2011 may journal magazine
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The May-June Journal MagazineTRANSCRIPT
MINNESOTA SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION
May-June 2011 Volume 63, No. 6
A Vision From the TopA Perfect Mathematical Storm: Changing the Face of Education
Planning and Executing Successful Referenda in The New Normal:Overcoming Economic, Political, and Demographic Challenges
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CONTENTS M
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011 VOLUME 6
3, NUMBER 6
Calendar
Articles
Divisions
A VISION FROM THE TOP
Bruce Lombard
A PERFECT MATHEMATICAL STORM: CHANGING THE FACE OF EDUCATION
Jen Hegna, Troy Faulkner, Rob Warneke, Jen Green, and Jeremy Baumbach
PLANNING AND EXECUTING SUCCESSFULREFERENDA IN THE NEW NORMAL
Don E. Lifto, Ph.D. and J. Bradford Senden, Ph.D.
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COMMUNICATING TO YOUR COMMUNITY
Janet Swiecichowski and Jake Sturgis22FOR GUARANTEED ENERGY SAVINGSPROJECTS, IT’S BUYER BEWARE
Deb Metz
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QUOTES OF NOTE
MSBA Staff
STRAIGHT TALK
Bob Meeks, MSBA Executive Director
PRESIDENT’S COLUMN
Kent Thiesse, MSBA President6ASK MSBA
Gary Lee, MSBA Associate Director of Management Services31
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MAY 2 0 1 14–6 .........MASBO Annual Conference16–30 .....MSBA Election Webinar with
Secretary of State19–20 .....MSBA Board of Directors’ Annual
Meeting25 ...........Minnesota School District Liquid Asset
Fund Plus Meeting30 ...........Memorial Day (no meetings)
J U N E 2 0 1 113 ...........Before Your Board Webinar (The 2011
Legislative Wrap-Up)16 ...........MSBA Insurance Trust Meeting
J U LY 2 0 1 14 .............Independence Day (no meetings)
AU G U S T 2 0 1 17 .............Early Bird Workshops7 .............MSBA Board of Directors’ Meeting7–8 .........MSBA Summer Seminar9 .............MSBA Phase I & II Combination9 .............Charter School Training9 .............MSBA Insurance Trust Meeting9 .............Minnesota School District Liquid Asset
Plus Meeting
The MSBA Journalthanks the students ofSpring Grove PublicSchools for sharing theirart and the students atPark Rapids for sharingtheir dioramas with usin this issue.
COVER ART: Katie Schleich, Spring Grove
MAY/JUNE 2011 3
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Quotes of Note captures some of the more interesting statements MSBA staff have read in local, state and national publications.
Inequity in schoolfunding“Some districts aregoing up to the platewith big 40-ounce bats,while other districtsoftentimes have thatlittle souvenir bat.”Brad Lundell, director ofSchools for Equity inEducation
Responding to aschool threat“I don’t like the idea ofbeing the Big Brotherand staring at our kids,but we’ve reached thatlevel.”Alden-CongerSuperintendent Joe Guanella
Response to a student putting a hit list onFacebook®
“Some people are extremely upset, and I have otherswho haven’t even approached me. It’s how the hit listis perceived by people. The bottom line is that we’retrying to make the school environment safe foreveryone.”Chisholm Superintendent James Varichak
Placing ads in schools to raise revenue“The kids and students have been extremely respectful.They are pretty used to having ads. I don’t think it isanything out of the ordinary to see it.” St. Francis director of community education and maintenanceservices Tom Larson
School board recognition week“I appreciate all that you do. Not a lot of peopleunderstand that being a school board member is morethan attending one- or two-hour meetings. There is a lotof preparation involved and outside meetings andplenty of tough decisions. You have a greatunderstanding of what the role involves.”Monticello Superintendent Jim Johnson
Increasing enrollment“People would love to have this problem and growthis good, until you get to the point where you have tostick a shovel in the ground. Then all of a sudden it’s,‘How are we going to pay for this?’” Elk River Area Superintendent Mark Bezek
OFFICERS
President: Kent Thiesse, Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial
Past President: Jackie Magnuson, Rosemount-AppleValley-Eagan
DISTRICT DIRECTORS
District 1: Kathy Green, AustinDistrict 2: Jodi Sapp, Mankato AreaDistrict 3: Linden Olson, WorthingtonDistrict 4: Betsy Scheurer, HopkinsDistrict 5: Marilynn Forsberg, Spring Lake ParkDistrict 6: Kevin Donovan, MahtomediDistrict 7: Roz Peterson, Lakeville AreaDistrict 8: Elona Street-Stewart, St. PaulDistrict 9: Karen Kirschner, MoraDistrict 10: Dana Laine, Frazee-VergasDistrict 11: Walter Hautala, Mesabi EastDistrict 12: Ann Long Voelkner, Bemidji Area
STAFFBob Meeks:Executive DirectorBarbara Lynn:Executive Assistant/Director of Board OperationsJohn Sylvester:Deputy Executive DirectorTiffany Rodning:Deputy Executive DirectorGreg Abbott:Director of CommunicationsDenise Drill:Director of Financial/MSBAIT ServicesAmy Fullenkamp-Taylor:Associate Director of Management ServicesSandy Gundlach:Director of School Board ServicesBill Kautt:Associate Director of Management ServicesGrace Keliher:Director of Governmental RelationsKatie Klanderud:Director of Board DevelopmentGary Lee:Associate Director of Management ServicesBruce Lombard:Associate Director of CommunicationsBob Lowe:Director of Management ServicesKelly Martell:Director of TechnologyCathy Miller:Director of Legal and Policy ServicesSue Munsterman:MSBA AdvertisingKirk Schneidawind:Associate Director of Governmental RelationsMike Torkelson:Elections/Management Services Specialist
The MSBA Journal (USPS 352-220) is publishedbimonthly by the Minnesota School BoardsAssociation, 1900 West Jefferson Avenue, St.Peter, Minnesota 56082. Telephone 507-934-2450.Call MSBA office for subscription rates.(Opinions expressed in the Journal are those ofthe writers and do not necessarily representMSBA policy.)
TThe truebalance isfinding aformula that isfair, but also aformula that issimple enoughthat you don’thave to be acollege calculusmajor to figureit out.
MAY/JUNE 2011 5
STRAIGHTTALK
The 2011 session will be rememberedfor how it handled (or mishandled) awhopping $5 billion deficit. And witheducation funding making up a big partof the state’s budget, Gov. Dayton askedCommissioner Brenda Cassellius to callan Education Finance Working Groupto develop recommendations for schoolfinance reform. I am one of 23 membersin the group that includes schoolleaders, civic leaders, citizens, parentsand sitting legislative leaders.
Our basic tasks are to improveeducation, equity and stability ofpreK–12 funding; simplify the fundingprocess; preserve local control; close theachievement gap; promote highachievement for all students and directstate resources closest to students andteachers in the classroom.
It will be a challenging task, butmembers in this group have the abilityto create a plan that will find a betterway to fund Minnesota’s schools. And byhaving some sitting legislators in thegroup, there should be some buy-inwhen it comes time to present the planto the governor and Legislature.
We are also not going to create a newplan from scratch. Over the years, therehave been many groups trying to find ananswer to this problem – remember PSMinnesota or Gov. Pawlenty’s task forceon school financing? We’ll be reviewingthose documents and studies from othergroups as we look at the funding systemin hopes of finding a new solution.
The problem with any type of funding isthat the more people want a system tobe fair, the more complex it becomes.That’s part of the reason our fundingsystem has special revenues for schoolswith high numbers of students whodon’t speak English as their firstlanguage, why there is revenue for largegeographic districts that have additionalbusing costs, or why there iscompensatory revenue for schools withhigh poverty. The true balance is findinga formula that is fair, but also a formulathat is simple enough that you don’thave to be a college calculus major tofigure it out.
Some cynics may say that this “task” hasbeen done before – for every governor.And it has ended up in the politicalcircular file. But I refuse to be cynicalabout the task of funding our children’seducation. However the Legislaturecomes out of the session, we have tomake every effort to find a new, simple,fair way to fund schools. The resultaffects our children and the future ofthe state. So on your behalf, I’m rollingup my sleeves and getting to work.
This group has some very talented,smart people – such as Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan board member ArtCoulson and St. Paul Board Chair ElonaStreet-Stewart. If there’s a way to solvethe funding problem, CommissionerCassellius’ group can do it.
Bob MeeksMSBA Executive Director
EDUCATION FINANCE GROUPTAKES ON HUGE CHALLENGE
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PRESIDENT’S COLUMNFEDERAL ADVOCACY IS
MORE IMPORTANTTHAN EVER
ITwenty years ago,school boardmembers’advocacy effortswere primarilytargeted towardstate legislators.But as the federalgovernment takeson a bigger role in testingrequirements and funding forschools, we needto also rememberto advocate atthe federal level.
In a perfect world, education decisionswould be made solely by locally electedboards. MSBA has long been a proponentof local control of education, but has alsorealized that the federal government isplaying an increasing role in the operationand funding of public schools.
