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Let's invest in Minnesota together. Download articles and
presentations with talking points for use by school leaders. The February 2010 Funding for the Future presentation (talking
points for you to use in presentations) offers the key message that:
The potential of our people, our communities and our state depend
heavily on our willingness to invest responsibly in the future. This
message is especially potent as we head into the state legislative
session. In brief: Concepts like “more for less” and “the black hole” of
education funding have tried to excuse our failure to meet our constitutional
obligation to adequately fund schools. While schools have been chided for
failing to “live within their budgets,” the record actually shows that
resources provided to schools have been both inadequate and unpredictable,
making it impossible for school districts to plan with certainty.. This school year alone, suspended payments to
schools are expected to be nearly one-quarter of the total state education aid. If we fail to make education a priority in these
economically uncertain times, we threaten our ability to fully participate in
economic recovery.”
MESPA members invited to comment on Core Standards
The Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI), established to
develop rigorous standards to identify what children
across our nation should know and be able to do, has released its draft
standards for K-12 education for public review and comment. The National Elementary School Principals' Association (NAESP) has
supported this initiative since its inception and now seeks principals' feedback as they prepare to submit comments on the draft K-12 Common Standards.
In the opinion of P. Fred Storti, MESPA Executive Director, "If we are to be competitive in the world economy, we need to get the USA on the same page with common core academic standards... Opponents would say we would lose local control. States and LEAs will
still have the opportunity to augment these core standards. If we
don't come together as a country around high quality common standards
we will lose international competitiveness!" The standards are open for public comment until Friday, April 2. To review the standards and post comments on the NAESP Principals' Office blog, visit the MESPA Press Room.
Growing Our Own: Emerging Leaders Conference, March 25
- Are you considering a career change to a different practice in educational administration?
- Do you know someone who would be an excellent leader who might just make the commitment given a bit of encouragement?
- Are you looking for an opportunity to explore leadership practice and recommit your career to excellent leadership?
Attend this conference and reflect on leadership practice, learn what it takes to lead
well, and consider the implications of shifting gears to a different
type of practice, whether you are thinking about licensure as a
principal, superintendent, special education director, or other central
office administrator. This practical one-day conference is for motivated and talented emerging education leaders, and current leaders seeking new directions: education students, teachers, principals, curriculum leaders, and special education leaders (supervisors, coordinators).
Mission Possible: Enrich Your World and Beyond
Join
over 5,000 of your colleagues at the National Association of Elementary
School Principals' 89th annual convention: Houston, TX, April 8-11,
2010. This is the largest professional development experience created
exclusively for elementary and middle level educators. Keynote speakers
include author Christopher Gardner (The Pursuit of Happyness), actress Marlee Matlin, and international education activist/author Greg Mortenson (Three Cups of Tea).
MESPA member Andrew J. Collins (principal, Dayton's Bluff Achievement Plus Elementary, St. Paul) has been honored as a National Turnaround Principal and selected to take part in a panel on Transformational Leadership Across America. Click above for details on convention registration and the MESPA travel package.
Dr. Steven Geis, Elected MESPA NAESP State Rep.
The ballots have been counted. Dr.
Steven Geis, principal of North Trail Elementary School in the Farmington Area
Public School district, was elected to serve as MESPA NAESP State
Representative. He will be the voice of Minnesota’s elementary and middle level
principals to the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP),
with a three-year term from July 1, 2010 through June 30,
2013.
“I will take the awesome responsibility
of being the MESPA NAESP State Representative extremely seriously,” said Geis,
“and work as a servant leader to better our state and national organization
which ultimately would benefit all of our students.” Geis follows in the footsteps of
Jean Clark, principal of Mississippi Heights Elementary in Sauk Rapids-Rice,
who served two terms as MESPA NAESP State Representative, the maximum allowed
by MESPA Bylaws. The other candidate for the
position was Mark French. French is the principal at Rice Lake Elementary,
Osseo Public Schools. For complete details, visit the MESPA Press Room.
