MASA eUpdate

This week's edition of the "Henton Headlines" features a fun follow-up from the MASA/MASE Spring Conference keynote by John Garrett and an update from the AASA Conference highlighting the launch of the Public Education Promise initiative. Read the full post here.

Presented by MDE Early Education Division Specialists

Monday, April 28 | 11:00am – 12:00pm

Zoom | Register Here!

This information session focuses on boosting kindergarten attendance by examining successful district strategies and highlighting the importance of engaging communities with high absenteeism rates. Please share with members of your leadership team!

About Our Presenters
Olivia Christensen, PhD., is the Kindergarten and Early Elementary Specialist in the Early Education Division where she supports kindergarten and early elementary related initiatives across the agency.

Kate Dole is an Early Education Specialist in the Early Education Division at MDE. She supports Early Childhood Special Education, as well as early general education initiatives.​

As part of your MASA membership, we are gathering information on superintendent contracts to support and benefit you. By taking part in this initiative, you’ll have access to valuable salary and benefits data from peers in similar roles, helping you prepare for your own contract negotiations. Please click here to submit your data.

Some frequently asked questions can be found on the MASA website: https://www.mnasa.org/supt-contract-survey.html. Deadline to submit your information is June 6, 2025. Remember, you will obtain this valuable information by contributing your contract details. If you have questions please contact Taylor.Ethen@mnasa.org.

MASA elections are now open for all eligible voting members! The e-ballots were emailed out from dave.christians@mnasa.org on Wednesday, March 26 with the subject "Vote Today! 2025 MASA Elections Now Open." Voting will close at 4 pm on Monday, April 7.

• President-Elect candidates: https://www.mnasa.org/president-elect-candidates.html.
• Board Representative candidates: https://www.mnasa.org/board-candidates.html
• AASA Governing Board candidates: https://www.mnasa.org/aasa-candidates.html

Thank you to all participants, exhibitors, and speakers for making the 2025 MASA/MASE Spring Conference a success! The conference evaluation and CEUs were emailed out from sara.klecker@mnasa.org on Monday, March 24 with the subject "MASA/MASE Spring Conference Survey & CEUs."

A special thank you to our conference sponsors!

Nexus Solutions | Conference Lanyards

InGensa, Inc. | Morning and Dessert Break Refreshment Stations

During the legislative session, MASA will be sending out weekly and special updates to members via email. If you missed an update we will be compiling them on the MASA website here: www.mnasa.org/legislative-updates.

MASA members are invited save the dates for a series of virtual legislative updates from MASA Lobbyist Valerie Dosland during the 2025 Minnesota Legislative Session! We are happy to partner again with the Minnesota Association of School Business Officials (MASBO) for these sessions.

All sessions will be held virtually from 12:30 - 1:30 pm from January to May, 2025!. You can find the dates and zoom access to the webinars online at www.mnasa.org/legislative-webinars.

Business Partner Level: Key Level

Industry: Data insights - Survey research - Impact evaluation
Do you have any success stories to share?

We partnered with Hopkins Public Schools to develop an approach to evaluating Academic Return on Investment that allowed to Hopkins to reduce their program budget by over $250,000 while maintaining their commitment to academic and strategic goals. We conducted needs assessments using community surveys for both White Bear Lake’s Early Childhood Program and their Community Education Program. Other evaluation work includes an outcomes evaluation for Saint Paul Public School’s AVID Program.

MASA Member Contact

Patti Ross

Partner

patti@maccallumross.com | 612-308-4921

https://www.maccallumross.com

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.

Looking to enhance your employee benefits package? The Partners in Education Program makes it easy. With exclusive insurance solutions designed specifically for educators and value-added programs that provide trusted financial wellness, insurance solutions, other educator perks, Partners in Education supports educators inside and outside the classroom.

How the Partners in Education Program makes it easy:

• Turnkey setup – We handle everything from district onboarding to product execution.
• Dedicated Partnership Manager – Your dedicated Horace Mann expert for seamless implementation and educator support.
• Custom marketing & communications – Engaging materials tailored for your district.

With all the trusted insurance and financial products Horace Mann has offered to educators for decades, we can implement the Partners in Education Program anywhere, even without a local agent. School leaders nationwide trust our Partners in Education Program to deliver a flexible, effective solution that supports educators and staff on their terms. Give us a call at 602-733-1768 or reach out here.

Horace Mann is a long-time MASA Business Partner at the Fellow Level.

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, "Leading the Parade" online at: www.mnasa.org/school-tax-elections.

Wednesday, April 16 | 9am - 3:30pm CDT
Minneapolis, MN

Registration and Full Info

Join Minnesota Alliance With Youth and Minneapolis Public Schools at the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) for a day of learning and collaboration. This in-person event will bring together educators, administrators, and community members to discuss strategies for improving school attendance. Don't miss this opportunity to connect with others who are passionate about creating a positive school environment. Register now to secure your spot!

