October 10, 2024

*Save the Date: Three Greater MN Budget Reduction & Strategy Sessions*

In late September many metro area superintendents and their finance staff convened in Bloomington to discuss their upcoming budget reductions and strategies for involving the school board and community. Following the discussion, these same superintendents approached me about having a session during the MASA Fall Conference to share this information with others. Unfortunately, our conference schedule was set so these same superintendents volunteered to present in greater MN. 

What we decided to do was to select some areas in MN where two metro superintendents could present their budget reduction information and strategies for community engagement to any of our colleagues interested in attending. I anticipated that you might have questions, so here is a short Q & A!

What is our hope for these sessions?

• The opportunity for conversation about how we can best share that budget reductions are occurring across the state due to insufficient funding.

• The opportunity to learn more from colleagues about how they are sharing information with their school board members and communities. What strategies are being employed both to reduce budgets and to communicate with others.

• The opportunity to develop talking points that are common across the state and that we can use as we advocate for increased funding.

• That all attendees will have the opportunity to share their budget situations, their insights, and network with colleagues.

Where and when are the sessions?

October 28, 9-10:30 am, Resource Training & Solutions, Sartell

November 5, 10-11:30 am, ARCC, Hermantown

December 19, 10-11:30 am, SWWC Service Cooperative, Redwood Falls Community Center

Who can attend these sessions?

Superintendents, their finance/business staff, principals - whomever you would like to bring from your staff. You do not have to belong to the organizations hosting the presentations. All host sites welcome you!

Will there be more of these sessions?

At this time, only these three have been scheduled. More may be considered in the future.

Will there be more information?

Yes, watch for an email from Dave Christians with more details and an RSVP form soon!

Did you Receive an Email From “Joseph Curiel” re: ESSR Funding?-BE AWARE IT'S A PHISHING SCAM!

Some of you may have received from the source that follows. Joseph pretends to be from MDE and is collecting information about the impact of your ESSR funds on “conditions for learning.” Do not open or respond. Joseph does not work for MDE and this is a scam.

From: Joseph Curiel <noreply@alchemer.com>

Date: Mon, Oct 7, 2024 at 3:04 PM

Subject: ESSER III Research Study

Always verify the sender’s email address, especially if the message seems suspicious. Don’t just trust the display name – anyone can change their name to appear as a known contact or organization. Take a moment to inspect the full email address behind the name to ensure it matches the sender’s legitimate contact details. If anything looks off, do not click on links or download attachments until you confirm the sender’s identity through a separate communication channel. See an example below of how to check an email sender’s address in Gmail:

Time is Running Out to Share Your Thoughts!

Participants at the MASA Fall Conference were able to utilize a tool called ThoughtExchange to let MASA know what their top priorities are for the next legislative session and to provide input on the five belief statements that are fundamental to the work of MASA. If you were unable to attend the conference, now it’s your turn to share your thoughts! 

After you answer a few demographic questions, you'll be asked to respond to one open-ended question, consider and assign stars to some of the ideas shared by others (20 to 30 is ideal), and learn what's important to the group.

Your thoughts and stars are confidential. You can come back as often as you'd like to participate and, in fact, I ask that you do come back to star some of the new ideas shared since you first participated. The ratings will help us understand the most important areas to focus on.

Here are the links for you to participate:

Complete our member survey here!

Participate in the Legislative Exchange here!

All of our voices matter so your participation is crucial and valued. Please note the surveys will close at 11:59 pm on Friday, October 11.  

Leadership Matters!

"It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change." - Charles Darwin