Okay, here we go. Uh, good evening everyone and welcome. We are the Otana School Board. This is Monday the 27th of April, 5:30. I'm going to call this meeting to order. Andrea is going to give us an update on our attendance. >> Yes, we're missing Jolain tonight and it looks like both LOL and Aub are out tonight. >> All right. Very good. Let's start with
the pledge >> to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> First up tonight would be to approve the
agenda as presented. >> So moved. >> Second. >> We have a motion in a second. Is there any further discussion? >> Hearing none. All in favor with an I. >> I. Any opposed? >> That motion carries. Item four is mission moment. I'm going to turn things over to Dr. Champa. >> All right. Thank you. Uh tonight I'm
pleased to highlight an important partnership that is strengthening both our district and the future of the teaching profession here in Owatana. Our collaboration with Minnesota State University Mano. This partnership is grounded in a shared commitment to developing highquality educators and
supporting them through every stage of their careers. Together we have created grow your own pathways that encourage students and community members to pursue careers in education. Our teacher apprenticeship programs are creating hands-on supported routes into the profession, while our mentoring systems
ensure new educators receive the guidance they need to thrive. We also benefit from hosting student teachers who bring fresh perspectives into our classrooms while our current staff engage in ongoing professional development opportunities such as the summer institute. to share more about
this impactful work. It's my pleasure to introduce key leader in this partnership, Terry Pricer, who is the driving force between these initiatives. And I would just like to emphasize the driving force um at Mano. And we also have with us our local leader, Jen
Kazalik, who is our boots on the ground here. And I'd be remiss if I mentioned this and didn't mention director Chris Pika, who has been um instrumental in some of the grant writing. So with that, please come forward. Well, thank you, Dr. Champa, Chair
Sebring, members of the board, uh, Oatana School District. It's a real honor to be here in this role and capacity. I'm Terry Pricler, acting director for the center for educator partnerships and student support. And this is
>> I'm Jen Kazalik and I am teacher on special assignment here at Owatana and I help support our early career teachers here as mentor coordinator and then also our pre-ervice teachers um in partnership with Mano, those that are placed in the district student teaching.
>> Excellent. Well, Dr. Champa, you gave a really great overview. Thank you so much. I like Oh, well check. Um, but I will um add a little context. The Minnesota Educator Partnership really began way back in 1988
through legislative action on professional development sites. And in through that statute and legislative action, it was to bring together K12 school districts and higher education. And there were multiple of them in the state at that time. We are the only
professional development site partnership that has continued and sustained and thrived in the state of Minnesota. And quite frankly, we are a model across the state. Anytime that I'm presenting about the things we're doing, I have school districts and other teacher preparation um universities and
colleges asking how are you doing this? And it really truly is about a shared commitment into the re reimagining and the strengthening of K12 and higher ed because none of us can do it alone. Throughout the years um in 2008 we did
receive a national award for professional development and presented at national conferences across the nation. and between 2009 and now 2026 collectively have gained and been
awarded over 11,800,000 in grants and awards both at the state and national level. Within those grants, we've been able to fund mentorship training, AVID, grow your own,
concurrent enrollment, apprenticeship, and ongoing sustained work to developing leaders. At the core of the partnership is the TOSA and the grad fellow with Jen being your teacher on special assignment. And I have to tell you, you
have one of the best. She is uh she is thorough, she is caring, she's dedicated, and she's actionoriented. And you can't go wrong with any of those. This role is about communication, collaboration, placements, all of things to keep things going because that's how
you sustain things. And so, um, if you'd like to share a little bit about placements and numbers, that'd be great. So, one of my roles, um, I I get to go to Mano, um, about two, three times a month, um, and get to spend the day on
campus and have my own professional development as well, which is huge for my my growth as well. Um, but I get to uh, place our our early career teachers in different levels. Um, level one being their first experience right out of the, you know, they're in college, they're in
their methods courses, and they get that first experience to be in a classroom. Level two would be their second, three, and four. Level three and four would be their pre, like their student teaching experience, the field experience, getting their co-eing opportunities with teachers. And then that level four being
the final experience where they get to solo teach um kind of that gradual release of responsibility and get to try this for on their own. So there are different levels of experience that were that they're looking for and my my role is to find that perfect match that mentor teacher that can help support
them at that level. And so um my 20 this is year 26 in education for me but year 20 in the district. So my relationship with the staff here in Oatana has be become really important to get to know them as teachers, get to know them. um the admins behind me, I get to know them
through they know them the best and so really the rel relationships that I have with them as well is who would support this candidate the best. Um and so getting to know them through um Terry and getting to know them through the the um the professors right on campus too is
who can we connect them with to make that match the best one that they can have. Um and so so far this year um I have placed um quite a few candidates. I'm just going to share a few numbers with you so you know how many we've really supported here. Um, in Otana, we
have placed 26 um, elementary level one candidates. So, that was their very first experience coming in to see what teaching is like. This is where they get a chance to say, is this for me? Do I really want to do this? Um, but they do a lot of observation, a lot of just sit kind of
