masa 2008 spring leaders forum

inside ...2008 Spring Conference Information ..................... 2MN Promise–A Final Document ............................. 4Curriculum Concerns–What is the Law? .............. 62008 Legislature ....................................................... 8What Now? ............................................................. 10Planning with Your Community ........................... 12President-Elect Candidates Speak Out ................ 14Committing to A Forward-Looking Vision .......... 16Eco-STARS ............................................................. 22

Leading During Times of Change

spring, 2008

by Tom WesterhausMASA President andSuperintendent,Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools

Recently, I read something that seemed to describe the anxieties that many of us are living with during this age of rapid change and turmoil:

“The world is too big for us. There is too much doing, too many crimes, casualties, violence, and excitements. Try as you will, you get behind the race in spite of yourself. It is an incessant strain to keep pace and still you lose ground. Science empties its discoveries on you so fast that you stagger beneath them in hopeless bewilderment. The political world witnesses new scenes so rapidly that you are out of breath trying to keep up with them. Everything is high pressure. Human nature cannot endure much more.”

Since my article is about leading during times of change, I thought this quote would certainly set the context for thinking about change in the 21st century. However, before you grow too weary of these times and of the enormity of change that surrounds us, you need to know that these words were taken from an article published in the Atlantic Journal in 1837. Our changing world probably always has been and always will seem to be broken and out of control, so get used to it! Change isn’t anything new, and it isn’t going away.

Change was the central theme at the AASA National Conference on Education in Tampa last month. In fact, a book I brought along to reread, Leading in a Culture of Change, by Michael Fullan, turned out not to be necessary, for Dr. Fullan was a featured presenter at the conference. Fullan is an international authority on educational reform and change and defines strong educational leaders as “causing more good things to happen and fewer bad things to happen.”

Fullan’s standing-room-only presentation, “Six Secrets of Change,” previewed his forthcoming book of the same name and gave tips for school district leaders to maneuver through

the sea of educational changes. The secrets revealed for leaders to help their respective educational institutions through a culture of change include:

Love your employees as much • as you love your customers. “Become a firm of endearment.”Connect peers to purpose. “The • peer culture has power in its own right, and we succeed only in concert with one another.”Capacity-building must prevail. “To get long-term • change, build new knowledge, invest in resources, and create motivation around strategic, forward-looking policy.”Learning IS the work. “Everyone needs to be learning • every day.” Transparency rules. “An organization can’t move • forward if the leader’s actions aren’t made clear to all. Transparency means schools should compare their current selves to their past selves, compare themselves with other schools, and compare themselves with external standards.”Systems must learn. “The system must produce leaders • every day.”

Leading During Change Continued on ... Page 3

Tom Westerhaus

• Leaders Forum • Minnesota Association of School Administrators

2008 Spring MASA/MASE Conference

April 3 - 4 Sheraton Bloomington Hotel

As school district leaders work to bring about significant change to improve student success, the value of the intelligent use of evidence-based leadership practices becomes ever more clear. Join your colleagues at the MASA/MASE Spring Conference and explore how sound research and ongoing study contribute to excellent leadership resulting in improved student achievement and innovative process.

Conference Highlights . . ."It's about Leading Change," says Peg Portscheller, Leadership Development Consultant. Join Peg's Thursday sessions and explore evidence-based leadership for learning, including opportunities and potential barriers, new research and evidence, and most effective strategies for improving student success.

The Exhibit Fair is a convenient way to visit with representatives of companies offering the latest products and services. Sign up for the prize drawings!

Don’t forget to shop the Silent Auction. Profits support the programs of the MASA Foundation. There will be many bid-inspiring items up for auction, so be sure to check them all out. And it's not too late to make your own donation to the auction—simply indicate your contribution on your registration form.

This year, our conference features WellSPRING, your source for "wellness in place." Participants will receive a resource guide for ways to enhance your conference

experience in ways that promote great health and well-being!

On Thursday afternoon, Lew Smith, Director of the National Principals Leadership Institute of Fordham University and author of Schools that Change: Evidence-Based Improvement and Effective Change Leadership, will examine schools that have significantly improved, making meaningful, positive, and lasting change.

Relax after a day of learning at Thursday afternoon's Leaders' Reception. Meet your newly-elected MASA and MASE officers, enjoy refreshments, and visit with your colleagues.

Get your teams together for the second annual MASA Foundation Spelling Bee on Thursday after the Leaders' Reception. Erudite MASA and MASE members will compete for bragging rights, fun, and prizes! See the insert in your registration materials for details.

Throughout the conference, we will celebrate the accomplishments of your colleagues with Awards.

Twenty-four different small group breakout sessions will narrow the thematic focus to examine cutting edge topics, such as progress monitoring, finance, school board relations, technology for administrators, leading change, authentic leadership, and lessons learned in RtI implementation. Session details will be available on the MASA and MASE web sites the first week of March.

Thursday's Women Leaders' Reception offers a casual social time for networking, conversation, and refreshments. This year we will feature a brief panel discussion on leadership experiences and a chance to win a door prize! Plan to stop for a drink and a chat on Thursday after the Spelling Bee.

What do you need to know about your community to engage everyone in school district goals? How do you inform the community conversation? How do you gather pertinent data to inform ongoing decision-making? Bill Morris of Decision Resources Ltd. will help us be better at listening to and informing our publics.

Ann Wynia's career spans education, government, social service and community development. She currently serves as President of North Hennepin Community College and as a board member for HealthPartners, of the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, and the North Hennepin Area Chamber of Commerce. She served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1977-1989 (and was House Majority Leader), and was the commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Services from 1989-1990. There she sponsored the biggest bill of her career, the Children's Health Plan (the forerunner of MinnesotaCare), which provided low-cost health insurance for 30,000 children in poor, working families. President Wynia will join us on Friday to pay tribute to our Distinguished Service Award recipients, including the Honorable Albert H. Quie.

A full list of conference sponsors will be listed in your conference packet.

