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Deputy Superintendent Olga Cobb announces Jan. 28–30, 2026 literacy training days for Salem‑Keizer PreK–5 staff
Summary
Salem‑Keizer SD 24J will designate Jan. 28–30, 2026 as professional development days focused on early literacy for PreK–grade 5 staff; the announcement follows a 2024 state assessment that showed 24% of third graders reading at grade level and affects about 1,000 students.
Olga Cobb, the district's deputy superintendent for elementary instruction, announced that Salem‑Keizer SD 24J will hold literacy-focused professional development on Jan. 28–30, 2026, and that students in prekindergarten through fifth grade will not attend school on those days.
Cobb cited the district's February report on reading and a 2024 state assessment that she said showed only "24 por 100" — 24 of 100 third-grade students — were reading at grade level. "Nuestros resultados actuales de lectura son preocupantes y nos generan un sentido de urgencia," she said.
The training is intended for prekindergarten and elementary teachers, instructional assistants and specialists and is described as high-quality instruction coaching that will give staff "estrategias y habilidades comprobadas" to improve student outcomes. Cobb said middle and high schools will hold regular sessions during the Jan. 28–30 period.
Cobb framed the work as part of the district's broader strategy on literacy, noting the effort aligns with the district's strategic plan mentioned in the remarks as "Clive Intogether" (translated in Spanish as "vamos a escalar juntos") and said the plan focuses on improving third-grade literacy. She acknowledged the schedule change's impact on families and said the decision was not taken lightly.
Cobb said the effort will reach every primary-level staff member and affect roughly 1,000 students the district serves daily. "Ser un buen lector es un derecho humano fundamental y queremos que todos nuestros estudiantes sean lectores exitosos," she said, urging parents, teachers and the community to work together toward the goal.
The announcement was delivered by district administration; Cobb introduced Marilyn Ellis and Jeff Javin as leaders of employee unions but did not record a board vote or any formal motion during these remarks. The district did not specify funding sources or which vendors or coaches will provide the training.
