MINNESOTA SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION
March-April 2010
Volume 62, No. 5
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Cooperation on a Large Scale The Supply and Demand of School Leaders Minnesota’s Addition to its “New Schools Creation” Policy: Site-governed Schools
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The purpose of the MSBA Insurance Trust (MSBAIT) is “to provide for its members and their employees and officials various forms of insurance, including any forms of permitted Amy Fullenkamp-Taylor group insturance, for the benefit of school 800-324-4459 districts which are members of the MSBA ataylor@mnmsba.org and to effectuate cost savings in the procurement and administration of such programs.” John Sylvester For more information about MSBAIT, visit 800-324-4459 www.msbait.org. jsylvester@mnmsba.org Denise Drill 800-324-4459 ddrill@mnmsba.org
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MSBA JOURNAL
Group Term Life Long-Term Disability General Liability Excess Liability
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Calendar MARCH 2010 9 .............Township Election Day (no meetings or activities 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.) 14 ...........Daylight Saving Time Begins 18 ...........Learn @ Lunch Webinar (Finding Your Way Through PEERNet) 18-19 ......MASA Spring Conference 25 ...........Joint Legislative Conference
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STRAIGHT TALK Bob Meeks, MSBA Executive Director PRESIDENT’S COLUMN Jackie Magnuson, MSBA President ASK MSBA Tiffany Rodning, Deputy Executive Director
Articles 8
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APRIL 2010 10-12 ......NSBA Convention, Chicago, IL 14 ...........MSBA Phase III, Mankato 15 ...........Learn @ Lunch Webinar (Getting on the Same Page with Superintendent Evaluations) 16 ...........MSBA Phase III, St. Cloud 17 ...........MSBA Phase IV, St. Cloud 19 ...........MSBA Insurance Trust Meeting 24 ...........MSBA Phase IV, Plymouth 25-26 ......MSBA Board of Directors’ Meeting
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COOPERATION ON A LARGE SCALE Bruce Lombard
19 ...........Minnesota School District Liquid Asset Fund Plus Meeting 20 ...........MSBA Executive Committee Meeting 20-21 ......MSBA Board of Directors’ Annual Meeting 31 ...........Memorial Day (no meetings)
THE SUPPLY AND DEMAND OF SCHOOL LEADERS Jean M. Haar, Candice F. Raskin and Jerry W. Robicheau
JUNE 2010
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2010 LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE SCRAPBOOK MSBA Staff
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MINNESOTA’S ADDITION TO ITS “NEW SCHOOLS CREATION” POLICY: SITE-GOVERNED SCHOOLS Bob Wedl
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TEACH FOR AMERICA AIMS TO GIVE EXCELLENCE TO ALL Daniel Sellers
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GOT NUTRITION? NUTRIENT-RICH DAIRY IS ESSENTIAL FOR KIDS Lisa McCann
CONTENTS MARCH/APRIL 2010
Divisions
17 ...........MSBA Insurance Trust Meeting
The MSBA Journal thanks the students of Alexandria Public Schools for sharing their art with us in this issue. COVER ART: Ashley Schmidt
MARCH/APRIL 2010
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OFFICERS President: Jackie Magnuson, Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan President-Elect: Kent Thiesse, Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial DISTRICT DIRECTORS District 1: Kathy Green, Austin District 2: Jodi Sapp, Mankato Area District 3: Daniel Zimansky, Tracy Area District 4: Carol Bomben, Eden Prairie District 5: Marilynn Forsberg, Spring Lake Park District 6: Kevin Donovan, Mahtomedi District 7: Roz Peterson, Lakeville Area District 8: Elona Street-Stewart, St. Paul District 9: Karen Kirschner, Mora District 10: Nancy Dashner, Frazee-Vergas District 11: Walter Hautala, Mesabi East District 12: Gary Lee, Fertile-Beltrami STAFF Bob Meeks: Executive Director Barbara Lynn: Executive Assistant/Director of Board Operations John Sylvester: Deputy Executive Director Tiffany Rodning: Deputy Executive Director Greg Abbott: Director of Communications Denise Drill: Director of Financial/MSBAIT Services Amy Fullenkamp-Taylor: Associate Director of Management Services Sandy Gundlach: Director of School Board Services Bill Kautt: Associate Director of Management Services Grace Keliher: Director of Governmental Relations Katie Klanderud: Director of Board Development Bruce Lombard: Associate Director of Communications Bob Lowe: Director of Management Services Kelly Martell: Director of Technology Cathy Miller: Director of Legal and Policy Services Sue Munsterman: MSBA Advertising Kirk Schneidawind: Associate Director of Governmental Relations Mike Torkelson: Elections/Management Services Specialist The MSBA Journal (USPS 352-220) is published bimonthly by the Minnesota School Boards Association, 1900 West Jefferson Avenue, St. Peter, Minnesota 56082. Telephone 507-934-2450. Call MSBA office for subscription rates. (Opinions expressed in the Journal are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent MSBA policy.)
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Quotes of Note captures some of the more interesting statements MSBA staff have read in local, state and national publications.
The state withholding payments to schools “Those of us who do a good job are put into a precarious position. With dwindling enrollment and all of these issues, one of the things we’ve had a hard time with is any kind of financial stability.” Minneapolis School Board Member Carla Bates, commenting on how the district made cuts to keep a 12 percent reserve only to see the state withhold money because the district had reserves
Too quick of a Race “I don’t feel desperate enough to reach out with all the uncertainties. It creates nothing but red flags for me.” Osseo School Board Director Dean Henke, commenting on Race to the Top
SOD for the state? “When a school district does not have adequate funding reserves, it is considered by the state to be in ‘statutory operating debt’... Perhaps the state is in ‘statutory operating debt’ and should develop its own plan to return to a healthy financial base...” New Ulm Superintendent Harold Remme
Importance of attending the Leadership Conference “The topics covered help board members and superintendents become informed about educational matters and build skills that help improve the way they accomplish their work for school districts. They can also learn about board duties, what innovative programs are working in other schools and ideas other leaders in education see that are effective in improving student outcomes.” Worthington School Board Member Linden Olson
The Jan. 15 contract deadline penalty At a time when government needs to be freezing its expenditures, the Legislature is penalizing school districts at the rate of $25 per student for refusing to provide unaffordable compensation increases to employees. If our state legislators believe that teachers should receive an increase in compensation, then they should put some money behind that position. But to penalize school districts for engaging in fiscal responsibility, is unconscionable. St. Cloud School Board Member Jerry Von Korff
Decreasing board member stipends by 17 percent “We’re trying to demonstrate to everybody that we’re taking steps with financial impact. Much time is spent for the board to understand the dynamics of what’s going on to make sound decisions.” Cambridge-Isanti School Board Member Dan Fosse, after lowering board stipends from $300 a month to $250 a month
STRAIGHT TALK
GET ON THE TEAM AND GIVE INPUT FOR MINNESOTA STATE HIGH SCHOOL LEAGUE
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One of the pleasures of being part of your Association is that I get a chance to team up with other organizations, such as the Minnesota State High School League. Your board of directors had an opportunity to hear from MSHSL Executive Director David Stead about some issues their organization is dealing with, an exciting set of goals for the next year and how you, as a board member, can help guide those decisions.
Bob Meeks MSBA Executive Director
“We all benefit from your participation. And in these tough financial times, we need to help each other with the best ideas we can find.”