Minnesota Association of School Administrators • Leaders Forum •

Leaders ForumSpring, 2008 • Volume 42,

Number 3

Leaders Forum is a publication of the Minnesota

Association of School Administrators, © copyright,

MASA. No endorsement of products or services is

intended. Send materials to be considered for publication to:

Mary Law, Associate for Leadership Support

MASA, 1884 Como AvenueSt. Paul, Minnesota 55108

(651) 645-6272 • (866) 444-5251 • FAX (651)

645-7518

Executive DirectorCharles Kyte

Director of CommunicationsMia Urick

2007-2008 OfficersPresident Tom WesterhausPresident-Elect Dan BrooksPast President Kathy LeedomTreasurer Wendy Shannon

2007-2008 Board of Directors

Region 1 Bruce Klaehn (2007-10)

Region 2Cindy Klingel (2007-10)Les Martisko (2005-08)

Jeff Olson (2006-09)Region 3

David Marlette (2007-10)Region 4

Todd Cameron (2006-09)Region 5

John Franzoia (2005-08)Region 6

Darwin Bostic (2006-09)Region 7

David Bottem (2006-09)Region 8

Larry Guggisberg (2007-10)Bob Vaadeland (2006-09)

Region 9Gary Amoroso (2007-10)

Meria Carstarphen (2007-08) Lezlie P. Olson (2005-08)

John Thein (2006-09)Jane Sigford (2005-08)Mark Wolak (2006-09)Retiree RepresentativeEd Anderson (2006-09)

Leading During Change ... Continued from Page 1Fullan challenged school district leaders to not follow change but to lead it, “to be on the balcony and the dance floor simultaneously.” Too often, in the midst of widespread and overwhelming change, we cling to the status quo and suffer from “leadership certitude,” clinging to the sidelines with our tried and true beliefs and practices.

But the cost of the status quo in this age of turmoil and rapid change is greater than the cost of change, for we will

be passed over by the forces working on education that will settle for nothing less than a change in our delivery, our content, and our resource allocation. If we use Fullan’s secrets of change, we will be better prepared to lead, not chase change.

Leaders with just the right combination of confidence and humility, not unlike our own MASA 2008 Superintendent of the Year, Mark Robertson, will be poised and ready for making more good things happen than bad things, in this century of undeniable change. •

Thank You to our Major Conference Sponsors . . .

The School Law Group of

Kennedy & Graven

Johnson Controls, Inc.

National Joint Powers Alliance

2008 MASA/MASE Spring Conference

Get Your Teams Together for the

It's Not Too Late! . . . The second annual MASA Foundation Spelling Bee will be held on Thursday, April 3, 2008, 4 pm at the Sheraton Bloomington Hotel during the MASA/MASE Spring Conference. We encourage all conference participants to assemble a team of 3 spellers who will compete for bragging rights and the Grand Prize. Each winning team member will receive a $500 student scholarship. (Teams must be pre-registered.)

Mark your calendar ...

MASA 2008 Fall ConferenceOctober 5-7• Madden's Resort, Brainerd MN

Plan to attend!


The Leaders Forum is your newsletter and we welcome your input. Please send your ideas or articles to Mary Law at [email protected].

by Charles KyteExecutive Director, MASA

The final report entitled “Minnesota Promise – World Class Schools for a World Class State” is the first comprehensive planning document for K-12 education seen in about 10 years. Schools, school districts and state level policy makers can utilize the broad guidelines of the ten strategies within the Minnesota Promise document as a template to drive educational improvement at all

levels.

With the help of Senator Sandy Rummel and Representative Carlos Mariani, we are hopeful that the ten strategies that may lead toward future world-class status will be placed into Minnesota statutes during this legislative session. If so, we will have a process by which districts and the state can revisit these strong principles annually as they work to achieve top-flight status for Minnesota’s schools.

Minnesota Promise - A Final DocumentIt is important to know that the Minnesota Promise document is not only a guide for state-level policymakers. It is also a guide for school districts, individual schools and teachers. For each of the ten strategies, there are a number of suggestions of what can be utilized at each level in the education system in order to drive improvement.

Often, teachers and principals wait for school superintendents and school boards, and then school boards and superintendents, in turn wait for state legislators to act. It is not necessary to wait. There are action steps that can be taken at every level to encourage the process of strengthening our schools and to provide a top-flight education for our students.

We encourage all educators in the state of Minnesota to adopt a bias for action and move ahead on the ten important strategies outlined in the Minnesota Promise final report.

There are copies of this report available at the MASA office. We will send additional copies to your school district, if needed, so that you can use them for strategic planning, administrative retreats and to put them in the hands of your teacher and parent leaders. •

ASSOCIATION news

Charlie Kyte

MASA Anti-Blog Attack Campaignby Charles KyteExecutive Director, MASA

There has been a new evolution of communications in our country. It is the ability of individuals to gain widespread audiences through use of the Internet. Using blogs, audio podcasts and video presentations provided this access. Setting up a blog is now a very easy thing to do. MASA is also finding newspapers, as they struggle for market share, creating blog-like comment sections after many of their newspaper articles.

All of this electronic communication would be fine if it was fair, honest and kind. However, it is not. Many of the blogs we are seeing, including those directed at K-12 education and its leaders, are in extremely poor taste and often libelous.

Thus, MASA has begun to develop a set of “push back” strategies. If a MASA member is under personal attack electronically, please consider using one of the strategies we outline below.

Push Back Strategy #1: MASA is assembling a team of retired MASA members, many of them superintendents, who would be willing to engage with negative bloggers by pushing back when they are attacking certain school districts and individuals. A member would notify us and we will swing a retired “anti-blog attack team” into action on

your behalf.

Push Back Strategy #2: If you would like MASA staff to respond to specific bloggers and blogs we would be glad to do so. We will either give our own responses or work with you to help create a response that you prefer, but are unable to say yourself.

Push Back Strategy #3: MASA, on behalf of our members, is looking for a fight. The board of directors has increased the level of our legal defense reserves and we are in contact with a law firm that may be willing to file lawsuits against individuals making libelous attacks on our members via the Internet. We feel that having the ability to push back legally might give individuals pause in terms of being so ready to attack with untrue and unfair information.

MASA sees the problem our members are having and we are taking action to find a way to push back. We will experiment with a number of different techniques and are hopeful that over time we will make it costly and painful for individuals to state outright lies about our members in the electronic medium. •


Minneapolis Office: 2605 Fernbrook Lane North, Plymouth, MN 55447

800-677-7650Regional Offices located in:

Duluth Rochester St. Cloud Fargo Sioux Falls


Curriculum Concerns–What is the Law?

LEGAL issuesby Susan E. TorgersonAttorney Kennedy & Graven School Law Practice Group

Introduction

The first amendment issues faced by public schools take many shapes—dress codes, student newspapers, teacher opinions, parent concerns, clubs on campus, etc. Curriculum content is another topic which has

constitutional implications for public schools. Curriculum questions can involve both free speech and religious expression.

What does the “first amendment” actually require?

The United States Constitutional amendment provides: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. (ratified 12/15/1791)

The Minnesota Constitution provides separately for the freedoms of expression and of religion in the Bill of Rights: Sec. 3. Liberty of the press. The liberty of the press shall forever remain inviolate, and all persons may freely speak, write and publish their sentiments on all subjects, being responsible for the abuse of such right; and

Sec. 16. Freedom of conscience; no preference to be given to any religious establishment or mode of worship. The enumeration of rights in this constitution shall not deny or impair others retained by and inherent in the people. The right of every man to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience shall never be infringed; nor shall any man be compelled to attend, erect or support any place of worship, or to maintain any religious or ecclesiastical ministry, against his consent; nor shall any control of or interference with the rights of conscience be permitted, or any preference be given by law to any religious establishment or mode of worship; but the liberty of conscience hereby secured shall not be so construed as to excuse acts of licentiousness or justify practices inconsistent with the peace or safety of the state, nor shall any money be drawn from the treasury for the benefit of any religious societies or religious or theological seminaries.

