If we are serious about improving student outcomes—especially for students furthest from opportunity—then teacher excellence must be at the center of our work. 

Regional Educator Networks are the State’s best positioned tool for strengthening teaching and learning conditions at scale. They translate research into practice and create communities of like-role educators pushing each other to grow. Work happening through Oregon’s RENs increases the likelihood that effective teaching strategies and student supports reach our classrooms. 

Take what this student said about the Cascade Alliance for Equity, a student-led conference for educators that’s funded through the Northwest Regional Educator Network:

“I was frustrated with how my education was going but I decided instead of being frustrated I wanted to help improve the system,” says Kiera, a sophomore at Tigard High School. “The CAfE is the perfect opportunity for students to share their concerns and experiences directly to educators. Students leave heard and cared for and educators leave inspired and motivated. Continuing to do this experience is so important because it really allows students to share their voice in a powerful way.”  

Across the state, ten Regional Educator Networks are funding and coordinating strategic initiatives to improve teaching and learning. These efforts are targeted, evidence-based, and responsive to local needs.

In a recent presentation to our region’s coordinating body, we provided a summary of our current investments, the footprint of these projects and the student outcomes they are focused on influencing. 

But data and flowcharts only tell part of the story. To truly understand the impact of this work, you have to listen to the educators themselves—the teachers whose practice has improved, whose confidence has grown, and whose students are benefiting every day.

 

“There is a powerful synergy when youth come together to speak both from their personal experiences as well as share those experiences with adults,” says Andrew Gilford, principal at the International School of Beaverton.

“While adults frequently talk about the importance of student voice, it is rare that we create the opportunity. When students are presented with these opportunities, they will step up. For educators that attend the CAfE summit, there is something about listening to young people that engages us and limits some of the natural cynicism that many of us carry – it results in a less transactional and more open and collaborative environment.” 

At a moment when schools are navigating rising expectations and widening student needs, Regional Educator Networks are uniquely positioned to make a real and lasting difference. This is not an untested idea or a new initiative still finding its footing. It is an existing structure that should be nurtured and expanded to reach many more educators and students.

For new teachers, support needs are particularly profound – about 20% leave within three years of starting. Mentorship can have a big impact on reducing the rate of departure. Our Regional Educator Network provides professional learning to new teacher mentors, particularly those in rural settings or isolated roles such as Carissa Shrout, an elementary music teacher in the Hillsboro School District.

“Being a teacher is about sharing knowledge and it doesn't matter the age of the students,” Carissa says in a recent video interview. “So even though my mentees aren't my students, I still get to share information that I've gathered and I've learned…and even though I'm their mentor and they're my mentees, I still get a lot from the program, too.”

Despite all this, Regional Educator Networks are prioritized as a potential cut in the legislature.

This is what we stand to lose if we walk away from this important structure for school improvement: sustained support for teachers, proven pathways to better instruction, and a scalable strategy for improving student outcomes statewide. The cost of abandoning this work would not just be measured in budgets—but in classrooms and communities across our state.