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Board hears report on teacher pipeline with MSU Mankato and early results from Wit & Wisdom reading rollout
Summary
Owatonna trustees heard a partnership update from Minnesota State University, Mankato and district staff about teacher apprenticeships and mentoring; presenters also described early signs of student engagement and writing gains from the Wit & Wisdom reading curriculum.
The Owatonna School Board on April 27 heard a presentation on a long-running educator partnership with Minnesota State University, Mankato and an update on the district’s Wit & Wisdom reading curriculum rollout.
Terry Preisler, acting director for the Center for Educator Partnerships and Student Support at Minnesota State University, Mankato, told the board the university‑district partnership dates to the late 1980s and “has continued and sustained and thrived” in Minnesota. Preisler said the partnership has helped secure grants that fund mentorship training, apprenticeships and other development work; “between 2009 and now 2026, collectively have gained and been awarded over $11,800,000 in grants and awards,” Preisler said.
Jen Kozalik, a teacher on special assignment and mentor coordinator for Owatonna Public Schools, described placements and mentoring roles: “We have placed 26 elementary level 1 candidates,” she said, and listed additional placements at levels 3 and 4 (co‑teaching and student teaching). Kozalik said placements help recruit new teachers and provide early‑career supports in the district.
Board members asked about retention. Preisler said he did not have a single district‑wide attrition figure but reported that in elementary and special‑education cohorts the program has “a 90 plus percent retention rate.” The board discussed alignment between teacher‑preparation programs and state licensing and noted that a PELSB crosswalk and review process is underway to align teacher‑prep content with Read Act literacy standards.
On reading instruction, district staff member Julie described Wit & Wisdom as a knowledge‑building curriculum that has required substantial professional development but is producing early classroom results — more extended student writing, higher engagement and a stronger focus on vocabulary and content knowledge. Staff said phonics (implemented in K–2) is in its third year and morphology work in grades 3–5 is in its second year; some teachers reported seeing benefits as cohorts move to upper grades.
What happens next: staff will continue to support placements, mentor training and curriculum implementation and will bring follow‑up information on implementation and data to future board meetings.
