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A Year In Review

Demographics | Making Connections | Highlights | DEI Work | Financials | With Gratitude

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A Letter from Our Superintendent

On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff of the Northwest Educational Service District 189 (NWESD), I am pleased to submit this annual report for the 2020-2021 school year. In another year that none of us could have ever imagined, I could not be prouder or more humbled by the efforts of the NWESD staff in support of our regional and statewide educational partners.

The information that follows contains a range of data that helps to tell the stories of the five counties, 35 school districts, 10,421 professional educators, 440 schools, and 164,224 students of the NWESD region. The data within is cause for celebration and pride at the accomplishments of the educators and young people across our region who were confronted with an incredibly challenging and unexpected disruption to public education as we have known it. Above all else, the 2020-21 school year has highlighted the resilience, adaptability, and compassion of our school systems in the face of a global pandemic.

Those of us who work at educational service districts are fond of saying that “service” is our middle name. There has never been a time that saying has held more truth than this past year.  As we share the hope of finally seeing the beginning of the end of this pandemic, know that we maintain our deepest commitment to our educational partners and will continue to strive to provide value-added, timely, and equity-driven support through the dozens of programs and services we offer.

We are thankful for our community of innovative, flexible, dedicated educators and partners.

Larry Francois,
Superintendent

Mission

Together we can…promote equity and excellence through leadership and service.

Vision

To be an indispensable partner to our region’s school communities.

Values

Responsive customer service. Open communication. Regional collaboration. Flexible teamwork. Adaptable professional learning. Positive relationships.

Goals

Provide quality services that meet our region’s needs. Prepare students for college, career, and citizenship. Foster educator effectiveness to assure equity and opportunity for all students.

Demographics

0
Students in our region
0
Female students
0
Male students
0
Gender X students
0
Teachers in our region
0
Female teachers
0
Male teachers
0
Not provided

Student Ethnicity*

*2020-2021

Teacher Ethnicity*

*2019-2020

Student Data Enrollment By Program*

*2020-2021

Demographic information courtesy of OSPI’s Data Portal

Making Connections

Linking Educators & School Districts with Resources

0
NWESD Staff Hired
0
Fingerprints Taken
0
Professional Learning Classes and Workshops Offered
0
Teachers, Attendees & Participants

NEW positions added in response to School District and ESD needs

Department: Behavioral Health & Prevention Services

Department: Teaching & Learning

Department: Special Programs & Services

Department: Administration

Department: Fiscal

Highlights

Top Blog Posts 2020-2021

Culturally Responsive Teaching: the NWESD’s Culturally Responsive Collaborative

Gayle Everly

Soft Skills for Workplace Readiness

Brian McClay

Three Reads

Tina Mott

Appreciation for Innovative Educators During COVID-19

Sarah Southard

Returning to School During a Pandemic

Lynnette Ondeck

Supporting Migrant Students During Long-Term School Closure

Tanya Rojas

Migrant Education Program

Maberry Migrant Camp Student Programs

A summer enrichment program to help fill the summer education gap for migrant students living in two of the largest farmworker housing facilities in western Washington.
  • 40 migrant students participated
  • From North Whatcom county
  • Ages 5-13
  • For 3 weeks in July
  • 9 staff members, including 3 project leads from the Vamos Outdoors Project provided program support

My Dream My Journey Migrant Youth Conference

This youth leadership and engagement conference provided an opportunity for migrant youth to come together and learn from one another and inspiring leaders as they dream and plan for their journeys.
  • 200 youth participants
  • 12 presenters
  • 9 moderators
  • 3 interpreters
  • 26 district staff
  • 26 school districts across Western Washington

Virtual Gallery Walk

An opportunity for self-directed exploration and learning about migrant farm work, the farmworkers and families that make it possible, and how the Migrant Education Program functions.
  • 1500+ school and district staff have participated

2021 Fall MEP Convening

"Towards Justice-Producing Partnerships: A Plática with Migrant Students and Families"

Pláticas: the critical act of listening and witnessing – an invitation to explore how people make sense of their experiences. Providing context to pay closer attention to students and families as co-collaborators in building future school communities.

  • 5 migrant youth (high-school-aged students or kids 14+ who are out of school)
  • 4 migrant family members
  • 51 district staff
  • 23 School Districts across Western Washington

Educational Technology

Design, Coordination, & Support

One of the main focuses of Educational Technology (EdTech) at the NWESD is to visit, connect, and collaborate with schools, districts, Center for Strengthening the Teacher Profession (CSTP), Instructional Media Coalition, AESD, OSPI School Technology Team, and community organizations.