That’s why a small group of MSBAdirectors and Kirk Schneidawind, MSBAAssociate Director of GovernmentRelations, participated in the NationalSchool Boards Association FederalRelations Network (FRN) Conference inFebruary. During the FRN event, schoolboard members from across the nationgive local input to members of Congresson complex federal education issues. WithMinnesota Congressman John Klineheading up the House Education andWorkforce Committee, the time spent withhis staff and K–12 education specialist wasvery important. From our conversations,we know that Representative Kline wants tooverhaul the No Child Left Behind(NCLB) law; however, he wants to revisethe legislation in several pieces. We werethere to advocate for more flexibility, arethinking of sanctions and the assessmentmethodology, as it relates to NCLB.
Our group was also pleased thatCongressman Kline is a big proponent ofthe federal government living up to itspromise of 30 years ago for 40 percentfunding for special education (IDEA). Hewants Congress to fully fund its IDEAcommitment before creating newprograms. Current federal funding forIDEA is at only about 18 percent, whichleads to a huge unfunded mandate forlocal school districts across the nation. InMinnesota alone, cross-subsidy amountsare projected to reach $631 million in2012. This means our residents’ propertytaxes will continue to be used to backfillthe IDEA funding that the federalgovernment has failed to provide. In fiscalyear 2010, the federal government short-changed states and local districts by morethan $13.2 billion.
We were also able to meet with SenatorAmy Klobuchar and Congressman Collin
Peterson to discuss concerns about theHealthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, such asdegree requirements for food servicedirectors and the underfunding of newrequirements in the act. We’re hoping theDepartment of Agriculture will involveschool board members andsuperintendents in the design andimplementation of the new law.
We had a good discussion withCongressman Tim Walz, a former teacherfrom Mankato, who understands theconcerns about No Child Left Behind andwhy it needs to be reauthorized, as well asIDEA funding and other federal educationpolicy issues. We also had an excellentconversation with new Congressman ChipCravaack about the importance of federaleducation policies and funding toMinnesota school districts. Meetings werealso held with legislative staff for SenatorAl Franken and Representative BettyMcCollum.
It’s nice to be able to make thoseconnections with federal policymakers inWashington, D.C., but MSBA would alsolike to strengthen connections with schoolboard members and the congressionaldelegation when they are back inMinnesota. MSBA has set up a committee,led by Director Walt Hautala, to develop astrategy on how MSBA can enhance ourefforts with U.S. Senate and Housemembers at the state and local level. MSBAmembers will likely hear more about thesespecial efforts in the coming months.
Twenty years ago, school board members’advocacy efforts were primarily targetedtoward state legislators. But as the federalgovernment takes on a bigger role intesting requirements and funding forschools, we need to also remember toadvocate at the federal level. Hopefully ourefforts at the FRN Conference and MSBA’snew federal advocacy committee will makea difference in helping the congressionaldelegation understand our concerns, sothat when federal laws are enacted, theywill benefit students and public education.
Kent ThiesseMSBA President
MAY/JUNE 2011 7Chelsea Swenson, Park Rapids Public School
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MBruce Lombard
A Vision from the TopEducation Commissioner touts early childhoodeducation, tells how school boards can help close achievement gap
Minnesota Department of EducationCommissioner Dr. Brenda Cassellius has had a fullplate since Gov. Dayton appointed her to her postDecember 31, 2010. The commissioner took timeout of her hectic schedule in March to discusssome key questions of importance to school boardmembers.
MSBA: What is your vision for improving K–12education?
Brenda Cassellius: I want to attack it ontwo ends: one is the end-around-skills gap and theother is the gap between students.
I want to increase the excellence category for kidsand get all of our higher-end kids to achieve evenmore while bringing up our lower-end kids. Notthat I’m forgetting about the “middle kids,”
because everybody is going to ask…we are goingto move those boats for everybody, but really it’s aconcentrated effort on moving kids from the“middle ground” to “excelling,” and to alsomoving kids who are underperforming toperforming at proficiency or better.
I think our state has begun to lag. You look at ourNAEP science scores, we have only 1 percent ofkids scoring in “excelling,” and that’s a problem.We need more kids to be excelling to becompetitive and have a competitive edge.
The real vision is for Minnesota to become the“education state” again and become a nationleader for innovation, for solutions to close theachievement gap and for leading the way inteacher effectiveness.
Lea Emery, Spring Grove Public School
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MSBA: What is the best way to close the achievement gap?
BC: (Through) early childhood education. I’m a HeadStart baby. I believe the earlier we can start, the better. Ithink that gives everybody the same step up. If we can starton equal footing, we have better chances with our kids.
Outside of that, I want to get all kids reading by the thirdgrade. …We also have to pay attention to the uniqueneeds that kids bring us. Some kids come from poverty,not having had opportunities – and remember thoseopportunities every year are cumulative – so they come tous with issues of race, they come to us speaking otherlanguages, some come with high mobility…and several ofthose things impact our ability to meet that challenge,and our demographics are shifting quite a bit here inMinnesota.
Also, I think we have to look at the concentrations incertain schools across our state – either rural, inner city orsuburban, because there are quite a number of studentswho live in these communities…and there’s a larger levelof challenge at those schools. Often we have our least-experienced teachers teaching at those schools.
So how do you create systems that incentivize teachers towant to teach in these schools, and reward them andsupport them so that they stay there and create stability forthese kids who are often highly mobile, and often havemuch greater challenges and less opportunity to be able toaccelerate their achievement?
MSBA: How can you close the achievement gap with lessfunding and resources?
BC: You don’t. That’s why Gov. Dayton has said that weneed to invest more funding, and that’s why we’ve comeout strong against the two (omnibus education bills) in theHouse and Senate. Because what they do is take aim at themost vulnerable of our youth. The governor has said in hisproposal that we believe in early childhood education, allkids need to read by third grade, and we need to fundpoverty (through compensatory funding) and we need tofund integration. Segregated schools are inherentlyunequal. ...And as our communities become more andmore diverse, are we going to turn our back on integratedschools? Or are we going to continue to support ourschools being integrated so that we don’t have inherentlyunequal and inadequate schools for some kids?
MSBA: What other thoughts do you have about theHouse and Senate omnibus education bills? (Note: Thecommissioner’s response was recorded March 29 anddoesn’t reflect any new developments, compromises orchanges to either omnibus education bill.)
BC: I don’t like them, basically because they cut fundingfor integration and special education. How do you cutfunding for disabled kids? When we know the number ofspecial education students is growing 4 percent every singleyear, why would you cut funding for special education? Itmakes no sense at all.
Then school districts have this cross-subsidy that they haveto do: Let’s say it costs $500 more per kid, but the statedoesn’t fund you for that. Now you either have to go outfor a referendum and ask for that $500, or you have to cutprograms to other kids. To think that (cutting specialeducation) doesn’t impact everybody – it does.
To think that if you cut integration or if you dismantlepublic education in Minneapolis, St. Paul and Duluth…ifpeople don’t think that’s going to be felt in the state, allthey have to do is wait two or three years.
…(The omnibus bills) are plumb full of things like tenure,contract issues and penalties, the 2 percent (staffdevelopment) set-aside (repeal), vouchers, school reportcards, and I could go on and on. There are at least 35proposals within the two bills in terms of policy, and it’squite overwhelming.
MSBA: How important is school board members’ role inclosing the achievement gap, and what can they do to help?
BC: School board members can work with theirsuperintendents to set policies. There are specific policiesthat school boards can start looking at in terms of an equitylens around the achievement gap. We often have to look atachievement policies.
(They can also) put in measures requiring thesuperintendent to have clear course guides and pathways tograduation, so that parents clearly understand how theirkids get from sixth grade to 12th grade and on that stageand collecting that diploma. They can do that by
Photo by Bruce Lombard
Gov. Mark Dayton appointed Dr. Brenda Cassellius as the state’s new educationcommissioner December 31, 2010. Cassellius worked as a teacher, administratorand superintendent in both Minnesota and Tennessee during the past 20 years.
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disaggregating and regularly reviewing data, and byholding the superintendent accountable for closingthe achievement gap. Most school board membersshould be getting the MAP data. The superintendentshould be reporting that interim data to the board.And the board should be looking at that data, becausethe board is ultimately responsible and they need tohold the superintendent accountable for that.
It’s also very important that they look at what thegraduation requirements are. Are they requiring thatstudents take rigorous course work? That can besomething that boards look at in terms of policy –what are the requirements you have for kids tograduate with a high school diploma? So they mustraise that standard, raise that expectation for all kids,look at the data regularly and then hold principalsand superintendents accountable for that data. If theboard sees two elementary schools in the same districtare disparate in their achievement, MAP scores andgrowth, then they need to find out why.
The school board has full direction of the resources,so they should be able to work with thesuperintendent about redeploying resources to thoseschools; and it has to be an immediate, continuousimprovement approach. And they have to care aboutevery kid and settle for nothing less. Unless they getto that point where they are caring about every singlekid, and they’re holding their leaders accountable forthat, we won’t see any movement in closing theachievement gap.
School boards should also go out and talk about thegreat things going on (in their schools). They shouldhave reward programs for exceptional growth andhighlight those schools that are getting exceptionalgrowth. And then they should commit funds to helpthose teachers that are getting high exceptionalgrowth to share it across schools and across hallways.
