To Do:
From Triz in HR:
Principals & Supervisors –
Here at BLS we aspire to place the best teachers possible in front of students, and as such we want to be very deliberate in renewing third-year Probationary/Temporary status teachers. The primary means for removing underperforming Probationary/Temporary staff members before they reach Contract status is non-renewal of their contracts prior to the end of the third year of probation; once a teacher attains Contact status, separation of a deficient performer from the district becomes a much more labor-intensive process.
Per the 25-26 Full Evaluation Resource Guide sent out with your Evaluation Google file this fall (see deadlines below), HR Leadership had requested that you notify us by November 1st regarding any third-year Probationary/Temporary certified staff with whom you had concerns and that no later than December 5, 2025, you would have met with and notified an third-year staff member of concern that they were being placed on Support Strategies.
*****Deadlines For Non-Renewal of Third Year Probationary Teacher****
Timeline
No later than November 1st:
- Notify HR Leadership regarding any third-year Probationary/Temporary certified staff about whom you have concerns with
- Met with and notified those staff members that they are being placed on Focused Performance Review (~3 weeks)
No later than December 5th
- Met with and notified third-year staff member of concern that they are being placed on Support Strategies (4-6 weeks)
- Communicate with HR Leadership and BEA President Sarah Barclay regarding your concerns about these staff members
If you have not moved anyone to Support Strategies, you must reach out to us immediately so we can determine whether it is possible to meet the required timelines. Should you have any questions/concerns regarding these steps, please contact me [email protected] to discuss further.
******Please remember our change in practice for Temporary 3 certified staff. We now require all Probationary 3 practices for renewal/non-renewal for Temporary 3 certified staff. When you write a letter of support for a Temporary 3 staff member, then you are obligating your school to employ this person for the 2026/27 school year and beyond********* Please also note, that those certified members with previous contact status in an Oregon school district (HB 2900) will also be obtaining contract status with your recommendations.
If you have taken the necessary measures with a third-year Probationary/Temporary staff member that you don’t believe should be granted Contract status, we are at the point beyond which you will be able to meet deadlines to non-renew that teacher.
Those of you with third-year Probationary/Temporary certified staff being recommended for Contract status you will need to generate letters of support for each one. The School Board wants each of us to be able to articulate the specific reasons any third-year Probationary/Temporary teacher should move to Contract status, and they take time to read every letter you prepare. Please have these letters uploaded in the appropriate school folder in the google drive listed below no later than February 2, 2026. If you experience any issues with uploading your letters or accessing any of the links below, please email [email protected].
Complete and upload all your Renewal Recommendation letters into the appropriate school folder within this google drive. You will find the list of probationary/temporary certified staff in the drive as well to assist you.
Rubrics for certified staff (link)
Here is a draft template/sample Renewal Recommendation letter for your guidance (make as many copies of the letter as you need)
Be sure your letter is submitted on your school’s letterhead and has your signature prior to uploading
Certified Professional Growth and Performance Manual here.
From the Desk of April Diehl, Medicaid Program Manager:
The district will soon be sending an email to families requesting that they complete a Medicaid Parental Consent form. This consent allows the district to access Medicaid reimbursement for eligible services, and your help in sharing this information ensures families are aware of the email and its importance.
Please share the following message to families in your weekly newsletter:
Families will soon receive an email from Bend-La Pine Schools requesting completion of the one-time Medicaid Parental Consent form. The district is asking every family to respond, whether or not your child is covered by Medicaid. Families who have already completed the consent will not be emailed. This form allows the district to access Medicaid reimbursement for certain health-related services provided at school. Completing the form does not affect your child’s benefits or services in any way. Please watch for the email and take a moment to complete the form when it arrives. Thank you!
From Departments:
From Kinsey – Office of Policy and Advocacy
Student-Led Protests:
Here is guidance for administrators and staff regarding how to navigate student-led protests. Please review and share applicable portions with your staff. This guidance is a general quick reference—for specific instances or questions, please let me know.
Home Visits:
Regarding our community engagement work: The end of the semester is a great time to drop by a home to check in on a struggling student or deliver a quick care package/item.
