Spring Education Connection 2023

2023 NWESD Regional High School Art Show Winners

A Note from our Superintendent

Larry Francois, Anacortes

In yet another sign of our continued return to post-pandemic normalcy, I recently had the opportunity to participate in the Washington Apprenticeship Vocational Education (WAVE) Tour hosted at the North Puget Sound Carpenter Training Center in Burlington. Started in 2007, the WAVE Tour provides the opportunity for high school students to be introduced to multiple construction trades through engaging, hands-on experiences. After a three-year absence due to COVID, students from over 25 schools and programs across the NWESD region attended this year. Staff from the Career Connect Washington NW Regional Network, hosted at the NWESD, organized a coalition of industry and workforce development partners to sponsor this year’s tour.

Engaging with these partners during the tour, I found myself in conversations I’ve had many times before about the perception – or reality – that the trades are not valued and promoted as they could or should be in our schools. As anyone, like me, who has engaged in a construction or remodel project in recent years can attest – much less major public works projects – it can be frustratingly hard to find skilled, capable, and reliable trades people. The shortages and needs exist in just about every field, and these are highly skilled and well-compensated positions with multiple avenues for career development and advancement.

Is it true that the trades are not validated and promoted in our schools? I suspect there is not a clear answer to that. But I can say that over my 33-year career, including eight years as superintendent in a generally recognized high performing suburban school district, I have experienced the unwritten or unspoken diminishment of a skilled trades pathway for students in favor of the prioritization of pathways for students to higher education, typically four-year college or university. Even pathways to two-year institutions in non-trades areas are often subtly treated as lesser choices for students.

While these are broad generalizations not reflective of all school communities, my experience suggests that they are real and accurate in many. I believe the reasons are several. One has to do with graduation requirements. Over my career I’ve witnessed oscillations in graduation requirements that have sought to make four-year college entrance requirements the standard for all students, and times when graduation requirements have more flexibly recognized different pathways to future success more conducive to a skilled trades route. Two, in many communities there are spoken or unspoken expectations from parents and taxpayers that the school system prepare all students for fouryear college or university as the default. Local schools are naturally responsive to such sentiments. Three, I believe there is a general lack of understanding about what a modern career in the skilled trades entails, the kind of lifestyle it can support, and how the trades have evolved in recent decades from perceptions of low skilled, low wage, low opportunity career choices to the realities of exactly the opposite.

At the NWESD, we are slowly growing our footprint and influence to promote, support, and help build career pathways in the skilled trades across our region. This involves initial exposure to students in the elementary years to exploration in the middle school years to further exploration, preparation, and post-secondary connection to continued training, apprenticeship, and workforce development opportunities in the high school years. We believe the skilled trades are high demand, viable, and exciting futures for students just as much – and in many cases more so – than a college or university pathway.

I encourage you to learn more about our efforts by visiting the Career Connected Learning section of our website at www.nwesd.org/ccl.

Larry Francois NWESD Superintendent

Remembering

Wayne Barrett

Superintendent Wayne Barrett’s sudden passing in late April 2023 came as a devastating shock. Barrett took on the role of superintendent at the Concrete School District in 2017, and during his time there, he worked tirelessly to improve student performance and graduation rates. He was deeply committed to the community, believing that building strong relationships with students was key to their success. He understood the challenges facing small districts like Concrete, and was always willing to tackle them head-on. His passion, dedication, and unwavering commitment to the education will be greatly missed.

Claudia Buxton

We are saddened by the passing of beloved, former NWESD board member Claudia Buxton. Claudia represented the NWESD District 7 (Edmonds and Mukilteo) for seven years before retiring from the NWESD Board of Directors on September 23, 2021. Prior to her ESD service she had a 54-year career in education, serving in the roles of teacher, counselor, consultant, and director. Claudia spent much of her career in Snohomish County and everywhere Claudia worked she innovated, improved and set educational precedents. Claudia was 78 when she retired for the final time.

