MSBA Journal: September-October 2014 by Minnesota School Boards Association

MINNESOTA SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION

September-October 2014

Volume 67, No. 2

Developing A Comprehensive Superintendent Evaluation We Remember Brown v. Board â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Now What? School Vote Yes Committees Need to 2014 Summer Consider an Early-voting Strategy Seminar

Scrapbook page 28

2 MSBA Journal

SEPTEMBER 2014

Divisions 4 5 6 28 32

QUOTES OF NOTE MSBA Staff

STRAIGHT TALK Kirk Schneidawind, MSBA Executive Director PRESIDENT’S COLUMN Walter Hautala, MSBA President Summer Seminar scrapbook MSBA Staff VENDOR DIRECTORY Pierre Productions & Promotions, Inc.

Articles 8

10 14 18 22 26

DEVELOPING A COMPREHENSIVE SUPERINTENDENT EVALUATION Amy Fullenkamp-Taylor and Sandy Gundlach

We Remember Brown v. Board – Now What? Tracine D. Asberry, Ed.D.

School Vote Yes committees need to consider an early-voting strategy Greg Abbott Why Art is Core Debra Hannu Music Education Meets Online Technology: Augmenting Programs Through Online School Partnerships Paul Babcock A Call for Reform in School Construction Financing Bruce A. Klaehn

1 �� Labor Day (no meetings) 2 �� First Day School Can Be Held 11 �� Fall Regional Meeting (St. Paul) 15 �� Fall Regional Meeting (Marshall) 17 �� Fall Regional Meeting (Rochester) 18 �� Fall Regional Meeting (North Mankato) 18 �� Fall Regional Meeting (Staples) 23 �� Fall Regional Meeting (Fergus Falls) 24 �� Fall Regional Meeting (Thief River Falls) 25 �� Fall Regional Meeting (Mountain Iron) 25 �� Fall Regional Meeting (Sartell) 28–30 �� MASA Fall Conference

OCTOBER 2014 1 �� Last Day for Submitting Legislative Resolutions 2 �� MSBA Insurance Trust Annual Meeting 10 �� MSBA Legislative Committee Meeting 13 �� Columbus Day Observed (optional holiday) 16–17 �� Education Minnesota Conference 22–24 �� Minnesota Association of Educational Office Professionals Conference 25 �� MSBA Charter School Training

NOVEMBER 2014 2 �� Daylight Saving Time Ends 4 �� Election Day (no meetings or activities 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.) 6–7 �� MSBA Board of Directors’ Meeting 11 �� Veterans Day (no meetings) 12 �� MSBA Pre-Delegate Assembly Meetings 13 �� MSBA Pre-Delegate Assembly Meetings 13–14 �� MASBO Fall Conference 15 �� MSBA Pre-Delegate Assembly Meetings 16–22 �� American Education Week 19 �� Minnesota School District Liquid Asset Fund Plus Annual Meeting 27 �� Thanksgiving Day (no meetings) 28 �� Optional Holiday

The MSBA Journal thanks the students of Tri-City United Public Schools for sharing their art in this issue. COVER ART:

