LOCAL FEATURE
" THE WORK CULTURE AT PALADIN IS CENTERED AROUND THE BELIEF THAT RELATIONSHIPS NEED TO COME FIRST ."
social , emotional , and academic growth , thereby creating a foundation for a successful future ."
During that final shift , the school ’ s Learning Lab was divided into a number of smaller “ quads ,” each staffed by a combination of general and special education teachers , restorative practice specialists , and student success coordinators . Graduation requirements were refocused to ensure that students would be ready for success post-high school . For that , the College and Career Centers were established and the academic programs were changed from 28 to 22 credits , bringing them closer into alignment with the practices of the Minnesota Department of Education .
The work culture at Paladin is centered around the belief that relationships need to come first . With students , that means working to understand any trauma they may have experienced in their personal or academic lives and working to address those traumas to help them find educational success . The staff is very much like a family . New hires speak about how they can feel how different the culture of Paladin is just by walking through the halls . The staff are passionate about what they do , and all work towards the common goal of assisting students achieve success socially , emotionally , and academically .
Student Success Coordinators work hard to maintain connections with students , regularly making calls to the homes of students and to student cell phones in order to keep in touch . Sometimes , unfortunately , phone numbers or addresses can change , leading to students dropping off of the enrollment . Many times , the students reappear and reenroll and the issue is rectified . One of the largest goals Paladin has as a school is to remove social and academic barriers for students who have a history of high mobility . Paladin added a Student Engagement Coordinator this school year to help mitigate these barriers
In the school environment , Paladin has created a Positive Behavioral Intervention & Support program they call the Court of Honor , using an innovative approach and incentives to help shape the climate and culture . They place a focus on three areas :
• Civility — Measuring positive behaviors that students show to others around them . Paladin places a focus on students exhibiting kindness , respect , and helpfulness , generally helping the school become a better place .
• Duty — A measure of attentiveness to responsibility , requiring students not to miss more than four days in a given month ( including excused absences ). Students must also complete goal-setting and reflection requirements weekly .
• Achievement — Measures credit attainment , requiring students to earn an average of 0.6 credits per month , the minimum they need to achieve 5.5 credits per year and graduate on time .
Like with other educational facilities , Paladin has had to face its share of risk management issues . Those vary from industry-specific risks associated with education to the facilities and vehicles which are used in the day-to-day operations of the school . Alisha Paradise and the Nesbit team have been a critical partner for Paladin . With the purchase of the new building , Paladin needed to have everything insured to meet the requirements of bond financing . Alisha was able to secure that coverage in time for the closing and worked closely with Paladin ’ s bond legal team to ensure the coverage met the requirements .
Before the building was purchased , Alisha and Nesbit were able to work on the transportation end of things . The transportation model in place at Paladin involved employees — including teachers — driving students to and from school each day . Pre-pandemic , a number of accidents threatened Paladin ’ s ability to keep coverage in place with their insurance carrier . Alisha was able to step in and work with the school , drivers , and carrier to come up with a plan for Paladin to stay with their current insurance company and keep their coverage , creating a win-win for everyone . +
BRANDON WAIT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR /
PRINCIPAL K-12 / LICENSED SCHOOL COUNSELOR / TITLE IX COORDINATOR
ERIC GIESEKE FINANCE & BUSINESS DIRECTOR / HUMAN
RIGHTS COORDINATOR
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