New Regional Superintendents

Dr. Erin Murphy Superintendent Lakewood School District

Shawn Woodward Superindentent Monroe School District

Chris Pearson Superintendent Burlington-Edison School District

Dr. Rebecca Miner Superintendent Edmonds School District

Carrie Crickmore Interim Superintendent Concrete School District

Photo: Ruth Richardson

New NWESD Staff

The NWESD aspires to be a racially and culturally inclusive staff that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. We believe this strengthens our organization, stimulates creativity, promotes the exchange of ideas, and enriches staff engagement.

View current job openings at www.nwesd.org/jobs

Vanessa Allen Instructional Technology Specialist

Kim Ellis Software Support Analyst II NWRDC

Shana Axelson Student Assistance Professional Deming/Mt. Baker

Krista Jones Paraeducator NRLC

Tabitha Stevens Administrative Assistant Teaching & Learning

Miranda Shepherd Software Support Analyst NWRDC

Christine McDonald Paraeducator Whatcom Discovery

Stephen Londino Student Assistance Professional Concrete

Alexa Morrow Software Support Analyst II NWRDC

Brittany Lindstrom Paraeducator Snohomish Discovery

Polly Myers Online Learning Coordinator

Lacey Munoz Teacher Snohomish Discovery

District Spotlight: Edmonds

Life-saving school nurses

Harmony Weinberg, Communications Manager Edmonds School District

School nurses work tirelessly to create and support health plans for every student with health care needs. They work to remove health care barriers, support public health, and educate on optimal health and medication. Plus, they are first responders and their dedication saves lives.

Knowing our students

Just a regular day on the job for School Nurse Emily Thornhill quickly turned into an emergency response, after getting alerted that a student was having a seizure. Emily rushed to respond and when she heard someone say the student’s name she recognized it right away. Because she created a health plan for the student, she knew the student was diabetic and wasn’t having a seizure, rather it was a hypoglycemic incident, which can turn fatal.

“Because of my case management work, I knew this student also carried emergency medication, Glucagon, in their backpack and I was able to quickly administer it before the paramedics arrived,” said Emily Thornhill. The student was taken to the hospital and after a day of rest at home, was back at school.

Nurse mode never turns off

Whether she is at work serving students, or being mom watching her own child during a basketball game, Shermin Davidson’s nurse mode never turns off. And thanks to that, her fast-acting skills helped save a person’s life.

It was early January when Shermin was in the stands at a high school basketball game watching her son play when she noticed the referee fall to the ground. Her original thought was, he must have tripped. As a few more seconds went by, Shermin knew something was wrong and she and her husband, offduty police officer Tyler Davidson, rushed to help. While it first seemed the man was having a seizure, it quickly turned into the man not having a pulse. Shermin and the Mountlake Terrace High School Athletic Trainer, Saboora Deen administered chest compressions and activated the AED while Tyler was on the phone with 911.

Just as South Fire paramedics arrived, the referee not only regained a pulse, but began to sit up. He was then rushed to the hospital. His doctor later said it’s a miracle he survived and if it hadn’t been for the people who responded so quickly, he may not be here today.

“I feel like I was just doing my job. I would have done it in any scenario I was in, even out in the public, at work or wherever, that’s just what I do, what we (school nurses) do,” said Shermin Davidson.

District prepares for known and unknown allergic reactions, which can be life-threatening School Nurse Cass Magnan-Wheelock recently administered an epi-pen to a high school student having an allergic reaction. Epi-pens work by relaxing the muscles in the airways and tightening the blood vessels. Cass knew exactly what to do and her quick response allowed for the medication to begin working instantly as paramedics made their way to campus.

In this case, the student had their own prescribed epi-pen with them, however, that might not always be the case. A student may be waiting on a new prescription, maybe they forgot their epi-pen at home, or a student or staff member may have never had a reaction before.

