Association News

*NEW* Plan to Attend the 2019 MASA/MASE Spring Conference! 
Thursday - Friday, March 7-8, 2019
Minneapolis Marriott Northwest • Brooklyn Park

Registration materials will be in your email box on Monday, January 21.

Performed by an intergenerational ensemble, including students from the Perpich Center for Arts Education

Learning and reflecting through story, we are invited to hear the account of Juneteenth.  In this play, the character of Frederick Douglass narrates several tales surrounding June 19, 1865, when Union Soldiers landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free.  This was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation became official.  Join us in our powerful journey, exploring history and reflecting on our world today.  After the performance, we will have an opportunity for dialogue.

Our Friday featured keynote presentation –
The Listening Leader ~ Creating the Conditions for Equitable School Transformation
presented by:
Shane Safir
Author, Coach, Facilitator
Listening and Leading for Equity
Senior Program Officer, Educator Leadership, Stuart Foundation

It is no secret to our members that it has become increasingly difficult for educational leaders to listen to their communities. 75 percent of principals now feel that their job is too complex, and half feel under stress most of the time. Central-office administrators, coaches, and teacher leaders endure similar levels of stress in a domino effect that intensifies across the system. As a result, even the best intentioned leaders can miss critical signals coming from stakeholders. Shane Safir’s experiences have taught her that we need leaders of all levels who are fearlessly dedicated to closing opportunity gaps for students, and firmly rooted in the values of listening and relationships. Through the powerful practice of listening and an unwavering commitment to equity, we can dare to reimagine our schools as places of opportunity for every student. Join this session and learn how you can creatively tackle complex equity challenges through:

• Listening deeply and strategically to colleagues, families, and, students.
• Cultivating relational capital—the interpersonal currency that fuels school transformation.
• Addressing structural barriers, interrupting unconscious biases, and changing the conversation about equity.
• Fostering a thriving culture of improvement that promotes leadership at all levels of your organization.

Join the conversation about the commitment ensuring that every student has access to what they need to thrive.

MASA Winter Newsletter Online
You can view the MASA newsletter website at www.mnasanews.org/latest-edition.

On the newsletter homepage you can view the most recent articles on various topics - or you can click “Latest Edition” using the menu bar at the top of the page to see only the articles that have been published for the winter newsletter.

2019 MASA Legislative Platform Online!

The 2019 MASA Legislative Platform is online at www.mnasa.org/atthecapitol.

You can view the platform directly here!

The platform has also been mailed to the Governor and all legislators, education lobbyists, other education associations, Minnesota federal legislators and MDE leaders.

The 2019 Minnesota Legislative Session begins on Tuesday, January 8 and we will be at the Capitol on your behalf! We will also provide the services and support you need to actively advocate for your own students, staff, and community.

MASA will provide several supports, including:

Each week you will receive, via email, a legislative update.

Through MASA’s Legislative Contact Plan, we will ask every MASA member, over the course of the legislative session to make at least one small group visit to the Capitol and also make calls/email to legislators on another designated week. Your involvement this session will be vital to a successful outcome. MASA will provide all of the information you will need to be successful, such as contact information, talking points, and logistical information. Your job will be to provide the local perspective! This year, up to two MASBO members will participate in our various days at the Capitol.

Note that the contact dates for visits and calls/emails, as well as the regional MASA contacts/coordinators, are attached to this email. In addition, the attached MASA 2019 Guide to the Capitol provides tips for visiting the Capitol, such as office and cafeteria locations and how to use the tunnel system. We anticipate that legislators’ offices will be assigned and occupied shortly after the session convenes and we will send you that information when we have it.

MASA has a wealth of information on our web site that may come in handy during the session: see our legislative page, “At the Capitol:” www.mnasa.org/atthecapitol for all things legislative.

2019 AASA MN State Breakfast
You are invited to join us for the Minnesota State Breakfast honoring Jay Haugen, 2019 MN Superintendent of the Year, during the 2019 AASA National Convention in Los Angeles, CA.

Our breakfast program is a great opportunity for you to gather with your colleagues during the AASA conference, as well as hear a presentation from Superintendent Haugen!

Event Details
Date: Friday, February 15, 2019
Time: 7:30-8:30 am
Location: JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE | 900 W. Olympic Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA  90015 
Room: Atrium I

Fill out your reservation form online at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CYSZPZL 

Reservations are due by Friday, February 1, 2019.

If you have not already registered for the AASA conference, you can find registration materials and information on the AASA website: http://nce.aasa.org/

Please contact MASA with any questions. We look forward to seeing you in Los Angeles!

Join Today!
MASA's 2019 Political Action Committee MCPE
The 2019 Minnesota Legislative Session convenes on Tuesday, January 8, and MASA will be at the capitol representing you and Minnesota’s students.  MASA’s political action committee — Management Concerned for Public Education (MCPE) — provides resources so that MASA’s legislative advocates can gain access to our elected officials at fundraising events.  The information below provides details regarding MCPE.