Michelle Vlasak

CONTENTS September/October 2014 VOLUME 67, NUMBER 2

Calendar

September/October 2014 3

Officers President: Walter Hautala, Mesabi East President-Elect: Kevin Donovan, Mahtomedi District Directors District 1: Kathy Green, Austin District 2: Jodi Sapp, Mankato Area District 3: Linden Olson, Worthington District 4: Betsy Anderson, Hopkins District 5: Missy Lee, Columbia Heights District 6: George Kimball, White Bear Lake Area District 7: Melissa Sauser, Farmington District 8: Carla Bates, Minneapolis District 9: Karen Kirschner, Mora District 10: Michael Domin, Crosby-Ironton District 11: Tim Riordan, Virginia District 12: Ann Long Voelkner, Bemidji Area District 13: Deborah Pauly, Jordan Staff Kirk Schneidawind: Executive Director Kelly Martell: Executive Assistant John Sylvester: Deputy Executive Director Tiffany Rodning: Deputy Executive Director Greg Abbott: Director of Communications Denise Dittrich: Associate Director of Governmental Relations Denise Drill: Director of Financial/MSBAIT Services Amy Fullenkamp-Taylor: Associate Director of Management Services Sandy Gundlach: Director of School Board Services Barb Hoffman: Administrative Assistant to Governmental Relations/Finance/Meeting Coordinator Sue Honetschlager: Administrative Assistant to Management, Legal and Policy Services/MSBAIT Donn Jenson: Director of Technology 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 Cathy Miller: Director of Legal and Policy Services Sue Munsterman: Administrative Assistant to Board Development/Communications Sandi Ostermann: Administrative Assistant to Association Services and Finance/Receptionist Tim Roberts: Production Room Manager 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.)

4 MSBA Journal

Quotes of Note captures some of the more interesting statements MSBA staff have read in local, state and national publications.

Fair school funding

Bullying in the social media age

“We still have a need to have fair funding throughout the state. It’s still an issue. We want to make sure every child in the state has an equal opportunity to have a good education.”

“Bullying has plagued our society for years. We all have horror stories. Social media plays a bigger part now and kids don’t understand what they’re doing. Back in the good old days, if you wanted to tell 50 people you don’t like a person, you had to make 50 phone calls. After six calls, you probably got tired and went on to something else. With places like Facebook, it’s so easy for 100 people to see something terrible written about one of their classmates. This is what needs to change the most.”

Minnesota Rep. Bob Barrett during a visit with the North Branch Area School Board

A change of plate “It’s not a short-term deal, the health of our kids. Just because we’ve been doing the same thing forever doesn’t mean it’s the best thing.” New Prior Lake-Savage Area Food Service Director Adam Simmons on his plan to introduce healthier school lunch menus

Enhancing black male achievement “We need to be engaging the community broader stakeholders. I need to connect with black fraternities, churches – to have some extensive community engagement. We need to start talking to students as well. The one thing I don’t want to do is go out and start up initiatives and programs without talking to youth.” Michael Walker on targeting outreach first at his new post as head of Minneapolis’ Office of Black Male Student Achievement

Consolidation consideration “We’re being proactive, now that we’re in a position of financial stability. We want to keep moving forward and plan for the future. They say ‘Nobody plans to fail, they just fail to plan.’ So we’re planning, and it’s exciting.” Carlton Superintendent Peter Haapala on his school district exploring consolidation

Crookston Superintendent Chris Bates

National honor “There has always been a tradition of excellence in our public school system, which has been cultivated by a very supportive community. We are proud of that tradition, and are honored to receive this recognition.” Delano Superintendent Matthew Schoen, on his school district awarded with top honors for the “Best Places for Families to Live: Top School Districts with Most Affordable Housing” award by ZipRealty

Teacher redistribution “Unfortunately, there are a lot of kids around the country who are not getting the kind of teaching that they need – not because there aren’t a whole lot of great potential teachers out there, but because we’re not doing enough to put a lot of our teachers in a position to succeed. Typically, the least experienced teachers, the ones with the least support, often end up in the poorest schools.” President Barack Obama regarding his plan for states to come up with a plan for equitably distributing talented teachers among schools by April 2015

Straight Talk

A little advocacy during upcoming session

will go a long way to help schools

Kirk Schneidawind MSBA Executive Director

If there is ever a time to advocate for investments in our public school students, it’s before and during a budgetsetting year like the 2015 session.

