#492Happenings - February 14

We proudly celebrate Public Schools Week, February 24-28, 2025. It allows us to reflect on the critical role public education plays in shaping the future of our children, our community, and our nation.

It's also a chance for our entire community to thank our teachers and staff for everything you do to support our students daily. You work incredibly hard to ensure every young person receives the academic, social, and emotional support they need to thrive. Your resilience, creativity, and compassion inspire me each day, and I know you also inspire our students.

Here in APS, there are so many things to celebrate. Like the success of BARR in grades 7-9, the strong first year of the Packer Profile Seminar course, the shift back to the neighborhood school model in elementary schools, the thriving activities programs, and so much more happening as recently outlined here and here.

At the same time, we know that challenges remain, and we must always seek to get better at everything we do. I sincerely appreciate you keeping an eye on continuous improvement and ensuring we are always enhancing the educational experience of our students.

Once again, thank you for all you do. I hope you have a wonderful Public Schools Week!

Best Regards,

Joey

With updated guidance from MDE and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, we understand that uncertainty in federal education policy creates challenges for students, families/caregivers, and educators. Regardless of any changes, we are committed to keeping you informed.

Schools are still legally required to provide public education to all students, regardless of immigration status. They must also protect student data and cannot be required to enforce federal programs or policy changes.

Here are a few key reminders:

• Access to a Free Public Education Is Guaranteed under Federal and State Law; Schools Cannot Discourage or Deny Access Based on Immigration Status (See Plyler v. Doe, 457 U.S. 202 (1982) & Minnesota Human Rights Act)
• Student Privacy Is Protected under Federal and State Law (See FERPA and Policy 515)
• The Federal Government Cannot Compel State or Local Officials to Administer or Enforce a Federal Program (See 10th Amendment)

Training and Resources:

• #492Happenings - January 24
• For Internal Use Only: Training Material: https://youtu.be/SpIbn9t-Ipk
• District Policy 519

Guided by stakeholder feedback from the 2022 Teaching and Learning Analysis and the Desired Daily Experience stakeholder feedback guided by strategic planning, the Austin Public Schools Instructional Model was reconstructed to illuminate the values, beliefs, and needs to support the cohesion of teaching and learning across the District.

The four elements at the model's center are identified by stakeholders as wants and needs for our teaching and learning focus.

• Engagement describes the attention, curiosity, interests, optimism, and passion that students and staff want from their interactions in the learning environment.
• Environment includes a safe and supportive space where teaching, learning, and movement are of importance and attended to in all forms and functions.
• Equity includes four dimensions (Access, Achievement, Identity, and Power) as powerful levers for creating caring, just, inclusive, and healthy communities that support all individuals in reaching their fullest potential.
• Evidence provides information for teachers and students to focus their teaching and learning to improve student understanding and tailor teaching strategies to accelerate student achievement.

• Gradual Release of Responsibility – an instructional model that shifts the cognitive work slowly and intentionally from the teacher to the student.
• Social Emotional Learning – a process of acquiring knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, achieve goals, and establish relationships.
• Continuous Curriculum Improvement – an ongoing curriculum implementation process where teachers review unit design, assessments, and student data.
• Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports – a proactive approach to ensuring all students have access to high-quality instruction and interventions to meet their needs.

Please see the APS Instructional Model SharePoint website for more information and resources.

At Austin Public Schools, our mission is to inspire, empower, and accelerate every one of our learners, and we know that the only way for us to reach this goal is through the efforts of all our incredibly hard-working staff.

In this week’s Staff Spotlight, we’re highlighting Ellis Middle School special education paraprofessional Abby Wilker.

"Abby is a joy to be around and her energy spreads to the students and staff that she works with. She goes above and beyond in her job and her passion is evident in all that she does at Ellis!"

Congratulations!

If you’d like to nominate an outstanding Austin Public Schools staff member for our weekly Staff Spotlight, please take a moment to fill out the form at https://www.austin.k12.mn.us/district-resources/aps-staff-spotlight. It only takes a minute and can truly make someone’s day. Thanks!

Below is the list of workshops and presentations happening next week. These sessions will cover valuable topics, and they are open to the public. I encourage you to attend and take advantage of the great information being shared!

Congratulations to the MMEA Community Music Educator of the Year Award recipient, Cheryl Berglund! Her dedication and innovation at MacPhail Center for Music and through the partnership with Austin Public Schools are impacting students and music education.

We want to sincerely thank Lisa Groth for her nearly eight years of dedicated service to Austin Public Schools. Lisa will be retiring on February 28, 2025, and we appreciate her hard work and commitment throughout her tenure. We wish her all the best in her retirement!

As part of this transition, Kelley Gerlach has stepped into the Benefits Specialist role effective February 3, 2025. She will be working alongside Lisa throughout February to ensure a smooth handover. Congratulations to Kelley on this well-deserved promotion! She can be reached at benefits@austin.k12.mn.us.

With Kelley transitioning into her new role, we are pleased to welcome Rachel Ausrud as our new Accounts Payable Specialist, beginning February 17, 2025. Rachel joins us from Mower County, where she served as an office technician in the Auditor/Treasurer's Office. We are excited to have her on board and look forward to her contributions to our team. Rachel can be reached at accountspayable@austin.k12.mn.us.

Please join us in congratulating Lisa on her upcoming retirement and welcoming Kelley and Rachel into their new roles at Austin Public Schools!

Over the past several years, Austin's elementary and secondary schools have worked to raise funds for The Hormel Institute and Paint the Town Pink.

This year, APS decided to pool the donations from across the district. Students raised money through Penny Wars, Paint the Packers Pink spirit wear, special concessions (pink cotton candy!) at basketball games, and more.

Today, representatives from AHS student council, Ellis student council, and several different athletic teams visited the institute to present them with a check for nearly $13,000. Great job, all!

In a recent report to the School Board, the District confirmed that it has met all state pay equity requirements. The Pay Equity Implementation Report was submitted to the State of Minnesota before the January 31, 2025 deadline, using data from December 31, 2024.

This report ensures that employee pay is fair and equitable. The results show that the District is in full compliance with state standards. This reflects the District's commitment to fair pay for all employees.

The initial public comment period in the statutory rulemaking process started on Monday, February 3, 2025, and will run for 60 days, closing on Friday, April 4, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. Central Standard Time. To provide feedback on the standards as a part of the statutory rulemaking process, review the Request for Comments document posted on the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) rulemaking webpage for the proposed K-12 academic standards in health. Comments must be submitted to the Office of Administrative Hearings' ecomments system (Revisor's ID Number R-04924, OAH Docket Number 65-9005-40585).

• Mayo Clinic Minute: Surprising sources of added sugar
• Mayo Clinic Q and A: So your kids were gifted noisy toys: Now what?
• Should kids clean their plate?
• Beat blues outdoors on winter nights

• Teens spend over 1 hour on phones during school hours, new study finds
• What happens to a school that refuses to obey the Trump ban on transgender athletes?
• MSHSL's transgender athlete policy under investigation by US Department of Education

APS offers a wide range of student activities, including competitive athletics, intramurals, academic clubs, fine arts, and performing arts. View schedules and learn more here.

The Austin Packer Bulletin (APB) is an external newsletter that is another opportunity for APS to share information with families/caregivers and the greater Austin community. It is an exciting time in the Austin Public Schools, and knowing everyone knows what is happening is essential.

Previous issues can be found here.

The Austin Public Schools is required by Title IX not to discriminate on the basis of sex. The Austin Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of sex, and prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity, including employment. Individuals may report concerns or questions or make a complaint of sex discrimination to the Title IX Coordinator, Sue Stark.