MASA eUpdate

This week's edition of "The Henton Headlines" has resources for hiring international staff (shoutout to Superintendent Brenda Lewis) and encouragement to keep reaching out to your elected officials! Read the post here.

We are proud to celebrate our outstanding leaders in education as part of our spring awards ceremonies March 14-15 during the MASA/MASE Spring Conference!

2024 Minnesota Superintendent of the Year & National Superintendent of the Year | News Release

Dr. Joe Gothard, Superintendent, Saint Paul Public Schools

Kay E. Jacobs Memorial Award | News Release

Dr. Ann-Marie Foucault, Superintendent, St. Michael-Albertville School District

Distinguished Service Award | News Release

Dr. Jerry Robicheau, Term Faculty of Education, Concordia University, St. Paul | Retired Superintendent, Inver Grove Heights Community Schools

Outstanding Central Office Leader Award - Greater MN | News Release

Mr. Eric Simmons, Director of Technology Services, Chisago Lakes School District

Outstanding Central Office Leader Award - Metro Area | News Release
Dr. Jenna Mitchler, Assistant Superintendent, Bloomington Public Schools

2024 Regional Administrators of Excellence | News Release

Voting for officers and representatives to the MASA Board of Directors opens the week of March 18. See all the candidates here: https://www.mnasa.org/board-candidates.html

View all the upcoming events here: www.mnasa.org/upcoming-events.

Informational Session: Rethinking Organizational Design in Your District Office

Tuesday, March 19

12 - 1 pm CST | Zoom | Register | Full Info

Presented by Laura Eiden, Vice President, Employee Experience, CESO

Participants will learn how to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the roles that make up their organizational design and make an intentional plan for moving forward. By combining employee feedback, performance evaluation, and creativity, participants will feel equipped to "rethink possible" in their district office.

MASA's BIPOC Affinity Group

Tuesday, March 19

7:30 - 8:30 am CST | Zoom | Register | Full info

Special guest speaker: Dr. Joe Gothard, Superintendent, Saint Paul Public Schools

2024 National Superintendent of the Year & Minnesota Superintendent of the Year

Informational Session: Ready or Not, Here They Come!

Tuesday, April 2 | 1-2 pm Central | Zoom | Register

Presented by:

Cris Young, Deputy Director of Migrant Education Services for Tri-Valley Opportunity Council

Noemi Treviño, Migrant Education Program Specialist, Minnesota Department of Education

Participants will learn the basic framework of the Migrant Education Program along with federal reporting requirements as well as learn about available resources and how best to serve migratory students.

Professional Dialogue Sessions w/ Dr. Michael Thomas

April 2, 2024 | 8 - 9 am | Zoom | Register
"Metrics that Matter"
Join us as we talk about the alignment of efforts within our organizations to ensure every member experiences a sense of belonging and inclusion. Equimetrics is one tool that can show us where we need to focus our work - how do you organize your work so you have the ability to execute and ensure equitable practices are implemented for every student and family across your system? Full information and registration!

MASA members are invited to a series of virtual legislative updates from MASA Lobbyist Valerie Dosland during the 2024 Minnesota Legislative Session! All sessions are hosted via Zoom at 12:30 pm CST! Please change your user name upon entry into the zoom room!

Upcoming Dates

March 15 | Zoom Link | Add to calendar

April 5 | Zoom Link | Add to calendar
April 19 | Zoom Link | Add to calendar
May 3 | Zoom Link | Add to calendar
May 22 | Zoom Link | Add to calendar

Find the rest of the dates here!

Business Partner Level: Leader
Industry: Public Finance

Why do you partner with MASA? Baird is a Global Firm Headquartered in Wisconsin with a Proven Commitment to Public Finance. Baird was founded and based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin over 100 years ago. Baird has grown into a super-regional, employee-owned full-service financial firm with more than 4,500 associates in 200+ offices across three continents. An Employee-owned, independent and privately held corporation, we were formed through the merger of two fixed income bond desks whose early clients include local governments across the State. We operate five core businesses including fixed income capital markets (public finance and sales and trading), equity capital markets, asset management and Baird Funds, Baird Capital and Private Wealth Management. Our client base includes public, private, and non-profit institutions, and individuals. As a financial partner for Minnesota schools, we understand the ongoing challenges that districts face. We leverage our experience to create unique finance and business solutions customized to meet your district’s needs. We provide creative services and cost-effective tools to serve the diverse financial needs of Minnesota school districts. We take a collaborative approach with your administrative team to create personalized financing solutions that improve your bottom line.

