This past November, teachers arrived in Salem, Wisconsin, for an Otus workshop with familiar questions on their minds:
How do we honor the fact that no two students learn the same?
How do we support teachers without overwhelming them?
And how do we use data in ways that build trust instead of anxiety?
The day featured insights from Nancy Weinstein, CEO of MindPrint Learning; Barb Geibel, Lead Mentor Teacher for Salem School District; and Craig Velleux, Salem’s Data Specialist.
Across their sessions, a common theme kept emerging: pairing meaningful data with human relationships. From MindPrint Learning’s insights on learner variability to Salem School District’s creative approach to mentoring and professional growth, the workshop showcased how districts are using edtech to support both students and educators.
Below are a few of the biggest threads that surfaced across sessions and hallway conversations.
In the opening session, Nancy Weinstein, CEO of MindPrint Learning, reminded everyone of a simple but oft overlooked truth: every student has a unique learning profile.
MindPrint’s cognitive data, now available in Otus, makes that visible by surfacing patterns across three areas:
Rather than labeling students, the goal is to normalize variability and give educators concrete ways to respond. Two students might earn the same score but get there in completely different ways. Naming those differences doesn’t label students, it normalizes them. That clarity also helps teachers adjust how they teach, not just what they teach.
Later in the day, Salem School District’s Barb Giebel shared a story that felt instantly relatable: a mentor's program spread across folders, inboxes, and the occasional lost form. To fix it, Salem did something almost deceptively simple.
They moved the whole system to Otus.
In their PD-specific Otus environment, teachers become the “learners.” Mentors and mentees share goals, observations, notes, and expectations in one place they already use every day. Private spaces allow for honest reflection; shared spaces keep everyone aligned. And because classroom data lives there too, mentors can coach toward real instructional goals rather than checking boxes on a form.
Barb’s team also rebuilt required trainings and modeled instruction inside Otus lessons. New teachers can watch a Salem colleague teach the exact curriculum they’re about to deliver, then reflect on it with their mentor. What once felt piecemeal now feels like a single workflow.
In a session led by Craig Velleux, data specialist for Salem School District, the conversation quickly moved from “how does this feature work?” to “how do we actually use this to solve real problems?” A small group of school leaders traded stories about the kinds of questions that rarely fit neatly in a spreadsheet:
A big part of the conversation focused on pulling behavior, attendance, and academic data into the same place (aka “Otus”). Leaders talked about using behavior tiles, recognition logs, and notes to see more than a single incident. With all data unified, they could spot patterns over time, flag students who might need extra support, and shape SEL lessons or coaching based on what was actually happening in classrooms. By routinely bringing in attendance files and office referrals, teams could go beyond record-keeping to examine what was shifting and where early warning signs were emerging.
From there, the group pushed into what happens once everything is in Otus. Instead of hand-building new spreadsheets every time they need a list (students for math acceleration, candidates for peer tutoring, a cohort to monitor more closely—the list goes on), leaders are using queries and AI-powered insights to do the first pass for them. Start with a broad filter such as “strong performance on key standards, solid attendance, and minimal behavioral concerns,” let the system generate a shortlist, and then bring human judgment back in to make the final call.
The tone in the room was grounded. If the data is organized, transparent, and easy to explore, teams are much more willing to actually talk about it. Tough conversations feel a little less personal and a little more purposeful. Instead of arguing whose spreadsheet is “right,” leaders can sit on the same side of the table, look at the same exact information, and focus on what to do for students next.
Throughout the workshop, one theme popped up again and again: ideas only matter if they translate into everyday practice. In Salem, it was clear how quickly the conversations in the room connected to classroom realities.
MindPrint offered a new lens for understanding how students learn. Otus gave teams a central place to unite those insights with assessments, plans, and progress. And Salem’s mentoring and PD model showed what happens when adults receive the same thoughtful scaffolding we expect them to provide students.
When educators have data clarity, shared systems, and tools that make the next step clear as day, the lessons don’t die in the workshop. They move into instruction, planning, coaching, and the everyday decisions that guide each and every student’s learning journey.