We hope you enjoyed the MASA/MASE Spring Conference. We want to thank you for attending and making the conference a success. A special thank you to the keynote speakers, breakout session speakers and especially the Columbia Heights Marimba Band, we couldn’t have done it without you. The conference materials and photos can be found on our website by clicking here. Special thank you to Kemmetmueller Photography!
Thanks to members who attended our recent Master Classes!
MASA Master Class: Building and Sustaining Comprehensive School Mental Health Systems
Presented by Brienne LaHaye, MA, LMFT | Project AWARE Coordinator, Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Presentation Slides
Session Recording: https://youtu.be/SXkdPBPFYqA
MASA Master Class: What is ChatGPT and Where is AI Headed? ChatGPT in Your Schools
presented by
Sean Beaverson, District Technology Coordinator, Orono Public Schools
Anthony Padrnos, Executive Director of Technology, Osseo Area Schools
Eric Simmons, Director of Technology, Chisago Lakes Public Schools Presentation Slides
Session Recording: youtu.be/HehzICHwy1M
Communication and Engagement for Tomorrow’s Crisis
presented by Dr. Lori Mueller, Partner, Donovan Group -and- Former Superintendent, Baraboo School District, WI Presentation Slides | Session Recording: https://youtu.be/z_-20ocKQD8
Dr. Matt Hillmann Superintendent Northfield Public Schools MASA President
Minnesota superintendents have a history of demonstrating class, perseverance, and grace under pressure. Much is required of our superintendents and central office administrators. We are an essential component of a thriving democracy in more ways than many people know or understand.
In November, 75% of Minnesota school districts with a referendum earned approval from their voters on at least one ballot question. I offer my sincere gratitude to those MASA members who worked so hard to inform the public to secure additional resources and facilities improvements for their students and congratulate those who won voter approval. As everyone reading this publication knows, leading a referendum informational campaign is a case study in patience, fortitude, and forgiveness.
This November, many articles were written nationwide about the partisan nature of school board elections. I hope that former New York Governor Mario Cuomo’s perspective that candidates “campaign in poetry and govern in prose” becomes true as new school board members take the oath of office in January. School governance is political but can and should be non-partisan. School leaders work with those elected to ensure the focus is on what is most important — assuring all children have a genuine fair chance to pursue their version of the American dream while being good stewards of the resources entrusted to them by taxpayers. Once again, MASA members will be the ones bringing communities together after the tumult of the mid-term elections. We are engaged leaders who want what is best for our communities.
Additionally, we must be present and assertive during the dialogue that will formally begin in St. Paul this January. There is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to complete substantial improvements and reforms for our state’s constitutionally-mandated “uniform system of public schools.” Legislative advocacy is not a spectator sport. It requires patience and persistence, tact and tenacity, and being ferocious in principle yet willing to compromise for the greater good. It takes a commitment to learn the nuances of the legislative process and to participate in it fully.
Our approach cannot prioritize lamentations or excuse-making. We must cast a vision of what public education can do for Minnesota and our communities. We must foster the relationships and create the systems that yield results. Emerging from the pandemic, we must lead our schools in delivering tangible results that make our students stronger and well-prepared to meet the promise of their futures. We must model an altruistic public service ethos that inspires our communities and unequivocally reinforces the truth that public education is the foundation of our democracy. We must prove that their faith and investments are well placed — that we are the engine that produces the next generation of leaders, thinkers, innovators, artists, and tradespeople who will help America realize its immense potential.
It starts with your leadership. I have confidence in our MASA members to chart a trajectory that will yield excellent results for every student, for every community, and all of Minnesota.
Valerie Dosland Government Affairs Director Ewald Consulting MASA Lobbyist
The 2023 election season once again brought an unexpected change in the political dynamic at the state legislature – a DFL trifecta in the governor’s office, the state senate, and the state house of representatives.
Senate Democrats now hold 34 seats, Senate Republicans hold 33. House Democrats continue to have 70 seats, House Republicans hold 64 seats.
Because of the large number of retirements and election changes, there will be a lot of new faces to get to know. Twenty-eight percent of the members are new to the capitol (71 new members in both bodies). The legislature is also growing more diverse with each election – at least 35 out of 201 members of next year’s House and Senate identify as people of color.
It will take some time for the dust to settle now that the election is over. The first month following the election is busy for incoming legislators. After voting on party leadership, caucuses in both bodies sort out committee structure, appoint new committee chairs, and make committee assignments. In addition, members will have to settle into their offices and pick their seats in the respective chambers. It will not be until closer to the start of the 2023 session for the dust to settle.
Shortly after the election, each caucus met to elect leadership. Senator Kari Dziedzic (DFL-Minneapolis) was elected Majority Leader. The Senate DFL caucus also elected Senator Bobby Joe Champion (DFL-Minneapolis) as President of the Senate, Senator John Marty (DFL-Roseville) as Finance Chair, and Senator Ann Rest (DFL-New Hope) as Tax Chair. Senator Mark Johnson (R-East Grand Forks) was elected Minority Leader.
