Voice of MN Education

MASA... "On the Road" w/ Charlie... TY for focus on Learning

This is a message to the members of the Minnesota Association of School Administrators (MASA) from Charlie Kyte, Executive Director.

The audio podcast and the video above are each about 8 minutes long.  When starting the video give it about 45 seconds to load.  These are also on the MASA website (www.mnasa.org) by clicking on MASA BLOG in the right hand column.  Consider passing these messages on to school board members, Principals and lead teaching staff.

THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO FOCUS ON STUDENT LEARNING AND INSTRUCTION:

Even though there are worries about the deteriorating financial situation for schools in Minnesota, many of our members are concentrating on how to better deliver instruction and interventions for their students.  We are proud of this continuing focus to improve our schools.

EXECUTIVE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MET THIS WEEK:

We have had a steady stream of MASA members in the office over the past few weeks as we have been working on the MASA legislative platforms and other matters.  Yesterday the Executive Development Committee met to help lay out our future plans to deliver top quality professional development to our members.

NEXT ELECTION IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE OF RE-DISTRICTING:

Many legislators are hoping for a short legislative session as their nominating conventions are scheduled in the spring.  They want to get on with campaigning if they plan to run for office once again.

Next years elections will be important for many reasons, not the least is that re-districting will occur in the following year.  The majorities have a lot to say about how the newly configured congressional and state legislative districts are set.  They then remain in place for 10 years until the next census is completed.

SPECIAL EDUCATION ACTIONS:

Restraint and Seclusion letter to congress:

Minnesota passed a state statute on restraint and seclusion of special education students that will go into effect with the next school year.  This was done collaboratively with involvement of both special education directors and special education advocates.  Now the federal government is considering a national law or rule that could include all students and all staff.  

MASA and MASE have submitted a letter to our congressional delegation and to the education chairs in congress asking that either the federal government not adopt such a law or that they exempt states with state statutes already in place.  You will be able to see the letter on the MASA and MASE websites within a day or two.

Amicus brief on behalf of the position of the Centennial School District:

About a year ago the Centennial District decided to not provide a special education para for an event not sponsored by the school (it was sponsored by a PTA group), outside of the school day and beyond the scope of the federal guidelines for IDEA. The parent appealed to MDE who ruled in favor of the parent. The District challenged the ruling in Court and the finding was in favor of the District.  The MDE has now appealed to the MN Supreme Court.  MASA is cooperating with MSBA and MASE in submitting an amicus brief supporting the School Districts position.

If the Supreme Court upholds the MDE position, districts would become responsible to provide special education services to any event, sponsored by any organization associated with the schools.  The result then may well be that schools could no longer afford to associate with groups such as PTA's, scouts, youth sports, etc.

INVEST MN PROVIDES YOU WITH INFORMATION TO USE LOCALLY:

See the MASA website for information that will help you communicate locally about why citizens should be supportive of public education.  INVEST MN is a cooperative effort of MASA, MASSP and MESPA.

MASA FOUNDATION.... PLEDGES AND GRANTS:

You will be receiving information from the MASA Foundation in the next few days.  We hope all of you will make a small pledge to support the Foundation.  Also, included with the letter will be a grant application form.  If you have a professional development need that can't be met in your district perhaps the MASA Foundation will be able to help you.

SUPERINTENDENT OF THE YEAR PROGRAM SPONSORED BY NEWMAN LTCi ADVOCATES:

Congratulations again to Patty Phillips, 2009-10 Minnesota Superintendent of the Year.  This program in Minnesota is sponsored by our friends at Newman Long Term Care.  If one of our regions would like to learn more about the significant changes in LTCi, contact MASA and we can arrange to have one of the Newman Advocates come out to meet with your group.

NECROLOGY FOR NATIONAL FIGURES:  

Ted Sizer who wrote Horace's Compromise and other books stressing the need to personalize High Schools passed away.  Also Gerald Bracey died suddenly at age 69.  Gerald was the person who regularly debunked many of the data myths that America's schools were failing.

MASA... "On the Road" w/ Charlie: Pension system in trouble

This is a report to the members of the Minnesota Association of School Administrators (MASA) from Charlie Kyte, Executive Director.

  

The video and audio podcast above are each 6-8 minutes long.  Just click on the appropriate area.  For the video give it about 45 seconds to load.

MASA LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES SWING INTO ACTION:

MASA is preparing for the 2010 legislative session.  The Legislative Policy Sub-Committee met last week.  The Legislative Finance Sub-Committee met yesterday.  They are both creating platform positions that will hopefully improve the climate for education in our schools and minimize the financial stress all districts are experiencing.  The Legislative Pension & Contract Sub-Committee is meeting on Thursday, October 29th.

RACE TO THE TOP STATEWIDE GRANTS:

The MDE is holding meetings around the state on the interest of educators on pursuing a statewide federal Race to the Top Grant. If Minnesota would successfully receive such a grant, 1/2 the money would be used at the state level primarily to enrich the data collection system.  1/2 the money would go to the districts via the Title I formula over 3 years.

In return, the state would have extra-ordinary powers to intervene in the 5% lowest performing schools in the state.

NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EDUCATION:

AASA hosts the National Conference on Education in Phoenix on February 11-14, 2010.

BRAIN RESEARCH AND SMART CLASSROOMS:

Quite a few districts are utilizing the combination of physical activity with academic learning as a way to enhance student learning.  This technique, used primarily for pre-school and primary students, is showing some very promising results.  The cost is minimal although some training of staff is required.

TRA PENSION SYSTEM:

We are facing a serious problem because of the investment losses of all pension systems.  To resolve the issue, it will most likely require additional contributions by employers, by active employees and possibly the State of Minnesota.  In addition, retirees may need to contribute by not having any increases in their inflationary increases in their pensions for several years.

MASA..."On the Road" w/Charlie: Egypt & China

This is a message to the members of the Minnesota Association of School Administrators (MASA) from Charlie Kyte, Executive Director.

  

There is an 11 minute audio podcast that you can access here or on the MASA Website (www.mnasa.org) by clicking on MASA BLOG in the right hand panel.

CHINA TRIP IN DECEMBER:

The chinese government is subsidizing a trip to china for school administrators that have a chinese language program in their schools.

The trip is Dec 2-10 and costs $450 plus airfare to the domestic departure city (probably LAX).  Information about the trip is posted on the MASA website (www.mnasa.org).

LETTER TO MEMBERS ABOUT SPONSORS AND ALSO A BIT ABOUT P-CARD REBATES:

We will send all members a letter later this week identifying all the business sponsors and partners of MASA.  Many of these businesses spopnsor the activities of MASA as we serve our members.

We sent our P-Card Rebate checks to about 60 Districts amounting to a total of just over $250,000.

COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES ON THE HORIZON:

Legislative Policy...... Oct 20

Legislative Finance...Oct 26

Legislative Pensions.Oct 29

Region Mtg in Mankato........Oct 27

Region Mtg in Worthington..Oct 28

MASE Conference.....Oct 22-24

Curriculum Conf.......Nov 17-19

MONEY AS IT RELATES TO EDUCATION:

State revenues again came up short of projections.  Today, there is a joint hearing of the House and Senate to look at possible areas of additional spending reductions for the rest of this biennium.  Federal Stimulus money is being spent in all government sectors.  We see little financial relief for schools in the next legislative session (however we will try hard to access some funding).

INTERESTED IN  OUTSOURCING?:

The primary objective of outsourcing traditionally has been cost reduction, but it needs to be done wisely with consideration of many issues.

 Here are some guidelines I found in the recent School Administrator Magazine:

** Properly define your problem.

** make sure there are enough qualified bidders.

** Conduct a thorough cost analysis

** Write an RFP and solicit proposals.

** Closely review proposed contract language.

** Make sure you have a realistic escape clause.

** Examine hidden, overhead and indirect costs.

** Closely evaluate caps on services.

** Analyze the social costs to your community.

** Check the experience of other customers.

EGYPT--- OUR RECENT TRIP:

 On October 1 Dianne and I flew to Cairo, Egypt via New York.  We joined a group of 14 other travelers for a vacation exploring Egypt.

After collecting ourselves in Cairo, we flew the next day to the city of Hurghata on the Red Sea.  This city is much like Cancun in Mexico.  We enjoyed 2 days and then set out to see the real Egypt.

We traveled overland from the Red Sea to Luxor on the Nile River.  We were required to have an army escort, as do all american and Israeli groups traveling in rural Egypt.  Thus we were led, and followed, by an army pickup and had an armed guard on the bus.  The emptyness of the desert compared to the dense populations near the Nile River was profound.

At Luxor we toured the ancient temples of Karnak, Esna, Edfu and Luxor.  We also visited the Vallleys of the Kings and of the Queens and entered several of the tombs. 

We boarded a riverboat and spent the next four days slowly cruising down the Nile with several trips to see more temples.  This was a highlight of the trip. We fianlly arrived in Aswan, then flew to Abu Siembel just north of the Sudanese border to see the large temples that were moved beyond the reach of the waters of Lake Nasser that rose behind the high dam at Aswan.

After a couple of days in Aswan we flew back to Cairo.  We stayed near Giza, visited the Great Pyramid of Cheops and the Sphinx.  Di and I even rode on camels for awhile.

We traveled by bus to the ancient capitol of Memphis and also to Saqquara.  We saw the Colussus of Rames II, more ruins and temples.

One afternoon we spent several hours at the 112 year old Egypt National Museum where all the artifacts from King Tuts tomb are on display.  We had an Egyptologist, Amr Hassan as a guide and he was very knowlegeable.  He shared much of Egypt's history with us and also shared much about its daily life and politics.

On October 12 we finally headed for home.... An 11 hour flight to New York, a 5 hour layover and a final 3 hours to Minneapolis.

A few Egypt facts:

Only 12% of Egypts land is liveable.

Cairo has a population of 18 million people, equivalent to the population of MN, Wisc, Iowa, N & S Dakota & Wyoming.

Upper Egypt is in the south (upstream on the Nile).

40% of Egypt's people live on less than $2 a day.

