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Principals and students highlight cultural proficiency, affinity groups and makerspaces in school reports
Summary
Three ISD 191 principals and student leaders described institutionalizing cultural knowledge, student leadership programs, affinity groups and makerspace experiences across elementary and middle schools during the board’s school report segment.
The Burnsville ISD 191 board heard school reports from Harriet Bishop Elementary, Hidden Valley Elementary and Eagle Ridge Middle School that highlighted cultural proficiency work, student leadership programs and affinity groups.
Harriet Bishop Principal Ken Esse described demographic changes and efforts to institutionalize cultural knowledge, saying the building has shifted from a majority-English home language to a multilingual community with 24 home languages represented. "What a beautiful, rich, vibrant, diverse community," Esse said, and described bilingual staff hires (16 bilingual staff across seven languages), home visits, a mural, an inclusive PTO and a student leadership program that teaches students to "speak up for others." He noted 54 students have exited multilingual (ML) services in the past two years and said the school will focus on students who receive special education services in 2025–26.
Hidden Valley Principal Christine Black described tiered collaborative teams, a "burst of service" co‑teaching model for fifth-grade math that placed special education and multilingual staff in-class alongside a bilingual teacher (Nicole Corrigo). Black said the change produced measurable growth: approximately 55 percent of students made typical or aggressive growth from fall to winter, with 73 percent of Hispanic students and roughly 77–78 percent of special education fifth-graders showing typical or aggressive growth on interim measures.
Eagle Ridge Middle School Principal (Helkey/Halky) and deans Jennifer Hall and Marielle Janklin described instructional choices that support belonging (scaffolding, differentiation, student voice) and affinity groups that give students "a space to be their authentic self." Two student leaders from Eagle Ridge — Azara (8th grade) and Rhea Jose (8th grade) — described attending a BHS showcase and the Little Latino Unidos group and how those affinity spaces allow students to celebrate culture and practice leadership.
Board members praised the programs and asked clarifying questions about scheduling and staffing for co‑teaching models. Principal Black said master scheduling and creative grouping allow embedded co‑teaching and multilingual strategies that benefit all students. The reports were presented as part of the board’s ongoing school‑report series on institutionalizing cultural knowledge.
Context: The reports illustrated how district priorities (cultural proficiency, makerspaces, AVID and targeted instructional strategies) appear at site level and feed into district budget and pathway discussions.
