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Puget Sound Transformational Collaborative Playbook

PSESD initiated the Puget Sound Transformational Collaborative (PSTC) in response to the dual pandemics of COVID-19 and racial injustice with the objective of transforming conditions for the benefit of Black and brown students and families. The network includes student, family, community, district, and PSESD leaders across King & Pierce counties. Phase one (June-October 2020) involved cultivating relationships, identifying high leverage opportunity areas, and defining a shared purpose. Phase two (November 2020 – March 2021) advanced these efforts by building trusting partnerships for equitable collaboration in uplifting bright spots and transformational opportunities to strengthen Black and Brown student engagement. Regional racial equity leaders within the collaborative modeled and inspired collective learning, reflection, and commitments of members.  These activities culminated in the creation of a Playbook reflecting the voices, wisdom, experiences, and recommendations of participating community leaders, district leaders, student leaders, and parent leaders as they engaged together in each of the priority areas for supporting Black & Brown student engagement:

  • Erin Jones cultivated relationships for mutual trust and equitable collaboration. Through shared interrogation of White Supremacy culture characteristics, members identified their agency to disrupt these through individual commitments to action.
  • Rena Mateja Walker Burr, Kayley Duong, Alexis Mburu, and Anya Souza-Ponce of the NAACP Youth Council grounded us in the regional priorities of our Youth of Color. 
  • Mary Fertakis, Grant Twyman, and Anthony Smith helped us identify opportunities for building racially equitable policy-practice connections within school districts. 
  • Sui-Lan Ho'okano, Tamasha Emedi, Érica Gonzalez-Jones, and Eileen Yoshina shared insights from the Educators of Color Leadership Community and inspired reflection on creating liberatory spaces for Educators of Color. 
  • Carlina Brown-Banks and Susan Enfield illuminated the Dual Capacity-Building Framework for fostering equitable family-school partnerships. 
  • Sebrena Burr, Marla Newton, Lolita O'Donnell, and Angelica Alvarez helped the collaborative consider evaluation and progress monitoring opportunities for strengthening family-school partnerships. 
  • Fahren Johnson shared lessons learned from a district and community partnership designed to systematically support social and emotional learning.

See the resulting Playbook below. Phase 3 (Fall 2021) will further cultivate the PSTC community, with a focus on translating Playbook commitments & recommendations to practice through shared action and learning cycles.

For more information, please contact Adam Kay at akay@psesd.org 

Click here to read the Playbook!

Archive

Puget Sound Educational Service District Selected for Grant Program to Help Local Students Pursue Education and Career Training After High School

Puget Sound Educational Service District (PSESD) is proud to announce that our region has been selected to be part of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Horizons Regional Grant Program, a three-year initiative to help more local students continue their education after high school and achieve their goals.

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Amidst the ongoing violence and bloodshed of the Israel-Gaza conflict, we cannot ignore the countless lives lost and devasting impact, particularly to the young people ensnared in this turmoil. As a community committed to fostering peace and championing for the welfare of all, we stand together in unequivocal condemnation of violence and in our unwavering support for humanity. 

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Observing the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Observed each year on March 21 – the tragic day in 1960 when the police in Sharpeville, South Africa, opened fire on participants in a peaceful demonstration against apartheid "pass laws," killing 69 people, the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination remains an important one in the calendar’s attempt to fight racism and racial discrimination.

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Honoring our Education Support Professionals—This Week, and Every Week!

In education, the thousands who serve among the support professionals are an integral part of the industry and its importance.

That’s why it’s so important to celebrate their contributions each year for Education Support Professionals week, which takes place this year from March 11-15, 2024. The week was first noted for celebration in 1975 by PSE in order to salute the irreplaceable contributions of Education Support Professionals (or ESPs, for short) in the public school system.

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PSESD Presents: AUTHENTIC LEARNING IN THE AGE OF AI, with Dr. John Spencer

The AI revolution is here: How will you respond? And what AI tools can be utilized for personalized learning? Don’t miss this essential two-part event ("Authentic Learning in the Age of AI") for K-12 Educators, Leaders, and Administrators in ALL content areas, taking place on Saturday, March 30, and Saturday, May 4, 2024!

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Last Chance to Submit 2024-25 Teacher/Educator of the Year Nominations!

This week is the last chance to submit nominations for Teacher of the YearClassified School Employee of the Year, and Principal/Assistant Principal of the Year! Nominate your candidates online using the Educator of the Year Nomination Form. Applications are for all categories are open until Friday, March 1, 2024 at https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7127358/2023-EoY-Nominations.

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Frederick Douglass's Birthday

Frederick Douglass was a towering individual, an escaped slave who became an impassioned activist, abolitionist, and icon. However, it is an ironic fact that the brilliant Frederick Douglass would surely appreciate that while we now honor his birth date each February 14, Douglass himself was, until late in his life, not entirely sure of the date of his birth.

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Image of Dior Davenport at our PSESD agency all staff celebration

Free Workshop for PK-12 Washington Educators
Join us for an engaging professional learning opportunity for PK–12 educators, principals, and school leaders. Focusing on computational thinking concepts and coding skills, this symposium will highlight Sphero's commitment to supporting district implementation of vertically aligned curriculum and activities that align to Washington's Computer Science standards.

Sphero Symposium (in partnership of Sphero and Puget Sound Educational Service District 121)
Date: Thursday, March 14th, 2024
Time: 8:30 am – 2:30 pm
Location: Puget Sound Educational Service District
| 800 Oakesdale Ave SW, Renton WA 98057
 

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Solution Providers Spring Expo

Puget Sound Educational Service District (PSESD) and Washington Learning Source (WLS) are thrilled to invite you to participate as an exhibitor at our upcoming Solution Providers Spring Expo! This event provides an excellent opportunity to showcase your company products and/or services to a diverse audience. You will have the chance to engage and build relationships with educators and potential clients.

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Solution Providers Spring Expo

Join us at Puget Sound ESD 121’s Solution Providers Spring Expo, where you can discover the latest trends and innovations for FREE! This expo is a great opportunity to connect with like-minded education professionals and knowledgeable specialists while exploring a variety of dynamic products and services.

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Local Puget Sound-Area Events for Martin Luther King Day Weekend 2024

Monday, January 15, 2024 is Martin Luther King Day — an important holiday honoring the celebrated human rights leader’s birthday. If you are seeking to celebrate King and his dream this year, there are a number of terrific arts, culture, and history events taking place across Puget Sound that are both powerful, inspirational, and family-friendly.

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