the presentations and we gained eight new Citizens' Corps members!

Presentations such as these are essential to Chalkboard's work. We will need a statewide movement to make our public schools among the nation's best. Please let us know if you would like to arrange a presentation in your community.

Summer's here, but learning doesn't have to end

The American Library Association features a Summer Reading & Learning section on their website, including tips for parents, an article on why summer reading is important, reading lists and more.

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Establishing healthy routines in the summer can be a challenge. UCLA Health System helps provides parents with simple guidelines for making summer enjoyable, but not aimless.

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Need ideas to keep kids busy? Visit read.write.think.org, a site hosted by the National Council of Teachers of English. You’ll find booklists, podcasts and videos to keep kids of all ages active and learning through the summer.

Visit read.write.think