MINNESOTA SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION
September-October 2010
Orientation Express So, Tell Us Why You Don’t Like Us The Write Stuff
Volume 63, No. 2
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VOLUME 63, NUMBER 2
Calendar SEPTEMBER 2010
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STRAIGHT TALK Bob Meeks, MSBA Executive Director PRESIDENT’S COLUMN Jackie Magnuson, MSBA President MSBA VENDOR DIRECTORY
ASK MSBA Bob Lowe, Director of Management Services
OCTOBER 2010 1 .............Last Day for Submitting Legislative Resolutions 3-5 ..........MASA Fall Conference 7 .............MSBA Insurance Trust Annual Meeting 7-8 ..........MSBA Board of Director’s Meeting 7-8 ..........MAEOP Conference 11 ...........Columbus Day Observed (no meetings unless declared not a school holiday) 21-22 ......Education Minnesota Conference
CONTENTS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010
Divisions
6 .............Labor Day (no meetings) 15 ...........MSBA Fall Area Meetings (Hibbing, Little Falls) 16 ...........MSBA Fall Area Meetings (Thief River Falls, St. Peter) 21 ...........MSBA Fall Area Meetings (Marshall, Cambridge-Isanti) 22 ...........MSBA Fall Area Meetings (Fergus Falls, Rochester) 23 ...........MSBA Fall Area Meeting (Eden Prairie)
N OV E M B E R 2 0 1 0
Articles 8 12 14 18 20 22 24
ORIENTATION EXPRESS Bruce Lombard SO, TELL US WHY YOU DON’T LIKE US Mark T. Porter and Barbara Brown THE WRITE STUFF Bruce Lombard YOUR NEXT CAMPAIGN: STRATEGIC PLANNING Greg Abbott LEARN @ LUNCH EXPANDS FOR INDIVIDUALS, ENTIRE BOARDS Greg Abbott MSBA WELCOMES GARY LEE
MSBA SUMMER SEMINAR SCRAPBOOK
2 .............Election Day (no meetings or activities 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.) 4 .............MSBA Board of Directors’ Meeting 7 .............Daylight Saving Time Ends 11 ...........Veterans Day (no meetings) 14-20 ......American Education Week 17 ...........MSBA Pre-Delegate Assembly Meeting 17 ...........Minnesota School District Liquid Asset Fund Plus Annual Meeting 18 ...........MSBA Pre-Delegate Assembly Meeting 20 ...........MSBA Pre-Delegate Assembly Meeting 25 ...........Thanksgiving Day (no meetings) 26 ...........Optional Holiday (no meetings if declared a holiday)
The MSBA Journal thanks the students of Battle Lake Public Schools for sharing their art with us in this issue. COVER ART: Matt Hanson-Nelson
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 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 Gary Lee: Associate Director of Management Services 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.
Healthy School Lunches “A lot of students do not know what beans are; they have never either seen them or tasted them, so they’re definitely a foreign object.” Rochester Public Schools Wellness Dietician Angie Schuhmacher
Advertising on School Web Sites “We’re already advertising. It’s just how much do we extend it?” Rosemount-Apple ValleyEagan Superintendent Jane Berenz
School Board Cuts its own Pay “We asked every group to take a pay cut. In the future, when things are better, things can be reviewed again.” Sleepy Eye Board Member Lori Braun
Science Test Scores “Not everybody is going to end up being an engineer or a scientist in a white coat, but we do need the kids to understand how to problem-solve, how to think critically, how to be analytical.” Minnesota Department of Education Commissioner Alice Seagren
Turnaround Schools “We know we have pockets of exceptional teaching and learning. We need to work to see why those schools and those students are being successful.” St. Paul Superintendent Valeria Silva
Four-day School Week “When (someone presents) a new idea like this and a big one, it takes a little while to process. It’s not like we’re going to say, ‘Everything is set in stone, and we’re not going to make any changes.’” Pelican Rapids Superintendent Deborah Wanek
STRAIGHT TALK DIVING INTO SOCIAL MEDIA
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There’s something about reading a book and turning the pages that I can’t get with my wife’s Kindle or other electronic book reader. And though I may glance at an online article from a newspaper, I’d much rather read a paper copy. But I also know that a change in how people get information and how information is sent will push most people into social media – whether it’s a Web page, e-mail, online news, Facebook or Twitter. As social media has exploded, Your MSBA has taken the steps to get information out in new ways.
Bob Meeks MSBA Executive Director
It is a trend that isn’t going away, and we have to embrace it, not fight it.
A few years ago, we began sending our Management Services Newsletter electronically. We also send our Capitol Compass weekly newsletter electronically when the Legislature is in session. That’s why it is so important that board members make sure we have an e-mail address for them. Because being out of the information loop could put your district behind. Part of our goal as an association is to keep all of our members informed on issues that affect K-12 education. And we realize that more and more of our members are part of Facebook and Twitter. That’s why we dipped our toes into the Twitter water during the past session. Our governmental relations team of Grace Keliher and Kirk Schneidawind could actually keep our members up to date the minute that something was happening on the House or Senate floor or in important committee votes. Calls for action on specific legislation can now be sent immediately. We have more than 200 people who follow those legislative updates on Twitter. It’s easy to be part of the system by simply going to twitter.com/mnmsba. Do it now, and you’ll be prepared to receive information when the 2011 Legislative Session begins on January 3. We also have nearly 200 people who have signed up as friends on MSBA’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/mnmsba). Here, you can get the latest news, information on upcoming trainings, conferences and school board events.
everyone has high-speed Internet and has a Facebook or Twitter account. But as our members dive into social media, Your MSBA realizes it can’t stick its head in the sand and keep sending information only by paper and snail mail. To keep our members informed, we need to be there for everyone – whether you like information in a paper copy form or by electronic means or by a Twitter or Facebook account. We, like you, are exploring ways to cut costs, and electronic communications reduces paper and staff costs. Since our Association started in social media in January, many other state associations have also started up Facebook and Twitter accounts. It is a trend that isn’t going away, and we have to embrace it, not fight it. We are also scheduling one of our board of director meetings through webinar conferencing, instead of the 15 directors all traveling to the Twin Cities. It is a cost-saving measure, but also a way to gain experience connecting through electronic means – saving our board members hours of travel time. And this year we will also continue our highly praised Learn @ Lunch program, expanding it to six informational webinars. And a new feature this fall will be special Before Your Board webinars – specially designed for your entire board to watch during the half hour before most board meetings begin. As an Association, we know we have to stay immediate and we have to design programming that is not only informational, but convenient to superintendents and school board members whose schedules get busier every year. And if we can offer webinars to save people travel time, and the cost of hotels and gas, we will be there. And even though I may like that feel of a newspaper in print, I appreciate getting online news alerts so I can stay on top of issues. So for those who say old dogs can’t learn new tricks, I’ve learned many. And our staff is here to help any of you who want to join us as the trend of paperless board meetings, Twitter and Facebook grows.
MSBA still provides this information in paper form to our members through the Boardcaster because we realize that not SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010
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PRESIDENT’S COLUMN
IF THE STATE FALLS SHORT OF FUNDING SCHOOLS, LOCAL BUSINESSES CAN HELP OUT
F Jackie Magnuson MSBA President
Boards across this state will be debating many of the issues we have faced – policy around what types of ads to accept, how much advertising is acceptable in our schools, and what is acceptable for our community.
