MASA eUpdate

This week's edition of the "Henton Headlines" features a free digital mapping opportunity for school districts, a moving MASA response to the Annunciation Church tragedy, a thoughtful superintendent salary letter shared with KSTP, and an update on the House DFL's new caucus leader. Read the full post here!

On September 10, 2025, two tragic acts of violence occurred: the fatal shooting of political commentator Charlie Kirk in Utah and a shooting at Evergreen High School in Colorado that left at least two students critically injured. We know that school leaders may be fielding questions and concerns from their communities in the aftermath of these events. To support your communication efforts, the Donovan Group has prepared the following message templates.

Wednesday, September 17, 2025
1-2 p.m. Central

Hosted via Zoom | Registration and full info!

Join author Elena Aguilar for an opportunity to gather in community to find grounding, reflect on, and process what it means to lead in urgent times. Please feel free to invite members of your district leadership team to attend this webinar.

In continued support of Minnesota leaders, Elena Aguilar and the Bright Morning team are extending complimentary seats to MASA members for The Art of Coaching Teams workshop in Minneapolis, MN, on September 18–19, 2025. 👉 Claim Your Complimentary Seat Here

First Session! Tuesday, September 23 from 8:00 – 9:00am via Zoom

MASA Members are invited to join Dr. Michael Thomas, Superintendent of Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools, in a series of eight professional dialogue sessions exploring topics of interest to our currently practicing school administrators. Please note that at this time, participation in this series is open to only MASA members!

Register for all the 2025-26 sessions here!

Note: When you register for Session 1, MASA will automatically register you for all the sessions!

We are excited to announce the dates for the 2025-26 MASA Women's Leadership Network! Thank you to Dr. Stacie Stanley, Superintendent of Saint Paul Public Schools, for facilitating our sessions again this year. The 2025-26 dates are open to all female leaders! If you know of a colleague who would benefit from attending these sessions, please forward this information to them.

Register for the 2025-26 sessions here!

Note: When you register for Session 1, MASA will automatically register you for all the sessions!

Tuesday, September 30th | Following the MASA Fall Conference

Join colleagues from across Minnesota for an exclusive tour of Rock Ridge High School, a 7th – 12th grade academy-style school designed to connect students with real-world opportunities that is inspiring tremendous community pride. Tour led by Rock Ridge School District, partnered with Cuningham and Kraus-Anderson.

What you’ll experience on the tour:

• Academy-style learning designed around career pathways
• Career and technical education (CTE) in action, including project-based, hands-on learning
• Flexible learning settings that adapt to student and staff needs
• Community-driven design and construction, including a CTE student mentoring program during the build (This isn’t something they’ll experience per se, but they’ll hear about it. Reword or reword and move down to “why take this tour”)
• And more!

Read full details and how to RSVP here!

If you’re an MASA member who is new to your current role this year (not necessarily new to your district) and you don’t yet have a mentor, please reach out to Dr. Lori Zimmerman so we can add you to the mentor list. Email Dr. Zimmerman here!

Tuesday, September 16, 2025 from 9 - 10 am Central via Zoom. Registration and Full Info Here!

This session shows participants how to meet Minnesota’s new violence-prevention training requirement in a single class period using the 11-minute Gun Sanity film paired with a state-listed evidence-based mini-lesson, specifically Sandy Hook Say Something.

Show your MASA pride with our exclusive apparel collection! Explore the full collection today here!

September 28–30, 2025 | Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC)

Register today!

A special thank you to our conference sponsors!

Conference Lanyards Sponsor | Nexus Solutions

Awards Luncheon Sponsors | Proserva

Refreshment and Dessert Station Sponsors

InGensa, Inc | Kennedy & Graven | ZeroEyes Inc.

Join us on Sunday, September 28, 2025, at Nemadji Golf Course in Superior, WI, for the Dale G. Jensen Classic Golf Tournament in support of the MASA Foundation.

Space is limited—reserve your spot now here!

Business Partners: Interested in Sponsoring a Tee Box?

Sponsor a tee box at one of our four available levels and get your name in front of Minnesota’s top educational leaders. Select your sponsorship option in your tournament registration.

Are you reaching a milestone year as an Administrator and/or Superintendent?

Members who have completed 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, or 45 years of administrative service and five years as MASA members may receive service recognition. To be included in the awards listing, please respond by Monday, September 15. Click here to complete the form!

