Waunakee HR meeting spotlights teacher retention, PLC time, mental-health supports and DEI follow-up

Committee members used the meet-and-confer portion of the session to review a set of recurring staff priorities identified in a membership survey and to discuss next steps. The union and district presenters said each listed topic received strong support — roughly 75% or more — in the association’s member survey, and the committee agreed to review each bullet and plan follow-up work.

On teacher workload and embedded collaboration time, second-grade teacher Lindsey Fry described constraints at the building level and said dedicated PLC (professional learning community) time outside of prep should be considered: “I wish it's about 50 50 minutes a week,” she said, describing how scheduled PLC minutes often shrink once classroom duties begin. Participants flagged particular complications for staff who split time across buildings and for special-education staff who do not always share prep time with peers.

The group praised a standardized plan-of-improvement form piloted at the high school as a promising step toward consistency in improvement planning and administrator guidance, and recommended that handbook updates capture successful practices. Speakers also discussed the district’s Continuous Improvement Team (CIT) model: while administrators reported generally positive early feedback, they cautioned consistency across buildings will take multiple years and recommended starting work with department and building leadership, then articulating any required handbook changes.

Mental-health supports were a central concern. Participants urged the district to create an inventory of existing student and staff mental-health services, review how clinic and contracted supports are used, and identify gaps. Several teachers described inconsistent communication after incidents (including variable access to debriefs and uncertainty about which students receive in-school therapy), and asked for clearer, privacy-preserving post-event protocols so staff who work closely with affected students can know safety plans and supports available.

On diversity, equity and inclusion, members asked for renewed attention to the board’s three-year DEI plan as it enters year three, more frequent subcommittee work to avoid items “falling between the cracks,” and stronger mechanisms to ensure student voices inform district practice rather than only survey responses.

The HR committee and staff representatives closed the session by agreeing to schedule follow-ups, maintain the year-long handbook review cycle, and coordinate across leadership groups to implement recommended changes. The meeting then adjourned by voice vote.