Public Notices & Agency Updates

For Immediate Release
 
December 11, 2015
Contact: Laura Conroy
503-257-1516
[email protected]        
www.mesd.k12.or.us
 
MESD Board appoints acting Interim Superintendent Scott Perry; search for permanent Superintendent continues on schedule
 
(Portland, OR) The Multnomah Education Service District (MESD) Board announced the appointment of Scott Perry as the acting Interim Superintendent at a special session meeting last night held for that purpose.  His first official day is December 21st.  MESD Board Vice-Chair Beaudoin confirmed that Perry will serve as acting Interim Superintendent until Mr. Rose returns from family leave.

MESD Vice-Chair Beaudoin stated “the Board is pleased to welcome Mr. Perry to MESD.  With his 30+ years of teaching and administrative experience Mr. Perry is a tremendous support at a critical time for the agency.  The Board is confident that Mr. Perry and the Cabinet will ensure that the agency continues to operate smoothly and provide districts with excellent health, education, and technology services to support students.”

Mr. Perry stated "I am very excited to have this opportunity to work with the staff and board of the Multnomah ESD and the school districts in the region.  I'm impressed by the wide array this ESD provides to schools, students and families.  Having been an educator in Oregon for 34 years, I know MESD's reputation as a statewide leader in so many key areas of health, education and technology service.  What an honor it is for me to have the chance to join in that service." 

Mr. Perry retired in June of this year as Superintendent of the Southern Oregon ESD where he had served in that capacity for 6 years. Previously, he served as Director of Student Services and Director of Special Education and Behavior Specialist for the Linn Benton Lincoln ESD, as Elementary Principal for Tangent and Takena Schools in Albany, as a Special Education and School Improvement Specialist for ODE, and a School Psychologist for Clatsop ESD.

Mr. Perry has served on many local,  regional, and state level committees and groups including; the ODE Working Group Regarding Older and Graduated Youth in Corrections Settings, the ODE Special Education Advisory Committee, Linn County Council for Integrated Child and Family Services, the Linn Benton Lincoln ESD Student Achievement Service Center, the Confederation of School Administrators, the ODE State Report Card Legislative Work Group, the OEIB State Advisory Committee, the Klamath Promise Regional Achievement Collaborative, Oregon Positive Behavior Support Network, and the Linn County Mental Health Advisory Council.

Mr. Perry earned his Continuing Administrative License from the University of Oregon, his Master’s degree in Clinical & School Psychology from Eastern Washington University, and his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Brigham Young University.

A key role for Perry will be supporting the agency’s search for a permanent Superintendent. A Board subcommittee has been tasked to oversee the search and hiring process.  Vice-Chair Beaudoin is chairing the Superintendent Search committee and confirmed that the search process is continuing as scheduled. The permanent Superintendent position will begin accepting applications December 16th.

For Immediate Release

November 25, 2015
Contact: Laura Conroy
503-257-1516
[email protected]
www.mesd.k12.or.us

MESD Board working to appoint acting Interim Superintendent; search for permanent Superintendent continues on schedule

(Portland, OR) The Multnomah Education Service District Board met in a special session this afternoon to discuss the process of selecting an acting Interim Superintendent subsequent to Interim Superintendent Rose taking family medical leave this week.

MESD Board Vice-Chair Stephen Beaudoin declined to comment on the circumstances surrounding Rose’s request but added that “the Board’s hearts and thoughts are with the Superintendent and his family.”

The Board voted to task Jim Mabbot, Executive Director with the Oregon Association of ESDs, with bringing the names of three vetted candidates to the Board by December 11. Candidates must be familiar with the ESD business model and work and have experience as an Assistant Superintendent or higher. The Board will meet to vote to appoint a candidate as acting Interim Superintendent during a public meeting called for that purpose on a date to-be-determined.

Prior to his taking leave Superintendent Rose designated an "Administrator on Duty" to ensure that the critical functions of the agency would continue in his absence. Doana Anderson, Business Services Director is the designated Administrator on Duty and will continue in that role until the Board appoints an acting Interim Superintendent.

The Cabinet together with the Administrator on Duty will continue to ensure the smooth delivery of excellent education, health, technology and business services to students and districts until the Board appoints an acting Interim Superintendent.

Vice-Chair Beaudoin added that “MESD’s Cabinet and employees are highly-skilled, trained and experienced, and will continue to support districts in serving students by providing excellent health, technology, and education services.”

Beaudoin is also the Chair of the Board’s superintendent search committee which is tasked with overseeing the search and hiring process. Beaudoin provided assurances that “the search process will go on as scheduled and this transition will not interrupt the process.”

