Positivity noticeable around the district

At the September 8 Waseca school board meeting, teachers Sue  McKay and Andrew Hopkins of the district’s Teacher On Special Assignment (TOSA) mentor program shared a summary of their work. A TOSA is someone who has been serving as a classroom teacher, but steps away from that role to handle other duties within the school district. 

In the case of Hopkins and McKay, those “other duties” are to serve as mentors to any teachers who are in their first, second, or third year in the profession. Hopkins, a high school social studies teacher for the past 6 years, is a mentor for the first time: McKay, an elementary teacher for more than 30, has been in the position for the past few years. The two told of their work and explained that it is made possible by a partnership between the school district and Minnesota State, Mankato. Under the arrangement, college students who hold their teaching licenses are placed in classrooms, freeing district-employed teachers to work elsewhere. The college student receives pay through MSU, allowing the district to expand its services without incurring additional cost. 

Along with early-career staff members, Hopkins and McKay also mentor the “replacement” teachers, known as “fellows.” In addition to their pay, fellows receive graduate credit from MSU. 

Superintendent Eric Hudspith emphasized how valuable the partnership with MSU is to Waseca Public Schools. “ We have hired every fellow we have had a position for in the last several years. This is a terrific way to show them how great Waseca is, and to keep teacher candidates around,” Hudspith said. “The University makes the placement, [for the teacher candidates] but we want to be the priority placement for the candidate if we can.”  Hopkins shared that he entered the district as a teaching fellow and that the experience was extremely positive. Teaching fellows may also step in to fill the vacancy created by the teacher who moves into the three-year TOSA position. When asked why they left their classrooms, both Hopkins and McKay stated they feel it is important to give back to the teaching profession.

During Monday’s meeting, Hudspith also reported that maintenance projects have reached completion, and almost all open positions have been filled with the exception of the School Age Care (SAC) after-school program. “The high school kids who work at SAC leave for their activities, so if we could manage to fill those, we could take several more families from the waiting list.” A few more projects are in the planning phase, including installing a camera and buzzer at the Performing Arts Center door off of the student parking lot at the high school. “Anyone who needs to enter the building after school starts currently has to walk all the way around the building to the front door,” Hudspith explained. “ This [new place to request entry] should make it easier.” 

Hudspith shared enrollment numbers: currently, the district has 1,789 students, 22 more than last year at this time. “We are supporting students and they are choosing us,” he stated. “We should be proud we are the right choice for families at the same rate as before the pandemic.

“Positivity is noticeable in all the buildings,” he also reported, saying he sees genuine smiles from staff and students. He told of a recent visit to Hartley Elementary where he was confronted by a small group of students. “Who are you?” demanded one. “What do you do?” asked another. Hudspith said he was happy to explain his job to the young students. Upon learning a bit about the superintendent’s role as a decision-maker for the school, one of the students asked, “What happens if you die?”

Taken by surprise, Hudspith could only respond, “Hopefully that doesn’t happen for a while.”