“…Eastside Pathways will have our school district’s support and we’ll be together shoulder to shoulder to make this happen for children. Because really that is what matters, there is nothing, there is nothing more important to any community than educating its children…” -Dr. Tim Mills
Earlier this month Eastside Pathways hosted a reception to introduce Bellevue School District’s new superintendent, Dr. Tim Mills, to the partnership. It was an intimate social gathering that provided an opportunity to catch up with old colleagues and meet new ones. More than 35 people attended including partners, Eastside Pathways board members, business roundtable members, community volunteers, and community members who participated in the values retreat in March.
Executive Director, Bill Henningsgaard, gave a brief update of Eastside Pathways’ work, as well as a glimpse into what is on the horizon. Four items he encouraged the audience to engage in were:
1) the Grade Level Reading initiative
2) the emerging initiative supporting youth 4th grade and up
3) the partner workshop series scheduled for September
4) Eastside Pathways’ board expansion effort.
Dr. Mills talked about his impressions of his first 20 days in the district. He shared that people really believe in this district, and that it has a history of doing great things but that it is not complacent. It wants to get better. He also recognized that the district cannot work alone in the job of educating children—it takes a concerted community effort. Dr. Mills is thrilled to see the commitment of community partners and the City and praised everyone’s focus on children and education. He talked about the importance of early intervention, early learning and the Eastside Pathways’ Grade Level Reading Challenge campaign dedicated to developing early literacy skills. In addition, Dr. Mills challenged us to not just close the achievement gap but to eliminate it. He believes we can do that here in Bellevue.
Click here to see his full presentation.
Written by Susan Sullivan, EP Board Member