For Immediate Release

September 3, 2015

Contact: Laura Conroy
503-257-1516
[email protected]
www.mesd.k12.or.us

MESD Board announces appointment process for open board seat

(Portland, OR) – The Multnomah Education Service District Board has announced its appointment process for the board position vacated by Erica Thatcher earlier this year. Thatcher, who held the position for Zone 2, resigned earlier this year due a change in residency. Residency in the zone is an eligibility requirement of the position.
The Board declared the board position vacancy at its July 1st regular meeting. Applications were due August 14th, 2015. Three candidates submitted applications for the open seat, Mary Botkin, Doug Montgomery, and Kathleen O’Brien. Information about each candidate can be found online at the MESD Board Vacancy webpage at http://www.mesd.k12.or.us/Page/541

The Board will hold public interviews during a special session on Monday, September 14th beginning at 6 pm. The special session will be held in the MESD Board room at the Ainsworth Building located at 11611 NE Ainsworth Circle, Portland, Oregon 97220. The public will have an opportunity during the meeting to make comments about or ask questions of the candidates. Members of the public must sign-in to make comments or ask questions of the candidates.

Immediately following the interviews, the Board will vote to appoint a candidate to the vacant Board position. The Board will announce the name of the appointee at its September 14th meeting. The appointee will be sworn in at the Board’s regular meeting on Tuesday, September 15th at 6 pm in the MESD Board room at the Ainsworth Building.

For Immediate Release

August 10, 2015

Contact: Laura Conroy
503-257-1516
[email protected]
www.mesd.k12.or.us

Multnomah Education Service District Board announces appointment process

(PORTLAND, OR) The MESD board announced today the process it will use to appoint a member to the Zone 2 position vacated by Erica Thatcher earlier this year. “Our goal is to follow an open and efficient process in appointing the new member to allow us to move forward as a complete and cohesive Board” said Chair, Nels Johnson. Vice-Chair Stephen Beaudoin echoed the Chair’s comments, adding that the process “provides opportunity for staff members and the public to ask candidates questions and offer comment to the Board related to the appointment.”

The Board declared the vacancy at its July 1st meeting and set an application due date for August 14th at 4:30 pm. The district distributed the notice of vacancy to local media outlets and posted the notice to the district’s website, Facebook, and Twitter.

Three candidates have thus far applied for the position. Application materials provided by the candidates are posted to the district’s webpage as they are received at http://www.mesd.k12.or.us/Page/541

The Board will interview the candidates during a special public meeting called for late August or early September – this meeting will be announced shortly. The meeting and interviews are open to the public. Time for audience members to ask the candidates questions and/or provide comment on the appointment will be allotted as part of the meeting. Board members will vote to appoint a candidate at this meeting and voting will be public, with the intent of having the new member sworn in at the September 15th Board meeting.

For Immediate Release

July 28, 2015

Contact: Laura Conroy
503-257-1516
[email protected]
www.mesd.k12.or.us

Multnomah ESD applauds passage of SB 698

The Multnomah ESD welcomed the news that Governor Kate Brown had signed SB 698 into law, and applauded its passage by the Oregon legislature. The bill creates a State School Nursing Consultant position in the Oregon Health Authority and establishes a Task Force on School Nursing.

The passage of the bill is welcome news to MESD School Health Services Director Margo Lalich, who testified about the positive impact of the legislation for districts and students. Lalich explained “The legislation supports the development of critical infrastructure to support school districts in the delivery of school health services to students by school nurses.”

MESD is the largest provider of student health services in the state. It employs over 110 nurses who support 160 schools in 8 component school districts including Portland Public Schools, Gresham-Barlow, David Douglas, Centennial, Reynolds, Parkrose, Corbett, and Riverdale. It serves a student population in excess of 100,000, ages 3-21, which represents approximately 20% of Oregon’s total student population.

For Immediate Release

June 26, 2015

Contact: Laura Conroy
503-257-1516
[email protected]
www.mesd.k12.or.us

Multnomah ESD Board accepts resignation and approves severance for Superintendent Jorgensen

The Multnomah ESD (MESD) Board voted today in a special session to accept the resignation of Superintendent Jorgensen and approve a severance agreement with her. The agreement includes payments for salary and accumulated vacation time that the agency is contractually obligated to pay. Specifically, the Superintendent’s contract provides that when the Board and Superintendent mutually agree to end the contract, payment shall be made in an amount equal to one year’s salary.

Additionally, pursuant to Oregon law, employees are entitled to payment for the value of any vacation time accumulated prior to their resignation. Superintendent Jorgensen had accumulated 24 days of vacation time prior to her resignation, and the agency is compensating her for that amount.