The Speakers

Kristi Krings, Executive Director of Rachel's Challenge

Rachel’s Challenge was created after the Columbine High School shooting, in honor of Rachel Scott and the other victims lost on that terrible day. As the first widely known mass school shooting, the Columbine tragedy was a catalyst for action for many people.

After Rachel’s death, her family discovered that she left behind a legacy of kindness and compassion – through her life, her writings, and the people she had reached out to. One after another, stories emerged about the profound impact of her simple acts of kindness.

Her family soon realized that Rachel’s story could help transform the way we relate to each other, and how we feel about ourselves. It provides an antidote: a path to ending school violence, bullying, self-harm and suicide. How? By creating positive connections that improve self-worth and mental health. Rachel’s dad, Darrell Scott, was asked to talk about Rachel so often that he and Rachel’s step-mom Sandy started a non-profit organization for school violence prevention that is Rachel’s Challenge today.

Ricky White, CEO, First Nations Consultants

Over the last 22 years, Ricky has served as an Ojibwe Language and Culture Teacher, Assistant Principal, Principal, Executive Director of Education, and Superintendent of Schools. He was exposed to world class professional development, especially in the area of school improvement, school climate, and reaching students with whom our school systems struggle.
Ricky has shifted his professional career to generously sharing the blueprints of best practices for student success and working to help turnaround schools, programs and communities. He started a consulting company fittingly called “First Nations Consultants ” and is now sharing his strategies all over Canada and the United States to inspire and unite his methods and messages for enhancing education.
Ricky’s accomplishments go far beyond schools and classrooms. He was recognized as the next leader of the Anishinabe Nation of Treaty #3 (1989), Minnesota Indian Education Teacher of the Year (2001), Minnesota Indian Education Administrator of the Year (2013), and is now a sought after emcee for pow- wows, gatherings, conferences, keynote addresses, radio, television, and other public speaking engagements.
Ricky has served as an educational consultant for Watersmeet School District assisting the district on how to use Native American history to inform and shape the practices found within the district.

How to Introduce yourself in Ojibwe

UP Admin Academy Presentation

Best Practices

Robert A. Dietzel, J.D.Attorney, Thrun Law Firm

Robert A. Dietzel joined Thrun Law Firm in 2008. Before joining the firm, Rob was an assistant attorney general with the Michigan Department of Attorney General. He represented the Governor, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the State Board of Education, the Michigan Department of Education, the Michigan Administrative Hearing System, and the Michigan School for the Deaf.

With extensive experience in both administrative law and litigation, Rob regularly represents public school clients in state and federal courts; in the Tenure Commission; and in other state and federal tribunals on diverse school-related matters, including special education and pupil accounting. Rob has also successfully represented clients in jury trials and in Michigan's appellate courts.

Rob regularly presents to public school officials on special education, disability rights, and general school law. He is the author of a published law review article on school vouchers.

In 2006, Attorney General Mike Cox awarded Rob the Excellence in Opinion Draftsmanship award.

Rob enjoys spending time with his two daughters, Katharine and Caroline.

Lisa L. Swem, J.D., Attorney,

Thrun Law Firm

Lisa L. Swem has practiced school law with the firm since 1988 and has devoted her law practice to serving Michigan public schools. She practices general school law with a focus on labor and employment, as well as civil rights, student discipline, special education, policy, curriculum, and athletics. In addition to arbitration, mediation, and fact-finding proceedings, Ms. Swem practices before various administrative agencies including the Michigan Administrative Hearing System (State Tenure Commission, Employment Relations Commission, and Department of Education), Michigan Department of Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. She also represents school districts in state and federal courts. For more than 10 years, Ms. Swem has authored the monthly law column for the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals. She has written many articles on school law topics, including “Discipline of Students for Off-Campus Conduct” in the book "School Violence: From Discipline to Due Process." She was elected president of the Michigan Council of School Attorneys and served on its board of directors for two terms. She also served on the board of directors for the NSBA Council of School Attorneys. Ms. Swem has conducted hundreds of presentations on a variety of school law topics.

Matthew Schueller

Director of Government Relations, MASA

Matt oversees the advocacy and public relations arm of the Association, including lobbying at both the state and federal level, and representing MASA on various external committees and workgroups. Matt is no stranger to downtown Lansing and the Michigan Legislature, especially when it comes to education- and budget-related matters. Prior to coming onboard, Matt was with the Legislative Service Bureau, a nonpartisan service agency that is part of the Michigan Legislative Council. He also previously served as Legislative Director at Acuitas, a multi-client lobby firm in Lansing, as a Senior Policy Advisor in the Michigan House of Representatives, and as Policy Director for former State Representative Greg MacMaster. Matt also spent time as a litigation associate at Morgan Melhuish Abrutyn law firm in New Jersey. Matt holds a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Michigan and earned his Juris Doctor from Seton Hall University, where he was also the Associate Editor of the Seton Hall Journal of Sports and Entertainment Law.

MASA Legislative Update