Your MSBA has two representatives on the MSHSL board: Carol Bomben of Eden Prairie, who represents larger schools, and Gary Lee of FertileBeltrami, who represents smaller schools. As Gary and Carol participated in the High School League discussions, it became apparent that input from school board members wasn’t as strong as it needs to be. Each board should have a liaison to the League—someone the League can contact to provide information on current issues or gather input. But many boards don’t have that liaison or don’t remember who it is supposed to be. And some board members who are connected to the League may not know what their role is at MSHSL. Gary and Carol have taken their role as MSBA representatives seriously. It’s why they are making a special effort to send e-mails about MSHSL meetings to the membership. Both have offered to be the contact for any board concerns, ideas and comments for High School League issues. So when you see an MSHSL update coming from your MSBA, take a few minutes to look through the e-mail, and feel free to offer your comments to Gary or Carol. An example of how useful the communication has been was in the December update when Gary and Carol
wrote about how 120 districts had not applied for MSHSL grant money by sending in a simple one-page form. It’s money that every district can easily receive if they make sure they have a board contact with the High School League. MSHSL’s David Stead encourages board members to be involved in the decisionmaking process. In some cases, if there is not a board liaison, sometimes it falls between the cracks and important issues aren’t discussed, or only the opinions of athletic directors are given—minus any input from board members—who should be the ones setting MSHSL policy. So what are the High School League’s goals for this year: • Identify and communicate with the decision-makers of our members. • Super Regional for Basketball • Travel • Classification Formula / “Opt Down” • Section Consistency Qualifying, Seeding, etc. • Foundation Legislation • And Every-Other-Year Rules Books We realize your job as a school board member is time-consuming and complex. We also know that your Association and all public education associations depend on their members to provide input and participate in setting goals. We all benefit from your participation. And in these tough financial times, we need to help each other with the best ideas we can find. So thanks, Carol and Gary, for helping to get everyone on the MSHSL team.
MARCH/APRIL 2010
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PRESIDENT’S COLUMN
END THE PARTISANSHIP AND GET THE STATE ON SOLID FISCAL GROUND
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Our Association has much in common with cities, counties and townships when it comes to this year’s legislative session: We all are urging legislators to drop the partisanship and solve the state’s fiscal problems.
Jackie Magnuson MSBA President
Our duty to our children and the future of our state is that we join with everyone —no matter their political stripes—and come up with solutions.
Every year it seems that politicians keep missing the public’s point: We don’t really care if the governor is red or blue or if the Senate or House is red or blue. We want people who stop playing political games and do the right thing for our kids and for our state. We care that our elected leaders are courageous enough to work together and make tough decisions so our state can get its fiscal act together. Pundits like to mimic the pendulum of the Democratic sweep or the Republican comeback, but I think what people keep doing is ousting incumbents who can’t find ways to work together with people of different philosophies. In this time of economic crisis, we can’t have the same-old, sameold party politics.
Schools are intertwined in state politics. Providing an adequate education to our children is part of the state Constitution. So if the state falters, schools, inevitably, will falter as well. That means diminished opportunities and resources for students while academic achievement requirements need to keep rising for test scores, graduation rates and other measures. It’s why this year, we need both parties to throw away the games and oneupsmanship and get down to work. That’s why I’m glad that MSBA is once again participating in the Joint Legislative Conference Thursday,
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March 25, at the Crowne Plaza in St. Paul. The Association of Minnesota Counties and the League of Minnesota Cities have already made their position known that they, too, want an end to partisanship. They, like us, want a sincere effort to work out a solution. It may mean finding ways to increase revenues. It may mean more cuts. It probably means a little of everything. It also means that the state has to work even more closely with cities, counties and schools to create a cooperative solution. We will take a message to our legislators that we are willing to work with the governor, the Senate and the House for a fair, comprehensive solution free of partisanship. It may take some work on our part. It may end up changing the way we provide public education. But we have to get the state back on firm ground because like it or not, as the state goes, so goes public education. When 40 percent of the state budget is for education, we can’t help but be affected by huge state deficits. Our duty to our children and the future of our state is that we join with everyone—no matter their political stripes—and come up with solutions. I invite everyone to join us at the Joint Legislative Conference and stand together with our city, county and township friends to push a strong message to the Capitol that we expect them to work together honestly and openly. The future of our state depends on it.
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MARCH/APRIL 2010
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Cooperation on a Large Scale
Dakota Bostrom
A group of Minnesota school districts applies for common Flexible Learning Year calendar to improve student achievement
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A consortium of 28 southwestern Minnesota school districts is working together to take cooperation to a large scale in order to make systemic changes to improve student learning through a Flexible Learning Year program.
Bruce Lombard
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MSBA JOURNAL
Bill Strom, the superintendent of the Mountain Lake School District, said between 20 and 30 southwest Minnesota superintendents have been meeting monthly for the past several years to discuss common issues.
“Over the years we have talked about ways to cooperate by sharing staff, coordinating staff development activities and creating a common calendar among our various schools,” Strom said. “Last January, we focused our discussion adjusting the school calendar to capitalize on what we call ‘high-impact instructional time.’ We believe that the motivational and performance levels of our students are higher at the start of a school year than at the end of the school year.”
The meetings eventually resulted in a group of superintendents submitting a joint application to the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) to request a Flexible Learning Year program. Minnesota Rule 3500.1000 gives school districts the option to submit proposals to the commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) for the establishment of Flexible Learning Year programs. These programs can offer a common calendar with higher education institutions to give students a leg up on PSEO (Post Secondary Enrollment Options) classes, cost savings and more opportunities for sharing among districts. The superintendents’ Flexible Learning Year proposal is comprised of three focal points: (1) to capture more high-impact learning days, (2) to work collaboratively to improve teacher effectiveness and (3) to align the K-16 educational calendar. “The department thoroughly reviewed our first application (in June 2009), but did not approve it. They provided us with a written evaluation of the plan with suggestions and critiques,” Strom said.
School District Consortium Flexible Learning Year Decisions DISTRICT NAME BOARD Springfield Round Lake Brewster Canby Tracy Area Marshall Milroy Hendricks Worthington Westbrook-Walnut Grove Lakeview Fulda Cedar Mountain Sleepy Eye Russell-Tyler-Ruthton Luverne Ivanhoe Edgerton Mountain Lake Pipestone Area Minneota Windom Redwood Area Lynd Hills-Beaver Creek Jackson County Central Adrian Comfrey
Undaunted, the school district consortium quickly mobilized for Round 2. From those 28 districts, 25 adopted a resolution (please see accompanying box) for potential membership in another Flexible Learning Year application to submit to the MDE.
Strom said his group focused on gathering more detailed research to respond to MDE’s suggestions. According to Strom, “This is about improving student achievement. We want to improve student achievement by changing the system. We propose to change the system in two ways: one, add instructional minutes, hours and days;
APPROVED Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
BOARD VOTE DATE January 11, 2010 January 12, 2010 January 12, 2010 January 12, 2010 January 18, 2010 January 19, 2010 January 19, 2010 January 19, 2010 January 19, 2010 January 19, 2010 January 19, 2010 January 19, 2010 January 19, 2010 January 21, 2010 January 21, 2010 January 21, 2010 January 21, 2010 January 22, 2010 January 26, 2010 January 26, 2010 January 26, 2010 January 26, 2010 January 26, 2010 January 26, 2010 January 26, 2010 January 28, 2010 January 28, 2010 January 28, 2010
and two, train teachers to make the best use of those instructional days.” “We believe that what schools do with the time students are in school is important. We want to make the most of it,” Strom added. “Our plan lengthens the time students are being given to prepare for important tests. Our school year is calculated to end just about the time when all of the state tests are scheduled to end. State testing for MCA science MARCH/APRIL 2010
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(online) ends on May 13. MCA science and MTAS end one week later on May 20. Many of our schools will end the school year on or about May 20 (under the new plan).”
Cooperation on a Large Scale
Strom said his group took a different approach the second time around. “For (the second) application, we have narrowed our focus,” Strom said. “Last year, we took a broad approach in an attempt to provide the department with as many reasons to say ‘yes’ to the idea as we could. This year, it’s all about improving student learning and making changes in the ‘system’ (e.g., adding days in August) to make that happen. We’ll have more time this year to conduct research that will support our premise.” Representatives of the consortium met with Commissioner Alice Seagren on Oct. 19, 2009, to determine if their second proposal was adequate. Strom said he thought the meeting went well. “There were nearly a dozen of us there, each taking turns presenting our piece and answering questions,” he said. “(The Department) seemed eager to move forward with this,” Strom said. “They asked a number of questions, but there seemed to be nothing that appeared to stand in the way of their approving this. They said our revised approach was stronger and more focused than last year. MDE wants a proposal that will withstand scrutiny and criticism. We do, too.” This second proposed Flexible Learning Year calendar would apply to the 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13 school years. The new proposal is expected to be ready for school boards to consider and take final action on whether to approve it or disapprove it between now and March 2010. Under the plan, the first day of school for the 201011 school year is tentatively scheduled for Monday, August 23, 2010.