with students, kind of ask the questions, see what happens, look around the school, take note of what's happening in the classroom, in the lunchroom, when they go to PE, those transitions, what is a teacher's day in the life of a teacher really like, um, in the prep times, asking the teacher
questions. Um, you know, so not just teaching, but more just getting the questions answered. Uh, we didn't place any level twos this year. Um, so our numbers are a little bit lower than last year. We placed 48 level twos last year because they come in twos. Um, but we are sharing the love with Farbo and
Wasika this year because it is a heavy ask when you have that many mentor teachers saying yes, which Owatana public schools is amazing. We have amazing teachers and they always they never let me down. Um, they are they are very much excited to have them. Um, but it is like I took one last year, I took one last semester I wanted I want a
break and so we decided to to break that up. That's a huge ask. So level two is passed on to another district, couple districts this year. We will see them again um not not next year but the following year as we kind of cycle through. Level three is that experience where they're getting that first opportunity to co-e. So that means
teaching alongside a mentor teacher. So they're teaching with another experienced teacher and we had 20 of those this year. Six of them in elementary, 12 in secondary, and two in special education. And um in level four, that's the student
teaching experience where the gradually for it's a 16week placement uh gradual release of uh of um solo teaching on them in a minimum of two weeks in the classroom teaching on their own knowing they have the support if they need it,
but they're just a a step right outside the classroom. Um and we placed 14 this this seme or this year. 10 in elementary, one in secondary and three in special ed. These numbers are a little bit lower this year in secondary.
Last year we had Mary Hawkins as a second TOSSA in my in my role. So we had a shared um responsibility. She supervised our secondary candidates cuz she had the lensure. My lensure is K6. And so I can't supervise at that level. at level three is where I drop off
because I don't have the credentials to supervise a candidate at level four. So, there were less in the secondary um this year as last year, but um and then the 26 27 I'm already on a roll. We've got uh two elementary candidates placed and eight in level four. So, we're really
excited to see the numbers already starting for our next school year. Very exciting. Jen does a great job getting placements, but also then the following through. We graduate a little like this spring we will graduate over 300 teacher preparation candidates. We are the
largest in the state of Minnesota and we place 65 to 80% of our candidates in one of our seven partnership districts consistently. So you are having an influence on a large number of student uh teachers who are growing into the
profession. We also have created professional teaching part internships, summer institute, rising educators academy which is an experience for high school students to come onto campus for one a week in the summer to learn about being a teacher and also to do some um
career exploration within a summer school program. We have career fairs, the intro to ed course that you have here and a concurrent enrollment as part of the partnership. Avid tutors and then of course professional networks with superintendent and directors of teaching and learning and of course the
apprenticeship which is a whole topic onto itself which uh is incredible. Um I guess the key piece is that it is a cycle of growth. This is a workforce development initiative and being in this partnership but it's also a community
building. the number of candidates who come to one of our partner districts who say, "I never would have thought to apply there for a job, but now that I've been there, there isn't anywhere else I want to be." And because of the commitment that Owana Public Schools has
done to mentoring, supporting, sustaining with positions such as Jen's and with the leadership that you have, you have people who stay and that's what you're looking for, too. So grow them through those schools, grow them into
being educators or the careers of their choice, come back to the community, have the experiences, and then uh grow as professionals and grow their family and grow your community. So we really appreciate and value Owatana Public Schools as a partnership. You're one of
our very first partner districts and we hold true to that of celebrating you and thanking you and we're really hopeful that we can continue this on for the long term and personally Oatana is near and dear because I loved my time here as a principal um at Lincoln and across the
district. So, thank you for all you do. Any questions? I think just a comment Terry, you and I were talking beforehand and I've just heard about this program for years and years and years and it's really exciting and I'd love to hear all the details and the you know I can't help but the
numbers right and we know we've we've um received some great teachers as a result of the program. So just thank you so much for all your work and Chris I know Chris has been working on this a very long time. So >> yeah absolutely. So thank you so much. Yeah, I just a really quick follow-up
question. Yeah. >> From that um group of students that would be in their first year where they're just simply in their with in an observational role, >> what's the attrition rate from generally? What's the attrition rate from that first experience to those that
actually make their way into the profession? That is a great question and I don't have an exact number for you but I can tell you within special education and elementary education which are both like cohort models when they get to professional ed it's it's like a 90
plus% retention rate. We we we do not lose hardly any within uh those areas. Secondary programs is tougher to track because they also have all their content courses and their education courses. So they're in and out and so being able to
do some onetoone tracking of that. Um that is probably one where we have our most often where h that content professor has lured them into another career. So we're working hard to keep them going and that's why having our placements early within partner
districts with successful experiences is so important. Um, so the comments that Jen said about those numbers, we really want to bolster our secondary placements because, you know, the math and the science are just critical.
