Washougal School District to host national group

The Washougal School District will host a group of School Superintendent Association (AASA) members on Monday, March 27, and Tuesday, March 28.

AASA chose Washougal as a “site visit” host for its Innovative Districts Empowering All Learners (IDEAL) cohort, which “works collaboratively to research, inspire, empower, and amplify educators’ work to create student-centered, future leaning, equity focused education,” according to the organization’s website.

“(The visiting group) is made up of people who are planning to become superintendents, as well as those who are already serving as superintendents, from around the country,” Washougal School District director of communications and technology Les Brown told the Post-Record. “We’re excited to be sharing some of the innovative programs here in Washougal, including our culinary program featuring scratch made meals, career and technical education programs, (our) dual language program and the transitional kindergarten program.”

The ASSA selected the Washougal School District as one of 13 “lighthouse districts” in 2022, recognizing its efforts to incorporate student voice in learning activities and decision-making, use technology to enhance learning and listen to its community’s needs.

The Washougal School District joined more than than 120 other school systems in AASA’s Learning 2025 network of “forward-leaning, urban, suburban and rural school districts engaged in learning, networking and working together to help drive education policy and ultimately improve student learning.”

“One of the components of the Lighthouse 2025 program is that there are cohorts, or groups of educators (from around the country), that get together and talk about specific concepts,” Washougal School District Superintendent Mary Templeton said during the Washougal School Board’s workshop session on Tuesday, March 14. “It’s an honor to be part of a group (of educators) from across the United States that is working towards some of the same things that Washougal School District is working towards. As I’ve had the opportunity to talk to folks at a national level, I have lauded the Washougal School District as an educational destination and (the things that) make it a destination.”