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in this part of the state was closed due to a winter storm, 27 superintendents and a dozen staff members joined a webinar with staff from MDE to learn, understand, interpret and set academic goals for our program,” he said. “Everyone has pitched in and played an important part in making this thing a reality,” Strom added.
What’s happened so far? What lies ahead? The checklist is nearly finished as the group prepares to submit their application to Commissioner Seagren for a final decision. Jan. 25: Each school district must conduct three community hearings. Jan. 31: School boards must make a final decision on whether to adopt a resolution of commitment to the Flexible Learning Year application. Feb. 4: The cooperative plans to submit its final Flexible Learning Year application to the MDE for review and revisions. Feb. 26: The cooperative must respond to MDE revisions. March 15: The cooperative receives the final decision from Commissioner Seagren. March 30: Deadline for school boards to adopt their final 2010-11 school calendars.
The benefits of flexibility
Consortium school districts must be willing to make a three-year commitment to the program. Districts may not opt in to—or out of—the program after the first year.
“Our group is convinced by research which indicates that additional days must have an academic purpose,” Strom said. “Added time must be more than mere time allocated to the beginning of the school year. Added time must be filled with activities designed to improve student achievement.”
Other prerequisites for districts’ participation in the consortium include (1) a willingness to help develop Professional Learning Communities (PLC); (2) the preparing, collecting and sharing of data; (3) a willingness to devote funds toward consortium staff development activities; and (4) access to a professional development person to help plan, schedule and implement activities with the other cooperative districts.
Strom said it’s more than adding time in advance of state tests. “This is about helping teachers to effectively use the additional time to increase student achievement. Research indicates that teachers who are good at the management of instructional time, the control of attention, and the alignment of curriculum contents with the desired outcomes of instruction will increase student performance on standardized test scores,” he said.
Storm said the cooperation among the superintendents has been fantastic. “One example of this is that on Friday, Jan. 8, while nearly every school
This association of southwest superintendents has built their plan around several key parts all designed for academic success:
MSBA JOURNAL
General Days Devoted to Academic Success: This application maximizes “general” instructional days to benefit students. It adds days in advance of critical state and national assessments. No other calendar options are currently available to schools whereby days can be added prior to these assessments since nearly all breaks are fixed by state law, contractual agreements or past practice. Programmed Days Devoted to Academic Success: Programmed days are suited to meet individual school districts within the consortium desiring to devote time to meet the unique needs of students. Some school districts may elect to devote seven to 10 days during the school year to meet the unique needs of students including (1) preparation for state assessments, (2) participation in enrichment programs, and/or (3) exposure to unique and advanced programs. Other districts may actually extend their school year beyond May 20 to target the needs of students not meeting academic standards. Achievement-Centered Semester Break: Interruptions in the learning process negatively impact the learning process. The proposed calendar schedules the first semester to end prior to the December holiday break with the second semester beginning after the holiday break. Achievement-Centered Motivation: Adding seven to 10 days in advance of critical state and national assessments increases student motivation. Students have more time to learn and practice for state assessments. Academic success is a powerful motivator. The school district consortium believes that student motivation for academic achievement decreases after the state assessments are completed (late April to mid-May), leaving students less inclined to attend to schoolwork. Removing seven to 10 days after state assessments and scheduling these days in advance of these assessments is a more effective use of time and maximizes student motivation. Achievement-Centered Staff Development: With the creation of the consortium, common staff development activities can be created and designed to increase student achievement. Increasing Achievement Through the Use of Limited Resources: Present state and local school economies limit resources critical to improving teacher effectiveness and student learning. This application creates opportunities designed to maximize these dwindling resources. Consortium schools plan to pool professional expertise presently existing within the consortium schools, and share financial resources, in order to provide focused, effective and high-quality professional development opportunities.
Consortium camaraderie Regardless of the outcome of the second application, the school district consortium appears to have a good thing going with their cooperative.
our group,” Strom said. “Southwest Minnesota is filled with outstanding, hardworking (school leaders) who enjoy each other’s success and thoughtfully support each other when we face challenges.” Bruce Lombard is the associate director of communications for the Minnesota School Boards Association. Special thanks to Bill Strom for his considerable contribution to this article.
Consortium Performance Goals The consortium created six goals along with performance indicators and targets. 1.0 PROGRAM SUPPORT: Teachers, parents and students will indicate a high level of support for the program’s overall academic benefits for students. 2.0 ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE: Students in all consortium schools will reach high academic standards in reading and mathematics. 3.0 WRITTEN COMPOSITION PERFORMANCE: Students in all consortium schools will reach high academic standards in written composition. 4.0 AMERICAN COLLEGE TEST PERFORMANCE Students in all consortium schools will reach high academic standards in all schools. 5.0 TEACHER QUALITY & EFFECTIVENESS STAFF DEVELOPMENT PERCEPTION: Teachers and administrators will indicate a high level of support for the program’s staff development activities. STAFF DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES: All consortium students will receive instruction and support from teachers, paraprofessionals and administrators trained in methods designed to increase student performance. TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAMS: All consortium students will receive instruction and support from teachers, paraprofessionals and administrators trained in methods designed to increase student performance. PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES (PLCs): All consortium students will receive instruction and support from teachers who have a common understanding of PLCs, and participate in PLCs designed to increase student performance. 6.0 HIGHER EDUCATION CONNECTIONS Performance Goal: All consortium students will receive instruction, designed to increase student performance, from districts that have created connections with area higher education institutions created to improve teacher quality and effectiveness for both pre-service teachers and teacher practitioners.
“From my point of view, the best thing about this whole process was the growth of camaraderie and among many in MARCH/APRIL 2010
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Taylor Thompson
The Supply and Demand of School Leaders
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An important school board responsibility is effectively filling school district leadership positions. In a climate of increasing accountability and declining financial resources, hiring leaders who are visionary and encompass the vast skill set needed to lead in the 21st century is critical. Yet school boards across the nation are facing this daunting task with what appears to be a declining pool of applicants, especially for the position of superintendent.
Jean M. Haar, Candice F. Raskin and Jerry W. Robicheau
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National and state surveys demonstrate the decreasing pool of superintendent candidates. For instance, the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) study, 2007 State of the Superintendency Survey: Aspiring to the Superintendency, strives to answer the question: Will there be enough candidates to fill the looming number of job openings in the superintendency? Data reported 85 percent of the superintendents surveyed nationally believe an inadequate supply of educational leaders exists to fill the anticipated superintendent openings in the near future. The AASA survey results also reported that 39 percent of superintendents planned to retire in the next five years, and that due to retirements and turnover, nearly 80 percent of all superintendents could retire or change positions in the next five years (2007 State of the Superintendency Survey, 2008, p. 1).
A look at the Minnesota landscape
Retirement
Faculty from Minnesota State University, Mankato has been studying the issue of supply and demand of school leadership in Minnesota since 1999. Studies have been conducted in 1999, 2006 and 2009 with school leaders concerning their retirement eligibility and plans to leave the profession. The studies focused on the question: Will there be enough highly qualified candidates to fill school leadership positions in Minnesota?
The data in Table 1 shows the distribution of retirement by position. Worth noting is that the superintendent and the associate superintendent positions have the highest percentage of individuals eligible for retirement within the next six years. Further, 24 percent of the superintendents are already eligible for retirement.