To prepare for any of these situations, the district’s Student Health Services Director Mara Marano-Bianco has worked to secure a stock Epinephrine devices (epi-pens) at each of our schools. Having a stock of epi-pens in our schools can reduce the likelihood of a reaction turning into a much worse situation.

“The whole idea is to save lives. Whether it be a student or staff member,” said Student Health Services Director Mara Marano-Bianco.

the future needs all of us.

Let’s use federal COVID relief funds distributed to school districts to support the students whose education was most impacted by the pandemic. Proven practices can accelerate Washington students’ learning on their pathway to post-high school credentials and careers.

Bob Estes Receives Statewide Award

2023 AESD Executive Board Award of Distinction

The Association of Educational Service Districts (AESD) Executive Board Award of Distinction is an annual recognition given to individuals and organizations that embody the vision and criteria of the award. The award recognizes individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the AESD's mission, vision, and values.

This year’s award recipient was Bob Estes, the AESD Accreditation Statewide Coordinator. Bob's contributions to the AESD Accreditation Program have been critical to its success, and his leadership has been instrumental in making it the largest provider of accreditation services in Washington State. Bob truly exemplifies the values of the AESD, particularly the value of relationships. He has fostered and modeled all of the AESD articulated values of Equity, Integrity, Accountability, Synergy, Leadership, and Relationships in his role as statewide AESD Accreditation lead. Bob's leadership has been instrumental in ensuring that each school received high quality, individualized, and responsive coaching.

Bob began his career as a teacher, high school principal, and district-level administrator in the Lake Stevens and Arlington school districts before joining the NWESD School Improvement Plan - Technical Assistance Project program (SIPTAP) as one of several SIPTAP coaches. In the mid-2000s, Bob worked with representatives of other ESDs in the state to develop the AESD Accreditation Program, which was designed around an assigned coach working with a school leadership team to develop a data-driven, student achievement-focused, research-based, and collaboratively determined school improvement plan that earned the school a 6-year AESD Accreditation recognition, subject to a 3rd year review of the school's progress implementing the school improvement plan.

In 2014, Bob became the statewide lead for the AESD Accreditation program, coordinating and facilitating AESD Accreditation services at scale in all corners of the state. During his tenure, the AESD Accreditation program accredited 285 schools across all nine ESD regions. Bob personally coached 43 schools through the full accreditation process and coached 31 schools through the 3rd-year review process. He also supported over 60 individuals who participated as members of accreditation site review teams, part of the process of providing external validation to an individual school's improvement plan.

The AESD has become a dominant player in school accreditation in Washington State, accrediting far more schools than any other accreditation body, including better-known and funded national firms largely due to Bob's leadership. The AESD Accreditation Program has grown to become the largest provider of accreditation services in Washington State because it is rightly recognized as being an effective and excellent service delivered at a fair price that aims to improve the quality of teaching, learning, and outcomes for all students and all school communities.

Bob's contributions to the AESD Accreditation Program further the mission, vision, and values of the AESD. He has mentored and supported numerous coaches who support the accreditation process for dozens of schools each year, all while carrying his own load of schools he personally coached. Bob accomplished all of this with good humor, common sense, vast experience, and a keen understanding of the challenges and opportunities of bringing success to scale in unique school settings. The NWESD would like to congratulate Bob on this well-deserved award and extend our thanks for his service to public education.

Bob Estes at the AESD Conference, April 2023

Above photo and artwork on page 9 are shared with permission from ESD 113 (on behalf of the AESD).

During Bob's tenure as the statewide lead, the AESD Accreditation program

Made it his mission to ensure that each school received high quality, individualized, and responsive coaching

Fostered and exemplified AESD values: Equity, Integrity, Accountability, Synergy, Leadership

has grown to become the largest provider of accreditation services in Washington State

is recognized as being an effective and excellent service

High School Art Show

Photography

Lynnwood High School

Grade 12

Teacher: Donna Schou

From the artist: This image is from my trip to New York over the summer. This is one of my favorite images that I have ever made, it captures a lot of emotion, story and suspense all in one photograph.

