Greetings!
While the conversation about education may seem to die down during the months of July and August, this summer education remains a top issue as states and districts make tough decisions about the coming school year. We encourage you to stay engaged in the discussions taking place across Oregon and to join in the dialogue on ChalkBloggers.
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 ChalkBloggers Launched!
ChalkBloggers has been live for two weeks now, highlighting
news and opinions on education in Oregon with the hope of sparking meaningful,
solutions-based dialogue.
We've had great posts by bloggers Shawn Daley, Stasia
Honnold, Ruth Wallin, Doug Wells and Kristina Ribali as well as members of the
Chalkboard staff. The topics have ranged from teacher engagement and advocacy,
to business partnership and class size, to college readiness and teacher effectiveness.
Here are a few highlights:
 Shawn Daley, "8 Days Back: A Reflection on School Budget Cuts"
"As the parent of two school age children as well as a
teacher of nearly 200 more, I am not happy at all about losing my 8
days. And really, none of us should be. But we have a responsibility, I think, to craft a
real solution that is fiscally appropriate and educationally sound."
 Ruth Wallin, "Teacher Advocacy: Keeping the Canary Alive"
"The
canary in a coal mine role that I played in the staff room this year was not a
hit. Maybe because I'm not as cute as a canary or that my flustering was just
that, flustering. You see I used to teach in California (LA area and SF area).
I saw the gradual destruction of a once ground breaking educational system. When I left the state it was because I was burnt
out and frustrated."
 Doug Wells, "Parents as Partners in School Reform"
"We believe that
public education should be a community enterprise. A community
must not abandon its public schools and children in their time of greatest
need. Following the same logic, poorly performing schools must not be
tolerated, period. We believe that we must unite to find solutions that work
for all of our kids. "
Visit ChalkBloggers to read these and other posts on Oregon education. For the latest updates, subscribe to our RSS feed.
http://blog.chalkboardproject.org
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Bon Voyage, Kate!
Kate Dickson, Chalkboard's VP of Education Policy, will be
hitting the road August 1st to spend a year traveling the country
with her husband. As a long time educator and advocate for Oregon's children,
Kate has brought a tremendous knowledge and passion to Chalkboard's efforts.
Her relationships with educators across the state are a testament to her collaborative
style and engaging leadership.
Kate was instrumental in helping Chalkboard successfully
advocate for mentoring and professional development legislation and in
developing and implementing the CLASS Project. The growth of the CLASS Project
from 3 districts to 12 districts in the last year speaks to the caliber of her
work and her yeoman's efforts on behalf of teachers and students.
Kate will be missed in the office, but she has promised to
be a regular blogger on ChalkBloggers and keep us up-to-date on her activities.
Thank you Kate for all you have done for the Chalkboard
Project and for education in Oregon!
As Kate leaves on her travels, Dan Jamison will be starting his new adventure as the Vice President of Education Policy. Dan retired as the
Superintendent of Sherwood School District this month and will be joining the
Chalkboard team on August 9th.
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TIF Application Submitted
On July 6th, Chalkboard, in consortium with six
Oregon school districts, submitted an application to the federal Teacher
Incentive Fund.
If the $11.3 million application is fully funded, the
federal dollars would support the design and implementation of the CLASS
Project in high needs schools in the Bend-LaPine School District, Crook County
School District, Lebanon Community Schools, Oregon City School District,
Redmond School District and Salem-Keizer Public Schools.
Decisions about the TIF grant should be announced by the end of September.
Read the full press release: http://bit.ly/d0L0pg
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Oregon Asks: What Would It Take?
Join your friends, colleagues and civic leaders for sixty
minutes of inspiration grounded in the realities of what it takes to break the
cycle of poverty, increase school success and build healthy communities.
Paul Tough author of
Whatever It Takes: Geoffrey Canada's Quest to Change Harlem and
America
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Doors @ 11:30am
Presentation | Q&A @ noon
The Governor Hotel, Portland, Oregon
All Seats $25 (includes lunch)
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Our Voices, Our Schools
 Kate Dickson's long career in education has given her much
to reflect on as she takes a well-deserved sabbatical. We asked Kate to share some of her
insight before she heads out on her year-long road trip.
How has education in Oregon changed since you first started
as a classroom teacher?
This is my 40th year as a professional educator. I started teaching in 1970. As the saying goes the more things change--the more they remain the same. Some things have remained the same. For example, teachers are passionate about their students and teaching, class size is about the same, math, reading, and literature textbooks are not much different--perhaps more colorful pictures. And there is a lot that has changed. Oregon classrooms are much more diverse, teachers and administrators are increasingly dedicated to pursuing each student's success. Technology is opening doors for innovative teaching and learning that are beyond what was even imaginable when I started teaching (online learning, internet access is ubiquitous, smart boards, cell phones, twitter, facebook, web-pages etc.) Oh yes and one other significant difference, teacher pay. When I started teaching my first year salary was $7,000 a year!
Although there are probably many to choose from, what has been
your most rewarding experience as an educator?
Being a teacher! Whether teaching kids or adults, I love the interaction of thinking, creating, and learning. As a 6th grade teacher it was watching the twinkle in the eye of my 11 year olds as they discovered new science concepts. As a professor in an Educational Leadership doctoral program engaging students in discussions about the ethical leadership of public schools and seeing the same twinkle in their eyes as learners as they became more aware of who they are as educational leaders. I believe people are lifelong learners and I find that teaching is a continuous and vibrant way to be a learner. Personally one of my greatest joys throughout my career has been mentoring teachers and administrators to become great teachers and leaders.
What advice would you give to teachers who are just starting
their careers?
Be in the relentless pursuit of each student's success. Integrate passion, purpose, and joy into each day with your students. Find creative, innovative, and collaborative opportunities to work with your colleagues to pursue the rewarding, challenging and wonderful career of being a teacher. My observation is that when teachers are excited about teaching--students are excited about learning. Teaching is a wonderful and exciting "calling". As a teacher you will make a lifelong impact on each student---as a teacher you do touch the future.
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Teacher Advocacy Training
Calling all Educator Advocates and Advocates-to-be! On August 11th, Chalkboard will be hosting a
teacher advocacy training to de-mystify the state-level policy process and
provide educators with the tools and training they need to be strong advocates. Details: Teacher Advocacy Training
Wednesday, August 11th
9 am - 4 pm
West Linn High School
5464 West A Street
West Linn, OR 97068-3199 Chalkboard will provide lunch and refreshments. RSVP by July 30th to Aimee Craig, craig@chalkboardproject.org
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Tweets of the Month
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What's Next for Chalkboard...
July 25-27
Advocacy trip to DC
Aug 11
Teacher Advocacy Training
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