(Those teachers) know why theygot the achievement gains, andthey should be held responsiblefor sharing that with otherschools in that district.
School board members haveto get to the point that theachievement in one schooldoing well is not goodenough. It matters when allof them are doing well andthe board won’t settle untilevery single school has the
same performance as the best-achieving school intheir district.
MSBA: What changes would you like to see in theNo Child Left Behind law?
BC: The ESEA law has to be changed. One, theycould fully fund special education. They also need toget to the next generation of assessments – assessingon growth rather than assessing on this invalid,ridiculous accountability that they have. States needto have more flexibility on how to use their federalfunds. We need to be funded on innovation. Theyalso need to require some kind of state reportingaround teacher effectiveness.
The biggest things I’d like to see changed in ESEAare more local control, flexibility for states in usingfederal dollars, fewer mandates, a totally differentAYP accountability measure and new assessmentsfocused on growth.
I do like the Promise Neighborhoods piece. I likebeing able to engage parents and community and thewhole neighborhood. School boards can help withthat engagement in their communities. Expandingthat parent engagement Promise Neighborhoodspiece would be wonderful.
MSBA: What are your expectations for schoolscurrently on the “Needs Improvement” list?
BC: That they would take it very seriously, and thatschool boards would work very deliberately not onlyto resource those schools, but also to make sure thatthose teachers at those schools are very well preparedand highly effective, and that those schools have ahighly effective principal.
If school board members don’t take personalresponsibility for turning around schools, it won’t getdone. So they need to work with their superintendentto ensure, one, they have a great principal; two, theyhave a very experienced, capable staff; and three, thatthey are getting district-level support…specifically oninstruction, because usually it’s about teachers who,in schools that are chronically underperforming, areusually really tired, they have tried everything andthey can’t seem to find the right match. So, what wehave to do is match up the right teachers, match upthe right strategies and get that whole communityagain rallied around that school; and that’s reallywhat works.
MSBA: If there is another round to the Race tothe Top, what would you change in the state’sapplication to give them a better shot to be finalists?
BC: There won’t be another (Race to the Top forstates), but there are going to be school district Racesto the Top. If the money is reauthorized, it’s going togo to school districts; so it’s going to be very
Education Commissioner BrendaCassellius said that DonaldMcAdams’s What School BoardsCan Do should be required readingfor all school board members.
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interesting for school boards because they’ll be engagedwith that process quite closely.
The things I would ensure would be a strong principalevaluation component; a strong teacher evaluationcomponent; a strong recruitment, retention anddevelopment component for teachers; and a strong datacomponent to help teachers use a query model withprofessional learning communities in order to turn arounddata and look at it quickly and do timely interventions andflexible grouping, and give teachers the tools they need tobe able to personalize and differentiate instruction in theirclassrooms, because that’s the only way you’ll get the kindof school turnaround that you need.
That’s really what the Race to the Top money is: it’s aboutsetting up the end-place systems to help schools succeedand help your most underperforming schools succeed.
MSBA: What impact does the MCA-III math test have onthe GRAD standards? Are the standards going to get morerelaxed or harder?
BC: The standards aren’t going to get more relaxed. Thestandards are the standards. You do have to pass both theGRAD portion and the MCA in terms of accountability, sokids are taking those tests. Depending on if they pass or not,the GRAD is imbedded within the MCA. I think they are stillplanning on the next iteration for the GRAD to be imbedded
with the MCA; but if you don’t pass the MCA, then you’d onlytake the GRAD portion of the test for a retake.
We’re still under that kind of moratorium of wait-and-see-try-three-times-get-remediation-if-you-don’t-pass-then-you-still-get-your-diploma. It’s currently being proposed in theHouse, and possibly the Senate, to repeal the GRAD and goback a year earlier. Well, that kind of goes back on thepromise for the ninth-graders coming in to say “now youare going to be in under a new rule”…which isn’t fair.
We have to figure out something with our math exambecause nearly 60 percent of our kids don’t pass it. Half ofour kids not passing – what do you do? What’s Plan B? …Ithink when you look at the GRAD test and you think aboutpossibly nearly 60 percent of your kids not getting adiploma after 13 years of teachers saying “the kid’sready”…they’ve given 13 years of their life to school andbecause you take a one-hour test, and you don’t pass it, younow can negate all of that.
And remember, we license our teachers…we say they’reprofessionals and they can give a grade for kids and passthem on. These are kids that have already received theircredits, they’ve taken all these courses, and maybe the kidshave gotten an A or a B, but maybe they don’t takestandardized tests well – and we’re saying they don’t get adiploma.
Meet Brenda CasselliusMinnesota Department of Education Commissioner Dr. BrendaCassellius was appointed to her post by Gov. Mark Dayton onDecember 31, 2010. Cassellius was selected by Gov. Dayton in partfor being known and respected throughout her profession and acrosspartisan lines as an innovative problem solver who is dedicated toserving the public interest.
During her 20-year career as a classroom teacher, administrator andsuperintendent in school systems both in Minnesota and Tennessee,Cassellius led reform, redesign and change efforts that put studentsfirst, focused on achievement, and have resulted in better outcomesfor all students. Cassellius believes that change can happen quickly ifit is purposeful, collaborative and grounded in effective strategies.
Cassellius was most recently the superintendent of the East MetroIntegration District, where she led an achievement agenda with the10 district superintendents. Previously, as an AssociateSuperintendent in the Minneapolis Public Schools, she led 19 middleand high schools and was responsible for the implementation of theMinneapolis Secondary Redesign.
As the Academic Superintendent of Middle Schools in Memphis, Tennessee, under the leadership of formerMinneapolis Superintendent Carol Johnson, Cassellius was responsible for middle school and district reformsthat led to accelerated gains and the narrowing of achievement gaps among students in Memphis.
Information courtesy of the Minnesota Department of Education.
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Mariah Stone, Spring Grove Public School
So, essentially we’re saying you don’t go to college,because you can’t go to college without a high schooldiploma. Then you’re also saying you can’t go to themilitary because you have to have a high schooldiploma to go to the military – they don’t acceptGED any longer.
So what is left for me to do for more than 50 percentof our kids? That’s 30,000 children…what are theygoing to do? The workforce doesn’t have that many“McDonald’s jobs.”
When I was testifying last year on this, I asked “What’sthe Plan B?” …I’m not supportive of any solutionsunless they have solutions for what to do with thenumber of kids that are failing. I’m not saying lowerstandards (is the answer), but let’s figure it out howkids are going to meet these standards. If peoplewant to keep these standards this high, then let’s berealistic about what that means.
MSBA: Do you have any final messages to schoolboard members?
BC: This is a time in education when everybody’sdeliberate involvement matters. It’s a time whenschool boards really have to be reform-minded. Theyneed to be thinking about their governancestructures and how involved they are with theirsuperintendent, the policies they are setting and theresources they are casting out for the district in thatleadership role.
School boards have tobe very clear with thesuperintendents aboutthe strategic directionand the setting of thegoals – and then theyneed to get out of theway and let thesuperintendents do thework. They need to setthe strategic direction,set the goals, be veryclear on mission…andcreate the systems andprovide the resources sothat the superintendent isset up for success.
The superintendent is the chief executive officer thatthey hired. They have to trust that individual to dothe job and hold him or her accountable to do thejob. There’s a great book called What School BoardsCan Do by Donald R. McAdams. It talks about reformgovernance. It’s an urban school perspective, but Ithink it could be used anywhere.
I would love for all board members to read this book.When I was studying to be a superintendent, I readthis book. It’s such a great book for school districts tounderstand about reform governance, setting thatstrategic direction and organizing your district forsuccess. It gives great step-by-step ideas about how todo that.
When I was interviewed to become thesuperintendent at East Metro, I was asked, “What doyou think the role is of the school board and thesuperintendent?” I said, “Well, the role of the schoolboard is to set policy, to hire the superintendent, toset out the strategic direction and to dedicateresources – it’s the superintendent’s job to doeverything else.”
When there’s a really clear line like that, I thinkschool boards and superintendents work really welltogether.
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A perfect mathematical storm hit the Byron HighSchool math department in the 2009-10 schoolyear. We did not raise any alarms, but we arehoping it will raise student achievement. Whenthe factors of needing to buy textbooks, nothaving money, seeing the push and benefit ofonline instructional tools, and creative teachersall combine, anything is possible, includingbidding adieu to textbooks.
We are a 9–12 high school with approximately550 students, and three full-time and two part-time math teachers. Our old curriculumconsisted of basic algebra, integrated math for9th and 10th, Algebra 2, Accelerated Algebra 2,Pre-Calculus, Calculus I, and Statistics; we alsooffered intervention courses for MinnesotaComprehensive Assessments (MCA) preparation.An analysis of our student performance data andstate standards prompted us to decide to returnto more traditional Algebra I and Geometrycurriculums, which would require purchasingnew textbooks; minor content changes wereplanned for the upper-level courses. Our MCA
test scores were going up, but we wanted tocontinue that upward trend. As a data-drivendistrict with a strong culture of continuousimprovement, Byron High School received a2010 Blue Ribbon Award for Excellence for ouracademic achievement. We were and arefortunate, but to be complacent with ourperformance will not continue our success.