Regional Award: Finalist Photography & $2,000 CWU Scholarship

OSPI Statewide Award: Honorable Mention Award

Madeline Atkinson Commodity

Painting

Kamiak High School

Grade 12

Teacher: Emily Palmiter

Breathe

Digital Anacortes High School

Grade 11

Teacher: Carl Dellutri

From the artist: Digital Artwork created in Procreate. The digital painting contains a girl in a forest, facing toward the light.

I wanted the focus of this piece to be the bright light, shining on the girl and the green forest. The girl is a symbol of my journey on grief. As the girl puts behind the darkness and faces the light, she takes a breath. She finally acknowledges and accepts that there is hope in front of her, and all she needs to do is take a few steps toward the light.

Regional Award: Finalist Digital & $2,000 CWU Scholarship

OSPI Statewide Award: Governor’s Award

From the artist: My painting portrays the objectification and subsequent robbing of control of women’s bodies.

Regional Award: NWESD Staff Choice

Hyojeong Jeong

Liam Kennedy Terminal to Nowhere

Larissa Mauldin Broken

3 Dimensional Friday Harbor High School

Grade 12

Teacher: Andrew Anderson

From the artist: I wanted to create an emotional understanding of what abuse victims have been through. The bird represents fragility and an unsuccessful attempt to fix the damage resulting from abuse.

Regional Award: Finalist 3 Dimentional & $2000 CWU Scholarship Winner

OSPI Statewide Award: WA State PTA Award

Moose Kinsey Jackie Robinson 42

Mixed Media Orcas Island High School

Grade 11

Teacher: Corey Wiscomb

From the artist: This art piece is an ode to the great Jackie Robinson, whose character, both on and off the field, has inspired me in every aspect of my life.

Regional Award: Finalist Mixed Media

OSPI Statewide Award: WA Interscholastic Activities Association Award

Isabella Wetzel A Heart to Hold

3 Dimensional Snohomish High School

Grade 12

Teacher: Kate Obukowicz

From the artist: The concept as to why I choose to make this anatomical heart vase was simply because I wanted to represent giving your heart to someone. I also learned that sometimes you need to take a different approach when trying new things.

Regional Award: Finalist 3 Dimensional

Emma Fontenot Halves Have Knots

3 Dimensional Snohomish High School

Grade 11

Teacher: Kate Obukowicz

From the artist: This is a ceramic bowl thrown on the wheel with stoneware clay. Before the initial firing I painted a freehand design with underglaze and used the sgraffito technique to scratch away the image.

Regional Award: Finalist 3 Dimensional & $2000 CWU Scholarship Winner

The gold ribbon significes an award in the statewide Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) High School Art Show. This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the OSPI High School Art Show. The OSPI Art Show Award’s Ceremony will be on May 30, 2023, 1 – 3 pm followed by a reception, at Benaroya Hall in Seattle.

NWESD High School Art Show Winners

Drawing Friday Harbor High School

Grade 11

Teacher: Andrew Anderson

From the artist: I actively noted my observations that would help me with this painting. I had to change almost everything from the first solid sketch: perspective, values, color, and the focal point.

Regional Award: Finalist Drawing

Drawing Kamiak High School

Grade 11

Teacher: Emily Palmiter

From the artist: “Love and Loss” depicts the embrace of a skeleton and a disembodied formation of marigold petals. While the skeleton is done in black-andwhite realism, the florals are expressive and colorful.

Regional Award: $2,000 CWU Scholarship

Painting

Drawing Mount Vernon High School

Grade 11

Teacher: Helene Zawila

From the artist: I used chalk pastel pencils on 1000 grit sandpaper.

I always loved drawing landscapes and I love my mountains and trees.

