enough.” Instead, educators should strive for that man on the moon vision.
Getting Started
Start by getting educated. Use resources available through OEA’s ESSA website or NEA’s My School, My Voice website (www. myschoolmyvoice.nea.org). Then, ask questions. Ask your principal about school improvement teams or to see the school’s improvement plan or Title I plan. Are there opportunities to join work groups or leadership teams to have your voice heard? Ask your union leaders if they are engaged in districtlevel conversations. Does your local association have a school improvement committee, labor management committee, or professional development committee you could join? Then, get organized and involved. If your school or district isn’t adhering to ESSA’s intent for wide stakeholder engagement, how can you organize to ensure educator, community and family voices are heard? OEA’s Educator-Led Improvement Toolkit is a great place to start organizing for educator voice. OEA staff members and leaders can also help local teams organize for educator voice. If your school and district have embraced collaboration, find ways to get involved and get your voice heard.
Shaping the Future
President Kennedy had a vision to put a man on the moon. OEA has a vision to improve the future of all Oregonians through quality education. Our association can only achieve that vision if we all work together to turn that vision into a reality. Credits: Thomas Patterson
Rep. Suzanne Bonamici visits Lewis and Clark Elementary School in St. Helens.
A Day in the Life
Rep. Suzanne Bonamici Spends a Day with St. Helens Educators U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR 1st District) went back to the classroom in October. The congresswoman visited Lewis and Clark Elementary School in the St. Helens School District to watch educators putting quality assessment practices into place in their classrooms. OEA’s Center for Great Public Schools began a partnership with the St. Helens Education Association and the St. Helens School District in January 2016 to improve classroom assessment practices, preparing educators to lead their colleagues in professional learning and transforming learning across the district. Rep. Bonamici visited the classrooms of Catherine Contreras, 6th grade; Kathleen Alexander, 3rd grade; and Marcy Schaffer, 2nd grade. Each showcased a different aspect of quality assessment practices including students self-assessing their progress toward mastering a learning target, student engagement in a learning target, and students tracking their own progress. The Congresswoman then engaged in a roundtable discussion with educators and school leaders from each of the district’s five schools. Rep. Bonamici asked educators how these practices have impacted student learning. Contreras shared that she sees students making huge gains in their learning. Lori Cardiff, a teacher at St. Helens Middle School said, “We’re telling students up front what we are doing and why we are doing it each day. Those answers are important to them.” Scot Stockwell, Superintendent of St. Helens, emphasized the partnership between OEA and the district as critical to the success of the work. He said that when teachers saw that the work was designed and lead by teachers, taking risks and trying new approaches to instruction became easier. Rep. Bonamici represents the northwest corner of the state including Columbia, Clatsop, Washington, Yamhill and portions of Multnomah Counties. Her regions include both the St. Helens School District and the Banks School District, which are two pilot sites for OEA’s quality assessment work. She also sits on the House Education Committee and was a key player in helping to pass the bipartisan Every Student Succeeds Act, which ended the testand-punish era of No Child Left Behind. The Congresswoman told the educators that seeing their work in action helps her continue to make the case for increasing federal funding (like Title IIA funds that support the type of work St. Helens engaged in), and to show other lawmakers examples of emerging practices and success stories. —Andrea Shunk TODAY’S OEA | WINTER 2018
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