The Communications Academy 2.0 is a cohort-based experience for superintendents and district leaders to strengthen their communication skills and increase their leadership impact. This opportunity is intended for MASA members who participated in last year's Donovan Group Communications Academy. Please complete this form to express your interest in participating in a second year. The deadline to complete this form is September 12th by 4:00 PM CDT.

MASA will be featuring our valued business partners in our weekly association eUpdate to all MASA members. We will select a business partner each week to feature in the weekly eUpdate. Thank you for your continued partnership with MASA! Submit your business information here: https://forms.gle/q9kjUFV3Dv7aQp7F7.

We’re excited to launch our new Member Spotlight series, highlighting the voices, experiences, and stories of MASA leaders across Minnesota.

View the full eUpdate here!

School leaders today face skepticism, misinformation, and divided communities—all while managing funding, enrollment, and safety. Clear, effective communication builds trust and inspires action. Captivate Media + Consulting helps schools shine through strategic video production and storytelling campaigns. Learn how they can support you this year!

Captivate Media + Consulting is a Leader Level Business Partner.

This recorded webinar featured exclusive insights from the Covenant School case study. View the recording here: https://youtu.be/SOiglgh1YQk.

ZeroEyes is a Friend Level Business Partner

and a refreshment sponsor at the MASA Fall Conference.

School year starting = lots of new information coming in = lots to communicate to the board. Here's how to draft a clear board memo fast - Step 1: Open ChatGPT and use this prompt: “Act as a school superintendent who writes incredibly clear... Read the full post here!

Gruvy Education is a Leader Level Business Partner with MASA.

New:

• FREE Digital Mapping of Your School District Facilities. During the 2024 legislative session, $7 million was allocated to a facilities digital mapping project that is free of charge to your school district. Read more about the initiative here.

• PELSB: Teacher Supply and Demand District Survey. PELSB is required to survey districts on the supply and demand of teachers in Minnesota, in accordance with Minnesota Statutes 122A.091 subdivision 5. The collected data is compiled in the biennial PELSB Supply and Demand Report. Full info and survey here.

• 2026-27 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) | View the letter and communications toolkit here!

Ongoing:

• MDE Announces New Tools to Support Schools in Helping Families Access Services and Resources | Read it here.

• Are you attending? Check out the 2026 MSBA Leadership Conference Events! Full info

• MESPA: Thirteen schools named a 2025-2026 Minnesota School of Excellence | View the schools

• Culturally Validating Pedagogy & Leadership Webinar Series | Full info

• Update on Pathway to 18. Read the full update here.

• School Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Plan Training. MDH is offering school IAQ plan trainings in fall 2025, in-person statewide and a webinar. See MDH School IAQ Plan Training for details.

• Clean Air School Change (ALA program). For additional school IAQ support, sign your school up for the American Lung Association’s Clean Air School Challenge. This nationwide program is available to any K-12 school.

September is Life Insurance Awareness Month

It's time to get back to basics. Life insurance is an affordable way to provide financial stability for your loved ones if something happens to you. Our long-time corporate sponsor, Horace Mann, has life insurance policies designed with educators in mind, including special rates exclusively for those who work in education. Click the following link or call: 855-393-7508 today for your free life insurance quote. Get a quote.

Horace Mann is a Fellow Level Business Partner with MASA.

Dr. Don Lifto is providing MASA members with 24 referendum strategies under the banner of “School Tax Elections: Winning Strategies in 250 Words.” One strategy will be posted to the MASA website each month. You can find Don's latest referendum strategy, "Predicting Turnout: Science or Art?" online at: https://www.mnasa.org/school-tax-strategies.

Post unlimited job vacancies, for all levels of positions! The MASA Jobsite Online is well managed with daily attention to detail and customer service. The cost of an annual subscription is less than just a few advertisements placed in the major and local newspapers. Also, the Department of Education recognizes the MASA Jobsite as a valid advertisement when a school district is seeking a variance for a teacher in a specific subject. We currently have 118 districts using the Jobsite and they have posted nearly 2,000 jobs!

Don't have a subscription yet? Join today: https://jobsitemnasa.org/.

Need procurement solutions? Please consider checking out our Minnesota School District Purchasing Sites! We have partnered with Sourcewell and Cooperative Purchasing Connection to create two purchasing sites for MASA members! Check them out here!

members@mnasa.org | www.mnasa.org

P.O. Box 427, Medford, MN 55049

(651) 645-6272

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