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For all the hoopla about my district’s decision to consider putting advertising on the school Web site, you’d think we were wrapping school buses or student lockers with product advertising, which our board considered. What the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School District is doing is simply considering how to raise enough money any way they can in an attempt to give our students a solid education when the state has not provided adequate funding to do so for many districts in Minnesota. Our district, like many others, could have looked at stagnant state funding, thrown our arms up and just slashed and burned through teachers, programs, etc. But we, like many districts, are encouraged to think out of the box. One alternative is to consider advertising. We know advertising will never come close to replacing state funds – it is only a supplement. Soon some of our schools will begin selling advertising space on their Web sites to supplement the reduced funding for the district. Although we would rather not be faced with this funding situation, local businesses advertising on school Web sites could be a win-win. Local businesses already support our schools and families in many ways, so adding them to our Web page mix of sponsors seems natural.
Of course, there are companies waiting to offer schools hundreds of thousands of dollars for gym floor advertising, locker-painted ads and ads on cafeteria walls. As with anything, school leaders have to strike a balance. One advantage of Web site advertising is that students are not the main audience – parents and other adults are. The content of the advertising also makes a difference.
Ads that encourage healthy eating, promote anti-bullying efforts, or encourage sports and physical activity might be very appropriate on locker doors or gym walls. Maybe some day soon. There will always be people who are uncomfortable with the idea of advertising in schools. The world our kids live in exposes them to continual marketing messages, whether it be on television, in movies, at the ballgame, on their cell phones, or on their computers. It’s everywhere – maybe even in their schools. Boards across this state will be debating many of the issues we have faced – policy around what types of ads to accept, how much advertising is acceptable in our schools, and what is acceptable for our community. And to those who criticize school boards for even thinking about putting advertising in our schools, if the state would provide adequate funding for education, we wouldn’t have to be talking about this at all.
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Orientation EXPRESS Brainerd School District gave prospective candidates a crash course in boardsmanship last fall Lew Hudson addresses attendees of the Brainerd School District’s “Prospective School Board Member Orientation” held Aug. 24, 2009. Hudson wrapped up the end of his 16year career on the board at the end of 2009. Hudson, two other outgoing board members and superintendent Steve Razidlo (background) briefed a dozen school board hopefuls on what they could expect if elected. Photo courtesy of Steve Kohls, Brainerd Dispatch
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On Aug. 24, 2009, the Brainerd School District conducted a special training for its board members – however, it was for board members who weren’t even on the board yet.
Bruce Lombard
Brainerd’s “Prospective School Board Member Orientation” course was masterminded by Superintendent Steve Razidlo, though he’s quick to disclose it wasn’t his original idea.
“I had heard from someone (in another district) that they had run an orientation for prospective candidates in their town,” he said. “We called MSBA 8
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and asked them, ‘What have you heard about this?’ We got a couple of ideas from someone in the (MSBA) office and we sort of made (our program) up.” Razidlo said motivation for the program stemmed from a big defeat of a recent levy referendum. “We went through some hellacious cuts, cuts we are still working out from,” he said. “Anytime you go through a major downsizing like that, you’re going to feel angry, upset and disappointed. I was really hopeful that we could put the idea out there, that there are qualities we are
looking for in a school board member and that we could recruit enough good people so that we wouldn’t have single-issue politicians, ax-grinders or people that represent minimal yet vocal factions of the community. It was kind of a protective instinct. Can we invite a bunch of people out here and say, ‘This is what we think it means to be a school board member?’’’
COURSE LANGUAGE Razidlo, who had just wrapped up his first school year as superintendent, said the district made an open call to the community to draw interest from prospective school board members for the orientation. The district advertised the event in the Brainerd Dispatch and listed it on its Web site. The orientation drew the interest of a dozen candidates, Razidlo said. The three-hour course was guided by Razidlo and some current board members. (Incumbents seeking reelection opted out of the session, not wanting to deal with any scrutiny that they were using it as an additional “campaign appearance.”) Board members not up for reelection participated and recounted stories from their experience. Lew Hudson, an outgoing 16-year veteran of the school board, delivered the opening address. Razidlo said Hudson, who was named to MSBA’s 2010 AllState School Board, “emphasized the qualities of a person who might take on a governance responsibility and not just represent a single issue.” “Lew did a wonderful job,” said Razidlo. “He wanted to make some remarks to hand off his responsibility to the legacy of good board service here in Brainerd. He set the tone for the entire evening.” Following the board members’ anecdotes, the orientation focused on a number of important board regulations. “The current school board members talked about the role and purpose of school board members,” Razidlo said. “We used MSBA documentation on becoming a school board member.” The course also touched on conduct and ethics, and a review of MSBA standards. “We pulled out a couple of MSBA model policies as resource pieces to talk about,” Razidlo said. “One of the models we used was Policy 206 (‘Public Participation in School Board Meetings/Complaints About Persons at
School Board Meetings and Data Privacy Considerations’). We went over that briefly as an example of policy. We talked about the public’s opportunity to be heard and what board members sometimes have to deal with when they face the community.” Razidlo added: “We also profiled Policy 209 (‘Code of Ethics’). That was a fun one to stress because it gave us an opportunity to say: ‘What are you really doing here? Quality board members represent children and are expected to listen.’ It was really helpful to continue to set the tone to say, ‘This is the kind of person we are looking for. This is not a good-old-boys or good-old-girls club. This is not for prestige or the money you are going to make, it’s about things like conduct and ethics.’” Another part of the course dealt with school board structure. “We talked about how our particular board was structured,” Razidlo said. “There are 100 different expectations for what a school board member does and how many meetings they have to go to.” The prospective board members were informed that, as atlarge candidates, they would represent the entire community – not just a certain jurisdiction of the community. Also, it was made clear that every board member is expected to lead at least one of the board’s standing committees – and that every board member is expected to attend all meetings, committee or otherwise. “We expect every board member to be at all committee meetings and they are routinely called upon to participate even if though they aren’t voting members of the committee,” Razidlo said. Last year, Brainerd’s board members attended 52 boardrelated meetings. “Our message was, ‘They are all here all the time,’” said Razidlo. “If you average one meeting per week, you have to think about that before running for school board because this could take you away from your work and family environments once a week on average for the next four years.” To let reality of this time-commitment component further sink in, each prospective candidate was provided last year’s meetings calendar and the schedule for next year’s meetings, along with the current list of committee responsibilities. In addition to the 52 district-related meetings, Brainerd’s board members have other standing responsibilities as liaisons to other local entities (such as the county collaborative governance committee, an agriculture group, Schools for Equity in Education, etc.). SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010
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Orientation
EXPRESS
“We listed those additional responsibilities as well,” Razidlo said. “I think part of the purpose, subconsciously, was to overwhelm and shock them a little bit before they filed. I think it had its desired effect. We really only had one person who I would say was not a serious candidate. All the other folks that filed took the time to think it through. I think this candidate orientation may have been helpful in weeding out who was serious about this and who was putting out a feeler.” The orientation also reviewed an article from the American School Board Journal called “Your First 90 Days on the School Board” (August 2009). “We talked about the article and the importance – and I will be real candid here – of keeping your mouth shut for the first 90 days, about listening more than talking as a beginning school board member,” Razidlo said. “I think that was helpful for people to understand that you are entering a chamber of public dialogue and it is going to change you. You are going to be a changed entity when you enter into that public dialogue. Your speech is going to be more guarded, or you are going to have to learn to be more guarded, you’re probably going to become more of a political animal, and you are going to get a sensibility for the effect that everything you say has on potential audiences around you.” Razidlo added: “We gave them that (“90 Days” article) and let them talk about it. We encouraged the three school board members who were not running for reelection to talk about what people can expect as a school board member. How’s this going to affect your family life? How’s this going to affect your work life? How is this participation on the school board going to take a toll on you?”
