Winona Area Public Schools
For now, Winona Area Public Schools will remain in a hybrid for all grade levels.
The school board heard an update on the WAPS Safe Learning Plan from Superintendent Dr. Annette K. Freiheit at Thursday’s board meeting, which was held partially in-person for the first time since March, and at the high school for the first time since 1997.
Although COVID-19 levels are rising around Winona County, Freiheit, after consulting with the Regional Support Team and local public health officials, recommended to the board that the district remain in the hybrid model instead of shifting to distance learning at this time.
“We felt this was the best for our students and staff,” Freiheit said. “We are finding that our students are really benefiting from being in the building two days a week.”
Freiheit mentioned that on her building visits, she has seen total compliance with the health and safety protocols and mitigation strategies. This allows close contacts of positive cases to be easily identified and told to quarantine if needed. Since the first day of school, there have been only 23 positive COVID-19 cases among WAPS students and staff.
Linda Pfeilsticker, a veteran teacher and president of the Winona Education Association, said it would be “extremely beneficial” for high school teachers to at least get one week of the second quarter with students in person before a potential move to distance learning. The second quarter begins Tuesday, Nov. 10.
“For us at the high school, we get a whole new batch of kids on Tuesday,” Pfeilsticker said. “To get a chance to start to build a relationship with them, to get materials to them, to create a level of comfort, and sometimes, you just have to look at kids and say ‘It’s going to be OK. We’re going to get through this.’ That is helpful.”
However, with cases continuing to rise, a shift to distance learning may be necessary. If that’s the case, Freiheit said there would be possibly two instructional planning days needed so teachers could be prepared for the shift. While Grades 7-12 were in a distance learning model earlier this year, Grades K-6 and preschool classes have been in a hybrid since the first day, so teachers will need time.
Hybrid plan improvements: Freiheit also shared with the board a plan to use an instructional planning day to improve the current hybrid model.
The district will reserve Wednesday, Nov. 18 as an instructional planning day to allow teachers and district staff to work together to make the hybrid model more efficient and sustainable. This move is in response to several concerns raised by teachers regarding the hybrid model.
Instructional planning days are days where no instruction is directed by teachers to students (so there is no in-person school or distance learning), to allow teachers time to plan together. In guidance issued this summer, the Minnesota Department of Education allowed for school districts to use up to five of these days during the 2020-21 school year but only if there was a change in learning model. However, on Thursday, Gov. Tim Walz issued another executive order with several updates to the state’s Safe Learning Plan, including permitting the use of instructional planning days to improve the current model.
The board will hear an update on the hybrid changes at the Nov. 19 meeting, and any changes will be implemented beginning Monday, Nov. 30, after the Thanksgiving break.
If a move to distance learning is necessary, an additional instructional planning day will be scheduled.
District committees: Freiheit also presented to the board the progress she has made on aligning the various district administration committees.
Freiheit shared a template for committee guidelines, a list of all the committees, an organizational structure and a spot on the website where the public can find information about the district committees, including membership, minutes, agendas and more.
Upcoming meetings: The board rescheduled its meeting to canvass the results of the school board races in the election to 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12. It was previously scheduled for Monday, Nov. 9, however Winona County said it won’t have all the results compiled until Nov. 10 or Nov. 11.
The board also finalized the date of the public hearing for the World’s Best Workforce plan for 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19. Director of Learning and Teaching Karla Winter will present the district’s plan for the 2020-21 school year, and the public will have an opportunity to offer comment, either in-person at the Multi-Purpose Room at the high school, or in a virtual format.