All young men have mandatory military service.  The Egyptians list their enemies as Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas.  They are at peace with Israel based on the 1967 Camp David Peace Agreement brokered by US President Jimmy Carter.

The largest source of foreign currency are the tolls from the Suez Canal, second is tourism.  With the avoidance of the Red Sea for shipping because of the pirates and the recession reducing tourism, Egypt is a pretty bad place financially.

Egyptians love Obama!

MASA... "On the Road" w/Charlie: Off to Egypt

This is a message to the members of the Minnesota Association of School Administrators (MASA) from Charlie Kyte, Executive Director.

 

Click on the video or audio podcast above for a 8 minute message.  Give the video about 15 seconds to load.

REFLECTIONS ON THE MASA FALL CONFERENCE:

The banquet on Sunday evening was very moving.  The words of president Gary Amoroso were lifting and the recognition of Greg Vandal as the Polaris Award winner and Jay Haugen as the 2009 MASA Scholar were outstanding.

On tuesday we heard from Karen Seashore Louis who talked about building positive school cultures and the role of leaders in that endeavor.  She was excellent.

PRE-RETIREE WORKSHOP ON DECEMBER 9:

If you are thinking retirement in 2010 or 2011, plan to come to the pre-retiree workshop on December 9.  Letters of invitation will come out soon to every active member over 55 years of age.

We will have presentations on re-careering, financial planning, family relationships and you will hear from several successful retirees.

P-CARD PROGRAM REBATES WILL EXCEED $250,000 THIS YEAR:

The annual year for the MN P-Card Program ended on August 31.  The P-Card Program creates efficiencies in your business offices, brings a better level of security and also produces a financial rebate for many of the users.  This year about 100 Districts participated and 60 are receiving rebates.

The rebates this year total just over $250,000 and range in size from several hundred dollars to $40,000.  If you want to participate in the P-Card Program, send us an e-mail and we will help you to set it up.

NEGOTIATIONS:

Negotiations are proceeding even though there is little money to squeeze out of the Districts.  In many cases employees are being reasonable in their requests.  But in a few cases, some groups apparently haven't heard that there is a recession.

Remember that at some point the negotiations will conclude and you all have to live together afterwards.  Thus while tough on the issue, be gentle in your words and minimize damage to the relationships.  Charlie's quote which he partially copied from others "The sour taste of poor relationships lasts much longer than the sweetness of financial victory".  This goes for both parties.

FLU AND CONTAINING THE MEDIA:

The incidence of flu is up al across the state.  The good news is that most children are recovering fairly quickly and are coming back to school.  We have been working with MDE, MSBA and the Mn Dep't of Health al along.  The latest challenge is that the media want all of the schools reports on absences.  We, on the other hand, want to minimize disruptions.  The MDH will post the data by county after the fact.  Superintendents received an e-mail from MDE in this regard on Monday.

The MDE and MDH are working very positively with school leaders.  Please keep sending in absence reports if your flu numbers hit the designated thresholds.

CHARLIE AND DIANNE WILL BE IN EGYPT FOR 12 DAYS:

All during my career as a school administrator and as a teacher it was impossible to be gone on an extended vacation during the school year.  For the last several years, Dianne and I have been taking a vacation right after the MASA Fall Conference.  This year Dianne decided that we would go to Egypt.  My goal is to see Dianne ride a camel.  She said she would right after I swam in the Nile River.  I thought it was a good bet until I realized the Nile is full of crocodiles.  There may be a message in here somewhere!  I think we'll cancel the deal.

If you have an issue or concern call the MASA office at 651-645-6272.  The staff is equipped to deal with whatever comes up and can get you to the correct people for help.

MASA... "On the Road" w/ Charlie: Good School Opening

A message to the members of the Minnesota Association of School Administrators (MASA) from Charlie Kyte, Executive Director.

The audio podcast above is 10 minutes long.  Click once or twice on the audio bar above.  There is no video this week.

OPENING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR:

Reports from across the state indicate a pretty successful beginning to the school year.  We heard of few major transportation or school start-up problems.  Several Districts had the excitement of moving students into brand new buildings.

MASA FALL CONFERENCE:

If you are not yet registered, just call us at 651-645-6272 and we will expedite the registration process.  We have an excellent conference with opportunities for professional growth as well as networking.

H1N1 'FLU SUMMIT' REPORT:

Charlie attended the H1N1 Flu Summit on Monday.  It was well presented.... here is some of what we heard:

Peek in 6-8 weeks:  Cases are already multiplying in the SE part of the country since school began about 2 weeks earlier than here.  The prediction for Minnesota is that the peek will be in 6-8 weeks. Thus the end of October through November could be our toughest period.

Get your flu shots:  Seasonal flu shots are now available.  Get them now!  The H1N1 shots should become available early in October and we are going to want to get the most vulnerable folks inoculated first.  Different from the past these populations are young people up to age 24, pregnant women and those suffering from asthma.

Drop doctors notes for sports:  Clinics are going to have a hard time keeping up.  They will not have time to deal with producing notes to allow athletes to return to teams.  Watch for a MSHSL briefing on this and be prepared to just waive the requirement to have notes from doctors.

