Brittney Steine named WEA Teacher of the Year

When Winona Middle School started an alternative learning program six years ago, it needed a teacher who was kind. A teacher who was welcoming. A teacher who saw the value, the heart and the potential of every student in their room. 

It needed Brittney Steine. 

Six years later the alternative learning program — called DEEDs (Discover, Explore, Engage, Develop) — is thriving thanks to Steine’s guidance. Because of her ability to personally connect with her students, and also to provide opportunities for her students to connect with their school, Steine has been named the 2025 Winona Education Association Teacher of the Year.

“My goal in education is for every student to feel they have a place of value at Winona Area Public Schools,” Steine said in her nomination questionnaire. “I want every student (and family) to feel connected to their school community and be a part of something greater than themselves.”

Steine pours herself into her students and the DEEDs program. She arranges educational and confidence-building team trips, such as visits to Oxbow Park, the ropes courses at Winona State University and Eagle Bluff Learning Center, or a trip to Whitewater State Park to collect samples from the river. She helps her students learn soft skills, like practicing formally introducing themselves to school staff or making phone calls — yes, the teenage horror of making a phone call and not just texting — in preparation for future job interviews. 

But perhaps, most importantly, she is a constant, steady presence for her students in a world that has often been far too harsh and judgmental.

 

“Brittney does an amazing job forging relationships with students who have struggled in the typical classroom environment,” WMS science teacher Amblyn Reisetter said. “She creates a safe, welcoming, and engaging environment for her students and provides the resources they need to learn and grow.”

Did someone say grow? Because Steine recently secured a $5,000 “Dare to Dream” Grant from the Foundation for Winona Area Public Schools to collaborate with a woodworking class at the high school to build a greenhouse that DEEDs students will use to produce plants to be sold in a student-run store. This type of project-based learning is the foundation of alternative learning, and a great example of the vision Steine has in the promise and potential of her students. 

“Each student can contribute in meaningful ways,” Steine said. “Graduates feel truly Winhawk Proud.”

Steine started teaching at WMS in 2018. Before settling in the DEEDs program, she taught a number of different subjects, including phy ed, math, science, robotics and tech design. She is a former preschool teacher at the Winona State University Children’s Center, and also was the preschool and rec director at KidSport Gymnastics. 

She’s involved in the PTA at Washington-Kosciusko Elementary and Winona Middle School and is the varsity gymnastics head coach, winning the section coach of the year award three times. 

And she is fiercely proud to be a Winhawk. 

“I personally have been so blessed to work with talented teachers who have taught me so much and helped me better serve my students,” she said. “I am really impressed with how everyone works together to put students first.

“The people of Winona Area Public Schools are truly amazing people.”