Glenwood City School District focusing on academics during state shut down
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By Amber Hayden
GLENWOOD CITY — The Glenwood City Board of Education moved forward with a meeting via ZOOM on Monday evening to discuss what is being focused on during the school’s mandated closure.
During the closure superintendent Tim Johnson, principals Betsy Haltinner and Patrick Gretzlock, and Pupil Services Director Nicole Brite all agreed that focusing on academics, and making sure students are getting all of the work being assigned by teachers is vital.
Haltinner stated that in the past couple of weeks they had passed out 200 chromebooks to students who did not have access to a computer, as well as getting handouts and books to others who have yet to request a chromebook.
“We let families know they are welcome to come up and park outside the school to use the wifi,” Haltinner stated.
Haltinner and Gretzlock have reached out to the teaching staff in all three buildings and asked them to make a list of what they feel is essential learning, and said they have been getting positive feedback from families on the homework.
“I have also kept in contact with other school administrative staff to see what they are doing and what works for them,” said Haltinner. “Our goal is to make it work for everyone.”
There is still a handful of students and families that the schools have yet to connect with, but according to Brite, they are unable to control everything or what happens at home.
Gretzlock said the high school has focused on the senior class and making sure that all of them have met the graduation requirements set by the district.
“The seniors are being held accountable for making sure they are getting all of the required classes,” explained Gretzlock.
During the fourth quarter freshman through junior will be asked if they want to have a pass/fail or letter grade, according to Gretzlock, but knows there will be some who will ask for a letter grade as they think about the valedictorian and salutatorian requirements.
Johnson let the board know that the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) will be requiring a waiver from all schools who will not meet the instructional minutes required for the year, and stated that each of the waivers would be approved.
“We would have to hold a hearing, like our annual meeting, for the public to weigh in on the waiver,” Johnson stated. “But I can’t see anyone disagreeing.”
DPI has provided teachers with instruction on how to fill out a time log of the minutes they are teaching students, but Johnson said they would be foolish to think they will meet the required time.
There was a brief discussion in regards to compensation for staff members, hourly and contracted, but some of the board members were not in agreement about staff being paid and not being in the buildings.
A few of the districts staff have opted to collect unemployment, take sick leave or vacation time, or work a few hours during the closure.
Johnson asked for an approval for a paid on-call leave, which passed on a four-to-one vote with board members Chuck Draxler and Steve Davis abstaining due to their spouses working for the district.
In other business the Board of Education:
• Approved the hiring of Noah Hard as a substitute teacher.
• Approved the Glenwood Co-op Trust Scholarship.
The Glenwood City Board of Education has kept their next meeting dates of April 13 and April 27 on the