Regional Award: Finalist Drawing

Kamiak High School

Grade 11

Teacher: Emily Pamiter

From the artist: I made this piece in the light of self-reflection and the layers each person holds. Everyone had a duality to

Photography Snohomish High School

Grade 12

Teacher: Jay Adams

From the artist: The nameless person is failing to escape the prison of their own mind. To me this depicts what is beneath the surface in increasing numbers of youth, suffering from suffocating, depression, and anxiety.

Regional Award: Finalist Photography

them; no human is not complex. It is important for one to look upon themself, to pull apart these layers, and see the truth.

Regional Award: Finalist Painting

$2,000 CWU Scholarship

Landyn Diamond Great Mountain Sunfirse

Clara Warren Love and Loss

Mckaye Morrill Suffocation

Elian Bayas Crowded Waters

Quinn Warren Reflection

Photography

Oak Harbor High School

Grade 12

Teacher: Jana Jansen

From the artist: Taken at the summit after a 20-mile climb up a North Cascades mountain.

Regional Award: Finalist Photography

Painting

Coupeville High School

Grade 12

Teacher: Tacy Bigelow

From the artist: Modern artists are concerned with the rise of AI art making their work obsolete. Some people in the artistic community believe AI art reduces the value of art as a whole, while others are concerned over losing their profession. However, I believe there is hope for AI art to be used as a tool to assist and aid artists in the future.

Regional Award: Finalist Painting & $2,000 CWU Scholarship

Painting

Oak Harbor High School

Grade 11

Teacher: Kit Christopherson

From the artist: My love for Hispanic music is shown

Painting

Oak Harbor High School

Grade 10

Teacher: Kit Christopherson

From the artist: This scene is from my 3rd grade going-away party that my class threw for me in Japan. The writing on the board are messages from my classmates. My friends also did a talent show of sorts, just for me. It was the first time I felt truly accepted since up to that point, nobody had done something so grand for me. This memory remains as a core connection to my Japanese heritage.

Regional Award: Finalist Painting

throughout this piece in a way to evoke emotion to the viewer as well as fascination, wanting to incorporate actual pieces of sheet music to give it a unique aesthetic.

Regional Award: Finalist Painting

Helen Strelow Can We Coexist?

Lilika Taitano Shibokuchi Tomo

Taylen Bader The Summit

Savannah De La Rosa La Canción de mi Vida

All-Women School Safety Center

The Northwest Educational Service District 189 (NWESD) is excited to introduce our all-women-led School Safety Center (SSC)! Pictured above from left to right is the team of Erum Mohiuddin, Erin Wood, Natalie Gustafson, and Caylie Edlund. They offer comprehensive and trauma-informed training, support, and guidance to school leaders implementing physical and psychological safety measures. Their contributions are crucial to the success of our region’s efforts to enhance school safety.

Partnering with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and other Educational Service Districts in Washington, the NWESD SSC aims to advance safety programs and increase services throughout the northwest. The center offers a range of services, including behavioral health navigation, comprehensive school safety, crisis response, threat assessment, and more.

Natalie Gustafson, the Assistant Director of Behavioral Health and Prevention Services (BHPS), serves as the Behavioral Health Navigator, bringing trauma-informed leadership to our region’s suicide prevention strategies and collaborating with local youth and family care agencies to provide direct support to schools.

Erin Wood, the Safety Center Program Manager for the NWESD and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, specializes in trauma-informed prevention and intervention strategies for healthy youth, schools, and communities. As the Safety Center Program Manager, she supervises all School Safety Center roles and guides and enhances all school safety-related services provided to schools through the NWESD.

Erum Mohiuddin, the Comprehensive School Safety Coordinator (CSSC), has over 20 years of experience as an educator and has created programming to bolster students’ academic programs and support educational staff. She also co-created the first charter high school in Whatcom County, which supported underserved and marginalized students. The Comprehensive School Safety Coordinator provides guidance and consultation to district leadership in the areas of emergency operations planning and the provision of physical and psychological safety strategies.

