Superintendent's Corner

Volume 1, No. 6 January 3, 2024

Dear CBSD Staff,

Happy New Year! As we begin 2025, I want to take a moment to reflect on all that we’ve accomplished together over the past several months. From August to December, your unwavering dedication to our students and community has been inspiring.

Professionalism and Resilience

Your professionalism and resilience were evident during challenging moments such as the water line break at Millicoma, the power outage, and the tsunami evacuation. In the face of these obstacles, you demonstrated grace under pressure, keeping students at the center of your efforts and ensuring their safety and well-being. As Carla Delgado at Millicoma Elementary so aptly said during one of these moments, "We can do hard things!" Thank you for exemplifying this spirit and for your steadfast commitment to our mission during these trying times.

Support Staff

I also want to take a moment to highlight the invaluable contributions of our support staff, who are the backbone of our district. From bus drivers and custodians to nutrition services staff, educational assistants, secretaries, and district office teams, each of you plays a vital role in ensuring our schools operate smoothly and our students are cared for. Without your hard work and dedication, we could not fulfill our mission. Whether it’s transporting students safely, maintaining clean and welcoming schools, preparing nutritious meals, supporting classroom instruction, or managing critical administrative tasks, your efforts are critical to our shared success. Thank you for everything you do to make Coos Bay School District a place where students thrive.

District Initiatives

I also want to express my gratitude for your dedication to advancing the district’s initiatives. These efforts, though challenging, are critical to ensuring our students receive the education they deserve. While we may not have reached the mountaintop yet, we are certainly on the right path. Our principals and assistant principals are leading with purpose, and staff across the district have risen to meet higher expectations. Together, we are making progress in areas that matter most for our students’ success.

Your work has been instrumental in advancing the following priorities:

• The Science of Reading: Ensuring all students develop critical literacy skills.
• 120 Minutes of Reading, Writing, and Discussion Daily: Strengthening comprehensive literacy and communication.
• Reestablishing Our PLC Culture: Deepening collaboration through early release Fridays.
• Proficiency-Based Grading: Providing clearer, more meaningful feedback on student learning.
• Using Student Data: Driving improvement through data-informed decisions.
• Teacher Collective Efficacy: Building a collaborative culture where educators believe in their collective power to make a difference.
• Talented and Gifted Program (TAG): Expanding opportunities for our gifted and talented students.
• MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports): Supporting every student academically, behaviorally, and socially.
• Advanced Placement and Dual College Credit Opportunities: Providing rigorous coursework that prepares students for postsecondary success.
• Increasing Math Rigor: Enrolling more students in advanced math courses to open doors to future opportunities.

This progress is a testament to your hard work, collaboration, and willingness to embrace change. I recognize the effort it takes to implement these initiatives while balancing the day-to-day challenges of your roles. Your dedication does not go unnoticed, and I am grateful for your continued commitment to our students and our shared vision.

As we move into 2025, let us remain focused on our mission: To know ALL students by name, strengths, and needs, and to ensure that ALL students graduate with a plan—Enrolled, Employed, or Enlisted (3Es). Together, we are making Coos Bay a place where every child can succeed.

Thank you for your exceptional work and for being part of this incredible team. I am honored to serve alongside you.

One Compass—One Goal—One Mission,

Dr. Justin Ainsworth
Superintendent, Coos Bay School District

This December, we embraced our Sprint goals with focus and determination. At the elementary level, our goals centered on improving attendance and increasing access to SuccessMaker (math). For secondary schools, we prioritized attendance and raising course passing rates. Our district wide goal is to increase average daily attendance to 90%, provide 60 minutes of SuccessMaker access a week to K-8 students, and reduce our F rate 10% >. Thanks to your hard work, we made significant strides in these areas, reflecting a collective commitment to our students’ success. We had several schools and grade levels make significant progress in improving attendance, access to SuccessMaker, and reducing course Fs. At the same time, our sprint goal data reminds us that we still have areas for growth. Let’s continue to build on this momentum as we strive to meet and exceed these goals, ensuring all students are supported on their path to achievement.