The storm began to build in the spring of 2010when the math department began ourcurriculum writing cycle. As part of this cycle, wetook a hard look at the current Minnesota mathstandards; we spent time determining whichstandards should be placed in which courses inorder to ensure all standards were being taught.Ellen Delaney, former Minnesota Teacher of theYear, suggested that 70 percent of any textbookwill actually cover Minnesota’s standards; weconducted our own survey and found this to bepretty accurate. This raised the question of thepracticality of purchasing books that would nottruly meet our needs. We also noted that ourstudents really only used textbooks for
Jen Hegna, Troy Faulkner, Rob Warneke, Jen Green, and
Jeremy Baumbach
A PerfectMathematicalStorm:Changing the Face of Education
Byron High School sophomore Emily Harris, watching a lesson video from a PLD.
MAY/JUNE 2011 15
homework, instead relying on notes and the teachers forinformation. At this same time, the financial reality of nothaving money to purchase books hit home. Our mathteachers had already attended a comprehensive FacilitatingOnline Learning with Moodle™ class and had beendabbling with Web 2.0 tools and SMART™ Board lessonrecording. These two factors, along with a progressive ITdepartment and supportive administration and schoolboard, allowed the idea of ditching textbooks and creatingour own blended curriculum to become a realconversation.
This leap of faith wasn’t without serious consideration.What would be needed to actually make this idea become areality? Internet access, logistics of learning managementsystems, and quality materials for homework and testingwere necessary considerations; time, money, resources, andmore time were all immediate obstacles we faced beforemoving forward. If they could be conquered, then the ideacould become a reality.
Technical considerations were the first defining factors inmoving forward with this project. We knew from previousstudent surveys that 95 percent of our student body hadhigh-speed Internet access. We also knew that we needed tohouse the content on a learning management system(LMS); previously, when working with other LMS vendors,quarterly student enrollments, drops, and adds weretedious and time consuming. To effectively implementonline learning opportunities for the entire student body,we knew that we needed our own server to integrate withour internal Active Directory so that students’ usernamesand passwords were synced automatically. It was alsoimportant that the district have full administrative privilegesover any LMS so that plug-ins and add-ons or new featurescould be installed at the discretion of the district, not theLMS vendor. We chose Moodle, an open source LMS, to
house our courses. Establishing our own Moodle server andhaving a large student population with broadband Internetaccess propelled us to continue to move forward with ourplan of creating blended courses without textbooks.
While technical considerations were successfully addressed,time and feasibility remained concerning factors. Ourplanning and discussions started during weekly ProfessionalLearning Community (PLC) meetings before school ended.In a typical curriculum writing cycle, each departmentmember receives 32 paid hours of time to meet and workduring the summer, but because of budget reductions, wewere only given 20 hours of paid curriculum writing time inJune. Additionally, we were awarded 12 paid hours from alocal Best Practice grant. We were also awarded a ByronSchool District Fund for Excellence Grant from our schoolboard to purchase materials and additionally compensatefor some of our time. Beyond this paid time, we continuedto meet every Friday all summer long to collaborate,problem solve, and encourage one another. By no meanswas this time enough; each department member worked asignificant number of hours from home. The workcontinued during the first semester as we made videos andpiloted the curriculums. Despite the time commitment, weagreed we were doing the right work for the right reasons.
In searching the Internet, the growing availability of opensource materials was a gold mine and one more obstacleconquered. Several key resources, such asHippoCampus™.org, cK12.org, GeoGebra interactives, andtotallyfreemath.com (GetMath®.com), are available withoutcopyright restrictions and provide quality materials free ofcharge. Our plan now began to seriously evolve. Algebra Iand Geometry would be designed from scratch based onthe state standards; lesson materials would be created usingthe available open source materials. While only minorcontent changes would be made to upper-level courses, all
courses would receive substantialchanges in delivery. Each coursewould have a Moodle site to houseteacher-created video lessons, solutionmanuals, lesson notes, homework,and additional support materials.Video lessons were created by ourinstructors by utilizing the SMARTBoard SMART Recorder anduploading those videos to YouTube™.YouTube allowed us to stream ourlectures to students for free. While wefelt confident that lessons could bedesigned, developing qualityhomework sets was still a concern;therefore, with a portion of theExcellence grant, we purchased athree-year site license for Kuta™software to generate homework andassessments.
Byron High School juniors Andrea Gilbertson and Janie Briggs, utilizing PLDs to watch videos and check onlinesolution manual.
16 MSBA JOURNAL
With our new courses in place and three-fourths ofthe year complete, the initial results have exceededour expectations. Our students have completely takento the new opportunities; 95 percent of studentsreport they find the site helpful. They are regularlyaccessing the site for solution manuals and videos.We initially expected the videos to be used formaking up missed classes and reviewing, but we haveactually found that students are frequently using thevideos for pre-teaching and reteaching. Theavailability of these materials in the privacy ofstudents’ homes empowers them to take ownershipand utilize the resources without worry of peerperception. Another surprising result is that Moodleand the videos have also opened the door for us tobegin teaching with reverse classroom strategies. Thereverse classroom approach has students watch thevideo lesson as homework and then utilize class time,where peer and teacher help are available, for thehomework problems. This increases the learning bymaximizing student access to teacher and peers whileworking.
What really does this mean for instruction andeducation? These sites make learning available tostudents 24/7; the lesson videos actually maketeachers available 24/7. The learning is available forstudents when THEY are ready for it, and thisrepresents a huge shift in educational thinking. Inour surveys, the top three times students reportedusing Moodle were in the evenings, after school, andon weekends; this allows students to learn on theirschedule rather than being dependent on a teacherand the confines of the typical school day. Ourstudents are downloading the videos to their smartphones and iPod touches; their lives are mobile, andwe are packaging our curriculum to meet the needsof their lives. We have taken into consideration thestudents who may not have access to Internet orpersonal learning devices: our media center is openbefore school, after school, and during lunch. Videolessons can be put on flash drives or burned to CDsfor students if necessary. We want these materials tobe available to every student, and we will find ways tomake that possible for our students.
Another unexpected result has been the dominoeffect across grade levels and disciplines. Our middleschool math department teaches a section ofAccelerated Algebra I for eighth grade, so thatinstructor became a part of our evolution. As a resultof his involvement, he is expanding the concepts tothe rest of his eighth-grade classes, and in seeing hiswork, the seventh-grade team completed a five weekFacilitating Online Learning with Moodle trainingand is currently implementing online instructionalpieces. Presentations at the elementary and middleschools have sparked conversations about what these
ideas could mean at those levels. At the high school,other departments are beginning to look for placesto add online components for their courses. Thesuccess and increased engagement of students andteachers continues to build interest throughout theentire district in expanding online opportunities.
We are nowhere near the completion of this journey;in fact, there is no “completion” – which is the beautyof this process. We have created a living, breathing,flexible curriculum which can quickly and easily bemodified to changing state standards and/or studentneeds. Our changes have also spilled over into theuse of personal learning devices (cell phones, iPods,personal laptops, etc.), and our school is now re-evaluating our policy toward these devices andconsidering their educational application. Now thatour basic “frames” are built for all of our classes, wecan all see ways to continue to build interactivecomponents and collaboration within our sites thatwill only grow exponentially.
As we emerge from the storm and flurry of our firstyear in this new curriculum, the work has been hard,but it has been the right work for the right reasons,which makes it all worthwhile. We are lookingforward to the 21st century educational horizon,which looks innovative indeed.
Writers for this article work for Byron Public Schools: JenHegna, Director of Information and Learning Technologies;Troy Faulkner, High School Mathematics Instructor andData Coach; Rob Warneke, High School MathematicsInstructor and Data Coach; Jen Green, High SchoolLanguage Arts and Mathematics Instructor; and JeremyBaumbach, Middle School Mathematics Instructor andData Coach.
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Olivia Fischer, Park Rapids Public School
The followingdioramas are fromPark Rapids CenturyMiddle School, madeby Mrs. Friborg’s 6thgrade Social Studiesclass studying a uniton the Dakota andOjibwe Indians. Thedioramas depict thelifestyles of the NativeAmericans as theyadapted to living inMinnesota duringthe different seasons.
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PChallenge of 2011Planning and executing a successful schooloperating or bond referendum is one of themost multifaceted, daunting, and high-stakesleadership challenges faced by school leaders.Not only are school districts confronted withthe increasingly vilified “T” word (taxes), butthere are also myriad complex moving parts tomanage, all within the byzantine mix ofeconomic, demographic, political, andtechnological challenges. Success at the ballotbox today will require that school leaders notonly work hard, but also work smart – whatpolitical scientist and communicationconsultant Hal Malchow characterizes asmoving from the “shadows of instinct andmisinformation…into the sunshine ofinformation and knowledge.” In this article wewill discuss these four powerful drivers – theeconomy, demographics, politics and
technology; their affect on referendumplanning in 2011; and some strategies andapproaches to plan for success.
