4J Educator

Information for employees of Eugene School District 4J

• Giving Thanks: Superintendent offers message of gratitude ahead of the upcoming holiday

• Communications Audit: Online survey first step in in-depth review of district communications

• High School Schedule Update: Team circling in on proposals for new high school schedules

• Hazardous Weather Update: Winter is coming—Inclement weather information for staff

• System Supports: Update on direct building supports to address student support concerns

• Classified Contract: 4J, OSEA reach tentative agreement on three-year labor contract

• The Water Cooler: Get links to department-level newsletters

Team Eugene,

It’s tradition for the 4J superintendent to offer a message of thanks to our employees as we head into the holiday season. I’m honored that this is my first such message.

Less than three months in, this school year has offered us its fair share of successes and challenges. I’m thankful to lead this talented team, who day in and day out demonstrate tireless dedication for the education and well-being of our students and one another.

We have already set into motion numerous initiatives that, when fully implemented, will have meaningful impacts on our students and families, not only in the coming months but in the years ahead. We are closing in on changes to the high school schedule to ensure all students in grades 9–12 are provided the time they need to grow and strive, both academically and socially. We have launched several initiatives to ensure our communications are relevant and meaningful to you, our students and our families and that we’re more responsive to their comments, ideas and concerns. I have had the pleasure of meeting with more than 100 engaged and committed individuals from across our community who are passionate about our programs, your work and ultimately supporting our students' success. In addition, work continues to review, refine and build out a comprehensive prevention program that serves and supports all students, including enhancing partnerships with agencies eager to come alongside and support our work.

Within the span of the last four weeks, we celebrated the opening of two major school construction projects, the brand-new Edison Elementary School and expanded Gilham Elementary School, with the completion of two more new school buildings over the horizon. These state-of-the-art buildings, paid for with the bond measure local voters approved four years ago, are testaments to the commitment of our local community in support of its public schools. I’m thankful to live in a community that prioritizes the education of our children. I also want of recognize the amazing work of our facilities team who shepherded these projects from vision to reality over many years.

As we rush towards a well-earned break, we leave having demonstrated our commitment to hire and retain a top-quality workforce. The new three-year labor contract with our classified workers finalized last week follows similar pacts made earlier this year with our teachers’ union and administrators and supervisors group. Collectively, these contracts meaningfully recognize the value of our employees to the district and students they serve, as well as ensuring that the district will be a destination employer for top-quality educators well into the future.

We also face challenges, chiefly the long-term impacts of the waning coronavirus pandemic on student learning and behavior. I appreciate that you are working long days and hectic schedules to provide the needed academic and social-emotional supports our students need right now. It’s hard and often times draining work. I and my leadership team are committed to supporting you in this work, and I’m thankful to lead an organization that has risen to the occasion time in and time out and remains undaunted by the changing demands.

Here’s to a happy, restful Thanksgiving weekend, and upcoming holiday season to you and yours.

In appreciation,

Andy

We're all ears! Now's the time to fill out an online survey to provide your assessment of the quality and relevance of communications from the district office and school buildings — what we're doing right and where we can improve.

The anonymous survey, which is due by Wednesday, Nov. 23, is the first major step in a comprehensive communications audit 4J is undertaking to evaluate and improve the information we share on the website, social media and this very electronic newsletter.

Staff Survey Links: English | Spanish

The survey takes no more than 15 minutes to complete. There are separate surveys for 4J families and community members. In January, we will be conducting focus groups to further define the future of district communications. Superintendent Dey has identified timely communications and meaningful engagement with the 4J community as one of the top three priorities this school year.

We are committed to strengthening communications with you, our valued staff, and are excited about this opportunity to hear from you, so you can better hear from us!

The high school scheduling team continues to be hard at work reviewing and identifying schedule proposals that best meet the needs of our students.

