Westonka board approves state-funded reading stipends, updates teacher-evaluation rubric

The Westonka Public School District board voted to adopt a memorandum of understanding to distribute state REED Act stipends for literacy training and to approve a revised teacher-evaluation model, the board announced at its April regular meeting.

The MOU implements Minnesota's REED (reading proficiency) legislation and allocates the district's one-time stipend money for staff who complete approved training and demonstrate proficiency. Mark, a district staff member who presented the item, said the district's REED allocation is about $88,000 and that the district has set aside roughly $10,000 to cover future new hires who will also be required to complete the training. "Westonica's allocation is about $88,000 and there's a formula that is used to come up with that," Mark said. "We pulled out about $10,000 because the money can carry over." The board approved the MOU by voice vote.

Why it matters: The MOU directs how the state-provided funds will be distributed locally and ties stipend payments to completion and certification from approved providers. The change affects elementary teachers, K'12 special-education staff, principals and other staff identified as needing the training under state guidance, including a later phase for paraprofessionals and high-school teachers who instruct reading.

What the MOU requires and how staff will qualify - Training options named in district discussion include COR (an online Language Literacy Academy of roughly nine modules and about 50 hours) and LETRS (a 165-hour program typically completed over two years). Early-childhood LETRS is a shorter version (about 28 hours). Mark reported 39 elementary teachers were enrolled in LETRS and dozens more in COR or district-supported options. - Certification/proficiency: Providers will certify completion; the district requires an 80% proficiency threshold on provider assessments before paying a stipend. "We expect staff to complete the training at a proficiency level before you earn the stipend," Mark said. - Timing and payment: The district will issue stipends after receiving certification rosters from providers and aims to distribute stipends by June 30.

Teacher-evaluation revision adopted The board also approved a 2025 revision to the district's teacher-evaluation descriptors and associated four-point rubrics. Presenters said the model's overall structure remains the same but language was updated to reflect current priorities: stronger emphasis on multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS), classroom management and organization of learning environments, higher-order thinking and authentic learning, and explicit professional-responsibility descriptors. The revision also updated non-classroom staff descriptors (for counselors, nurses, psychologists and similar roles) to better reflect domain-specific practices.

During discussion, board members asked whether previously called-out district initiatives still appeared in the rubric. Mark explained that items such as the district's earlier "277 initiatives" are now embedded in routine planning and PLC practice and so were not listed as separate line items in 2025 language. "Our PLC structures and processes have become so tight and goal-ridden that the need to call it out the way we did before isn't necessary," Mark said.

Votes at a glance - Action 8a: Adopted MOU between District 277 and Westonka Education Minnesota (REED Act stipend distribution). Outcome: approved by voice vote (motion seconded; "All in favor? Aye. Opposed? Motion carries."). - Action 8b: Approval of the revised teacher-evaluation model (2025 descriptors and updated rubrics). Outcome: approved by voice vote. (Other routine board actions approved at the meeting are listed in the provenance and actions arrays below.)

What the board recorded and next steps Board materials recorded that the district expects providers to return rosters certifying completion; once certified the district will process stipend payments by the end of June. The board recorded that a portion of the funds is being reserved for future hires who will also be required to complete state-mandated reading training.

Speakers quoted in this article are identified from the meeting transcript and limited to those who spoke on this topic. The board approved both items during the meeting's action-item votes.