“It’s the Economy, Stupid!”Bill Clinton’s campaign advisor, James Carville,made this poignant statement forever part ofthe lexicon of political language and strategythat helped Clinton prevail in the 1992presidential election. Within the context ofreferendum planning, responding to theeconomic challenges can be highlighted with atime-honored “good news/bad news” joke.First the good news: Consumer confidence hasimproved four of the past five months, withthe index now sitting at 63.4 as of March 2011.Now for the bad news: Consumer confidencedropped in March to its lowest level in a year,and for most of 2004-2007 the confidence
Don E. Lifto, Ph.D. andJ. Bradford Senden, Ph.D.
PLANNING AND EXECUTINGSUCCESSFUL REFERENDA IN THE NEW NORMAL:
Overcoming Economic, Political, and Demographic Challenges
Rachel Palmer, Park Rapids Public SchoolAlly Vaudrin, Park Rapids Public School
MAY/JUNE 2011 19
index was over 100! Things are improving, but the economyhas a ways to go. Unfortunately, current economicchallenges also go well beyond the psyche of the voters,resulting in eroding state support for public schools, morestress on relationships with employee bargaining groups,and school districts that are increasingly pitted against local units of government at both the legislature and theballot box.
On the heels of an anemic, protracted recovery, we offer afew suggestions to consider as you plan your referendumwithin the context of the current economy:
• If you have the option to wait for better times, then by allmeans wait.
• Use survey research and other data collection strategies toget a better understanding of what residents most valueand how much they are willing to invest in their publicschools. The goal is to achieve optimal alignment betweenwhat the school board ultimately puts on the ballot andwhat is potentially achievable.
• Focus on “meat and potatoes” proposals and keep yourballot proposal (and corresponding tax bite) as lean asyou can.
• Translate messages in terms of impact on students. (For example, the message that the district had to cut $3 million in the last two years in and of itself means nothing to the average voter.)
• Remind voters that this is a local tax; every dollar raisedwithin the school district will be spent on educationalprograms in the district and benefit local students.
The Demographics of CountingAlthough there are exceptions, most school districts arebeing hit with a demographic “triple whammy.” Thenumber of children under 18 is smaller than in the past, asis the percentage of households with school-age children.The baby boomlet of the 1980s and 1990s has finished its K–12 education and moved into the workforce. At the sametime, their parents – who had been a large, reliable sourceof “yes” votes on school proposals – have new concerns.Now in a category we will label “alumni parents,” theirprimary focus on public education has shifted to concernsabout the cost of college and retirement. As the parentcohort of registered voters shrinks, the potential impact ofthe reliable “yes” voting bloc has continued to weaken. Atthe same time, the alumni parent population oftendemonstrates its new priorities by voting against operatingand bond proposals. While these factors are out of thecontrol of school leaders, their presence will require morethoughtful and thorough planning. There are a number ofstrategies related to effective use of the voter file andcounting including these:
• Obtain a voter file from the Secretary of State’s office andthen “annotate” it by merging other databases into thevoter file (e.g., parents, education foundationcontributors, pre-school families, and past supportersfrom other school finance campaigns).
• Once the file is annotated, prepare a “count book” so thatyou know the numbers and percentages of all registeredvoters and demographic subgroups.
• Complete a scientific, random-sample survey of registeredvoters drawn from the annotated file to evaluate the
Enna Boos, Park Rapids Public School
20 MSBA JOURNAL
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feasibility of a ballot proposal across all keydemographic groups, including alumni parents.
• Based on the survey results, construct a targetingstructure (e.g., Target 1 is the group of voters mostlikely to vote “yes” who are also more likely to showup on Election Day, while Target 2 is the secondmost positive bloc.) Count each of these targets todetermine how deeply into the voter file thecampaign must penetrate to win.
• Develop and implement a well-designed canvassing,communication, and get-out-the-vote plan based onthe identified target structure.
Politics of TeaThe TeaParty.net website states the core values of thismovement, which was spawned in aftermath of the2008 general election and in reaction to increasingfederal deficits and the health reform debate. Keyprinciples emphasized at this site include the valuesof a limited federal government, individual freedom,personal responsibility, free markets, and the returnof political power to the states and the people. Thesevalues have long been associated with conservativevoters. While none of these values are, on thesurface, incompatible with supporting the financialneeds of public schools, those leading this movementclearly are more likely to be critical of the quality ofpublic schools and public employee unions, morereluctant to provide funding increases, and suspiciousof laws or policies that are believed to shift poweraway from parents to “government schools.”
One example will illustrate. We conducted ascientific, random-sample survey in a suburbanMinnesota school district in November 2010. One ofthe questions asked respondents whether theyconsidered themselves part of the Tea Partymovement. Although only 10.3 percent of registeredvoters self-reported as Tea Party advocates, theirreaction to the district’s potential operatingreferendum proposal was starkly different from thatof the rest of the voters in the district. Four hundredrespondents were asked if they would support a taxincrease of $200 on an average-priced home. Overall,47.2 percent responded “yes.” Among voters aligningthemselves with the Tea Party movement, however,only 25.3 percent said “yes,” a whopping 21.9 percentdifference to the negative.
The problem for school districts, of course, goes wellbeyond the Tea Party, and more generally can becharacterized as a political shift to the right. Well-designed, scientific, random-sample surveys can beused to test messages to see how differentdemographic groups differ in terms of their reactionto specific arguments, words, phrases, and factorsrelevant to a ballot question. What elements of yourproposal resonate most positively with differentgroups, including older and more conservativevoters? A good survey can help answer thesequestions by processing respondent data using theclassification tree features of SPSS for Windows. (See“School Tax Elections: Testing Messages and TargetingVoters,” in the December 2010 issue of School BusinessAffairs, for more information on this strategy.)
While the reaction to the local and state politicalclimate will differ from district to district, goodplanning should consider how to manage thisevolving political environment when planning aballot proposal.
• Develop communication plans that include bothcore messages with broad appeal (i.e., for everyone)and targeted messages for different types of votersincluding the growing conservative base.
• Look for strong endorsers from traditionallyconservative groups (e.g., Republican, Chamber ofCommerce, etc.).
• Encourage diversity in terms of demographics andpolitical orientation in the makeup of an advocacygroup organized to support passage of your proposal.
Lydia Christensen, Park Rapids Public School
About Face or Tweeting to VictoryIn promoting The Social Network, an advertisement read,“You Don’t Get to 500 Million Friends Without Making aFew Enemies.” How true that is with the escalating impact oftechnology on school referenda. One day you launch a newFacebook® page with referendum information complete withYouTube™ video links, and the next day the campaign isattacked by 10,000 negative robocalls and a vicious viral e-mail. Such is the opportunity and challenge of our rapidlychanging technological resources.
From a positive point of view, technology provides theschool district and campaign committee with anopportunity to reach a broader audience (e.g., youngervoters) and deliver key messages more effectively withimproved graphics and broader media including video.From a negative point of view, one critic on a shoestringbudget can do significant damage using applications suchas robocalls, social media, blogs, and viral e-mail. Acampaign’s e-mail response to a citizen’s criticism can beedited and distributed massively in seconds at no cost.Planning to use technology to the district’s advantage whileminimizing the negative use of the same technology is anessential part of effective referendum planning.
• Always start with a comprehensive, data-drivencommunication plan identifying core and subordinatemessages. Then select the most appropriate traditionaland technological media to deliver each message. Inother words, don’t let the technology tail wag the messagedog.
• Using the analogy of graduation requirements, effectiveuse of technology to deliver your message via multiplemedia is now a required – rather than elective – course.
• Campaign committees will need to pay increasingattention to monitoring the technology applications ofdetractors (e.g., blogs) to ensure negative messages areimmediately responded to with positive posts.
• Seek professional help as needed to maximize theeffectiveness of message development and media,recognizing the attention span of many parents and othersupporters is limited.
Harness the power of technology to more effectivelyexecute a comprehensive, aggressive, and research-basedget-out-the-vote campaign. In particular, review the workdone by the Yale University Civic Engagement Project forresearch and successful practices to improve get-out-the-vote performance.
From Research to PracticeThe reality is that unsuccessful operating and facilityreferenda adversely impact students, staff, and thecommunity as a whole. In the wake of the “pain and blame”aftermath, failed elections can also take a significant toll onthe leadership roles of the school board andsuperintendent, making it even more difficult to pass anelection in the future.
As the number of school-age families continues to shrinkand voters are more tightfisted with their hard-earneddollars, school leaders will have to increasingly be studentsof research and successful practice. Planning and executinga successful operating or bond referendum in 2011 withinthe context of unprecedented economic, demographic,political, and technology obstacles will demand thoughtfuland strategic planning to minimize and ameliorate thesefour powerful forces. Understanding that the margins willbe slim between winning and losing, success on ElectionDay will require better planning and execution and afocused investment of time, talent, and treasure directed“…toward strategies that actually produce votes” (Yale CivicEngagement website).
Don E. Lifto, Ph.D., is senior vice president and director of thePublic Education Group at Springsted Incorporated. Liftopreviously served as a superintendent for 25 years in rural,suburban, and intermediate school districts. He has had more thana dozen articles published by NSBA, AASA, and ASBO and iscoauthor of School Finance Elections: A ComprehensivePlanning Model for Success, 2nd Edition.
