TO DO:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Please add a Leadership meeting to your calendar for Jan. 13<\/strong> at 3:15pm. The focus of this meeting will be on our district’s investment priorities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you haven’t already, please send Lora your notes for your staff listening session<\/strong> activities no later than Thursday, November 14th<\/sup>. Earlier this week, Lora had received notes from about 12 schools (and I don’t know which ones).<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wanted to let you know that two board policies have recently been updated and these latest versions are posted on our website. These two are AC-AP (Non-Discrimination) and AC-AR (Discrimination Complaint Procedure)<\/strong>. Please make sure you review\/use AC-AR when processing any future complaints connected to discrimination, harassment (including sexual harassment), intimidation, bullying, cyberbullying, menacing, hazing, teen dating violence, and sexual conduct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n THIS and THAT:<\/p>\n\n\n\n I had mentioned to you a comment I had heard at the Teacher’s College about principals not being “instructional leaders”<\/strong> in the sense that many have traditionally thought. This week I found my notes on this and want to clarify what was said. First, Mary Ehrenworth was telling the story of when Michael Fullen<\/strong> (not Doug Reeves – as I had remembered it) was attending a training at Teacher’s College and he made the statement that he was backing off of the principal being the<\/em> instructional leader in a building. He stated that only one person could lead the building – the principal. Many people could be instructional leaders. This is not to say that principals should not be involved\/support\/help design PD around instruction in her\/his building – but they do not need to be the point person for this. Hearing this definitely caught my attention…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here is important Oregon State Assessment opt-out information from Dave VL: Schools need to distribute the following (Annual notice-Spanish<\/a>, Annual notice<\/a>, 30-day notice<\/a>, 30-day notice-Spanish<\/a>) statewide notices and opt-out forms in English and Spanish through their \u201cregular communication channels\u201d by December 8, 2019. Appropriate communication methods do include electronically distributing the forms or links to the forms posted on district\/school websites. (All of these forms are also saved in the TRIBE Google Doc “BLS Docs” folder.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Principals also will sign and distribute this letter<\/a> – the same one we used last year. (We are working on a Spanish version now.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n In all communication related to opt-outs it is critical that parents are engaged in the communication and that non-adult students are not subjected to undue influence by educators or staff during working hours.\u00a0Principals need to ensure all staff understand what types of communication has been deemed inappropriate by the state. Inappropriate communication would include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Making repeated announcements to non-adult students (e.g., over school intercom systems, assemblies) during working hours reminding students to pick up ODE\u2019s opt-out form\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Initiating a discussion of ODE\u2019s opt-out form or process with non-adult students during working hours<\/p>\n\n\n\n Repeatedly reminding non-adult students to submit ODE\u2019s opt-out form during working hours\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Encouraging students to submit ODE\u2019s opt-out form during working hours<\/p>\n\n\n\n All student opt-outs again need to be entered into the district\u2019s Google form for tracking opt-outs\u00a0http:\/\/bit.ly\/BLPoptout1920<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The opt-out forms apply only to ELA and Math. Exemptions for all other state assessments require parents to submit a written request based on disability or religion. Those students are tracked here\u00a0http:\/\/bit.ly\/BLPelpascience1920<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here is an upcoming training that I was made aware of and asked to pass along to you: \u201cCompassionate Conversation<\/a>: Practical, empathy-based tools to work with people experiencing homelessness, addiction, mental illness, and trauma<\/strong>.\u201d This workshop takes place on 11.13.19 from 2-5pm in Bend. If you are interested in attending this free event, please RSVP at: info@cohomeless.org<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Oregon School Board Association (OSBA) annual meeting<\/strong> is coming up on Nov. 14-17<\/strong> in Portland and I will be attending, along with our district’s Board members and a number of Cabinet members. Immediately following this (on Monday, Nov. 18<\/strong>) I’ll be attending an AdvancED state committee<\/strong> meeting in Salem. During this time feel free to email or call\/text my cell if you need to reach me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n REMINDERS:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Daylight Savings Time ends<\/strong> this Sunday… don’t forget to “fall back” an hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Veterans Day is Monday, Nov. 11<\/strong>… and there is no school that day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One more reminder regarding the online survey that is connected to our Excellence and Equity Review<\/strong>. If you haven’t already, please pass this information on to your parents and\/or student before the survey closes on Nov. 13: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Share Your Voice: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Bend-La Pine Schools is conducting an Excellence & Equity Review to look deeply at our students\u2019 experiences in school. Along with staff expertise, student learning results and research, the information gathered during this review will help inform our priorities for school improvement efforts, professional learning and funding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Families, please take a moment to participate in two short surveys related to this effort:<\/p>\n\n\n\n TO DO: Please add a Leadership meeting to your calendar for Jan. 13 at 3:15pm. The focus of this meeting will be on our district’s investment priorities. If you haven’t already, please send Lora your notes for your staff listening … Continue reading