Too busy? No time? Home visits usually take 30 minutes or less. This small investment has a significant positiveimpact on the student and family, and for the staff who see you modeling this level of care and community leadership. Likely, you’ll find a home visit is more meaningful professional development than sitting in workshops talking about concepts like equity or belonging—I’m confident you’ll grow immediately as a leader after visiting a student’s home.
Your MTSS team or counselors can recommend a student/family to visit. Ask your Family Liaison, FAN Advocate, or ELL Specialist to go with you as needed, or ask them if you can tag along on a visit of theirs. Additional tips here.
From Dean Richards:
Educator Network Details for 1/21.
From Kayla Martin in Safety:
We have locked in two dates & times for our admin to do a tour of KIDS Center. Sign up for a KIDS Center Tour here.
From Marcus LeGrand – Board Chair and COCC faculty
Hi Wonderful Educators,
Attached are the flier for all Black History Events and the link to sign up for the event as well. Please read the website carefully to ensure you sign up properly. Next, the Empowerment Weekend has priority registration for students until next week, so have your kids and their friends sign up because there is limited space.
If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know, call, or email. Finally, can’t wait to see you all in the building for the events.
Link to sign up: https://cocc.edu/departments/multicultural/afrocentric/black-history-month
From Ryan Kelling in HR:
Quick heads-up as you plan ahead:
Please hold Wednesday, May 13th, 4:30–6:30, for our annual Excellence in Education celebration at Mountain View High School, immediately following our Admin PD (also at Mountain View).
For those of you newer to BLS, this is one of the most meaningful events on our calendar and is a chance for us, as a community, to celebrate employees who have gone above and beyond this year through leadership, innovation, outstanding practice, and true service above self.
Each school and department is expected to have at least one Administrator or Supervisor in attendance to help celebrate your honoree(s). Your presence really matters. For many of our employees, this is a rare and powerful moment of recognition, and it means even more when it’s shared with the leaders who know their work best.
More details and the nomination forms are coming soon. For now, please make sure this time May 13th is protected on your calendar.
Thanks for the culture of appreciation you help create across our district, let Ryan Kelling know if you have any questions.
From Robi Cole:
I am working with the ESD to create some regional Admin Mentoring offerings. One offering I would like to get the word out is an upcoming Mentoring Training. I have attached the flyer– it is for experienced admin, principal supervisors, and current/future admin mentors.
The second opportunity we have with the CORAMP program is to tap some aspiring administrators OR Deans/VP’s that want to get ready for the principalship. Two flyers are attached describing these offerings. Flyer 1, Flyer 2.
From Amber McGill – COREN:
COREN’s Culture of Care team has 2 opportunities in February with space and sub coverage now available:
2/5/26 Restorative Conferencing (Tier III)
- Schedule: Thursday, February 5th, 2026 (9:30am-1:30pm)
- Location: Becky Johnson Community Center, Redmond (In person)
- Substitute coverage provided by COREN for this session.
2/26/26 Restorative Conference Simulation (Tier III)
- Schedule: Thursday, February 26th 2026 (12:30pm-4:00pm)
- Location: Becky Johnson Community Center, Redmond (In person)
- Substitute coverage provided by COREN for this session.
From Gabe Pagano, Director of Activities and Athletics:
Here is the weekly – January 12th-16th, 2026
From Jess Calbreath – Lead Counselor
School Counseling Program Updates
MS Only
From Amy Yillik with culture of care: Please share the following info with your families: Here is the link & attachment for the upcoming MS/HS family workshops.
Calendar
January 20: MS and HS Admin Work Session – 9-11 Summit High School
January 20: New Choice High School Information Night 6:00 @ BTA Campus
January 22: HS Only – Tier II Academic Intervention Team 2:30-4:00 @ CHS
January 23: 504 training required for ALL admin who oversee 504’s 9:00 @ Wall Street Lab
January 23: 26-27 Area Change Request (ACR) Deadline for submission
Where in the World?
Congrats to Scott, who correctly guessed the image last week, which is Angels Landing at Zion National Park!
This week, it’s Where in the World? Any admin who correctly identifies this location by Monday morning (after break) will be entered in a drawing for coffee/tea or morning beverage of choice to be delivered by Katie or Stephen. Note: This contest will be limited to MS and HS admin.
