Staff Suggestions
Our anonymous comment box is intended to surface innovative ideas and areas for improvement. Thank you for contributing to an inclusive workplace where we prioritize student success!
Suggestions will be reviewed by the executive leadership team at NWRESD. You may choose to identify yourself or remain anonymous.
Suggestions will be reviewed by the executive leadership team at NWRESD. You may choose to identify yourself or remain anonymous.
RESPONSES
March 14, 2023
Suggestion: I really appreciate the agency's efforts to talk more about neurodiversity. However, it's important that we use correct terminology when disseminating information. I've noticed (in the Monday Memo, for example) the misuse of the term neurodiverse as a reference to a person. When we are talking about an individual person, we should use the term "neurodivergent." Neurodiverse is used to refer to a group of people with different neurotypes. The Neurodiversity Celebration Week section from the most recent Monday Memo would be rewritten as following: "We are currently displaying information about neurodiversity and the many well-known [neurodivergent] athletes, scientists, activists, artists, singers and actors in the lobby of the Washington Service Center. If you or someone you know — students you work with, educators, community leaders, etc. — are [neurodivergent], we encourage them to answer this anonymous single-question survey that asks..." For more information, a good online resource is https://www.planetneurodivergent.com/neurodiversity-and-neurodivergent-basic-terminology/
Response: Thanks. The communications team typically follows AP Style, a writing style that thankfully gets updated frequently as culture shifts and we learn about the impact of our language. AP Style allows writers to use neurodiverse and neurodivergent interchangeably. When we originally wrote our response to you, we immediately shifted our language and gave the AP Style folks feedback, too. Since then, we also got feedback that the term neurodivergent can land poorly for many. It suggests that there is a norm and anyone outside of what's normal is something else. We appreciate you for sharing your perspective, and we also appreciate the feedback we received since drafting our initial response. We offer this perspective for your consideration. We will be thoughtful in how we draft messages around neurodiversity so they consider multiple perspectives. Language is important and we always appreciate hearing from our staff and others! -the communications team
March 10, 2023
Suggestion: Seems we aren't too anonymous if we need to report to our supervisor a "concern".. Seems ESD suggestions are now only for ideas and answers... where can we actually have a possible concern? How about paper pencil and box of suggestions... Because this suggestion link is only for answers and ideas, we aren't sharing concerns. Many of us would like to share a concern anonymously ... this is why you have so few suggestions...
Response: Our anonymous comment box creates an avenue for employees to elevate solutions to problems or share innovative ideas for improvement. It was never intended to be a place to publish complaints or concerns. The form has been updated to make that clear. Ideally, you can communicate openly with your supervisor to address concerns. If you do not feel comfortable bringing up your concern with your supervisor, consider other relevant colleagues who can help you, such as our equity team, facilities team, communications team, etc. If you have ideas for how your concern could be addressed, then you can submit those via staff suggestions. Hopefully this helps you determine where to go next! Best, Kelsey Cardwell (communications)
March 10, 2023
Suggestion: Solution of knowing what time it is.... Seems all clocks on the walls of NWRESD / WSC are different... Perhaps clocks could be replaced with ones that keep accurate time?
Response: Our facilities team reports that these are supposed to be atomic clocks that update automatically. They are researching different versions that have a better reputation. In the meantime, they are replacing the batteries and updating the times throughout this week. New clocks would not be purchased until the next fiscal year.
Feb. 9, 2023
Suggestion: In designing new buildings/centers/offices, staff input should be gained. I also urge our leadership teams to consider designs with diversity, disability, and trauma-informed lenses, for families, students, and staff. Staff should be asked if they are okay with using a shared work space vs. having a consistently assigned work space or cubicle. Staff having a work space assigned to them in disability-affirming and trauma-informed in each person being able to have a space that feels safe and supportive for their unique needs. Think about staff well-being in the design of our spaces (bring our blue zones mentality back)! Design spaces with less auditory and visual stimulation, provide outside gathering places, different types of spaces for adults and families to meet, etc. An effective workforce is impacted by the space they are offered.
Response: We agree! We plan to engage staff across the year in preparations for our new early learning space.
Jan. 25, 2023
Suggestion: Could the WSC print and post the weekly meeting room schedule in the space provided outside reservable rooms?
Response: Keeping up with printed paper schedules has always been a challenge and more so now after the pandemic as room schedules change frequently. That's not to mention all of the climate impacts of printing paper that will thrown away everyday. All of the reservable rooms are viewable to staff via Google Calendar. In Google Calendar click the "+" next to "Other Calendars". Click "Browse Resources" and it will take you to the rooms so you can add them to your calendar list. -Stuart Long, chief information officer
Jan. 6, 2023
Suggestion: Turning all of the lights on in the WSC on Fridays will improve employee morale. Consistently on Fridays the building is dark, there are entire hallways where we work that have no lights on, and the areas that are lit are only partially lit. It makes for a very depressing and uninviting workspace. It also is uninviting to families who are coming in; it looks like we're closed.
Turning all of the lights on would be an easy way to fix this.
Response: Thanks for bringing this to our attention. Currently, the ESD has automated lights only in some common areas but not all. You have permission to turn lights on when you notice they are off. Our facilities team will investigate ways we can automate more of our lighting to match our operational calendar so we can have a warm, welcoming work environment that balances cost and energy savings.
Dec. 15, 2022
Suggestion: I was wondering if there are any plans to bring back a Kudos program where employees can acknowledge each other publicly again. I have often wanted to comment on someone who goes above and beyond in their job. There is no way anymore to let the rest of the agency know that this person is an asset and let the person know they are appreciated. I understand that putting together little duckies or whatever is expensive. Could the Kudos be listed somewhere or linked in the Monday Memo? It always feels good to be noticed and your hard work rewarded in this way. I believe this would help morale and renew the energy in us to exceed expectations in a time when we never know what crisis will descend upon us next. The ability to thank each other could also help us feel more connected to each other as teams and colleagues. Please consider giving us an option to tell everyone when someone among us is doing a phenomenal job, is extraordinarily kind or supportive, or with whom it is consistently a privilege to work. Thank you.
Response: We love that you want to publicly acknowledge your colleagues! While our previous kudos program was tedious (it required someone regularly reviewing entries and then uploading them individually to our intranet), we are exploring ways we can create a public forum for positive notes and shoutouts. Our current staff intranet is quite limiting in its design and we also have plenty of security concerns about it. We are hopeful that when we find a new tool that works better for us, this will be a fun and notable feature. In the meantime, the communications team found a more strategic use of our time was to tell more stories about the amazing work our educators are doing. You can browse these stories on the news section of our website (https://www.nwresd.org/about/news-and-publications) and share story ideas with communications@nwresd.k12.or.us.
Nov. 21, 2022
Suggestion: Could we add some toys to the lobby for families waiting for evaluations? I think this would help families who are waiting with their children.
Response: Families should be waiting in the evaluation area now, not in the main lobby area. Toys have been removed from that area due to COVID, but generally the wait time is short. Prior to COVID, the evaluation team received a grant from the foundation to "make the evaluation area more welcoming to students and families who are or have experienced trauma. Using trauma-informed care principles and concepts, this grant will provide funding for welcoming signage and posters, a staff photo wall, a calming station with interactive materials for children and caregivers and a comfort/drink station for children and caregivers." This project could not get completed during COVID, but they will picking that up again soon! Thanks.
Nov. 21, 2022
Suggestion: I am wondering if we could freshen up a couple areas of the ESD: Could our lobby area display case at the WSC be updated? Maybe we have some artistic people in the ESD who could make it look more professional and welcoming to visitors? Also, it would be wonderful if the outside windows in the staff cafeteria at WSC could be cleared of cobwebs, debris, etc. Thanks so much!
Response: We will let our facilities team know about the cobwebs. Thanks for alerting us to this. As for the display case, look for a refresh soon! Great thinking.
Nov. 7, 2022
Suggestion: There should be sharps containers in every restroom or in common areas. We should also have menstrual products and trash cans in every restroom.
Response: Our human resources and facilities teams are meeting about the possibility of adding sharps containers in our buildings. Our facilities team is in the process of adding menstrual products to our restrooms. We have ordered the products and dispensers. We will install them sometime this winter or spring.
Oct. 31, 2022
Suggestion: Electric vehicle charging stations at or near sites
Response: We'll look into it! Thanks for the suggestion. As an aside, this is very unlikely for our leased facilities, but we can explore this for the facilities we own.
Oct. 28 and Nov. 7, 2022
Note: We received two suggestions about alternative entrances and exits at the Washington Service Center and have responded with one answer below.
Suggestions: PLEASE bring back access to alternative doors in the building. I routinely feel UNSAFE because I routinely cannot find parking in our parking lot. I have a recorded back injury and I am forced to walk increasingly long distances both outside and inside while carrying a heavy load and I am consistently working past typical hours and often leave after dark. The parking lot and side streets are very dark at night and I feel particularly unsafe leaving the building at night when my car is either on the street or the far end of the lot. Previously when we could access the side doors I could park beneath the lit stairwell. It was safer at night and the distance was more manageable. Please please please reconsider this!
With more in person meetings it would be helpful if we could use other doors to enter the building (WSC). We should be able to fob into any door. This could help with parking issues to because I would feel more comfortable using the street parking closer to a different door besides the front door. Also if HR and my supervisor knows when I am working in the building I should not have to sign in.
Response: As we posted on Sept. 16, we are piloting a fob entry system. The technology to pilot system has arrived and is getting readied for installation. We will pilot at two test locations before we make adjustments and deploy at other locations in the building.
Oct. 26 and Oct. 27, 2022
Note: We received two suggestions about telework and have responded with one answer below.
Suggestions: Please let staff who are working via Zoom for the day telework from their chosen space. It is ridiculous to have staff commute to an office to do the same work on Zoom that could be completed from a home office or elsewhere. The travel time and gas used to do the same job, closed in a room at the ESD, which could be done from a home, is ridiculous. All jobs at the ESD are different, having a blanket requirement for all staff to report three days a week to an office, who have very different job roles, takes away staff autonomy and independent decision making. We are adults, we know how to do our jobs, we know what works best for us on any given day to get our jobs done effectively.
Please ask for staff feedback prior to making HR decisions about telework. Staff morale is low. HR, Dan, and the respective supervisors are taking away staff autonomy and decision making from the people that do the daily work.
Response: Our experiment to offer hybrid work opportunities is new and relatively unique in public school system settings. We definitely don't expect for it to be perfect first time around. Navigating new conditions and resetting cultural norms will be hard for a while. We are in the process of evaluating how the hybrid workplace conditions and practices are playing out, but we also need a bit of time to experience this new normal as we build long-term conditions and expectations. Importantly, we believe strongly that face-to-face time with your work colleagues is critical to building relational trust and creating a trusting, growth-oriented, and collaborative work culture.
Oct. 25, 2022
Suggestion: it would be helpful if job postings were available to see on the website again. Especially when we as a group always need subs and employees.
Response: Jobs are posted to nwresd.org. You can click the 'Careers' button at the very top of the page or the 'Careers' menu item under 'About'. You can also type nwresd.org/careers. Since COVID-19 protocols have evolved to being more status quo and intuitive, we will also switch out the yellow button on the far left of the home page from "COVID-19 Information" to "Careers." (COVID-19 information is still available under About.)
If you have more specific feedback about accessing the job postings, feel free to email communications@nwresd.org.
Oct. 21, 2022
Suggestion: Since staffing is a struggle due to sub shortages and unfilled positions, teachers and specialists are overwhelmed and trying to keep up with workloads. Not having to do professional/student goals last year was a lifesaver. It is just one more thing to do, more meetings to have when we already have a lot on our plates. Please consider not requiring this anymore so we can focus on our students and meeting their needs.