Caylie Edlund, the Threat Assessment Coordinator, has a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and has experience working with Juvenile Justice, Youth Mentoring Services, and various other community programs throughout Washington State and British Columbia. The Student Threat Assessment program offers districts training, support, and facilitation of the multi-level Salem-Keizer Cascade model, aimed at reducing and preventing school-based threats and violence.

The School Safety Center is comprised of women who strive to provide thoughtful, intentional safety measures for educators, students, and communities in a variety of circumstances. Through collaboration with other departments and services within the NWESD and the educational community, the SSC seeks to provide equitable pathways for everyone towards a more healthful, secure, and successful future.

NWESD Receives Federal Grant

Essential mental health supports for K-12 students in the region

Earlier this year, the Northwest Educational Service District 189 (NWESD) was selected as the recipient of substantial federal funding to provide essential mental health support to K-12 students in the region. The Department of Education grant totals $11,412,471, supporting 75% of the total project cost, with the remaining 25% ($2,853,118) non-Federal funds leveraged through local, county, and state partnerships. This funding will enable the NWESD to recruit, place, support, and retain 20 credentialed school-based mental health professionals (SBMHP+) with the requisite training and clinical supervision necessary to provide clinical behavioral health supports – assessment and diagnosis of mental health conditions, mental health therapy, and case management.

The total project will result in a $14,265,589 investment over the next five years, bringing much-needed mental health support to students in the 35 school districts served by the NWESD in Island, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, and Whatcom counties, encompassing over 165,000+ students, 10,000+ teachers, and 368 schools.

Students’ mental health is of utmost importance, the NWESD is excited to be able to offer this crucial service within their school community. The NWESD Behavioral Health and Prevention Services department currently employs 50+ staff members who offer substance use prevention and intervention, student assistance, attendance and reengagement supports, and mental health services.

Recognizing that students may want to see an SBMHP+ who has a background or culture like their own, the NWESD will employ recruitment and retention strategies that expand the diversity of credentialed school-based mental health professionals serving K-12 students. There is an increased frequency and intensity of mental health symptoms in the region. The current services in schools and in the communities have not been able to meet the high demand.

The NWESD looks forward to this opportunity to supplement and scale the work its doing with health and education partners to address the mental health needs of children and youth in the region. The NWESD is committed to ensuring students can access this level of services within their school building, eliminating barriers, decreasing stress for students and families, and increasing capacity for schools to respond to student mental health needs.

Districts interested in having a SBMHP+ will have the opportunity to submit a Partnership Request Form. Partnership requires a commitment to integrate services and cost-sharing.

WAVE Tour

NW Washington students receive hands-on experience

The Washington Apprenticeship Vocational Education (WAVE) Tour welcomed more than 25 high schools and programs from Skagit, San Juan, Whatcom, Island, and north Snohomish County April 24-28 for a hands-on experience at the Northwest Carpenter’s Institute of Washington in Burlington. Each school brought up to 15 students who tried six different trade stations that include hands-on activities to see which one they liked best.

Hundreds of local juniors and seniors attended the five day event with different trades being highlighted on different days. Participating trades included the Carpenters Laborers Local 292, Electricians IBEW 191, Operating Engineers, Sheet Metal Workers, Plumbers & Pipefitters, Sprinkler Fitters, Snohomish County PUD, and Puget Sound Energy. Small groups moved through trade-specific workstations for 30 minutes per station to get a deeper understanding of each apprenticeship trade. Activities included conduit bending, scaffolding, concrete assembly, utility pole work, an obstacle course, a piping project, and a crane simulator. Students were treated to pizza for lunch and received a Labor & Industries “Apprenticeship 101” orientation.

