NAESP Convention
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Start planning for NAESP's 2013 Convention in Baltimore, MD -- moved to July to take advantage of summer break! It's a destination voted by travelers as one of America's favorite cities. Join elementary and middle-level principals from across the country and learn how to transform your school into a high-performing learning community. You'll take away best practices and turnaround strategies to achieve and sustain success in your school.
NAESP Convention in Seattle, WA
Best Practices for Better Schools
March 22-24, 2012

Thousands of your colleagues from Minnesota and across the country attended the National Association of Elementary School Principals' 90th annual convention and exposition in Seattle.

  • For registration materials and a complete convention program of speakers, workshops, and exhibits, visit NAESP's Web site (click above).

  • Zone 7 Connections!

    Minnesota principals joined our Zone 7 colleagues for an annual breakfast and a new evening reception.
    Who is in Zone 7?  Alaska, Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming. We found out what is happening in Zone 7, networked with colleagues, and met new friends.  

  • Earn CEUs! The Minnesota Elementary School Principals' Association coordinates continuing education units (CEUs) for MESPA members who attend the convention. They are mailed out after the convention.

BOOKS recommended at the convention

Teaching with Poverty in Mind: by Eric Jensen

Enriching the Brain: How to Maximize Every Learner's Potential: by Eric Jensen

The Death and Life of the Great American School System: by Diane Ravitch

The Fourth Way: The Inspiring Future for Educational Change: by Andy Hargreaves and Dennis Shirley

Professional Capital: transforming teaching in every school: by Andy Hargreaves and Michael Fullan

Activate: a Leaders Guide to People, Practices, and Processes: by Douglas Reeves

Standards, Assessment, & Accountability: Real Questions from Educators with Real Answers: by Douglas Reeves

Catching Up or Leading the Way: American Education in the Age of Globalization: by Yong Zhas

Lighting Their Fires: Raising Extraordinary Children in a Mixed-up, Muddled-up, Shook-up World, by Rafe Esquith

Visible Learning by Teachers: by John Hattie



Image Gallery: Minnesota Reception
Thursday evening, March 22, at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel
fresh fish from Jack's Fish House on Pike Place l-r: Eldon Anderson (Stewartville), MESPA NAESP State Representative Dr. Steven Geis, Eldon's wife l-r: Joe Wacker (Minnetonka), MESPA Executive Director P. Fred Storti, Darren Schuler (Delano) See all 9 images.


Image Gallery: Leaders

Friday, March 23, breakout session, "Principal Evaluation Roundtable Discussion": moderated by MESPA past president Jon Millerhagen (center) Douglas Reeves, special guest at "Principal Evaluation Roundtable Discussion, moderated by Jon Millerhagen l-r: NAESP Zone 7 Director Kenny Jones, NAESP President Rob Monson, NAESP President-Elect Mark Terry, MESPA NAESP State Representative Steven Geis, MESPA President Kris Stueve See all 6 images.


Image Gallery: Zone 7 Breakfast and Booth
Who is in Zone 7? Alaska, Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming.
Minnesotan's in the Zone 7 Booth: (l-r) Dave Giesen (New Prague), Steven Geis (Farmington -- Zone 7 Director candidate in large photo), Curt Carpenter (Minnetonka) Minnesotan's in the Zone 7 Booth: (l-r) Curt Carpenter (Minnetonka), Dave Giesen (New Prague), Steven Geis (Farmington -- Zone 7 Director candidate in large photo), Tim Bell (Prior Lake-Savage), and P. Fred Storti (MESPA Executive Director) Minnesotan's in the Zone 7 Booth: far left, Karen Coblentz (St. Peter) See all 7 images.


Image Gallery: Fun

l-r: Steven Geis (Farmington), Karen Coblentz (St. Peter), Jon Millerhagen (Bloomington), P. Fred Storti (MESPA Executive Director), Kris Stueve (MESPA President, Cambridge-Isanti), Becky Gerdes (Rochester), Olivia Gault (MESPA Director Communications and Professional Development) Proud peacock Minneapolis principals: (l-r) Frank Catchings Jr., Lillie Pang, Beth Martin, Deb Regnier, Anne Wade, Cheryl Martin, Joe Rossow, Jan Perrish, Ron Wagner, Jenifer Hedberg, Al Pitt, and Joan Franks See all 4 images.


Image Gallery: Zone 7 Reception
Held at the Blue Acre Clam. Who is in Zone 7? Alaska, Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming.
l-r: Lillie Pang (Minneapolis) and Jean Weis-Clough (Avon) Dave Giesen (New Prague), Candy Bell, Karen Coblentz (St. Peter), Tim Bell (Prior Lake-Savage), Brad Gregor (New Prague) l-r: Dr. Fatima Lawson (St. Paul) and MESPA President Kris Stueve (Cambridge-Isanti) See all 9 images.





For 2012 convention photos, scroll down.
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Opening keynote by Diane Ravitch!
Diane Ravitch is an historian of education at New York University. Her best-selling book, The Death and Life of the Great American School System, has made her one of the nation’s most sought after speakers on current issues. Ravitch  addressed the current state of American education and the many efforts underway to change it -- read a summary of her gripping, call-to-action keynote by Olivia Gault, MESPA Director of Communications.


Convention articles, blogs, twitter


Speaker Links
For copies of speaker presentations:

Andy Hargreaves

Yong Zhao

Douglas Reeves


Closing keynote by Rafe Esquith
Celebrated fifth-grade teacher Rafe Esquith shared his school’s story in the closing keynote address, “Lighting Their Fire.”

For the past two decades, Esquith has taught at a public school in a Central Los Angeles neighborhood plagued by guns, gangs, and violence. His exceptional classroom at Hobart Elementary—known simply as Room 56—is unlike any other in the country.

Esquith’s students are mostly immigrants or children of immigrants, living in poverty, and learning English as a second language. Yet, under his tutelage, they voluntarily come to class at 6:30 a.m. and often stay until 5 p.m. They learn math, reading, and science. But they also play Vivaldi, perform Shakespeare, often score in the top 1 percent on standardized tests, and go on to attend the best universities.


Five Plenary Sessions
Attend five plenary sessions that represent education’s most forward-looking, innovative thinking and deliver the best professional development value for elementary and middle-level principals anywhere.

Douglas Reeves
Andrew Hargreaves
Richard and Rebecca DuFour
Eric Jensen
Yong Zhao


Special 2-Hour Sessions
Justin Baeder
Michael Chirichello
Marcus Conyers &  Donna Wilson
Charlotte Danielson
Malachi Pancoast
Rick Stiggins

Read
all about them!




Mission: The Minnesota Elementary School Principals' Association is dedicated to promoting and improving education for children and youth, strengthening the role as educational leader for elementary and middle level principals, and collaborating with partners in education to assist in achieving these goals.

Leading schools toward excellence through the MESPA vision to be the premiere resource for preparing today's principals for tomorrow and a strong leading voice for public education.

Minnesota Elementary School Principals' Association
1667 North Snelling Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108
651.999.7310     MN toll free 800.642.6807    
Fax: 651.999.7311     E-mail: mespa@mespa.net