Response: We get it - plates are very full. You may not have yet had the opportunity to log into the new goal process; however the ESD has already taken several steps to simplify the goal setting process. Setting goals is not only an important part of growing professionally, for many licensed staff it is a requirement under SB 290. Although those statutory requirements had been waived the past two years; they are in effect this year. You have one form to complete, two goals and many less boxes to fill out. The focus this year is simply to grow professionally whatever your role is in the ESD as when you grow, so do students. -Debbie Simons, chief human resources officer
Oct. 7, 2022
Suggestion: When communication has been provided regarding a timeline for an agency change and the timeline is not able to be met, please send an update regarding that status. For example, when the goal forms in Frontline were not rolled out by 10/7, my suggestion would be to send an email to supervisors to let them know the forms are not yet available and provide an update to when they will be available. Supervisors could then update teams they work with and consider if goal meetings should be rescheduled.
Response: We hear you and will work to provide more consistent updates to assist in your planning timelines.
Sept. 22, 2022
Suggestion: As we are being asked to return to in-person the number of staff with Covid-19 has increased significantly. I suggest decreasing in-person time at the office to allow us to continue to serve families in their homes. I also suggest reinstating the mask mandate for all indoor meetings/activity. It is in the best interest of all of our staff to be allowed to work remotely and limit in person activity in our office spaces.
Response: We are following the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and using the Community Levels to guide our COVID-19 protocols. Masks are recommended when community levels are HIGH. In all four of our counties, levels have been LOW for the past five weeks.
Sept. 16, 2022
Suggestion: Having to fill out the telework, HR and my supervisor should know when I am in the building. Thus I should be able to fob into any door and not have to sign in at the front desk. 90% of the time there is no one at the front desk when I enter or leave the building.
Response: Thank you for this suggestion. As an update, we will be piloting a fob entry system soon to see if we can make this solution work for the Washington Service Center and possibly other facilities. It will take some time to set up the technology and make sure it works for us, so thanks in advance for your patience. In the meantime, please use the sign-in sheet, even when someone at the front desk is not present (i.e. outside of regular business hours).
Sept. 1, 2022
Suggestion: With our yearly beginning of the year inservice, now being held virtually, it would be nice to use the dollars saved, by not renting a facility, providing lunch, and reimbursing employees for lunch, to provide all employees with a stipend to be used towards a charitable contribution to specific non-profits selected by NWRESD.
Response: Virtual events come with their own costs. We learned from a couple of years of mistakes (anyone remember the platform "Run the World" aka "Ruin the World"?) that it does cost money to do this well for a group of our size...800 educators! Also, as a government agency we are subject to certain regulations. Providing lunch to staff in their own homes is not an option.
-The communications team
Sept. 1, 2022
Suggestion: I don't think you should give shirts out as part of the in-service grab bag. This year in particular only having men and women, I know I will never wear that polo because I never wear the cut of shirt that it is. I could sort of get behind last years with them being unisex. I think if you want to get shirts maybe ask people if they want one and collect sizes that way. I just have two shirts that I will never wear. I would much rather get something like reusable straws, bags (love the bag from this year and last), local business gift cards or something else. I just don't think we should be giving clothes because I feel pressured to wear something when all of my colleagues are wearing it (but I won't because I don't like how I look in it).
Response: We are sorry you didn't like the shirt! If you think shopping for dad on Father's Day is hard, try ordering for 800 people! We hope you don't feel pressure to wear it. If you don't like it, you can return it and we can use it for someone else. Apparel will not be something we can afford to do every year, but many of our staff had requested polos because they offer a professional look when our staff attend meetings or conferences, table at community events, visit district or community partner sites, etc. At some point in the future, we can explore ways to create an ESD store so you can order what you'd like. We tried this last year and it didn't function so well because of shipping costs. We are also always happy to provide our logo for individual teams who need to place orders for specific reasons (e.g. schools teams). Just reach out! -The communications team
Aug. 31, 2022
Suggestion: Repainting the interior of the WSC. So many areas where you can see paint patches. The beige is old style, too. A very light yellow, almost off-white, would be lovely. At the least, it'd be nice to not have the white putty patches on the bathroom walls in the gender neutral bathrooms in the middle of the building near the lunchroom, and in some other areas. It is kind of embarrassing that our building has such bad paintwork on the interior.
Response: We have this repair work on our list. We are planning to repaint the wall patches you are referring to and other areas over the next few months. As for painting the entire building, this is in our facilities plan and is scheduled to start in 2025. -The facilities team
Aug. 30, 2022
Suggestion: Please consider developing chat etiquette guidelines for presentations. During the convocation, there were messages in the chat around a specific evidence based methodology commonly used in programs. While it is healthy to have discussions regarding methodologies, it should be done in a framework that does not isolate or demean the work of teachers or instructional assistants using those practices. To create a climate that supports staff, etiquette on how to frame meaningful discussions without polarizing or dismissing the work of teammates is critical.
Response: Thanks for bringing this to my attention. For events of that size, we typically have a few folks monitoring the chat for things like tech questions, communicating instructions, hyping, and for the exact reason you mention. Although I couldn't see the chat myself during the event, I heard similar feedback from others, so I am sorry there was isolating and polarizing chatter. I can do a better job in the future of setting some ground rules for engaging in the chat and supporting other NWRESD event hosts to do the same. I encourage you to submit specific ideas for chat norms and etiquette. Here are a couple ideas to kick it off...Make sure what you're saying in the chat is also something you would express in-person with your colleagues (i.e. don't be disrespectful)...Be mindful that sarcasm and emotion are hard to interpret through the chat...We support diverse perspectives and all the productive tension they might carry. At the same time, it's challenging to have conversations about complex issues via the chat. Recognize and acknowledge when it might be better to move a discussion to in-person or conversational settings (vs. Zoom chat). - Kelsey Cardwell, communications director
Aug. 17, 2022
Suggestion: The water filter on the water fill-up station outside of the Lewis and Clark Rooms needs to be replaced. Thank you!
Response: Thank you. We've replaced the filter.
Aug. 17, 2022
Suggestion: Hello! The painted lines in the (Washington Service Center) parking lot are very confusing in a few places (especially on the far south side) as there are old faded lines and newer lines, but the newer lines are also now faded, so they look the same. Now that the lot is getting busier, I am seeing people taking up two spots because they don't know which lines are the correct ones. Can we get these lines re-painted? Thank you!
Response: Yes, we completed this project recently. The parking lot at the Washington Service Center was resurfaced and the parking lines were repainted.
Aug. 1, 2022
Suggestion: We have affinity groups that help with racial equity, perhaps it might be nice to have something to help with ageism. Ageism affects hiring, retention, and movement within the agency as well.
Response: The Equity Affinity Group for staff of color is a space for connection and validation. It is a community that provides safety, honor and authenticity of one’s true self, and awareness of shared history and lived experiences.
The elements of ageism that you share may best be resolved in a different venue than an affinity space. Reach out directly to us in Equity and Family Partnerships (nwresd.org/equity) to move solutions to this forward. -Liwaru, director of equity and family partnerships
July 28, 2022
Suggestion: I understand the dress code of wearing shorts is not allowed, but in the extreme heat, it would be nice if they were allowed. Heat is one of the leading weather-related killers in the US. Heat can be very taxing on the body. If we were allowed to wear shorts only during the extreme weather, it would be very appreciated.
Response: NWRESD did approve the wearing of shorts for a brief period of time during the extreme heat, especially for those staff who did not have access to air conditioning. We will revisit our dress code over the next several months to see what makes sense to allow for both staff comfort and professional appearance.
July 27, 2022
Suggestion: We had a lock in the other day here at BECC due to a person outside of our site suffering from a mental health crisis. Those of us inside classrooms with children had to lock in our classrooms, close the blinds and try to remain quiet. My concern is that the blinds in the classroom, and others, are not functioning properly. Some blinds can't be let down the whole way because the strings are broken. Also, the classroom doors need an additional locking devise, possible a door stop/wedge for the bottom of the door. The one lock on the handle probably wouldn't be sufficient in the event of an intruder inside the building.
Response: The blinds are the responsibility of the building owner. Our facilities team is following up with the owner of the building during the last week of August to ensure the blinds are either replaced or repaired. In terms of the doors, the facilities team is conducting a thorough security review of the Beaverton Early Childhood Center building. If you have additional questions, email facilities@nwresd.k12.or.us.
July 11, 2022
Suggestion: The Employee Portal does not provide a history of leave balances which can make it difficult to track possible errors. In order to create a checks and balances that employees can access it would be very helpful to have the balance included on the pay stubs. For example: Today my balances are all zeroed out and I have no way to access the information for the balance prior to this error. The ability to refer to last month's pay stub as a record would be very helpful.
Response: That is a great suggestion; and a bit complicated to address. Leave balances are held in Frontline; and they are up to date after each payroll cycle. The ESD is looking at different systems to help support that, and other, information directly to staff members and you should see some of that information coming available to you after the school year gets started. The ESD is working with Tyler Technologies, the owners of the system that supports the Employee Portal and will talk with them about what would be needed to add that information on pay stubs, as it would require a programming change. -Debbie Simons, chief human resources officer
June 16, 2022
Suggestion: We should have sharps containers available for staff that need to use them. Have them stationed around the building either in restrooms or in common areas. As a diabetic I have been having to take my needles home from the WSC instead of being able to safely dispose of them right after use.
Response: Thank you for the suggestion! We will investigate what is required to have that available and what the requirements are for properly disposing of them. Thank you for taking the proper precautions to not leave your needle where it may be unsafe for others.
June 2, 2022
Suggestion: Board members as well as staff need to have access and need to be able to use "all gender" bathrooms. It is unacceptable for people to turn an all genders bathroom into a gendered turn taking system. This is not gender or neuro divergent affirming. This also isolates people who do not live as apart of a two gender system to feel discriminate against and uncomfortable attending meetings or work.
Response: Thank you for the suggestion. We would be happy to provide guidance on accessing all gender bathrooms. Using the restroom can be a very private necessity for some, and less private for others. Just as you feel uncomfortable; there are times others feel just as uncomfortable. Balancing the needs of all so that everyone is respected is our ultimate goal.
May 26, 2022
Suggestion: In lieu of the recent horrific school shooting in Texas, why aren't we locking our outside access doors to the buildings. We could put doorbells on the doors along with a speaker system. In our district I've been told all school doors are locked. Have fobs for all the employees.
Response: You can find your building's safety committee members and report these concerns by visiting the mynwresd.org safety page.
May 25, 2022
Suggestion: I would like to see the American Flag in every classroom. Is there a reason we don't have them displayed anymore.
Response: According to board policy INDB, there shall be a flag in every classroom. If there is a classroom that's missing a flag, you can notify your building administrator.
May 19, 2022
Suggestion: Given recent national incidents of racism in Buffalo and Dallas and our agency's commitment to anti-racism, I would like to suggest that resources and an acknowledgement of the impact of these events on our community be communicated to staff and families/programs we serve. Perhaps guidance on how to support members of our community could be shared in Monday Memo and/or an agency communication reaffirming our commitment to antiracism might be considered.
Response: Thank you for this suggestion. Antiracism needs to be daily work, even if national events like what happened in Buffalo renew our attention, conviction and sense of urgency. This year, NWRESD launched 12 equity learning teams with about 80 total NWRESD team members participating.
Although this work is new, these teams can serve as a resource to you to access materials and ideas for advancing equity work. If you're unsure which of your colleagues might be on an equity learning team, you can ask your supervisor or email our equity team (szliwaru@nwresd.k12.or.us).
Unfortunately, since you posted and we reviewed your suggestion, another national tragedy took place in Uvalde. We shared resources for educators in relation to this event and processing trauma in community. You can find these in Dan's message on this shooting and the May 31 staff memo.