In collaboration with the Washington State AESD Network, NWESD EdTech has designed, coordinated, and supported state and regional professional learning networks (including teachers, paraeducators, instructional coaches, administrators, and IT staff) to increase education technology expertise related to remote teaching and learning skills.

  • Courses taught: 34
  • Participants 2159
  • Clock Hours Awarded: 11,623

Developed resources for families and providers (translated into nine languages (Ukrainian, Russian, Farsi, Tagalog, French, Arabic, Somali, Vietnamese, and Spanish).

Inclusionary Practices Project

Changing School Culture

Currently, Washington is one of the nation’s least inclusive states, ranking 44 out of 50 for the inclusion of students with disabilities. On average, 57% of students receiving special education services spend 80-100% of their day in the general education setting. There is much work to be done to improve equity and inclusion in our school, however professional learning, resources, and support exists. Many schools and districts participating in the Inclusionary Practices Project are increasing inclusion and experiencing improved outcomes for all students.

As of December 2021, 15 NWESD district/building leadership teams engaged in their second year of increasing and improving inclusionary practices. Regardless of participation in the project, resources are available to all educators in our region.

The NWESD is part of a collaborative statewide team, that has developed the following resources, available on the AESD Inclusionary Practices Webpage:

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Work

The NWESD is committed to braiding equity across our organization through all aspects of our work. Below is a report of our progress.

“Leadership and equity are one in the same, there is no equity without leadership, and you are not a leader if you’re not fiercely advocating for equity.” Dr. Tammy Campbell 

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Team Members

Each department at the NWESD is represented on the DEI Team: 
Administration: Marie Holloman, Meagan Leow, Larry Francois
Behavioral Health & Prevention Services: Cameron Clay
Fiscal: Paula Molitor, Rose Oliver
Information Technology: Les Valsquier
Teaching & Learning: Fredrika Smith, Gayle Everly, Hillary Thomsen
Northwest Regional Data Center: Lynn Lynch
Northwest Regional Learning Center: Rebecca Conner
NWESD Board Member: Sue Phillips
Snohomish Discovery: Jacob Moriarty
Special Programs & Services: Katie Groth
Whatcom Discovery: Nichelle Gilcrease, Tamara Visser 

Focus Area Teams

The DEI team has identified four categories to proactively target to move the needle towards a more racially just NWESD. Within the DEI Team the Systems, Internal, External, and Student Focus Area Teams are committed to studying and improving organizational practices and in doing so have targeted efforts in the following areas: 

A more thoughtful and deliberate decision-making process

The Systems Focus Team has developed an Equity Analysis Tool with the intention of providing a process for more thoughtful and deliberate decisions about our programs, services, or policies; the impacts to underserved and underrepresented populations; and the promotion of equitable practices and outcomes. This voluntary tool is intended as a means of reviewing and assessing the current practice as well as new initiatives under consideration. The NWESD teams are strongly encouraged to utilize this tool to surface and explore the internal and external equity implications of our collective work in service to our organization’s mission, vision, values, and goals. 

Developing and procuring staff resources

The Internal Focus Group continues to research, vet, and distribute information and opportunities for NWESD staff members to explore and learn at their own pace. 

Development of an in-house DEI library for staff use

Cultivation and procurement of our online DEI resource repository 

Lunchtime Equity Conversations

Throughout the year the Internal Focus Group provided a total of nine Lunchtime Equity Conversations, staff-guided space for employees to engage in thoughtful yet difficult conversations around the following topics:

    • October 23, 2020 – Voter Suppression
    • November 20, 2020 – Truth about Thanksgiving
    • December 11, 2020 – Ibram X. Kendi
    • January 22, 2021 – Emmanuel Acho
    • February 26, 2021 – Migrant 101
    • March 26, 2021 – White Supremacy
    • April 16, 2021 – Microaggressions
    • May 21, 2021 – NO. You Cannot Touch My Hair.
    • June 18, 2021 – From Awareness to Action

Continuous Improvement Summer Equity Series

  • The NWESD hosted and sponsored the 2021 Summer Equity Series through the goals and grants of the Continuous Improvement initiative.  Schools and Districts across the state were invited with enhanced marketing to schools identified for improvement through the Washington School Improvement Framework (WSIF).
  •  We welcomed 371 unique participants throughout the state for the five sessions.
  • Within the NWESD, 24 school districts and one tribal school were represented.
  • Participants were asked What information did you find most beneficial to your work? How will you use this information in your practice? Below are some responses:
    • I appreciated the reminder, “Young people are the experts of their experiences.” I will continue to advocate to include student voices in data gathering and problem-solving.
    • Normalizing talking about and acknowledging race. Creating space for brave conversations!
    • Wow – the historical explanation of color and race, as well as the health effects with the telomeres discussion.  Will definitely use it in the upcoming year with my students and other DEI work within the school.

