Paul Verstraete (far left) with regional chronic absenteeism coordinators, Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction Colt Gill and other ODE partners at a kick-off meeting at Clackamas ESD.
Since August, Clackamas ESD has hosted the statewide coordinator for chronic absenteeism. Through a grant partnership with the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) and the Oregon Association of Education Service Districts (OAESD), Paul oversees nine regional coordinators who will work with school districts to help improve attendance rates statewide.
Q. In this role, what does a typical day look like for you from the time you wake up to the time you’re in bed?
A typical day starts with a cup of coffee, a bagel, and the news. My ride into work gets my second cup of coffee in me and a random podcast. One of my favorites is Reply All from Gimlet Media. Once I get to my desk it’s a review of my to do list, a quick check of emails, and then down to work. That work could mean checking in with the coordinators on their plans and initiatives in each of their regions, developing resources to share, or coordinating our work statewide with Terra Hernandez from ODE or Gary Peterson from OAESD.
Q. What’s the most influential lesson you’ve learned in your career?
The most influential lesson I have learned is that our kids are waiting for us to engage and that we need to meet them where they are rather than where we are or even where we wish they would be.
Q. What inspires you to get out of bed every morning?
Helping our kids build the world that they want/need rather than handing them the world that I had at their age.
Q. If you’re stranded on a desert island, what five items would you wish to have in your knapsack?
Aside from the obvious GPS beacon, survival kit, Star Trek transporter, or Iron Man suit . . . I’d go for a case of good coffee, the Dune or Foundation Series of books (I read them at least once or twice a year), the spice cabinet from my kitchen, Netflix, and the quilt from our bed that my wife made.