These constitutional provisions have given rise to many questions, and the answers evolve through the courts via litigation. This body of case law as well as state statutes affect the answers to curriculum content questions for Minnesota Public Schools.

Q: Can teachers in K-12 public schools in Minnesota set, modify or ignore the district’s curriculum?

A: No, not as individual instructors. Unless the district authorizes the K-12 instructor to set or modify curriculum, the district curriculum is the framework for instruction. However, teachers may, by district policy or practice, participate in the development or selection of curriculum.

Minnesota law provides processes for studying, developing and implementing curriculum in K-12 public schools. See Minn. Stat. 120B.11. In addition, districts often have policies, procedures and committees to address standards and curriculum for the district.

Courts have determined that teachers do not have a right to express their individual views in the classroom in a manner contrary to the set curriculum. In addition, disruption of the instructional curriculum is not allowed. Teachers are hired to implement district curriculum in the K-12 system of public education.

Of course, teams planning for the needs of disabled students may determine that certain curricular modifications are necessary and appropriate to comply with the student’s right to appropriate educational services.

An example of teacher conduct in this area is a teacher who was disciplined for using class time to air the teacher’s personal views on the war in Iraq. Students and parents complained, and the teacher was disciplined. The district discipline of the teacher was upheld by the court. The court acknowledged that while the speech in question was on a topic of public concern (one component of a first amendment claim), the comments were made during instruction and thus, the teacher could not claim to have been speaking as a private citizen. The district was entitled to require its instructional staff to use instructional time exclusively to further curriculum set by the district. Thus, no first amendment violation had occurred.

Q: What control, if any, do parents of K-12 public school students in Minnesota have over the curriculum to which their children are exposed at school?

A: Parents of K-12 students can choose where their Curriculum Concerns ... Continued on Page 20

Susan Torgerson


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LEGISLATIVEnews2008 Legislature – Prognostication

by Charlie Kyte, Executive Director MASA

This is one of the toughest news writing assignments I have recently been asked to do. I am writing later in February and the publication date for the MASA newsletter is near the end

of March. My job is to share with you what I think the Minnesota Legislature and governor will be doing for and about K-12 education during the 2008 legislative session. It may be interesting to read this article to see if any of my prognostications actually come true.

So here goes:

State government has no money. The forecast for 1. the 2007-09 state budget, which is coming out at the end of February, will indicate that the state is about $1 billion short and that the economic indicators are turning downward.

The governor’s new budget will not show cutbacks 2. in education funding. However, other areas of the state budget will not be so lucky. He will recommend cutbacks in health and human services and a number of other areas. We will be fighting to hold education funding by our fingernails.

The legislature will send the governor a transportation 3. bill which will include money for roads and bridges to be paid by a phased in 7 1/2 cent gas tax increase act. The governor has vetoed this bill. It returned to the legislature and was overridden.

The legislature is putting together a bonding bill. The 4. bill will be larger than the governor will accept. He will “red line” a number of projects with his line item

veto power.

There will be some headway on policy bills for 5. education including:

a. A bill placing the ten major strategies of the Minnesota Promise report into statute

b. A temporary repeal of the Labor Day start date for schools that will effect only the next few years

c. A bill requiring districts to provide an annual report on what they are doing to close the achievement gap for students, especially students of color and poverty.

6. There will continue to be conversation about a number of changes in the pension laws, but as of the end of March, nothing yet will have happened.

In conclusion, my prognostications indicate that it will be a very difficult legislative session with the division between the Democrats who control the legislature and the Republican governor continuing to be stressful. Combined with the lack of funding on the state’s part, little headway will be possible for this legislative session. •

Charlie Kyte

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What Now?by Shari PrestARK Associates

Experience from the past, hope for the future, and the need for change have been the driving dynamics of this historic political season. People are participating at higher levels than at any time in recent election cycles. As Champions for Children™, we are challenged to learn from what is happening around

us and to apply that knowledge to improve support for public education and the students it serves.

Government, education and research leaders continue to collect and share statistical and anecdotal information about what has and has not been effective in improving the outcomes of teaching and learning. We know that students attending traditional public schools do as well as or better than their peers who attend private schools and have similar life circumstances. We know that although some charter schools perform very well, overall outcomes do not exceed regular public schools. We have learned that No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and the accompanying standardized testing is not a panacea for underperforming kids or schools. Although these may all be well-intentioned initiatives for improving public schools, our experience tells us that we need a comprehensive and consistent approach to closing “achievement gaps between Minnesota’s students and their peers in the highest performing nations of the world, while also closing gaps between groups of our own students here at home.”*

So what now for educational leaders facing a faltering economy, a state budget deficit of nearly a billion dollars, changing demographics, and the emergence of a global knowledge economy? Do you lie low and wait for the economy to improve? Do you accept that inadequate funding may result in inadequate schools? Do you accept a discussion about jobs and the economy that don’t acknowledge the educational foundation of both? Do you permit a state deficit to translate into a deficit in our ability to compete globally?

We have learned through the current political cycle that hopes for the future inspire stakeholder involvement, commitment and funding. Minnesota’s Promise, World-Class Schools, World-Class State has articulated that hope through a clear, bold, and practical vision for schools. Champions for Children™ have an important role to play in knowing, sharing, and promoting that vision. What now? Now is the time to expand communication opportunities—

engage parents, employers and legislators in seeing beyond the challenging present to the possible future.

Minnesotans and other Americans have demonstrated their desire for change. Although the history and success of our schools have been grand, global changes and competition require that we be different. The status quo is no longer acceptable or fully defensible.

“Public education in Minnesota is at a crossroads. In one direction, the road continues down the path we are already on, sustaining the strategies and structures that have made Minnesota an educational leader within the United States.

In a second direction, the road departs from the status quo and heads toward change, but after a short distance it splinters off into many different pathways that lead to many different destinations.

In a third direction, the road also heads toward change, but it does not diverge in different directions. Instead, it leads toward a single destination that is different from and better than the place where the journey began.