Possible event re-scheduling:  Don't be surprised to see games postponed in late October because too many of the athletes are sick.  Athletic Directors will have their work cut out for them.

Minnesota response.... stay calm and prepare well.  Especially attend to 

communities of color:  Minnesotans have a reputation for staying calm in a storm and yet being well prepared.  Since the H1N1 flu originated in Mexico and Central America, our latino populations are more concerned than many others.  It is very important that Districts make an extra effort to assure and communicate with these populations.

Listen to the MN Dep't of Health.... best messages:  Districts are being swamped with advice from the federal to the local government levels.  Much is fairly consistent, but there are differences.  Our advice is to listen primarily to the Mn Department of Health.  They are the best in the country and will have the most consistent messages.

Winston Churchill Quote:  "Plans are useless.  But planning is invaluable."

MASA'S STAND ON THE PRESIDENTS OPENING DAY SPEECH TO STUDENTS:

The President had a great message for our students.  But his staff put every Superintendent in America in a 'no win' position.  MASA, as well as many of our members, got roundly criticized from the left and the right as we tried to navigate through this tempest which hit us with little warning on the 1st day of school.  Thank goodness the news cycle is only about 72 hours long!

NCLB RE-AUTHORIZATION:  We have a new Senate Education Committee Chair.... Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa.  Te word we are hearing from congressional officials is that it will be hard to get the re-authorization of ESEA-NCLB done this coming spring.  If it drags out we get into election season and then we roll into 2011.  One of the problems is there is no middle ground consensus about what to do to modify the present law.

MASA..."On the Road" w/Charlie: The electronic media

This is a message to the members of the Minnesota Association of School Administrators (MASA) from Charlie Kyte, Executive Director.

There is both a video and an audio podcast above.  Each is about 6 minutes long.  Click on the video (give it 15 seconds to load) or on the audio bar.  These can also be viewed on the MASA website (www.mnasa.org) by clicking on MASA BLOG in the right hand panel.

THE WAY PEOPLE GET NEWS IS CHANGING AND YOU NEED TO CHANGE YOUR COMMUNICATIONS AS WELL:

The traditional media outlets are dying and new forms are replacing them.  To stay current schools need to analyze and begin using these emerging technologies.  As people read newspapers lee and listen less to the 10:00 News on TV, they are turning to the internet to get their information.  Is your schools communications where they are looking?

A good example is the attempt by President Obama to communicate via e-mail, YouTube, Twitter and by traditional means to all educators and students in america on September 8th.  I will be sending out a separate advisory on options to handle this broadcast, scheduled for your first day of school, on Thursday. 

H1N1 FLU:  MINIMIZE PANIC AND MAXIMIZE PREVENTATIVE ACTIONS:

The biggest challenge may well be a panicking population.  Be sure to keep abreast of the latest guidance coming from the MN Dep't of Health and the MDE.  Be prepared to also face the possibililty of some families wanting to simply keep their children home and some staff refusing to come to work.

CHECK YOUR SCHOOLS SPAM FILTERS SO CRITICAL MESSAGES CAN GET THROUGH:

We are getting some bounce backs of messages both from the SchoolReach Alert system used by us and the MDE and also of some of our MASA messages.  Please check with your tech people to be sure the MASA e-mails can get through.  They all end in @mnasa.org.  The names at the beginning of the address are 'jamie, members, ckyte, mrlaw, and quinn'.

Q-COMP FOR RURAL DISTRICTS:

In the past it has been easier for mid-size to larger Districts to put together a Q-Comp plan.  In the last legislative session the law was changed to permit a group of rural districts to put together a single plan. The law charged the MDE with developing a template to do this.

In discussions with MDE staff, they indicated that if we knew of groups of districts interested, they would work with MASA to facilitate a meeting with MDE.  Thus if you are a rural district and have an interest in putting a partnership together, let Charlie know (ckyte@mnasa.org) and he will help to facilitate a meeting of the interested rural superintendents with MDE officials.  The interested Districts could be contiguous to each other, but that is not a requirement.

TWO NEW SETS OF MASA WORKSHOPS:

Check these out!

Guthrie Presentation Skill Workshop on October 15:

The Gutherie Theater offers workshops to corporate CEO's on refining their presentation and communication skills.  MASA, in cooperation with the Guthrie, is offering a similar workshop to school leaders.  It will be held on October 15, the 1st day of the Ed MN fall conference/ holiday.  If you are interested go to the MASA website (www.mnasa.org) for more information and to register.  Registration is limited.

Pre-Retiree Workshops:

Watch for an announcement soon.  MASA will offer a one day workshop to members 6 months to 18 months from retirement later this fall.  We will also offer a second workshop in the spring for members considering retiring in 2-4 years.

MN COACHES ASSOCIATION ENDORSES STUDENT ACCIDENT INSURANCE PLAN:

The MSHSL provides catastrophic accident insurance for all students participating in MSHSL activities.  Some school districts also make some type of accident policy available to individual families as well.  We just learned that the MN Coaches Association has endorsed an AFLAC Student Accident Policy.  If your AD mentions this to you, you may want to allow distribution of this accident policy to families.