1999 survey of Minnesota school leaders
Table 1—2006 Data on distribution of retirement eligibility by position
superintendent Historically the state level studies have N=186 revealed an inadequate supply of assistant/ school leaders. A study of Minnesota associate school administrators by Boettcher and superintendent Bartelson (1999) determined that 50 N=22 percent of the administrators surveyed planned to leave their current position principal N=601 within five years. Additional data from Boettcher and Bartleson revealed (a) assistant 60 percent of the respondents were in principal a rural, regional small town/city; (b) 50 N=162 percent were in the central office; (c) nearly 50 percent of the respondents were over the age of 50; (d) 70 percent of respondents expected to retire by the age of 60; and (e) 43 percent said they would seek employment outside of education. In a presentation to the Minnesota Association of School Administrators, Moore and Vandal (2000) reported that by 2008 “80 percent of the current school leaders will be eligible for the Minnesota Rule of 90” (p. 2). Rule of 90 is the eligibility time for full retirement in Minnesota. Sheldon, Munnich and Samb (1999) reported that by 2010, nine of ten superintendents and a similar number of principals in Minnesota would either retire or leave their position for other reasons.
2006 survey of Minnesota school leaders In January 2006, the supply and demand of leadership in Minnesota was again analyzed through data collected from an electronic survey sent to 2,409 practicing school administrators. School administrators surveyed included superintendents, assistants/associate superintendents, directors of special education, directors of community education, elementary/assistant elementary principals, and secondary/assistant secondary principals. The survey covered all regions of Minnesota: rural, rural regional centers, suburban, and urban. Survey questions solicited demographic data as well as information about an individual’s current position and an individual’s plan to vacate a position either by retirement or for other reasons.
already eligible
1-6 years
7-13 years
13 years or more
24%
34%
20%
22%
18%
32%
27%
23%
12%
32%
24%
32%
6%
14%
23%
57%
Anticipate leaving current position Data collected included anticipated changes in current positions due to retirement, transfer or other reasons. Respondents for all district sizes reported that between 52 and 69 percent anticipate leaving their current position within six years. Sixty percent of respondents anticipate leaving their position within six years due to retirement, transfer or leaving education. One area of interest in the data concerning principals and assistant principals was noted in the category of leaving their current position for reasons other than retirement. Forty-three percent of principals would leave administration; another 4 percent would leave the field of education. Fourteen percent of assistant principals would leave administration and 14 percent would leave education. No other respondents reported they would leave either administration or education for reasons other than retirement.
2009 survey of Minnesota school leaders The most recent analysis of the supply and demand of Minnesota school leaders occurred during the summer of 2009. Haar, Robicheau, and Raskin conducted a follow-up to the 2006 study by sending out 2,809 electronic surveys to practicing school administrators. This survey—like the 2006 survey—covered rural, rural regional centers, suburban, and urban regions of Minnesota.
MARCH/APRIL 2010
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The Supply and Demand of School Leaders
Retirement
Table 2: 1999-2009 comparisons of school leaders’ eligibility to retire.
The data did not show any significant changes in the already eligible 1-6 years 7-13 years 13 years projected retirements of or more school leaders. Forty-seven 1999 (*) 50% percent of the respondents in the 2009 2006 13% 30% 23% 33% survey indicated they were 2009 16% 28% 23% 32% either already eligible or would be eligible for *Data collected in 1999 did not break down into the specific years. The only data that is retirement in 1-6 years. comparable is the data on percentage who anticipate retiring in 1-6 years. One interesting note was the increased This same pattern is evident when viewed by gender. percentage—specifically for those already eligible to In 2006, 57 percent of the women respondents retire—in 2006 was 13.5 percent; in 2009 it was 16.5 indicated they anticipated leaving their current percent. Thus, close to 17 percent of the school superintendents who responded are eligible to retire. position before retirement. In 2009, that percentage was 74 percent. An interesting piece of data, however, A new phenomenon that was not evident in the 2006 indicated that in 2006, women who anticipated study was the extensive use of interims in the position leaving their positions in 4-6 years was 11 percent. of superintendent. Annotated data based on That percentage increased to 16 percent in 2009. interviews of interim superintendents suggests that This data is consist with the finding that the number school boards, mostly rural, are encouraging current of women who occupied superintendent positions superintendents to stay on and accept a year-to-year had decreased from 13 percent in 2006 to 11 percent contract. For example, there were at a minimum 10 in 2009 (Haar, Raskin, & Robicheau, 2009). school districts that contracted with the current superintendent to remain in the position for a specified period of time after retirement eligibility. In general, the data suggests that the predictions Based on conversations with selected interim made from the 1999 studies were not fully realized. superintendents, it seems that one reason school And, that there has been little change in the boards have taken this step was to allow themselves anticipated retirement between 2006 and 2009. The the opportunity to re-evaluate the district leadership one exception was a 3 percent increase in the structure. Another reason shared was that school number of individuals who are eligible for boards contend it is better to remain with a known retirement. Although there may have been a lessentity due to the perceived current inadequate than-anticipated change in school leadership supply of superintendents. The practice may raise positions due to retirement and possibly the long-term ramifications with the superintendent challenging economic situation, there will eventually position. be a heightened number of openings. Given the importance of effective school leadership, school boards should be attentive to the possibility that they In 2006, 12 percent of the respondents anticipated may be a district in search of a new school leader and leaving their current position in 4-6 years and 6 prepare appropriately. By doing so, school boards will percent in 7-9 years. The 2009 data revealed 5 position their districts to hire quality applicants to percent anticipated leaving their current position in lead the districts through the myriad of challenges 4-6 years and 1 percent in 7-9 years. Even more schools will be facing. significant is that in 2006, 57 percent of the current Jean M. Haar is Professor and Department Chair, school leaders did not anticipate leaving their Department of Education Leadership, Minnesota State current position before retirement. However, the University, Mankato; Candace F. Raskin is an Associate data from 2009 indicated that 73 percent did not Professor, Department of Educational Leadership, anticipate leaving before retirement. This may Minnesota State University, Mankato; and Jerry W. indicate stability in school leadership positions. It Robicheau is a Professor, Department of Educational may also be a reflection of the current, difficult Leadership, Minnesota State University, Mankato. economic times causing school leaders to choose to stay in their current positions due to employment security.
Conclusion
Anticipate leaving current position
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References 2007 State of the Superintendency Survey: Aspiring to the Superintendency. Retrieved September 10, 2009 from http://www.aasa.org/content.aspx?id=460&terms=2007+state+of+the+superintendency+survey. Boettcher, B. & Bartelson, E. (1999). The supply and demand of public school administrators in Minnesota (Monograph Series II, No.1). Minnesota State University, Department of Educational Leadership. Haar, J., & Robicheau, J. (2007). A 2006 study of the supply and demand of Minnesota public school administrators. AASA journal of Scholarship and Practice, 4(3), 26-33. Haar, J., Robicheau, J., Raskin, C. (2009). A 2009 study of the supply and demand of Minnesota public school administrators. Unpublished. Haar, J., Raskin, C., Robicheau, J. (2009). Attracting women leaders to the superintendency, Minnesota School Boards Association Journal, 61(4), 12-15. Moore, C. & Vandal, G. (2000, April). The coming leadership vacuum in Minnesota schools: A blueprint for action. Paper presented to the Minnesota Association of School Administrators. Sheldon, T. D. & Munnich Jr., L. W. (1999). Administrative autumn: A study of Minnesota’s aging educational leaders and the difficulty in finding their replacements. Humphrey Institute, University of Minnesota.
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89TH ANNUAL LEADERSHIP DOING THE RIGHT THING
for Kids January 14-15, 2010 Minneapolis Convention Center More than 1,500 school leaders gathered at the Convention Center for MSBA’s 2010 Leadership Conference. Here are some memories that we captured. Enjoy!
Above: Thanks to a push from Race to the Top, QComp became a popular topic at MSBA’s Round Tables Friday morning with Minnesota Department of Education speakers Patricia King and Steve Dibb. Right: The Johnson Senior High School AFJROTC from St. Paul Schools presented the colors to open the conference. Below: Members of the Fertile-Beltrami High School Jazz Band sang the National Anthem to open Friday’s Closing Session.
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CONFERENCE SCRAPBOOK
Above Left: Arlene Bush of Bloomington Public Schools received the top honor for the School Board Member of Distinction. She earned more than 1,000 hours of training and advocacy during her time on the board. Above Right: Friday Keynote Speaker Bryan Townsend motivated school board members to “Do the Right Thing” for kids.
