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Toppenish School District superintendent Steve Myers has been selected to become the next superintendent of Educational Service District 105.

The ESD 105 Board of Directors on Friday morning selected Myers to lead the regional school service agency.  The Board will offer Myers a contract at its March 16 meeting, and Myers will assume his new duties on July 1.

Myers will assume the agency's leadership from Jane Gutting, who announced last November her plans to leave ESD 105 after 11 successful years leading the organization.

Myers, 61, has served as the superintendent of the Toppenish School District since 2003.  He joined the Toppenish School District in 1983 as a social studies teacher, then moved into administrative roles with the school district the following year.  He was the Toppenish High School assistant principal from 1984 to 1992, and its principal from 1992 to 2001, then served as the school district’s assistant superintendent from 2001 to 2003.

Myers has a nearly 39-year career in public education.  He began serving students as a teacher at the Boone Grove School District in Boone Grove, Indiana, initially as a fifth and sixth grade teacher during 1971-72, then as a high school social studies teacher there during 1972-75.  He then joined Cape Fear Academy in Wilmington, North Carolina, where he worked as an English teacher during 1976-82 then as an upper school director during 1982-83.

He obtained his B.A. degree in Social Studies in 1970 from Grace College in Indiana, and his master’s of science degree in education from Indiana University in 1974.

“I think Steve brings to us the ability to deal with all levels of achievement, and bring improvement to those students,” said ESD 105 Board of Directors chairman J.P. Enderby.  “He’s done a lot of really good things in Toppenish with early child development and has been successful in getting grant proposals in his district.  He’s addressed the legislature.  He knows them and they know him.”

As superintendent at Toppenish, Myers has facilitated the development of professional learning programs that have helped usher dramatic improvements in test scores and high school graduation rates at the 3,500-student district.  He helped create an in-district preschool cooperative in partnership with EPIC, Yakama Nation Head Start, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.  He also helped design and implement intervention processes for breakfast and homework clubs that have contributed to significant gains for students on state assessments.

During the time he has led Toppenish schools, the district has been honored by U.S. News and World Report as having one of the best high schools in the nation, by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for having the first elementary schools in the state to accomplish the National U.S. Healthier You Challenge, by McGraw Hill/SRA for having one of four elementary schools in the nation receiving its Excellence in Reading Award, and by Family Friendly Schools for implementing measures to engage families in student learning.  Toppenish schools were also selected by the Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction in recent years for its “Schools of Distinction” award.

“He brought the school that had many challenges up to the forefront in improving academic achievement over time,” said Enderby.

In addition to his work with Toppenish schools, Myers chairs the Toppenish Community Hospital Board, and has served on the Toppenish Mural Society Board, the Toppenish Food Bank Board, and the University of Washington/Heritage University Advisory Board for Yakima County Outreach.   Myers has worked regionally with other school district superintendents within the ESD 105 area in helping improve instructional capacity programs at schools, and at the state level has served on OSPI’s Superintendents Advisory Committee.

Myers was one of three finalists – all from Yakima County schools – to become the next superintendent of ESD 105.  The other two finalists were West Valley School District superintendent Peter Ansingh and Selah School District superintendent Steve Chestnut.

“It was really tough,” said Enderby.  “We had three really strong candidates, all really qualified, and they all interviewed well.”

Congratulations to the six local high school teams that will be moving on to statewide Knowledge Bowl competition following their strong performances at the ESD 105 Regional Knowledge Bowl!

Teams from 12 area high schools competed in this year’s regional meet, which was hosted by Toppenish High School on February 24.  The top finishers from each school division will advance to the State Knowledge Bowl competitions that will be held Saturday, March 27.  Kennewick will host the statewide matchups for class 2A, 3A, and 4A teams, while Spokane will host the state event for 1B, 2B, and 1A schools.

