MASA New/ Newer Member Update

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

The accompanying audio podcast is 6 minutes long.

ALWAYS BE LOOKING FORWARD

A big part of the work of CEO's is to look to the future. Much of your job is to help your organization to do mid and long term planning and to set up processes so that decisions can be made in a timely manner.

BUDGET/ STAFFING PLANS REQUIRE COMMUNICATIONS

Work out the timeline for budget and staffing decisions backwards from when you need to have all this work completed. Communicate the timeline to staff, board and community. Be mindful to keep lines of communication open. Share projections and issues and listen to constitents inside and outside of the school. Students, staff and community all deserve to know your thinking and the processes to make decisions.

SUMMER RETREATS

In June school administrators should do a post-school year debriefing and plan for a pre-school year retreat in august. Boards should come together in the early summer as well to reflect on their own performance and to discuss the major challenges and objectives for the next year.

2008-09 CALENDARS

You probably have these completed as they are usually done the prece3ding fall. If your's isn't done, get on this project right away.

SUMMER FACILITY AND GROUNDS WORK

In the next month you should tour each building (and the grounds) with head custodians. Encourage them to have a plan ready to launch into school cleaning and repair as soon as school is recessed this spring. Repair work should be designed, budgetted and planned beginning now so that it can be done early in the summer.

OPENING SCHOOL NEXT FALL

You should alreqady be thinking about the opening of school next fall. Begin thinking about high quality pre school inservices and get your principals moving on staffing changes and student registration activities.

ALWAYS BE LOOKING FORWARD

Near term planning is on budgets and staffing. Mid term planning brings you to the summer. Long term planning looks at the next school year.