Taking a deeper dive into how we can best support our districts

The External Focus Group has been discussing what they can do to help support our districts as they address new legislative and professional development requirements, including:

  • A survey or focus groups for districts to determine needs.
  • Developing a continuum of resources that addresses these needs from course work, speakers, action planning support, coaching, and reading/media resources.
  • Supporting efforts to partner intentionally with the communities we serve to amplify diverse voices.
  • Emphasizing what districts are doing to ensure all students have access and opportunity.

Using classroom experience to develop training

The Student Focus Team is comprised of educators who are in classrooms every day and work directly with students. As a result of their firsthand experience, the team has identified and is working on ways to integrate DEI training and practices alongside existing professional learning communities and professional development calendars to support equitable practices in all classrooms with a goal of the next school year.

Racially & culturally inclusive job postings

The following statement accompanies all NWESD job postings:

  • 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.

Expanding our reach

“In order to diversify our applicant pool, and to reach out as far and wide as possible, we want to make sure we’re being inclusive in our recruiting efforts and have begun advertising job postings with ALAS and NABSE.” – Marie Holloman Payroll & Personnel Administrator

WASA Equitable Systems Cohort 

From January through March of 2021, five members of the DEI Team attended a series of sessions hosted by WASA with guidance from Hanover Research. An Equity and Inclusion Diagnostic Survey, created by Hanover Research, was sent to both NWESD staff and the Board of Directors. The results of a root cause analysis and a deep dive into the data collected helped guide the DEI Team’s efforts forward to create the Equity Analysis Tool, targeted their focus on employee engagement, as well as provided useful baseline data to compare to with future surveys.  

Dr. Tammy Campbell Trainings

The DEI Team attended two informative sessions with Dr. Tammy Campbell. Dr. Campbell is a nationally recognized superintendent and leader in equity. She has led several bodies of work with WASA and has worked with other ESDs and school districts. Dr. Campbell formerly served as superintendent at the Federal Way School District.

Participation in PSESD Coaching & Leading for Racial Equity Institute

Over 25 of our staff and board members participated in this institute over the past two years. Participants have found this opportunity to be a valuable learning and growth experience.

In August 2021, the NWESD Board of Directors approved equity and bylaws guide our practice and thinking

DEI Corner Communications

At the beginning of each month, the DEI team reports out to the NWESD staff on their progress. The information includes training, teamwork, and monthly awareness/recognition information.

Adopted Juneteenth as an annual, observed holiday

The NWESD has incorporated Juneteenth (June 19)—an annual holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the US—into the organization’s calendar. Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States that has been celebrated by African-Americans since the late 1800s.

Financials

% Total NWESD Revenues $28,262,705

ESD Funding

ESDs (unlike local school districts, which receive the majority of their funding from the state) are largely self-supporting organizations sustained by competitive grants, cooperatives, and fees for service.

“Core” funding – the amount allocated by the state – totals only 3% of NWESD funding. Core funding is based on the number of school districts and the size of the geographic region served.

Core Funding

Core funding allocated to the NWESD totaled $831,758 and accounted for approximately 3% of annual revenue sources.

The NWESD core funding allocation was leveraged to provide $28,262,705 in services for students in the region’s 35 school districts and tribal compact schools.

For every $1 of core funding provided to the NWESD, $32.98 dollars of service is provided for students in our region.

With Gratitude

To our recently retired NWESD Board Members,
we thank you for your years of dedicated service to public education!

Claudia Buxton

Claudia Buxton retired from the NWESD Board of Directors on September 23, 2021. Claudia represented NWESD District 7 (Edmonds and Mukilteo) for seven years.

Claudia Talmage

Claudia Talmage served on the NWESD Board of Directors for 17 years representing District 4 (Coupeville, Lakewood, Mukilteo, Oak Harbor, South Whidbey, Stanwood-Camano).

This annual report has been recognized by the Washington State Public Relations Association (WSPRA) as Best in Category 2022 for enrollment of more than 10,000.