MASA..."On the Road" w/Charlie: Summer winds down!

This is a report to the members of the Minnesota Association of School Administrators (MASA) from Charlie Kyte, Executive Director

 

You can click on either the video or audio podcast above for a 6-7 minute message.  Please allow about 15 seconds for the video to load.  This message can also be viewed on the MASA website (www.mnasa.org) by clicking on MASA BLOG in the right hand panel.

SUMMER WINDS DOWN:

 

Yikes!  It really is coming to an end.  Pretty soon we will all be wearing dress up clothes every day as staff and students return to school.  I suspect my dress shirts spent all summer in the closet slightly shrinking their collars just for my benefit.

 

MDE SUMMER SUPERINTENDENT’S CONFERENCE:

 

We heard positive reviews about the Summer Superintendent’s MDE Conference last week.  Most of the sessions were well presented and superintendents also enjoyed the networking that happens at events such as this.  About 270 Superintendents attended.   MASA is pleased to have been able to provide the background logistical organization for this conference.

 

MDE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO MINIMIZE STRESS ON DISTRICTS FOR COMPUTER BASED FIELD TESTS THIS FALL:

 

Dirk Matson is the MDE Director of Testing and Assessment.  He has met with me, Joann Knuth of MASSP and Fred Storti of MESPA in an attempt to minimize the impact on the next round of ‘field testing’ that needs to be done for the development of more computer based MCA testing.  He has listened to our suggestions.

 

Basically, the state legislature changed the testing statute to do away with constructive receipt questions and use the money saved to develop computer based tests.  The MDE needs to field test grades 4-9 this fall with a math test.

 

The plan is to spread the field testing out to about 160 Districts and to ask that only one grade be tested in each District with a test that lasts less than one hour.  The test window will be between mid-November and mid-December.  A few larger Districts will need to provide some additional test takers.

 

Dirk would prefer not to have to ask the Districts to do the tests as he knows how much time is already dedicated to testing.  He is trying to minimize the impact so we hope those of you selected will try to cooperate to the extent possible.

 

H1N1—MORE THINGS TO CONSIDER:

 

Even if the H1N1 Flu doesn’t become anymore dangerous, it will surely effect the operation of our schools this fall.  The inevitable media blitz will have parents close to panic.  Many of you have revised policies and procedures over the summer and are already reaching out to county health authorities to cooperate in any mass vaccination process.

 

One additional thing to begin thinking about is finding staff replacements if significant numbers of staff become ill.  Not only will you need people, but you will also see budgets strained even more as you pay for substitute workers.  You may want to think through which of your staff is absolutely critical to replace and where you can let an absence go unfilled.

 

LONG TERM CARE INSURANCE AND A NEW MINNESOTA STATUTE:

 

Minnesota law now allows a person purchasing Long Term Care Insurance to also protect a portion of their estate in the case of the need to be in a nursing home long term.  MASA is recommending Lynn Devitt, Pam Krejce and Mark Landis, who are LTC specialists associated with Newman LTC. They are skilled at helping people understand the new Minnesota State Partnership and provide LTC Insurance that avoids many of the loopholes of the past that limited protections.

 

In partnership with MASA, they will be able to provide favorable pricing for MASA members.  You will soon receive a letter from MASA explaining this option for our members.

MASA..."On the Road" w/Charlie: Messages for Fall

This is a report to the members of the Minnesota Association of School Administrators (MASA) from Charlie Kyte, Executive Director.

There is a video and an audio podcast above, each about 5-6 minutes in length.  Allow about 15 seconds for the video to download. You can also access them on the MASA website (www.mnasa.org) by clicking on MASA BLOG in the right hand panel.

MESSAGES TO YOUR PARENTS AND COMMUNITIES IN PREPARATION FOR FALL:

August is a time to communicate with parents of children of various ages as well as with those in your communities that don't have children in school.  No matter if you do this by newspaper column, on the radio, by Blogs or other means, here are a few ideas of appropriate messages.  All should be wrapped in a message of high expectations and caring for the children of your community:

** Parents w/young children... alter sleep patterns at the end of August so children are on a school-like time schedule.

** Parents w/MS children... hold a family meeting to set down the expectations for studying, household responsibilities and behaviors.

** Parents w/HS students... begin discussing post-secondary options and plans.

** Empty nesters and senior citizens... while money is tight, the schools are being frugal and still doing their best to educate the children of the community.  Thank them for past and current support.

H1N1 ALTERNATIVE CHILD CARE PLANNING:

When children become sick with the Flu this fall and winter, it is likely that the MN Dep't of Health is going to require them to stay home for about 7 days.  If this happens, parents are going to need to have plans in place for alternative child care.  You may want to give parents a 'heads up' to begin developing an alternative plan if this becomes necessary in their families.

MASA FOUNDATION SUPPORTS MEMBERS:

The MASA Foundation is supported by the annual contributions of over 100 members plus the proceeds from the fall conference golf tournament and the spring conference silent auction.  The Foundation has incubated the Great Start and the Fresh Start Workshops for new and mid-career members and are now preparing to develop a workshop for pre-retirees.