Striving Together with Empathy, Resilience, and Purpose
Thursday, April 24, 2025 | Delta Hotels by Marriott Minneapolis Northeast
Full Info: forms.oce.com/g/WB2FKh1i2x | Event Flyer

Join the MN Department of Human Services for a one-day summit bringing together school leaders, educators, district administrators, and community partners to empower New American students and families. The event will feature:

• National and Local Keynote Speakers – Valentina Gonzalez and Ayan Omar
• Immigration Basics: Educators & Social Workers
• Student and Parent Panel Discussion
• Collaborative Workshops and Best Practices

Minnesota United is once again hosting an “Educator Appreciation Night” at Allianz Field on April 19. All educators are invited to join this game! This night includes the following perks:

• Ticket to our April 19 game against Dallas
• Minnesota United Winter Gloves
• Access to our Post-Game Kick on Goal fan experience, which grants all participants access to the pitch after the match to take a PK on net!

Click here for MNUFC Educator Appreciation Night Tickets. Questions? Contact Molly McGonigle at Molly.McGonigle@MNUFC.com.

Communicating how school funding works in Minnesota is no small task—especially with many districts facing tough budgeting decisions. To help, we’ve partnered with Captivate Media + Consulting to create a free video that clearly explains school funding and why so many districts are experiencing financial challenges. A statewide version of the video is available for any district to use at no cost. Watch the video and request a free download here: https://captivatemedia.us/mnschoolfunding/. Captivate Media + Consulting is a proud MASA Business Partner at the Leader Level.

In this episode Dr. McDowell talks with Dr. Eric Melbye, Supertintendent and Dr. Jenna Michler, Assistant Superintendent for Bloomington Public Schools. They discuss strategic planning and how to operationalize and implement it in school districts. Listen to the episode here!

A Case Study with Peter Olson-Skog, Superintendent, W. St. Paul-Mendota Hgts.-Eagan Area Schools | Watch the Conversation Here | ISD 197 faced persistent staffing shortages in their Before and After School Care programs, leaving many families stuck on waitlists with no clear solution. Superintendent Peter Olson-Skog shares how he reimagined the district’s hiring approach from the ground up.

One of the consistent challenges that education technology leaders face is how to effectively communicate their messaging and information to a wide audience, most of whom do not work in the technology arena on a daily basis. Though “techie talk” can be succinct and to the point, many who are served by their school district technology leaders do not always fully understand the specific concepts and meanings of technology terms. Read the full newsletter here!

Thursday, April 10 1:00PM - 2:30PM CDT

Friday, April 18 12:30PM - 2:00PM CDT
Full information and registration!

The State of Minnesota, through Minnesota Management and Budget, has engaged Deloitte tax to provide targeted assistance for the municipalities (which includes counties, cities, municipalities, tribal governments, higher education universities, and other tax-exempt organizations) with their Clean Energy Tax Credits and 990-T available through the Inflation Reduction Act Direct Pay. This will be paid for by Minnesota Management and Budget.

Deloitee will be hosting a series of kick-off calls with the municipalities within the State of MN to provide an overview of the IRA and give instructions on how you can take advantage of the assistance Deloitte has been hired to provide. Please use the link above to register for one timeslot that works best for you. The same content will be covered in each meeting.

March 20, 2025 - MDE launched a public feedback portal at education.mn.gov for parents, students, teachers, and community members to submit detailed accounts of the ways recent Executive Orders and abrupt federal education cuts are impacting schools and children across our state. The announcement comes as the President signed an Executive Order directing an abrupt dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education, uprooting federal investments and supports for our schools. Read the full news release here!

There is still time to register for the 3rd Annual Minnesota School Safety Conference!

Registration will close on Sunday, March 30th | April 8-9th, 2025

Duluth Entertainment Convention Center

The conference will cover a wide range of topics, including emergency preparedness, crisis response, behavioral threat assessment, and recovery. View all the Minnesota School Safety Center events here!

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/.

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.

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!

View the full eUpdate here!

Facilitated by Dr. Stacie Stanley, Superintendent, Edina Public Schools
April 4 | 8 - 9 am | 8 - 9 am via Zoom
Next sessions is open to MASA members only

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. 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.

Facilitated by Dr. Bernadeia Johnson
Next Session: April 15 | 8 - 9 am via Zoom

Register for all the remaining sessions here: https://forms.gle/8BWUYsurXL2TouvD7

MASA members and our fellow educational leaders are invited to join the 2024-25 Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Leadership 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.

MASA is pleased to introduce our LGBTQ+ leadership group facilitated by Dr. Teri Staloch, Superintendent of Robbinsdale Area Schools and Nik Lightfood, Assistant Superintendent, Hopkins Public Schools. The goal of this group is to provide a confidential, supportive space for LGBTQ+ school administrators to connect, share their unique experiences, and engage in meaningful discussions. The group sessions will not be recorded. We welcome all MASA and non-member central office administrator level staff and higher to participate in these virtual sessions!

Meetings will be held virtually via Zoom on the third Thursday of each month from 11 a.m. to noon, with the exception of the February and March dates. Full information and all meeting dates can be found at www.mnasa.org/lgbtq-leadership-group.

Facilitated by Dr. Michael Thomas
Next Session: April 22 | 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 MASA members only. Full session schedule and information can be found at www.mnasa.org/professional-dialogue-sessions.

members@mnasa.org | www.mnasa.org

P.O. Box 427, Medford, MN 55049

(651) 645-6272

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