May 7, 2022
Suggestion: It was noticed that the honoring of licensed staff during Teacher Appreciation week on the monthly memo, everyone but teachers were spotlighted. Our related staff are very important, but it takes the whole team and teachers usually take the brunt of it all most of the time. One way to retain and recruit teachers is to be included, especially in the COVID world and the negativity teachers are getting in the press these days. That is part of equity...inclusiveness of all and not just some of the people that help make this ESD work.
Response: Thanks so much for taking the time to read our Licensed Appreciation Week highlights. This was the first time we have taken the opportunity to tell stories about our licensed staff through our website and newsletter. We look forward to doing more highlights in the future. We agree that representing our more than a dozen specialties is important. If you have a story you'd like to share about a colleague, please consider submitting them for recognition through our recognition and good news form: https://www.mynwresd.org/recognition-and-good-news.html
April 12, 2022
Suggestion: Everyone seems to make up their own acronyms for words and phrases (i.e. ICYMI: Staff Survey Results) but that doesn't mean that others know what they mean.
I suggest that no acronyms be used in announcements to staff so that everyone will understand what is being said and that acronyms be used sparingly in other type of communications i.e., emails, documenting notes in databases etc.
Response: Thanks for this feedback. We will be mindful of acronyms that people might not know.
April 11, 2022
Suggestion: The paper sign in system at the Washington Service Center (WSC) is now painfully outdated and inconvenient. Many staff have jobs at the WSC that require frequent back and forth travel throughout the day. Bring back fobs please in order to access multiple doors. The fob can (and should) serve as a trackable electronic sign in/out option. Install cameras at entry points. Most local school buildings already have this set-up for security. The WSC is a large building and it is not equitable, especially for people with mobility needs, to have to use one entry point that is a considerable distance from their assigned workspace. Frankly, I find it both unacceptable and puzzling that this is a concern being brought up frequently to administration without any changes being made or apparent consideration of the people that are the most affected. Access to even just three total entrances/exits would make a considerable difference.
Response: The paper sign-in system was recently updated to reflect current COVID-19 protocols. The Executive Safety and Security System has been discussing a long-term plan for managing building entry, though these plans and upgrades will take time to implement. You can review safety committee agendas and meeting minutes on the safety page of our staff intranet. If you need to request accommodations, please email Carol Helfer (chelfer@nwresd.k12.or.us).
April 1, 2022
Suggestion: Can this please be shared in the Monday Memo? https://consultations.oregonskitchentable.org/survey/oregon-high-school-graduation-requirements. It's a survey to gather information on how to adjust Oregon HS Grad Requirements. Thanks!
Response: Thanks so much for sending this link. We will include it in the next partner newsletter that goes to staff as well as educators, school boards, partners and legislators. In the future, you can send requests like this one to communications@nwresd.k12.or.us.
March 10, 2022
Suggestion: I work in several schools in 3 districts, and all of the schools have both fire drills and lockdown drills. I'm wondering what the ESD protocal is for something like a lockdown, or active shooter in the building. Is there a safety protocal? How would eveyone in the building know if there was an active shooter in the building? What would employees do, where could we go for safety? I realize its not a likely occurance, but I think a safety protocal and notification system should be in place.
Response: The Executive Safety and Security Committee is reviewing a schedule for training staff on the Standard Response Protocols:
We are also in the process of revising the Emergency Operation Plan and identifying and validating reunification sites.
March 10, 2022
Suggestion: We used to be able to see specific Kudos on the Monday Memos. We can no longer see any of them. I would like to suggest re-instating that. I especially want to know who made the Kudo suggestions for me when I receive one.
Response: Please reference our Oct. 18, 2021, response.
Feb. 25, 2022
Suggestion: It would be wonderful to have federated identity management for signing into computer/networks used on a daily basis. We have single sign on for Google, but not across all networks. Federated identity management is an arrangement between multiple enterprises or domains that enables their users to use the same identification data (digital identity) to access all their networks. Thank you.
Response: Thank you for your well-informed and thoughtful comment. Technology is currently testing a federated identity solution using Microsoft Azure. We will start the federation process at NWRESD this spring by connecting Azure and Google to help improve security with the use of multifactor authentication. From there we intend to use this to start linking together systems going forward through federated access where ever possible. -Stuart Long, chief information officer
Feb. 16, 2022
Note: We received a few versions of this question about allowing people to use alternative entrances at the Washington Service Center.
Suggestion: As posted on Feb 1, I have an alterative solution to coming in different doors. If FOB access to other doors were an option having a paper version of the log by those doors with a pen and sanitizer (to clean the pen after use) and hand sanitizer. Also the rule being the door you enter is the door you have to leave from. That way it is still just one system of tracking people. People that do not have FOBs would still have to enter through the front door. AS for insuring health checks, we don't have to answer the questions at the front door any more and 9 times out of 10 there is not someone at the front desk when I enter. So why could I not just sign in at a different door.
Response: COVID-19 has forced new systems and practices, including many positive changes that will likely become permanent. A common entrance is one of those changes that will likely result in a permanent change. Our facilities team has observed that it helps them understand who is in the building for the purpose of emergency response. They will develop a long-term system, but this is something that will likely remain in a similar format.
Feb. 15, 2022
Suggestion: Having the In-service via Zoom was great, I think it would be much more convenient for staff to be able to use this forum for our next meeting.
Response: We hope to announce inservice plans soon. We agree that there were many benefits to a virtual fourm, like connecting with staff from other teams who we wouldn't otherwise get to meet, less travel time particularly for those furthest from the event, etc.
Feb. 15, 2022
Suggestion: Is it possible to to let staff at the WSC access the atrium? I wanted to suggest a few small bisto tables for eating or a short break, or change of scenery. Some of us have no access to natural light throughout the day and it would be wonderful to access an outdoor space that is protected from wind in the winter. And/or could the outdoor eating area either include umbrellas over tables or more protection from elements? Our program used to have access to natural light and now we do not and it has had a devastating impact on our daily mental health. The benefits of breaktimes in natural light regardless of weather would be helpful. Thank you for considering.
Response: Facilities is looking into what can be done to increase the covered eating area outside the conference rooms at the front of the WSC building. We are also looking into a covered eating area at the Columbia SC.
Feb. 14, 2022
Suggestion: Equity. Fair housing consul of Oregon bus tour. I was in the group who attended the tour back in 2019. I found it very educational for myself and co-worker who participated, feedback was outstanding. As an agency who facilitate staff to participate in equity teams I strongly believe this tour should be part of the in-service with 2 outings per school year.
Response: Thank you for sharing this information with us. Our Equity and Family Partnerships team has this opportunity on their radar.
Feb. 3, 2022
Suggestion: When will In-service days be announced/ 2022-2023 calendars be ready -especially EI/ECSE summer calendar...trying to plan vacations. I have asked my supervisor first.
Response: We estimate to have this information available in March. As an education service district, we have to coordinate with school district schedules, so unfortunately we cannot announce these dates any sooner.
Feb. 1, 2022
Note: We received a few versions of this question about allowing people to sign in virtually and use alternative entrances.
Suggestion: I would appreciate being able to do an online sign-in option again like at the beginning of the pandemic as opposed to signing in at the front desk, and it would also be helpful to be able to use my fob at any door rather than having to come in at the front door.
Response: The present check-in system is set up to ensure we collect the names of everyone who enters the building as well as verifying they meet certain health criteria. Originally we had a forms based system as well as the current front sign in sheet. However, having two systems was cumbersome and time consuming when it was necessary to identify who was in the building during a specific time span. Additionally, on occasion staff would forget to complete the form prior to entering the building. For the foreseeable future we will continue to use the single entry and sign in sheet process. Thank you.
Jan. 26, 2022
Suggestion: Putting a cover over the entire outdoor picnic table area at the Washington Service Center that will prevent rain from falling on the picnic tables, so that people can eat outside during these times of covid, even when it's raining.
Response: Thanks for the suggestion. We are looking into the cost of doing this.
Jan. 25, 2022
Suggestion: Postpone any further PLC or specialty groups until the pandemic is over. This year is far too stressful as it is
Response: Thank you for your suggestion. NWRESD leadership and staff have been working together to keep kids and staff safe in our sites and programs, while still ensuring high quality services and opportunities for educators to connect and grow professionally. We will continue to host PLCs and special events while following safety protocols, but encourage staff to connect with your supervisor or HR directly if you would like to work collaboratively on managing priorities and workload.
Jan. 24, 2022
Suggestion: Equity training for all classified staff to reinforce support for our diverse growing population. Empathy training perhaps on using pronouns. I think it is important to have an equal understanding on how our organization wants to be represented. We have a lot of new staff that could use the clarification and experience staff that could use the reminders.
Response: The Equity & Family Partnerships department hosts our Equity Onboarding offering for all new hires to learn about our organization’s equity and strategic plan objectives, equip our staff with the training, resources, and ongoing support needed to be able to help shape our organization’s future, and share in creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for staff and students. These virtual offerings are held every month and all NWRESD staff are encouraged to attend. Register to attend an equity onboarding training.
Jan. 21, 2022
Suggestion: With everyone moving in the WSC, I think there should be a new map that shows where everyone is at now (or will be once the move is over)
Response: An updated map showing Washington Service Center department locations can be found in the Staff Resources Google Drive folder under Facilities. The document is labeled WSC Staff Locations 2.4.22.
Jan. 19, 2022
Suggestion: With more people coming back to work in person (WSC) but still having to do zoom calls it would be helpful if there were more rooms besides just Atfalati Room that you can have a webcam of the room. A couple of my coworkers will be in the office and we either have to go to that room (if it is available) or find a different room to be in to zoom from our own computers. The Atfalati room is great but it is also really large for like only 3 people in person and then the rest of the team on zoom. That being said as well it would be helpful if the camera in the Atfalati room could be moved or a way for it to rotate around the room because of how it is currently set up it only really shows the back row of people.
Response: All of the conference rooms at the service centers will be getting upgrades this spring. The agency is using ESSER funds to help ensure that our meeting rooms will have a TV or projector, installed cameras, and a microphone/speaker system. Technology is working with an outside vendor to handle the installation and we expect this work to begin in early March as the parts arrive. -Stuart Long, chief information officer
Jan. 11, 2022
Suggestion: With the surge of Covid Omicron cases, I suggest staff members work remotely whenever possible. I know several staff members are REQUIRED to be on site when their workloads could easily be done remotely. Let's keep them safe, as well as those who are allowed to work remotely. Seems only certain departments are allowed to work remotely, it just doesn't seem fair.
Response: Please work with your supervisor to determine what makes sense for your position.
Jan. 11, 2022
Suggestion: Updating the staff directory would be a great time saver for staff rather than having to send an email to multiple people to find out who is in a current position. In the future it would be great if the staff directory could pull from a central HR database, but for now it looks like the list has to be updated manually. Maybe each team could help by looking at their site's list and compiling a list of known errors to make updating it easier.
Response: Thanks for this suggestion. Our human resources team is in the process of setting this up, but there's still a lot of work to do in order to configure our personnel database for this transition. In the meantime, if you have any updates, please send those to HR so we can capture those in our central system. Those will be reflected on our website the next time we upload the latest staff information.
Jan. 6, 2022
Suggestion: The new community inclusion/family coaching model we rolled out this year requires more time and energy to address whole-child issues. I would like to suggest that NWR strongly consider adding licensed social workers to our current staff to better support the families we serve and to prevent staff burnout. This idea has been brought up before; however, no time like now-- a pandemic, combined with a higher intensity service model, could better justify it more!
Response: Thank you for this suggestion! Our county service center administrators have been made aware of this idea as we head into the budgeting process so it can be considered.
Nov. 23, 2021
Suggestion: Please consider bringing back the superintendent video chats or a video walk through of what teams are up to. The videos were informative and helpful in understanding what each team does and the positive impact they make.