Minnesota’s Promise seeks to put our state on the road, down which schools and communities can walk together. As we embark on that journey, we must recognize and remember that amid our rapidly rising diversity, we are all Minnesotans, and that ultimately we will sink or swim together in the global labor pools of the Information Age.” *

*Minnesota’s Promise, World-Class Schools, World-Class State, January 2008, wwwminnesotaspromise.org •

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Dist. #61-6013 • HibbingIsd #701 • Hill City Isd #2 • Hills-Beaver Creek Isd #671 • Hinckley-Finlayson P.S., Isd #2165 • Holdingford Public Schools, Isd #738 • Hopkins Isd #270 • Houston PublicSchools, Isd #294 • Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted Isd #2687 • Hutchinson Public School Isd #423 • Ind School Dist 857 • Independent School District # 2902 • IndependentSchool District #113 • Intermediate District 287 • Intermediate School District 917 • International Falls Isd #361 • Inver Grove Heights, Isd #199 • Isle, Isd #473 • IvanhoePublic School #403 • Jackson County Central Isd #2895 • Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton Ps Isd 2835 • Jordan Public School Isd #717 • Kasson Mantorville Public Schools#204 • Kelliher School District #36 • Kenyon Wanamingo Public Schools Isd 2172 • Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg Isd #775 • Kimball Public Schools Isd #739 • KingslandPublic School Isd #2137 • Kittson Central Public Schools Isd #2171 • La Crescent-Hokah Isd #300 • Lac Qui Parle Valley Isd #2853 • Lake Benton Public School #404 •Lake City Isd #813 • Lake Of The Woods School Dist. #390 • Lake Park-Audubon Public School Isd 2889 • Lake Superior Schools Isd #381 • Lakes Country ServiceCooperative • Lakeview Public Schools, Isd #2167 • Lakeville Public Schools Isd #194 • Lanesboro Isd 229 • Laporte Public Schools, Isd #306 • Le Center Isd #392 • LeSueur-Henderson Public School #2397 • Leroy-Ostrander Public Schools #499 • Lester Prairie Isd #424 • Litchfield Public Schools, Isd #465 • Little Falls Isd #482 • Littlefork-Big Falls Isd #362 • Lk Crystal Wellcome Memorial Schls 2071 • Long Prairie - Grey Eagle Ps, Isd 2753 • Luverne Public Schools Isd #2184 • Lyle Public Schools Isd #497• Lynd Isd #415 • Mabel-Canton Isd 238 • Maccray Public School Isd #2180 • Madelia Isd #837 • Mahnomen Public Schools Isd #432 • Mahtomedi Isd #832 • Mankato, Isd#77 • Maple Lake Public Schools, Isd #881 • Maple River Schools Isd 2135 • Marshall County Central Sd #441 • Marshall Isd #413 • Mcgregor School District #4 • McleodWest Public Schools, Isd #2887 • Meeker & Wright Spec. Ed. Coop. #938 • Melrose Isd #740 • Menahga Public School, Isd #821 • Mesabi East Schools, Isd #2711 • MetroDeaf School, Inc • Metro Ecsu • Metro Ii • Metro Twin Cities Area Ed Co-Op Svc Unit • Milaca Public Schools, Isd #912 • Milroy Public School Isd 635 • Minneapolis P.S.Special S.D. #1 • Minneota Public School Isd #414 • Minnesota North Star Academy • Minnesota Valley Education District 6027 • Minnetonka Public Schools, Isd #276 •Minnewaska Isd #2149 • Mn River Valley Special Ed. Cooperative • Mn Valley Coop Ctr - Spec Ed Dist #978 • Montevideo Public Schools Isd #129 • Montgomery-LonsdalePublic, Isd #394 • Monticello Isd #882 • Moorhead Isd #152 • Moose Lake Isd #97 • Mora, Isd #332 • Morris Isd #769 • Mounds View Isd #621 • Mountain Iron-Buhl PublicSch. Isd #712 • Msdlaf Prepaid • Murray County Central School District 2169 • Nashwauk Keewatin Isd #319 • Ncsc-5 District #924 • Nerstrand Elementary Charter School4055 • Nettlake School Isd 707 • Nevis Isd #308 • New Century Charter School • New London-Spicer Public Schools Isd 345 • New Prague Public Schools Isd #721 • NewUlm Isd #88 • New York Mills Public Schools Isd #553 • Nicollet, Isd #507 • Norman County East Isd #2215 • Norman County West Isd #2527 • North Branch, Isd #138 •North Country Voc. Coop. Center • North St.Paul Maplewood Oakdale Isd #622 • Northeast Metropolitan Isd #916 • Northeast Service Cooperative Isd #927 • NorthfieldPublic Schools Isd #659 • Northwest Mn Service Co-Op Region 1&2 • Northwest Suburban Integration Dist 6078 • Nova Classical Academy • Nrheg Isd #2168 • OgilvieSchool District #333 • Oklee School District #627 • Onamia Isd #480 • Ortonville Isd #62 • Osakis Isd #213 • Osseo Area, Isd #279 • Owatonna, Isd #761 • Pact CharterSchool • Park Rapids Area Schools, Isd #309 • Parkers Prairie Public Isd #547 • Paynesville Isd #741 • Pelican Rapids Public Schools Isd #548 • Pequot Lakes, Isd #186 •Perham Public Schools Isd #549 • Pierz Isd #484 • Pillager Public Schools Isd #116 • Pine City, Isd #578 • Pine Island Public Schools #255 • Pine Point Public School, Isd#25 • Pine River-Backus Public Schs Isd 2174 • Pine To Prairie Cooperative Center • Pipestone-Jasper Isd #2689 • Plainview-Elgin-Millville Isd 2899 • Plummer Public SchoolDistrict #628 • Pm Account - Msdlaf • Princeton Isd #477 • Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools #719 • Proctor School District #704 • Randolph Isd #195 • Red Lake Falls PublicSchools, Isd #630 • Red Rock Central Isd #2884 • Red Wing Public Schools, Isd #256 • Redlake Isd #38 • Region I-Esv • Remer-Longville Isd #118 • Renville County WestIsd #2890 • Resource Training & Solutions • Richfield Isd #280 • River Bend Education District #6049 • Robbinsdale Area Schools Isd #281 • Rochester Off Campus CharterHs Isd 4056 • Rochester Public Schools Isd #535 • Rockford Isd #883 • Rocori Area Schools Isd #750 • Root River Education District #61-6042 • Roseau Public Schools Isd#682 • Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Isd #196 • Roseville Area Schools Isd #623 • Rothsay Isd #850 • Round Lake Isd 516 • Royalton Isd #485 • Runestone Area EducationDistrict #6014 • Rush City Area Schools Isd #139 • Rushford-Peterson School District #239 • Ruthton Public Schools Isd #584 • Sartell Isd #748 • Sauk Centre School DistrictIsd #743 • Sauk Rapids Isd #47 • Sebeka, Isd #820 • Shakopee Public School Isd #720 • Sibley East School District #2310 • Sleepy Eye Public Schools, Isd #84 • SouthCentral Service Cooperative • South Koochiching-Rainy River Isd #363 • South Washington County School #833 • Southeast Minnesota Ecsu Isd #921 • Southland Isd #500• Southside Family Charter School • Southwest-West Central Svc Cooperatives • Southwest-West Ctrl Sc • Special School District #6 • Spring Lake Park, Isd #16 • SpringfieldPublic School Isd #085 • St. Anthony-New Brighton Isd #282 • St. Charles Isd #858 • St. Clair Isd #75 • St. Cloud Isd #742 • St. Francis Isd #15 • St. James Isd #840 • St.Louis County Schools Isd 2142 • St. Louis Park Schools Isd #283 • St. Michael-Albertville Isd #885 • St. Paul Isd #625 • St. Peter Public Schools Isd #508 • Staples-MotleyIsd 2170 • Stephen-Argyle Central S.D. #2856 • Stewartville Isd #534 • Stillwater, Isd #834 • Swanville School District #486 • Technology And Info. Ed. Services (Ties) • ThiefRiver Falls Public Schools #564 • Tracy Public Schools Isd #417 • Tri County Isd #2358 • Trio Wolf Creek Distance Learning • Triton Schools Isd #2125 • Truman Isd #458• Twin Cities Academy • Twin Cities Academy High School • Tyler School District #409 • Ulen-Hitterdal Isd #914 • Underwood Public Schools Isd #550 • United South CentralSchool Isd 2134 • Upsala Isd #487 • Verndale Public School Isd #818 • Village School Of Northfield • Virginia Isd #706 • Wabasha-Kellogg School District • Wabasso Isd#640 • Waconia Isd #110 • Wadena-Deer Creek Public Schools #2155 • Warren Public School • Warroad Isd #690 • Waseca Isd #829 • Watertown-Mayer Isd #111 •Waterville-Elysian-Morristown Dist 2143 • Wayzata Public Schools Isd #284 • West Central Area Schools Isd #2342 • West Central Education District • West St. Paul Isd#197 • Westbrook-Walnut Grove Isd #2898 • Westonka Public Schools Isd #277 • Wheaton Public Schools Isd #803 • White Bear Lake Area Schools Isd #624 • WillmarPublic Schools Isd #347 • Willow River Isd #577 • Win-E-Mac Public Schools Isd #2609 • Windom Public Schools Isd #177 • Winona Public Schools Isd #861 • WorthingtonPublic Schools Isd #518 • Wrenshall Public School Isd #100 • Wright Technical Center Isd 966 • Yellow Medicine East Sd #2190 • Zumbro Education District #61-6012

