Superintendent's Corner

Volume 1, No. 7 January 21, 2025

Dear CBSD Parents, Guardians, and Community Members,

As we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. legacy, we reflect on his vision for justice, equity, and inclusion—values that inspire our daily work to ensure every student is known by name, strengths, and needs, and graduates with a plan: Enrolled, Employed, or Enlisted (3Es).

I want to thank our parents and guardians for your unwavering commitment and dedication to your children’s success. We are seeing improvements in daily attendance and nearly all academic indicators in reading, writing, and math. This progress happens when families and schools partner together to support student learning, and your role in this partnership is invaluable.

I also want to give a heartfelt thank you to our certified and classified staff for the tremendous progress we’ve made together. It’s important that we continue to tell our story in CBSD, because if we don’t, someone else will. While we haven’t yet made it to the mountain top, as Dr. King so powerfully envisioned, we are building tremendous momentum. Every day, amazing things are happening in our district—from academics to the arts, CTE, activities, and athletics. Together, we are ensuring ALL students have the skills and opportunities to succeed in a competitive economy. As Thomas Friedman, author of The World is Flat, said, "Our greatest resource isn’t oil; our greatest resource is our students." Let’s continue to invest in them and build a brighter future for our community.

Growth Highlights by School

Little Pirates:

• Consistent Attendance: Attendance held steady between 86% and 88%, showing strong engagement from families.
• Importance of Early Literacy: Little Pirates ensures students are ready for kindergarten by focusing on early literacy, social-emotional development, and numeracy. We are exploring ways to expand this program to reach even more students and families during these critical early years.

Madison Elementary:

• 2nd Grade Attendance: Improved from 79% on December 6 to 90% by January 10.
• SuccessMaker Usage (math): Kindergarten students steadily improved, reaching 31 minutes of personalized learning time by the end of January.

Eastside Elementary:

• 2nd Grade Attendance: Consistently improved, reaching 92% by January 30.
• SuccessMaker Usage (math): Kindergarten and 1st-grade students maintained high engagement, with usage peaking at 62 minutes and 54 minutes, respectively.

Millicoma:

• 5th Grade Attendance: Held strong at 90% throughout January.
• 6th Grade Savvas Usage: Students averaged 76 minutes of personalized learning by the end of January.
• SuccessMaker Leadership: Millicoma is becoming a district leader in using SuccessMaker for personalized math instruction.

Sunset Middle School:

• 5th Grade Attendance: Improved to 91%, maintaining consistent levels in January.
• SuccessMaker Usage (math): 5th-grade students demonstrated strong engagement, reaching 60 minutes in usage.

Destinations (Alternative Education):

• Attendance Improvement: 12th-grade attendance rose from 69% on December 6 to 84% on December 20, showing significant growth.
• Benefits of Alternative Education: Destinations provides flexible and supportive learning environments tailored to students who thrive outside traditional settings. We are exploring ways to expand Destinations to serve more students in need of alternative education pathways.

MHS Jr. High:

• Failure Rate: Currently 6%, well below our goal of 10%.
• Attendance: Held strong at 90%, reflecting consistent engagement.

MHS High School:

• Failure Rate Progress: While grades 9-12 haven’t yet reached the below-10% threshold, strong interventions and a focus on essential learning indicate they are on track to meet this goal by the end of the semester.

Inclusive Environments:

• CBSD educators continue to foster inclusive environments, celebrate milestones like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and teach about the rich history of Native Tribes in Coos County and along the Oregon Coast.

CBSD Commitment to Excellence

Across the district, we are seeing incredible examples of growth and success:

• Strong intervention systems and differentiated learning tools are helping reduce failure rates and improve academic outcomes.
• Attendance improvements highlight the dedication of students, families, and staff to fostering a safe, engaging, and welcoming environment.
• Our focus on equity and access ensures every student has the tools and support they need to succeed.
• A commitment to the science of reading ensures that literacy instruction is grounded in evidence-based practices, empowering all students to become proficient readers.
• We are recommitting to Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) to enhance collaboration and data-driven instructional practices.
• We remain dedicated to providing ALL students with 120 minutes of reading, writing, and discussion per day to build critical literacy skills and deepen understanding.
• We are steadfast in creating inclusive classroom environments where every student feels valued, respected, and supported.

Together, these efforts reflect our mission to know ALL students by name, strengths, and needs and to ensure that every student graduates with a plan—Enrolled, Employed, or Enlisted (3Es).

Great things are happening in the Coos Bay School District! If you or your child needs support, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your school or the district office. We are here to help and partner with you to ensure every student has the resources they need to succeed. Thank you for your partnership and commitment to our students and community. If you have any questions or would like to connect about the topics above, don't hesitate to contact me at (541) 267-3104.

One Compass—One Goal—One Mission,

Dr. Justin Ainsworth

Superintendent
Coos Bay School District

1/31: NO SCHOOL - GRADING DAY

2/17: NO SCHOOL - HOLIDAY BREAK

3/24-3/28: NO SCHOOL - SPRING BREAK

The Coos Bay School District is seeking dedicated and enthusiastic substitute teachers to support our schools. Substitute teaching is a rewarding opportunity to make a positive impact on students’ lives while enjoying a flexible schedule. The daily rate for substitute teachers is $220 per day. If you are interested in joining our team and/or know someone who is interested in being a substitute teacher, please contact our Human Resources department at (541) 267-3104 for more information. We’d love to have you as part of the CBSD community!

The Safe Oregon hotline is a confidential and anonymous service designed to help students, parents, school staff, and community members report safety concerns, including bullying, threats of violence, drugs, and self-harm. Available 24/7, the hotline allows users to submit tips via phone, text, email, web form, or mobile app. By providing a secure way to report issues, Safe Oregon aims to create a safer school environment and empower individuals to speak out and prevent potential harm.