The Norwalk School Board took another step forward last week in reshaping its Teacher Leadership and Compensation program. District leaders say a months-long review led to a streamlined plan focused squarely on classroom support. The updated model creates ten full-release instructional coach positions, two in every building, eliminating district office TLC roles. Each school will now set its own coaching priorities based on building data and student needs. Norwalk Schools superintendent Shawn Holloway tells KNIA News the district’s focus will shift.
“As we move into the next phase of this work, our focus shifts to recruiting and selecting the strongest instructional leaders for each building. Over the next several weeks, we will begin advertising and hiring for these coaching positions to ensure every school has the right support in place.”
The board also moved through several action items. Members approved adding electrical rough ins for future signage at the baseball and softball complex. They also signed off on the purchase of a used bus for just over $21,000. The district says the bus will serve as a spare after one of its oldest vehicles failed state inspection. Another purchase on the agenda, an eight-thousand-dollar Saw Stop table saw, will support this year’s curriculum adoption and allow crews to complete a winter break safety upgrade.
Updates to the TLC Memorandum of Understanding were also approved, bringing the document in line with recent transfer language changes. The revisions also remove barriers that previously limited teachers from applying for upcoming district positions. The board ended the meeting in closed session to discuss a real estate matter, later approving a land purchase for a future transportation building. The district’s shared facility agreement with the city expires in 2029. And as part of its annual organizational meeting, the board swore in newly elected members Justin Fletcher, Brian Rausch, and Nathaniel Tagtow. Fletcher was chosen as board president, with Rausch elected vice president. Superintendent Holloway expressed his appreciation of the board’s consistent focus.
“I’m pleased to welcome Nathaniel Tagtow to the Norwalk School Board and look forward to the perspective and commitment he brings to the board table. I also want to recognize the continued leadership of Justin Fletcher as board president and Brian Rausch as vice president. The overall consistency of our board provides a strong foundation, and I am grateful for the stability and shared focus this team brings to serving our students, staff, and community.”