Political campaigns and elections are opportunities to teach our students about democracy, government, voting, and what it means to participate in the democratic process in the United States. At the same time, it is important for educators to not only recognize, but address the divisiveness of the current election season, the socio-political context of race and justice in the historic and present-day United States, and the impact the 2020 elections will have on many of our students.

COSA is pleased to announce that Parasa Chanramy (pronounced PAR-UH-SUH CHAN-RA-MEE) will be joining COSA as Legislative Director on August 17th.  She will team with Morgan Allen, COSA Deputy Executive Director of Policy and Advocacy, to represent Oregon’s school and district leaders in the Capitol.  

SALEM, Ore. – Matt Thatcher, Principal at Cascade High School in Turner, OR, since 2007, has been named the Oregon High School Principal of the Year by the Oregon Association of Secondary School Administrators (OASSA) and the Coalition of Oregon School Administrators (COSA). Thatcher is now in the running for the National High School Principal of the Year Award from the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).

Thatcher has served Cascade High school for over 17 years, including as Athletic Director for six years prior to being named Principal.

SALEM, Ore. – Lisa Longoria, Principal of Ontario Middle School, has been named Oregon’s 2020 Middle School Principal of the Year. Longoria was selected by the Oregon Association of Secondary School Administrators (OASSA).

Longoria began her administrative career as an associate principal at Ontario Middle School (OMS) in 2012. The following year, as she became principal, OMS was on the verge of being designated as a school in need of improvement.  Longoria made it her mission to turn the school around.