Mosinee School District

Moving Beyond the Conventional to Rethink Education

Taking a Fresh Approach to Student Success

Serving 2000 students across three schools, Mosinee School District is rethinking education, moving beyond the conventional, and choosing to embrace a more personalized and meaningful approach. The district’s progressive mission rests on four main pillars which include student centered learning, instructional excellence, collaboration and community, and professional growth and leadership.

 “We firmly believe in student progress, academically and socially, to prepare them to be a productive member of a multicultural society,” shares Superintendent Greg Doverspike. “We promote partnerships with the community, and multiple opportunities for learners. But the other thing we really want to focus on is a purpose driven and future focused education, where everyone works together to prepare students for a world that won’t wait, with innovative learning experiences and strong relationships. We want to empower every learner to thrive in a dynamic and diverse future.”

Redefining the Old Models

Doverspike explains that the school system itself has not evolved with the times, pointing out that schools still operate on structures designed decades ago. “We are probably the only industry in the world that is still in existence that hasn’t gone through a major revolution in the past 100 years,” he reflects. 

Instead of adhering to outdated practices, Mosinee School District is working to change its strategy. “We’re starting to have conversations around competency based grading, around the use of technology, and how to infuse some of the resources that are available through AI to create more personalized learning,” he conveys. “There’s a lot of conversation around kids always being on screens, but the reality is that kids are on screens, and that’s what they’re used to.” 

Comparing taking technology away during the school day to asking an avid reader to set aside their books, Doverspike adds, “I’m not saying we’re just going to throw kids on screens all day and leave them there. That’s not what we’re going to do, but we’re going to embrace that technology.”

Mosinee School District recognizes that today’s students face different challenges from those of past generations. Different family structures, diverse social and emotional needs, greater access to technology and wider socioeconomic gaps all shape the classroom experience. “Instead of us trying to ask kids to adjust to our system, we need to adjust to their system,” he stresses.

Rethinking Math, Literacy, and Engagement

While this innovative model remains at the forefront, Doverspike emphasizes that the fundamentals like math and reading still matter. “One of the things about this generation of kids, is they want to know the reason behind what they’re doing, which isn’t a bad thing,” he shares. “The more you can show them how this applies to their life the better. I always say it doesn’t matter how a kid learns math or reading, as long as they learn to do it.”

A big part of this educational shift involves rethinking the layout of the traditional classroom, and the role of the educator. “We don’t want to have a room anymore where a teacher stands at the front and kids are in rows and that kind of stuff. We want a teacher to be a co-pilot, a passenger on an educational journey, not the driver of the school bus, where everybody’s on the bus with them, and we’re all going to the same place at the same time,” Doverspike describes. 

Another part of the guiding philosophy is to “get comfortable being uncomfortable.” “We firmly believe that comfortable people become complacent,” he continues. “We want to become uncomfortable because we want to keep pushing.”

Real World Opportunities for Students

The overarching goal of any school district is preparing students for life after high school, and Mosinee is no different. One of its many strengths is a robust dual enrollment program, in partnership with North Central Technical College. 

“It’s not uncommon for kids between the dual enrollment here at the Technical College, plus AP, plus other opportunities, to walk out with 30 credits of college done by the time they graduate,” says Doverspike. “A lot of our kids go into college, either as a second semester freshman or in some cases as a sophomore, because of the credits they’ve earned while in high school.”

Mosinee students can also gain credentials and real world work experience through opportunities with local businesses and industries. “Our community really embraces this concept. They’ve done a tremendous job of opening their doors and allowing us to put kids in these places to gain experience. They do this because they realize it’s an opportunity to give back, not only to the school system and the community, but they’re also getting an opportunity to start to groom their next crop of workers,” he outlines.

Some students are even taking part in the district’s upcoming expansion to the high school, a $20 million referendum project. Through youth apprenticeships, senior students will work with contractors and subcontractors, gaining valuable skills and being part of something bigger for their community. “They’re going to get to actually build the addition that their younger brothers and sisters and friends are going to use.  They will be able to come back here and look at what they did to help this grow and develop, just because of the opportunities that they’ve been afforded and are taking advantage of,” says Doverspike. 

Facilities that Serve the Whole Community

Mosinee School District is home to the Creske Center, a multi-purpose facility that physically connects the middle and high schools and provides an auditorium, shared library, gym, and indoor pool. The center is used not just by students but by community members of all ages. 

The auditorium seats over 700 and hosts everything from concerts and plays to community meetings and dance recitals. The pool is managed in partnership with the YMCA, offering swimming lessons, recreational swim, and senior fitness classes. “It’s a tremendous asset to our community,” Doverspike acknowledges. “The auditorium space is used a lot. We have many different events there that are outside of school events. We really welcome the opportunity to bring people into our community.”

Investing in the Future

Recently Mosinee voters overwhelmingly approved a referendum, which Doverspike says is a significant milestone for a community where such measures have often been difficult to pass. That strong support has paved the way for major investments in Career and Technical Education. Doverspike recounts, “We are completely upgrading and adding onto that space, in an effort to try to revolutionize. We will be getting into more of the industry 4.0 with the robotic welders and the VR welding and plasma cutting, all the different things you know that kids are going to be utilizing when they leave us.”  

Along with these enhancements, the district is investing in infrastructure improvements, upgrading PA systems, expanding cabling, and creating stronger access points to prepare for the future of technology. Routine maintenance projects are also part of the plan to keep facilities in top shape. “From an instructional standpoint, we’re shifting it from what we would call traditional curricular concepts into more advanced technology based curricular concepts that are going to provide kids more opportunities and meet them at more of a personalized level,” says Doverspike.

Future Plans and Words of Wisdom

Looking ahead, the Mosinee School District will be focusing on finalizing their Portrait of a Graduate, and Portrait of an Educator. Doverspike details, “We’re going to be building upon those pillars as we move forward administratively and involving the community in helping us frame that. We’re moving in that direction and away from a strategic plan, so we have a shared reason around what we want our kids to walk out of here with.”

Professional development is also a priority for the district, deepening the commitment to personalized learning. Over the next one to two years, Mosinee also expects to begin moving away from traditional grading practices toward a competency-based model. “We want you to show that you’ve learned the subject more than your ability to turn in homework or pass a test on a given day,” he relays. “That’s the next step we’re going to take in this journey to get us to where we want to go, hopefully, in the next two or three years.”

On a more personal note, Doverspike says “What really drives me, is just how to continue to meet the needs of kids, and how to continue to grow and progress and challenge the norm. I guess the easiest way to summarize it is, what gets me up in the morning  is seeking perfection in how we educate kids, knowing that we’ll never get there, but we’re sure going to try.”

At a Glance 

Name: Mosinee School District

What: A school district taking an innovative approach to education

Where: Mosinee, Wisconsin

Website: www.mosineeschools.org