The local schools advancing to the State Knowledge Bowl are:
• Class 2B:
— ESD 105 Regional Champion: Riverside Christian (112 total points, the highest among all teams in the competition; 50 in written portion and 62 in oral rounds)
• Class 1A:
— ESD 105 Regional Champion: Cle Elum-Roslyn (70 total points; 31 in written portion and 39 in oral rounds)
• Class 2A:
— ESD 105 Regional Champion: Selah (91 total points; 45 in written portion and 46 in oral rounds)
— 2nd place: Ellensburg (84 total points; 54 in written portion and 30 in oral rounds)
• Class 3A:
— ESD 105 Regional Champion: West Valley (86 total points; 49 in written portion and 37 in oral rounds)
• Class 4A:
— ESD 105 Regional Champion: Davis.  Davis advanced to State in the 4A Regional competition that was held on Tuesday, February 23, at the First United Methodist Church in Kennewick.  Nine 4A teams competed in that Regional event.  State qualifiers at that event were Kennewick (109 points), Richland (105 points), Davis (99 points; 43 in written portion and 56 in oral rounds), and Hanford (92 points).  Davis also participated with the other ESD 105 schools at Toppenish on Feb. 24 and scored 88 points (44 in written portion and 44 in oral rounds).

Other participating teams at the ESD 105 Regional event were:
• Class 2B:  White Swan #1 (25 points; 21 written and 4 oral) and White Swan #2 (23 points; 21 written and 2 oral)
• Class 1A: Highland (36 points; 23 written and 13 oral)
• Class 2A schools:  Grandview (54 points; 34 written and 20 oral), Toppenish (52 points; 34 written and 18 oral), and Wapato (48 points; 33 written and 15 oral).
• Class 3A schools:  West Valley #2 (73 points; 45 written and 28 oral) and Sunnyside (41 points; 30 written and 11 oral).

In Knowledge Bowl, each school is allowed to field one team of up to six members in a competition that tests the students' knowledge in a broad range of areas.  The regional meet began with a written round, where team members worked together to solve a list of 60 multiple-choice problems.  Three oral rounds followed in which teams competed against one or two other schools in answering questions.

The winning teams from each division received individual medals and a group trophy, and all students in the competition received event pins.

This was the seventh year ESD 105 has hosted the regional meet.  The participating schools had competed in a series of monthly practice meets that began late last fall.

Congratulations to Joy Kaasa, a paraprofessional for the special education programs at the Wahluke School District in Mattawa, for being selected as Educational Service District 105’s first-ever Regional Classified School Employee of the Year!

The award is designed to recognize the excellent service that our state’s paraprofessionals, custodians, secretaries, cooks, payroll officers, and bus drivers provide to their schools.  Candidates are reviewed for their contributions in helping improve student achievement, their leadership and collaboration, and their overall outstanding work performance for their school community.

Kaasa joined the Wahluke School District as a paraprofessional in 2005, serving 2nd-8th grade special education students.  After beginning that role, she routinely began to seek the advice of counselors, principals, reading coaches, administrators, and veteran teachers in order to create more effective intervention strategies for the students she helped serve.  Her job with Wahluke led Kaasa to decide to pursue a career as a teacher, and last year she obtained a B.S. degree in interdisciplinary social sciences from Central Washington University.

Pictured:  Joy Kaasa receives her award from Wahluke Supt. Gary Greene

In her application materials for the regional award, Kaasa wrote:  “Special education appeals to me because I see a bit of myself in each child I serve.  Each day gives me a chance to impart a little vision into their lives and introduce the possibilities of ‘What if…?’

“To open the door of possibility for a student, to lead them to new discoveries and encourage them to do the hard things in order to reap the great rewards, these are truly enviable experiences!  To see the joy in a student’s face when they finally ‘get it’ after months or years of struggling in a subject, it’s like witnessing a miracle!  To put into the hands of a student the power to dream, to work hard and one day see the view from the top of the mountain – there is no feeling like it in the world.”

In her nomination letter supporting Kaasa for the award, Wahluke Special Services director Teresa Davison wrote:  “Joy has a wonderful rapport with students and teachers.  She cultivates team in whichever setting and building she has been assigned to.  Joy has a wealth of techniques that she employs in her instructional activities and is a great resource for our students.  Because of her skills and willingness to go beyond the typical duties and role of a paraeducator, she is recruited by teams of teachers for her insight into her students and help that she can provide to develop appropriate educational plans for them.”

