THE HENTON HEADLINES
October 5, 2023

Welcome to the new Henton Headlines website! Over the coming weeks, we will continue to update the blog and functionality!

Great Resource! Earned Sick and Safe Time (ESST) Workgroup Available

The Earned Sick and Safe Time (ESST) Workgroup for MN Schools has been created to assist public school administrators with the Earned Sick and Safe Time Law (ESST).  This new law goes into effect on January 1, 2024, and successful implementation will require coordination among leave policies, collective bargaining agreements, technology systems, and internal communications.

District personnel and business administrators involved in leave policy and administration are invited to join, learn the law, and connect with peers. Visit https://vitamink12.com/esst for resources and registration.

The initial meetings of the Earned Sick & Safe Time Workgroup for MN Schools were held on 9/14 and 9/19 with over 150 organizations represented.

Here are resources from those sessions that you're welcome to share with your staff:

• Recording of the 9/19 meeting [1h22m]
  This includes a detailed walk through the new law and its implications, as well as extended Q & A time with participating school personnel administrators.
  https://share.descript.com/view/a5EswKnSbAv
  
  

• Presentation slides from the 9/19 meeting
  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-dZebzx-rsk0HFlEtYEoud5FnxKmWGIT/view

There is also a simple website at https://vitamink12.com/esst where upcoming meetings will be posted along with the registration form for districts to join the workgroup.

Gun Storage Safety Letter for Your Use:

Minnetonka Superintendent, David Law, recently shared a template letter he sent to his families regarding the proper storage of guns. Superintendent Law worked with the Be Smart organization and his local county sheriffs who co-authored the letter. 

I have received permission from both Superintendent Law and the Be Smart organization for you to use and modify this template should you wish to send this information to your families.

Greater MN Colleagues-Do you Need a Free Grant Writer?

AASA has indicated that they are having difficulty finding rural districts to apply for free grant writing support. Here is information Noelle Ellerson Ng of AASA provided and asked us to share with our members:

• The project is called the Greenlights Grant Initiative of which AASA is a strategic partner. This project, founded by Camila and Matthew McConaughey’s just keep livin Foundation and is intended to help districts apply for federal school safety funding.

• Interested school districts need to complete a 1-minute form about what kind of school safety funding they would be interested in applying for with the help of a grant writer. The deadline to fill out this form is October 13.

• In addition to grant writers, AASA and the Greenlights Grant Initiative have begun a series of free webinars led by top D.C. grant writers that is open to ANY district all about federal grants. This is a free PD opportunity to learn the ins and outs of applying successfully for federal grant funding. The next webinar called Federal Grant Writing 101 is Oct 10th at 2 pm and school districts can register for it here.

Leadership Matters!

“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” - John C. Maxwell