The process began with a robust discussion and decision around setting the values for evaluating schedules. Collectively the team identified the following set of priorities as the standard by which all schedule alternatives would be vetted:

• Prioritizing access and opportunities for students receiving support services, such as through an IEP, 504 plan, or ELL
• Providing flexibility for students so that they are allowed time to access affinity groups, enrichments, extensions and interventions
• Increasing opportunities for collaboration among staff so that students receive the highest quality services
• Optimizing class sizes where possible
• Promoting positive relationships for students and staff
• Meeting the minimum instructional hours required under state law

Prior to reviewing any schedule options, the building representatives also reached out to their high school colleagues with an opportunity to share feedback and input for the scheduling team to have faculty voice infused in the review process.

Recently, students and families have been asked to provide considerations to the group so the work to refine the multitude of scheduling possibilities aligns with the goals above.

Finally, as the team hones in on recommendations to forward to district leadership for final decisions, the proposed schedules will be shared with faculty with an accompanying ThoughtExchange to share their input.

We know many questions remain around the implementation of any changes. An opportunity to ask questions will be made available in the coming weeks and months as the decision is made.

The weather is mild right now, but winter is coming. There are several ways to find out when hazardous weather conditions close or delay schools or alter bus routes.

How to find out if there is a change:

• Receive text message from the district (if you are not currently receiving occasional text messages with important information from 4J, learn how)
• Check the district website, www.4j.lane.edu
• Follow 4J social media: Facebook, Twitter @4Jweather & @4Jschools
• Tune in to local radio and television news stations
  
  

No news = no change. School closures and other changes are decided early in the morning and announced by all of these methods before 6:30 a.m. If schools and buses are on their regular schedules, there will NOT be an announcement.

As we began the school year, we had 54 more educational assistants and 127 more teachers and licensed specialists than we did before the pandemic, with about 350 fewer students. That’s great news! However, coming out of the pandemic, we are seeing that the needs of our students have dramatically increased. At the same time, our system has experienced a loss of institutional memory in establishing and leaning into support systems. These two situations combined have created conditions that exceed our collective capacity. Something had to change, and two weeks ago it did.

District leadership decided to reallocate the important resources of our expert coaches and teachers on special assignment to targeted intervention teams. This was not an easy decision as, after two years of disrupted learning and critical investments in new curriculum, the work these colleagues manage is critical to continuing to provide our students high quality learning opportunities.

We mark the end of the first full week during which these intervention teams have been deployed to buildings, additional hands have filled in for the many absences we’re experiencing, and district administrators have worked in buildings to alleviate some of the daily supervision tasks so that building colleagues can focus on their primary task as instructional and system leaders.

There is no one magic solution; however, the district brought these teams together to assess progress and successful approaches to review and refine plans. Buildings that receive support have the opportunity to share their needs and successes, so that they may be built into further work.

Let’s take a moment to reflect on the magnitude of work being accomplished and share our appreciation for those colleagues who pivoted with little notice and undertook assignments that may be out of their comfort zone to support our students.

The school board unanimously approved a new three-year contract for the district's classified employees that sets a historic $18 per hour minimum wage at its November 16 meeting, hours after members of OSEA Eugene Chapter 1 overwhelmingly voted to ratify the agreement.

"By approving this contract, 4J shows it is listening to and valuing all staff," said union president Sheila Waggoner of OSEA Eugene Chapter 1.

In addition to establishing a $18/hr minimum wage, the contract provides salary, insurance and paid time off increases for every classified employee.

District-level newsletters:

• The Equity Extra, November 2022
• The Library Lowdown, November 2022
• The Prior Written Notice, November 2022 (Student Services Department newsletter)
  
• Hadley Herald (tech tips for 4J educators)
• Eco Experience with Eco Chick (eco tips and more)
  

If you would like your newsletter in The Water Cooler, please add information@4j.lane.edu to your subscription list.

11/23 Communications Audit Survey Responses Due

11/24–25 No School: Thanksgiving Break

12/1 No School (Middle & High Only): Grading

12/2 No School: Staff Workload Relief Day

12/7 School Board Meeting

12/14 School Board Meeting

12/19–1/2 No School: Winter Break

1/3 No School: Planning/Professional Development

1/4 Classes Resume