Jean Clark, MESPA NAESP State Representative

When I stepped into my first principalship 18 years ago, I was fortunate to have a supportive superintendent and a group of strong colleagues. It wasn’t long after the school year started when two of my elementary colleagues invited me to my first Central Division principals’ meeting. 

I still remember that meeting. I gazed around the room, filled with about 45 principals most of whom were men, and wondered what this association called MESPA was all about and if it could help me. I had so many questions about my new role as principal and I felt so alone. Maybe MESPA was what I was looking for!

It didn’t take long before I was introduced to the other principals, began attending the meetings, and became very involved in the Central Division and later MESPA and NAESP. In addition to my six years as your NAESP state representative, I have served as representative to the Minnesota School of Excellence Committee, president of Central Division, and sat on the MESPA Board of Directors, as well as co-chaired Institute, our annual statewide convention.

The tremendous professional development opportunities during the years of all the MESPA Institutes and the NAESP national conventions have built not only networking relationships, but also have developed lifelong, collegial friendships for me. Those of you who have been a member as long as I have, know just how powerful MESPA and NAESP are with the keynote speakers they are able to attract.

We have heard some outstanding keynote speakers over the years; people who we’ve laughed with, cried with, and those who have challenged us as educators. My most memorable, of course, is Al Franken. That was the year when I had the pleasure of introducing him!

The list of great professional development opportunities through MESPA goes on and on. Some of the best MESPA seminars that I've attended are the law seminars presented by Roger Aronson. He not only addresses issues that are always relevant to our needs, keeps us up-to-date on his lobbying efforts on our behalf, but his sense of humor keeps his sessions entertaining as well. Years ago, so many of us were involved in the Bill and Linda Gates grant that got us all in touch with our first "palm pilots". Wow! How the years do pass by us so quickly! Then came the “Breakthrough Coach” where we became more efficient as administrators and with our secretaries. The “Three Minute Walkthrough” has helped so many of us become better at evaluating our staff.

My leadership roles and my duties as NAESP State Representative also have taken me to the National Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C. for the past six years. You have read about these trips in my previous articles but I need to tell you again what a privilege it’s been representing you all and being your voice as I have “stormed the hill” with hundreds of administrators over and over again to visit our state representatives and senators to continue to address the key issues regarding adequate funding levels for Title I, the School Leadership Program, special education, literacy programs, professional development for principals, as well as to share our personal experiences and frustrations within our own school districts.

We fought continuously to make an impact as we told our personal stories. Did we make a difference? I'd like to think so, because of the outstanding politicians like Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken and so many of the other congressional leaders we met with. Senator Klobuchar took the time to not only listen to what we had to say, but actually “hear” what we were telling her.

Associations like MESPA and NAESP are committed to investing in human capital, principals, and to being learning associations in all aspects. The principalship can be so complex and overwhelming that without associations such as these, it would be difficult to be an effective and successful leader in education. MESPA and NAESP have provided me with the network and the organizational, professional community that communicates a common vision, and provides support, professional development, collegiality, legal and legislative advocacy, as well as additional resources.

As I have I lobbied hard on your behalf over the years, I have been fortunate to meet many influential politicians from across our state as well as outstanding principals from across the nation. I will cherish and value forever the relationships and friendships that I have been fortunate to develop over the years with MESPA and NAESP. Colleagues, MESPA and NAESP staffs, thank you for the great opportunity to have served you all these years!!