Response: The superintendent video chats took about ten hours of time to produce, but they had an average of 33 views per video. This was not an effective communications strategy. If you're interested in learning more about the outstanding work of our various departments and teams, we recommend browsing our board packets. Each department drafts a report on a monthly basis and they are dense with exciting news and updates. You can find packets on our board meeting pages (https://www.nwresd.org/about/board-of-directors/meetings). We have also posted more than 100 news articles to our website in the past year (https://www.nwresd.org/about/news-and-publications).
Nov. 22, 2021
Suggestion: Recently our team held a meeting in the Clark room and I noticed that there were signs on the tables to sanitize the area after use. When we finished our meeting, we looked for something to use to sanitize the room and there was nothing there. We borrowed the sanitizer and paper towels from the break room, but this is not an ideal solution. It would be nice to have the materials necessary in the room that needs to be sanitized.
Response: Thank you for flagging this for us. The facilities team has been notified. In the future, if staff notice that sanitization supplies are missing or running low, you can let the reception desk know or anyone on our facilities team (Rick Wahlstrom, Sharon Meeuwsen, Lori Baker).
Nov, 9, 2021
Suggestion: Regarding Self Reflection and Performance Goals for classified staff: classified staff at NWRESD have professional development dollars to use for conferences and tuition and we are consistently tasked with self reflection and performance goals. What is missing from this equation is access to quality workshops and/or career pathways for our bargaining unit. I'd like to suggest that NWRESD partner with organizations /companies to provide clear opportunities for professional growth. Categories could include "soft skills" (not sure if that is an accurate term) like equity and inclusion work; emotional intelligence; trauma informed care etc. and "hard skills" which could include coursework for advanced excel, advanced google, the art of writing an SOW, financial skills etc. I would be willing to contribute my time to develop this idea as I believe creating a clear pathway would open doors for our staff and we'd all be better humans for it.
Response: This is a good idea; and something that the Human Resources office is talking about. At the same time, there is a calendar for what is currently being offered is on our calendar, which can be found here. While some of the ideas you have suggested would need to be developed; there are some opportunities for classified staff here; which is a place to start. OSEA and NWRESD begin bargaining next month; and we will make sure that this idea is discussed so that specific needs and interests for the entire group can be collected and planned for. -Debbie Simons, chief human resources officer
Nov. 8, 2021
Suggestion: Perhaps we can list preferred pronouns for New Staff on the Monday memos.
Response: We love this idea. We've been calling them "pronouns" (drop the "preferred"), since it's not typically about preference or what someone likes to be called, but rather the actual pronouns that they use. Your suggestion will take some planning work so we can do it well. We often announce incoming staff before we have all the information we get from them during onboarding. We also want to make sure we do not inadvertently announce someone's pronouns without their consent, because that's for them to share (or not share). We'll dig into this and hope to have a plan soon. Thanks for the suggestion!
Nov. 8, 2021
Suggestion: Many of us are spending more time in buildings but are still participating in zoom/ video calls. It's hard to know when people are on a call, I have unintentionally interrupted colleagues and they have unintentionally interrupted me during video calls. Additionally many of us wear headphones to listen to music etc but want to be accessible when needed. One idea/solution I have is to buy or create universal signage that we could hang/stick etc in easy to identify areas. Making our own version would work too. If that is the case perhaps we can send friendly reminders as we are all relearning how to work most efficiently in our building. Thanks for listening!
Response: Thanks for encouraging us to think more critically about designing an office space that works in our current, and relatively new-to-us hybrid context. This is a thoughtful idea. If anyone is aware of any templates we can share or tools available for purchase, you can send those to communications@nwresd.k12.or.us. Another fun idea for solving this problem might be to provide a template in Canva that everyone has access for downloading and printing for themselves. We are working on releasing a Canva enterprise account to NWRESD educators, so we will consider that when we get closer to the launch.
Oct. 21, 2021
Suggestion: I would like to know of resources where I can apply for a grant for my ECSE students? Thank you.
Response: In terms of NWRESD-specific resources, the Northwest Regional ESD Foundation has offered mini-grants to educators in Clatsop, Columbia, Tillamook and Washington counties since 2006. The foundation took a hiatus during the 2020-21 school year because of the pandemic. Mini-grants will be offered again this year. The application window will be Feb. 28-March 18, 2022. The online application will be posted at nwresd.org/foundation. If you are interested in supporting this work, the foundation has a number of fundraising opportunities, including giving through PayPal, automatic payroll deductions, AmazonSmile and the Fred Meyer Community Rewards program. This year, the foundation is hosting a virtual fundraising gala. Historically, the foundation has hosted this event in downtown Portland. However, this year's gala will be virtual and will be held from 5-6 p.m. on March 3. More information is available on the foundation webpage. There are of course many other non-NWRESD resources available to educators. These include donorschoose.org, OEA and NEA. -Tracey Goldner, NWRESD Foundation liaison
Oct. 18, 2021:
Suggestion: Bring back some sort of public peer recognition. Since many of us are not in a site full time (if at all), how are we supposed to get the postcards to send to our peers? I don’t think this replacement was well thought out.
Response: Employee recognition is very important to us, so thank you for putting this on everyone’s radar. We’ve evolved staff recognition at the agency level because, as the communications team, we are focusing our time on elevating success stories of staff, students and partners who represent our diverse and intersectional workforce and communities. As an example, we recognized former student Eliana Mason at last month’s board meeting.
This shift was very strategic and carefully considered. We used an equity lens, got feedback from our racial affinity group and human resources teams, looked at data and analytics (who is using the kudos program, who isn’t, how many people are reading the kudos, staff feedback from the annual staff survey on recognition, national data on meaningful employee recognition programs, etc.) With all these inputs, we decided that our two-person communications team could be using our time more effectively toward the goal of elevating staff success stories.
At the same time, we still think peer-to-peer kudos are important! All ten of our facilities have notecards that you can send via mail or our courier. If you are rarely at those sites, we recommend grabbing a supply at those times you are onsite. If you are never at any of our sites, consider expressing kudos via email or during team meetings. You can also request a supply of notecards by emailing communications@nwresd.k12.or.us or notify us if we need to restock any supplies. We will drop notecards in the courier for you.
Even still, we will continue to be nimble and adaptable to feedback so we can get better and better at contributing to a workplace culture where everyone feels a sense of belonging. Thanks, -Kelsey Cardwell, communications director
Oct. 14, 2021
Suggestion: I have a question. When will the ice machine be fixed?
Response: We are working to repair the ice machine at the Washington Service Center. However, because of the current global supply chain issues, some of the parts are back-ordered. We hope to have the machine running again sometime this winter. -The Facilities Team
Oct. 12, 2021
Suggestion: I can't nominate an outstanding employee for the monthly recognition as her work doesn't directly advance our agency's mission, vision, values and/or equity policy. Her work efforts were still meritorious. When will the Staff Kudos return?
Response: We have provided kudos cards at the reception desks of all NWRESD worksites so you can send personal kudos to your colleague via the courier or mail. Thanks, Kelsey Cardwell, communications director
Oct. 7, 2021
Suggestion: According to our annual training on FERPA, it states the following: FERPA protects the privacy of student education records. You should not allow students to post their images — or images of other students — on social-media sites related to school use. If you find any such images, remove them immediately. Seek parental permission every time student information is shared online. Can you please tell us how our photo/video policy follows this instruction? We have been told photos can be used if parents do not opt out.
Response: According to our board policy, student photos are considered directory information not personally identifiable information. See policies JOA and JOB. Those who post photos to official NWRESD media channels have information about whose families have opted out or opted in (in the case of special programs and special events). Students wouldn't have this information. Thanks for flagging this important topic. -Kelsey Cardwell, communications director
Sept. 27, 2021
Suggestion: I would suggest caution on the type of items you present to staff as gifts. The vaccine mandate is a very hot topic so I was very surprised to see a pen that replicated a syringe.
Response: After more than a year of high rates of loss of life, economic hardship, and other struggles caused by the pandemic, our employees were owed a huge thank you and celebration for playing their part to end the pandemic. We had overwhelmingly high vaccination rates even before it was mandated, especially compared to the communities in which we live. Vaccines may be polarizing in certain communities, but our staff are actually quite united on this one (by comparison, can you think of any board election, levy, bond campaign, etc. that receives 90+% support in the same direction? It simply doesn't ever happen). In the end, it seemed worth the risk to celebrate our employees. A thank you note delivered along with each pen also offered a sincere thank you and congratulations. If you or someone you know would not like the pen, you can return it to the reception desk at your work site. -Kelsey Cardwell, communications director
Sept. 22, 2021
Suggestion: Although it is appreciated that employees are provided with back to school swag, it would be great that if in the future, a more "green" lens was used when buying/gifting the items. Consumables are always great, a nice quality water bottle would be appreciated....So worried that some of the items that were given out this year will end up in the landfill within weeks of receiving.
Response: Anyone who will not use something in their swag bag (i.e. the tote, sunglasses, t-shirt or pen) is welcome to return that item to the reception desk at their worksite. We plan to use these items at job fairs and other events as well. -Kelsey Cardwell, communications director
Sept. 17, 2021
Suggestion: During new hire onboarding, make sure folks know the difference between then NWRESD main site and the MYNWRESD/portal site...when to use which site, what info is there, how families use the NWRESD site, etc.
Response: myNWRESD.org is a staff-facing intranet (internal) site with information specific to NWRESD staff needs (e.g. benefits, contracts, professional learning opportunities, key contacts for staff, standard forms you should have access to, etc.) nwresd.org is public information and its utility varies widely based on which program you work for. Every program is responsible for making their pages useful for the communities they serve, whether those are families of young children, families of students in our K-12 programs, educators, the general public or other audiences. If you have suggestions for improvements to those pages, please make sure your program leaders hear those. We will make sure those who conduct onboarding also have more information on the difference between the two. -Kelsey Cardwell, communications director
Sept. 7, 2021
Suggestion: Please consider including and representing religious holidays of all staff on the operational calendar for 2022-23. The current calendar includes some religious holidays. With a diverse staff, comes various religious holidays that should be recognized.
Response: We don't typically include religious holidays on the operational calendar except for those observed as holidays in employee contracts (those are listed at the bottom right of the operational calendar). Changes to holidays would need to be agreed upon in the collective bargaining processes. The operational calendar is intended to be brief and share when our facilities are open and when they are closed. This year, many of the schools districts in our region decided not to start the first day of school on Rosh Hashanah and we aligned our operational calendar accordingly. That's why you see it named in this year's operational calendar at the bottom left. I hope this provides helpful context. We are always looking for ideas on how to advance our diversity and inclusion goals as an organization so thank you for highlighting this!
