From the Superintendent
Our mission is to improve student outcomes with excellence, equity, and efficiency. Implement best practices for educators gleaned from investigation, innovation, and incubation of ideas and efforts from the public and private sectors.Feeling Uncertain about the Future? This Framework Can Help
An Interview with Nick Kaasa, Self-Advocacy Consultant Making decisions can be difficult. Whether the problem is large (should I buy a car?) or small (what should I cook for dinner?) working out the best choice can feel overwhelming. Sometimes there are too many...
Start the New Year Strong and Hopeful
5 resources for support in 2021 One thing we can all agree on is that 2020 was a tough year. Between virtual learning, social distancing, risks of getting sick, and losing job opportunities, many transition students and their families experienced setbacks and...
Five Ways to Make Virtual Meetings More Meaningful
This holiday season, let’s be grateful for technology For most of us, this has been a year of challenges—and a year of finding silver linings, too. One challenge has been learning to communicate through screens instead of in-person. That process was often frustrating...
Success Story: Focus on the Future, with Nick Linn
When Nick Linn signed up for the Digital Photography and Yearbook classes as a high school student, he didn’t know they would make such an impact on his life. He learned about cameras and how to use different functions, and he also learned that he really enjoyed...
Preparing for Emergencies: Don’t Be Stressed – Be Ready!
When is the right time to prepare for an emergency? The best answer is to be ready before the emergency takes place. This summer’s wildfires reminded us how important it is to be ready for an emergency. Living under smokey skies and watching the news was scary and...
Are You a Transit-Smart Transition Student?
How well do you know our transit system in Central Oregon? Take our quiz and find out! Jobs, Internships, college classes…these are exciting opportunities for transition students! For many young adults with disabilities, learning to use public transportation is a key...
Former students can request records
Former students who were served by the High Desert Education Service District may request their records. Records will remain confidentially filed until the age of 26 for Central Oregon Regional Program and until the age of 22 for Early Intervention/Early Childhood...
Having a ball with virtual speech therapy
"George Cocores and Alicia Fox, with the Early Intervention Evaluation Team, spent some time with our grandson for speech concerns back in July. Due to COVID, the entire evaluation was virtual. When they determined Henry could benefit from speech therapy, I wondered...
Success Story: Staying on the BrightSide, with Luke Johnson
Every work experience helps students figure out what kind of employment could be a good fit for them—whether its job shadowing, interning, volunteering. Just ask Luke Johnson, who has recently returned to a volunteer work experience that was interrupted by the COVID...
Central Oregon rallies around families to address pandemic school aged child care crisis
September 22, 2020 Central Oregon rallies around families to address pandemic school aged child care crisis Regional partners identify short-term school aged child care solution, Better Together secures initial $750,000 Rapid response to support local families In a...
Transition Students: Are you ready to VOTE this November?
Five FAQs about voting in Oregon What makes this year’s election so special for transition students? For most students in Central Oregon’s transition programs and coops, this will be their first chance to vote in a national election. Most of our students range from 18...
Success Story: Persistence is the key to Independence, with Julio Buendia
Julio Buendia has some good advice for students who are working on job skills: Be persistent and keep trying. It’s a mindset that has worked for him this summer, as he successfully finished his junior year at Sisters High School and began a new job working at Home...
Success story: Balancing work and school, with Vince Rosiello
At age 15, Vince Rosiello is still too young to drive. He is, however, old enough to hold two jobs and be a full-time student. This past year, he successfully finished his freshman year at Sisters High School in the transition program, and he’ll be back as a sophomore...
Person-Centered Planning During a Pandemic
Every transition student is unique. They have different strengths, interests, and talents, and different challenges too. And like most young adults, they spend a lot of time thinking about their future. What kind of job would they enjoy? How will they get around town?...
Time for Mindfulness: Four Ways to Lower Stress and Stay Calm
Life can be stressful in the best of times. These days, families have even more challenges as they stay at home, studying and working together. Students miss their friends and teachers, many jobs and internships are on hold, and the future seems unpredictable. The new...
Educators must have an unwavering stance on racism and equity
On behalf of the children and families who look to us for partnership and support, we stand in solidarity with our communities of color. This is a time for us to show courage and to raise our voices against injustice and stand up for the children and families we serve.
Open Board Positions
High Desert Education Service District (HDESD) is seeking candidates interested in filling two appointed board positions. Applicants will be interviewed by the five elected board members and appointed to take office July 21, 2020, for a four year term ending June 30,...
Assistive Technologies Help Transition Students Succeed
Three Helpful Apps for Transition Students, from an Assistive Technology Specialist Wendy Burkhardt has high expectations for her students. “It’s important to believe that a student is capable. When we start with that expectation, that they can do a certain task even...