September 30 – October 2 • Madden’s on Gull Lake, Brainerd, MN
What do you think of when you hear the words, “public education?” What do you think your students think of? How about their parents? District staff? Community members? Our audiences are many and diverse, and every individual has an idea of what “school” means to them – and therefor what schooling should be today. So what’s your story? A critical part of school leadership is cultivating an accurate narrative about the state of public education, and sometimes that can be challenging given the range of audiences and perspectives. Let’s take some time this fall and reflect on the stories of success, the opportunities provided by a system that is accessible to all, and the great presence of our schools in communities across Minnesota. Let’s celebrate public education!
On Sunday afternoon, golfers will enjoy the Dale G. Jensen Golf Tournament, benefiting the MASA Foundation. All conference participants are invited to play, no matter your skill level!
Register to golf here: www.regonline.com/MASAgolf18
What better way to kick off the conference—and the new school year—than by greeting old friends and meeting our new members? Sunday evening after dinner, we’ll gather for a casual Welcome Reception. We will announce the golf tournament results, so all the winners will get their bragging rights early in the conference!
Throughout the conference, we will celebrate the service of our honored colleagues. In addition to celebrating our members’ years of service with recognition marking their milestone years, we will present the 2018 Richard Green scholarship to Dr. Kim Gibbons, Director, Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement (CAREI), University of Minnesota and the Polaris Award to Dr. Lynne Kovash, Retired Superintendent, Moorhead Area Public Schools. We will also recognize our service pin and certificate recipients.
Sometimes our attempts to foster creativity can actually stifle it. Our Monday morning keynote speaker Peter Gamwell, a former teacher and superintendent who has spent more than three decades studying creativity, will share a fresh perspective on how to nurture creativity, innovation, leadership, and engagement — and of course, celebrate public education.
Join us on Monday afternoon for our Edcamp, an opportunity for all of our participants to design their own conference experience by exploring the topics you determine. Our members ARE our experts, and here is a great chance to share knowledge and ideas.
The Exhibit Fair is a convenient way to visit with representatives of companies offering the latest products and services of value to school leaders. Our exhibitors’ participation also helps us reduce conference tuition for our members, so let’s thank them for being with us by being with them!
Our Executive Development leaders have chosen three sets of compelling concurrent sessions scheduled for Monday and Tuesday mornings.
Our Monday afternoon program features the work of our 2018 Richard Green Scholar Dr. Kim Gibbons. Kim’s work, entitled, “Effective Universal Instruction: An Action-Oriented Approach to Improving Tier 1,” will inform us of the requirement to ensure high levels of learning for all students. Join Kim and hear the findings of this important work.
Our closing keynote speaker Bill Sainton says that public education taught him how to interact with people with diverse ethnic, socioeconomic, religious, and other backgrounds and that he firmly believes that a robust, healthy, and world-class public education system is the most important ingredient for a world-class future. Join us and hear about Bill’s experiences (including behind-the-scenes stories with celebrities like Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Nye the Science Guy) and how creative, enthusiastic leadership can create magic worth celebrating!
We look forward to seeing you at Madden’s!
