Community Ed transition plan moving ahead

Longtime member of Red Wing School District’s administration team Kathy Radmer announced her retirement last July, and the district has begun making plans for her departure.

At Monday night’s meeting, the Red Wing School Board unanimously approved a recommendation that will create two separate positions out of Radmer’s current duties: A director of instruction position and a community education director.

The recommendation came from the Red Wing Community Education Advisory Council’s transition committee.

The board also approved a second committee recommendation that the district collaborate with community education to draft a communications plan.

The plan would outline how to handle “basic district communications,” said R-E editor Anne Jacobson, who spoke at Monday’s meeting. Jacobson represents the media on the advisory council.

Currently, community education already does things for the district such as scheduling after-school building use and updating general online calendars. The department also has existing relationships with media and community members.

“They interact on so many levels already with district residents,” Jacobson said of community education.

A third recommendation from the committee, that current Assistant Community Education Director Dawn Wettern serve as acting director beginning March 1 before assuming the director position July 1, was not accepted.

The board decided to go through the standard procedure of advertising the director position; Wettern has said she will apply. The recommendation that Wettern take over as acting director in March will be considered at the Feb. 21 School Board meeting to allow salary negotiations.

Jacobson said the committee recommended having an acting director for four months before Radmer’s retirement to help ensure a continuation of services through the transition and to give the department time to revise staff contracts, duties and responsibilities.

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