I drove out of my way, then stopped and gazed across the street. Dust billowing and lingering as the machines move debris. I could see the bleachers that were once blocked in view by the old pillars, bricks, and mortar of the old high school building. I paused just for a moment, sighed and drove on. We only just moved to Owatonna in 2016 but my son was the 100th graduating class and my daughter was the last graduating class from the 1921 building. Memories…sigh. I read again the post I wrote on April 25, 2023, The Old and the Beautiful, scroll to the bottom of the page in this link if you’d like to read it: https://elizabethforowatonnaschools.com/blog/page/3/. (Thank you, God, that my life and my eternal hope are not in the things of this world.)
So, we move on.
At the last school board meeting, a new Library Materials Policy was introduced. This is a brand-new policy written by our policy committee board members and based off the model policy shared with us by the Minnesota School Board Association. This policy differentiates library materials from curriculum. In addition to the policy, there is a form for Resource Reconsideration. You can view the policy and the form through a link on the district website, School Board Meeting Agenda, under VIII.A.2. Policy Revisions (First Reading): https://meetings.boardbook.org/Public/Agenda/1055?meeting=618760https://meetings.boardbook.org/Public/Agenda/1055?meeting=618760 We will be discussing this policy at our next work session on 2/12/24 and then I suspect we will have a second reading and vote on the policy at the Regular Meeting on 2/26/24. While there is no public forum at the work session meetings, there will be a public forum at the next Regular Meeting for anyone to provide input. Also, one can email the school board members if you have feedback, concerns or questions. Please feel free to email me directly: ehedlund@isd761.org.
I was able to participate in the first of many school tours scheduled for a small group of school board members with Superintendent Elstad and the school principal. We met at McKinley Elementary last week and principal Kiel gave us a tour of the school, while discussing various programs and creative uses of space. He informed us of the many important support staff roles benefitting the school daily. The Teaching and Learning Coach was introduced as an invaluable aid to our teachers and staff. The Student Support Specialist and School Counselor mainly provide proactive means to help students with healthy behaviors and to prevent dysregulation with classroom disruption. The social worker and behavior interventionist are also present and mainly work in the reactive way, to help students that are dysregulated and acting out. The school has a Relaxation Room where students work through a list of calming techniques so that they can go back to class ready to learn and are less likely to disrupt others. I loved the good things that I saw at McKinley that day and even told Mr. Kiel that I wanted to work there!
I’ll admit that all of these roles seem important, and the learning environment seems to benefit from everyone working together, but on the other hand, this is a lot of staff. My mind wanders to thinking about where we live, which is not urban city life or downtown Chicago where crime rates are high. So why does Owatonna need all this extra help in the schools? We are told that mental health issues have gone up significantly, in parents and children. In addition, the rate of Autism Spectrum Disorders is now estimated to be as high as 1 in 36 children, and climbing. As a medical practitioner, I have my own theories about childhood development, autism spectrum disorders, and mental health issues. For now, though, if this is what we need to help our students be successful and learn, then this is where we are. In follow up, I’m asking myself:
- How long have we had all the additional support staff?
- How long will it take to see the measurable benefits of all of this? Are teachers seeing the benefits of these interventions now?
- How much Social Emotional Learning activities are we doing and how much are they taking away from core academics? Has this negatively affected proficiency in math and reading or is it helping?
- If we don’t see progress in academics or improved behaviors, then what?
Ponder these things, sigh if it helps, and please let me know if you have any feedback or questions. Take care everyone.
Elizabeth for Owatonna Schools 