Sept. 2, 2021
Suggestion: When is the NWRESD going to provide a full training on COVID protocols and student/staff safety that all employees are required to take? It seems like that should have been covered with everyone at the same time during the inservice on August 31st. It also seems like every employee should be emailed this document and informed that they need to read it all by, say, Sept 7th and keep a copy for reference on their computer and a printed copy in every department in every ESD building: https://www.oregon.gov/ode/students-and-family/healthsafety/Documents/Planning%20and%20Responding%20to%20COVID-19%20Scenarios%20in%20Schools.pdf
Response: All employees are required to take a COVID-19 training before accessing our facilities. This is facilitated through our Public Works required training portal. All facilities have a sign-in sheet that asks you to confirm you have taken this training. In addition, all student-facing positions were trained in more depth on our Communicable Disease Management Plan the week before starting with students. The PDF you shared has been shared with all building supervisors and RNs who are the ones making decisions about quarantine, isolation, etc. -Sarah Pope, Deputy Superintendent
Sept. 1, 2021
Suggestion: Please immediately make all NWRESD staff members aware of the "Planning for COVID-19 Scenarios in Schools" PDF document available on the ODE website and require every staff member to read it and perhaps do a training/test on it. The info in this document really needs to be shared with all staff right away. https://www.oregon.gov/ode/students-and-family/healthsafety/Documents/Planning%20and%20Responding%20to%20COVID-19%20Scenarios%20in%20Schools.pdf
Response: We have shared these resources with all building supervisors and our registered nurses who will be making these decisions. -Sarah Pope, Deputy Superintendent
Suggestion: I really appreciate the agency's efforts to talk more about neurodiversity. However, it's important that we use correct terminology when disseminating information. I've noticed (in the Monday Memo, for example) the misuse of the term neurodiverse as a reference to a person. When we are talking about an individual person, we should use the term "neurodivergent." Neurodiverse is used to refer to a group of people with different neurotypes. The Neurodiversity Celebration Week section from the most recent Monday Memo would be rewritten as following: "We are currently displaying information about neurodiversity and the many well-known [neurodivergent] athletes, scientists, activists, artists, singers and actors in the lobby of the Washington Service Center. If you or someone you know — students you work with, educators, community leaders, etc. — are [neurodivergent], we encourage them to answer this anonymous single-question survey that asks..." For more information, a good online resource is https://www.planetneurodivergent.com/neurodiversity-and-neurodivergent-basic-terminology/
Response: Thanks. The communications team typically follows AP Style, a writing style that thankfully gets updated frequently as culture shifts and we learn about the impact of our language. AP Style allows writers to use neurodiverse and neurodivergent interchangeably. When we originally wrote our response to you, we immediately shifted our language and gave the AP Style folks feedback, too. Since then, we also got feedback that the term neurodivergent can land poorly for many. It suggests that there is a norm and anyone outside of what's normal is something else. We appreciate you for sharing your perspective, and we also appreciate the feedback we received since drafting our initial response. We offer this perspective for your consideration. We will be thoughtful in how we draft messages around neurodiversity so they consider multiple perspectives. Language is important and we always appreciate hearing from our staff and others! -the communications team
March 10, 2023
Suggestion: Seems we aren't too anonymous if we need to report to our supervisor a "concern".. Seems ESD suggestions are now only for ideas and answers... where can we actually have a possible concern? How about paper pencil and box of suggestions... Because this suggestion link is only for answers and ideas, we aren't sharing concerns. Many of us would like to share a concern anonymously ... this is why you have so few suggestions...
Response: Our anonymous comment box creates an avenue for employees to elevate solutions to problems or share innovative ideas for improvement. It was never intended to be a place to publish complaints or concerns. The form has been updated to make that clear. Ideally, you can communicate openly with your supervisor to address concerns. If you do not feel comfortable bringing up your concern with your supervisor, consider other relevant colleagues who can help you, such as our equity team, facilities team, communications team, etc. If you have ideas for how your concern could be addressed, then you can submit those via staff suggestions. Hopefully this helps you determine where to go next! Best, Kelsey Cardwell (communications)
March 10, 2023
Suggestion: Solution of knowing what time it is.... Seems all clocks on the walls of NWRESD / WSC are different... Perhaps clocks could be replaced with ones that keep accurate time?
Response: Our facilities team reports that these are supposed to be atomic clocks that update automatically. They are researching different versions that have a better reputation. In the meantime, they are replacing the batteries and updating the times throughout this week. New clocks would not be purchased until the next fiscal year.
Feb. 9, 2023
Suggestion: In designing new buildings/centers/offices, staff input should be gained. I also urge our leadership teams to consider designs with diversity, disability, and trauma-informed lenses, for families, students, and staff. Staff should be asked if they are okay with using a shared work space vs. having a consistently assigned work space or cubicle. Staff having a work space assigned to them in disability-affirming and trauma-informed in each person being able to have a space that feels safe and supportive for their unique needs. Think about staff well-being in the design of our spaces (bring our blue zones mentality back)! Design spaces with less auditory and visual stimulation, provide outside gathering places, different types of spaces for adults and families to meet, etc. An effective workforce is impacted by the space they are offered.
Response: We agree! We plan to engage staff across the year in preparations for our new early learning space.
Jan. 25, 2023
Suggestion: Could the WSC print and post the weekly meeting room schedule in the space provided outside reservable rooms?
Response: Keeping up with printed paper schedules has always been a challenge and more so now after the pandemic as room schedules change frequently. That's not to mention all of the climate impacts of printing paper that will thrown away everyday. All of the reservable rooms are viewable to staff via Google Calendar. In Google Calendar click the "+" next to "Other Calendars". Click "Browse Resources" and it will take you to the rooms so you can add them to your calendar list. -Stuart Long, chief information officer
Jan. 6, 2023
Suggestion: Turning all of the lights on in the WSC on Fridays will improve employee morale. Consistently on Fridays the building is dark, there are entire hallways where we work that have no lights on, and the areas that are lit are only partially lit. It makes for a very depressing and uninviting workspace. It also is uninviting to families who are coming in; it looks like we're closed.
Turning all of the lights on would be an easy way to fix this.
Response: Thanks for bringing this to our attention. Currently, the ESD has automated lights only in some common areas but not all. You have permission to turn lights on when you notice they are off. Our facilities team will investigate ways we can automate more of our lighting to match our operational calendar so we can have a warm, welcoming work environment that balances cost and energy savings.
Dec. 15, 2022
Suggestion: I was wondering if there are any plans to bring back a Kudos program where employees can acknowledge each other publicly again. I have often wanted to comment on someone who goes above and beyond in their job. There is no way anymore to let the rest of the agency know that this person is an asset and let the person know they are appreciated. I understand that putting together little duckies or whatever is expensive. Could the Kudos be listed somewhere or linked in the Monday Memo? It always feels good to be noticed and your hard work rewarded in this way. I believe this would help morale and renew the energy in us to exceed expectations in a time when we never know what crisis will descend upon us next. The ability to thank each other could also help us feel more connected to each other as teams and colleagues. Please consider giving us an option to tell everyone when someone among us is doing a phenomenal job, is extraordinarily kind or supportive, or with whom it is consistently a privilege to work. Thank you.
Response: We love that you want to publicly acknowledge your colleagues! While our previous kudos program was tedious (it required someone regularly reviewing entries and then uploading them individually to our intranet), we are exploring ways we can create a public forum for positive notes and shoutouts. Our current staff intranet is quite limiting in its design and we also have plenty of security concerns about it. We are hopeful that when we find a new tool that works better for us, this will be a fun and notable feature. In the meantime, the communications team found a more strategic use of our time was to tell more stories about the amazing work our educators are doing. You can browse these stories on the news section of our website (https://www.nwresd.org/about/news-and-publications) and share story ideas with communications@nwresd.k12.or.us.
Nov. 21, 2022
Suggestion: Could we add some toys to the lobby for families waiting for evaluations? I think this would help families who are waiting with their children.
Response: Families should be waiting in the evaluation area now, not in the main lobby area. Toys have been removed from that area due to COVID, but generally the wait time is short. Prior to COVID, the evaluation team received a grant from the foundation to "make the evaluation area more welcoming to students and families who are or have experienced trauma. Using trauma-informed care principles and concepts, this grant will provide funding for welcoming signage and posters, a staff photo wall, a calming station with interactive materials for children and caregivers and a comfort/drink station for children and caregivers." This project could not get completed during COVID, but they will picking that up again soon! Thanks.
Nov. 21, 2022
Suggestion: I am wondering if we could freshen up a couple areas of the ESD: Could our lobby area display case at the WSC be updated? Maybe we have some artistic people in the ESD who could make it look more professional and welcoming to visitors? Also, it would be wonderful if the outside windows in the staff cafeteria at WSC could be cleared of cobwebs, debris, etc. Thanks so much!
Response: We will let our facilities team know about the cobwebs. Thanks for alerting us to this. As for the display case, look for a refresh soon! Great thinking.
Nov. 7, 2022
Suggestion: There should be sharps containers in every restroom or in common areas. We should also have menstrual products and trash cans in every restroom.
Response: Our human resources and facilities teams are meeting about the possibility of adding sharps containers in our buildings. Our facilities team is in the process of adding menstrual products to our restrooms. We have ordered the products and dispensers. We will install them sometime this winter or spring.
Oct. 31, 2022
Suggestion: Electric vehicle charging stations at or near sites
Response: We'll look into it! Thanks for the suggestion. As an aside, this is very unlikely for our leased facilities, but we can explore this for the facilities we own.
Oct. 28 and Nov. 7, 2022
Note: We received two suggestions about alternative entrances and exits at the Washington Service Center and have responded with one answer below.
Suggestions: PLEASE bring back access to alternative doors in the building. I routinely feel UNSAFE because I routinely cannot find parking in our parking lot. I have a recorded back injury and I am forced to walk increasingly long distances both outside and inside while carrying a heavy load and I am consistently working past typical hours and often leave after dark. The parking lot and side streets are very dark at night and I feel particularly unsafe leaving the building at night when my car is either on the street or the far end of the lot. Previously when we could access the side doors I could park beneath the lit stairwell. It was safer at night and the distance was more manageable. Please please please reconsider this!
With more in person meetings it would be helpful if we could use other doors to enter the building (WSC). We should be able to fob into any door. This could help with parking issues to because I would feel more comfortable using the street parking closer to a different door besides the front door. Also if HR and my supervisor knows when I am working in the building I should not have to sign in.
Response: As we posted on Sept. 16, we are piloting a fob entry system. The technology to pilot system has arrived and is getting readied for installation. We will pilot at two test locations before we make adjustments and deploy at other locations in the building.
Oct. 26 and Oct. 27, 2022
Note: We received two suggestions about telework and have responded with one answer below.
Suggestions: Please let staff who are working via Zoom for the day telework from their chosen space. It is ridiculous to have staff commute to an office to do the same work on Zoom that could be completed from a home office or elsewhere. The travel time and gas used to do the same job, closed in a room at the ESD, which could be done from a home, is ridiculous. All jobs at the ESD are different, having a blanket requirement for all staff to report three days a week to an office, who have very different job roles, takes away staff autonomy and independent decision making. We are adults, we know how to do our jobs, we know what works best for us on any given day to get our jobs done effectively.
Please ask for staff feedback prior to making HR decisions about telework. Staff morale is low. HR, Dan, and the respective supervisors are taking away staff autonomy and decision making from the people that do the daily work.
Response: Our experiment to offer hybrid work opportunities is new and relatively unique in public school system settings. We definitely don't expect for it to be perfect first time around. Navigating new conditions and resetting cultural norms will be hard for a while. We are in the process of evaluating how the hybrid workplace conditions and practices are playing out, but we also need a bit of time to experience this new normal as we build long-term conditions and expectations. Importantly, we believe strongly that face-to-face time with your work colleagues is critical to building relational trust and creating a trusting, growth-oriented, and collaborative work culture.
Oct. 25, 2022
Suggestion: it would be helpful if job postings were available to see on the website again. Especially when we as a group always need subs and employees.
Response: Jobs are posted to nwresd.org. You can click the 'Careers' button at the very top of the page or the 'Careers' menu item under 'About'. You can also type nwresd.org/careers. Since COVID-19 protocols have evolved to being more status quo and intuitive, we will also switch out the yellow button on the far left of the home page from "COVID-19 Information" to "Careers." (COVID-19 information is still available under About.)
If you have more specific feedback about accessing the job postings, feel free to email communications@nwresd.org.
Oct. 21, 2022
Suggestion: Since staffing is a struggle due to sub shortages and unfilled positions, teachers and specialists are overwhelmed and trying to keep up with workloads. Not having to do professional/student goals last year was a lifesaver. It is just one more thing to do, more meetings to have when we already have a lot on our plates. Please consider not requiring this anymore so we can focus on our students and meeting their needs.
Response: We get it - plates are very full. You may not have yet had the opportunity to log into the new goal process; however the ESD has already taken several steps to simplify the goal setting process. Setting goals is not only an important part of growing professionally, for many licensed staff it is a requirement under SB 290. Although those statutory requirements had been waived the past two years; they are in effect this year. You have one form to complete, two goals and many less boxes to fill out. The focus this year is simply to grow professionally whatever your role is in the ESD as when you grow, so do students. -Debbie Simons, chief human resources officer
Oct. 7, 2022
Suggestion: When communication has been provided regarding a timeline for an agency change and the timeline is not able to be met, please send an update regarding that status. For example, when the goal forms in Frontline were not rolled out by 10/7, my suggestion would be to send an email to supervisors to let them know the forms are not yet available and provide an update to when they will be available. Supervisors could then update teams they work with and consider if goal meetings should be rescheduled.
Response: We hear you and will work to provide more consistent updates to assist in your planning timelines.
Sept. 22, 2022
Suggestion: As we are being asked to return to in-person the number of staff with Covid-19 has increased significantly. I suggest decreasing in-person time at the office to allow us to continue to serve families in their homes. I also suggest reinstating the mask mandate for all indoor meetings/activity. It is in the best interest of all of our staff to be allowed to work remotely and limit in person activity in our office spaces.
Response: We are following the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and using the Community Levels to guide our COVID-19 protocols. Masks are recommended when community levels are HIGH. In all four of our counties, levels have been LOW for the past five weeks.
Sept. 16, 2022
Suggestion: Having to fill out the telework, HR and my supervisor should know when I am in the building. Thus I should be able to fob into any door and not have to sign in at the front desk. 90% of the time there is no one at the front desk when I enter or leave the building.
Response: Thank you for this suggestion. As an update, we will be piloting a fob entry system soon to see if we can make this solution work for the Washington Service Center and possibly other facilities. It will take some time to set up the technology and make sure it works for us, so thanks in advance for your patience. In the meantime, please use the sign-in sheet, even when someone at the front desk is not present (i.e. outside of regular business hours).
Sept. 1, 2022
Suggestion: With our yearly beginning of the year inservice, now being held virtually, it would be nice to use the dollars saved, by not renting a facility, providing lunch, and reimbursing employees for lunch, to provide all employees with a stipend to be used towards a charitable contribution to specific non-profits selected by NWRESD.
Response: Virtual events come with their own costs. We learned from a couple of years of mistakes (anyone remember the platform "Run the World" aka "Ruin the World"?) that it does cost money to do this well for a group of our size...800 educators! Also, as a government agency we are subject to certain regulations. Providing lunch to staff in their own homes is not an option.
-The communications team
Sept. 1, 2022
Suggestion: I don't think you should give shirts out as part of the in-service grab bag. This year in particular only having men and women, I know I will never wear that polo because I never wear the cut of shirt that it is. I could sort of get behind last years with them being unisex. I think if you want to get shirts maybe ask people if they want one and collect sizes that way. I just have two shirts that I will never wear. I would much rather get something like reusable straws, bags (love the bag from this year and last), local business gift cards or something else. I just don't think we should be giving clothes because I feel pressured to wear something when all of my colleagues are wearing it (but I won't because I don't like how I look in it).
Response: We are sorry you didn't like the shirt! If you think shopping for dad on Father's Day is hard, try ordering for 800 people! We hope you don't feel pressure to wear it. If you don't like it, you can return it and we can use it for someone else. Apparel will not be something we can afford to do every year, but many of our staff had requested polos because they offer a professional look when our staff attend meetings or conferences, table at community events, visit district or community partner sites, etc. At some point in the future, we can explore ways to create an ESD store so you can order what you'd like. We tried this last year and it didn't function so well because of shipping costs. We are also always happy to provide our logo for individual teams who need to place orders for specific reasons (e.g. schools teams). Just reach out! -The communications team
Aug. 31, 2022
Suggestion: Repainting the interior of the WSC. So many areas where you can see paint patches. The beige is old style, too. A very light yellow, almost off-white, would be lovely. At the least, it'd be nice to not have the white putty patches on the bathroom walls in the gender neutral bathrooms in the middle of the building near the lunchroom, and in some other areas. It is kind of embarrassing that our building has such bad paintwork on the interior.
Response: We have this repair work on our list. We are planning to repaint the wall patches you are referring to and other areas over the next few months. As for painting the entire building, this is in our facilities plan and is scheduled to start in 2025. -The facilities team
Aug. 30, 2022
Suggestion: Please consider developing chat etiquette guidelines for presentations. During the convocation, there were messages in the chat around a specific evidence based methodology commonly used in programs. While it is healthy to have discussions regarding methodologies, it should be done in a framework that does not isolate or demean the work of teachers or instructional assistants using those practices. To create a climate that supports staff, etiquette on how to frame meaningful discussions without polarizing or dismissing the work of teammates is critical.
Response: Thanks for bringing this to my attention. For events of that size, we typically have a few folks monitoring the chat for things like tech questions, communicating instructions, hyping, and for the exact reason you mention. Although I couldn't see the chat myself during the event, I heard similar feedback from others, so I am sorry there was isolating and polarizing chatter. I can do a better job in the future of setting some ground rules for engaging in the chat and supporting other NWRESD event hosts to do the same. I encourage you to submit specific ideas for chat norms and etiquette. Here are a couple ideas to kick it off...Make sure what you're saying in the chat is also something you would express in-person with your colleagues (i.e. don't be disrespectful)...Be mindful that sarcasm and emotion are hard to interpret through the chat...We support diverse perspectives and all the productive tension they might carry. At the same time, it's challenging to have conversations about complex issues via the chat. Recognize and acknowledge when it might be better to move a discussion to in-person or conversational settings (vs. Zoom chat). - Kelsey Cardwell, communications director
Aug. 17, 2022
Suggestion: The water filter on the water fill-up station outside of the Lewis and Clark Rooms needs to be replaced. Thank you!
Response: Thank you. We've replaced the filter.
Aug. 17, 2022
Suggestion: Hello! The painted lines in the (Washington Service Center) parking lot are very confusing in a few places (especially on the far south side) as there are old faded lines and newer lines, but the newer lines are also now faded, so they look the same. Now that the lot is getting busier, I am seeing people taking up two spots because they don't know which lines are the correct ones. Can we get these lines re-painted? Thank you!
Response: Yes, we completed this project recently. The parking lot at the Washington Service Center was resurfaced and the parking lines were repainted.
Aug. 1, 2022
Suggestion: We have affinity groups that help with racial equity, perhaps it might be nice to have something to help with ageism. Ageism affects hiring, retention, and movement within the agency as well.
Response: The Equity Affinity Group for staff of color is a space for connection and validation. It is a community that provides safety, honor and authenticity of one’s true self, and awareness of shared history and lived experiences.
The elements of ageism that you share may best be resolved in a different venue than an affinity space. Reach out directly to us in Equity and Family Partnerships (nwresd.org/equity) to move solutions to this forward. -Liwaru, director of equity and family partnerships
July 28, 2022
Suggestion: I understand the dress code of wearing shorts is not allowed, but in the extreme heat, it would be nice if they were allowed. Heat is one of the leading weather-related killers in the US. Heat can be very taxing on the body. If we were allowed to wear shorts only during the extreme weather, it would be very appreciated.
Response: NWRESD did approve the wearing of shorts for a brief period of time during the extreme heat, especially for those staff who did not have access to air conditioning. We will revisit our dress code over the next several months to see what makes sense to allow for both staff comfort and professional appearance.
July 27, 2022
Suggestion: We had a lock in the other day here at BECC due to a person outside of our site suffering from a mental health crisis. Those of us inside classrooms with children had to lock in our classrooms, close the blinds and try to remain quiet. My concern is that the blinds in the classroom, and others, are not functioning properly. Some blinds can't be let down the whole way because the strings are broken. Also, the classroom doors need an additional locking devise, possible a door stop/wedge for the bottom of the door. The one lock on the handle probably wouldn't be sufficient in the event of an intruder inside the building.
Response: The blinds are the responsibility of the building owner. Our facilities team is following up with the owner of the building during the last week of August to ensure the blinds are either replaced or repaired. In terms of the doors, the facilities team is conducting a thorough security review of the Beaverton Early Childhood Center building. If you have additional questions, email facilities@nwresd.k12.or.us.
July 11, 2022
Suggestion: The Employee Portal does not provide a history of leave balances which can make it difficult to track possible errors. In order to create a checks and balances that employees can access it would be very helpful to have the balance included on the pay stubs. For example: Today my balances are all zeroed out and I have no way to access the information for the balance prior to this error. The ability to refer to last month's pay stub as a record would be very helpful.
Response: That is a great suggestion; and a bit complicated to address. Leave balances are held in Frontline; and they are up to date after each payroll cycle. The ESD is looking at different systems to help support that, and other, information directly to staff members and you should see some of that information coming available to you after the school year gets started. The ESD is working with Tyler Technologies, the owners of the system that supports the Employee Portal and will talk with them about what would be needed to add that information on pay stubs, as it would require a programming change. -Debbie Simons, chief human resources officer
June 16, 2022
Suggestion: We should have sharps containers available for staff that need to use them. Have them stationed around the building either in restrooms or in common areas. As a diabetic I have been having to take my needles home from the WSC instead of being able to safely dispose of them right after use.
Response: Thank you for the suggestion! We will investigate what is required to have that available and what the requirements are for properly disposing of them. Thank you for taking the proper precautions to not leave your needle where it may be unsafe for others.
June 2, 2022
Suggestion: Board members as well as staff need to have access and need to be able to use "all gender" bathrooms. It is unacceptable for people to turn an all genders bathroom into a gendered turn taking system. This is not gender or neuro divergent affirming. This also isolates people who do not live as apart of a two gender system to feel discriminate against and uncomfortable attending meetings or work.
Response: Thank you for the suggestion. We would be happy to provide guidance on accessing all gender bathrooms. Using the restroom can be a very private necessity for some, and less private for others. Just as you feel uncomfortable; there are times others feel just as uncomfortable. Balancing the needs of all so that everyone is respected is our ultimate goal.
May 26, 2022
Suggestion: In lieu of the recent horrific school shooting in Texas, why aren't we locking our outside access doors to the buildings. We could put doorbells on the doors along with a speaker system. In our district I've been told all school doors are locked. Have fobs for all the employees.
Response: You can find your building's safety committee members and report these concerns by visiting the mynwresd.org safety page.
May 25, 2022
Suggestion: I would like to see the American Flag in every classroom. Is there a reason we don't have them displayed anymore.
Response: According to board policy INDB, there shall be a flag in every classroom. If there is a classroom that's missing a flag, you can notify your building administrator.
May 19, 2022
Suggestion: Given recent national incidents of racism in Buffalo and Dallas and our agency's commitment to anti-racism, I would like to suggest that resources and an acknowledgement of the impact of these events on our community be communicated to staff and families/programs we serve. Perhaps guidance on how to support members of our community could be shared in Monday Memo and/or an agency communication reaffirming our commitment to antiracism might be considered.
Response: Thank you for this suggestion. Antiracism needs to be daily work, even if national events like what happened in Buffalo renew our attention, conviction and sense of urgency. This year, NWRESD launched 12 equity learning teams with about 80 total NWRESD team members participating.
Although this work is new, these teams can serve as a resource to you to access materials and ideas for advancing equity work. If you're unsure which of your colleagues might be on an equity learning team, you can ask your supervisor or email our equity team (szliwaru@nwresd.k12.or.us).
Unfortunately, since you posted and we reviewed your suggestion, another national tragedy took place in Uvalde. We shared resources for educators in relation to this event and processing trauma in community. You can find these in Dan's message on this shooting and the May 31 staff memo.
May 7, 2022
Suggestion: It was noticed that the honoring of licensed staff during Teacher Appreciation week on the monthly memo, everyone but teachers were spotlighted. Our related staff are very important, but it takes the whole team and teachers usually take the brunt of it all most of the time. One way to retain and recruit teachers is to be included, especially in the COVID world and the negativity teachers are getting in the press these days. That is part of equity...inclusiveness of all and not just some of the people that help make this ESD work.