Above: MSBA honored seven school board members as part of its 2010 All State School Board. Front row: Mike Holmin of Nicollet, Mary Ann Olson of Grand Rapids and Rocky Ramboldt of Goodhue. Back row: Lew Hudson of Brainerd, Jack Nelson of Hinckley-Finlayson, Daniel Olson of Springfield and Lloyd Henslin of Triton. Below: The Pine City Jazz One Band opened Thursday’s General Session. Above: Minnesota Department of Education Commissioner Alice Seagren is introduced by MSBA President Jackie Magnuson at the “Meet the Commissioner” seminar. Below: Thursday Keynote Speaker Bruce Weinstein did his Phil Donohue impression by going into the audience to ask ethics questions.
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Minnesota’s addition to its “new schools creation” policy: Site-governed Schools Austin Roers
E
Everyone would agree that public education is rightfully expected to educate all students to high levels of achievement. Most agree that while we do a very good job with most students, the current system needs to do better with some of the others.
Bob Wedl
At Education Evolving, we suggest that, while we do need to work on continuous improvement with our current schools, at the same time we must be willing to develop new and different models of schools and schooling. Virtually every sector of society is being significantly changed, being developed new. Education is not exempt…and should not want to be. The 2009 Minnesota Legislature modified current law to give school boards another option to use to educate more of Minnesota’s students to high levels. School boards have “choices,” too, in terms of how they educate students. The new site-governed school law provides boards a “charter-like” option in that the schools approved by the district board are provided significant autonomy and flexibility to develop new models of schools in exchange for greater accountability…all within the district under the prevue of the board. The law includes no mandates. If the board doesn’t want to use this option or the teachers’ union rejects it, new school creation using this model won’t happen in that district.
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Briefly, the law provides: (1) the board and teacher union must have an MOU stating how the law will work in the district; (2) the board issues a request for new school proposals; (3) sites or teams of teachers across sites, along with community input, develop new school proposals; (4) the board acts on the proposals; (5) performance agreements are developed between the board and the site; and, (6) new school is developed, implemented and held accountable. Boards need to be willing to take some risks and not evaluate new models of schools through the lens of the current models. Henry Ford was not trying to make a better horse. The autonomy provided by this model includes permitting the new school to develop the model of school; decide which teachers will teach at the site; decide the leadership model for the school and, if it is a principal, they make the decision as to who that person is; make decisions as to how the revenue earned by the students at the site is to be used; and manage the site budget with a few exceptions for district-wide services.
The site decides whether to purchase services from the district such as staff development, transportation, food services, and others. Because of the union/board MOU, the site teachers set their own work rules, length of the day and year, staff development time, etc. The law provides that SGSs (site-governed schools) have significant statutory flexibility through a waiver from the same laws and rules as chartered schools including waivers from Labor Day start, how specific categories of aid are to be used, numerous rules of the commissioner and more. PELRA and tenure are not waived because it is the board that employs teachers, not the sites. A key and welcomed point is that this change in Minnesota law was led by teacher union leaders. Lynn Nordgren, President of the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers, led the development of this bill and Representative John Benson, retired union president in Edina, was the House lead author. Senator Kathy Saltzman was the Senate lead author. Lynn Nordgren says, “Teachers know students best and know what works for them, and if given the autonomy and flexibility provided for in this law, they welcome the accountability.” Jeff Buszta and Ann Gunsmith, along with a group of teachers working on their site-governed school proposal to the Minneapolis Board, said, “Spending the summer with our professional colleagues preparing the application to create our school has been the best professional development we have ever had.” The Minneapolis Board Strategic Plan calls for the use of site-governed schools. Gaelle Berg, the leader of a team proposing a French Immersion site-governed school to the Minneapolis Public School Board, said, “Some ask why teachers are willing to do this. Teachers are committed to the kids and see this as an opportunity to develop new ways to address their needs…and clearly, the feeling of ‘teacher ownership’ is important professionally.” Richard Ingersoll, in his book “Who Controls Teachers’ Work?,” shows that schools work better where teachers have a greater say about their work. When Mark Schmitz, Superintendent of the Staples-Motley district, in response to a question about why the district board in fall of 2009 proposed to sponsor two new models of schools using the chartering law, said, “We know we need new kinds of schools if we are going to meet the needs of some of our students, and just continuing to try to make our current schools fit everyone’s needs maybe just isn’t possible…and who better than our competent teachers to lead that effort for us?” With the MDE denying the Staples board the chartering option, the district is now considering the SGS option. Regardless of the current economic times, new school creation is a need if we indeed are going to educate all…as we surely must do. With the site-governed school law, school boards now have more choices as to how to do that. Bob Wedl is a former Minnesota Commissioner of Education and school administrator in North Branch and Minneapolis. He is now a Partner and Senior Associate with Education Evolving. For more information on site-governed schools, go to www.educationevolving.org.
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TEACH FOR AMERICA AIMS TO GIVE EXCELLENCE TO ALL
F
Jacqueline Runge
Former Vice President and Minnesota native Hubert Humphrey once said, “Each child is an adventure into a better life—an opportunity to change the old pattern and make it new.” To an educator like myself, Humphrey’s words indeed ring true.
Daniel Sellers
“Each child is
an adventure into a better life—an opportunity to change the old pattern and make it new.”
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As a middle school math teacher in rural North Carolina, much of my time was spent helping my students change old patterns, from ineffective studying habits to bad behavior, and chart a new course to achieve academic and life success. Today, as executive director for Teach For America in the Twin Cities, the work of changing old patterns and beginning anew takes on a very different scope and scale that can’t be solved with a quick algebra trick or by issuing detentions when parties don’t agree.
For those in Minnesota committed to achieving educational excellence for all children, we recognize the need to reverse a devastating old pattern that led to our state rank as second-highest in the nation for our achievement gap between black and white students. This is a problem that together we can solve on behalf of Minnesota’s kids. I’m heartened to see a host of stakeholders—educators, school officials, politicians, community advocates, business leaders and many others—rally in support of reforms to chart a new course to help ensure every child succeeds in the classroom so they can ultimately succeed in life. I am encouraged by our state’s recent efforts to embrace critical reforms in an
effort to ensure the most talented teachers are channeled to our most underserved schools. To help forge a new future for Minnesota’s education system, state officials invited Teach For America to bring corps members to Twin Cities schools this year. Teach For America is the national corps of outstanding recent college graduates who commit to teach for two years in urban and rural public schools and become lifelong leaders in expanding educational opportunity. Our charter corps of 42 exceptional college graduates in the Twin Cities joined the ranks of 7,300 Teach For America recruits this year serving in some of the most challenging schools across the country. These dedicated individuals are committed to making significant academic progress with their students in an effort to close the achievement gap. In a recent interview with the Minneapolis Star Tribune, corps member and Minnesota native Aneesh Sohoni pointed to the injustice of educational inequality as his motivation to join Teach For America, saying, “Students living in poverty face adverse chances of being educated, based on where they live and where they’re born. That’s something that really made me angry.” Like his fellow corps members in the Twin Cities, Sohoni has committed himself to a relentless pursuit of results for his students. “There is not a day you can take off, because any day you take off means the students aren’t learning.”
