MASA eUpdate

This week's edition of the "Henton Headlines" features a shout out to our 2024 National Blue Ribbon Schools! Read the full post here.

Polaris Leadership Award

sponsored by Ehlers

This award recognizes exemplary school leadership and a lifetime of achievement in education.

Dr. Bruce Jensen, Director of School Administrative Services, Northwest Service Cooperative

Read Dr. Jensen's news release here!

Richard Green Scholar Award

sponsored by Cuningham

This award honors the scholarly work and professional development of Minnesota school leaders.

Dr. Jennifer Reichel, Director of Teaching and Learning, Mahtomedi Public Schools

Read Dr. Reichel's news release here!

We look forward to recognizing and honoring Dr. Jensen and Dr. Reichel next week at our Fall Conference at Madden's in Brainerd!

Tuesday, October 8, 2024 | 9:00 – 10:00am | Zoom Registration!

Presented by:

Alison Gillespie, Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning, White Bear Lake Area Schools

Hallie Fox, Educators Thriving

Tiffany Dittrich, President, White Bear Lake Area Educators

In this session, participants explore how White Bear Lake Area Schools used an educator-generated measure of well-being and continuous improvement process to increase principal capacity and staff culture at priority school sites. District and union leaders have since collaborated to drive system-wide improvements to staff culture, well-being, and experiences. Walk away with new ideas and tangible strategies to lead for well-being at school and system levels. The session will be recorded and posted on the Informational Sessions webpage. CEUs will not be issued.

Online registration for the Dale G. Jensen Classic Golf Tournament closes tomorrow at 10 am! Walk-up registrations will be available on Sunday.

Madden's Pine Beach East Course (12:00 pm Shotgun Start)

Registration and full info here!
Check if you have already registered to golf here!

Full team list will be sent to all golfers tomorrow afternoon!

Click here to view our 2024 sponsors!

25 of your colleagues are attending! Will you join us, too?

First Session is October 1 right after the MASA Fall Conference!

Nine Sessions | October 2024 - May 2025

Full information and registration: www.mnasa.org/communicationsacademy

You are invited to join us virtually on Thursday, November 7 at 10 am for a state of the association, financial report, professional learning update, and legislative outlook. After the MASA Business Meeting adjourns, there will be a brief meeting for the Management Concerned for Public Education (MCPE), MASA's political action committee! Register here!

Are you ready to lead your district into the future? The MASA Advanced Leadership Academy invites superintendents and education leaders to come together to work collaboratively to lead for tomorrow. The theme of the first session, The Future of Education, focuses on adaptability, agility, and visionary planning for the next generation of educational leadership.

What will we do these first two days?

• Embrace change with agility and adaptability
• Engage in scenario planning for future-ready schools
• Dive deeply into future leadership challenges including AI integration, post-pandemic recovery, and more
• Design a visionary 2030 model for your school district
  
• Collaborate with your peers on innovative solutions to the most pressing challenges facing education today

Don’t miss this chance to connect with colleagues, participate in visionary activities, and walk away with actionable insights to lead your district into 2030 and beyond! 19 of your colleagues have already registered - will you join them?

MASA Finance Academy!

Three sessions | November 6 - December 11, 2024 | Quora Education Center
Full information here!

Back by popular demand! In response to feedback from our members and aspiring superintendents, MASA has developed an academy focused on finance topics especially relevant to the superintendency. These three sessions will provide opportunities for reflective leadership and skill development, equipping participants with the tools and strategies needed to succeed in the role of superintendent.

If you are already registered for the Great Start Cohort, there is no need to register for this academy as it is included in the Great Start Cohort experience.

We hope the school year has gotten off to a fabulous start for you and your students! We are excited to welcome you to the MASA Instructional Leaders Networking meetings this year! Facilitated by our Curriculum Component Group representatives to the MASA Board of Directors, Craig Anderson and Vera Weber, we invite you to add the following dates/times to your calendars:

• November 15 - Meeting Link | 1-2 pm | Add to calendar
• January 17 - Meeting Link | 1-2 pm | Add to calendar
• April 25 - Meeting Link | 1-2 pm | Add to calendar

We look forward to meeting together soon and throughout the school year! Please contact Lori Zimmerman with questions.

Tuesday, October 1 | 12:30 - 2:00pm CT | Zoom | Register here!

Join the Paid Leave team from the Minnesota Department of Economic Development (DEED) for this virtual presentation/Q&A session on the initial implementation phase of the Paid Leave Law for Minnesota school employers. Team members will share the top questions and concerns raised by employers as they prepare for the launch of this new employee benefit program. The webinar will focus on the imminent requirements for employers associated with wage reporting including questions from school employers. Registrants are asked to review the PLL's Employer FAQ prior to submitting questions for the team using this spreadsheet.