I am asking that you consider joining MCPE for 2019.  A donation of $50 will assist in providing resources so that the MASA legislative message can be heard by our elected officials. I greatly appreciate your consideration!

Join MCPE online at: https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?EventID=1733026

- or send your personal check to

MCPE
c/o MASA
1884 Como Avenue
St. Paul, MN  55108 

• enhances leadership development for MASA members
• encourages and supports individuals interested in education careers
• supports the role and image of education leaders
• conducts research and provides information to policymakers and the public.

The MASA Foundation meets its goals through the generous donations of individuals and organizations interested in supporting the Foundation mission.  These generous donations allow the Foundation to:

• award professional learning grants to individual MASA members, providing opportunities that may not be otherwise be available to them
• support MASA's PAT (Professional Assistance Team), a completely confidential resource allowing MASA members to contact an experienced administrator for advice and counsel
• offer a strong mentoring program for all MASA members new to their role.

Won’t you help MASA support the professional growth of string leaders for Minnesota’s school systems? As you plan your year-end giving, consider a tax-deductible donation to the MASA Foundation!

Donate Online Today!

For more information, see https://www.mnasa.org/domain/78

Or contact us at members@mnasa.org or 651-645-6272

New episodes online now!
Check out all 21 episodes online at www.mnasa.org/podcast!

MASA is grateful to our online convener and podcaster, Dr. Jane Sigford, who has volunteered her services for this initiative. Jane is a MASA retiree and loves nothing more than challenging us (and herself) to think, create, and share ideas.

Register Today!
MASA and Springsted Incorporated present...
School Referendum Elections: Planning for Success in the New Normal
Monday, April 8, 2019
9:15 am - 4 pm
at the MASA Building in St. Paul
Register online

Based on past workshops, registering a district team is highly recommended to ensure a common understanding.

This is a workshop based on a book on referendum planning co-authored by our presenters, Dr. Don Lifto and Barbara Nicol. This workshop timing is scheduled for districts planning referenda in August 2019 or later.

The workshop's content represents a marriage of research and successful practice, emphasizing systems and strategies rather than specific campaign tactics, allowing school administrators to elevate their thinking to a more comprehensive and long-range vision of election planning. Don has worked with dozens of school districts running operating, bond, and technology elections throughout the US, and is a well-known and respected presenter and author on the topic of finance elections.

MASA Jobsite Listings!
Tt’s time to subscribe for 2019!

Visit the MASA Jobsite at jobsitemnasa.org.

To search for candidates by job type, job category or region of the state log-in on the Jobsite with your district's account - and then click "search for candidates" at the top of the page!

If you need assistance, please contact Jeanna at 651-789-4062 or by e-mail at quinn@mnasa.org.

Looking for a job in education? Visit https://jobsitemnasa.org/

Member Memos

Is Your Region Interested in Hosting the Next Minnesota Principals Academy?
We are pleased to share with you the opportunity for you to bring what we consider the state’s premier professional learning program for school principals to your region. The University of Minnesota’s Minnesota Principals Academy is funded in part through a legislative grant that supports half of the cost of this program and insures it is accessible to principals in greater Minnesota with a cohort placed in a selected regional center every two years.

Regional Cohorts to date have taken place in Thief River Falls, Rochester, Fergus Falls, and Staples, MN. Given continued legislative funding, it is the intent of the University to move this cohort every two years to eventually meet the needs of all of Minnesota. In an effort to fairly determine where to place the next regional cohort, the University has developed the process outlined in the attached application.  They have asked us to both communicate this information to our members and assist in providing input in the selection process. If you have questions about the Academy, please do contact Dr. Katie Pekel, the program director at the University of Minnesota. She can be reached at kpekel@umn.edu or 612-625-7002. 

From Our colleagues at MESPA
Registration is NOW OPEN for Institute 2019!
Your principals won't want to miss Institute 2019, and neither will you! MESPA Institute hosts more than 450 of your elementary and middle-level principal and assistant principal colleagues from around the state for three days of learning and collaboration, February 6-8, 2019 at the DoubleTree in Bloomington. We hope you will encourage your principals not to miss the best conference of the year for elementary and middle-level principal professional development. Here is the link to send them to register now: https://www.mespa.net/event-3106569

We hope to see you at Institute, too! SUPERINTENDENTS ARE INVITED TO ATTEND ONE DAY FOR JUST $100! View the full Institute schedule to see which day or days you'd like to attend!