MASA Member Contact:

Michael Hoheisel, Managing Director

mhoheisel@rwbaird.com

651-426-8533 | www.rwbaird.com/mnschools

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.

Due to the length of our weekly eUpdates, our email will often get clipped in different email providers. If that is occurs for you, just click or tap into the email to open the eUpdate on your browser. You can also read it here!

Thank you to our Region 9/AMSD members who participated in the recently AMSD/MASA Region 9 Day at the Capitol on March 5! More than 100 AMSD & MASA Region 9 members turned out for this day of advocacy at the capitol. House Education Finance Committee Chair Cheryl Youakim, Senate Education Finance Committee Chair Mary Kunesh, and Reagan Greene, education policy advisor to Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan, spoke to the attendees to kick off the day.

A special thank you to AMSD and Executive Director Scott Croonquist for partnering with our metro region members for this event! Check out the photos and summary of the event from AMSD's March Connections publication here!

The Minnesota Association of School Business Officials (MASBO) has opened nominations for their 2024 award programs:

• The School Business Official of the Year Award recognizes the outstanding practices and new ideas of Minnesota school business professionals—a great way to recognize those who are doing great work!
• The Outstanding Lifetime Contribution Award celebrates the overall contributions of Minnesota school business officials to their districts or organizations, their communities, and the profession; intended for those nearing the end of a successful career.
• The Rising Star Award recognizes the efforts and accomplishments of those just beginning their careers in school business, providing recognition and encouragement to continue if this field.

Please consider nominating a member of your business staff! Complete information can be found on the MASBO website. Nominations close March 29, 2024.

The Minnesota Society of CPA's (MNCPA) is seeking administrators to share how the shortage in certified public accountants (CPA) has impacted their district and voice the crucial need for more CPAs and auditors in our state. MASA members are invited to contribute a blog post highlighting members' challenges due to staff shortages, aiming to raise awareness and prompt action. Learn more at https://www.mncpa.org/CPApathways, and read firsthand accounts like this one. Your support is crucial; please contact Corey Butler, MNCPA Communications Manager with your story!

School districts in the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Midwest region (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, or Wisconsin) are invited to join the Teaching Fractions Toolkit (TFT) partnership. Participating schools and districts will receive free research-based professional development and resources to help sixth-grade teachers improve students’ abilities to understand and solve problems with fractions. The professional development and resources can be integrated into districts’ existing math curricula to help teachers go deeper with their instruction. These resources are based on the recommendations in a What Works Clearinghouse practice guide: Developing Effective Fractions Instruction for Kindergarten Through 8th Grade.

Interested?

Visit the website to learn more about this opportunity. If you are interested, you can reach out directly to Jennifer Anthony at janthony@air.org or fill out this interest form. We will partner with up to 40 schools across the region, so we encourage you to respond now.

One strategy article will be posted to the MASA website each month! You can find Don's latest referendum strategy, "Endorsements Can Matter!" online at: https://www.mnasa.org/school-tax-elections.

MASA is frequently looking for student groups to perform for our conference events. If you have a group you'd recommend we consider, please share it with us: https://forms.gle/gcjb11L9nW4YR36Y9.

Our 2024 legislative priorities have been published. Check out the full document here: www.mnasa.org/legislative-platform.

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!

June 26-27th, 2024 | Bloomington, MN

No fee to attend | Register here!

Join the MN School Safety Center for an exciting two days filled with valuable insights and practical tips to enhance safety in our schools. This in-person event brings together experts, educators, and public safety partners all passionate about creating a secure learning environment. The conference will cover a wide range of topics, including emergency preparedness, crisis response, behavioral threat assessment, and recovery. Engage in interactive sessions led by renowned speakers who will share their expertise and best practices.

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 2023-24? 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!

Email: members@mnasa.org
Website: www.mnasa.org
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 427, Medford, MN 55049
Phone: (651) 645-6272
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