>> So, else Terry, welcome back to Otana. >> Thank you so much. >> Thank you. >> Okay, we're going to move on to item five, which would be public forum. Do we have any cards? No cards tonight. Um item six would be um just general
information in the enrollment report. Appeared as though there was only one cell um where we had um attendance just a bit above what we would like. Anybody any questions for Dr. Champa? >> Okay. Item seven. This is discussion only. No action required by us. First
would be board forum. Elizabeth, do you mind if I start down on your end? >> Uh sure. We have not had a finance committee meeting in quite a while. So I don't have anything else to share. >> Yeah, we haven't had a facilities meeting recently either. So I don't have
anything on that front either. >> And um facilities right has not met, but Tim and I had the benefit of a district curriculum advisory committee meeting this past week. And um I I was very very enthused by two things with regard to it. Um and not the least of which it'd
be the high school courses that are being made available to our high school students. Um, we just got robbed when we went to school because the the opportunities for the kids today and the just the expansive opportunities of really interesting stuff was so much fun
to hear about. And um, we had a little more insight into this new math curriculum and um, well, and I'd like to touch back on that just a little bit later if I can. >> Then I won't address it. >> It was very interesting. I'll say that much. Um
>> we want to know more. So you're doing >> he's going back to uh the the policy committee did meet. Um we have several a number of policies that are up for second reading which are really technical updates and not very interesting in terms of what changes were made. But we brought two uh that
are much more uh one is brand new with the AI policy and the other one is a fairly wholesale change to our equity policy because we wanted it to be um more in line with our strategic initiatives and better reflect the broad
nature of equity than what the old policy did have in it. So, um, if you want to talk again, >> um, I would just I I had the opportunity, I guess you could say, to work at after prom again this year. Um, so, and it's just good to see the kids
out having a good time. You know, it sounds like from everything that everybody said, it was a a good evening. And, um, we did have one glitch with after prom. The there was some miscommunication and the person that kind of runs the casino at night didn't show up. So we all went home and got our own porker sets and uh just uh and
turned it in and we got to use actually uh Corey Cath dollars. They had like some dollars that had Cory Cat's picture on them. So it was kind of kind of a a fun impro, you know, way to improvise. So but it was a good evening. >> Um yeah, I don't think I have anything other than you know that what uh Tim had
shared about policy. So I would just encourage you to take a look at those two new ones. The AI one in particular. I was grateful that Mike had done so much uh reduction and revision to get that in to kind of the core. >> It's it's half of what the model policy is, so we can all be grateful for what
Mike did, >> right? But anyway, first reading on those tonight, so there's plenty of time to read those before we need to take any action. >> All right. Yeah. Thank you. Um I'm going to go on to item number two here, which would be those policy revisions. Is there anything else that
you want to lift up or uh since it is a first reading, anybody have any questions for members of policy with regard to these two new policies, right? Um and item three would be that schoolboard work session report. um good a good coverage of um everything that
the teaching and learning staff had gone through with regard to um um notably the um the math curriculum and the introduction of how that's going about u which I found to be fascinating and then Tim as I had the benefit of an even
better um first look at it so it was pretty cool. Um I'm going to go on from this and we're going to go on to item B which would be the administrative report. I'm going to turn it over to Dr. Champo for the cadence of accountability. >> All right. So, as you look at the cadence in front of you, you can see we
continue to make forward progress uh looking at the strategic directions that the board has set. I'll use this opportunity to also just mention um that there's no real interest in reooking at our strategic plan. However, we are in our district leadership team uh really
looking at are there areas that maybe just need a little refresh or a little polishing. So that will um come back to you for suggestion. But a number of things as you can see in the administrative report there's a lot of things going on. Um specifically a couple of things I'll just point out the
organizational structure and efficiency. I would say um as we went through our budget reductions also just constantly looking at how might we be more efficient um as we put different positions in place and streamline things a little bit. So you have a a few
examples of that. And then um just legislatively, I'll point out the couple of things that were noted here. Our compensatory funding continues to be an area that we continue to look at. Um remember this year we are in a hold harmless. So because of the change in
universal meals, those applications, um families didn't fill them out. Now we have moved to a direct certification model. So for those who have MA billing, that type of thing. Um and for us that would change our revenue by $960,000.