J. Bradford Senden, Ph.D., is managing partner at The Center forCommunity Opinion. He has more than 20 years of experience as asurvey research and campaign planning specialist working withschool districts planning school finance elections. He has had morethan a dozen articles published by NSBA, AASA, and ASBO andis coauthor of School Finance Elections: A ComprehensivePlanning Model for Success, 2nd Edition.
MAY/JUNE 2011 21
Lydia Kantonen, Park Rapids Public School
22 MSBA JOURNAL
TThe Minnesota School Public Relations Association (MinnSPRA) recentlyawarded Minnetonka Public School Board member Pam Langseth with theExcellence in School Board Communications Award; and West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan Area Superintendent Jay Haugen with the DistrictLeadership for Excellence in Communication Award. Here is some of theirinsight on using communication effectively with your community.
As a board member, how important is it to have goodcommunication with the public?Pam: Communicating with our public is vitally important to our success as aschool district. It is important that our community understands what ourdistrict is trying to accomplish, understands how they can be engaged to besupportive of kids and understands where we’re headed so they can supportthe initiatives overall.
What is the role of a board in supporting schoolcommunications?Pam: School board members are important to establish a vision for wherethe district is headed. Partnering with the communications team is vital todevelop strategies and goals around what we want to communicate about.Most importantly, really helping to put together key messages, working
together to get out in the community, talkingwith people, sharing the message, listeningto feedback coming back to theorganization, and then truly beingsupportive of what’s happening within thecommunications team so we all know what ishappening.
During tough budget times,how important is theinvestment incommunications?Pam: Communication is so important nomatter what is going on, especially in toughtimes. People have so many questionsaround why we are doing what we are doing.And communication is really the key tounlocking the information for people so theyunderstand what we are doing, why we are
Communicatingto Your
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Janet Swiecichowskiand Jake Sturgis
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Minnetonka School Board Chair Pam Langseth was awarded theExcellence in School Board Communications Award by Minnesota SchoolPublic Relations President Robin Smothers. Accompanying Langseth isMinnetonka Superintendent Dennis Peterson.
MARCH/APRIL 2011 23
doing it, when we’re doing it, and how can theybe involved in making things happen. Probablyin times of challenge, communication is moreimportant than ever, so the investment we makein communications is vitally important at thattime.
What makes for a goodcommunications strategy?Pam: Putting together a great communicationsplan is about understanding the audience thatyou are going to communicate to, understandingthe issues that they are concerned about,understanding what it is we need to explain tothem and helping them understand. Putting allof these pieces together allows us to create agood communications strategy and plan so thatpeople are well-informed. They understand whatwe are doing, why we are doing it, when are wedoing it and how it impacts them. That’s veryimportant for a communications strategy.
Talk about the role ofmarketing and its effect on openenrollment.Pam: Public education is very challenging andthe state is facing a funding crisis. Part of whatour board is focusing on is, how can we create agreat education system, how can we createexcellence for all children in all different areas?As a result, it’s allowed families to see what we aredoing, to see excellence that we are allowing ourchildren to achieve and the types of success theyare having. It has attracted students to ourdistrict. Open enrollment is important to usmaintaining the programs we have in place,keeping the buildings we have open, andretaining all of the staff we have. Without thosestudents and the funding that comes along withthem, all of those things would be at risk. So it’san important piece for our model to maintainthe success in our school district.
What is the most critical partto communicating about change?Jay: Communication is critical even to theschool improvement process. It doesn’t matterhow good your plan is, doesn’t matter how goodyour resources are to do that, it doesn’t matterhow good your implementation is – if yourparents don’t buy it and your community doesn’tvalue it, it’s not happening. They’ll find a millionways to stop you from doing what you need to do– even if it’s a good improvement for students. Sowe need communications to get out in thecommunity and get them to value it, to get themto understand the change we want to make andunderstand why we think it’s important andbelieve it is important. If they do that, they will
start demanding that we make the change weactually want to make. It’s just a natural way tomake sure we are successful with the things weneed to change to make all students successful inthe 21st century.
How do you deal with resistanceto change?Jay: Making change in schools is difficult.There is a lot of resistance. We need power, forceand leadership to promote change. One thingthat can help with that is our community. Ifparents were demanding the change they want tosee and it is the change our leaders see we needin our schools, then if parents expect that changeand talk to teachers about that change and othereducation professionals and are energized aboutthe change, it just makes the change happenmuch more readily. It actually makes somethinghard to do turn into something easy and natural.And it’s communication that gets you to thatpoint.
Talk about communication in alarge and a small district.Jay: You start as a superintendent in a smalldistrict without any kind of communicationsteam. In a small district, you ARE thecommunications team. I didn’t know aboutgetting out in front with messages or evencreating messages. And sometimes you havemissteps. So you put a lot of resources and effortsinto planning for something that will be good foryour community, but they don’t understand it.And next thing you know, there’s a groundswellto end something that you put time, resourcesand a lot of yourself in that change. That’shappened to me more than once. Now that I’min a district with a great communications team,I’m really able to get out in front of some ofthose messages. We’ve gone through someterrific change. It’s causing excitement, it’scausing growth in enrollment, it’s causing a lot ofparents to be thrilled with the education theirchild is getting. And that has come about becausewe led with good communication. So I reallyunderstand both sides. No matter what the size ofthe district, you need to pay attention to goodcommunication and have a plan for it. And if youare in a small district, you can always call onMinnSPRA to provide some of that leadership.
Janet Swiecichowski is the executive director ofcommunications for the Minnetonka School District. JakeSturgis is the visual communications coordinator for theMinnetonka School District. You can contact them [email protected] [email protected].
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School boards all across Minnesota are looking for ways totrim costs, particularly with education budgets stretched likenever before. So when that salesperson comes knocking withpromises of big energy savings from facilities upgrades, it’shardly surprising that school officials perk up their ears.
But here’s a word to the wise: look (closely) before you leap.Don’t believe just because that salesperson is representing afamiliar firm that he has your school district’s best interests atheart. And, most of all, don’t assume anyone else – includingstate officials or your own legal counsel – has you totallycovered either. Ultimate responsibility falls locally on localschool boards.
Unsuspecting school districts all over the state are fallingvictim to overblown promises of reduced operating costs as aresult of costly energy projects. What starts out as a simplefacility assessment can easily turn into an energy conservationproject (“the hook”), and morph from there into a multi-million-dollar mechanical system replacement project that canquickly have taxpayers in your community up in arms.
Performance-Based ProjectsCompanies, including major companies your district may be working with right now, are luring school boards in withoffers of facility evaluations for a fee that ranges from$15,000–$30,000. Nobody would disagree with the usefulnessof a good evaluation, and it seems like a good deal for schooldistricts, particularly in an era of rising energy costs. But keepin mind that the so-called “evaluation” is the bait. Once youbite, you can get hooked, because those evaluations arequickly followed up with plans to upgrade your energyefficiency, often with promises of savings that pay for it all.And if districts promise to hire the same company tocomplete the work, they will even waive your evaluation fee(the cost of which they bury within the larger project).
It can all seem too good to be true – and often, it is.
Representatives of such companies may come with fancy titlesand a winning personality, but that shouldn’t stop schoolofficials from doing their due diligence, and that meansfinding the unbiased expertise to help school boardsunderstand the often complex contracts these companies willoffer. While they may claim big energy savings, school officialsneed to check the fine print and question assumptions. Watchfor savings estimates that are skewed with unrealistic inflationrates and unmeasured savings figures that are typically notverified by anyone. As for savings that are supposed to beverifiable, these contracts typically require school districts tohire the same company to do the measurements. It’s the foxguarding the henhouse, and school districts have to pay thefox to do it!
And even if the company reports that savings didn’t measureup, public entities, like school districts, may have troublegetting the company to make up the difference. The contractsusually come with a long list of limitations and parametersthat virtually guarantee the company can wiggle out of theircommitment if and when actual savings fall short of their
For GuaranteedEnergy SavingsProjects,it’s BuyerBeware
Deb Metz
Kelsey Bratland, Spring Grove Public School
MAY/JUNE 2011 25
promises. If you adjust thermostats at any time, or operateyour buildings and equipment beyond the hours orparameters of the contract, your guarantees might not beworth the paper they’re printed on.
To top things off, if a school board catches on after thecontracts are signed, there are often no termination clauses,even for cause.
Projects can carry hefty price tagsMany energy savings projects include the installation of newboilers, controls and building envelope work – and range incost from $1 million to $4 million, although they can gomuch higher.
Most professionals in the industry agree that moving fromsteam to hot water is a good energy conservation idea, as longas those existing systems are no longer functioning properlyand beginning to cost more to maintain than to replace.
While a school district’s desire to reduce maintenance costs isunderstandable, school officials need to be sure that thosesavings aren’t eaten up by unexpected fees or big-ticket add-ons.
These energy contractors are charging fees that range from17 to 25 percent – even on work that is traditionally done bythe owner. The use of these “one-stop shops” should actuallycost districts less, given the fact that it should eliminateduplications of effort! And that’s not all you lose. Thisprogram management contracting methodology eliminatesall project “checks and balances” – a huge necessity in publicwork. Not only that, it’s rumored that these companies areusing non-disclosure agreements with those who sub-contractwith them, such as engineers, architects, constructionmanagers and even the commissioning agents who are notallowed to speak freely to the clients themselves.
