The Future is Bright For Our Students and Our Community

The following is a letter from Roseburg Public Schools Superintendent Jared Cordon: I consider myself blessed to live and work in this incredible community. I have such respect, gratitude, and appreciation for this community, our families, our educators, and especially our kids. I often have community members ask me about “kids these days” and I am always excited to tell them about the amazing things I see our kids doing each and every day. Our future is bright! One of my goals as superintendent of Roseburg Public Schools is to help our community see all of the wonderful things students achieve each day both inside and outside our classrooms. Parents have front-row seats to their children’s growth and learning, but unless you have the opportunity to work or volunteer in our schools, many community members might feel disconnected or uninformed about what is happening in our schools. Why do I believe it’s important to connect our schools with the broader community? Because our schools belong to you. And our schools directly reflect this community’s values, standards, and hopes for the future. Many of you attended our schools. You chased one another around our playgrounds, ate lunches in our cafeterias, and played dodgeball in our gyms. You learned how to respect one another, make friends, solve problems, and treat others with kindness. You learned core skills in reading, writing, math and science. And you may have learned how to play the tuba, score a goal on the soccer field, raise livestock, or build a trailer. All of these things and more are being taught in our schools to this day. What’s not being taught in our schools has come as a surprise to some of our community members. We are not teaching critical race theory, pushing political agendas or advising students to distrust their parents. We are focused on ensuring our students graduate with the skills necessary to be successful in their next steps in life; whether that be attending a university, starting a business, enrolling in a trade school, entering the military, or a host of other options. We will also continue to prioritize family relationships and industry partnerships that benefit our children and our community. Our formula for student success has been relatively simple: Increased Opportunities + Increased Student Choice + Increased Rigor = Increased Student Engagement, Deeper and More Relevant Learning, and Increased Academic Achievement In 2021, Roseburg High School achieved its highest graduation rate on record, nearly 90%, and about 8 points higher than the state average. This is an accomplishment for our entire community. Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation circulating right now about the value of an Oregon diploma. While it is true that the Oregon Department of Education is reviewing state graduation requirements, Roseburg Public Schools continues to require that our high school students demonstrate proficiency in all core subjects by successfully earning at least 24 course credits and by-passing district-level assessments. Behind the scenes, we are working to align our teaching and learning practices to provide smoother, more comprehensive experiences for our students. We are partnering with local industry and higher education partners such as Umpqua Community College to illuminate pathways for students as they prepare for and find family-wage jobs. We are identifying strategies to strengthen our support and mental health services for students. And we are looking for ways to ensure that our facilities can meet the needs of our children and our community well into the future by asking voters to consider a bond measure this May. I am optimistic in the future for our children and for our community. Thank you for your ongoing support of our students, educators, and schools.