The Oregon Department of Ed has finally stepped up and recently posted a half-time physical education and half-time health education specialist. The Healthy Kids Learn Better Coalition was going to make it one of their top priorities going into the next legislative session, but ODE beat us to it!

Hopefully that person, when hired will be able to advocate for the health and pe cadre that Oregon has worked so hard to sustain. I also hope that person recognizes that Oregon has TWO Centers for Disease Control and Prevention trainers… Margaret Bates who is a PECAT trainer (Physical Education Curriculum Analysis Tool) and myself, Jess Bogli who is a HECAT trainer (Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool). Both of us are sent around the country facilitating training sessions for states that ask CDC- DASH (Division of Adolescent School Health) for the training. I hope Oregon Dept of Ed and school districts recognize that they have two of these trainers and to tap into us while we are here!

Another Healthy Kids Learn Better (Oregon’s Coordinated School Health Program) Coalition ‘ask’ to Dept of Ed is a full time, state funded Coordinated School Health (CSH) Team Lead; not in the Student Learning and Partnership Office (for reasons obvious to those who know our system). DHS has a CSH team lead, Isabelle Barbour. It’s time for ODE to step up and begin that collaboration and partnership piece. It’s embarrassing that DHS has someone doing coordinated SCHOOL health work and ODE doesn’t…