So after just doing a major budget uh reduction, that is significant. However, what is currently being proposed is a semi hold harmless. Um and that would be funded at 83% of what our former funding was. So for us, that will be still a
loss, but a loss of 419,000. So stay tuned to that. Um we are making sure that our voice is heard legislatively along with many many other districts. Um one of the other things I just wanted to point out is the permanent school fund. So that has gained momentum and that
continues to move forward. So you'll likely see that on the ballot um coming in November. This has been the season of boundary exceptions. So, we have a lot of requests to um allow for students to attend a school that is not in their
home boundary. And I will just let you know that it's very rare that they are approved just because we're wanting to stay true to the work that you did um to redesign those boundaries. And so, you might hear a little bit of that. Um and
just today, we had our community ed survey launched. So, um, be looking for that and make sure that you fill that out. Anything else in here that you had questions about. >> Go ahead. >> Yes. So, is is there a theme in terms of
the um the boundary asks any whether it's keeping siblings in a group or anything in particular? >> A lot of times it's a move. So they have maybe moved and now are outside of that boundary where their children had gone to school and they have all the
relationships. And so that one we probably see most often is it's a move. And then the other thing that is not um if there is a boundary exception, we do not provide that transportation. So I think that's something too that's not
always thought about, but there is no theme as far as buildings or anything. It's evenly distributed. Good question. >> One other quick question. Um, how is how are staff responding to the cadence of accountability? Is that something that
is you're getting good feedback on or um things like why do we have to do this? No, they love it. No, I'm kidding. No, I think um most importantly, not only do you get to collectively see
where everyone is on the strategic directions, those goals. Thank you. Um but also as a building leader or a leader in the district, it's a reminder to me um monthly when I see oh that's right and where am I on those goals? And so I always appreciate not only the
numeric but um having the conversation about where goals are too or there's some too will say well next year I'm doing this one different and and so it's been a little bit of a learning process throughout. >> Um Dr. Dr. Champa, I it's interesting
you were talking about um funding and so on for meals. I noted the breakfast pilot >> at one of the elementary schools, which I was excited to hear about because I am just a firm believer in the value of that for those who need it. Um
where might that go in the future? Do you I mean do we anticipate implementing that? >> Yes. Um, and so they're just looking at how do they schedule it so it's less disruptive to the start of the teaching day. >> Okay.
>> And so they're moving that time a little bit. I think that has been a little bit of a conundrum for a few years as to when that is and we talk about the importance of every instructional minute and when you look at how many minutes that is over the course of the week. So
um, >> so have we been doing have we been providing I >> breakfast? Yes. >> Okay. >> Yep. But not >> it's the timing is >> it's kind of been a grab and go, right? And then the kids are eating in the classroom where this is going to be more to try and loved. >> Yeah, >> I get it. Okay. I appreciate that. Thank
you. >> Thanks. >> Anybody else? Any other questions? I I need to ask your permission and I >> completely unfairly totally unfairly asked Julie like two minutes before the meeting started if she wouldn't mind coming up because there are two things
that I want to address that u one of which showed up in your report and Julie if you want to just take a seat next to Tammy doesn't matter to me but one of the things that you had mentioned uh Tammy in your report was um just a quick
update on wit and wisdom and and I think It's good for the community to understand just how herculean a task it has been over the course of the last 18 months for the teaching staff to essentially take on a very very new and
very very different for the vast majority of our teachers how they teach reading. And if you can talk a little bit, just a little bit about what was involved with how they were refraraming how they teach reading and
it's early. I don't want to be too terribly optimistic yet, but can you talk a little bit about what you're beginning to see already? >> Well, I think your description that you just said um speaks volumes because anytime we have the ability to, we are thanking our teachers. the ask that has
been put upon them has been huge. However, um we believe that what has been done with instructional leadership and and the growth and development and you mentioned the staff development um the walk alongside our educators as they
implement and really working to support. I know Julie can speak to it um greater than I can. However, it has been uh it has been a heavy lift and we are greatly appreciative. And with that said, we're hearing evidence of what our teachers
are seeing now and that always makes it all worthwhile. Sorry, to sit up in this big wig chair here. Um I for without a doubt what you mentioned uh this was a pretty significant change for our teachers and I've been in
education for a long time uh with this is probably the biggest ask that has come upon the plates of our teachers uh especially at the elementary there were years ago when uh Wilson Elementary went through the reading first grant and received quite a bit of training with
that but that was one school um that made some changes and really that was a balanced literacy approach that was happening ing then. So they did a lot of um maybe small groupoup instruction, you know, with guided reading and and this has changed that. And there are some
pros and cons that go with that. But this really is um it is instruction from the moment they walk in to the moment that 60-minute block ends and then they have their 40 to 45 minutes of phonics or morphology work on top of that. So um
the phonics work has been in place now for this is our third year with functional phonics in K2 and this is our second year with the morphology work um in 35 and teachers notice a difference you know it's it's heavy emphasis on those um foundational skills with
reading that have to happen uh but the wit and wisdom uh which is a knowledgebased curriculum has been a a really big lift but also ex it's expanding the knowledge of what students are exposed to uh vocabulary topics, the
number of books, the the writing that has gone on with Wit and Wisdom is absolutely incredible. And I think if you would hear a common theme from our teachers, which we just had a meeting last Tuesday night with our uh language arts committee, that is one of the celebrations that they had. They they
did not think kids would do the writing. And now if you walk into a classroom um they're asked to to take out, you know, paper and they're going to respond to something, they'll get a full page in just not even they don't even bat an eye anymore. And we remember when we went to