The Foundation will soon announce a grant opportunity to fund scholarships for members.  Watch for the announcement.

MASA FALL CONFERENCE IN DULUTH:

The MASA Fall COnference will be held from Sunday afternoon thru noon on Tuesday, September 27-29 in Duluth.  We have a very strong program in an interesting setting with great opportunities for networking.  The registration materials will come out on August 12.

TIME TO RENEW SUPERINTENDENTS CONTRACTS:

If you are a superintendent, you are on a 3 year contract.  These contracts can only be renewed in their last year so if your contract expires on June 30, 2010, you are now in that window of time.  It is important to get this process moving now.... don't delay because of other current negotiations or just plain avoidance behavior.

MASA..."On the Road" w/Charlie: Gen-X Parents

This is a message to the members of the Minnesota Association of School Administrators (MASA) from Charlie Kyte, Executive Director.

There are both an audio podcast and a video above.  Each is about 7 minutes long.  You can click directly on them or go to the MASA website (www.mnasa.org) and click on MASA BLOG in the right hand panel.  Please allow about 15 seconds for the video to load.

GEARING UP FOR THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR:

It’s already mid-summer and time to begin shifting into a higher gear!  Administrative Retreats and pre-school workshops are just around the corner.  In addition, connecting with parents in early August by various means will help insure that their children are not only ready for school, but that they know you are connecting with them.

H1N1 FLU……. BE PREPARED:

It wasn’t so deadly last spring, but caused plenty of disruption.  It will be back this fall and hopefully will not have mutated into a more serious strain.  But be prepared: 

1)   Have a good phone communication system in place to contact parents.  MASA uses the SchoolReach system.

2)   Put a policy in place.  MASA placed several Districts policies on the MASA website (www.mnasa.org) as samples to work from.

3)   Be prepared to cooperate with county health agencies in the event they need to use your school sites for vaccinations.

SALARY FREEZE SAMPLE LANGUAGE:

We posted samples of various freeze languages on the MASA website.  These were provided via the MSBA Management Newsletter.

CONNECT WITH GEN-X PARENTS:

The present generation of parents are quite protective of their children, grew up when the value of the public schools was being questioned and are much more ready to look at alternative choices for schooling.  To keep them a part of your system, reach them on issues of importance and connect via technology.

Many of this generation of parents are concerned with the environment…. You should be as well.  MASA just went “UPonGREEN”, a simple system to assess your attention to environmental issues by reaching at least 9 of 14 achievable ‘green’ goals.  Communicating your sensitivity to the needs of our environment and asking households to go “UPonGREEN” as well is a natural connection.

Also, use technology.  Our most sophisticated school districts are communicating regularly by video and audio podcasts to parents.  They are also asking every teacher to reinforce learning via the internet.  As an example teachers can do voice recordings of lessons they present on Smartboards and download to iTunes.  Students can hear the lessons reinforced right on their iPods by there own teachers.  This is a tremendous connection to parents as their children receive reinforcement on complex subject matter.

NEXT 2 WEEKS….. GREAT START AND THE LAKES COUNTRY & SW/WC RETREAT:

The Great Start workshop is for all new MASA members with an emphasis on survival skills for new Superintendents.  The workshop is in St. Paul this Thursday and Friday morning.  If you are new and would still like to attend, call Jeanna Quinn (651-645-6272) at MASA.  There is no registration fee.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF EDUCATION OFFICE PROFESSIONALS:

I had the opportunity to provide the opening session welcome to the NAEOP Conference that is now underway in Bloomington>  About 400 superintendent's administrative assistants are in attendance.... you know.... the people who really run the schools!

FEDERAL STIMULUS MONEY ISSUES:

If you are having problems accessing your federal stimulus money please let us know.  We are monitoring for major problems.  Also if the system is working well, let me know is well.

CALL WITH QUESTIONS:

As you prepare for the new school year, don’t hesitate to call for advice and help as needed.  Charlie’s numbers are 651-645-6272(O), 651-247-6505© and 507-645-7838(H).

MASA..."On the Road" w/Charlie: Concentrate on Student Achievement

The video above is about 9 minutes long.  Just click on it to have it play.

CONCENTRATE ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT:

The school financial picture is bleak and there is little any of us can do about it.  Thus dwelling on it doesn’t help and only saps your energy.  Do what is necessary, but then refocus on what is really important------ the success of your students and student achievement. 

We all know there is still plenty of work to be done to have as many students proficient as possible.  We know the challenges of this work and recognize that it will take all of us working hard to continue to make advances.

For students to be successful, a school must have a rigorous and well-articulated CORE curriculum, delivered expertly.  But even then, only a portion of students will be successful.  Great faculties will be meeting regularly to assess which students aren’t being successful and then applying interventions to help as many as possible.

Districts combining a strong CORE with frequent INTERVENTION STRATEGIES and a continual OUTREACH TO PARENTS will be successful in raising achievement no matter where your students are to start with.

So don’t dwell on the money woes.  Instead get your faculties concentrating on student success.

