Last week the Winslow Unified School District (WUSD) Governing Board held a regular meeting in which they praised Superintendent Connie Gover for 40 years of service in education almost all was spent at WUSD. Gover will be finishing her tenure with the district at the end of the month and current Jefferson Elementary School Principal Amber Martinez will be taking over the role.

During the call to the public, several community members recognized Gover for her extensive career and impact on the district. Winslow Mayor Roberta Cano, speaking as a community member and alumna, expressed her appreciation for Gover’s 40-year tenure, noting, “She has made such an impact on so many lives and I just want to put it in the record that she’s not going to ever be forgotten.” Cano announced plans to formally acknowledge Gover’s contributions later in the summer through a city council action.

Gary Sanderlin, also addressing the board during public comments, praised Gover’s dedication, especially toward special education students. “I know they’re going to be better because we are better when you were here,” he said.

Winslow Junior High School teacher Sharon Vasquez also spoke during call to the public and highlighted Gover’s leadership through difficult periods, emphasizing Gover’s open-door policy and consistent availability, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Vasquez, who is in a similar situation spending 30 years with the district, is also retiring this month but she said that she wants to run for school board for the next available position so she can continue to make an impact on the students of Winslow.

The board also unanimously approved restructuring the cheer and dance teams at Winslow High School into a unified “Spirit Line,” which will be supervised by one head coach with two assistants. Athletic Director Ricky Greer explained the change aims to enhance unity and reduce internal issues. “We just didn’t feel like there was a whole lot of unity in the program, there was quite a bit of drama, quite a bit of division,” Greer explained. He further clarified, “We don’t want to lose that aspect of it, we just want to try to create something that’s more unified and really increases and builds our school spirit.”

Board members discussed changes to district leave policies, notably maintaining current front-loaded paid time-off rather than switching to an accrual system for 12-month classified employees. Gover noted these changes reflected staff feedback during prior meetings.

Policy Advisory 906, recently approved by the governor, drew attention due to its restriction on cell phone usage by students during school hours, limiting use primarily to educational purposes, emergencies, or medical needs. Gover noted, “Basically, the only time they can have their phone is before school and after school.”

The board approved the addition of an academic advisor position at Winslow High School to address challenges in filling counseling roles. The new role, explained by Gover, allows flexibility in hiring candidates who may not yet possess full counselor certification but otherwise meet necessary teaching experience.

The meeting concluded with the board formally approving incoming superintendent Amber Martinez to begin her duties one week early, starting June 24, without additional compensation. The next board meeting is scheduled for June 25, with an interim special meeting planned for June 9, to finalize staffing decisions.

In other business, the board:

* Approved hiring Alan Perkins as elementary band/orchestra teacher; Chloe Proxee as a second grade teacher; Asdzaan Huenemann as a paraprofessional; Jacquelyn Williams as a paraprofessional; Secilee Hughes as a paraprofessional and Cassie Hancock, speech language pathologist assistant.

* Approved the resignation of Kassandra Setalla as a third grade teacher.

* Approved the transfer of Taylor Mills from Washington sixth grade teacher to District Academic Coach; Sharon Greenwood from Washington fifth grade teacher to sixth grade teacher; Marjorie Coolidge from Jefferson second grade teacher to Washington fifth grade teacher; Briana Huskon from Washington special education autism teacher to Bonnie Brennan third grade teacher; and Angela Payne from Bonnie Brennan paraprofessional to Parent Liaison.

* Approved the following summer workers: Quentin Hayes for Winslow High School summer open gym sessions; Tanner Short (student); Brooklyn Valdez (student); Pamela Salazar, transportation; and Christine Gonzalez, transportation.

* Approved Amie McCrickard and Tara Wilcox to attend the Handle With Care Trainer Certification in Las Vegas, Nevada, July 6-9. Medicaid will fund this trip.