During a recent meeting of the Winslow Unified School District Governing Board there was a proposal from Superintendent Connie Gover concerning an adjustment to her compensation. Gover, who has shifted from being a direct employee of the district to a contracted position through Educational Services Inc. (ESI), suggested a 5% increase in her wages. This proposal was made in the context of a broader district-wide initiative to implement a 5% wage increase for all district employees that was passed early last month.

Gover’s proposal aimed to integrate her unique employment situation—being contracted through Educational Services Inc. (ESI) rather than employed directly by the district—into the standard wage increase plan that typically would cover all district employees. Under normal circumstances, had Gover been a direct employee, she would automatically benefit from such district-wide salary adjustments. However, her transition to a contracted role through ESI, a move designed to enable her to start drawing retirement benefits while still contributing to the district, inadvertently excluded her from automatic inclusion in these raises. This transition also meant forfeiting the 3% longevity pay she would have received with her multiple decades as a district employee.

Gover’s shift to a contracted status was strategic, aiming to leverage retirement benefits—a common practice for long-serving district employees able to retire but want to continue working. Her proposal, therefore, sought not only to bridge this unintended gap but also to ensure her compensation remained aligned with the district’s overall compensation framework, despite the technicalities of her employment arrangement.

Board member Allen Leonard addressed the proposal during the meeting stating, “I was under the understanding that she was going to get it because it’s in her contract.” Gover affirmed this understanding but highlighted the importance of formally presenting the proposal to the governing board. She said that she wanted the bonus to be as transparent as possible, so she brought it formally in front of the board. The proposal received approval by the board.

The board meeting also highlighted foreign exchange teachers, an initiative that has brought several dedicated educators to the district under the J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa. The four participants in the program who are from the Philippines spoke to the board about the program and their time in Winslow.

Klaire Saycon, a special education teacher at Washington Elementary School, shared her enthusiasm for the cultural exchange, saying, “We have so much fun experiencing Winslow culture.” This sentiment of embracing and learning from the local community was a common thread among the exchange teachers.

Cathlyn Diaz, a first-grade teacher at Jefferson Elementary, Joanna Vergel de Dios, another special education teacher at Jefferson and Charizthea Hinay, also a first-grade teacher all spoke to the board during the meeting.

Dios, in particular, expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to explore the United States beyond Winslow, taking advantage of school breaks to travel. She further engaged the board by showcasing a video of her home school in the Philippines, providing a visual and narrative bridge between her educational roots and her current experiences in the U.S.

Superintendent Gover detailed the comprehensive process of integrating these international educators into the Winslow school community. The initiative began in February of last year, with the entire process concluding just one week before the beginning of the school year in early August. She highlighted the stringent criteria for the J-1 visa program, which ensures that participants are highly qualified: possessing a degree equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree, at least two years of teaching experience, proficiency in English, and a record of good character.

These teachers are affiliated with the Teacher Alliance Group, an agency that facilitates the connection between foreign teachers and school districts. This partnership not only serves the visiting educators by offering them a rich international experience but also significantly enriches the educational experiences of Winslow’s students and staff by exposing them to a wide array of global perspectives and teaching practices.

In other business the board:

* Approved minutes from their last regular and special meetings as well as the ratification list.

* Approved the hiring of Shirley Pe, as an elementary music teacher and Shera Baker as a media technician.

* Approved the following resignations: Afton Foster, Career Technical Education (CTE) Construction; Lisa Foster, CTE Digital Media; William Atwood, Gifted and Talented Education teacher; David DeGroff, bus driver/part time custodian; Madisyn LaFon, paraprofessional; Kasye Reynolds, high needs paraprofessional; and Tanya Luna, custodian.

* Approved transferring Sabrina Vasquez from junior high science to sixth grade and Jennifer Yazzie from paraprofessional to special education.

* Approved Amber Martinez and Travis Dooley split the extra duty pay allotted for the district’s 504 coordinators.

* Approved the following fundraisers: Volleyball Club’s youth camp; Honor Society’s track concessions and Art Club’s empty bowl fundraiser.

* Approved the fiscal year 2024 capital plan.

* Approved Tony Mora, Kyle Decker and Jeff McCrickard to travel to San Antonio to attend training for job relevant software.

* Approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Northern Arizona Council of Governments Head Start program for cooperative screening processes to identify children ages 3-5 with disabilities.

* Approved a MOU with Northern Arizona University Americorps Senior Program so members of the program can volunteer for WUSD.

The next meeting of the WUSD school board will be held at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 17, in the meeting room, located at 800 N. Apache Ave.