Rochester Public Schools is pleased to reintroduce Heather Klavetter as our director of academics for elementary education! Heather has been in this role since July of this year. She began her teaching career in 1995 and has been working for Rochester Public Schools as a teacher, instructional coach, and administrator for 22 of her 28 years in education. Before being the director of academics for elementary education, Heather was the principal at Jefferson Elementary School.
An FAQ about the Attendance Options Redesign proposal is now available on our website. Information sessions start tomorrow. Feedback forms in English, Spanish, Somali, Chinese, and Vietnamese will also be available tomorrow. Learn more: https://www.rochesterschools.org/article/1374854
Happy Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe to those who celebrate!
RPS families; Due to a traffic accident on Highway 52 and the ensuing backup, many buses may be running late this afternoon. We appreciate your patience.
Happy Bodhi Day to those who celebrate!
School Board Treasurer, Dr. Jess Garcia, gives a short summary of some of the highlights from the December 5th School Board Study Session.
Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dm-lC9ONCCw
Are you looking for a creative way to honor your student's teacher, principal, or other RPS staff member this holiday season? Make a donation to Rochester Public School Foundation in that staff member's name!
Visit http://www.rpsf.org/HonorStaff
We want to end this week by giving a shout out Laura, one of our fantastic educators recently nominated for Education Support Professional of the Year with Education Minnesota. She didn't win the nomination, but we are extremely proud of her work at RPS. Laura works with many of our elementary school teams as a BAMH ESP. She objectively observes students to gain insight into the nuances of their behavior and provides behavioral support for special education teams, training to ESPs, assists in the implementation of BAMH interventions, and collects data on student behavioral outcomes. Thanks for all you do, Laura!
Do you have a degree in general education? Have you ever considered looking into special education but are concerned about the training to enter that field? Did you know you can be a special education teacher on a variance?
Join us at our Walk-In Hiring Event tomorrow, December 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information, go to www.rochesterschools.org/apply
Check out this video to learn more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oClYbOa2q1U
Did you know that anyone with a four-year degree can become a teacher? Or if they hold an education degree, they can be a special education teacher on a variance?
-> Those who have a four-year degree not in education, but are interested in education can receive a Tier 1 License to be able to teach. A Tier 1 licensure candidate must hold a minimum of a bachelor’s degree and have a job offer from a public school. The license is valid for one school year and expires on June 30 of the expiration year. It may be renewed up to three times.
-> Those with an education degree can receive a variance to become a special education educator. A variance is a special permission granted for already fully licensed teachers to teach in another licensure area in which they don’t hold licensure. They are granted to the school district for an individual one year at a time, usually for no more than three years.
Rochester Public Schools is seeking qualified candidates for our open special education positions: special education teachers for birth through three years old, early childhood, elementary, and secondary school, and special education ESPs. Those hired would receive support including coaching, professional development, and on-the-job training related to the job.
We are hosting a walk-in hiring event this Friday, December 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Edison Board Room (615 7th St SW, Rochester) for our special education positions. Virtual interviews are also available.
Wishing a Happy Hanukkah to those who celebrate!
For those who are in need of food, here are some immediate and long-term food support resources. Thanks to Channel One Regional Food Bank for helping to put together this resource.
How early do you think students wake up to study? Well, last week, Superintendent Kent Pekel went to Mayo High School to investigate and ran into the students of Mr. Johnson's AP Calculus class.
Check it out: https://youtu.be/W3bBRTUDv0M
Did you know that you can be a teacher if you have a 4-year degree? Or that you can be a teacher even if you don't have a degree in education? Check out this video to learn more about teaching opportunities in Special Education for Rochester Public Schools here: https://youtu.be/oClYbOa2q1U
You can view the Attendance Options Redesign Boundary Locator page on our website to see where the proposed boundaries would be: https://rochesterschools.org/aor-boundary-locator. Please read through the content on the page before using the boundary locator, as it explains how to best utilize the map.
Once you’ve viewed the proposed boundary, you can estimate which Transportation Zone you are in by following the instructions on our website. For reference:
Walk Zone
-> 1.25 miles from elementary school
-> 1.5 miles from middle school
-> 2 miles from high school
RPS Transportation Zone
-> Beyond the walk zone listed above to the edge of the school's boundary.
Self Transportation Zone
-> If you live anywhere outside of the school's boundary.
Disclaimer: Once boundaries are confirmed, we will accurately identify walk and transport zones within each attendance area and communicate that with families in the spring.
You can tune in to the Study Session live tomorrow at 5 p.m. via our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@ISD535.
Today is National Special Education Day. On this day in 1975, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was signed into law granting access to children with special needs free and quality public education. Our students with special needs are excellent and work hard to succeed and we are proud of the opportunity we have in the district to provide them with all the tools they need to succeed. We are also thankful for our hardworking Special Education staff who work tirelessly to support our students.
This afternoon was the 40th Anniversary of the Mayor’s Medal of Honor award ceremony. Each year since 1984, the mayor of Rochester, MN, recognizes people from the community who have gone above and beyond to make a difference in our city. We are delighted to share that two students and a teacher from RPS were honored with the Mayor’s Medal of Honor:
Mr. Michael Olson, teacher from Folwell Elementary - Educational Excellence Award
Aaron Ress, student from John Marshall High School - Sustainability Award
Isha Kapoor, student from Mayo High School - Youth Serving Community Award
Congratulations, Isha, Aaron, and Mr. Olson, for your awards! We are so proud of your achievements, hard work, and dedication.
School Board Director, Jean Marvin, gives a short summary of some of the highlights from the November 28st School Board Meeting.
Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/klRgSR2sXYY
Did you know that you can be a teacher if you have a 4-year degree? Or that you can be a teacher even if you don't have a degree in education?
Check out this video to learn more about teaching opportunities in Special Education for Rochester Public Schools here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbyVDNYcZ9o
The Minnesota legislature passed a new statute requiring all schools, on Indigenous People’s Day, to spend time during the school day observing the holiday. Suggested topics include the history of treaties, federal boarding schools, Indigenous languages, Indigenous medicines and cultural or spiritual practices, sovereignty of Tribal nations, contributions of Indigenous people, and issues affecting Indigenous communities.
As we wrap up Native American Heritage Month, we want to provide you with resources from the Minnesota Department of Education so you can continue learning about Native American Heritage after the month concludes:
American Indian Academic Standards Book List
Anton Treuer MPR Everything You Wanted To Know About 'Indians' : NPR
NEA Native Education Micro-Credential
NIEA Digital Learning Resources
Land Acknowledgement Resources
MDE American Indian Education Teaching and Learning resources
Links to these resources and more can be found on: https://education.mn.gov/MDE/dse/indian/