The planning committee included representatives from the NW Workforce Council, the NW Carpenter’s Institute, and the NW Washington STEM Network, led by the Career Connect Washington NW Regional Network which is hosted at the NWESD. Additionally, more than 22 volunteers helped with the event to guide student groups including staff from the NWESD, Northwest Career & Technical Academy, NW Workforce Council, Associated General Contractors, FuturesNW, and Snohomish STEM. “We want to thank Career Connect Washington and HF Sinclair who provided funding to make this event possible and to the NW Carpenter’s Institute for generously offering the use of their facility in Burlington,” said Jenny Veltri, Career Connect Washington NW Regional Network Co-Director and NW Washington STEM Director. “This event was a collaborative effort! From the planning committee to the volunteers, it was amazing to work together as a community to offer the opportunity to learn more about apprenticeship for youth in our region.”

Students from Lummi Nation School learn about Puget Sound Energy’s apprentice opportunities.

Students from Lynden High School chip concrete with the Construction Laborers.

Ferndale student installs walls with Interior Systems Carpenters.

All photos taken by Ashley DeLatour, Futures NW

ClimeTime Turns Five!

is celebrating its fifth-year anniversary.

This article is shared with permission from ESD 112 (on behalf of the AESD).

Since 2018, this grant-funded program has given teachers the opportunity to deepen their understanding of climate science. ClimeTime provides teachers a way to bring those lessons into the classroom in ways that address the issues their own diverse communities face. The partnerships established between educational agencies, community-based organizations, and tribal schools throughout Washington bring together a unique collaboration that provides innovative approaches to climate education.

In its first five years, ClimeTime has reached approximately 26,000 educators, spanning 1,847 schools in over 200 school districts. This has impacted over 177,200 students!

“This is the only experience I’ve had in school where we talk about actively proposing solutions to the climate crisis and I think that’s important to do on a larger scale,” said one student who participated in a project inspired by ClimeTime.

One of the reasons ClimeTime stands out from other climate education systems is because it provides teachers with the means to move learning from the classroom to the community. The program empowers students to move the needle on climate change by addressing the issues impacting their own futures. Additionally, ClimeTime has supported teacher learning around Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), which increases their access to high quality science instructional materials, like OpenSciEd.

Washington state students are not the only ones feeling this positive effect. ClimeTime has gained national recognition by sources like The New York Times while remaining locally relevant. Other states have taken notice and are looking to ClimeTime to provide a model of climate education for organizations across the country.

“One of the most amazing things about ClimeTime work in the NWESD region is that our Community Based Organization (CBO) partners do a phenomenal job connecting teachers not only to the people in our region who are being impacted by climate change now, but also to researchers and businesses who are facing that challenge. I can think of no better way for teachers to learn how all of the ways what they do in the classroom with students can benefit the local community,” said Brian MacNevin, NWESD Regional Science Coordinator.

The result? Abstract science becomes meaningful for both teachers and their students, allowing students to connect their learning to climate issues within their own communities and develop plausible solutions.

Funding for this grant started at $4 million and has since grown to $5 million for its fifth year.

Over the next five years, their goal is to weave climate education through all disciplines, not just science. By combining climate education with other areas, students can deepen their understanding of the intricate part science plays in all facets of life, and how, no matter what studies they pursue, climate change can impact their futures.

ClimeTime, a statewide program that provides professional development learning to educators,

C R E V A L U E S

We at the NWESD aspire to be a racially and culturally inclusive organization that strives to reflect the diversity of the school communities we serve. Alongside our NWESD Board of Directors, the values of the NWESD describe how we are at our best, how we are stronger together, and how we can continue to create pathways for success in education for the scholars we serve.

W e d e m o n s t r a t e r e s p o n s i v e c u s t o m e r s e r v i c e t o t h e s c h o o l d i s t r i c t s , t r i b a l c o m p a c t s c h o o l s , p u b l i c c h a r t e r s c h o o l s , p r i v a t e s c h o o l s , a n d e a r l y l e a r n i n g p a r t n e r s w e s e r v e , i n c r e a s i n g e q u i t a b l e o u t c o m e s f o r a l l s c h o l a r s w i t h i n t h e N W E S D r e g i o n .