Sample Some of the MASA ExpertEase Videos!
Sample Some of the MASA ExpertEase Videos! As part of our strategic plan to deliver a multi-tiered system of professional development that meets the individualized learning goals of all members, MASA has partnered with Infinitec to create a library of professional development videos that are available to MASA members 24/7. Members can view these videos for their personal professional development and also to engage their teams in discussions surrounding critical topics. We now have forty-five videos online and we feature a wide variety of topics, including those that MASA members can use to complete their PD requirements for teacher relicensure at no cost. Each month, we will be offering several sample videos that will be directly linked from the MASA website (no sign-in required). See below for a few sample videos. We hope you enjoy these videos; please let us know what you think! Find the entire library on the MASA website!

School Crisis Communication
by Nancy Lageson, Gina Wieler and Randy Johnson, Minnesota School Safety Center

Good communication plans are imperative in a crisis. This video provides communication strategies & techniques as they relate to response in school emergencies.

Our schools are becoming increasingly diverse. This presentation addresses why it matters what district leaders say and do when communicating across cultures. It identifies cultural differences of styles in expression and communication and ways to increase success in communicating with students & families who use different languages & communication idioms than you.

Professional Learning

Looking for a book study for your leadership team?
MASA's "What We Are Reading" Blog is a great resource. Thanks to our book blogger, Steve Malone, Superintendent of Becker Public Schools for being our Reader Leader! Check out a sample today.

Be sure to check out the newest post from Superintendent Malone on The Trust Edge by David Horsager.

2018-19 MASSP School Law Seminars
Registration Form

Dates:

• January 30, 2019 - Minneapolis, Minneapolis Marriott City Center

MASSP Attorney/Lobbyist Roger Aronson is conducting one-day seminars throughout the state presenting the most up to date information on school law. Roger is one of the most highly regarded experts in school law in the State of Minnesota. Find out what is new in school law, have your legal questions answered and gain valuable insight.

Culturally Responsive Board Leadership
Workshop Series
January 29, 2019
February 19, 2019
March 19, 2019
5-8 pm
Equity Alliance MN | 6063 Hudson Road Set. 218, Woodbury, MN 55125
Informational Flyer

To register, please contact Paula O’Loughlin at 651-379-2628 or paula.oloughlin@equityalliancemn.org.

Equity Alliance MN is proud to offer three workshops on culturally responsive leadership for school board members. Each workshop focuses on ways to build internal capacity for culturally responsive leadership and collective capacity for school board governance using an equity lens.

Essential Questions Include…

• Workshop 101: What questions can I begin to ask that lead to developing equity in my district?
• Workshop 202: Acting as a single entity, what can we do as a board to affect systemic change?
• Workshop 303: How do we handle pushback when doing equity work?

Winter Conference Keynote Presenters will be:

• Tom Cody - “Top 20 Administrators Live Above the Line:  How our Thinking Governs our Experience”
• Rick Jetter and Rebecca Coda - “Escaping the School Leader’s Dunk Tank”
• JoAnn Bartoletti, NASSP Executive Director
• Roger Aronson, MASSP Attorney/Lobbyist

Pre-Conference Sessions
Wednesday, January 30, 2019

• School Law Seminar
• Emerging Trends in Educational Technology and Security
• Combating ACEs with REACH 
• Reducing Conflict and Working with Difficult Employees
• Prepare and Practice:  Developing a Modern Safety and Security Plan

For more information visit: massp.org/professional-development/upcoming-conferences-seminars/

Shane Safir 2019 Institutes
BRAVE SPACES INSTITUTE: Building Will, Skill, and Momentum for Equity
We are aware that many of our members have been enjoying learning from Shane Safir through her book The Listening Leader or through her institutes.  Here is some information on her upcoming institutes in California.

• Brave Spaces 101: Humanizing Our Schools, One Conversation At a Time
• Brave Spaces 201: Listening and Coaching for Equity

Check out the informational flyer online!

Racial Justice Leadership Institute
February 25, 2019
8 am-5 pm
Minnesota Department of Education
1500 Highway 36 West, Roseville, MN 55113,
Conference Center B

The fifth annual Racial Justice Leadership Institute will be held February 25, 2019. Applications are due November 15, 2018. This institute is designed to empower educational leadership teams (both K-12 and higher education) to sharpen their critical consciousness and their ability to drive real, sustainable, systemic change in their organization.

A flyer, program overview, and electronic application form are attached. These are also available online at our web site: http://overcomingracism.org/programs/leadership-institute/li2019/

MESPA: 21st Century School Office
June 10, 2019
Duluth
Registration online

Want to go home on time? Maintaining a work-life balance is so important, but as a principal or school secretary, that may seem next to impossible. If you're buried in office work, emails, "do-you-have-a-minute" and juggling schedules on top of what you really want to be focusing on, we can help! Join us for this one-of-a-kind professional development that has been created for school office teams by school office teams to help you make your school office more efficient, manage crisis response, set standards and expectations, and bond together! You'll have work time to discuss your current office challenges and successes, and create a plan together to implement new strategies to make it even better!