OSBA’s 73rd Annual Conference opens today
OSBA’s 73rd Annual Convention began Friday at the Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront hotel. Amy Tatom of the Bend-La Pine School Board practiced skills Thursday to support students during a preconference session on trauma-engaged techniques. (Photo by Jake Arnold, OSBA)
More than 100 school board members and district administrators got a jump on this weekend’s learning with a preconference Thursday.
OSBA’s 73rd Annual Convention opened Friday morning at the Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront hotel. OSBA expects about 700 community college, charter school and school district board members, district administrators and education advocates.
Thursday's all-day preconference session, “Learning from Alaska’s Framework for a Whole-School, Whole-Community Approach to Trauma-Engaged Practice,” presented an in-depth look at techniques to aid student success.
Timi Tullis and Heather Coulehan from the Association of Alaska School Boards shared research and Alaska’s experience related to helping students who have suffered trauma. They discussed building relationships and creating resilient learners, and they led practice activities.
Lisa Bateman and Jeremy Wells of the Oregon Department of Education discussed the value of social emotional learning to lower stress and increase productivity, not only for students but also for teachers, staff and school board members.
Danny Adzima, a student representative to the Hillsboro School Board, said the preconference addressed real needs of her fellow students. Adzima is a junior at the Miller Education Center, an alternative high school.
“I think it is so important that we are having these discussions about health and community and supporting the whole child,” she said.
The conference, which runs through Sunday, features more than 50 workshops as well as inspirational speakers, industry exhibitors and opportunities to network with peers from around the state.
This year’s event will include a celebration of the Student Success Act, a game-changing $1 billion-a-year investment in prek-12 public education.
There was also a preconference workshop Thursday for more than 70 administrative professionals. Attendees learned requirements and best practices for school board business.
- Jake Arnold, OSBA
jarnold@osba.org