Boards are not told of other options available that can savemillions – options such as using the more traditional projectdelivery method of hiring separately for engineering andconstruction management, which typically totals around 10 to14 percent and includes reimbursable expenses, etc. Not onlyis the more traditional delivery cheaper, it leaves intact thoseimperative project “checks and balances” to ensure boards geteverything completed “above board.”
Often, energy contractors require that customers install themechanical and heating systems they sell, and guarantees thatsupposedly come with those systems require that customershire that same contractor for ongoing maintenance of thesystems. The fees associated with this service can be steep, andif you check the fine print, you’ll often find they come withautomatic annual price escalators that can quickly devour anyoperational savings.
School districts right here in Minnesota have signed contractsthat promised annual savings, but included maintenanceagreements that cost three times more than what districtsstood to save.
Unfortunately, it can get much worse. When school districtsopt for a boiler upgrade, they may find their contractorcoming at them with yet another even more costly pitch,including claims that code requires districts to upgrade allmechanical ventilation systems if a new heating system isinstalled. This can push project costs far higher, as much aseight times higher. If you’re not careful, one small boilerreplacement can soon turn into a multi-million-dollar projectand before you know it, you’re signing contract(s). Justimagine how taxpayers will react when they discover the news!
While your ventilation system may or may not meet today’sstandards, state code does not require that ventilation systemsbe updated simply because a new boiler is installed. Often,claims to the contrary are made by energy service companiesin hopes of qualifying such projects for the health and safetyexemption on school district bonding. School boards may betempted because this doesn’t require voter approval, but lackof a choice often makes taxpayers all the more upset. Andwhen such projects aren’t well-designed, or when schoolboards have been taken for an obvious ride, taxpayers have aright to be angry.
While all agree that a certain amount of air per occupant is agood thing for students and teachers alike, school boardsneed to balance such considerations against the impact ofhigher local taxes at a time of economic stress.
The bottom line for school officials is this: Don’t take asalesperson’s word for it. A healthy bit of skepticism is inorder. Be aware of the following:
• Just because the MDE gives the green light to a schooldistrict’s project through their Review and Commentprocess doesn’t mean they have reviewed the fine print, orthat they have verified the claims made by a consultant.That’s not their job.
• Your attorney may review the legal terms of your contractswith a contractor or consultant, but he or she may not beknowledgeable on the fees, standards and conditions typicalin the construction industry. Just because an attorneyapproves a contract doesn’t mean it’s a good deal.
• State officials who oversee licensing and codes will onlyreview plans and specs to verify what work is actually beingdone and that it meets code. Don’t look for them to alertyou to projects that are too costly or unnecessary.
• Districts can realize substantial fee savings by using moretraditional project delivery methods. Energy savings are stillrealized and districts gain back transparency and checks andbalances.
• Districts may utilize services from the Department ofCommerce who will verify energy savings promised. Moreoften than not, these services aren’t utilized by schooldistricts.
Finally, school officials should ensure adequate separationbetween the various components of any major project. Just asschool districts must ensure segregation of duties in financialaffairs, school boards must strive to avoid contracts where
26 MSBA JOURNAL
every aspect of the project is overseen by a single entity.To avoid conflicts of interest, school districts shouldensure that all the major players in any project workdirectly for them, not for the energy services firm.
While the “one-stop shop” approach being used bysome companies may seem like the easy route, schoolofficials often don’t realize how expensive sucharrangements can be – and how their interests can takea back seat to the program management firm. Don’t letit happen to your school district.
At the very least, boards should hire someone withexperience and expertise in matters of constructioncontracting to assist with the review and negotiations ofsuch contracts. Such experts can be found simply byasking.
If this all sounds complicated, rest assured, it is. Butwhen millions of taxpayer dollars are at stake, schoolofficials have a responsibility to make sure they aredoing the best job possible for the public theyrepresent. Taxpayers, and voters, expect no less.
Deb Metz is president of Metz Construction Management, Inc.You can reach her with your comments [email protected]
For
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Katie Schliech, Spring Grove Public School
You need guidance. We give direction.
Providing Over 20 Years of Service to Schools.
300 U.S. Trust Building • 730 Second Avenue S. • Minneapolis, MN 55402 Phone: (612) 339-0060 • Fax: (612) 339-0038 • www.ratwiklaw.com
Focusing on all areas of School LawLabor Negotiations and Employment Law
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MAY/JUNE 2011 27
ActuaryHildi Incorporated(Jill Urdahl)11800 Singletree Lane, Suite 305 Minneapolis, MN 55344952-934--5554, Fax [email protected] Iwaarden Associates(Jim Van Iwaarden)10 South Fifth Street, Suite 840Minneapolis, MN 55402-1010612-596-5960, Fax 612-596-5999www.vaniwaarden.comwww.gasb45opeb.comjimvi@vaniwaarden.com
Architects/Engineers/Facility PlannersArchitects Rego + Youngquist inc.(Paul Youngquist)7601 Wayzata Blvd., Suite 200St. Louis Park, MN 55426952-544-8941, Fax [email protected]&RPlanners/Architects/Engineers(Paul W. Erickson)8501 Golden Valley Rd., Suite 300Minneapolis, MN 55427763-545-3731Fax [email protected] Group Architecture,P.A.(Judith Hoskens)201 Main Street SE, Suite 325Minneapolis, MN 55414612-379-3400, Fax [email protected] Group KKE(Jennifer Anderson-Tuttle)520 Nicollet Mall, Suite 200Minneapolis, MN 55402612-977-3552, Fax [email protected](David Leapaldt)808 Courthouse SquareSt. Cloud, MN 56303320-252-3740, Fax [email protected] Consulting, Inc.(Pat Overom)5354 Edgewood DriveMounds View, MN 55112
763-354-2670, Fax [email protected], INC.(Fred King)5801 Duluth St.Minneapolis, MN 55422763-546-3434, Fax [email protected] Playground ComplianceProgram (in partnership withNational Playground ComplianceGroup, LLC) (Tim Mahoney)PO Box 506Carlisle, IA 50047866-345-6774, Fax [email protected] Architects(Bryan Paulsen)209 S. Second Street, Suite 201Mankato, MN 56001507-388-9811, Fax 507-388-1751www.paulsenarchitects.combryan@paulsenarchitects.comPerkins + Will(Steve Miller)84 10th Street S., Suite 200Minneapolis, MN 55403612-851-5094, Fax [email protected], Inc.(Rick Wessling)18707 Old Excelsior Blvd.Minneapolis, MN 55345952-474-3291, Fax [email protected] Architects and Engineers(Scott McQueen)305 St. Peter StreetSt. Paul, MN 55102651-227-7773, Fax [email protected]
Athletic Sports Floors/SurfacingMSBA Playground ComplianceProgram (in partnership withNational Playground ComplianceGroup, LLC) (Tim Mahoney)PO Box 506Carlisle, IA 50047866-345-6774, Fax [email protected]
AttorneysKennedy & Graven Chartered(Neil Simmons)200 South Sixth Street, Suite 470Minneapolis, MN 55402612-337-9300, Fax 612-337-9310www.kennedy-graven.comnsimmons@kennedy-graven.comKnutson, Flynn & Deans, P.A.(Thomas S. Deans)1155 Centre Pointe Dr., Suite 10Mendota Heights, MN 55120651-222-2811, Fax [email protected], Sorlie, Rufer & Kershner, PLLP(Mike Rengel)110 N. MillFergus Falls, MN 56537218-736-5493, Fax [email protected], Roszak & Maloney, P.A.(Kevin J. Rupp)730 2nd Ave. S., Suite 300Minneapolis, MN 55402612-339-0060, Fax [email protected]
Construction Mgmt. & ProductsBossardt Corporation(John Bossardt)8300 Norman Center Drive, Suite 770Minneapolis, MN 55437952-831-5408 or 800-290-0119Fax [email protected] Group, Inc.(Pete Filippi)101 1st Street SELittle Falls, MN 56345320-632-1940, Fax 320-632-2810www.contegritygroup.compete@contegritygroup.comDonlar Construction Company(Jon Kainz)550 Shoreview Park RoadShoreview, MN 55126651-227-0631, Fax [email protected] Consulting, Inc.(Pat Overom)5354 Edgewood DriveMounds View, MN 55112763-354-2670, Fax [email protected]
Kraus-Anderson Construction Co.(Mark Phillips)PO Box 158Circle Pines, MN 55014763-786-7711, Fax 763-786-2650www.krausanderson.commark.phillips@krausanderson.comMSBA Playground ComplianceProgram (in partnership withNational Playground ComplianceGroup, LLC) (Tim Mahoney)PO Box 506Carlisle, IA 50047866-345-6774, Fax [email protected]
Educational Programs/Services Minnesota State Academies for the Deaf and Blind(Linda Mitchell)615 Olof Hanson Dr.PO Box 308Faribault, MN 55021-0308800-657-3996/507-384-6602Fax [email protected]
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)The Sand Creek Group, Ltd.(Gretchen M. Stein)610 N. Main Street, #200Stillwater, MN 55082651-430-3383, Fax [email protected]
Energy SolutionsJohnson Controls, Inc.(Arif Quraishi)2605 Fernbrook Lane N., Suite TPlymouth, MN 55447763-585-5043, Fax [email protected]
Financial ManagementMSBA-Sponsored Administrationand Compliance Service (A&C Service)Administration and ComplianceService(Paige McNeal, Educators Benefit Consultants, LLC)888-507-6053/763-552-6053Fax [email protected] MSBA-Sponsored Lease PurchaseProgramTax Exempt Lease PurchaseProgram(Mary Webster, Wells FargoSecurities, LLC)800-835-2265, ext. 73110612-667-3110Fax [email protected]
28 MSBA JOURNAL
MSBA’s Vendor Directory helps connect school districts with the products and services they need. The directory is always at yourfingertips. You’ll find it printed in the back of every Journal magazine as well as on the MSBA Web site at www.mnmsba.org.Most listings in the Web version of this directory include a link so you can head instantly to a Web site or e-mail address. Thedirectory includes everything you need to know to contact a company quickly—phone numbers, fax numbers and addresses—inan easy-to-read format. If you have a service or product you would like included in this directory, please contact SueMunsterman at 507-934-2450 or [email protected].