MASA INITIATIVE ON FUTURE RESTRUCTURING:

I think most of us can see the handwriting on the wall that there needs to be some restructuring of our K-12 education delivery model.  MASA is assembling a group of members to look at ways in which the governance, leadership, education delivery and back-office operation models might be changed to meet the needs of students. 

The group will be chaired by Superintendent Tamara Uselman of Perham-Dent and will look at changes that encompass both rural and suburban Districts.  As the conversation progresses, we will look for the appropriate times to involve state elected leaders as necessary. 

MDE DECISION ON FLEXIBLE LEARNING YEAR STIFFLES INNOVATION:

The Superintendents in SW Minnesota developed a Flexible Learning year schedule that would coordinate the Districts calendars, professional development days and class times.  It would also coordinate with the MN Technical College Systems calendar to better deliver on line college courses and vocational-technical programs in a shared fashion.

Unfortunately, the MDE denied their application after stretching the process out as long as possible.  I think this was a huge mistake by MDE and sends a signal that they are not willing to support innovation when it comes from the Districts themselves.  The reasoning, it seemed to me, had more to do with not ruffling political feathers than about making an improvement in the delivery of education. 

One MDE official indicated that they still wanted to work with these districts to encourage innovation.  But I think the reality is that the spirit of innovation with approvals needed from the state level died with this decision.  So much for our Governor complaining that schools won’t innovate and them covering for political flak rather than encouraging the districts to keep pushing the envelope.

I call this “opportunity lost!”

GOVERNOR’S RACE:

MASA is assembling a small team of interested members to meet with each of the major Governor candidates for a conversation about K-12 education.  MASA will not endorse, but will provide members feedback on each of the candidate’s positions.  If you are interested in participating in this effort, e-mail Charlie at ckyte@mnasa.org.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Great Start Workshop for new Superintendents……..… July 23-24

MDE Summer Superintendents Workshop……………… August 12

MSBA Summer Seminar………………………….………. August 13-14

MASA Fall Conference (Duluth)…………………………. September 27-29

MASA..."On the Road" w/Charlie: Kyte won't run!

The video above is about 6 minutes long and can be accessed either by clicking on the vide or going to the MASA website (www.mnasa.org) and clicking on MASA BLOG in the right hand panel..

 ‘TONGUE IN CHEEK’……. KYTE WILL NOT RUN FOR GOVERNOR:

 It seems as though everyone around the Capitol except Roger Aronson and I have announced they are running for governor.  I wanted to finally beat Roger, who represents the Principals associations and MSHSL, to the punch.  So I am declaring that I will not run for governor.  This now leaves only Roger who hasn’t declared…. Is there a chance he is planning to put his hat in the ring?

 UNALLOTMENT AND FEDERAL STIMULUS $’s:

 The school districts of Minnesota will be lending the State $1.8 Billion over the next 2 years without any clear indication about how, or if, it will be paid back.  Many of you will be doing ‘cash flow’ borrowing to cover the shortfall.  But it is hard to complain too much when we see the real cuts out friends in Higher Education as well as City and County businesses are going to take.

 We saw a report recently about how the federal stimulus money going to states is going to be used. 22 states are using the money to cover cuts in their own funding for K-12 education.  Minnesota is 7^th from the top of the list with a 5% cut being covered.  California leads with a 12% cut being covered with federal stimulus money.

 On the other end of the spectrum are the Dakota’s with 12-15% new money being pumped into their systems.  We will see a big problem in 2 years when the federal money drops to the wayside and Minnesota schools will see a big hole needing to be filled.  It doesn’t look very good at this point.

 MASA RETREAT EMPHASIZES CORE VALUES AND NEW INITIATIVES:

 MASA will continue to be a strong VOICE for public education and an ADVOCATE for the value of the public education system.  We will also continue to be a strong supporter of our MEMBERS.

 In addition look for new initiatives in the areas of promoting environmental awareness and education system innovation.  MASA will also evaluate the positions of each governor candidate and share these positions with members in a fair and non-partisan way.

 MSHSL HELPING TO CHECK RISING COSTS:

 Thanks to the hard work of Dave Stead, Executive Director of the MSHSL, the League recently took several controversial steps to help schools to control the costs of sports and activity programs.  These changes don’t come easily and we acknowledge the good work of MASA member Dave Stead in this regard.

MASA ... "On the Road" with Charlie Kyte - REALLY!

The 9 minute video below is of Charlie describing his latest and upcoming trips around the state.