To ensure the success of our corps members in achieving In addition to corps members’ work in the classroom, Teach academic growth on behalf of their students, Teach For For America’s nearly 17,000 alumni have gone on to lead America provides constant professional critical education and social reforms in a host of sectors. As development and support for our corps members. our work in the Twin Cities grows over time, so too will We know from a growing body of rigorous the impact of our alumni in the field of These d external research that our teachers are highly education and beyond. edicated effective in the classroom, helping at-risk As we complete our charter year this in dividua students achieve significant academic gains. ls are spring, we know that Teach For America’s committ For example, a 2004 independent study by work in the Twin Cities has only just begun. ed to m Mathematica Policy Research found that In Minneapolis Public Schools, where I was aking significa students of Teach For America corps members once a student and where we placed many of nt acad make 10 percent more progress in a year in our corps members this year, less than half of emic progres math than is typically expected, and slightly all children are proficient in reading. The s with t h e exceed the normal expectation for annual numbers aren’t much better in math. I’m ir student s in an e progress in reading. Additionally, in a 2009 proud that our state has jump-started the ffort independent survey of principals who critical work of changing a decades-old pattern to close the employ Teach For America teachers, 94 by working to improve our schools. This effort achieve percent reported that corps members have will not be easy and requires the support of ment ga made a positive impact in their schools. every willing partner. p. Minneapolis Public Schools Superintendent Bernadeia Johnson, formerly a Memphis Public Schools official, has seen Teach For America from her interactions with our corps members in that city. From her observations, Johnson said, “I strongly support the Teach For America program in the Twin Cities. Corps members go above and beyond traditional expectations to help students achieve academic gains. We believe that corps members will have a positive impact on our district.”
Hubert Humphrey’s words capture the essence of Teach For America’s work, which strives to reverse the odds for underprivileged students once destined for a life in the margins. In partnership, let’s continue to change old patterns and give Minnesota’s children the chance for a better future. Daniel Sellers is the executive director for Teach For America in the Twin Cities. He can be reached at daniel.sellers@teachforamerica.org.
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Marit Aaseng
Got Nutrition? NutrientRich Dairy is Essential for kids
W
Lisa McCann
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MSBA JOURNAL
We all know that many children today are increasingly overweight and undernourished—missing out on essential nutrients because they are not choosing nutrient-rich foods first. Only 14 percent of adolescents in grades 9-12 consume three servings of milk per day, while only 21 percent consume at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Overall, only 2 percent of school-aged children consume the recommended daily number of servings from all major food groups. Given these disturbing statistics, it’s critical that the concept of nutrient density—foods that provide substantial amounts of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, yet relatively few calories—remain a cornerstone of dietary recommendations and meal planning for children. A key solution to improving diet quality among children is to increase their consumption of low-fat and fat-free milk and milk products to recommended levels. Dairy foods such as lowfat and fat-free milk, cheese and yogurt are nutrient rich and provide a significant source of nutrients for growing children
and teens. In fact, dairy foods offer a unique nutrient package of nine essential nutrients: calcium, potassium, phosphorus, protein, vitamins A, D and B12, riboflavin and niacin (niacin equivalents).The Dietary Guidelines for Americans identified low-fat and fat-free milk and milk products as a “Food Group to Encourage” (FGTE) because milk products provide key essential nutrients lacking in Americans’ diets including three of the five nutrients for which most children have low intakes: calcium, magnesium and potassium. The school environment plays a critical role in helping children increase their consumption of the Food Groups to Encourage and improve their overall nutrient intake. According to the USDA, children who participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) are more likely to consume dairy foods, fruits, and vegetables at lunch. Lunches consumed by NSLP-participating kids are generally more nutrient rich than lunches of nonparticipants, and low-income children who participate in NSLP are more likely to have adequate daily intakes of vitamins A, B6, and B12, folate, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, iron, phosphorus, and zinc, all of which are vital for proper growth and development. Low-income NSLP participants also have higher mean daily intakes of calcium than nonparticipants, and NSLP participants had higher mean daily intakes of potassium, regardless of income. Today, most milk served in schools—flavored or unflavored —is low-fat and fat-free, and schools participating in the NSLP are voluntarily encouraging consumption of low-fat and fat-free dairy foods. As compared to a 1992 USDA School Nutrition Dietary Assessment (SNDA) when 28.6 percent of students who drank milk chose either low-fat or fat-free milk, the latest SNDA III data from 2005 showed that 79.2 percent of milk-drinking students now choose lowfat or fat-free milk.
Fuel Up to Play 60 Midwest Dairy Council, an affiliate of National Dairy Council (NDC), works with Minnesota schools on a variety of programs to help increase consumption of all food groups. One such program is Fuel Up to Play 60, a partnership between the National Dairy Council and the National Football League. Based on the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the program empowers students in grades 4 through 10 to take action and engage their peers to improve nutrition and physical activity at their school and for their own health. The ultimate goal is to ensure changes made at school are sustainable, making it possible for children to have more opportunities to be physically active and to eat tastier options of nutrient-rich foods like low-fat and fat-free milk, fruit, whole grains and vegetables throughout the school campus. By making changes in the school environment, students are more likely to meet the government recommendations for daily physical activity of 60 minutes and eat the appropriate number of servings from the food groups youth need most. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has joined
Hannah Rinicker
Fuel Up to Play 60, along with multiple health organizations and several major corporations. More than 58,000, or 60 percent, of the nation’s 96,000 private and public schools are currently enrolled in Fuel Up to Play 60. Fuel Up to Play 60 also gives leaders in health, business, government and communities nationwide the opportunity to be a part of a movement that relies on participation, collaboration and action by youth and adults to help develop and maintain healthy habits to last a lifetime. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) encourages the consumption of low-fat or fat-free white or flavored milk, water or real fruit or vegetable juice as healthful alternatives to soft drinks. And a recent study published in the Journal of American Dietetic Association found that children who drink either flavored or plain milk consume more nutrients and have a lower or comparable body mass index than children who don’t drink milk. Research shows that reduced-fat and low-fat cheeses included as part of school meals help boost a child’s nutrient intake and can make other nutrient-rich foods more appealing to children. Some types of cheese are excellent sources of calcium; one and a half ounces of some natural cheeses contain approximately 300 mg of calcium, the equivalent of one cup of milk. Results from two studies of middle school children indicate that the pairing of cheese with various menu offerings may help increase the consumption of some Food Groups to Encourage (fruits, vegetables and whole grains) compared to when cheese was not paired. MARCH/APRIL 2010
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Got nutrition?
Expanding Breakfast program Another program helping to improve the nutrition environment for students is the Expanding Breakfast program from the School Nutrition Association, which offers students breakfast options beyond the cafeteria such as in the classroom or at grab n’ go stations between periods to encourage more students to eat a healthy breakfast. Increased participation in breakfast programs not only increases children’s consumption of the Food Groups to Encourage, studies have demonstrated increased academic test scores among students, improved daily attendance, and better class participation. By providing nutrient-rich foods on a regular basis in and out of the school setting, parents, schools and federal child nutrition programs play a critical role in helping kids adopt healthful dietary habits—which can then lead to healthful eating habits throughout adolescence and into adulthood. To learn more about Fuel Up to Play 60, the Expanding Breakfast program, and other National Dairy Council programs, visit www.midwestdairy.com, www.nationaldairycouncil.org, or www.fueluptoplay60.com.
Diet Quality of American School-Age Children by School Lunch Participation Status: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2004. USDA, Food & Nutrition Service, Office of Research and Analysis. July 2008. http://www.fns.usda.gov/OANE/menu/published/C NP/FILES/NHANES-NSLP.pdf ENVIRON International Corporation. School Milk: Fat Content Has Declined Dramatically since the Early 1990s. 2008. American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on School Health. Soft drinks in schools. Pediatrics 2004; 113: 152-4. Murphy MM, Douglass JS, Johnson RK, Spence LA. Drinking flavored or plain milk is positively associated with nutrient intake and is not associated with adverse effects on weight status in U.S. children and adolescents. J Am Diet Assoc 2008; 108:631-9. Rampersaud GC, Pereira MA, Girard BL, Adams J, Metzl JD. Breakfast habits, nutritional status, body weight, and academic performance in children and adolescents. J Am Diet Assoc 2005 May; 105(5):743-60; quiz 761-2.
Lisa McCann, RD, is Program Manager for School Nutrition at the Midwest Dairy Council.