REACTION AND AFTERMATH Along with informing prospective school board members what to expect, the orientation provided another plus via some positive public perception through the press. “(The orientation) was a serious offering to the community and the newspaper covered it,” Razidlo said. “They put a picture of Lew on a big front-page article the very next day. It did set a tone for the election. That part was a real benefit to us because Lew got a chance to (inform) the community of the importance of service, the importance of being part of a team, the importance of not being a single-issue person. We got great coverage (in the newspaper) even though we didn’t have great attendance at our session.” Razidlo said those in attendance who asked the best questions were eventually elected. 10
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“My sense is that they were already serious candidates coming in, and that some of their takeaway from this candidate orientation was confirmation of what they thought the job was,” he said. “But some of them were overwhelmed by what they didn’t know.” Razidlo added that the quality of questions asked by serious candidates was significant, and that during the orientation session some of the questions asked began to illustrate the backgrounds and the motivations of prospective candidates. “We answered questions from attendees who quickly displayed that they had specific ‘issues’ which they felt needed ‘fixing,’” he said. Razidlo also noted that the event was scheduled close to the filing date so “anybody that was waffling had this opportunity and could say, ‘Well, at least I gave it a chance to learn about what it was.’ Nobody could say after the fact, ‘Well, they never even told us what a school board member might have to do.” Razidlo said the attendees were most surprised about the time commitment piece, especially after seeing last year’s 52-meeting-filled calendar. “They took away that ‘Wow, being a board member is a serious part-time job and an addition to my already full life…I better be serious about this.’” Of the dozen prospective board members that took part in the orientation, four filed and two were ultimately elected (out of three vacant seats). “We had some great candidates (at the orientation) that filed and ran, but we also had some great candidates who didn’t attend the orientation,” Razidlo said. “The orientation was one more additional piece of service to our community and hopefully a demonstration that we were serious and that we were looking for quality board candidates,” he said. Razidlo said Brainerd is committed to running another prospective candidate orientation program in August 2011 prior to the filing period. (Brainerd didn’t run one this year due to the fact they don’t have any impending board elections. The Osseo Area School District ran a similar orientation on July 28, 2010.) Razidlo praised his then-outgoing board members who helped conduct the orientation for their selfless service in trying to improve their school district. “I asked our school board members for another commitment to service by asking for another three hours of their time,” he said. “And they gave it willingly and I commend them for that. You have to have a great board that wants to do that.” Bruce Lombard is MSBA’s Associate Director of Communications. You can reach him at blombard@mnmsba.org
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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010
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SO, TELL US WHY YOU
DON’T LIKE US: COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AROUND PARENTS WHO CHOOSE NOT TO ATTEND OUR SCHOOLS Kari Sauer
Public school districts often question why their resident families select education options for their children outside of their local public schools. But they don’t always ask those families why. South Washington County Schools (District 833), an eastern suburb of St. Paul and a district taking Mark T. Porter pride in the positive improvements and changes in and Barbara Brown how programs and services are delivered, decided to take the leap and find out more about why families are not selecting their local public schools.
Why pay attention now? The district had experienced growth until the economic downturn in 2008. By that time, the district was in full swing with changes that included grade configuration changes to include middle schools and send ninth graders to the high school; high school redesign in programming to include STEM and additional opportunities in World Language; widespread attendance boundary changes to ensure adequate facility usage; later start for high schools; and more that would indicate a district making progress in all areas. Communications were constant with updates on the progress and change taking shape in District 833. During registration for the 2009-10 school year, letters were sent from the superintendent of schools to all families who enroll their students in other education options; the letters shared highlights of the changes taking place, offered further information, and detailed how to register in District 833 should they choose. High school principals also sent a mailing to the high school students in their attendance boundary. The 12
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mailing invited students to events at the high school and to consider attending their local public high school. While thorough tracking of the number of students who did enroll as a result of these letters didn’t occur, the district did receive a number of inquiries, and enrollment has begun an upward trend in new registrations. Growth slowed down due to the economic changes. The district settled into the transitions of the eagerly anticipated 2009-10 school year, and through ongoing review, determined that space was still available as the boundary changes alleviated difficult capacity issues. The changes were well underway; student achievement was making excellent progress. A new superintendent made the decision to move forward with proactively seeking out those families living in the district who didn’t attend their local public schools, and ask: “Why?”
How did we reach out? A letter was sent in December to all families with children living in District 833 but not attending their local public schools. The letter invited them to attend an event in January that would include a brief presentation by the superintendent, an anonymous survey using audience response technology and a focus group where they would share their perspectives on a series of questions. In addition, local and metro media picked up on the event and carried news about the opportunity for individuals who received the letter to attend. It was important that the district emphasize that the intent of the evening was to hear from them.
Of the 1,800 letters sent, more than 120 people attended the event in the middle of January, for the most part, to share with the district why they believe their educational option is best for their children.
- What did you learn tonight that you may not have known?
Preparing for the event
- What don’t you see that you’d like to see in 833?
To ensure the most effective use of time, a well-thought-out presentation by the superintendent shared the most recent changes made across the district, the financial status of the district, and most importantly, the status of student achievement. A folder of more detailed information about the district, schools and program improvements was provided to all participants should they prefer additional information.
- What are some of the positive things you hear about South Washington County Schools?
The district’s administration prepared questions for the anonymous audience response and focus group portions of the evening. Audience response questions pertained to these areas: - demographics. - current educational choice. - previous or current enrollment for their children in District 833. - if attending public schools, where? - how perceptions about the district are formed. - why go elsewhere for education? - whether they would consider attending at some point in the future. Of those attending the event, 57 percent had been residents of the district for more than 11 years; 44 percent had their children enrolled in private schools with 32 percent in public schools; and 60 percent had previously been part of 833 or had one of their children currently enrolled. The primary reason families chose other educational options included 31 percent ‘faith-based’, 25 percent ‘educational opportunities’ and 15 percent ‘class size’. When asked the secondary reason for choosing outside of their local public schools, ‘educational options’ was clearly at the top with ‘smaller schools’ and ‘class size’ coming in equally as a second reason. When asked if they planned to enroll their children at some point in District 833, 42 percent were undecided, with small percentages selecting after kindergarten, fifth or eighth grade. When asked about Community Education Services, 47 percent had participated in adult community education, 34 percent in youth enrichment offerings, 11 percent in Early Childhood Family Education and 8 percent in District 833 Preschool. Focus group questions delved into more of the reasons behind the responses from the anonymous survey. They included questions such as these:
- What benefits does your current educational option provide that you don’t see as a benefit in 833 schools?
