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District proposes three‑year transformation plan aimed at accelerating gains at Horace Mann Elementary
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Summary
District leaders outlined a research‑based, three‑year targeted support plan for Horace Mann Elementary proposing one instructional coach, two teachers, and a dean of students to stabilize staffing, improve instruction and target attendance and special‑education supports.
District leaders presented a three‑year targeted transformation plan for Horace Mann Elementary during the April 13 West Allis‑West Milwaukee School Board meeting.
Joanna, the district’s transformation lead, told the board the plan rests on four pillars: leadership, talent development, instructional consistency and culture. Citing research from the U.S. Department of Education and the Wallace Foundation, she said effective coaching, PBIS implementation, teacher collaboration and strong school leadership are critical to turnaround work.
Joanna said the plan would add one instructional coach, two general‑education teachers (to reach three sections per grade), and one dean of students to support multi‑layered systems of support (MLSS) and IEP compliance. ‘‘We would be adding 1 instructional coach to increase the frequency and quality of feedback for all teachers,’’ she said, and described monthly targeted professional development and quarterly transformational leadership meetings to monitor progress.
Board members asked whether the positions are permanent. Superintendent Terrence Robinson and Joanna said the intent is to phase supports down as the building sustains improvements; the team described a typical review timeline of three to five years with annual board updates. Finance director Aaron Norris said the district would use fund balance to support early years of the plan and bring periodic budget updates to the board.
Presenters cited school‑level data: attendance and chronic absenteeism were described as lower than other buildings and staff turnover was cited as a concern — Joanna said 26% of this year’s staff at Horace Mann is new and that the share of students with disabilities at the school increased by roughly 11 percent over five years. Board members pressed for clarity on whether new hires were replacements or new positions and on how staff retention data would be captured; presenters said May and June would offer clearer numbers and that unions had been briefed.
Board discussion covered accountability and benchmarks: goals would include Forward exam report‑card measures, FastBridge growth, staff turnover rates, climate survey results and reductions in office referrals and chronic absences. The board agreed to monitor implementation closely and receive regular updates from the transformation leadership team.
The board did not take a formal vote on adopting the plan at the meeting; presenters asked the board to consider the framework and next steps.