W e p r o v i d e o p e n c o m m u n i c a t i o n t h a t c r e a t e s a c u l t u r e t o c e l e b r a t e d i f f e r e n c e s W e e n c o u r a g e o u r p a r t n e r s t o s p e a k o p e n l y w h i c h a l l o w s u s t o a f f i r m , u p l i f t , a n d n u r t u r e p r o f e s s i o n a l s i n a s a f e e n v i r o n m e n t

W e e m b r a c e r e g i o n a l c o l l a b o r a t i o n t o l e v e r a g e t h e u n i q u e p e r s p e c t i v e s a n d v a r i e d d e m o g r a p h i c s o f o u r p a r t n e r s a c r o s s t h e r e g i o n , t o a c h i e v e e x c e l l e n c e , d e v e l o p i n n o v a t i v e s u p p o r t , a n d p r o m o t e e q u i t y a c r o s s t h e r e g i o n .

W e t r u s t t h a t t h r o u g h f l e x i b l e t e a m w o r k w e a c c e s s u n i q u e p e r s p e c t i v e s , d i v e r s e s t r e n g t h s , a n d c o l l e c t i v e r e s i l i e n c e . W e a r e s t r o n g e r t o g e t h e r

W e a p p r o a c h a d a p t a b l e p r o f e s s i o n a l

l e a r n i n g a n d f o s t e r e d u c a t o r e f f e c t i v e n e s s b y e n s u r i n g t h a t p r o f e s s i o n a l l e a r n i n g i s c u l t u r a l l y a n d h i s t o r i c a l l y r e s p o n s i v e , d e m o n s t r a t i n g a c o m m i t m e n t t o e q u i t y t h r o u g h o u r p r o f e s s i o n a l d i a l o g u e c r e a t i n g o p p o r t u n i t i e s a n d s y s t e m s t h a t s e e k t o e m p o w e r e a c h v o i c e

W e b e l i e v e p o s i t i v e r e l a t i o n s h i p s b u i l d a f o u n d a t i o n o f t r u s t a n d c r e a t e w o r k i n g e n v i r o n m e n t s w h e r e e v e r y o n e i s w e l c o m e d , s a f e , a c c e p t e d , a n d e m p o w e r e d ; f o s t e r i n g a s e n s e o f b e l o n g i n g f o r a l l .

T H E O F O U R W O R K

Charels Crabtree, District 1 Bellingham*, Burlington-Edison, Meridian Jack Thompson, District 2 Anacortes, Blaine, Ferndale, Lopez, Oak Harbor, Orcas, San Juan Island, Shaw

Mark Venn, District 3 Bellingham*, Conway, La Conner, Lynden, Mt. Baker, Mt. Vernon, Nooksack, Sedro-Woolley

Oscar Escalante, District 4 Coupeville, Everett*, Lakewood, Mukilteo*, South Whidbey, Stanwood

Alan Erickson, District 5 Everett*, Marysville

Educational Service Districts have served Washington State for over fifty years, providing vital services and functioning as advocates for local districts. Northwest Educational Service District 189 (NWESD) serves Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, Island, and San Juan counties.

NWESD’s more than fifty programs are organized into seven departments to serve you: Administration, Early Learning, Fiscal Services, Prevention Center, Special Programs and Services, Teaching and Learning, NWRDC, and Technology Services. Please visit us on our website at nwesd.org for more information on each of these departments.

NWESD Mission

Together We Can...promote equity and excellence through leadership and service

Clock Hours

For assistance with clock hours please contact Cindy Garrison at cgarrison@nwesd.org or call (360) 299-4057

Cory Duskin, District 6 Arlington, Concrete, Darrington, Granite Falls, Index, Monroe, Snohomish*, Sultan

Ann McMurray, District 7 Edmonds*, Mukilteo*

Register Early Classes not meeting minimum enrollment may be cancelled.

Sue Phillips, District 8 Edmonds*, Mukilteo*

Merle Kirkley, District 9 Everett*, Lake Stevens, Snohomish*

www.nwesd.org/21-22-annual-report