When they’re not grading papers or planning lessons, some local educators are working with a team of peers in pursuit of a goal that will positively impact their school. These teams of educators – called Design Teams – meet with Regional Educator Network (REN) staff member, Emily Williams, on a monthly basis to create a plan to achieve goals that have been elevated in their district. Some teams are working to improve staff culture while others are planning learning opportunities for teachers in all stages of career development.
There are four active Design Teams in our region, most of which have been working with the REN for several years. These teams, operating in Umatilla School District, Pendleton School District, and North Powder School District, are each tackling a problem that the group has prioritized. In Umatilla, the group is comprised of teacher representatives from each grade band, as well as superintendent, Heidi Sipe. The group plans content and programming for quarterly mentor dinners designed to support new teachers in the district. During these dinners, new teachers get a good meal while they engage in learning to support their needs at every stage of the school year. The programming is designed and delivered by members of the Design Team, who also happen to be mentors in Umatilla’s mentoring program. “The REN work has been impactful in our district as we've found it a great way to build professional and collegial connections between our experienced and new teachers. The collaboration opportunities help build skills and relationships–both of which are valuable,” said Sipe.
Pendleton School District’s Design Team plans professional development for teachers throughout the school year. Adopting the motto “PD for Teachers, by Teachers,” the group surveys staff to determine training needs, secures presenters–mostly pulling from district teaching staff–to provide training on these topics, and gathers feedback from participants related to relevancy and continued need. The group is intentional about pairing training needs to demands that surface during different times of the school year. A second PSD Design Team, operating in its very initial stages, is focused on providing training to paraprofessionals and classified staff in the region. Angela Lattin, Pendleton Early Learning Center Principal, will provide the training, designed to be responsive to the needs that are elevated by classified staff, and the REN will help provide a meeting space and refreshments for these gatherings.
North Powder School District’s Design Team has tackled a variety of projects over the past few years, settling in 2023-2024 on several goals related to providing support for the implementation of their new reading and math curricula, as well as improving school culture via a second installment of a district-wide book/podcast discussion series. The team plans content for their trainings and book club discussions, which is then delivered at each of their monthly early-release day staff meetings. Perhaps the longest-standing Design Team in operation, North Powder boasts several successful projects that have manifested in sustainable systems change. The group created a Student Success Team, for example, that exists to support struggling secondary students. The protocol, processes for data collection and review, and implementation and tracking of interventions have all become a part of the team’s well-oiled approach to student support.
Meeting after-hours to achieve big change, these teams highlight local educators’ commitment to improving education in a lasting and meaningful way.