References Center for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System—United States, 2007. http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/yrbss/CategoryQuestions.a sp?Cat=5&desc=Dietary%20Behaviors (Accessed, June 8, 2009) U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Analysis, Nutrition and Evaluation, Children’s Diets in the Mid-1990s: Dietary Intake and its Relationship with School Meal Participation, CN01-CD1, by Phil Gleason and Carol Suitor. Project Officer, Ed Herzog. Alexandria, VA: 2001. Wells, Hodan and Buzby JC. Dietary Assessment of Major Trends in U.S. Food Consumption, 1970-2005, Economic Information Bulletin No. 33. Economic Research Service, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. March 2008. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005. 6th Edition, Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, January 2005. Ryan Bazewicz
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MSBA’s VENDOR DIRECTORY MSBA’s Vendor Directory helps connect school districts with the products and services they need. The directory is always at your fingertips. You’ll find it printed in the back of every Journal magazine as well as on the MSBA Web site at www.mnmsba.org. Most listings in the Web version of this directory include a link so you can head instantly to a Web site or e-mail address. The directory includes everything you need to know to contact a company quickly—phone numbers, fax numbers and addresses—in an easy-to-read format. If you have a service or product you would like included in this directory, please contact Sue Munsterman at 507-934-2450 or smunsterman@mnmsba.org. Actuary Hildi Incorporated (Jill Urdahl) 11800 Singletree Lane, Suite 305 Minneapolis, MN 55344 952-934--5554, Fax 952-934-3027 www.hildiinc.com jill.urdahl@hildiinc.com Van Iwaarden Associates (Jim Van Iwaarden) 10 South Fifth Street, Suite 840 Minneapolis, MN 55402-1010 612-596-5960, Fax 612-596-5999 www.vaniwaarden.com jimvi@vaniwaarden.com Architects/Engineers/Facility Planners Architects Rego + Youngquist inc. (Paul Youngquist) 7601 Wayzata Blvd., Suite 200 St. Louis Park, MN 55426 952-544-8941, Fax 952-544-0585 www.aryarch.com pyoungquist@aryarch.com ATS&R Planners/Architects/Engineers (Paul W. Erickson) 8501 Golden Valley Rd., Suite 300 Minneapolis, MN 55427 763-545-3731, 800-545-3731 Fax 763-525-3289 www.atsr.com information@atsr.com Cuningham Group Architecture, P.A. (Judith Hoskens) 201 Main Street SE, Suite 325 Minneapolis, MN 55414 612-379-3400, Fax 612-379-4400 www.cuningham.com jhoskens@cuningham.com DLR Group (Troy W. Miller) 520 Nicollet Mall, Suite 200 Minneapolis, MN 55402 612-977-3500, Fax 612-977-3600 www.dlrgroup.com tmiller@dlrgroup.com Foss Architecture & Interiors, Inc. (Robert Ames) PO Box 306 Moorhead, MN 56560 218-236-1202, Fax 218-236-4945 www.fossarch.com robert@fossarch.com ICS Consulting, Inc. (Pat Overom) 5354 Edgewood Drive Mounds View, MN 55112 763-354-2670, Fax 763-780-2866 www.ics-consult.com pato@ics-consult.com 28
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INSPEC, INC. (Fred King) 5801 Duluth St. Minneapolis, MN 55422 763-546-3434, Fax 763-546-8669 www.inspec.com fking@inspec.com Paulsen Architects (Bryan Paulsen) 209 S. Second Street, Suite 201 Mankato, MN 56001 507-388-9811, Fax 507-388-1751 www.paulsenarchitects.com bryan@paulsenarchitects.com Perkins + Will (Ted Rozeboom) 84 10th Street S., Suite 200 Minneapolis, MN 55403 612-851-5000, Fax 612-851-5001 www.perkinswill.com ted.rozeboom@perkinswill.com TSP, Inc. (Rick Wessling) 18707 Old Excelsior Blvd. Minnetonka, MN 55345 952-474-3291, Fax 952-474-3928 www.teamtsp.com wesslingrg@teamtsp.com Wold Architects and Engineers (Scott McQueen) 305 St. Peter Street St. Paul, MN 55102 651-227-7773, Fax 651-223-5646 www.woldae.com smcqueen@woldae.com Attorneys Adams, Rizzi & Sween, P.A. (Steven T. Rizzi, Jr.) 300 First Street NW Austin, MN 55912 507-433-7394, 877-443-2914 Fax: 507-433-8890 www.adamsrizzisween.com srizzi@adamsrizzisween.com Kennedy & Graven Chartered (Gloria Blaine Olsen) 200 South Sixth Street, Suite 470 Minneapolis, MN 55402 612-337-9300, Fax 612-337-9310 www.kennedy-graven.com golsen@kennedy-graven.com Knutson, Flynn & Deans, P.A. (Thomas S. Deans) 1155 Centre Pointe Dr., Suite 10 Mendota Heights, MN 55120 651-222-2811, Fax 651-225-0600 www.kfdmn.com tdeans@kfdmn.com
Pemberton, Sorlie, Rufer & Kershner, PLLP (Mike Rengel) 110 N. Mill Fergus Falls, MN 56537 218-736-5493, Fax 218-736-3950 www.pemlaw.com m.rengel@pemlaw.com Ratwik, Roszak & Maloney, P.A. (Kevin J. Rupp) 730 Second Ave. S. 300 U.S. Trust Bldg. Minneapolis, MN 55402 612-339-0060, Fax 612-339-0038 www.ratwiklaw.com kjr@ratwiklaw.com Construction Mgmt. & Products Bossardt Corporation (John Bossardt) 8300 Norman Center Drive, Suite 770 Minneapolis, MN 55437 952-831-5408 or 800-290-0119 Fax 952-831-1268 www.bossardt.com jbossardt@bossardt.com Donlar Construction Company (Jon Kainz) 2277 W. Highway 36, Suite 210W Roseville, MN 55113 651-227-0631, Fax 651-227-0132 www.donlarcorp.com jon.kainz@donlarcorp.com ICS Consulting, Inc. (Pat Overom) 5354 Edgewood Drive Mounds View, MN 55112 763-354-2670, Fax 763-780-2866 www.ics-consult.com pato@ics-consult.com Kraus-Anderson Construction Co. (Mark Kotten) PO Box 158 Circle Pines, MN 55014 763-786-7711, Fax 763-786-2650 www.krausanderson.com mark.kotten@k-a-c.com MSBA Playground Compliance Program (in partnership with National Playground Compliance Group, LLC) (Tim Mahoney) PO Box 506 Carlisle, IA 50047 866-345-6774, Fax: 515-989-0344 www.nssi-usa.com tim@playgroundcompliance.com
R. A. Morton and Associates (Becky Fulton) 3315 Roosevelt Road, Suite 100 St. Cloud, MN 56301 320-251-0262, Fax 320-251-5749 www.ramorton.com beckyf@ramorton.com Wells Concrete Products Company (Spencer Kubat) 835 Highway 109 NE Wells, MN 56097 800-658-7049, Fax 507-553-6089 www.wellsconcrete.com sales@wellsconcrete.com Educational Programs/Services Minnesota State Academies for the Deaf and Blind (Linda Mitchell) 615 Olof Hanson Dr. PO Box 308 Faribault, MN 55021-0308 800-657-3996/507-384-6602 Fax 507-332-5528 www.msa.state.mn.us linda.mitchell@msa.state.mn.us Electrical & Communications, Service & Construction Peoples Electric Company (Dean Larson) 277 East Fillmore Avenue St. Paul, MN 55107 651-602-6831 www.peoplesco.com dean.larson@peoplesco.com Employee Assistance Program (EAP) The Sand Creek Group, Ltd. (Joan Sirotiak) 610 N. Main Street, #200 Stillwater, MN 55082 651-430-3383, Fax 651-430-9753 www.sandcreekeap.com joans@sandcreekeap.com Energy Solutions Johnson Controls, Inc. (Arif Quraishi) 2605 Fernbrook Lane N. Plymouth, MN 55447 763-585-5148, Fax 763-566-2208 www.johnsoncontrols.com arif.a.quraishi@jci.com Environmental Consultants U.S. Green Building Council Minnesota Chapter (Sheri Brezinka/Jennifer Tuttle) 5353 Wayzata Boulevard, Suite 207 Minneapolis, MN 55416 Brezinka: 952-564-3068 Tuttle: 612-596-4860 www.usgbcmn.org sbrezinka@usgbcmn.org jtuttle@kke.com Financial Management PaySchools (Patrick Ricci) 6000 Grand Ave. Des Moines, IA 50312 281-545-1957, Fax: 515-243-4992 www.payschools.com pricci@payschools.com
PFM Asset Management, LLC MSDLAF+ (Donn Hanson) 45 South 7th Street, Suite 2800 Minneapolis, MN 55402 612-371-3720, Fax 612-338-7264 www.msdlaf.org hansond@pfm.com Fire and Security Peoples Electric Company (Sheldon Crabtree) 277 East Fillmore Avenue St. Paul, MN 55107 651-602-6860 www.peoplesco.com sheldon.crabtree@peoplesco.com Food Service Products & Services Lunchtime Solutions, Inc. (Chris Goeb) PO Box 2022 North Sioux City, SD 57049 605-235-0939, Fax 605-235-0942 www.lunchtimesolutions.com chris@lunchtimesolutions.com Taher, Inc. (Jody Pacholke) 5570 Smetana Dr. Minnetonka, MN 55343 952-945-0505, Fax 952-945-0444 www.taher.com j.pacholke@taher.com