MSBA’s VENDOR DIRECTORY
MSBA-Sponsored MNTAAB (MN Tax and Aid AnticipationBorrowing Program)MNTAAB(DeeDee Kahring, Springsted, Inc.)800-236-3033/651-223-3099Fax [email protected] MSBA-Sponsored P-Card(Procurement Card) ProgramP-Card Program800-891-7910/314-878-5000Fax 314-878-5333www.powercardpfm.comMSBA-SponsoredSchoolFinances.comSchoolFinances.com(Jim Sheehan, Ann Thomas)Sheehan: 952-435-0990Thomas: [email protected]@schoolfinances.com PaySchools(Patrick Ricci)6000 Grand Ave.Des Moines, IA 50312281-545-1957, Fax: [email protected] Asset Management, LLC -MSDLAF+(Donn Hanson)45 South 7th Street, Suite 2800
Minneapolis, MN 55402612-371-3720, Fax [email protected]
Food Service Products & ServicesLunchtime Solutions, Inc.(Chris Goeb)717 N. Derby LaneNorth Sioux City, SD 57049605-254-3725, Fax 605-235-0942www.lunchtimesolutions.com [email protected], Inc.(Monique Navarrette)5570 Smetana Dr.Minnetonka, MN 55343952-358-2188, Fax 952-945-0444www.taher.com [email protected]
InsuranceMinnesota School BoardsAssociation Insurance Trust(MSBAIT)(Denise Drill, John Sylvester, Amy Fullenkamp-Taylor)1900 West Jefferson AvenueSt. Peter, MN 56082-3015800-324-4459, Fax 507-931-1515www.mnmsba.org [email protected]@[email protected]
PlaygroundsMSBA Playground ComplianceProgram (in partnership withNational Playground ComplianceGroup, LLC) (Tim Mahoney)PO Box 506Carlisle, IA 50047866-345-6774, Fax [email protected]
RoofingFour Seasons Energy EfficientRoofing, Inc.(Darrell Schaapveld) 1410 Quant Ave. NorthMarine on St.Croix, MN 55047651-433-2443, Fax [email protected]
Software SystemsPaySchools(Patrick Ricci)6000 Grand Ave.Des Moines, IA 50312281-545-1957, Fax [email protected], Inc.868 3rd Street South, Suite 101Waite Park, MN 56387800-236-7274www.skyward.com
TechnologyPaySchools(Patrick Ricci)6000 Grand Ave.Des Moines, IA 50312281-545-1957, Fax [email protected]
TransportationHoglund Bus Co., Inc.(Jason Anderson)PO Box 249Monticello, MN 55362763-271-8750www.hoglundbus.comsalesmanager@hoglundbus.comNorth Central Bus & Equipment(Sandy Ethen)2629 Clearwater Road SouthSt. Cloud, MN 56301320-257-1209, Fax 320-252-3561www.northcentralinc.comsandye@northcentralinc.comTelin Transportation Group(Jamie Romfo)14990 Industry AvenueBecker, MN 55308866-287-7278, Fax [email protected]
MAY/JUNE 2011 29
30 MSBA JOURNAL
AdvertisersATS&R...........................................................................Page 29
DLR Group KKE ..........................................................Page 17
Kennedy & Graven Chartered ....................................Page 13
Knutson, Flynn & Deans, P.A. .......................................Page 2
MSBA Capitol Compass ...............................................Page 13
MSBA Policy Services ...................................................Page 32
MSBAIT...........................................................................Page 2
MSDLAF+ .....................................................................Page 30
Ratwik, Roszak & Maloney, P.A. .................................Page 27
Skyward, Inc....................................................................Page 7
Telin Transportation Group ........................................Page 26
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What types of insurance does a schooldistrict need?
This question is first addressed bydetermining what assets and resourcesyou want to protect. For school districts,these items are property and buildings,employees, students, communitymembers and financial holdings.Additionally, many master agreementshave insurance language that requiresspecific action by the school district.From this perspective, districts canpurchase insurance products to fit theirrequirements.
General categories of insurance thatcover these identified resources are:Property and Casualty (P&C), WorkersCompensation (WC), School LeadersLiability, Health, Life, and Long-TermDisability (LTD). This may look like anice, concise list, but the issues thatarise are in the details.
Much like buying a car, they all comewith standard equipment of varyingquality, and they also have a seeminglyendless list of optional upgrades. Manyof these options are determined by thelocal requirements and environment of the school district. There is not aone-size-fits-all solution for buyinginsurance. The key to making this
decision is to be an informed consumerand have a knowledgeable advocate thatcan assist the school district in thisdecision.
The school district also needs to decidewhich insurance coverage warrants aninvestment in time and analysis ofadministrative staff and/or school boardmembers.
Life and LTD are relativelystraightforward and, in terms of impacton the annual budget, they are not assignificant. Even though Life and LTDdo not have the budget significance,school districts should not downplay theimportance of an adequate LTD planfor the 30 percent of Americans thatwill need it before retirement. The keyis having a trusted agent/advocate thatcan direct the school district to theright purchasing choice.
What are some common concerns tokeep in mind for big-ticket insuranceitems?
Big ticket plans like Health, WC, and P&Crequire additional discrimination. To fullyaddress the intricacies of selecting the bigticket plans, school districts would need todigest enough material for a small book.But a few common points to keep inmind would be:
• Don’t risk a lot for a little. Is the schooldistrict saving a little on premium and,in turn, assuming a lot of risk?
• What services are provided with theplan?
• Has the insurance company “beenthere” for the school district and/orneighbors when a loss occurs?
• Is the insurance company financiallysound, and does it have a verifiabletrack record?
• Is the insurance company active inpromoting and assisting riskmanagement and loss control?
How does a school board make adecision on selecting an insurancecarrier with limited knowledge?
Many decisions that school boards make require a level of trust in theadministrator they have hired, and thisis probably one of them.
What the school board can do is ask theschool district’s administration variousgeneral questions concerning theinsurance company and the policy. Indoing so, they are verifying thatadministration has asked the similarquestions of the prospective vendors inarriving at a recommendation.
Also, having the agent or companyrepresentative address the board at ameeting will allow the school board toget a general idea of the support theycan expect. The “common points” listedearlier in this article are excellentstarting questions for bothadministration and an agent.
The school board should alsoremember that the car-buying analogyapplies here. It is tough to make a side-by-side comparison, because each plancan be so different. Also, if something isreally cheap, a reason exists for it. Thelowest price may not always be the rightchoice.
As a service for member schools, theMinnesota School Boards AssociationInsurance Trust (MSBAIT) has vettedtwo organizations, of the thousandsavailable that offer the needed types ofinsurance for school districts. They areRiverport Insurance Company and NationalInsurance Services. Contact informationcan be found on the MSBAIT website,www.msbait.org.
The final question for a school boardshould be: “Which insurance plan fitsthe school district’s needs?”
Gary Lee is an Associate Director ofManagement Services for MSBA.
MAY/JUNE 2011 31
ASK MSBASMART INSURANCE FOR YOUR DISTRICT
Gary Lee, Associate Director ofManagement Services
1900 West Jefferson Avenue, St. Peter, MN 56082-3015
NON-PROFIT ORGN.
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MANKATO, MN 56001
MSBA is here to serve YOU...
POLICY SERVICES�Policy Manual AuditMSBA will review the school district’s policy manual as follows:
Contacts: Cathy Miller, Director of Legal and Policy Services Sandy Gundlach, Director of School Board Services
These services are available only to individual school districts that are members of Policy Services.
- Against predetermined criteria for compliance with current state and federal requirements,- For consistency and ease of use.
Minnesota School Boards Association1900 West Jefferson Avenue
St. Peter, MN 56082800-324-4459; fax 507-931-1515
www.mnmsba.org
Cathy Miller Sandy Gundlach
�Custom Policy ServicesMSBA will review the following:
- A school district’s policy manual,- School board meeting minutes for the past five years,- Student and staff handbooks,- Agreements that may contain policy statementsor past practices that may have a legal impact.
MSBA will revise the school district’s policy manual.
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED