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La Grande Pride
March 2020 • www.lagrandesd.org
POSITIVE MOMENTUM
SU
Strategic plan and student success
implementation moves forward
M
By Trish Yerges
The Strategic Plan team
continues to meet and
report on the progress they
are making toward their
district goals and moving
forward. Scott Carpenter
and Superintendent George
Mendoza are integral mem-
bers of that team and have
the following update to give
to district families.
“The overwhelming
feeling of the team was
that we have made major
steps forward in a positive
direction, and the team was
excited with our progress,”
said Carpenter.
Mendoza also noted that
the district is developing
more clear messaging down
the road for certain goals
and indicators, whether it’s
about attendance or different
things the district is doing.
“With our culture of care
system, we’re making it
really easy for people to
know what we’re trying to
do,” said Mendoza. “The
initiatives we’re undertak-
ing based on the Student
Success Act (SSA) very
much align with our Strate-
gic Plan.”
The analogy is that if
the Strategic Plan is the
machine or engine, then the
Student Success Act funds
are the fuel that support
that engine.
“We’re trying to really be
thoughtful about how we’re
doing things and monitor
the impact of those things
to support and adjust those
goals and indicators that
we’re focusing on improv-
ing,” he said.
The Student Success Act
funds allow the district to
hire additional faculty that
will help them meet their
strategic goals and benefit
students.
“We’re excited about the
extended positions that
we’re offering and getting
qualified applicants,” Car-
penter said. “We’ve hired
a few of them already that
will continue to super
charge our Strategic Plan
and our goals and what we
want to do.”
The district has already
hired a behavioral coordi-
nator, a counselor at the
Middle School, and two core
contact teachers.
Other faculty have been
hired, not having to do with
the SSA, including a new
vice principal at the high
school and another nurse.
For the 2020-21 school year,
Island City Elementary will
have a new principal, Brett
Smith, who is replacing
retired principal John To-
lan. The district will also
be hiring a director of Title,
Elementary Programs, and
Student Services.
The district is trying to
do a lot of things very well,
said Carpenter, but with the
broad range of initiatives
now being undertaken by
the district, there is a need
for dedicated oversight and
that requires another direc-
tor to focus on those efforts.
“We ramped up our be-
havioral services and we’re
adding behavior class-
rooms,” said Mendoza.
The district hired one
behavior classroom teacher
and they are adding one
behavior para profession-
al. Consequently, they are
adding a Director of Special
Education and Behavioral
Services.
“We need good adminis-
trators to support staff and
kids, as well as attending to
the community and fami-
lies,” Mendoza said. “Those
are big reasons to add an-
other director.”
This new director posi-
tion, once filled, will relieve
Carpenter from those duties
so that he can take on a new
role as Director of Personnel
and Secondary Programs.
Carpenter will now be able
to give dedicated attention
to HR procedures, policies,
onboarding, off-boarding,
By
Dist
investigations, and other
man
personnel related work.
a sc
“I want us to ramp up our pair
policies and have an up-
latio
dated HR handbook for the form
staff and get more aligned brea
with best practices of policy are
and decision making for
secu
our employees,” Mendoza the
said. “We haven’t had a HR
Director in 14 years.”
list
Typically, a school district is th
the size of LGSD has full dist
time HR director positions hard
dedicated solely to curricu- W
lum and instruction.
buil
Consequently, LGSD is star
excited to be adding the
ary
new director position and prio
hiring additional staff. The
district recognizes grate-
dist
fully that this is possible
card
because of the funding from eter
the Student Success Act.
incr
“The machine got fuel
to a
and that fuel is the Student “In
Success Act,” said Mendoza. buil
“Now we are able to use the tral
money to buy programs and sc
services that we wouldn’t Isla
have had.”
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