As is evident from the recorded notes of the focus group sessions, many positive and negative things were said about the district, its programs and services. It was important for the facilitators (members of the superintendent’s leadership team) to remain neutral and not try to defend statements being made by participants. Questions during the focus group sessions were held until after the session and answered individually by representatives of the leadership team. Forms for further questions or discussion were also distributed. The team did work on follow-through for each of the forms collected and individual follow-up was made to those individuals who needed further assistance with inquiries. The focus for the leadership team throughout the evening was to listen – listen without reacting to what was being said. Respecting the choice parents are making for their children was necessary for the two-way conversations to be productive. Key themes did resonate throughout the focus groups. They included the following: - Some of these families did have their children in the district’s schools at one point – one bad incident often was the reason they opted to leave. - Some had not heard of the many positive changes that have taken place – the district needs to better communicate with these families (this single session was a good start). While it wasn’t the intent of the evening, a few of these families enrolled their students in District 833 schools. Further, some will likely consider the district at transition grade levels – either middle or high school. The district will continue to reach out to these families in order to continue to share its story. Those with a faith-based preference will likely not consider public schools, but a large percentage are not sharing that as a reason. It is the district’s challenge to assure this group that their community public schools are the best schools they could choose. In the end, the district was thanked for its efforts at reaching out and for working to understand more about residents’ right to choose what they believe is best for their children. Mark T. Porter is the Superintendent of South Washington County Public Schools and Barbara Brown is the Director of Communications for South Washington County Public Schools. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010
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The Write Stuff Advocates opine on the state of Minnesota high school journalism
Bruce Lombard
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In 2009, the sagging economy and ongoing ascension of online news had a hand in nearly 300 newspapers folding nationwide. As school boards continue to make difficult cuts during the current state budget crisis, could high school student journalism programs and newspapers follow a similar course? While there’s currently no hard data to suggest student journalism is in peril, here are some trends: ■ A 2007 study revealed 74 percent of high schools nationally had a student newspaper. ■ According to the California Department of Education, there are nearly 200 fewer high schools with journalism programs than there were 10 years ago – a 14 percent drop.
■ In a survey concluded in September 2009, the New York City High School Journalism Program found that only about 50 percent of high schools in the five boroughs of New York City had high school newspapers or journalism programs. What about Minnesota? “I don’t think anybody has good data; the last survey that I know of was probably done eight or nine years ago at the University of Minnesota,” said Lynda McDonnell, executive director of ThreeSixty Journalism, an outreach journalism program based at the University of St. Thomas that works with high schoolers. “The Minnesota Newspaper Association surveyed school districts. If I remember correctly, they found that about 53 percent of the state’s high schools (of those that responded) had some sort of student publication, but many times they were published infrequently.”
Danielle Brown
Some anecdotal evidence hints that some Minnesota journalism programs are feeling the pinch from the state budget crisis. “Journalism programs are hurting just like everything else,” said Logan Aimone, executive director of the Minneapolis-based National Scholastic Press Association. “Not eliminated necessarily, but they have fewer 14
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travel funds or don’t have as much support in the way of equipment.”
McDonnell agreed more schools are using a combination of the two publishing mediums.
McDonnell said high school journalism programs and school newspapers have suffered for two reasons.
“I don’t have any data, but my sense is that fewer high schools have print publications, or they print less frequently, and if they are doing work it’s more often online,” she said.
“One is budgetary,” she said. “There are certainly more schools that don’t have a print publication, and if they are doing a publication, they do it online. And secondly, I’ve heard teachers say the push to get back-to-basics for standardized testing has really harmed a lot of extracurricular activities, including high school journalism programs.” Aimone said he understands that school boards need to tighten their belts in such times, but finds it unfortunate for the students to feel the pinch. “We’re seeing a lot of reductions in (student journalismrelated) travel as school districts are trying to reduce the money they spend in sending students to workshops and conventions,” Aimone said. “I recognize that is a necessity to balance the budget. Unfortunately some of these opportunities are the kinds of things that really spark an interest in some students that may not find a place in other parts of the school, curriculum or co-curricular activities. Our state convention or the national convention (which will be held in Minneapolis in November 2011) are the kinds of opportunities that are really exceptional, and hopefully as many students as possible get to a chance to experience them.”
Electronic age As with traditional newspapers, there has been a trend for student newspapers to produce an online edition. A 2009 Chicago Tribune article reported that several school newspapers in Illinois now publish online only. “These days, the pressures of tighter budgets, thinner papers and slumping ad sales are as central to the lessons of journalism as beat reporting and editing,” the report stated. Aimone said the rise in online publications is fueled by two primary factors. The first stems from a lack of funding. “They make the choice to go online because their budget requires them to do so,” he said. “The cost of producing the printed paper has forced them to reduce the number of pages or reduce the frequency of publication. In order to have a publication at all, they do it online.” Aimone said the second factor in increasing online publishing is to simply enhance or complement the print version. “(For example), maybe (the print edition is) produced once a month or every three weeks,” he said. “And then in between those editions they’re producing content online, maybe with their sports stories or a live chat or photo slide shows. There are ways of using the medium and taking advantage of things that can’t be accomplished in print.”
And there is an option for high schools that want to have an online publication, but can’t afford it. McDonnell said the High School Journalism Web site at www.hsj.org hosts high school newspapers for no charge. “I bet there are two or three dozen Minnesota high schools that have their editions posted through that server,” she said. McDonnell’s program also trains Minnesota teens in journalism during summer camps and after-school programs. ThreeSixty operates an online magazine at www.threesixtyjournalism.org and will launch a quarterly print publication for and by teens this fall. Teachers can request 30 or more copies free of charge by e-mailing McDonnell at lmmcdonnell@stthomas.edu. You can also find more student newspapers on the School Newspapers Online Web site. Eight of the 266 papers are represented by Minnesota schools. Lori Keekley, an English and journalism teacher at St. Louis Park High School, predicts online publications will continue to grow, but not overrun the traditional media avenue. “I do see more of the transition online but I am not sure it will take the place of print; not every student has access to technology equally,” she said. Keekley said her journalism group started doing a print/online combination six years ago. “We’re doing the online and print editions out of one class, which is very difficult,” she said. “If you are doing it right, you are doing double the work with the same amount kids you had before.” Keekley must be doing something right with her program. This past May, Keekley was named the 2010 Journalism Educator of the Year by the Minnesota High School Press Association. “It was wonderful,” she said. “I was nominated by Laurie Hansen (the student journalism adviser at Stillwater Area High School and the 2008 Educator of the Year), and I understand my students were also involved. That was very touching.” Keekley said the day-to-day working with the students is what she likes best about her job. “You are helping them produce something that they’re proud of. (You get to see) the reaction that they have when somebody comes up and says ‘I saw your photo,’ or ‘I saw your design,’ or ‘I read your story and I really liked it …’ Journalism is something I’ve always had a passion for and I’ve had quite a few students go through that have that passion, which is easily transferable (to other things).”