The MESPA All-Stars
MESPA members selected 12 of their peers to receive the 2010 MESPA Division Leadership Achievement Award. This is an annual recognition through which you honor an all-star in your division for exemplary leadership and noteworthy contributions to the operation of effective school learning programs. The 2010 recipients are:
Jan Anderson, Northern Division
Patrick Bryan, St. Paul Division
Joyce Dammer, Southeast Division
Mark French, North Suburban Division
Dr. Steven Geis, South Suburban Division
Mary Hanson, Southwest Division
Kraig Konietzko, Northeast Division
Joan Maland, West Suburban Division
Julie Nielsen, East Suburban Division
Louis Rutten, Western Division
Joe Thimm, Central Division
C. Bennice Young, Minneapolis Division
To learn more about these exceptional principals, visit MESPA Honors
NAESP 2010 Candidates for President-Elect
Members of the National Association of Elementary School Principals will be receiving ballots on April 13 for the election of president-elect. The two candidates are: Robert (Rob) L. Monson, Parkston Elementary School, Parkston
South Dakota; and Joseph Edward (Eddie) Pollard, Jr., Tyrone Elementary School, Tyrone, Georgia. To read statements from the two candidates and view professional resumes, visit the MESPA Press Room.
MESPA Colleague to Colleague: Join our statewide principal blog and check out the newest conversations on Battle of the Books and Principal Evaluation Processes. You
can read and track your colleagues' ideas, or add to the conversations.
Click on the link above to join the flow -- quick and on-line!
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| MN Bullying Prevention Initiative & Bookstore | NAESP Prevention Notes—provided by the Hazelden Foundation
Bullying is a serious issue in most American schools. National surveys tell us that 1 in 3 American students report being involved in bullying on a regular basis (either they are being bullied or are bullying others). That doesn’t include all the students who witness bullying and are affected by it as well. School administrators can play a crucial role in addressing this issue and making school a safer place for all students. That is why the Minnesota Elementary School Principals' Association is partnering with the Hazelden Foundation and the National Association of Elementary School Principals to launch the Minnesota Bullying Prevention Initiative. For more information, contact MESPA at: 651-999-7310 or visit the MESPA MN Bullying Prevention Initiative. Hazelden will have a booth and will be hosting two sessions on bullying (April 11) at the NAESP annual convention in Houston. Come join us!
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| Legislative Updates |
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| Blog your way to CEUs! | MN Education Administrator Book Blog: Jan. 4 - April 30.
The discussion of "Building Strong School Cultures" -- led by Mary Hanson (MESPA
Ed Ad Committee chair) has begun! Join in whenever you can. Post six blog responses and you will receive 3 administrator CEUs. To learn more, visit the Book Read section.
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| Science/Math Principal | 2010 Elementary and Middle Level Science and Math Principal of the Year: Susan Powell, Garlough Environmental Magnet School. Click on her photo for full details!
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| MESPA Honors Excellence! | 2009-2010 MESPA Minnesota Schools of Excellence:
Clover Ridge Elementary
Gideon Pond Elementary
Lino Lakes Elementary
Little Canada Elementary
Middle River Elementary &
Greenbush-Middle River
Middle School
Click on the MN SOE logo!
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| Celebrate National Reading Month before March 31 | Reading Intervention series for only $250 per school...for life!
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| Dream Out Loud Challenge | MN K-6 graders submit a creative work of art on how they will change the world after
college for a chance to win $2,500 cash toward college. The winner’s school
also receives $1,000.
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| Education Blogs | Leader Talk: group blog by school leaders for school leaders: PreK-12 administrators. Inservice: ASCD community blog—a place for educators to gather
and share ideas. Principals' Office: NAESP blog connecting elementary principals with
their colleagues. Dangerously Irrelevant: Ruminations on technology, leadership, and the future of our schools.
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| MESPA Newsclips |
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| MESPA Business Partners |
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| Can't find something on the MESPA Web? | Use Search (left column).We also have a Search engine on our Members Only Web -- search there for information available only to MESPA members.
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