Response: Thanks so much for taking the time to read our Licensed Appreciation Week highlights. This was the first time we have taken the opportunity to tell stories about our licensed staff through our website and newsletter. We look forward to doing more highlights in the future. We agree that representing our more than a dozen specialties is important. If you have a story you'd like to share about a colleague, please consider submitting them for recognition through our recognition and good news form: https://www.mynwresd.org/recognition-and-good-news.html
April 12, 2022
Suggestion: Everyone seems to make up their own acronyms for words and phrases (i.e. ICYMI: Staff Survey Results) but that doesn't mean that others know what they mean.
I suggest that no acronyms be used in announcements to staff so that everyone will understand what is being said and that acronyms be used sparingly in other type of communications i.e., emails, documenting notes in databases etc.
Response: Thanks for this feedback. We will be mindful of acronyms that people might not know.
April 11, 2022
Suggestion: The paper sign in system at the Washington Service Center (WSC) is now painfully outdated and inconvenient. Many staff have jobs at the WSC that require frequent back and forth travel throughout the day. Bring back fobs please in order to access multiple doors. The fob can (and should) serve as a trackable electronic sign in/out option. Install cameras at entry points. Most local school buildings already have this set-up for security. The WSC is a large building and it is not equitable, especially for people with mobility needs, to have to use one entry point that is a considerable distance from their assigned workspace. Frankly, I find it both unacceptable and puzzling that this is a concern being brought up frequently to administration without any changes being made or apparent consideration of the people that are the most affected. Access to even just three total entrances/exits would make a considerable difference.
Response: The paper sign-in system was recently updated to reflect current COVID-19 protocols. The Executive Safety and Security System has been discussing a long-term plan for managing building entry, though these plans and upgrades will take time to implement. You can review safety committee agendas and meeting minutes on the safety page of our staff intranet. If you need to request accommodations, please email Carol Helfer (chelfer@nwresd.k12.or.us).
April 1, 2022
Suggestion: Can this please be shared in the Monday Memo? https://consultations.oregonskitchentable.org/survey/oregon-high-school-graduation-requirements. It's a survey to gather information on how to adjust Oregon HS Grad Requirements. Thanks!
Response: Thanks so much for sending this link. We will include it in the next partner newsletter that goes to staff as well as educators, school boards, partners and legislators. In the future, you can send requests like this one to communications@nwresd.k12.or.us.
March 10, 2022
Suggestion: I work in several schools in 3 districts, and all of the schools have both fire drills and lockdown drills. I'm wondering what the ESD protocal is for something like a lockdown, or active shooter in the building. Is there a safety protocal? How would eveyone in the building know if there was an active shooter in the building? What would employees do, where could we go for safety? I realize its not a likely occurance, but I think a safety protocal and notification system should be in place.
Response: The Executive Safety and Security Committee is reviewing a schedule for training staff on the Standard Response Protocols:
- Hold - Limit student movement within the building
- Secure - Threat outside the building
- Lockdown - Threat inside the building
- Evacuate - Need to move students to another location
- Shelter - Need for personal protection
We are also in the process of revising the Emergency Operation Plan and identifying and validating reunification sites.
March 10, 2022
Suggestion: We used to be able to see specific Kudos on the Monday Memos. We can no longer see any of them. I would like to suggest re-instating that. I especially want to know who made the Kudo suggestions for me when I receive one.
Response: Please reference our Oct. 18, 2021, response.
Feb. 25, 2022
Suggestion: It would be wonderful to have federated identity management for signing into computer/networks used on a daily basis. We have single sign on for Google, but not across all networks. Federated identity management is an arrangement between multiple enterprises or domains that enables their users to use the same identification data (digital identity) to access all their networks. Thank you.
Response: Thank you for your well-informed and thoughtful comment. Technology is currently testing a federated identity solution using Microsoft Azure. We will start the federation process at NWRESD this spring by connecting Azure and Google to help improve security with the use of multifactor authentication. From there we intend to use this to start linking together systems going forward through federated access where ever possible. -Stuart Long, chief information officer
Feb. 16, 2022
Note: We received a few versions of this question about allowing people to use alternative entrances at the Washington Service Center.
Suggestion: As posted on Feb 1, I have an alterative solution to coming in different doors. If FOB access to other doors were an option having a paper version of the log by those doors with a pen and sanitizer (to clean the pen after use) and hand sanitizer. Also the rule being the door you enter is the door you have to leave from. That way it is still just one system of tracking people. People that do not have FOBs would still have to enter through the front door. AS for insuring health checks, we don't have to answer the questions at the front door any more and 9 times out of 10 there is not someone at the front desk when I enter. So why could I not just sign in at a different door.
Response: COVID-19 has forced new systems and practices, including many positive changes that will likely become permanent. A common entrance is one of those changes that will likely result in a permanent change. Our facilities team has observed that it helps them understand who is in the building for the purpose of emergency response. They will develop a long-term system, but this is something that will likely remain in a similar format.
Feb. 15, 2022
Suggestion: Having the In-service via Zoom was great, I think it would be much more convenient for staff to be able to use this forum for our next meeting.
Response: We hope to announce inservice plans soon. We agree that there were many benefits to a virtual fourm, like connecting with staff from other teams who we wouldn't otherwise get to meet, less travel time particularly for those furthest from the event, etc.
Feb. 15, 2022
Suggestion: Is it possible to to let staff at the WSC access the atrium? I wanted to suggest a few small bisto tables for eating or a short break, or change of scenery. Some of us have no access to natural light throughout the day and it would be wonderful to access an outdoor space that is protected from wind in the winter. And/or could the outdoor eating area either include umbrellas over tables or more protection from elements? Our program used to have access to natural light and now we do not and it has had a devastating impact on our daily mental health. The benefits of breaktimes in natural light regardless of weather would be helpful. Thank you for considering.
Response: Facilities is looking into what can be done to increase the covered eating area outside the conference rooms at the front of the WSC building. We are also looking into a covered eating area at the Columbia SC.
Feb. 14, 2022
Suggestion: Equity. Fair housing consul of Oregon bus tour. I was in the group who attended the tour back in 2019. I found it very educational for myself and co-worker who participated, feedback was outstanding. As an agency who facilitate staff to participate in equity teams I strongly believe this tour should be part of the in-service with 2 outings per school year.
Response: Thank you for sharing this information with us. Our Equity and Family Partnerships team has this opportunity on their radar.
Feb. 3, 2022
Suggestion: When will In-service days be announced/ 2022-2023 calendars be ready -especially EI/ECSE summer calendar...trying to plan vacations. I have asked my supervisor first.
Response: We estimate to have this information available in March. As an education service district, we have to coordinate with school district schedules, so unfortunately we cannot announce these dates any sooner.
Feb. 1, 2022
Note: We received a few versions of this question about allowing people to sign in virtually and use alternative entrances.
Suggestion: I would appreciate being able to do an online sign-in option again like at the beginning of the pandemic as opposed to signing in at the front desk, and it would also be helpful to be able to use my fob at any door rather than having to come in at the front door.
Response: The present check-in system is set up to ensure we collect the names of everyone who enters the building as well as verifying they meet certain health criteria. Originally we had a forms based system as well as the current front sign in sheet. However, having two systems was cumbersome and time consuming when it was necessary to identify who was in the building during a specific time span. Additionally, on occasion staff would forget to complete the form prior to entering the building. For the foreseeable future we will continue to use the single entry and sign in sheet process. Thank you.
Jan. 26, 2022
Suggestion: Putting a cover over the entire outdoor picnic table area at the Washington Service Center that will prevent rain from falling on the picnic tables, so that people can eat outside during these times of covid, even when it's raining.
Response: Thanks for the suggestion. We are looking into the cost of doing this.
Jan. 25, 2022
Suggestion: Postpone any further PLC or specialty groups until the pandemic is over. This year is far too stressful as it is
Response: Thank you for your suggestion. NWRESD leadership and staff have been working together to keep kids and staff safe in our sites and programs, while still ensuring high quality services and opportunities for educators to connect and grow professionally. We will continue to host PLCs and special events while following safety protocols, but encourage staff to connect with your supervisor or HR directly if you would like to work collaboratively on managing priorities and workload.
Jan. 24, 2022
Suggestion: Equity training for all classified staff to reinforce support for our diverse growing population. Empathy training perhaps on using pronouns. I think it is important to have an equal understanding on how our organization wants to be represented. We have a lot of new staff that could use the clarification and experience staff that could use the reminders.
Response: The Equity & Family Partnerships department hosts our Equity Onboarding offering for all new hires to learn about our organization’s equity and strategic plan objectives, equip our staff with the training, resources, and ongoing support needed to be able to help shape our organization’s future, and share in creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for staff and students. These virtual offerings are held every month and all NWRESD staff are encouraged to attend. Register to attend an equity onboarding training.
Jan. 21, 2022
Suggestion: With everyone moving in the WSC, I think there should be a new map that shows where everyone is at now (or will be once the move is over)
Response: An updated map showing Washington Service Center department locations can be found in the Staff Resources Google Drive folder under Facilities. The document is labeled WSC Staff Locations 2.4.22.
Jan. 19, 2022
Suggestion: With more people coming back to work in person (WSC) but still having to do zoom calls it would be helpful if there were more rooms besides just Atfalati Room that you can have a webcam of the room. A couple of my coworkers will be in the office and we either have to go to that room (if it is available) or find a different room to be in to zoom from our own computers. The Atfalati room is great but it is also really large for like only 3 people in person and then the rest of the team on zoom. That being said as well it would be helpful if the camera in the Atfalati room could be moved or a way for it to rotate around the room because of how it is currently set up it only really shows the back row of people.
Response: All of the conference rooms at the service centers will be getting upgrades this spring. The agency is using ESSER funds to help ensure that our meeting rooms will have a TV or projector, installed cameras, and a microphone/speaker system. Technology is working with an outside vendor to handle the installation and we expect this work to begin in early March as the parts arrive. -Stuart Long, chief information officer
Jan. 11, 2022
Suggestion: With the surge of Covid Omicron cases, I suggest staff members work remotely whenever possible. I know several staff members are REQUIRED to be on site when their workloads could easily be done remotely. Let's keep them safe, as well as those who are allowed to work remotely. Seems only certain departments are allowed to work remotely, it just doesn't seem fair.
Response: Please work with your supervisor to determine what makes sense for your position.
Jan. 11, 2022
Suggestion: Updating the staff directory would be a great time saver for staff rather than having to send an email to multiple people to find out who is in a current position. In the future it would be great if the staff directory could pull from a central HR database, but for now it looks like the list has to be updated manually. Maybe each team could help by looking at their site's list and compiling a list of known errors to make updating it easier.
Response: Thanks for this suggestion. Our human resources team is in the process of setting this up, but there's still a lot of work to do in order to configure our personnel database for this transition. In the meantime, if you have any updates, please send those to HR so we can capture those in our central system. Those will be reflected on our website the next time we upload the latest staff information.
Jan. 6, 2022
Suggestion: The new community inclusion/family coaching model we rolled out this year requires more time and energy to address whole-child issues. I would like to suggest that NWR strongly consider adding licensed social workers to our current staff to better support the families we serve and to prevent staff burnout. This idea has been brought up before; however, no time like now-- a pandemic, combined with a higher intensity service model, could better justify it more!
Response: Thank you for this suggestion! Our county service center administrators have been made aware of this idea as we head into the budgeting process so it can be considered.
Nov. 23, 2021
Suggestion: Please consider bringing back the superintendent video chats or a video walk through of what teams are up to. The videos were informative and helpful in understanding what each team does and the positive impact they make.
Response: The superintendent video chats took about ten hours of time to produce, but they had an average of 33 views per video. This was not an effective communications strategy. If you're interested in learning more about the outstanding work of our various departments and teams, we recommend browsing our board packets. Each department drafts a report on a monthly basis and they are dense with exciting news and updates. You can find packets on our board meeting pages (https://www.nwresd.org/about/board-of-directors/meetings). We have also posted more than 100 news articles to our website in the past year (https://www.nwresd.org/about/news-and-publications).
