Public Notices & Agency Updates
For Immediate Release
April 22, 2015 Contact: Laura Conroy 503-257-1516 lconroy@mesd.k12.or.us www.mesd.k12.or.us MESD actions to reinstate teacher consistent with fair dismissal laws (Portland, OR) – MESD today confirmed that it had reinstated Brett Bigham as an employee, placed him on administrative leave, and provided him with notice of the interim Superintendent’s recommendation to terminate his contract to the MESD Board of Directors, in accordance with fair dismissal laws. The Board will review the interim Superintendent’s recommendation at a date no sooner than May 13, 2015. MESD spokeswoman Laura Conroy commented that “MESD strives to ensure that all employees are treated with respect and receive fair and legal process in employment matters. The actions taken by the MESD to reinstate Mr. Bigham, provide him with notice of the interim Superintendent’s recommendation of termination and an opportunity for a hearing on the recommendation with the MESD Board at a date no sooner than May 13, is consistent with our commitment to providing respect and fair and legal process to employees.”
0 Comments
For Immediate Release
April 13, 2015 Contact: Laura Conroy 503-257-1516 lconroy@mesd.k12.or.us www.mesd.k12.or.us MESD hosts County Regional Spelling Bee Competition (Portland, OR) - MESD is hosting a County Regional spelling bee competition on May 11, 2015. The event is being offered in partnership with Oregon Spellers, an all-volunteer entity sponsored by Oregon Association for Talented and Gifted (OATAG). (OATAG) conducts an annual region-wide spelling competition to determine the top speller of three age-determined divisions in the participating counties. These winners are recommended to participate in the Oregon Statewide Spelling Championship held September 5, at the Oregon State Fair in Salem. Students may participate through one of two processes: a) a district conducts a cross-school competition and recommends one student from each division or b) a student may participate individually. All students must provide their own transportation to the event. When: May 11, 2015 1:00 -3:00 pm Who: Interested spellers in the following grades: Division 1: Grades 1-5 Division 2: Grades 6-8 Division 3: Grades 9-12. How: Register at http://www.mesd.k12.or.us/Page/501 Additional resources are found on: www.oregonspellers.org For Immediate Release
April 10, 2015 Contact: Laura Conroy 503-257-1516 lconroy@mesd.k12.or.us www.mesd.k12.or.us (Portland, OR) - MESD invites public participation in Superintendent search process MESD has announced additional details about the multi-step process it will use to select its’ next Superintendent. With the help of the AFSCME and MESDEA union presidents, the search firm Northwest Leadership Associates (NLA) was selected to assist in the hiring process. The next step in the process is to gather information from the MESD community about the attributes the next Superintendent should possess through a community survey to create the candidate profile. During the weeks of March 30th and April 6th NLA held listening sessions with small groups including component district superintendents and staff, partners, community members, and MESD staff. NLA is now seeking input from the entire MESD community through a 9 question survey. Everyone is invited to participate in creating the candidate profile by completing the 9 question survey. It is important and necessary to gather input from everyone to help guide NLA’s work as it seeks out appropriate candidates for the next Superintendent. A link to the 9 question survey is provided below. https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MESDsupt Upcoming key dates and activities of the process are as follows: April 13 – MESD Board Superintendent Search Sub-Committee Meeting April 17 – Position announcement is advertised May 15 – Applications due to Northwest Leadership Associates May 19 – Candidate screening report given to Board Questions about the search selection process and this schedule can be directed to Laura Conroy, Public Information Officer at lconroy@mesd.k12.or.us For Immediate Release
April 3, 2015 Contact: Laura Conroy 503-257-1516 lconroy@mesd.k12.or.us www.mesd.k12.or.us Multnomah Education Service District parting ways with 2014 Teacher of the Year (PORTLAND, OR) MESD announced today, that it has terminated former Teacher of the Year Brett Bigham. “It was a difficult decision and not what we hoped for” said Interim Superintendent Jim Rose. “Brett is a great teacher. Unfortunately, it became clear over time that Brett’s focus was no longer his classroom and students, as evidenced by excessive time away and distraction during class time,” explained Rose, “Brett was no longer giving his students his best efforts.” MESD saw great potential in Mr. Bigham and nominated him for the 2014 National Teacher of the Year award in recognition of his skills and passion for empowering special needs children through the functional living skills classroom. During 2014, MESD was proud to support the Teacher of the Year honor by granting Mr. Bigham over two months of paid leave to speak at and attend Teacher of the Year events. MESD also covered costs related to travel, meals and substitute teachers, arising from these activities. MESD supported Mr. Bigham as