St. James and watched this and we said, "Oh my gosh, they're writing three paragraph papers in third grade and then fourth grade is a four paragraph and fifth grade is a oh, I don't know how that's going to go." And they're there, right? Our kids are doing it. As a matter of fact, I took a picture, a
couple of pictures over at Lincoln Elementary when I was in a third grade classroom of the writing that students were doing while we were in the classroom. And I sent it to the eighth grade teachers and I said, "Check this out. This is what our third grade students are writing on their own. Full
paragraphs, full sentences, transitional words. Uh, it was really pretty amazing." And both of the teachers I sent it to responded with, "Holy cow, that's amazing." So, our teachers really have done a lot of work. And last Tuesday night at our last language arts meeting was a celebration. Um, we
brought treats for them and just really kind of lifted up all the positive things that they did um with the heavy lift that they have. And then we haven't even talked about those who also added the new math, you know, on top of it. >> Um, when Jeff was here, I heard him say
the same thing, Julie, that I've heard you say and Dr. Champ, I've heard you say both in in meeting settings and offline, and that is there's probably no one perfect end all beall method to teach kids how to read. But for those of us that grew
up learning to read phonetically, this is refreshing. It feels good to hear. And it's it's a little gobsmacking to think that we have teachers >> that needed to be introduced to this method of teaching, >> right? But it's it's really encouraging
to see some of these early results and the enthusiasm amongst your staff with regard to how they're delivering it as well. >> Right. We know that anytime you adopt a new resource, it it there's a learning curve and and it's going to take a little bit of time before we probably truly see all of the benefits of that.
But we really feel like we are headed in the right direction with the fanatics um with all of those basic skills and then on on top of it a knowledge building curriculum to go with it. We think we're going to see the the benefits of that in a lot of different ways whether it's
crosscurricular um social studies. So many of our social studies standards are now covered in witten wisdom. So we're doing a crosswalk with that to see where our holes are but really so much of it is embedded within that. even some of our science standards um are are within
there. So um and and students are sticking with books that they're with for like a month, two months, you know, really digging into it and we kind of thought they'd get bored of that and that has not been the case at all. So yeah, it we we are really energized by
it and I think the teachers will feel much better going into next year having a year under their belt and then they can fine-tune some of those um teaching skills that go with teaching this. Right now it's it's a manual with them and then we they talk about it when we did our training. That's their baby. Next
year it's kind of like their toddler, right? You might look at it and you and then eventually it's kind of like your teenager. You know, it's there and you're watching and you're supporting, but you don't have to have that guide with you all the time. So, we're looking forward to that
>> except when they terrify you by driving. >> You're staying away from that part. Can I ask a question that maybe ties in your specialty and then maybe Terry too, but with all of this professional development needed for wit and wisdom? How is that working with our you know
student teachers and our co-teers and training them or are they in charge of those components of the day or not? >> Well, so for like instance the read act training which all teachers have to have, right? So many of the universities are already doing that and we're getting
a list from the state that says, "Hey, if you have a graduate from this program, they've received the same training, you know, which is helpful, right? Because otherwise we have teachers who are um we have one teacher this next year who is going to do the Redact training on his own, right? He
came from a a school that didn't have it. We didn't have him do it in year one because we thought that was just a lot to take on being a brand new teacher and everything that comes with that." So he will start that program this summer. Um but many of our schools and our graduates now come in with that and I
think Mano is one that has stepped up with their you know their reading instruction. >> I I can speak from here. Um so there was a it was a little flipped in how the order went. It probably should have started through Pelsby which is what
guides the content standards for teacher preparation and then gone to MDE within K12 districts. But the statute went to K uh MDE first which is which is fine. just a really as you said huge heavy lift and financial and then uh so the
the Pelby which is licensing board as I said that guides our content of higher ed has done a crosswalk of the of Reedac with the standards that are required for literacy instruction through teacher
preparation and go through a complete audit of our curriculum to make sure that every single teacher prep program has the components necessary to align. And so this is the first fall that tells we began doing approval audits of uh the
instruction. And then we'll give a prof or PD waiver it's called by statute that if you graduate from a teacher preparation program that has met the Pelby standards that would be aligned with read. Now I will be very clear this
does not mean they've had letters training. It doesn't mean they've had the, you know, the individual um >> the programs that they had choices, >> but all of the aspects of the science of reading, all of the strategies, all those pieces have been crosswalked and must be a part of our teacher
preparation program. >> Excellent >> question. Good question. >> Any other questions on win wisdom? >> Maybe just a quick one, Julie, if you can just comment. I know you said we're several years um this has been rolling out or pieces of it. So what is the
highest level grade that a student in our district would have been exposed to some of this? I'm curious about sort of in those upper grades when we or teachers right might start to see some of the trickle down effect. Well, I think you know the functional phonics,
it'll take a little bit, right? Because they're just now, this is in our Yeah. K2 and we're in our third year of that. U morphology though, even last year's fifth graders got it for the first time. So, they're at sixth grade and um the teachers would say they can notice, you
know, some pieces of that that they understand um how words are formed and what some of the meanings are and and um some of the multi-elabic words. That is one of the biggest, you know, hurdles. Um, but it's going to take a little bit of time before like I think of the true
knowledge building and and all of that coming together because even this year's fifth graders, this was their first goound with it, exposure to it. So, I think of like this year's third graders and next year as fourth and fifth um and by the time they get to the middle school um and they're teaching writing.