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Journalistic merit
The Write Stuff
Aimone said that journalism programs positively impact more than just the direct participants. “I feel strongly that schools benefit a lot from journalism programs, not just for the kids who are involved in the school paper and the school yearbook, but for everyone,” he said. “You see the kinds of things that can happen, whether it’s letters to the editor or coverage of good stories of teenagers doing great things, talking about what’s going on in their lives and the issues that they face. I think that adds a lot to the fabric of the school community. It’s really important, just like sports and music and school plays and all those other things that make a high school experience what it is.” Aimone adds: “I definitely feel for schools that are making ends meet any way they can, but I hope they recognize that journalism programs in any form are really valuable.” McDonnell said that student journalists absorb many skills from the process of reporting. “We always tell (our ThreeSixty) students it gets you out of your own head,” she said. “You have to learn about research, about focus, about asking questions, about organizing material in a logical way, about writing in a way that’s appealing to an audience.” McDonnell said her students say they don’t get much experience in their high schools rewriting or writing very lengthy or complex pieces. “I think this is one of the costs of the emphasis on standardized testing,” she said. “To do it (journalism) well, you have to do all those things well. This is where student journalists and the students who consume the media they produce learn and practice the First Amendment, freedom of speech, and finding the limits of responsibility, privacy and good taste. Those are really important issues. The stakes are real in high school, and it’s unfortunate that’s one of the things that get lost when the student media is little more than daily announcements.” Keekley seconded McDonnell’s sentiments on the First. “One of the most important parts (of student journalism), in addition to covering your school, is teaching students about the First Amendment,” she said. “What I would love to see is responsible journalism without prior review.” Keekley also recognized the teamwork aspect of student journalism. “Students write for deadlines,” she said. “When you’re late for a deadline in an English class, it’s different in journalism because you have other people (who 16
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depend on you). If you miss a deadline (for the school paper), it impacts other students in your class negatively.” Keekley said that teamwork component will stay with her students long after they finish school. “They always go out with understanding on how to work as a team, how to work with adults, how to work with other students and how to truly work on that team…and they can take that anywhere and be successful,” she said. McDonnell adds that students get excited about journalism because “it is a way into the world” for them. “They have important stories to tell,” McDonnell said. “One of the reasons we started this online magazine is that there are not many ways to tell it to the public in a responsible way. We are denying teens an opportunity to practice those rights in a meaningful way. I think it’s unfortunate that many schools don’t have that opportunity.”
Gopher State greats Minnesota’s schools have a strong tradition of turning out their fair share of print and broadcast journalists. Two are columnists for The New York Times. Coincidentally, one of them, Thomas Friedman, is a graduate of St. Louis Park. (The other is David Carr, a private school product.) Some other notable Minnesota-born journalists include: ■ Harrison Salisbury (1908-1993): Attended Minneapolis North High School. Won multiple Pulitzer and Polk awards while reporting for the United Press and The New York Times. ■ Harry Reasoner (1923-1991): Attended West High School in Minneapolis. Worked for Minneapolis Times, CBS radio and founded TV news magazine 60 Minutes. ■ Aaron Brown: Attended Hopkins High School. Former broadcaster for CNN. Currently hosts a program on public radio and teaches at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. ■ David Bloom (1963-2003): Attended Edina West High School. Worked as NBC’s White House correspondent. Died suddenly at age 39 while covering an American infantry division during the Iraq War. ■ Michele Norris: Attended Washburn High School. Worked for ABC News, wrote for several prominent
newspapers and currently hosts “All Things Considered” on National Public Radio. McDonnell’s ThreeSixty program is already in the process of trying to add to that prestigious list. “Over the last seven or eight years, we’ve had seven of our students go to work in newsrooms either here in the Twin Cities or elsewhere in the country,” McDonnell said. ThreeSixty Journalism’s mission is to “bring diverse voices into journalism and related professions by using intense, personal instruction in the practice and principles of journalism” and to “strengthen the civic literacy, writing skills and college-readiness of Minnesota teens.” McDonnell, who worked at the St. Paul Pioneer Press as a reporter and political editor for 20 years before taking the ThreeSixty job in 2002, said her program works with a couple hundred high school students a year. “We do summer camps, after-school programs, some school partnerships and an online magazine,” she said. “We serve a whole range of students, but our particular focus is an outreach to low income and people of color.” McDonnell noted that any student from any school district in the state is eligible to take part in the program. Aimone’s National Scholastic Press Association provides journalism education services to students, teachers, media advisers and others throughout the United States and in other countries. Aimone is a product of high school journalism himself. He was a member of his Washington state high school’s newspaper and yearbook staffs, and also taught journalism at the secondary level for 10 years.
what it entails. Who thought just a few years ago that we would see services like Facebook and Twitter? None of those existed a decade ago. Who knows in 2015, 2020 or beyond that what we’ll have? Will everyone have a portable device? I don’t know.” Aimone said there is a place for a school newspaper and a journalistic school yearbook in every school. “I think those schools that support journalism definitely have a rich student life, and that is a way to showcase not just the writers’ or the photographers’ or the designers’ talent, but also to showcase the story of the schools – the good things, the struggles, the happy and not-as-happy moments that make up school.” Bruce Lombard is MSBA’s Associate Director of Communications. You can reach him at blombard@mnmsba.org.
Related links National Scholastic Press Association http://www.studentpress.org/nspa/ ThreeSixty Journalism http://www.threesixtyjournalism.org/ High School Journalism http://www.hsj.org/ Schools Newspapers Online http://www.schoolnewspapersonline.com/ Minnesota High School Press Association http://studentpressblogs.org/mhspa/
Keekley – who started out teaching high school journalism in her native Indiana – also had a stint at the National Scholastic Press Association before landing the job at St. Louis Park.
Futurama Aimone said he is hopeful about the future of high school journalism. “I hope the future is one in which journalism is really strong in every school, and that schools recognize that having that kind of forum for students to express themselves, for them not just to practice their writing skills but also to practice their civics, is a bright future,” he said. “But I can’t predict the future so I don’t know
Cortney Stewart
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010
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Samantha Charest
Greg Abbott
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School districts are willing to spend much effort and time to get out into the community when levy requests are needed. West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan Superintendent Jay Haugen wondered what would happen if that same effort and time was put to use for the school district’s strategic planning. So when his board started talking about a strategic plan, Haugen put it in terms of a campaign. “When you start a campaign, you get input from everyone. You survey, do focus groups. But a huge part of the role of a school board is to be the leader
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in the community. It’s not just a process of input, but a campaign,” he said. The board took input and came up with its educational beliefs: closing achievement gaps; spending as much time developing student strengths as overcoming student weaknesses; students deserve to be part of something great; and making sure the community believes in your plan. “Schools are a reflection of the community,” said Haugen. “So if you want to change schools, you have to change your community.”
Part of doing a strategic plan for Haugen was knowing exactly what he DIDN’T want. He’s seen too many boards go into the process excited, get to work, come up with great ideas and turn out a plan that – for those involved – is an important experience and learning tool that the rest of the community never knows about. Then there may be turnover on the board, or a new superintendent may come in, or the staff changes and doesn’t know or value the plan. “In the end,” Haugen said, “too many of these plans lose traction and the plan just sits on the shelf.” Haugen says by using strategic planning as a campaign, it forces the ideas off the shelf. It becomes a living document for staff, students, the community and future boards.
