Jada Rupley, Director of Oregon’s Early Learning Division
A visit with some great staff and a quality provider in Redmond

Photo 1 – (left to right) – Amy Ibarra, licensing specialist; Henry Oliva, regional manager; and Brian Gerold, licensing specialist.
Photo 2 – (left to right) – Amy Ibarra, licensing specialist; Kristin Homan, Owner/Director of Evergreen Academy; and Henry Oliva, regional manager.

It was a beautiful day to drop in at the Evergreen Academy this week to meet the owner, Kristin Homan, and a few of the ELD staff who work in the area, Henry Oliva, regional manager, and licensing specialists, Amy Ybarra and Brian Gerold.

It really helps to actually walk through these quality facilities and experience the services they’re providing to the children. Reports and statistics are great but to see it all in person brings a new personal meaning to all the work ELD staff has been doing.

Evergreen Academy is currently rated as one of the more than 350 QRIS Committed to Quality programs in Oregon. With the support and resources being offered to this group, they can qualify for a star-rated designation. All of the programs will offer their communities excellent services but more stars simply means a more diverse menu of programs and staff qualifications.

For me, it was a real pleasure to witness the great relationship between a program like Evergreen Academy and the ELD. It shows the progress being made in this new period of improvement and organization. It made me proud to see their commitment to quality and to receive good feedback on our process from the busy providers working with our children.

During the next few months, I’ll be making more visits to programs and ELD offices around Oregon. I’ll be sharing the stories of accomplishments and challenges, and the people that make it all work.

I hope you enjoy the ride.

Jada