It was interesting because one of the seventh grade teachers was like, "Well, we're working on writing a paragraph right now." And I'm like, "Oh, just wait." And and somebody said, "Well, what are they going to do then?" And I'm like, "Then they can fine-tune writing, right? They can make it better. They can work on um colorful language in in your
writing and and make it that much better." So, that is just a huge advantage, but it's going to take a few years before we truly see that. >> Yep. Thank you. >> Don't leave. >> I I won't because apparently I'm on again. I was just going to add too though that I mean I've been on a couple
tours and you know you like you said just what's the buzz you know amongst you know talking to teachers on the side things like that and I mean it just seems like you're we're seeing a lot of good things. I mean like to your point I mean I guess I you know you I see it just as a not not as a trained teacher just some of the things that you see and here and I think that that's just a
positive you know the positive work that everybody's put into it and the positive results of everybody working together cuz like even the collaboration here between schools and teacher at teacher levels and things like that things we haven't done in the past that >> and I think one of the things I think Dr. Champa alluded to it, but the professional development that has gone
along with it, whether it was the readact training, which was required, but even this year, we've been able to support the teachers with professional development on the extra days that you allowed us to build into our calendar. Otherwise, they don't have that time. Um, we've done this uh these
walkthroughs into classrooms and our instructional coaches and principles would say the best professional development they've ever had was that we have a person from Witten Wisdom that comes in. we go through classrooms, we talk about not what teachers are doing wrong or anything like that actually
like what should we be celebrating, what are the things that we should look for when we go into classrooms. It's been phenomenal from that standpoint as well. So yeah, there is a lot of buzz. There's a lot of exhaustion um but also a lot of positives. >> Anything else? Bidden wisdom. Okay, I
want to talk about math. >> Okay. um you know this whole time when you were pouring yourselves into the reading program and you sort of touched on and we have this new math thing too didn't
realize how big a lift the math thing was so Julie if you would two quick things super high level view super high >> the work that you and Wendy Wendy Aggermont >> Wendy >> did give the community a bird's eye view
of what was the process to land on this impro this different >> research >> approach to to teaching math? How did you get to this point? >> Right. So at an overview, you know, new
standards came down from the state and with that caused us to look at, you know, the resource that we have had in place. We've had that resource in place since 2000. So, we've had the same math resource for 25 years. And that math resource was really, really
teacherdriven. I'm going to demonstrate. I'm going to show you. You sit in your chair and, you know, hopefully you learn the math. And and they they did a lot of really good things with it. I'm not to say that. But the way this all changed was not only new math standards, but
also new math practices, how math should be taught. And we know there is always a little bit of a cyclical design to things. and we look at things a little bit differently, but um those practices really when we looked at the resource that we had did not align. And so Wendy
with the math team first a K12 team, you know, they created a math vision. What do we want math to look like in the Oatana public schools? And from there, then they started to look at those math practices. They looked at the three-legged stool about, you know, rigor and how we're teaching. And um
eventually they're still working on the standards, right? That's still a process that will happen through next year as well. But then started to look at what are some of the resources out that are out there that are high quality that really lead to more of a problembased math learning. And that's probably the
biggest switch instead of what we used to call the sage on the stage, the teacher just, you know, delivering and the te students listening. The new math that we have in place and we looked at three different resources. It was a year-long process of of visits as you
guys heard at the last board meeting and really digging into what does each one offer. Landed on a um a resource called illustrative math through imagine learning and problem based and those of you Tim and Mark were at the DCAC meeting the other night when we took
them through what does that look like in a classroom. So where you guys had the overview of how we got to that resource, we took them through what does that resource look like in the classroom and actually one of our teachers led um an activity with them and we had them all
spread out across the room and they were given a problem that they had to try to solve and it was a fairly challenging problem that actually came from our fourth grade uh math lesson that was done in the month of September and it was in probably the first three or four weeks of school that they came across
this problem. And I'll give you a general idea, but it's a a thousand lockers and one student goes through and opens all of the lockers. The second student goes through and closes every other locker. The third student goes through and every third locker, if it's
open, they close it. If it's uh shut, they open it. Then through a fourth and through a fifth. And then you have to try to figure out the pattern um about how many lockers will be open after a thousand students go through. And uh it was interesting to watch the the thinking because we had a couple of
community members who are on our DCAC. We have a group of teachers um a couple of board members that you know went through the exercise. Um and then once we kind of got through it all, Kristen Scola led this and kind of walked them through how this looked in the classroom. She talked about that her
students had all kinds of different ways of doing it. They had mark little coins out, you know, marking the different lockers. One group came up to her and said, "Can we go out in the hallway and can we take sticky notes and put them on lockers and open them and shut them as we go along?" And she's like, "Absolutely." So, a very hands-on
approach where she wasn't just delivering the lesson, she introduced it, kids work together. There is a lot of partner work and a lot of group work, which you saw in the video that we showed um at the last board meeting. A lot of letting kids figure things out.