In the House, Representative Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park) was chosen again as Speaker of the House. Representative Jamie Long (DFL-Minneapolis) was elected Majority Leader, and Representative Lisa Demuth (R-Cold Spring) was elected Minority Leader.
House and Senate leaders also established their respective committee structures and appointed new committee chairs.
Senator Mary Kunesh (DFL-New Brighton) will chair the Education Finance Committee, and Senator Steve Cwodzinski (DFL-Eden Prairie) will chair the Education Policy Committee. Representative Cheryl Youakim (DFL-Hopkins) will chair the House Education Finance Committee, Representative Laurie Pryor (DFL-Minnetonka) will chair the House Education Policy Committee, and Representative Dave Pinto (DFL-St. Paul) will chair the House Children and Families Committee.
Looking to the 2023 legislative session
With the DFL in control, several issues now have legs that previously did not with a divided legislature. Most notably, the governor and the DFL leadership highlight education funding as a top priority. Other issues include paid family leave and the legalization of recreational marijuana, among several other hot-button topics.
Regarding education issues, because it is a budget-setting year, the per-pupil formula will be on top of mind and also reducing the special education cross-subsidy. Several other funding items may advance. They include English Learner funding, universal free meals, student mental health and safety, and incentives to attract new teachers into the workforce. Some policy items that could advance include proposals for alternatives to suspension and exclusion, new graduation requirements, and unemployment protections for hourly school employees.
Budget Surplus Ahead
At the beginning of the 2022 legislative session, the state had a $7.7 million budget surplus which grew to $9.25 billion with the February forecast. This was in addition to $1 billion in unspent federal COVID-19 relief money. While they passed some spending provisions last session, the legislature left over $7 billion on the bottom line due to failed budget negotiations.
On December 6, the Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) Department released the November forecast that showed a budget surplus of $17.6 billion for the next biennium. This surplus is a result of several factors including unspent surplus from the last session, increased tax collections, and reduced state spending. For this biennium, $12 billion is considered one-time but MMB expects an ongoing surplus in future biennia, even though inflation does add some uncertainty.
Now is the time to reconnect with your elected officials and begin building relationships with your new legislators
While we wait for the dust to settle, now is a good time for you to develop or strengthen relationships with your legislators. Ways to connect:
Send a congratulatory note to your senators and representatives (whether returning or newly elected)
Invite them to meet with you one-one at your program or a local establishment in your community
Invite them to take a tour of your school district
Invite them to speak at a school board meeting or work session and ask them to share with you what they hope to see in the next legislative session
These connection points will help them learn about your district, ask questions on issues important to your school community, and gives you a chance to hear from them about what they hope to see in the next legislative session.
If they are returning legislators, you can find their contact information here. Newly elected legislators do not have their offices set up yet, so it is best to find their information on their campaign websites or from the Secretary of State’s office.
Thank you for taking the time to make these connections. They are a first step in advocating our priorities at the state capitol.
I have the pleasure of traveling across the state to attend both virtual and in person meetings with our members, and to represent MASA as the leading voice for public education in Minnesota. No matter the meeting format, I leave knowing that your leadership matters and the importance of focusing on the good work of our members.
At a recent meeting with our colleagues who are also members of the Lakes Country Service Cooperative, I participated in an activity that I share with you as something you may want to do with your staff. Executive Director Jeremy Kovash asked us to turn to our elbow partner and discuss ways in which we share gratitude with others. An easy assignment that resulted in powerful stories. Here is what was revealed:
Most of us have been to a meeting where the presenter suggests we send a text to someone who has helped us personally or professionally. One of the superintendents shared that he sent off the suggested text and shortly thereafter heard from the recipient who, prior to receiving the text, had seriously contemplated suicide. Powerful affirmation of a simple task. Let’s all send a similar text today!
A superintendent “required” some of his support staff to hang around at a potluck celebration rather than hurrying back to their work. It took awhile, but those conscientious staff were able to relax and feel gratitude for the job they do. Maybe that taking time to relax applies to some of us?
Popcorn from the concession stand is a surprise treat from one superintendent who makes a batch to share with staff who are delighted with the unexpected snack!
Hand-written personal notes are still valued. One superintendent provides school district notecards to his staff who share personal notes with others whether students or staff. They are always welcome-let’s all write one today!
Another superintendent has given his immediate family members money on Thanksgiving Day with the requirement they pay it forward, keep their actions secret and report back on Christmas Eve as to what they did with the money.
The executive director shared how touched and proud he was when he did the same activity with his three sons. A community member let him know the impact that his son had when a fire took the family home and the executive director’s son gave him the money he had been gifted.
I will be doing this activity with my family and look forward to hearing how they share their money. Maybe you want to try this, too?
In the long days of winter ahead I know you will lead with positivity and gratitude. If you have member highlights for me to share either in a newsletter article or via my Henton Headlines, please send them to me. Our members are what makes MASA great!
MASA Master Class: Building and Sustaining Comprehensive School Mental Health Systems
Communication and Engagement for Tomorrow’s Crisis