This session is hosted by the Minnesota Association of School Personnel Administrators, in partnership with the MASA, MASBO, and MSBA. Recording of the session will be shared with all registrants. This webinar is open and free to all Minnesota school administrators.

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.

View the full eUpdate here!

You may have seen a familiar face in the September 2024 issue of School Administrator! Dr. Carlondrea Hines, Superintendent of St. Louis Park Public Schools, was featured in AASA's People Watch! You can read the full issue here.

Episode 8: Operationalizing Organizational Culture

Guest: Christine Tucci Osorio, Superintendent, N. St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale School District

Listen Here | Podcastle Link

Tailored to current and future school leaders, the Rethink Possible podcast delivers relatable and relevant content from superintendents and other education thought partners. Each conversational episode provides solutions to common challenges and opportunities while accommodating the busy lifestyle of today's school leaders. Episodes will be published twice a month!

October is National Retirement Security month, and Horace Mann is hosting educator webinars throughout the month that stress the importance of preparing for retirement income early in an educator’s career. Topics include "Student Loan Solutions" and "Preparing for Retirement Income: Early in your career." Full information can be found here!

On September 25, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released the Anonymized Threat Response Guidance: A Toolkit for K-12 Schools, a new resource to help kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) schools and their law enforcement and community partners create tailored approaches to addressing anonymous threats of violence, including those received on social media. The toolkit outlines steps school leaders can take to assess and respond to anonymous threats, better prepare for and prevent future threats, and work in coordination with law enforcement and other local partners when threats arise. It is co-sealed with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which provided expert feedback on the toolkit’s key principles and strategies. Full information can be found here!

Cybersecurity – A Continuing Challenge
The recently released CoSN 2024 State of EdTech Leadership Report identified Cybersecurity as one of the five “Key Findings” regarding challenges facing school districts today. Since October is designated as national Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we are pleased to share a variety of free CoSN resources to assist school leaders in addressing the challenges around cybersecurity in school district settings.... Read the full story here!

October 28-29, 2024 | Sheraton Minneapolis West Hotel

“Maximizing Impact: Resources, Tools and Techniques for Effective Practice”

Please share with your staff as you see fit. Conference registration and other MSSWA professional learning can be found here: https://msswa.wildapricot.org/events/.

One strategy has been posted each month for the past TWO YEARS! A huge thank you to Dr. Don Lifto for providing these school tax election strategies for our members. In October, MASA will begin re-featuring Don's strategies in our eUpdate at the start of each month!

You can find Don's last and 24th referendum strategy, "Back to the Well Too Often" online at: https://www.mnasa.org/school-tax-elections.

You can find the full information online at: https://events.resultsathand.com/masabp25/2784/registration/1096-Sponsorship-Opportunities!

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!

Facilitated by Dr. Michael Thomas

Seven sessions remaining! | October 2024 - May 2025 | 8 - 9 am via Zoom

Register for all the sessions here | No cost to attend!

MASA members are invited to join us in a series of professional dialogue sessions exploring topics of interest to our currently practicing school administrators. While the topics may be general in nature, the group will specifically address issues of race and culture pertinent to the conversation. Please note that at this time, participation in this series is open to only MASA members. Full session schedule and information can be found at www.mnasa.org/professional-dialogue-sessions.

Facilitated by Dr. Bernadeia Johnson

Eight sessions left! | October 2024 - May 2025 | 8 - 9 am via Zoom
Register for all the sessions here: https://forms.gle/8BWUYsurXL2TouvD7

MASA members and our fellow educational leaders who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) are invited to join the 2024-25 BIPOC Affinity Group. If you have any colleagues who would benefit from this group, please encourage them to attend! Full session schedule and information can be found at www.mnasa.org/bipoc.

Facilitated by Dr. Stacie Stanley, Superintendent, Edina Public Schools

Eight more sessions left! | October 2024 to May 2025 | 8 - 9 am via Zoom

Register for all the sessions here: https://forms.gle/X8F15m45oZ6aBdTQ8

If you know of a colleague who would benefit from attending these sessions, please forward this information to them. All individuals who identify as women are encouraged to attend! CEUs have been requested from the Minnesota Board of School Administrators (BOSA). Participants must attend the sessions synchronously to be eligible for CEUs. Full info at the Women's Leadership Network webpage.

The MASA Foundation is pleased to announce the return of the Foundation Endowment Campaign! All proceeds from the campaign go toward achieving the Foundation’s mission of enhancing the leadership development of educational administrators just like you. Can your fellow MASA members count on your support for 2024-25? Full info at www.mnasa.org/donate.

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!

members@mnasa.org | www.mnasa.org

P.O. Box 427, Medford, MN 55049

(651) 645-6272

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