And I think what we heard from the teachers is they are seeing a more of a genuine love of math. Math is kind of polarizing otherwise, you know, like either, oh, I wasn't a good math student or I don't get it. Um, to students being highly engaged in the math and we heard
a couple of the second grade teachers on the video talk about place value is the strongest that it's ever been in their classrooms through this type of learning. So uh really it is about putting it in the hands of the students and the teacher kind of guiding but then they have this whole synthesis process
of like trying to help them come to you know some talk about what they learned um what were the big takeaways how do they have to think about a problem like that but we still have time in the day as well we have what we call our numerousy time where they're working on
math facts so that's the other thing is like well they need to know their math facts and they do right there's a place for that, but they also have to understand the how and the why of of math problems. So, this is really a nice balance. They get some of that. It's 15 minutes a day for the numerousy time and
then it's 60 minutes of math instruction through a problem based system. >> Share with the group >> what Kristen Scola said both on the video and in the district curriculum advisory committee meeting.
Talk about what Kristen said when she just wanted to give the kid the answer and she literally had to force herself >> to be quiet and let them struggle through it. Talk about that. >> Yeah. And and they she she did talk about that and other teachers have
talked about it and I think at the end of the presentation we shared some quote, you know, some quotes from teachers that said that was one of the hardest parts was not to jump in and give the answer. She did the same thing at our DCAC meeting where she walked around and instead of giving the answer
or telling people how how to do it. It was learning how to ask questions to prompt your thinking. Well, what would happen if you took that out to 20 lockers? Might you start to see a pattern? You know, like I wonder if you went just a little bit further with that, what you might get. Um, and that's really hard because our teachers were
taught, you know, they're in the front of the classroom and they're delivering. Um, and this is a different way of doing it. So I I think but they also all the teachers who were the early adopters would say it was worth that struggle to try to let the kids you know come into
their own and have those that dialogue with each other those conversations about math math numbers math problems and how to solve them. So I think that was kind of her the gist of what she was saying. Um and I'm going to tell you Kristen Scolo very good teacher but has
also seen some really strong results. her fall data was high, but her winter data was even higher, high 80s. Um, you know, with with the math. And not to say that, you know, nobody has a perfect classroom, right? Every classroom has some challenges in it. And she's got her
kids. The dialogue in that classroom, it'd be one worth going to watch because it's pretty amazing to see with the kids. >> I would just add, sorry, I have a fourth grader. Um, so I've seen the wit and wisdom and the new math. Um, and I've
seen the the growth and the benefits from it. It's Yeah, it's fun. >> Yeah, it is fun. Well, thank you for sharing that. That's that's good to hear because one of the things we asked the teachers is at conferences, you know, like what are you hearing from parents and and many of the parents with wit and wisdom said they're coming home and we
are talking about the solar system like we've never talked about the solar system or the civil war or the revolutionary war depending on you know what their topic is. fourth grade did Hatchet, right? And and high engagement from the students and uh they had to write a pamphlet. They created a
survival pamphlet. It was it was pretty amazing. But pretty positive feedback from parents as well. And I look forward to that next year when everybody is doing the new math resource as well. >> And we heard a bit about this at our work
session. And I'd like you for the benefit of the community to touch on this as well. and that is how did you and Wendy get the broadbased buyin from the Otana staff that this was the direction to go? >> Well, and I'm going to credit Wendy with
this. She really created a very thorough process um with that math team. You know, they spent a month with three different resources. Wendy had done her research and really knew we needed a problem based uh resource. So, she did um her research on which ones have the
highest gains, which ones are highly rated on ed reports, and brought three different ones forward. And I will tell you, I think Wendy went into it thinking she there was a resource she thought we should have, and it was the one to get. But the whole process that they used,
which was having a rep come in and talk about the resource, demonstrate it, giving teachers um during that month access to materials to look at, to try different things, but then also going out to visits um whether we were going up to Shakape or they went up to Anoka,
I went to Weisetta to a school to see different things and then they came back and reported to the committee which is um 26 members from across the district representing in K through five, special ed and EL and um they had look fors that
they had created. These are the things that we're looking for. And when they reported out and kind of really absorbed all three resources, it was a unanimous decision that illustrative math was the one that they wanted to go with. So I think her whole process of bringing them
on and not shoving something down their throat, right? what she wanted was bridges initially, but when she saw it in action, she was like, "That's not much different than what we have. I think I think we want this this other one." And then she just was up at the MCTM conference up in Duth this last
weekend, connected with Hopkins who is doing illustrative math. And so we're talking about getting some teachers up there and some of their teachers coming down here to see how things are going. So, I think it was a whole process that she created that really did um made made
all the difference. >> Board members, any other comments? >> Julie, I again I really apologize for asking you to come up on such short notice. >> Oh, it's great to be in the back and then have you tell me that I you know, would you come up and present? >> You're the main part of the meeting.