REGIONAL MEETINGS:

Charlie loves to meet with MASA members all over the state.  This week begins several weeks of putting the miles as he visits with our members.  He will be leaving for Baudette, MN today for the Region 8 Retreat.  From there he will be taking a few days off to do some fishing in Minaki, Canada.  Next week Charlie will be in Chisholm for the Region 7 meeting.  At the end of next week he will be attending the MASA Board Retreat here in St. Paul.  All current and new board members of MASA will be attending.  Following the Board Retreat, Charlie will be participating in the annual Klobuchar Bike Ride.  When he returns from the bike ride, Charlie will be attending the Region 5 meeting in Staples.  Then at the end of July, Charlie will be joining Regions 3 & 4 for their combined retreat at Thumper Pond in Western MN.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT:

The first of the three items is ... MN History Center presents MN's Greatest Generation - The Depression, The War & The Boom.  Charlie was able to tour the new exhibit at the MN History Center.  He found it to be very educational and a great experience for groups, families and school field trips.  Some highlights of the exhibit include: a 1930's Movie Theater, a 1940's soda fountain, and a C47 Fighter Plane.  One item of note is a family bible of Charlie's that his family donated.  This bible was carried by his father as he fought in WWII.  Thanks Charlie for a wonderful donation to a piece of MN's history!

The second item of interest is the 2009 MN Schools of Character & Promising Practices Award Ceremony.  This event was held on May 21st at the MN State Capitol Rotunda.  The 2009 MN Schools of Character were The Blake School and Schumann Elementary in Long Lake.  The 2009 Emerging MN Schools of Character were Waseca High School and SAGE Academy Charter School.  And the final group of honorees was the 2009 Promising Practice Awards.  This honor was bestowed upon the Avalon School in St. Paul, Chatfield Elementary Schools in Belle Plaine, Orono Middle School, The Blake School, Schumann Elementary in Long Lake and Waseca High School.  Congratulations to each one of you!

The third item for you to know of is the very moving and touching memorial service of Kathleen Macy, retired superintendent of the Stillwater Area Schools.  Charlie attending her memorial service on Friday May 22nd.  Charlie was very moved by the kind words of friends and family.  Several MASA members spoke of their former colleague and friend.  They included Carol Erickson, retired; Don Schuld of Stillwater; and Meria Carstarphen, St. Paul.  Kathleen will be dearly missed!

STATE FUNDING & INFORMATION:

MASA is currently waiting to see how Governor Pawlenty will unallot state funds.  We are keeping our fingers crossed that K-12 funds will be spared.

Tom Melcher of the MN Department of Education will be traveling the state to discuss changes for school districts coming out of the legislative session.  He is unable to explain the unallotment and shift.

MASA is working the MN Department of Education to plan the August "Back to School" Workshop for Superintendents.  This day-long workshop will be held on Wednesday, August 12th at the Northland Inn.  Watch your emails and the MASA website for registration information.  Housing is now open.  Please visit our website for that information.

FEDERAL CHANGES - BEYOND THE STIMULUS:

There will be dollars shifted to some new federal programs.  These programs include the Teacher Incentive Fund, School Improvement Fund, Striving Readers, and a High School Initiative.  Since the money is not new money but simply being shifted from other funds, watch for these funds to loose their funding: Safe and Drug Free Schools, Even Start Family Literacy, College Access Challenge Grants, Mentoring, Civic Education, Ready to Teach, Javits Gifted and Talented, National Institute for Literacy, Academies for American History and Civics, Close Up Fellowship, and Foundations for Learning.  Programs that will have their funding slashed include: Education Technology State Grants and the Abstinence Education Program.  More detailed information can be found on the US Department of Education's website.

On the Road with Charlie...Really!

MASA... "At the Capitol" w/Charlie: Last day of Session

The 7 minute video above describes what is in play on this last day and what to expect going forward.

IT IS LIKELY THAT THERE WILL NOT BE A SETTLEMENT:

As of noon today, a settlement still seems out of reach.  Howeveer it is not over until it is over!

ONLY ISSUE FOR K-12 TODAY:  SHIFT OR UNALLOTTMENT:

It is still possible that the Governor and the legislature would put the K-12 Aid and Tax revenue shifts into law.  If so, at least the rules would be clear and there would be a committment to begin reversing the shift when state revenues improve in the future.

If they go the way of un-allotment, the Governor will delay or suspend aid payments to schools.  It is unclear if he has any power to affect property tax revenues, but I don't think he does.  The amount of money schools receive would probably be about the same, but the cash flow may be less predictable and uneven.  The loss of predictability would come from not knowing when the delays would occur.  The unevenness will occur because Districts have differing mixes of local tax revenues and state aids.

NO FIX FOR THE TRA PENSION SYSTEM:

Some of the players held out too long to compromise on the TRA part of the Pension Bill.  Thus as of now it looks like Article 6 (TRA) will be removed from the final Bill.  The fund is moving into dangerous underfunded territory unless there is a near miraculous reversal ( to the positive side) for the stock market.

BE CAREFUL WITH LOCAL COMMENTS.... OTHER UNITS OF GOVERNMENT ARE BEING NEGATIVELY AFFECTED MORE THAN K-12:

Hopitals, Nursing homes, Counties, Cities and Higher Education are all facing significant reductions in their future.  While K-12 Education did not fare well either, our outcome at 0% and 0% with shifts is a better scenario.

Thus be careful in your comments so that you don't unintentionally rub salt in others wounds.

MASA... "At the Capitol" w/ Charlie: 5 days to adjournment

The 9 minute long video above provides a summary of where things stand right now at the Capitol and makes a guesses about the final outcome.  The legislature is scheduled to adjourn it's regular session next Tuesday.