A report to the members of the Minnesota Association of School Administrators (MASA) by Charlie Kyte, Executive Director.
This audio pod cast is about 9 minutes long.
FLOODING ONLY SLOWS THEM A BIT IN SOUTHEASTERN MINNESOTA
I called most of the Superintendents in SE Minnesota last week to see if they needed help as a result of the flooding in that area of the state. What I heard was a 'can do' attitude. Most said their schools got wet, but the maintenance crews went to work and got them mostly dried out.
The biggest problem is washed out roads where the rushing water washed out culverts and small bridges in the valleys.
Superintendent Kim Ross of Houston reported that he lived 2 miles outside of Houston, but that the trip to school by passable roads was 52 miles. I asked how he got to work? He said that he put on his boots and rode most of the way in on his 4 wheeler. When it finally got stuck, a farmer pulled him through with a tractor. He was at his desk fielding questions and directing the cleanup work when I reached him by phone.
MASA FALL CONFERENCE IN DULUTH
You should have received a mailed copy of the MASA Fall Conference Registration within the last couple of days. You can also access it from the MASA Web site (www.mnasa.org). This conference is shaping up to be very strong with opportunities for professional growth and networking throughout.
Plan to come up early on Sunday, September 30 and play golf in the MASA Foundation Golf Tournament. The annual banquet is on Sunday evening and the conference continues thru Tuesday noon. Be there, or be square!!!
ENCOURAGE PARENTS TO HAVE THEIR CHILDREN WALK TO SCHOOL (WITHIN REASON OF COURSE)
In my hometown we are all ready to watch the 'parade of the mini-vans' as dozens of well meaning parents drive their children to school. They want to be good parents and to keep their kids safe. What they don't realize is they are contributing to the obesity epidemic in our children. The exercise gained by walking too and from school is an important factor in keeping children's weight gains in check.
Too do your part, look into the 'Safe Routes to School' Program that may allow you to access some funding for this purpose. Look over the routes that children walk to school and make sure they are safe. Then provide well thought out messages that encourage more walking to and from school.
Finally.... take care of yourself. Park your own car at the far end of the parking lot rather than in that designated spot near the school entry. The walk will do you good!
ALLIANCE SUMMIT SCHEDULED FOR FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21
If you want to learn about what’s next for Minnesota schools, join your colleagues at the Alliance for Student Achievement’s Minnesota Education Summit on Friday, Sept. 21. Teachers, administrators, business officials, board members, parents, policy makers and others will head to the Minneapolis Convention Center for a day of information and inspiration.
The Summit features the following:
Futurist Arthur Hawkins on education and social changes driven by technology and international competition
Author David Walsh on why the word “NO” is critical to student success
Researchers Christopher and Sarah Lubienski on comparing the performance of public and private schools
Assessment expert Dirk Mattson on Minnesota’s progress with accountability and testing
And more – there are sessions on the components of good kindergarten-readiness programs, what’s happening with No Child Left Behind, education funding reform in Minnesota, education policy issues, and preparing students for post-secondary academic success
This program and a full lunch is only $75. Discounts are available for multiple registrations, and parents can access scholarships. For details and registration, go to the Alliance web site at www.allianceforstudentachievement.org.
NEW PRECINCT CAUCUS DATE IN MARCH, 2008
The precinct caucus date has been changed to March 4, 2008. Under the law, schools were prohibited from holding evening activities on the old precinct caucus date. However the law wasn't changed, only the date of the caucus'. Thus a school could hold events on March 4 this coming year. While legally permissible, most of you would see that holding events is however treacherous.
Interestingly, a number of schools have March 4th slated as a Parent-Teacher Conference evening in 2008. It isn't easy to change this type of an activity as it would throw off your whole calendar. If you have conferences scheduled for March 4, you will want to have a discussion with your teachers union leadership and school board soon to decide what to do. If you do decide to hold conferences on that evening, expect that a teacher or two may want to leave early to attend their caucus. You would need to do a really good job of communicating if you leave conferences on this evening and also give people an alternative time if they have a conflict.
NEW LEGISLATION WAS PASSED TO PROVIDE DATA PROTECTION FOR VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE
This legislation was passed by the Minnesota Legislature this past session. It provides for the Secretary of States Office to serve as a 'safe haven' mail address for persons who have been the victims of violence. This often involves children and the statute basically keeps the real address of a person or family a secret so the persons seeking to hurt them can not find them.
It is a good idea, but once again makes our jobs at the schools a bit more difficult. Over time the state expects about 1500 families to enroll in this program, but the numbers this first year will only be a small fraction of that number.
The challenge is that you could have children enrolling in your school for which you and your staff will not know the home address. This calls into question of attendance areas, busing, emergency notifications, etc. I met with the representatives in the Secretary of States Office to help them think through the ramifications of this Statute for schools. They are taking our comments into consideration as they write the rules for this program. If you happen to have a family in this circumstance and need to know how to proceed, you could contact Beth Fraser in the Sec of State Office at 651-201-1334.
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