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LEADER'StoolboxPlanning With Your Community Fosters Results

by David LeapaldtPresident, GLTArchitects

Faced with small schools with deferred maintenance and technology issues, Willmar Schools Superintendent Kathy Leedom faced what could have been a fork in the road. One way led to building a more efficient, larger school for the students attending smaller schools. The other way supported the community’s desire for retaining

neighborhood-based schools. Looking for a solution, the district formed a committee of community members and involved architectural expertise.

The group discovered it could build two elementary schools that would be connected by a commons area. The two schools would retain their own names and identities but benefit from the efficiencies of one location. The solution saved the district $2.5 million in construction costs, reduced operating expenses and retained the small-school feel the community desired.

By engaging community members in the development of long-range facilities plans, districts like Willmar find they can identify creative, cost-effective solutions, better connect with stakeholders on the issues and increase community buy-in. A community-based planning model allows districts to gain input from a diverse group of community members and produce a comprehensive report that incorporates information from a variety of key sources and often leads to “ah-ha!” moments.

Long-range facilities plans serve as road maps that guide districts when making decisions about maintenance and improvements to existing facilities as well as planning for any potential future facilities. Here are three key steps districts can take to involve the community in the development of a plan that yields lasting results:

Recruit leaders to shepherd the process.1. Creating a strong long-range plan starts with recruiting and developing a steering committee to direct the community planning process. This committee leads the process, recruits members for the facilities planning committee, plans those meetings and provides reports to the Board of Education. A committee of 4-6 members is most effective in driving the project. These members could be an existing facilities committee within the district.

Strive for balanced participation. 2. To be effective, the

facilities planning committee needs to have balance and represent the community as a whole in terms of gender, age, ethnicity, etc. Members of this committee should wear multiple “hats” in the community and should report to and from their community circles.

Provide the necessary information. 3. Districts need to immerse members in background information and provide multiple community perspectives. Bring in presenters from the city, county and other planning groups to share their comprehensive plans and logic behind them. Involve an architectural facilitator to educate the committee on the condition and potential of existing buildings as well as share building trends and possible solutions to their unique issues and needs. This will allow committee members to leverage their collective talents and create a plan that will achieve the district’s goals.

Districts cannot afford to go without a long-range facilities plan. But how school districts develop that 5-10 year plan is as important as the plan itself. Engaging the community in the process will not only lead to widespread support, but also it will promote an insightful evaluation and cultivate innovative solutions that will benefit all parties. •

David Leapaldt

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ELECTIONnewsPresident-Elect Candidates Speak OutThis year, MASA is once again fortunate to have a strong slate of candidates for the various leadership positions' elections. We are using a number of different methods to deliver candidate campaign information to you. Many thanks to everyone running for a leadership position. Your commitment to your Association, your colleagues, and Minnesota's kids, is exemplary and the very thing that keeps MASA vital and progressive in our mission to be the voice for education administrators in Minnesota. We offer special thanks to Gary Amoroso and John Thein, candidates for MASA President-Elect. The position of MASA President is a challenging and time-consuming one, and we are very fortunate to have continued interest by such quality leaders. Below are Gary's and John's comments:

Gary Amoroso, Lakeville Area SchoolsI am honored to be a candidate for the position of President-Elect of our organization. During my 31 years in education I have been very fortunate to have had the support of many quality education organizations. I would like to give back to my profession and ask for your support in this quest.

I identified four priorities to focus on if I were fortunate enough to be president of MASA.

The first priority is to strengthen MASA as a • collaborative organization by working on behalf of and in support of all members. I will work to bring all voices to the table and encourage participation in MASA events and activities by all members.

The second priority is to provide dynamic • leadership in accomplishing “world-class schools, a world-class state” in order to make available a future of opportunities for our students. As an original member of the cadre who worked on the Minnesota’s Promise concept, I feel strongly that we must continue to strive to create educational opportunities which will allow each and every one of our students to be successful as they leave our school systems and move on to the next phase in their lives.

Third, I will promote the successes and • achievements occurring in our schools to increase the public’s appreciation of the high quality of education in Minnesota. All of us must use one strong voice to consistently spread the good news about what is happening in our schools on a daily basis.

Finally, I will advocate for improvement for • schools and members as outlined in the legislative priorities set by MASA. MASA adopts short and long term goals. I believe it is the responsibility of the President to champion the various themes and concepts which are considered priorities by our organization.