Insurance Minnesota School Boards Association Insurance Trust (MSBAIT) (Denise Drill, John Sylvester) 1900 West Jefferson Avenue St. Peter, MN 56082-3015 800-324-4459, Fax 507-931-1515 www.mnmsba.org ddrill@mnmsba.org jsylvester@mnmsba.org Playground Equipment MSBA Playground Compliance Program (in partnership with National Playground Compliance Group, LLC) (Tim Mahoney) PO Box 506 Carlisle, IA 50047 866-345-6774, Fax: 515-989-0344 www.nssi-usa.com tim@playgroundcompliance.com Public Finance Wells Fargo Securities, LLC (Pam Lang and Mary Webster) 608 Second Ave. S. - 10th Floor; MAC: N9303-105 Minneapolis, MN 55479 Lang: 605-341-9945/800-267-1262 Webster: 612-667-3110 Fax 605-341-7696 www.wellsfargo.com/publicfinance pamela.a.lang@wellsfargo.com mary.k.webster@wellsfargo.com
Roofing Four Seasons Energy Efficient Roofing, Inc. (Darrell Schaapveld) 410 Quant Ave. North Marine on St.Croix, MN 55047 651-433-2443, Fax 651-433-2834 www.fseer.com info@fseer.com School Supplies/Furniture Staples Advantage (Michael Teetzel) 1233 W. County Road E Arden Hills, MN 55112 651-234-4036, Fax 651-234-4185 www.corporateexpress.com michael.teetzel@staples.com Software Systems Skyward, Inc. 868 3rd Street South, Suite 101 Waite Park, MN 56387 800-236-7274 www.skyward.com Technology Education PaySchools (Patrick Ricci) 6000 Grand Ave. Des Moines, IA 50312 281-545-1957, Fax: 515-243-4992 www.payschools.com pricci@payschools.com
We write the book
Temperature Control & Building Automation System One Control/Peoples Electric Company (Bill Gausman) 277 East Fillmore Avenue St. Paul, MN 55107 651-602-6839 www.peoplesco.com bill.gausman@peoplesco.com Transportation Hoglund Bus Co., Inc. (Jason Anderson) 116 East Oakwood Drive PO Box 249 Monticello, MN 55362 763-295-5119, Fax 763-295-4992 www.hoglundbus.com salesmanager@hoglundbus.com Minnesota School Bus Operators Association (Shelly Jonas) 10606 Hemlock St. NW Annandale, MN 55302 320-274-8313, Fax 320-274-8027 www.msboa.com shellyj@msboa.com Telin Transportation Group (Todd Telin) 14995 Industry Avenue PO Box 10 Becker, MN 55308 763-262-3328, Fax 763-262-3332 www.superiortransit.com TTelin@superiortransit.com
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Our significant knowledge base and experience makes us well versed in all facets of education law: public employment and employee relations, student matters, school finance, elections, bond counsel services, construction, real estate, school board matters, contracts, discrimination and harassment, data privacy, special education, constitutional issues and more.
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ACHIEVING OUR CLIENTS’ GOALS SINCE 1947 MARCH/APRIL 2010
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Advertisers ATS&R ..........................................................................Page 25 DLR Group .....................................................................Page 7 Donlar Construction ...................................................Page 30 Kennedy & Graven Chartered ....................................Page 25 Knutson, Flynn & Deans, P.A. .....................................Page 29 MSBA Financial Services..............................................Page 32 MSBAIT...........................................................................Page 2 MSDLAF+ .....................................................................Page 21 Paulsen Architects ........................................................Page 15 Ratwik, Roszak & Maloney, P.A. .................................Page 27 Skyward, Inc..................................................................Page 26 Taher, Inc. ......................................................................Page 7 Telin Transportation Group ........................................Page 19 Wells Concrete Products .............................................Page 26
Named
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ASK MSBA
BORROWING POOL CAN SAVE DISTRICTS BIG MONEY
W
What is the MNTAAB pool program?
Tiffany Rodning MSBA Deputy Executive Director
The next MNTAAB pool will be offered in the summer of 2010.
The Minnesota Tax and Aid Anticipation Borrowing (MNTAAB) program is a way for school districts to meet cash flow needs by borrowing at very low interest rates and low administrative costs. By filling out a simple application kit, meeting the qualifications, and passing a board resolution, your district may enter the pool. MNTAAB is administered by Springsted Incorporated, in cooperation with your MSBA and the regional service cooperatives, as a way to pool public school resources to offer the lowest possible interest rates to districts that need to borrow funds. Why should your district join MNTAAB, instead of some other program? In short, your district will save more money by borrowing through the MNTAAB pool. That’s not a sales pitch —the proof is in a Minnesota Public Radio investigation that looked at how many school districts borrowed money
Devin Crowe
last fall. By far the cheapest interest rate (0.61 percent) belonged to districts in the MNTAAB pool. Other districts that went with other firms or borrowed on their own, paid much higher rates that cost them thousands of dollars more in interest. The summer pool in 2009 had 64 districts borrowing more than $118 million. A second winter pool had eight districts borrowing another $43 million. How much can your district borrow? Districts are limited on the amount they can borrow based on the lesser of (a) 75 percent of state aid the district will receive in the school year in which the certificates are issued, or (b) the lowest projected cash balance for the school year in which the certificates are issued plus 5 percent of the previous fiscal year’s cash expenditures for the General Fund and Operating Funds. With the state withholding aid, when is the next opportunity to get in the pool? The next MNTAAB pool will be offered in the summer of 2010. Application packets will be sent to all Minnesota school districts in mid-April. Districts will receive the proceeds from the summer pool by late August 2010. Watch for more information from your MSBA, the regional service cooperatives and Springsted Incorporated for the summer 2010 MNTAAB pool. Information will be posted on MSBA’s Web site at www.mnmsba.org.
MARCH/APRIL 2010
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PAID PERMIT NO. 47 MANKATO, MN 56001
1900 West Jefferson Avenue, St. Peter, MN 56082-3015 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
MSBA is here to serve YOU... DISTRICT FINANCIAL SERVICES
Minnesota School Boards Association 1900 West Jefferson Avenue St. Peter, MN 56082 800-324-4459; fax 507-931-1515 www.mnmsba.org
Minnesota School District Liquid Asset Fund Plus Investment and cash management program. Minnesota Tax and Aid Anticipation Borrowing Program (MNTAAB) Cash flow borrowing with competitive rates. Lease Purchase Program Short- to medium-term, tax-exempt, fixed-rate financing. Tiffany Rodning Power Cards (P-Cards) Secure procurement cards that simplify district purchasing and bill paying. Districts may earn a rebate based on volume.
PaySchools A convenient, universal solution for online payment processing for parents. MSBA Playground Compliance Program Playground compliance safety and accessibility solutions designed to keep kids safe, healthy, and fit. Contact: Tiffany Rodning, Deputy Executive Director MSBA’s mission is to support, promote, and enhance the work of public school boards and public education.