June 6, 2021

Dear Danielle,

Congratulations to parents, educators, and especially students, for your stamina and perseverance in reaching the end of a challenging academic year! Special well-wishes to all the graduating seniors and their parents, as you have much to be proud of!

This past month IDA-Oregon presented about dyslexia and effective instruction to:

• Camas School District,
• Lake Oswego's Spirit of Unity Equity Summit, and to
• Warner Pacific University.

Internally, board members continued our work together in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. We also were proud to launch our first Arts & Minds event celebrating the inspiring, poignant work of Krista Weltner, Lydia Hess, and Lida Winfield. 

As you head into summer, I highly recommend adding Jared Blank's Running The Distance to your summer reading list, it is a perfect read to celebrate overcoming challenges and recognizing the resulting opportunities that come from those challenges.  

Thank you for your support of IDA-Oregon and for dyslexic students and adults everywhere! 

Wishing everyone a happy and restorative summer break.

Danielle Thompson

President

Soren McKenzie

I am 17 and turning 18 very soon and I love animals! Ever since I was a kid I have had a soft spot for them in my heart. I want to become a Vet Tech/Veterinarian and I am planning on going to a college called Penn Foster next year.

Ella Stephens

I am graduating from Canby High school and I will be attending Snow college in the fall as well as dancing on their dance team as a Badgerette! I’ve loved dancing my whole life and doing activities such as youth groups, outdoor hikes and spending time with family and friends.

The IDA Conference, a hybrid experience, is a source of information for anyone affected by dyslexia and other learning based challenges. There is no better time for us to band together over the most relevant and innovative content in the field of literacy, expand your existing network, and gain fresh tools you need to transform the lives of those with dyslexia.

ELIGIBILITY: Educators & Administrators at all levels may apply, with classroom teachers especially desirable. Also Pre-Service Teachers currently registered as students!

NOTE: Applicants must live or work within the geographically defined boundaries of the Oregon Branch, including the southwest Washington counties of Pacific, Wahkiakum, Cowlitz, Clark, Skamania and Klickitat.

TEACHERS: If you are a teacher at the following institutions, you may use your IDA Institutional Member #.

• Lake Oswego Public Schools, contact Jennifer Schiele
• Portland Public Schools, contact Gretchen Schlag
• Redmond School District, contact Holly Hennessey
• Park Academy, contact Elizabeth Dove
• University of Portland, contact John Watzke
• Vancouver Public Schools, contact Melissa Wolfe
• Battle Ground Public Schools, contact Lynette Middleton
• Others…Check with your school for more information and/or request to become an IDA Institutional Member

Scholarship Type:  Full Virtual Early Bird Member Rate Registration

Are you interested in finding free information about Structured Literacy, Dyslexia Screening, Morphology, Assistive Technology, and much, much more?

The Digital Dyslexia library has dozens of FREE resources available to the public! Simply log in to dyslexialibrary.org where you'll find a Help Center, FAQ, a Chat feature, and topic resources.

In addition, IDA members who have a premium individual membership can access a discounted monthly subscription rate to IDA TV. You can sign up for IDA TV for $2.99/month, which is $5 off of the non-member monthly subscription fee.

Subscribe to IDA TV today for full access to premium educational content for your professional development. Each month IDA will release full-length videos featuring leading experts in reading and dyslexia and addressing the critical needs of professionals and families. Click here to subscribe at the member rate.

We're also excited to share a new IDA Member Portal with you! As an IDA Member, you have access to the latest information to ensure that you're equipped to teach, support, and advocate for individuals who have reading difficulties. By logging into the new IDA Member Portal, you'll be able to access information about your account, conference, and more.

IDA-Oregon has joined with a growing number of community partners in a call to Action for Equity in Literacy in Oregon.

"Thanks to all of you who have already reached out to your legislators regarding House Majority Leader Barbara Smith Warner's budget request to use American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to offer comprehensive Science of Reading training to all K-5 teachers at Oregon's most struggling schools (CSI/TSI) in the foundations of reading.

WE HAVE A NEW URGENT ASK!!! Please reach out to members of the Joint Committee On Ways and Means Subcommittee On Education and Governor Brown to encourage them to support this use of ARPA funds to immediately address Oregon's educational disparities. Research proves that almost any child can learn to read given the right instruction, yet even before the pandemic, over half of our 3rd graders - and more than 70 percent of our Black, Indigenous, and other 3rd graders of color - weren't reading at benchmark levels."

Thank you for taking action today to help Oregon's teachers, families, and learners!

#UntilEveryoneCanRead

We are so grateful for the many hours and the dedication you have put into sharing your stories as part of our IDA branch outreach. Thank you for being leaders and inspiring younger members of the Student Empowerment Group to follow in your footsteps.

Go well into your next pursuits and adventures!

Thank you for everything that you do, and have a safe and enjoyable summer!