Tackling Turnover

At a special school board meeting on Tuesday, June 27, the New Rockford-Sheyenne School Board formally accepted the resignations of three more teachers: Annette Hovey, Courtney Wiesz and Molly Rzaszutak.

Wiesz and Rzaszutak were the district’s business education and FACS (Family and Consumer Sciences) teachers, respectively, and Annette Hovey was the district’s long-time high school music teacher.

The resignations were first submitted back in May, and news of their departure has since spread throughout the community.

Of particular concern for many was the resignation of Hovey, who was the school’s last remaining music teacher after Heather Klocke’s resignation a few weeks earlier. With both now having left NR-S, the future of the district’s music program is unknown.

The news came after community members, students and fellow staff argued on the teachers’ behalf when the district was considering reducing their music program by a full-time position earlier this year.

Ultimately, the school board elected not to reduce the music program, but weeks later both teachers left the district entirely.

In her letter of resignation, Hovey wrote, “Unfortunately my vision of secondary music education and that of the administration are incompatible.

“I will miss the wonderful, hard-working teachers, paras and support staff that I have worked alongside the past ten years. And I thank them for all that they do every day for kids.”

She added, “I have been blessed to teach some of the most amazing people in the past ten years! Their hard work, attention to detail, and joy they brought to this community through their performances is what I will hold in my heart forever! I thank each and every one of them for all the memories!”

The resignations of Hovey, Rzaszutak and Wiesz brought the total number of resignations from the district this year to nine, not including the retirement of Kent Brown and the “discharge for cause” of Matt Shaffer.

That amount of turnover at NR-S has sparked concern among many parents and community members.

To address the short-term needs of the district, the school board has since hired at least nine new teachers, though some are technically “long-term substitutes” due to not yet having the necessary licensure to be teachers.

Avolt Baumbach, the high school principal at NR-S, has also agreed to teach social studies next school year in addition to his role as principal.

Meanwhile, on the agenda for Tuesday’s special meeting were a pair of recommendations to hire new staff members.

One was for the high school music position, but board president Mike Jacobson requested the board table that discussion for the time being, and no motion was made.

The board did hire one new teacher on Tuesday, however: Danell Gauderman, who will be the district’s new FACS teacher.

Gauderman is currently the school counselor at Fessenden-Bowdon Public School, and has one child enrolled in the NR-S district. She also has experience at the NR-S Public School, having previously done social work through the East Central Center for Exceptional Children.

“I am passionate about helping students become prepared for life after high school and feel this would be a wonderful opportunity for students, as well as myself,” wrote Gauderman in her letter to the district.

Outside of the school’s music program, it appears the district has filled most of its open positions.

As of press time, the “job openings” page on the district’s website only listed full or part-time custodial positions, bus drivers, substitute teachers and paraprofessionals, in addition to full-time music.

Meanwhile, NR-S Superintendent Jill Louters appeared to try addressing some of the long-term staff concerns during the school board’s regular meeting on Thursday, June 22.

Louters delivered a presentation to the board, which detailed a “professional learning community” for NR-S staff, described as “a structure to provide support, belonging, collaboration and professional growth for New Rockford-Sheyenne faculty.”

“How do we create, continue to create a strong foundation, which really moves us towards competency-based education?” asked Louters. “That begins with creating a safe and supportive culture and building a wellness platform within the district system to ensure that people feel excited about the work that they’re doing that they have supports and their needs met.”

She added, “The number one expressed faculty need this past spring was ‘I want to feel supported.’ They want reliability, predictability and dependability to ensure that they can be successful in the classroom.”

Louters went on to detail a more structured schedule of faculty meetings, workshops, early releases and other methods of addressing that faculty concern in support of a healthier learning environment.