As with any campaign, goals and district efforts have to be transparent. The district can show how it has been a good financial steward with public money by showing how building projects came in under budget or showing how money is spent on district priorities. “It’s just like a levy in that if the community feels we are transparent, and they like the direction we’re going, they are more likely to vote for our levy or support our plan,” Haugen said. One of the most controversial moves a district can make happened when the district changed starting and ending times for school. The district effort to inform people of the reasons for the change had support – even if people didn’t like it. “We were told that even though some didn’t like the change, they understood why we were doing it,” he said.
The board set four main goals for the strategic plan’s campaign: testing, excellence, stewardship and climate. The goal of the first campaign was to communicate about testing to the public in various ways, but also face-to-face to district groups such as city councils, the chamber, Rotary, PTAs, staff, churches and seniors. Communication went out through podcasts, articles in the newspaper, newsletters, community forums and school events. Haugen gave 30 presentations for the campaign, making sure to take notes and get back to people if they had questions. He had solid statistics and information, but most of his presentations were armed with simple stories. “We told stories of an ESL student who wasn’t a good testtaker, but was a leader in school. Standardized tests throw away college ambitions for thousands of students who can’t take tests. But what we found is that there is more to every student than one test can tell,” Haugen said. “This student went on to get As and Bs in college and graduate.” The district did come up with a scorecard for students that includes testing, but also one that shows excellence through creative outlets, strengths, talents, and non-academic areas. The district’s campaigns also focused on stewardship and climate. The district’s scorecards were able to show student academic achievement through growth rates. The district also took a number of the most vital indicators and made it part of all administrators’ pay-for-performance programs. Staff also committed to having a personal learning plan for every student. A big part of that learning plan involves Spark, a program to develop the potential in all students. “We ask them about the one thing they can do better than anything else, that thing they have a passion for,” Haugen said. “And we think of ways we can develop their skills.”
In 2009, the district’s community survey came back with solid information from the campaign. Some of the information included was: 55%-22% margin, residents agree they are satisfied with the district’s decision-making process 68%-16% margin, residents agree “District 197 does a good job of communicating important issues and decisions” 74%-7% margin, residents agree “I am proud of District 197 Public Schools and would recommend them to friends” 80%-8% margin, residents agree “Our community receives a good value from its investment in local public schools” All of these indicators are well above the Metropolitan Area norm, a fact certainly due in part to the school improvement campaigns. There are more campaigns the board will do as part of its strategic plan. And because it is being approached as a community campaign, the plan will be out in the community – not sitting on a shelf. “Once we get it out to the community, and make sure the community knows about it, they begin to value it, and expect it,” Haugen said. “Then, it becomes a continuing part of what we do.” Greg Abbott is the Director of Communications for the Minnesota School Boards Association. You can contact him about this article at gabbott@mnmsba.org.
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LEARN @ LUNCH EXPANDS FOR INDIVIDUALS, ENTIRE BOARDS Conrad Roberts
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Your MSBA will be expanding its popular Learn @ Lunch webinar series this year, and adding four special Before Your Board meeting webinars that board teams can view as a whole.
The great thing Greg Abbott about the Before Your Board sessions is that all board members are hearing the same information and picking up the same best practices to improve their team.
MSBA Director of Board Development Katie Klanderud said that one of the main missions for the Association is to provide training for board members and board teams. By providing an easy-to-use, convenient training that can be viewed at your own board table, it’s now easier than ever to get information to share.
The 20-minute Before Your Board webinars will kick off Sept. 13. It will be broadcast live at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 13, and be available in an archive for boards that meet on other days of the week. Topics include the following: • When Board Meetings Go Sideways – (September) -- How to keep your board on track with current board business and strategies to handle the unexpected situations board members run into.
• Your Organizational Meeting – (December) – Learn the procedures you need to follow to run an effective organizational meeting and strategies to use when choosing officers. There are several business items that are specific to this meeting, and we’ll give a thorough review so your board is ready for its meeting in January. • Public Participation at Meetings – (March) – MSBA will go over statutes and best practices for knowing when and how to include citizen input. We’ll also offer strategies for directing the public to proper channels for their concerns. • The 2011 Legislative Wrap-up – (June) – MSBA’s Governmental Relations team of Grace Keliher and Kirk Schneidawind will give boards an up-to-date list of how laws in the most recent session will impact schools and students.
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“The great thing about the Before Your Board sessions is that all board members are hearing the same information and picking up the same best practices to improve their team,” said Klanderud. MSBA also wants boards to know that if they view the seminar before the board meeting, it is considered an open meeting. So the board should post the meeting as a work session or study session, just as the district would post any other type of meeting. In addition to the Before Your Board webinars, MSBA will continue to offer a bigger slate of Learn @ Lunch programs from noon to 1 p.m. on the third Thursday of most months. The schedule includes: • Understanding the Family Medical Leave Act & Fair Labor Standards Act (October) • Best Practices for Employee Discipline (November) • Effective Budget Processes (January) • Your Superintendent’s Contract and Handbook (February) • Following up on Negotiations Strategy (April) • Bid Law Dos and Don’ts (May) These 30-minute sessions will continue to be for individual board members, superintendents and other school leaders. The sessions are so popular that we’ll let the comments stand from colleagues who signed up for Learn @ Lunch last year:
“I enjoyed the webcast. This is a great idea.” – Grand Rapids “Can we share your handout? I want to share the learning we have done today.” – Osseo Area “What a great presentation.” – Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton “Good information. And I didn’t have to drive 2 hours to get it.” – Bemidji MSBA knows that the life of a board member is busy. So by offering supplemental learning webinars, you can save time and money by participating right from your home computer or work computer. And, as always, if you miss a session, all webinars are archived for a month so you can view the program at any time that fits your schedule. Signing up for the sessions is easy – just a click on our home page in the Members’ Area at www.mnmsba.org. MSBA Executive Director Bob Meeks said the Association will still continue face-to-face training, but knows that some members are looking for additional easy-to-use alternatives. “MSBA has always tried to adapt to new ways to get information to board members to support, promote and enhance their work. This is our way to serve that need.” Greg Abbott is the Director of Communications for the Minnesota School Boards Association. You can reach him at gabbott@mnmsba.org.
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MSBA Welcomes Gary Lee Gary Lee is a new Associate Director of Management Services Gary’s duties will include assisting with MSBA programs in the areas of school board/employee relations, assisting with MSBAIT planning and programming, working with members in regard to elections, and serving as the MSBA staff liaison to the Minnesota Service Cooperatives. Gary hails from Fertile, and has had hands-on experience with MSBA for the past Gary and Connie Lee six years. As a member of the Fertile-Beltrami School Board since 2003, Gary was elected as a Director to the MSBA Board representing District 12 in 2005. Gary has also served on the MSBAIT (Insurance Trust) board, the Minnesota State High School League Board, the Northwest Service Co-op board and as a school board representative for the Big Three group (cities, counties and school boards). Gary is a graduate of Minnesota State University – Moorhead with a degree in accounting and computer science. He worked for UNISYS (Sperry) for 12 years in the Defense Division out of Eagan. He was the Manager of Financial Information Systems when he left in 1992. Gary assumed control of the family business, Lee Nursery, in 1993. Lee Nursery was a wholesale nursery with over 40 employees and sales nationwide. Gary started Lee Nursery Supplies in 2003 and opened a wholesale outlet in West Fargo, N.D., in 2004. Gary also created Sondreli Business Services, a one-person software consulting firm that specializes in operating software for nursery operations. Gary’s software has been used to run eight wholesale nurseries in five different states. Gary is married to Connie, his high school sweetheart. They have three children: Kendra of Auburn, Ala.; Marissa of Moorhead; and Nate, who is attending Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato. Connie is starting a new position in food services at the Mankato Area Public Schools district. 22
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You need guidance. We give direction. Providing Over 20 Years of Service to Schools.
