ODE announces leader for Student Success Act implementation

The Oregon Department of Education has named Scott Nine to head its new office to shepherd the Student Success Act district grants.

Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction Colt Gill sent an email Monday, July 29, naming Nine as the assistant superintendent of the Office of Education Innovation and Improvement. That office will steward the Student Investment Account, which will provide grants for school districts based on enrollment. 
 
The Student Investment Account will receive at least 50% of the funds generated by the new business tax in the Student Success Act. For the 2019-21 biennium, that is projected to be $475 million, with distributions beginning with the 2020-21 school year. Distributions will be made based on the State School Fund ADMw formula calculation, with a double weight for poverty. School districts will need to submit four-year district-level plans that will be revised every two years. ODE is still working out the details.

Nine joins ODE from the National Public Education Support Fund, a federal-level philanthropic education nonprofit organization with a mission to “promote the opportunity for all children to receive an excellent education from birth through college and career.” According to the announcement, Nine has spent “almost two decades organizing, writing, speaking, and learning about what it takes to foster equity for students and remodel public education systems.” He has been a middle school teacher and has a master’s degree in social work from Arizona State University.

Nine is expected to start in mid-August, with a “rolling transition” into his new role at ODE. 

- Richard Donovan
Legislative Services specialist