State law to require additional staff training

By Chad Koenen

Publisher

A new state mandate has set a lofty goal of having every student read at their grade level beginning in kindergarten.

During its regularly scheduled meeting last week, the New York Mills School Board heard from school superintendent Blaine Novak about the READ Act. In order to come into compliance with the new state mandate, the school district is trying to figure out the best way to allow staff members the time necessary to complete the training needed for the new state law, while also ensuring a proper education for students over the course of the next two years. 

The new state mandate, entitled the READ Act was signed into law by Governor Tim Walz on May 24, 2023. The goal of the legislation is to have every Minnesota child reading at or above their grade level every year, beginning in kindergarten. It is also aimed at supporting multilingual learners and students receiving special education services in achieving their individualized reading goals. The READ Act replaces Read Well by Third Grade and became in effect on July 1, 2023. 

Training for the new program must be provided by school district’s by July 1, 2024 and could take up to two years to complete. 

“It’s a requirement from the state legislature that all teachers become trained in the science of reading,” said Novak. “We need to figure out a plan for all of the people who instruct in reading.”

The training will take place over the course of the next two years and means the school district will need to work with staff members to figure out how best to train approximately 70 people. Options include everything from additional teacher workshop days during the school year to providing time during a conventional school day to give them enough time to complete the state mandated training.

“Anything we can do for our teachers and give them the time they need to do that,” said Novak of developing a plan for implementing the training at NY Mills School. 

The NY Mills Superintendent said the training is pretty intense, but is required by the state. He said the curriculum the school district will be using will be paid for, but the staff time required to complete the additional training will not be compensated by the state and will be the responsibility of the NY Mills School District. 

Like a number of school districts in the region, NY Mills will implement the LETRS program.

“It’s a pretty intensive training,” he said. 

The school board will continue to work on a school schedule that allows teachers the time they need to complete the training for the upcoming school year.

In other news

• Approved the following appointments: Michael Baune as long-term substitute, Jody Rettig as cleaner, Michelle Marsh as part-time administrative assistant, Angela Foley as paraprofessional, Shirley Kalina as long-term substitute teacher, Jennifer Woods as head girls track and field coach, Jason Boe as elementary boys basketball coach and Renee Gunkel as a long-term substitute paraprofessional.

• Approved the following resignations: Becky Motzko as a paraprofessional and Sarah Gielen as a paraprofessional. 

• Heard a report from building and grounds supervisor Adam Zachman about upcoming needs for the school district. Zachman said the school district is extremely short on storage and will likely move a storage shed from the football field to behind the school and may also try a new flooring product that could last 5-10 years and not require the school district to strip and wax the floors each year.