The Henton Headlines: April 1, 2021

THE HENTON HEADLINES
April 1, 2021
Here’s the scoop for the week…

Repost of MDE resources of support as the trial of Derek Chauvin moves forward, as we grieve the loss of those to mass murder and learn of the violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders:

On Monday, March 29, Dr. Heather Mueller shared the following resources “...as a starting point” in helping to support your students, families, staff, and communities:

• Resources to Help Educators, Adults Respond to Racism, Violence and Trauma and Support Students.
• Resources for Educators during the Trials of the Former Officers Involved in the Death of George Floyd.

Additional resources are available on MDE's Responding to Trauma and Tragedy webpage.

While the resources Dr. Mueller shared were in response to the trial of Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd, they may also be valuable as we remember other recent tragedies and their effects on our entire learning communities. 

As we know, Derek Chauvin’s trial in the death of George Floyd is the first of three. Thus, there will be a protracted period of time when you may need to support your learning communities with the many resources found at the sites above.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me or MASA staff if we might also be of assistance. Your needs are equally important as the needs of your school communities and these are deeply emotional times.

Letter to MDE regarding the next round of federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA):

Late last week Dr. Mueller asked the education organizations for input on how the state might allocate funding from the ARPA to school districts. I sought input from the MASA Board of Directors and with assistance from colleagues at MASBO, AMSD and MSBA drafted a response and sent this letter to MDE on March 30. The aforementioned organizations are also signatories. Let’s hope allocations and guidance are released to school districts very soon. Please feel free to use this information in your advocacy efforts.

Justice Page and President Kashkari to speak at MASA Fall Conference

In order to learn more about the Page Amendment to the state constitution, we have invited Justice Page and President Kashkari to join us in Duluth on September 27, at 1:00 pm. MASA has not yet taken a position on the amendment and wants to ensure members have the opportunity to learn more, directly ask Justice Page and President Kashkari questions, and discuss with colleagues their thoughts on the proposed amendment.

Deadline for letters of interest to be considered for the MASA/MSHSL representatives:

Letters of interest for the two MASA representative openings on the MSHSL Board of Directors are due by the end of the day, Friday, April 16, 2021.  Please address your letters to the MASA Board of Directors and Executive Director.

Leadership Matters: 

Simon Sinek (@simonsinek) Tweeted: Leadership is not an expertise. Leadership is a constant education.