Oregon Achieves... Together!
A Message from Oregon Department of Education Director Dr. Charlene Williams
The following column appeared in the Oregonian on September 3.
During my 30 years as an educator, I made it clear to every student and parent I met with that I would never make assumptions about what they can and can’t achieve. Instead of making assumptions, my goal was always to take the time to meet with people in their community, develop close connections and ensure we are elevating standards for our students that lead to their success.
Since I returned to work in Oregon eight weeks ago, I have brought this same mindset while meeting with educators and administrators across the state. My goal is to learn as much as I can about what makes each of Oregon’s 197 public school districts special and deliver a clear message that the Department of Education aspires to provide high levels of support and maintain high expectations to ensure academic excellence for all of our students.
In recent visits to districts in Malheur County, I was able to hear firsthand about the celebrations, opportunities and challenges that small, rural and remote communities face while serving our students. Students visiting the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization and the LGBTQ+ Youth Drop In Center in Ontario expressed concerns similar to those we hear from students in larger urban settings: they want to feel safe and to belong.
To best serve students so they feel that sense of community in their schools, I’m focused on leading and supporting these top education priorities for the year– making gains in early literacy; supporting each student’s sense of belonging and wellness; and reimagining accountability to ensure our schools are supporting each and every student.
Early Literacy Success Initiative
Supporting the governor’s literacy initiative is my leading priority. It is essential that every child in Oregon read and write with confidence and competence.
Each and every child in our schools must be set up for reading success to support learning later in school and throughout their lives. This means elevating parents and guardians as full partners in their children’s literacy development and affirming the important role of family and culture in shaping children’s literary identity and skills.
The Early Literacy Success Initiative is unique in that it centers literacy as a community commitment, shared among sovereign tribal nations, community partners and schools. In partnership, we will link arms across Oregon to ensure that each child is receiving instruction based on the science of reading inside and outside the classroom to support their literacy development.
Belonging and wellness
We must continue to create spaces of belonging and attend to student wellness through mental and social emotional resources and support. Building care, connection and community takes time. But a wealth of research shows that it is a worthwhile investment in students’ futures.
Proper support in mental health promotes the outcomes that help students thrive. This includes improved academic performance, emotional regulation, sense of belonging and reduced behavioral issues. This care and attention must include our educators and staff as well. When adults are supported in managing their stress and emotional well-being, they can provide a higher quality of education and support for our learners.
Education is not solely about academic learning; it’s about nurturing well-rounded individuals. Prioritizing mental health ensures that students’ emotional and social growth is nurtured alongside their intellectual development.
Reimagining Oregon’s accountability system
Accountability delivers on the promise of academic excellence. It is essential that we get this right. We have the opportunity to rebuild hope in our education system.
Accountability is co-owned in Oregon. Locally elected school board members and the state both have a responsibility to ensure our schools are meeting the needs of each and every student in Oregon. This means we need to be transparent to students, families, and communities about our practices, processes, and outcomes. It means we need to partner to uphold our state’s values, statutes, rules and regulations related to education. It means we need to share information with one another and work together to ensure we are inclusive and fully preparing each child to reach their dreams and thrive.
True accountability is not delivered by a single letter grade, nor can it be represented in a single high-level statement. We need to dig in with classroom level data to understand who is being served and who is not and then take steps to ensure we change our practices for the better. It is complex work that must expand beyond overreliance on high-level test scores.
Oregon has an opportunity to bring together educators from our schools, impacted communities, and data justice experts to rethink our approach to accountability in a way that improves outcomes for our students.
Expansive hope
The time is now. We can and we must create even better experiences and outcomes for our students. Oregon schools are experiencing growth and promising practices in many areas.
We’ve seen a climbing high school graduation rate, expanded resources to nurture student mental health and we have grown workforce preparation programs in high schools.
A new school year stirs up hope and possibility. The dreams we have for our students are within reach. Let us lean in and lean on each other to open doors and remove barriers so our students can experience success.