MASA eUpdate

This week's edition of the "Henton Headlines" features an invitation to a public webinar on Minnesota's Dual Enrollment Survey results, hosted by the Minnesota P-20 Education Partnership, and a reminder about the free digital mapping opportunity for school district facilities funded during the 2024 legislative session. Read the full post here!

MASA has named Dr. Kristin Dehmer, Assistant Superintendent of Business and Administrative Services for Moorhead Area Public Schools, recipient of the 2025 Richard Green Scholar Award. Dr. Dehmer will present her research, “The Relationship Between Mentorship, Career Pathways and Success in the Superintendency: A Comparative Study of Men and Women Educational Leaders in Minnesota,” at the 2025 MASA Fall Conference, September 28–30, at the DECC in Duluth, MN. Read the full story here!

Tuesday, October 7, 2025 from 10 - 11 am (CDT) via Zoom | Full info & registration!

Looking for free, ready-to-implement resources to support your teacher pipeline? Join this virtual breakout session to discover how TeachMN can become your recruitment partner—connecting non-licensed staff, community members, and students to the support they need to become licensed Minnesota teachers.

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

Thank you to Dr. Michael Thomas, Superintendent of Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools, for hosting this series again. 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!

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. Read full details and how to RSVP here!

What you’ll experience on the tour:

• Academy-style learning
• Career and technical education (CTE) in action
• Community-driven design and construction

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!

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.

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.

Dr. Putnam and her leadership team also created a Full House back to school video - check it out here! 😎

View the full eUpdate here!

Webinar | October 2, 2025 at 1 pm ET | Registration | Full info

Technology Can’t Undo What We Fail to Detect | Case Study: 2025 Park Avenue Mass Shooting

On a quiet evening in July 2025, an attacker armed with an AR-15 entered the lobby of 345 Park Avenue in Manhattan. Within seconds, four lives were lost. This tragedy raises a critical question: how do we detect firearms and notify law enforcement before a shot is fired?

ZeroEyes is a Key Level Business Partner

and a refreshment sponsor at the MASA Fall Conference.

If you are running a school funding ballot measure this fall, we want to share a resource that may be helpful in your communications with your community...

You might remember that MASA, in partnership with Captivate Media + Consulting, created a school funding video designed to explain the complexities of school funding in Minnesota in a clear and engaging way. This video is available to you at no cost, and we encourage you to use it in your outreach efforts leading up to election day. Access the video and additional resources on our website: https://www.mnasa.org/schoolfunding

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.

To help district leaders navigate the shift to AI, CoSN created the AI District Leadership Summits. These events offer a unique opportunity for leadership teams to build a practical roadmap for AI integration. At the summit, district leadership teams will work together to develop... Read the full post here!

New:

• MESPA: Empowering Excellence Workshop Series for experienced principals (years 6-35) | Pass along the info!

• Homerun Leadership Workshop: You’re Invited to attend our 1 day Homerun Leadership Workshop! Seats are limited — reserve yours here: https://bit.ly/4nymFBK | Homerun Leadership is a Friend Level Business Partner of MASA.

• Math Scores on the Decline: Does this Equation have a Solution? Read more! | Littera Education is a Friend Level Business Partner of MASA.

• Crisis Communications Training: Eckberg Lammers is offering a crisis communications training in January called Crisis Communication in Action: Strategies, Tactics & Best Practices. Full details and registration!

• MDE Read Act Updates - September 2025 | Read it here.

• Constitution Day. A letter from Under Secretary Nicholas Kent reminds all educational institutions receiving federal funding to provide an educational program on the U.S. Constitution around September 17. Read it here.

• AASA Upcoming Events: September 15, 2025 | Read it here.

• AI School Leadership Minute: Send Personal Emails to Every Teacher (Fast). Read it here.
  

Ongoing:

• 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!

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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