Focusing on all areas of School Law Labor Negotiations and Employment Law School Business Affairs • Special Education Construction and Land Acquisition • Investigations 300 U.S. Trust Building • 730 Second Avenue S. • Minneapolis, MN 55402 Phone: (612) 339-0060 • Fax: (612) 339-0038 • www.ratwiklaw.com
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010
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DESIGNERS OF MINNESOTA’S FUTURE:
Keeping Kids First
Above: Summer Seminar keynote speaker ReneĂŠ Rongen told members a story of how one smile given to other people made their day; and how that same smile may be the only one some students get. Below: Superintendent of the Year Patty Phillips of North St. Paul-MaplewoodOakdale Public Schools urged board members to always keep their hearts open to making sure all students succeed.
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Below: Peter Hutchinson stressed the importance of teacher effectiveness in student achievement. He is part of the Bush Foundation project for new teacher preparation and mentoring.
Summer Seminar Scrapbook
Above: MSBA honored the 2010 Outstanding Legislators: Rep. Connie Doepke, Rep. Marsha Swails, Sen. Claire Robling, and (not pictured) Sen. Tom Bakk for their roles in helping K-12 education.
Above: Kent Pekel gave economic arguments on why it is important for schools to prepare students for some type of college education, whether it is vocational, two-year or four-year systems. Below: Speaker Tommy Watson told his story about how he came out of poverty to make it in the educational world – all because school staff never gave up on him and gave him hope.
Above: Former state Sen. Fritz Knaack, former Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson and former House Speaker Bob Vanasek gave a bleak outlook for school funding in the next biennium and called balancing the budget an enormous challenge. Right: MSBA President Jackie Magnuson welcomes school leaders from across the state to the 2010 Summer Seminar.
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010
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Cortney Stewart
A passion for public law
Education Law Group Kennedy & Graven’s Education Law Group represents public school districts and provides responsive, creative, practical and high-quality legal services. Charles E. Long Greg Madsen Gloria Blaine Olsen Timothy R. Palmatier Susan E. Torgerson Maggie R. Wallner Stephen J. Bubul Martha N. Ingram Peter G. Mikhail Michael T. Norton Andrew J. Pratt James M. Strommen
Education Law Finance and Bond
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470 U. S. Bank Plaza, 200 South Sixth Street, Minneapolis, MN 55402 Phone 612.337.9300 • Fax 612.337.9310 • Toll Free 1.800.788.8201
www.kennedy-graven.com 26
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Spencer Buchholz
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010
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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 www.gasb45opeb.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 Fax 763-525-3289 www.atsr.com perickson@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 612-977-3503, Fax 612-977-3600 www.dlrgroup.com tmiller@dlrgroup.com GLTArchitects (David Leapaldt) 808 Courthouse Square St. Cloud, MN 56303 320-252-3740, Fax 320-255-0683 www.gltarchitects.com leapaldt@gltarchitects.com
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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 INSPEC, INC. (Fred King) 5801 Duluth St. Minneapolis, MN 55422 763-546-3434, Fax 763-546-8669 www.inspec.com fking@inspec.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 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 (Steve Miller) 84 10th Street S., Suite 200 Minneapolis, MN 55403 612-851-5094, Fax 612-851-5001 www.perkinswill.com steve.miller@perkinswill.com TSP, Inc. (Rick Wessling) 18707 Old Excelsior Blvd. Minneapolis, 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 Athletic Sports Floors/Surfacing 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
Attorneys Kennedy & Graven Chartered (Neil Simmons) 200 South Sixth Street, Suite 470 Minneapolis, MN 55402 612-337-9300, Fax 612-337-9310 www.kennedy-graven.com nsimmons@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 2nd Ave. S., Suite 300 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 Contegrity Group, Inc. (Pete Filippi) 101 1st Street SE Little Falls, MN 56345 320-632-1940, Fax 320-632-2810 www.contegritygroup.com pete@contegritygroup.com Donlar Construction Company (Jon Kainz) 550 Shoreview Park Road Shoreview, MN 55126 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 Phillips) PO Box 158 Circle Pines, MN 55014 763-786-7711, Fax 763-786-2650 www.krausanderson.com mark.phillips@krausanderson.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 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 Employee Assistance Program (EAP) The Sand Creek Group, Ltd. (Gretchen M. Stein) 610 N. Main Street, #200 Stillwater, MN 55082 651-430-3383, Fax 651-430-9753 www.sandcreekeap.com gretchens@sandcreekeap.com Energy Solutions Johnson Controls, Inc. (Arif Quraishi) 2605 Fernbrook Lane N., Suite T Plymouth, MN 55447 763-585-5043, Fax 763-566-2208 www.johnsoncontrols.com arif.a.quraishi@jci.com Financial Management MSBA-Sponsored Administration and Compliance Service (A&C Service) Administration and Compliance Service (Paige McNeal, Educators Benefit Consultants, LLC) 888-507-6053/763-552-6053 Fax 763-552-6055 www.ebcsolutions.com paige@ebcsolutions.com MSBA-Sponsored Lease Purchase Program Tax Exempt Lease Purchase Program (Mary Webster, Wells Fargo Securities, LLC) 800-835-2265, ext. 73110 612-667-3110 Fax 612-316-3309 www.mnmsba.org mary.k.webster@wellsfargo.com
MSBA-Sponsored MNTAAB (MN Tax and Aid Anticipation Borrowing Program) MNTAAB (DeeDee Kahring, Springsted, Inc.) 800-236-3033/651-223-3099 Fax 651-223-3002 www.springsted.com dkahring@springsted.com MSBA-Sponsored P-Card (Procurement Card) Program P-Card Program 800-891-7910/314-878-5000 Fax 314-878-5333 www.powercardpfm.com MSBA-Sponsored SchoolFinances.com SchoolFinances.com (Jim Sheehan, Ann Thomas) Sheehan: 952-435-0990 Thomas: 952-435-0955 www.schoolfinances.com jim@schoolfinances.com ann@schoolfinances.com 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 Food Service Products & Services Lunchtime Solutions, Inc. (Chris Goeb) 717 N. Derby Lane North Sioux City, SD 57049 605-254-3725, Fax 605-235-0942 www.lunchtimesolutions.com chris@lunchtimesolutions.com Taher, Inc. (Monique Navarrette) 5570 Smetana Dr. Minnetonka, MN 55343 952-358-2188, Fax 952-945-0444 www.taher.com m.navarrette@taher.com Insurance Minnesota School Boards Association Insurance Trust (MSBAIT) (Denise Drill, John Sylvester, Amy Fullenkamp-Taylor) 1900 West Jefferson Avenue St. Peter, MN 56082-3015 800-324-4459, Fax 507-931-1515 www.mnmsba.org www.msbait.org ddrill@mnmsba.org jsylvester@mnmsba.org ataylor@mnmsba.org
Playgrounds 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 Roofing Four Seasons Energy Efficient Roofing, Inc. (Darrell Schaapveld) 1410 Quant Ave. North Marine on St.Croix, MN 55047 651-433-2443, Fax 651-433-2834 www.fseer.com info@fseer.com Software Systems PaySchools (Patrick Ricci) 6000 Grand Ave. Des Moines, IA 50312 281-545-1957, Fax 515-243-4992 www.payschools.com pricci@payschools.com Skyward, Inc. 868 3rd Street South, Suite 101 Waite Park, MN 56387 800-236-7274 www.skyward.com
Technology PaySchools (Patrick Ricci) 6000 Grand Ave. Des Moines, IA 50312 281-545-1957, Fax 515-243-4992 www.payschools.com pricci@payschools.com Transportation Hoglund Bus Co., Inc. (Jason Anderson) PO Box 249 Monticello, MN 55362 763-271-8750 www.hoglundbus.com salesmanager@hoglundbus.com North Central Bus & Equipment (Sandy Ethen) 2629 Clearwater Road South St. Cloud, MN 56301 320-257-1209, Fax 320-252-3561 www.northcentralinc.com sandye@northcentralinc.com Telin Transportation Group (Jamie Romfo) 14990 Industry Avenue Becker, MN 55308 866-287-7278, Fax 763-262-3332 www.telingroup.com j.romfo@telingroup.com
Competitive Yields, Guided By Sound Investment Principles. In today’s financial climate, investment choices aren’t always clear. Having one stand tall above the others is a source of security. Since 1984, MSDLAF+ has helped chart the way for hundreds of Minnesota school districts and public school entities. MSDLAF+’s reputation for seeking to attain the highest standards in safety while striving to deliver consistently competitive yields is guided by the same objectives our Participants have — gain a competitive return while preserving principal. Facing uncertain financial seas?
