Narrowing down at the end of the school year, Port Townsend School District Superintendent Dr. Linda Rosenbury reflected on the current state of the schools.

“In general when I walk into the schools it's a good environment. Students are thriving.

Knowledge Bowl just won 1st place for a second year in a row. The theater just did a Shakespeare play, and there’s a general feeling of learning happening. But there are some students who are struggling right now.”

As described by Dr. Rosenbury, the 2016 election had a huge impact on the climate at schools. “When our society is divided, and people feel permission to name-call and threaten others, it impacts the schools. We work hard to build connections and be a hub to where the community can have open conversations.”

One of the district's steps forward is a partnership with the local organization Jefferson County Immigrant Rights Advocates (JCIRA) which advocates for better support for immigrants in the school district. JCIRA has helped translate important information into Spanish and presents at the district's annual equity conference to raise awareness about language access policies. Also through the conference, staff have the opportunity to choose and attend workshops on topics such as tribal sovereignty and supporting marginalized student groups, among others.

Dr. Rosenbury added that the district has newly appointed a community liaison, Kai Wallin. In that role, Wallin is supporting the schools by implementing their Language Access Plan to provide interpretation and translation for families.

Schools are also seeing a rise in chronic absenteeism, and Port Townsend has one of the highest rates of absenteeism in the state. While reasons for this aren't clearly defined yet, Dr. Rosenbury says the district is trying to address this problem by meeting with families and emphasizing the importance of attendance.

In addition to addressing social issues, the district is focused on improving academic outcomes for students. This includes implementing a new literacy and social studies

curriculum to provide rigorous lessons for all students. Teachers are also working to give students more choices in their learning, as studies show that allowing students to have a say in their education can lead to increased engagement and attendance.

The district’s next equity conference will be held August 29. For more information email kwallin@ptschools.org.