Nov. 22, 2021
Suggestion: Recently our team held a meeting in the Clark room and I noticed that there were signs on the tables to sanitize the area after use. When we finished our meeting, we looked for something to use to sanitize the room and there was nothing there. We borrowed the sanitizer and paper towels from the break room, but this is not an ideal solution. It would be nice to have the materials necessary in the room that needs to be sanitized.
Response: Thank you for flagging this for us. The facilities team has been notified. In the future, if staff notice that sanitization supplies are missing or running low, you can let the reception desk know or anyone on our facilities team (Rick Wahlstrom, Sharon Meeuwsen, Lori Baker).
Nov, 9, 2021
Suggestion: Regarding Self Reflection and Performance Goals for classified staff: classified staff at NWRESD have professional development dollars to use for conferences and tuition and we are consistently tasked with self reflection and performance goals. What is missing from this equation is access to quality workshops and/or career pathways for our bargaining unit. I'd like to suggest that NWRESD partner with organizations /companies to provide clear opportunities for professional growth. Categories could include "soft skills" (not sure if that is an accurate term) like equity and inclusion work; emotional intelligence; trauma informed care etc. and "hard skills" which could include coursework for advanced excel, advanced google, the art of writing an SOW, financial skills etc. I would be willing to contribute my time to develop this idea as I believe creating a clear pathway would open doors for our staff and we'd all be better humans for it.
Response: This is a good idea; and something that the Human Resources office is talking about. At the same time, there is a calendar for what is currently being offered is on our calendar, which can be found here. While some of the ideas you have suggested would need to be developed; there are some opportunities for classified staff here; which is a place to start. OSEA and NWRESD begin bargaining next month; and we will make sure that this idea is discussed so that specific needs and interests for the entire group can be collected and planned for. -Debbie Simons, chief human resources officer
Nov. 8, 2021
Suggestion: Perhaps we can list preferred pronouns for New Staff on the Monday memos.
Response: We love this idea. We've been calling them "pronouns" (drop the "preferred"), since it's not typically about preference or what someone likes to be called, but rather the actual pronouns that they use. Your suggestion will take some planning work so we can do it well. We often announce incoming staff before we have all the information we get from them during onboarding. We also want to make sure we do not inadvertently announce someone's pronouns without their consent, because that's for them to share (or not share). We'll dig into this and hope to have a plan soon. Thanks for the suggestion!
Nov. 8, 2021
Suggestion: Many of us are spending more time in buildings but are still participating in zoom/ video calls. It's hard to know when people are on a call, I have unintentionally interrupted colleagues and they have unintentionally interrupted me during video calls. Additionally many of us wear headphones to listen to music etc but want to be accessible when needed. One idea/solution I have is to buy or create universal signage that we could hang/stick etc in easy to identify areas. Making our own version would work too. If that is the case perhaps we can send friendly reminders as we are all relearning how to work most efficiently in our building. Thanks for listening!
Response: Thanks for encouraging us to think more critically about designing an office space that works in our current, and relatively new-to-us hybrid context. This is a thoughtful idea. If anyone is aware of any templates we can share or tools available for purchase, you can send those to communications@nwresd.k12.or.us. Another fun idea for solving this problem might be to provide a template in Canva that everyone has access for downloading and printing for themselves. We are working on releasing a Canva enterprise account to NWRESD educators, so we will consider that when we get closer to the launch.
Oct. 21, 2021
Suggestion: I would like to know of resources where I can apply for a grant for my ECSE students? Thank you.
Response: In terms of NWRESD-specific resources, the Northwest Regional ESD Foundation has offered mini-grants to educators in Clatsop, Columbia, Tillamook and Washington counties since 2006. The foundation took a hiatus during the 2020-21 school year because of the pandemic. Mini-grants will be offered again this year. The application window will be Feb. 28-March 18, 2022. The online application will be posted at nwresd.org/foundation. If you are interested in supporting this work, the foundation has a number of fundraising opportunities, including giving through PayPal, automatic payroll deductions, AmazonSmile and the Fred Meyer Community Rewards program. This year, the foundation is hosting a virtual fundraising gala. Historically, the foundation has hosted this event in downtown Portland. However, this year's gala will be virtual and will be held from 5-6 p.m. on March 3. More information is available on the foundation webpage. There are of course many other non-NWRESD resources available to educators. These include donorschoose.org, OEA and NEA. -Tracey Goldner, NWRESD Foundation liaison
Oct. 18, 2021:
Suggestion: Bring back some sort of public peer recognition. Since many of us are not in a site full time (if at all), how are we supposed to get the postcards to send to our peers? I don’t think this replacement was well thought out.
Response: Employee recognition is very important to us, so thank you for putting this on everyone’s radar. We’ve evolved staff recognition at the agency level because, as the communications team, we are focusing our time on elevating success stories of staff, students and partners who represent our diverse and intersectional workforce and communities. As an example, we recognized former student Eliana Mason at last month’s board meeting.
This shift was very strategic and carefully considered. We used an equity lens, got feedback from our racial affinity group and human resources teams, looked at data and analytics (who is using the kudos program, who isn’t, how many people are reading the kudos, staff feedback from the annual staff survey on recognition, national data on meaningful employee recognition programs, etc.) With all these inputs, we decided that our two-person communications team could be using our time more effectively toward the goal of elevating staff success stories.
At the same time, we still think peer-to-peer kudos are important! All ten of our facilities have notecards that you can send via mail or our courier. If you are rarely at those sites, we recommend grabbing a supply at those times you are onsite. If you are never at any of our sites, consider expressing kudos via email or during team meetings. You can also request a supply of notecards by emailing communications@nwresd.k12.or.us or notify us if we need to restock any supplies. We will drop notecards in the courier for you.
Even still, we will continue to be nimble and adaptable to feedback so we can get better and better at contributing to a workplace culture where everyone feels a sense of belonging. Thanks, -Kelsey Cardwell, communications director
Oct. 14, 2021
Suggestion: I have a question. When will the ice machine be fixed?
Response: We are working to repair the ice machine at the Washington Service Center. However, because of the current global supply chain issues, some of the parts are back-ordered. We hope to have the machine running again sometime this winter. -The Facilities Team
Oct. 12, 2021
Suggestion: I can't nominate an outstanding employee for the monthly recognition as her work doesn't directly advance our agency's mission, vision, values and/or equity policy. Her work efforts were still meritorious. When will the Staff Kudos return?
Response: We have provided kudos cards at the reception desks of all NWRESD worksites so you can send personal kudos to your colleague via the courier or mail. Thanks, Kelsey Cardwell, communications director
Oct. 7, 2021
Suggestion: According to our annual training on FERPA, it states the following: FERPA protects the privacy of student education records. You should not allow students to post their images — or images of other students — on social-media sites related to school use. If you find any such images, remove them immediately. Seek parental permission every time student information is shared online. Can you please tell us how our photo/video policy follows this instruction? We have been told photos can be used if parents do not opt out.
Response: According to our board policy, student photos are considered directory information not personally identifiable information. See policies JOA and JOB. Those who post photos to official NWRESD media channels have information about whose families have opted out or opted in (in the case of special programs and special events). Students wouldn't have this information. Thanks for flagging this important topic. -Kelsey Cardwell, communications director
Sept. 27, 2021
Suggestion: I would suggest caution on the type of items you present to staff as gifts. The vaccine mandate is a very hot topic so I was very surprised to see a pen that replicated a syringe.
Response: After more than a year of high rates of loss of life, economic hardship, and other struggles caused by the pandemic, our employees were owed a huge thank you and celebration for playing their part to end the pandemic. We had overwhelmingly high vaccination rates even before it was mandated, especially compared to the communities in which we live. Vaccines may be polarizing in certain communities, but our staff are actually quite united on this one (by comparison, can you think of any board election, levy, bond campaign, etc. that receives 90+% support in the same direction? It simply doesn't ever happen). In the end, it seemed worth the risk to celebrate our employees. A thank you note delivered along with each pen also offered a sincere thank you and congratulations. If you or someone you know would not like the pen, you can return it to the reception desk at your work site. -Kelsey Cardwell, communications director
Sept. 22, 2021
Suggestion: Although it is appreciated that employees are provided with back to school swag, it would be great that if in the future, a more "green" lens was used when buying/gifting the items. Consumables are always great, a nice quality water bottle would be appreciated....So worried that some of the items that were given out this year will end up in the landfill within weeks of receiving.
Response: Anyone who will not use something in their swag bag (i.e. the tote, sunglasses, t-shirt or pen) is welcome to return that item to the reception desk at their worksite. We plan to use these items at job fairs and other events as well. -Kelsey Cardwell, communications director
Sept. 17, 2021
Suggestion: During new hire onboarding, make sure folks know the difference between then NWRESD main site and the MYNWRESD/portal site...when to use which site, what info is there, how families use the NWRESD site, etc.
Response: myNWRESD.org is a staff-facing intranet (internal) site with information specific to NWRESD staff needs (e.g. benefits, contracts, professional learning opportunities, key contacts for staff, standard forms you should have access to, etc.) nwresd.org is public information and its utility varies widely based on which program you work for. Every program is responsible for making their pages useful for the communities they serve, whether those are families of young children, families of students in our K-12 programs, educators, the general public or other audiences. If you have suggestions for improvements to those pages, please make sure your program leaders hear those. We will make sure those who conduct onboarding also have more information on the difference between the two. -Kelsey Cardwell, communications director
Sept. 7, 2021
Suggestion: Please consider including and representing religious holidays of all staff on the operational calendar for 2022-23. The current calendar includes some religious holidays. With a diverse staff, comes various religious holidays that should be recognized.
Response: We don't typically include religious holidays on the operational calendar except for those observed as holidays in employee contracts (those are listed at the bottom right of the operational calendar). Changes to holidays would need to be agreed upon in the collective bargaining processes. The operational calendar is intended to be brief and share when our facilities are open and when they are closed. This year, many of the schools districts in our region decided not to start the first day of school on Rosh Hashanah and we aligned our operational calendar accordingly. That's why you see it named in this year's operational calendar at the bottom left. I hope this provides helpful context. We are always looking for ideas on how to advance our diversity and inclusion goals as an organization so thank you for highlighting this!
Sept. 2, 2021
Suggestion: When is the NWRESD going to provide a full training on COVID protocols and student/staff safety that all employees are required to take? It seems like that should have been covered with everyone at the same time during the inservice on August 31st. It also seems like every employee should be emailed this document and informed that they need to read it all by, say, Sept 7th and keep a copy for reference on their computer and a printed copy in every department in every ESD building: https://www.oregon.gov/ode/students-and-family/healthsafety/Documents/Planning%20and%20Responding%20to%20COVID-19%20Scenarios%20in%20Schools.pdf
Response: All employees are required to take a COVID-19 training before accessing our facilities. This is facilitated through our Public Works required training portal. All facilities have a sign-in sheet that asks you to confirm you have taken this training. In addition, all student-facing positions were trained in more depth on our Communicable Disease Management Plan the week before starting with students. The PDF you shared has been shared with all building supervisors and RNs who are the ones making decisions about quarantine, isolation, etc. -Sarah Pope, Deputy Superintendent
Sept. 1, 2021
Suggestion: Please immediately make all NWRESD staff members aware of the "Planning for COVID-19 Scenarios in Schools" PDF document available on the ODE website and require every staff member to read it and perhaps do a training/test on it. The info in this document really needs to be shared with all staff right away. https://www.oregon.gov/ode/students-and-family/healthsafety/Documents/Planning%20and%20Responding%20to%20COVID-19%20Scenarios%20in%20Schools.pdf
Response: We have shared these resources with all building supervisors and our registered nurses who will be making these decisions. -Sarah Pope, Deputy Superintendent