Teacher of the Year after receiving the award, and looked forward to his re-engagement and full focus in the classroom when he returned in the fall to start the 2014-15 school year. We were disappointed when Mr. Bigham continued to miss class time and prioritize outside activities. Concerns about the impact of these issues were expressed in meetings and via formal communications. In March, the district placed Mr. Bigham on paid administrative leave and requested mediation to resolve concerns and find a way forward together. Mr. Bigham declined mediation. MESD has determined that it is in the best interests of its students, staff and mission to part ways with Mr. Bigham. We applaud Mr. Bigham’s skills and talents in serving special education students in the classroom. We acknowledge and continue to stand by our decision to nominate and support him as the Teacher of the Year. We wish him the very best in his future endeavors. For Immediate Release
March 31, 2015 Contact: Laura Conroy 503-257-1516 lconroy@mesd.k12.or.us www.mesd.k12.or.us MESD Board selects Superintendent Search Firm (PORTLAND, OR) - The MESD Board has announced its' selection of Northwest Leadership Associates as the firm to guide MESD through a recruitment and hiring process for the new Superintendent. Northwest Leadership Associates has extensive experience working with Education Service Districts in Oregon and Washington. The search process begins this week with the search firm meeting with staff, board members, and component district personnel to compile a candidate profile. Information and details about the search process and timeline will be provided when finalized. For Immediate Release
March 19, 2015 Contact: Laura Conroy 503-257-1516 lconroy@mesd.k12.or.us www.mesd.k12.or.us Update: Multnomah Education Service District announces Alpha HS Closure (PORTLAND, OR)- The MESD announced yesterday that Alpha High School is closing. In response to questions about the decision to close, the district is releasing additional information in this update. The ESD and its component district partners meet quarterly throughout the year in advisory councils. The councils identify and create programs to serve student populations. The programs are described in the Local Service Plan. Each spring, the ESD and its component district partners review the plan. Then, the districts notify the ESD of the programs and services that the districts require to serve their students and the ESD prepares the appropriate staff and building resources to serve the students. When the number of students needing a particular program or service changes, the program is re-sized to fit the student population. Alpha High School is an example of a program that the MESD and component districts created together to serve student needs. Alpha is designed to serve students that have been expelled from high school, and/or have other academic needs that cannot be provided by their home district. During the 2014-2015 school year, 100 students were enrolled at Alpha. The majority of students, 80%, are referred from the Gresham-Barlow school district, and the remaining 20% are referred by other partner districts. Earlier this year, Gresham-Barlow school district notified MESD that it would not need the services offered by Alpha due largely to the district's successful efforts to mitigate expulsion rates. Students that experience other academic needs will be enrolled in another Gresham-Barlow School District learning option. Due to the decline in enrollment, Alpha High School is closing and the ESD and component district partners are working cooperatively with districts to re-size the program and develop options for students to attend school and receive services. The ESD expects to have details about options in late March. It is understandable that parents and students have questions about where students will attend school in the 2015-2016 school year. The decision of where to refer students belongs to the individual districts. Students and parents are encouraged to contact their individual district for information about 2015-2016 options. |
Filter Posts by Topic
All
Filter Posts by Date
October 2023
|
|
About
|
News & Trainings
-:- More Events -:-
|
Schools
|
Programs
|
Services
|
Our Districts
|
For Parents
|
Staff Resources
|
Contact
Staff Directory
(503) 255-1841 webmaster@mesd.k12.or.us 11611 NE Ainsworth Circle Portland, OR 97220 |
|
Multnomah Education Service District prohibits discrimination and harassment on any basis protected by law, including but not limited to race, color, religion, sex, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, mental or physical disability or perceived disability, pregnancy, familial status, economic status, veterans' status, parental or marital status or age. For more information and detail on MESD's non-discrimination policies, including procedures and contact information for reporting discrimination, please visit the MESD Non-Discrimination, Harassment & Bullying Notice page.
|
Multnomah Education Service District is in the process of making its electronic and information technologies accessible to individuals with disabilities. If you have suggestions or comments please contact the Office of Strategic Engagement: 503-257-1516. For more information, visit the Collaborative Accessibility page.
|