In summary, I wish to thank each of you for the work you do on behalf of children each and every day. As you cast your ballot for President-Elect, I would greatly appreciate your support for my candidacy with your vote. •

John Thein, Roseville Area Schools“The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.” Ralph Nader

I am running for MASA President-Elect, not to ask you to follow me, but to join me. MASA, like all organizations, needs active and involved members working in a

collaborative manner to move our organization forward. As the “preeminent voice for public education” in the State of Minnesota, MASA needs all of our members to provide educational leadership in each of the school districts and communities we serve.

I hope you will join me in working toward six “LEADER” goals, listed below, that will be the cornerstones of my tenure as President of MASA. Together, as leaders, we will:

Leadership: Strengthen & increase the leadership capacity of our members.

Equity: Support the equitable treatment of all our members and their school districts.

Achievement: Ensure each student has the opportunity to achieve at high levels of academic proficiency.

Diversity: Honor the diversity of our members and their school districts.

Engagement: Collaborate with MASA staff in engaging, communicating, involving and building relationships with all our members.

Resources: Lobby, with our Executive Director, for stable and secure funding.

I want to thank each member of our MASA community for supporting our students, our staff members, and the entire educational community. I am very grateful that you believe in the children of Minnesota. I promise that I will do everything possible to continue the MASA legacy of being “an advocate for all our children.”

I hope you will support my candidacy for President-Elect. I look forward to working with each of you to ensure a bright future for MASA and the students and communities we serve. •

Gary AmorosoJohn Thein


How Does Your District Communicate With the Parents of Your Growing Non-English Speaking Student Population

We asked our members ...

by Deb Wanek Superintendent, Pelican Rapids Schools

Communicating with parents of our non-English speaking students is a growing challenge. Each fall we have students from a variety of countries and we want each one of them to know they are a valued member of our school; our ultimate goal it to help them be successful.

This is not an easy task with language and cultural differences. We are not always able to secure an interpreter for each language but we have enjoyed the opportunity of having several interpreters available to help us bridge the communication gaps. We do have interpreters that help translate our registration materials and letters we send home into Spanish and we hope to expand this offering to other languages. We also have staff members that make home visits.

We realize that a vital connection with these parents is crucial for student success so we continue to work at ways of enhancing this area. Building relationships by going to the homes, having family meal nights, and standing out by the buses greeting parents of all languages is an important part of what we do.

by Kathy Leedom Superintendent, Willmar Schools

Communication – It’s About AccessIt was a Sunday in June, 1960, and we were in our family grocery store with the lights off but the welcome mat was out for several migrant families who had the day off and needed access to a grocery store to get groceries for the week. Stores could not open on Sunday in Appleton, Minnesota during those years; however, my dad felt that it was important to meet these folks on their terms and work with them. “Buenos Dias, Senor and Senorita Garza!” we learned at an early age as we helped them find their groceries and experience our Miller’s Fairway store. In fact, one family was so grateful that they invited our family to their home on the property of the farmer for whom they did field work. We brought our turquoise and white record player, and we all danced as we were served Kool-Aid with fruit cocktail in the bottom of the glass. I will never forget that experience where we communicated the best we could using the universal tools of non-verbal expressions to have a great time together.

I learned then and there that we need to accept people where they are at any given time in their lives and do the best we can to offer customer service and friendship across any boundaries that may exist. That childhood lesson still holds true for me today as we work as a school district to meet the needs of our families that are just now learning English as they are gaining access to follow the “American Dream” for their children and families.

Doing everything we can as a school to communicate with parents and families is an essential part of providing access to American education. Parents have the right to understand how

their children are doing in school and to have the important information they need in order to be involved as parents in the education of their children. Translating policies, individualized education plans, disciplinary actions, report cards, and meeting notices are just a few examples of the duty we have to provide our parents with access to this vital information. Furthermore, providing interpreters to make sure school registration goes smoothly and that parent-teacher conferences are meaningful is yet another example of what we must do to engage all of our parents in our schools.

Is this communication to ensure access easy? No. Is the process costly? Yes. In fact, sometimes it is even challenging to find people who are able to provide timely and accurate oral and written translations and interpreting services. Nevertheless, the bottom line is that it is all about access and making every effort to provide that access.

While in Willmar, I have certainly learned how to make remarks to groups through an interpreter. A couple of weeks ago I had a double-decker experience at a parent meeting for English Language Learners while extending greetings and making comments to a huge room full of parents, and we passed the microphone to the Spanish interpreter and then on to the Somali interpreter. (When there is a longer pause in one’s remarks while interpreting is taking place, I have found that I must really be careful to keep track of when the pause took place so that remarks may resume in an uninterrupted way.) Our parents were taking in every word as they were updated on our programs and services for their children.

As I drove home that night after the meeting, I reflected on how far we had come as a district in providing this kind of access to parents through communication. As a superintendent I realized that this personal communication journey started 48 years ago in the aisles of Miller’s Fairway where only the lights from the front store windows illuminated the shopping aisles on those Sunday afternoons. I’m glad that Dad bent the rules about serving our customers on their terms so that I could learn this lesson about communication and access at an early age.

by Keith Lester Superintendent, Brooklyn Center Schools

Brooklyn Center’s approach is probably not unlike that of other districts serving non-English speaking students. Key areas we feel are particularly successful are making quality initial assessments that assure appropriate placement in classes, focusing on relevant language skills in our English classes and building a connection between the school and home. For example:

We provide English classes that serve a dual purpose. • We teach language that students need to be successful right away in school, as well as focusing on language that students need outside of school in the larger community.

We Asked Our Members Continued ... on Page 24


POINT OFviewCommitting to a Forward-Looking Visionby Mark Robertson2008 Minnesota Superintendent of the Year, andSuperintendent, Fridley Schools

It is truly an honor to be selected as Minnesota’s 2008 Superintendent of the Year. While this award is an affirmation and validation of good work that focuses on one individual, people of wisdom know that these types of honors reflect the great work of many people, and are only a representation of a larger effort taking place all across this state and country in schools and districts where students are served. It is humbling to be honored as one leader among many leaders – public school superintendents who work unendingly for the betterment of their students, parents, staff, and communities across the state.

All educators in Minnesota should be proud that we are working to make one of the best educational systems in the world even better. Today’s Minnesota superintendents work in an environment, culture, and era that are more complex than ever before; on good days, our jobs can be both stimulating and mind-boggling. On darker days, our jobs can be downright discouraging, confusing, frightening, and seemingly hopeless. If we take Daniel Pink’s words seriously that "we need to prepare students for their future, not our past," it adds a layer of angst for all of us, as we see a world that is changing at a pace where the rate of change continues to increase with each ensuing year, combined with a future that is hard to predict. This era of educational "accountability," underfunded mandates, decreased political willpower and support, erosion of public support, shortfalls in revenue and ensuing funding, and philosophies of no new taxes all contribute to casting a dark cloud on the world in which we all live as superintendents.