>> Yeah. No, it's good because these are these are important things and I I I I appreciate having a chance to to share what we're doing and that there are reasons and research behind why we're making some of the changes. >> And Dr. Champa, thanks for allowing me to >> of course. Thank you.
>> Pete upon your time, Julie. Thanks. >> All right. Thank you. >> Um, you know, and I'm not going to speak on behalf of the board. I would just simply speak as a board member and say so often we sit in these meetings and we approve budgets and we go through a fabulous amount of just cursory
information and and I think what we just spent it was probably 10 minutes if it was five might have been a few more minutes but to hear more about what's happening educationally in our district is um just supremely satisfying for me. So thank
you. Um, anything else that you want to add for your >> No, I think um, and it's already been said, but I think the theme is really staff development, professional development to have the support alongside and walk through and Terry mentioned that, Julie's mentioned that,
but I do think that has kept the momentum with our staff as well that they're highly supported. >> Good. >> So, just appreciative of all the work. >> Thank you. I'm going to move on. Uh, item eight tonight would be the consent agenda. Quick reminder, we are approving minutes
from March 23rd and April 13th, the dispersement and the personnel report. Does anybody have any reason to pull any of these items out? Hearing none, we'll entertain a motion to approve. >> I move that the board approve the consent agenda. >> Second. >> We have a motion in a second. One last
time. Any further discussion? Hearing none. Andrea, if you would. >> Yes. Lori, >> I. >> Ron, >> I. >> Tim, >> I. >> Mark, >> I. >> Elizabeth. >> And I am an I. >> Excellent motion. Motion carries. Thank you very much. Item nine tonight, there are a couple of items that need board
approval. Item A would be the math resources is what we just spent a fair amount of time discussing. Um I think we've kind of talked it through. >> Elizabeth, do you happen to have that one queued up? Would you? >> Math resource. You said Yep. >> I move that the board approve the math
resource. Imagine learning illustrative mathematics. >> Second. Have a motion and a second. Is there any further discussion? >> Hearing none. All in favor with an I. >> I. Any opposed? That motion carries. Item B would be the policy revisions. Again, the quick reminder is there was
nothing hugely substantive with any of these policy revisions that were presented. There was I'd heard through the back um channels that policy almost even gave some consideration to just bringing it right straight to um the board meeting. But I'm glad you did. I'm glad it followed its normal route. Um
any questions for members of the policy committee with regard to these revisions? Do you happen to have it? >> Sure. I move that the board approve the revisions to the policies as presented. >> Second. >> Have a motion and a second. Again, any further discussion? All in favor with an
I. I. Any opposed? Item C would be the extended trip request. I'm going to turn things over to Dr. Champa for a quick explanation. >> So, you mentioned earlier that you felt robbed with your classes in the high school. >> I was. >> So, the field trips I experienced were Iowa and Canada. And so what you have
before you tonight is an extended trip uh for OTA High School for um touring Australia in 2028. So I certainly appreciate the advanced planning specifically to the cost of some of these. >> Everything's in order.
>> It is. Mhm. >> Okay. Good. Tim did this. >> Thank you. Uh I move that the board approve the extended trip request to Australia as presented. >> Second. >> Have a motion and a second. Any other questions? >> Just a comment. They should make it
longer. 10 days is not enough time. You travel far too far. >> Yeah, I would probably agree with that. >> Anything else? All in favor with an I. >> I. >> I. Any opposed? That motion carries. >> Item D tonight would be gifts to the
district. Anybody have any questions relative to the gifts as they were presented? Ron, do you happen to have this one queued up? >> I got it. I move that the board approve the resolution for acceptance of gifts as presented. >> Second. >> We have a motion and a second. Is there any further discussion?
>> Always good to see gifts. >> Yes. Lori >> I. >> Ron >> I. >> Tim. >> I. >> Mark. >> I. >> Elizabeth. >> I. And I am an I. >> Motion carries. Thank you. Item 10 tonight would be to adjurnn. I will make the motion that we adjourn.
>> Second. >> Oh my gosh. I thought we were going to die for a second. chicken. >> Second. >> I would say we've had a very good meeting. >> It was a very good meeting. We have a motion and a second. All in favor with an I. I. >> Any opposed? >> That motion carries. That was a great meeting tonight, folks.