Let the MSDLAF+/PFM Asset Management LLC team guide you.
Carole Loehr Senior Managing Consultant 320-202-1421 loehrc@pfm.com
Richard Lorenz Senior Sales Representative 507-327-4144 lorenzr@pfm.com
Donn Hanson Senior Managing Consultant 612-371-3720 hansond@pfm.com
This information does not represent an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any fund or other security. Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses before investing in any of the Fund’s series. This and other information about the Fund’s series is available in the Fund’s current Information Statement, which should be read carefully before investing. A copy of the Fund’s Information Statement may be obtained by calling 1-888-4-MSDLAF or is available on the Fund’s website at www.msdlaf.org. While the MSDLAF+ Liquid Class and Max Class seek to maintain a stable net asset value of $1.00 per share and the MSDLAF+ TERM series seeks to achieve a net asset value of $1.00 per share at its stated maturity, it is possible to lose money investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Shares of the Fund are distributed by PFM Fund Distributors, Inc., member Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) (www.finra.org). PFM Fund Distributors, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of PFM Asset Management LLC. Member SIPC.
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010
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Advertisers ATS&R...........................................................................Page 21 Bossardt Corporation...................................................Page 30 DLR Group .....................................................................Page 7
Named
Donlar Construction ....................................................Page 11
2009 & 2010 Best Print Publication
Four Seasons Energy Efficient Roofing, Inc. .............Page 22 Johnson Controls, Inc..................................................Page 27 Kennedy & Graven Chartered ....................................Page 26 Knutson, Flynn & Deans, P.A. .......................................Page 2 MSBA Superintendent Search ....................................Page 32 MSBAIT...........................................................................Page 2 MSDLAF+ .....................................................................Page 29
by the Minnesota School Public Relations Association Cited for “Comprehensive Coverage” “Impressive Student Artwork”
Ratwik, Roszak & Maloney, P.A. .................................Page 23 Skyward, Inc....................................................................Page 7 Taher, Inc......................................................................Page 11
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MSBA JOURNAL
Brought to you by YOUR MSBA
ASK MSBA
BACK TO SCHOOL BRINGS COMMON QUESTIONS
A
misconduct with a student. If the Board of Teaching has taken action on this type of misconduct, the school or other hiring authority must obtain access to any available public data, as identified in M.S. 13.41, Subd. 5. Q: Can a school board close a meeting to evaluate one of its employees?
As September and a new school year begin, you will find a sampling of the kinds of questions school board members and school administrators ask MSBA staff this time of year.
Bob Lowe, Director of Management Services
A: Yes, if the subject of the meeting does not request that the meeting be open to the public, a school board may close a meeting to evaluate the performance of an individual who is subject to its authority. The school board must identify the individual prior to Q: Are school districts required to complete closing the meeting and, at its next open background checks on volunteers? meeting, the school board must summarize A: While school districts still have the its conclusions regarding the evaluation. The discretionary authority to complete key word in the above question is “evaluate.” background checks on most volunteers, they School board members should use a valid are required, by M.S. 123B.03, Subd. 1. (a), evaluation tool when using this exception to to complete background checks “on all the Open Meeting Law. The right to close a individuals, except enrolled student meeting to evaluate the performance of an volunteers, who are offered the opportunity employee does not allow this law to be used to provide athletic coaching services or other to “talk” about an employee or discuss issues extracurricular academic coaching services the school board may have with him/her. to a school, regardless of whether any The Open Meeting Law does not include an compensation is paid.” Subd. 1. (a) goes on exception for “personnel data.” School to state that, for an individual to provide the boards may not close a meeting to discuss services he/she must provide the school personnel data. hiring authority with an “executed criminal Q: One of our school board members history consent form and a money order or drives school bus for the school district. Can check payable to either the Bureau of a school board member work for his/her Criminal Apprehension or the school hiring own school district? authority, at the discretion of the school hiring authority, in an amount equal to the A: M.S. 123B.195 provides that school board actual cost to the Bureau of Criminal members may be employed by a school Apprehension and the school district of district only if there is a reasonable conducting the criminal history background expectation at the beginning of the fiscal check.” The Minnesota School Boards year or at the time the contract is entered Association continues to interpret the statute into or extended that the school board to mean that volunteers who provide member’s employment earnings will not “athletic coaching services or other exceed $8,000 in that fiscal year. The school extracurricular academic coaching services board member’s employment earnings do to a school” must pay the cost of a criminal not include any stipends or reimbursements history background check. received for performing his/her duties as a school board member. If the employment Q: What is the Teacher Disciplinary Inquiry earnings are expected to exceed $8,000, the System (TDIS)? individual must choose between being an A: The “Teacher Disciplinary Inquiry employee of the school district or being a System” is the automated online system school board member. He or she cannot be developed by the Board of Teaching in both. To be initially employed or continue to accordance with M.S. 123B.03, Subd. 1a. be employed, a school board member must The system’s purpose is to help facilitate the receive majority approval of the school requirement that school district personnel board at a meeting at which all members are must determine if a prospective teacher has present. If a board member fails to receive had any disciplinary action taken in the majority approval of the full board, Minnesota or other states against his/her his/her employment is immediately teaching license(s) as a result of sexual terminated. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010
31
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