Wayzata Public Schools creates course to fill vacancy in after-school positions

Scarlett Sheeley drew along with her after-school instructor, gripping the midnight blue Crayola marker to close in the lines of her imperfect, lumpy heart. ­Kaitlyn Mortenson encouraged the 4-year-old along the way as she finished drawing a heart for the first time.

Mortenson along with her classmate, Ali Voller, supervised a class of 4- to 5-year-olds in the Meadow Ridge after-school program for a new high school course developed to fill a need for after-school counselors. The need became acute this fall after the district switched start times, moving high school start times later and elementary ones earlier — and sending elementary school parents searching for after-school care.

"The change in start times resulted in an increased number of students who are in need of after-school supervision," Chace Anderson, Wayzata Public Schools superintendent, said. "We sought some creative ways to help our families meet that additional demand, and one was the creation of a curricular course offered through our child psychology plan at our high school."

The new start times, along with increased growth in the community, pushed district officials to develop the high school course to fill their shortage of professionals. Districts across the Twin Cities metro area are experiencing a shortage of paraprofessionals, with vacancies in after-school programs, culinary positions and janitorial staff. It's a sign of an improved economy but it's leaving growing districts like Wayzata with scarce options for hires.

"They are finding it challenging to find qualified individuals who want to work a 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. shift," said Stephanie Ebert, a family and consumer sciences teacher, who oversees the high school course.

Following a national trend, the district switched start times to accommodate student sleep patterns.

"We made a change consistent with national research about adolescent sleep patterns and the need for high school and also middle-school aged students to begin school later in the morning," ­Anderson said.

Wayzata pushed back its high school start time to 8:20 a.m. from 7:30 a.m. Middle schools swapped from 8:20 a.m. to 9:10 a.m. Three elementary schools now start at 8:30 a.m. while five others shifted to 7:45 a.m.

The 24 students taking the Introduction to Education Field Experience course receive two college credits from Normandale Community College, more than 100 hours of internship experience and also have the opportunity to turn the course into a paid job.

In the after-school program, Home Base, three to four high school students are paired with each of the eight elementary after-school programs. The students provide supervision and instruction to the elementary students. They create lesson plans for students and write about their experiences in a journal while taking an online course. Home Base has hired several of the students to work after the fourth block class, which ends at 3:10 p.m., where they are already working.

Students such as Mortenson are hired to work Monday through Friday.

Mortenson and Voller spent their Tuesday afternoon reading to the children in Meadow Ridge Elementary School's Home Base program and guiding them through educational activities. Meadow Ridge is the highest-need school for after-school care workers, Ebert said.

"The growth has exceeded what we had anticipated," Anderson said. "We always knew there would be a phase-two expansion of Meadow Ridge, we just didn't think we would need to get its started right away."

Ebert is already expecting to see an increase in the number of students in her course next semester.

Mortenson said the class has given her an experience she would not have received by learning in the classroom.

"The only way to learn is by being hands on," she said. " You are not going to learn from a textbook."

Beatrice Dupuy • 612-673-1707