Wahluke associate superintendent Heather Hastie-Ulery wrote: “Joy is our number one advocate for our special education students.  She has high expectations for the kids, and our kids consistently meet them.  She has the kids set goals and reflect, which is a very powerful technique.  The kids work hard for her because she respects them and provides a caring yet accountable environment.”

The new regional award is part of a revamping of the statewide Classified School Employee of the Year that is presented annually by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction in Olympia.  This year, OSPI had each of the state’s nine ESDs obtain applications from their service areas for the new regional awards.  Kaasa is now one of nine regional honorees from throughout the state who will vie for the statewide award, which OSPI is expected to formally present in late April.

Kaasa was chosen from among five nominees for the regional award.  A local selection committee reviewed application materials that were provided by employees representing the East Valley, Selah, Wahluke and Wapato school districts.

Congratulations to the eight students whose creative work will represent our region at this spring's statewide Superintendent’s High School Art Show hosted by OSPI at the Old Capitol Building in OIympia!  Their work was chosen as the standout entries from among the 124 pieces in this year's ESD 105 Regional High School Art Show.

The pieces in our 37th annual Regional Art Show were juried by Monique McFadden, Carmen Petersen, and Alyssa Skiles, local artists who are members of the new ESD 105 Arts Integration Mentoring Project in association with Allied Arts.  The winning entries were announced during show’s opening reception on Sunday, February 7, at the Allied Arts of Yakima Valley’s Peggy Lewis Gallery in Yakima.

The 2010 regional show of paintings, drawings, photography, and sculptures includes works by 113 students of 21 teachers from 17 regional high schools.  The high schools represented this year include:  Davis, East Valley, Eisenhower, Ellensburg, Goldendale, Grandview, Highland, Hope Academy, La Salle, Naches Valley, Riverside Christian, Royal, Selah, Toppenish, Wahluke, West Valley, and White Swan.  High school art teachers in the ESD 105 South Central Washington region were invited to submit up to seven pieces of their students’ art for this annual event.

The 37th annual Regional High School Art Show continues through February 21.  The public may view the exhibit at Allied ArtsCenter (5000 Lincoln Ave.) during regular hours Mondays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Saturday, February 13, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The statewide show will run April 6 through June 4 at the Old Capitol Building in Olympia, with an awards reception to be held May 21.  Awards of $200 cash purchases are expected to be given in 11 categories at this year’s event.

In addition to the eight winners advancing to the state show, one student received the ESD 105 Board Choice Award.  A ceramic sculpture titled "Envy is Blind" by Toppenish High School 12th grader Maribel Castellanos was selected to be purchased for a cash award of $200 by the ESD 105 Board of Directors and will join 21 other pieces in a collection of past years’ student art on permanent display at the ESD 105 Conference Center in Yakima.  Castellanos is a student of art teacher Laura Wise.

The Regional Show is sponsored by ESD 105, Allied Arts of Yakima Valley, and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction as a means to support arts education and provide a venue for student artists to showcase their works.

Regional Art Show winners
(entries advancing to OSPI State High School Art Show):

"In Contradiction" (digital imaging) Chelsea Meyer – Grandview HS Teacher: Mike Manship	"Dreaming a Country Romance" (photography) McKenzie Christensen – Royal HS Teacher: Michael Holmes	"Depression" (ceramic sculpture) Olivia Pratt – Royal HS Teacher: Michael Holmes
"Jayleen" (pen and ink) Jonathan Abarca – Wahluke HS Teacher: Vanessa Weaver	"Divine Adolescence" (graphite) Yoni Rodriguez – Toppenish HS Teacher: Laura Wise	"Uneven Jo" (colored pencils) Bree Dallman – Selah HS Teacher: Alan Pace
"Nemesis" (wire and plastercraft) Naiden Gonzalez– Eisenhower HS Teacher: Alan Matson	"Untainted" (ceramic sculpture) Carmen Selam – Toppenish HS Teacher: Laura Wise