The first full week of March is designated as Classified Employee Appreciation Week. At Clackamas ESD alone, we have more than 60 types of classified jobs. These are people who touch every corner of our agency’s work and the districts we support, from providing hands-on help to teachers, children and families, to filling endless behind-the-scenes roles to keep buildings and teams safe, cared for and high-functioning.
This Classified Employee Appreciation Week, we’re highlighting five of our more than 270 classified staff members and contractors, to provide a peek into the diverse ways this large group of employees lives our mission of service. We appreciate our entire classified team and the meaningful work they do.
Mirla Cobb is an enrollment and recruitment specialist for Clackamas Education Service District’s Head Start to Success program. Quality preschool builds a strong foundation for a child’s educational journey, but tuition can be costly, making it out of reach for many families. Clackamas ESD’s Head Start program provides free, culturally responsive preschool for young children experiencing poverty. One of the first people families applying for our Head Start program talk to is Mirla.
As a publicly funded program, Head Start has specific eligibility criteria. Mirla spends time with each family who applies, learning their family story to determine their eligibility and walking them through collecting income verification and other necessary documents for their application. In addition to reviewing applications and interviewing families, Mirla attends community events to share information about Head Start to Success and encourage families to apply.
“You learn so much about the families in these conversations,” Mirla says. “Every family is so different. Their circumstances are different, and they have different needs. You hear really sad, terrible stories sometimes. But you also get really good stories, like applicants who have put all their children through Head Start and have had such good experiences.”
In addition to managing Head Start’s enrollment and recruitment, Mirla organizes the monthly Head Start to Success policy council meetings, an opportunity for parents to weigh in on policies, give feedback, and share concerns, giving them a voice in their child’s education. Our Head Start to Success program staff works hard to reduce barriers to participation, offering free dinner, onsite childcare, and Spanish, Chinese and Russian interpreters at each in-person meeting.
“Our meetings used to be teeny tiny. Sometimes, we wouldn’t have anybody show up. Throughout the years, I’ve put a lot of time and effort into getting more parents to participate, and last year, our first in-person meeting after COVID had over 40 parents attend, which is huge!” Mirla beams.
In a recent policy council meeting, some parents raised concerns that one of the school buses providing the students’ transportation was inconsistent, sometimes arriving very late and other times long before the scheduled time.
“It was all news to us,” Mirla explains. “Even though Head Start doesn’t run the buses, we were able to talk to our community partners who do and give voice to what the parents were saying, and the problem was resolved.”
Perhaps most impactful is the Head Start to Success policy council’s influence over the program’s selection criteria. Last year, the council voted to give families with refugee status priority admission.
Mirla joined Clackamas ESD in 2012 after working for regional schools as an educational assistant, interpreter, and Hispanic community liaison. Initially attracted to the job with Head Start to Success because of the short commute, she fell in love with how the Head Start to Success program empowers families to take an active role in their children’s education.
“I love the family engagement part of Head Start,” Mirla shares. “The more participation from families, the better. Their experience being included in Head Start’s policy-making helps them feel comfortable speaking out and advocating for their child. So once they go on to elementary school, they’re comfortable attending a PTA meeting. For me, that’s a big win.”