In spite of all of this, I believe that the short and long term hope for public education lies within us. At least for now, it is apparent that neither St. Paul nor Washington, D.C. are places from which we can find great help. As school leaders, we have to commit to a forward-looking vision so that we create the future for public education rather than continually react to someone else’s idea of how it ought to be done. It is my hope that the next year will see a renewed sense of optimism for public education, particularly from those of us inside the system. We as superintendents and leaders must move from a defensive posture to one where we truly are on the offensive, developing a "20/20 vision," communicating a plan, and demonstrating results that are so compelling that we begin creating the future rather than continually react to the next thing on the horizon. If we don’t light the torch, carry the torch, and hold it up high, then who will? As one mere educational leader among many in our state, I will do my part where I am at during the upcoming year, to help leverage whatever I can toward that end. With the power of a common vision, a persistent voice, and consistent action, it is my belief that perhaps the best is yet to come. •

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Federal Legislation Update

FEDERALadvocacyby Charlie KyteExecutive Director, MASA

MASA, through widespread member participation, has developed a strong federal advocacy group to help address issues of federal government legislation. We began this effort a number of years ago when the federal government passed the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Law to which many of our members saw serious flaws.

The MASA Federal Advocacy Committee includes MASA members from the eight congressional districts of Minnesota. These members have been active in contacting our congressmen/women to fully apprise them of our position regarding national education legislation.

Once again this year, a group from MASA will travel to Washington D. C. in mid-April to attempt to influence congressional representatives. Hopefully, congress will change the dynamics of the ESEA federal legislation as it effects accountability and funding for poor students.

The discussions at the federal level regarding ESEA/NCLB are now at a stalemate. Advocacy groups for children with special needs (Special Education and ELL) adamantly want to keep the accountability and punitive provisions in the law when it is reauthorized. Educators want these provisions modified. As this standoff continues, AASA is beginning to develop an alternative strategy that might cut through the deadlock and once again have the federal government be a helpful partner to schools across the nation.

To do so, would require a reemphasis by the federal government on moving funds and programs to students and schools where there are high rates of poverty. As these districts receive funding to help poor students, they would also be held accountable for those students increased achievement.

A key individual in seeking a compromise solution may well be the freshman congressman from Minnesota, Tim Walz, who is a teacher and has possibly the best understanding of the effects of NCLB of any congressperson. He is the leader of the Freshman Democrats in congress and is willing to help to craft a better solution so the federal government can wisely use its resources to assist school districts rather than to punish them.

The Federal Advocacy Committee of MASA is also beginning to meet with candidates for congress and the U. S. Senate so they can be briefed on our positions regarding federal legislation well before they get to the final phases of

their election contests. There will be a contested election in congressional district three where Congressman Ramstad is retiring. There will be a vigorous contest for the U. S. Senate position, which is now held by Senator Coleman. Two democrats, Al Franken and Jim Ciresi, are vying for the democratic candidacy.

The MASA Federal Advocacy Committee will continue to help our members, our congressional representatives and our state legislators about what policies and statutes enacted at the federal level can best be supportive of education and help to direct the education of our children in the most positive ways possible. •

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children are educated under state compulsory attendance law. However, parents have no constitutional right to determine or modify curriculum in a public school.

In Minnesota, however, parents of public school students have several ways to impact public school curriculum. First, districts are required by statute to establish advisory committees which include parents, teacher, support staff, students and other community residents to participate in all phases of planning and improving the instruction and curriculum in the district. See, Minn. Stat. 120B.11 Subd 3.

Second, under another state law, each public school district must have a procedure for a parent, guardian or adult student to review instructional materials upon request. If the content of the materials is objectionable, the parent, guardian or adult student may make reasonable arrangements with the school for alternative instruction. The school may offer to provide the alternative instruction, but need not do so. The parent, guardian or adult student may provide the alternative instruction if the school does not offer to do so or if the school’s offered instruction does not meet the concerns with the school’s curriculum content. See, Minn. Stat. 120B.20.

The school is not required to pay for the costs of alternative instruction obtained outside of the school. The student may not be penalized for choosing alternative instruction, but the school may evaluate the quality of the student’s alternative work. Id.

Conclusion

School districts are authorized by law to set curriculum in keeping with state requirements through statutory processes. Once the proper process is followed and the district curriculum is set in accordance with state requirements, staff, students and parents are bound by that curriculum. Individual needs of disabled students may warrant modification of certain curriculum requirements.

In Minnesota, by statute parents, guardians and adult students do have certain “opt out” privileges if they object to the content of instructional material. •

This article is intended to provide general information with commentary. It should not be relied upon as legal advice. If required, legal advice regarding this topic should be obtained from district legal counsel.

Curriculum Concerns ... Continued From Page 6


by Cara Rieckenberg, M.S.Environmental Education CoordinatorPrior Lake-Savage Area School District

and

Lori R. Maxfield, Ph.D.Associate Professor, College of St. Catherine

Fall 2006 marked the beginning of a Professional Development Schools partnership between the Prior Lake-Savage Area School District (ISD 719) and the College of St. Catherine Education Department. Through the generous support of the Jeffers Foundation, the Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools and the College of St. Catherine entered into an innovative partnership designed to:

increase student learning associated with • environmental education concepts (MN Comprehensive Assessments; testing of K-5 students, GLOBE evaluations/assessment, performance-based assessments),

increase student skill levels (taking environmental • action),

Eco-STARS (Students, Teachers and Real Science) A Partnership of Higher Education and K-12

increase student enthusiasm for science and develop • skills and passion for responsible environmental stewardship,

increase K-5 teachers’ confidence and knowledge in • environmental education,

increase education majors’ confidence and knowledge • in environmental education, and

develop a model of integrated environmental learning • that can be used in other school districts in Minnesota and throughout the country.

The information that follows provides an overview of first-year activities and observations using an ALoU Chart (Advantages, Limitation and How to Overcome Them, Unique Potentials). The information does not provide a comprehensive picture of the project, and only highlights key elements found during year one.

Individuals who wish more information should contact Cara Rieckenberg ([email protected] or 952-226-0694) or Lori Maxfield ([email protected] or 651-690-8898). •

ALoU Chart for EcoSTARS Summary of the Project:

Faculty and Education majors from the College of St. Catherine (CSC) collaborated with the elementary schools of the Prior Lake-Savage Area School District (PLS) to develop a partnership to increase student learning in environmental education. This partnership followed the Professional Development Schools (PDS) model designed to create innovative partnerships formed between professional education programs and P–12 schools. PDS partnerships enhance P-12 student learning, improve teacher practice, create real connections between college faculty and schools, and help in the preparation of new teachers. So, while PDSs improve both the quality of teaching and student learning, they also provide support for professional learning in a real-world setting in which practice (teaching) takes place.

In this innovative partnership, PLS teachers and CSC Education faculty and majors received instruction in aspects of environmental education, such as the GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) program. GLOBE is a worldwide hands-on, K-12 school-based program that provides teachers and students opportunities to learn by taking scientifically valid measurements by conducting investigations in the areas of atmosphere, hydrology, soil, land cover/biology, earth as a system, and GPS. Additional aspects of GLOBE include reporting local data through the Internet, publishing research projects based on GLOBE data and protocols, creating maps and graphs on the free interactive Web site to analyze data sets, and collaborating with scientists and other GLOBE students around the world.

The major activities conducted in the partnership include training PLS teachers and CSC student in the use of GLOBE investigations (GPS, Atmosphere, Hydrology, and Soils); designing fieldwork experiences at the PLS elementary schools; incorporating CSC teaching assistants in the delivery of lessons at PLS elementary schools; and providing a Faculty-in-the-Field mentor to assist PLS teachers and CSC students. Additional supporting activities included the creation of an EcoSTARS Advisory Group, and the revision of CSC methods-level courses.

On the next page (23) are the advantages, limitations and features.


Advantages Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools Administration:

A working model of how to integrate • environmental education into existing curriculum as well as implement to meet MDE standards

A staff with a stronger confidence level as • well as more in-depth knowledge base of experiential environmental education lessons

Poised as a leader in the MN school system • for integrating environmental education into all academic curricula and creating concerned citizens committed to ongoing environmental stewardship and care for the environment

Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools Teachers:Significant staff development opportunities • providing confidence and in-depth knowledge of experiential environmental education lessons

Lessons that integrate environmental • education into existing academic curricula as well as MDE standards

Mentoring skills acquired through work with • CSC students

Opportunities for Prior Lake-Savage • Academic Academy credit through work with after school cohort

Opportunities for CEU credits through • trainings

Opportunity to collaborate with Higher • Education Faculty

Increased knowledge and exposure to • environmental concepts and experiences

Decreased adult to student ratios in • classrooms where CSC students taught

Opportunity to experience another teaching • style

College of St. Catherine Faculty:An opportunity for methods-level faculty • to bridge theory and practice with student experienced events, as well as to revise methods-level instruction to address the current realities found in actual classroom settings

Increased visibility of higher education • faculty in P-12 classrooms as partners

Increased opportunities for collaboration with • PLS classroom teachers

College of St. Catherine Students: Improved pre-service teachers’ understanding • of the “teaching and learning process” in a real-world context

Provision of a structured and focused • fieldwork experience

An opportunity to receive “expert” mentoring • from actual classroom teachers

Increase in confidence and knowledge in • environmental education

Limitations (and How to Overcome Them)

How might we overcome issues related • to time constraints?

Schedule CSC pre-service students’ • visits and teaching only once a week for a six-week period (consecutive weeks)Avoid scheduling of visits during • critical times (e.g., school breaks, testing, workshops, programs)Identify specific dates and time • frames for the experiences

How might we increase debriefing • opportunities for CSC students and PLS teachers?

Structure experiences as close to • “open time” in the PLS teachers’ schedule as possible (e.g., before school, during recess)

How might we increase CSC students’ • comfort levels with lesson content, development, and delivery?

Select specific content and provide • training directly related to the content to be taught (e.g., GLOBE Protocols for Clouds and Soil Characterization)Dedicate first two weeks of visit • to structured observation of PLS teacher and student interactionsProvide a common lesson plan • template that addresses elements of planningAssign faculty mentors (methods-• level faculty) to specific groups of CSC students based on content to be addressedCreate debriefing sessions with • faculty mentors and CSC students to discuss elements of lesson development and delivery

How might we improve CSC students’ • classroom management knowledge and skill?

Bring PLS teachers to campus • to provide training session on Responsive ClassroomRequire CSC students to incorporate • Morning Meeting into lessonsDedicate first two weeks of visit • to structured observation of PLS teacher and student interactionsRestructure CSC teacher preparation • curriculum that would place the classroom management earlier in the curriculum

Unique Features

New ideas and energy were brought into • the PLS classrooms by the CSC students and facultyOpportunity for PLS teachers to • observe their own students in a different perspectivePLS teacher skills were sharpened • in order to teach/mentor preservice education studentsOpportunity to interact with CSC faculty • to improve PLS teacher instruction practicesOpportunity to see things in another • teacher (CSC students and faculty) that PLS teachers wanted to replicateOpportunity to see a lesson modeled • Exposure to additional resources • (websites, activities, etc.)Benefits of having another adult in the • classroom to help answer questions, work with smaller groups of students and support learningThe experience allowed some CSC • students to affirm their decisions to become a teacherIncreased accountability and credibility • for all participantsEnergized CSC faculty, improved • methods-level course content and modelingThe creation of a project proposal – • goals/objectives, outcomes, timelines, stakeholders, evaluation plan – allowed for successful implementation of experiencesA shared vision by all members of the • partnership – Prior Lake-Savage School District, College of St. Catherine, Jeffers FoundationThe use and application of key concepts • from Professional Development Schools (integration of professional and student learning through inquiry, placing students at the center, learning in the context of practice, boundary spanning, blending of resources, blending of resources, expanded learning community, focus on standards, leveraging change) created a structure for success •

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Calendar 2007 - 2008 1ST C

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March 21 Spring Holiday MASA Offices Closed

April 2 Great Start Workshop V & Year 2 Cohort III Sheraton Bloomington Hotel Bloomington

April 2 Fresh Start Workshop I Sheraton Bloomington Hotel Bloomington

April 2 MASA Executive Committee Meeting 9:30 - 11:30 am MASA Board of Directors Meeting 1 - 5:30 pm Sheraton Bloomington Hotel Bloomington

April 2 MASA Past President Dinner Sheraton Bloomington Hotel Bloomington

April 3- 4 MASA & MASE Spring Conference Sheraton Bloomington Hotel Bloomington

April 23 2008 Minnesota Superintendent of the Year Celebration Fridley Schools

May 1 MASA Foundation Board Meeting MASA Offices, St. Paul

May 15 Newsletter Submissions Due

May 27 Spring Holiday MASA Offices Closed

June 12 - 13 MASA Board of Directors Retreat Madden's Resort, Brainerd

June 18 Fresh Start Workshop II MASA Offices, St. Paul

August 13 Fresh Start Workshop III MASA Offices, St. Paul

We Asked Our Members ... Continued From Page 15

We have recognized that each student will acquire • language at a different rate and that our instruction must address the different learning needs of our students. Correct needs assessments are critical to assuring students are placed in appropriate classes. We also provide both teacher and paraprofessional support in mainstream classes for those students who are making progress toward graduation.

Finally, we have worked closely with our families by • providing opportunities for them to come into school to meet staff and other families that share the same language. For example we have active Latino and Asian Student/Parent groups. •

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