Board members wear many hats. All are important, but the advocate hat in a year where the state sets its budget is really important. Whether it is for a home, a school district or a state government, a budget is about priorities. There are many competing interests when it comes to setting the state’s budget. If there is ever a time to advocate for investments in our public school students, it’s before and during a budget-setting year like the 2015 session. An increase on the general fund for schools can give board members more flexibility in meeting the needs of students. A lack of funding usually ends with board members making decisions on what to cut, not how to improve student achievement. That’s why your MSBA is making a push this year to inform board members about key funding and policy issues coming up in the 2015 session by bulking up our Fall Regional Meetings. Throughout September, we’ll talk about what you can do to support investments in our public school students at the state level. The first step is always face-to-face advocacy. Invite your legislators (and candidates for those seats) to meet with your board and discuss what challenges your districts face, and tell them about key issues you’d like to see pass in 2015. With 134 seats up for election in the Minnesota House of Representatives, my guess is your board will have some takers. From what you’ll learn at our Regional Meetings, you can pass that information on to your local legislative candidates. It is also information you should pass along to school board candidates. If elected, they’ll be up to speed on the issues. If they are not elected, they will still be well-informed members in your community. It’s a win-win. At MSBA, we give you many different ways to be involved. The first is to help us set our legislative platform by being a delegate to the Delegate Assembly. Individual board members and entire boards in a district can propose a resolution in an effort to fix a problem

or seek support for a policy or funding issue. And current board members can be nominated to fill open spots in the Assembly. We use your issues to set our agenda for the session. This is a very grassroots approach that we should be proud of. MSBA can also help you with your efforts by providing our electronic Capitol Compass newsletter each week, our MSBA Legislative blog, and weekly conference calls during the session to keep you informed on upcoming legislative issues. We also offer an advocacy day at the Capitol for you to meet with your representatives during the session. One of the core missions of your Association is to advocate for legislative positions that were adopted by our members. Our Government Relations staff do that and do it well, but legislators also need to hear those stories from their school board constituents. Why? Because we know how important it is to advocate for students. Legislators need to hear your stories. They need to hear from YOU about what is working and what is not working for your students. It’s one thing to have one of MSBA’s lobbyists talk to legislators about an issue. But what carries even more influence is for a legislator to hear from a constituent and a board member in the trenches. I can’t tell you the number of times that superintendent and school board member testimony has swayed a committee to push through legislation. The entire process begins with board members being informed, so we hope to see everyone at our Regional Meetings this month. And the follow-through ends with each of your board members passing that knowledge on to your local representatives and telling your own story about what works for students in your district. Your public school students need your voice at the Capitol and back in your district. They know how important it is for you to speak with one voice in standing up for public education.

September/October 2014 5

President’s Column

Want students to do better in school? Offer a variety of extracurriculars!

Sometimes in the push to help students achieve in reading, writing and math, it’s easy to overlook the importance extracurriculars play in motivating students to stay in school. Study after study shows that having sports or a math league or music and theater programs can give students a huge boost in academic life.

Walter Hautala MSBA President

During your term on the board, you will – sooner or later – be faced with the all-toofamiliar task of cutting the budget. Sometimes, it is easy to target things like extracurriculars. But I’m hoping boards think long and hard before automatically going down that path. 6 MSBA Journal

Working as a team – In many jobs today, people don’t work in isolation in a cubicle to produce a specific item. Usually they work as a team to produce cars, advertising campaigns, orchestral music or whatever project a company is hoping to sell. There are skills people need to learn about working in teams – how to work together when other employees may disagree with you, how to learn from mistakes and come back with a stronger plan, focusing on moving forward instead of pointing fingers. Those lessons are all part of what extracurriculars can offer. Whether on the basketball court or a mock trial court team, employers want to hire people who prove they can work together. Time management – Our students live in a very busy world. Sometimes I wonder how they can keep up with homework when so many other things are going on in their life. One might think that adding extra activities after school would take a toll on academics, but most research has found this NOT to be the case. In fact, as long as parents don’t overschedule their children in too many activities, studies find that those activities actually help students to understand time management. Have homework, but a night tournament that will take up most of your homework time? The answer: Studying on the bus ride to the tournament and making better use of study halls in school or down time at the tournament. That ability to prioritize what needs to be done is a skill that comes in handy during college, when Mom and Dad aren’t around to tell their child to do homework before jumping into a game on the computer.

Graduating from school – Students who participate in sports or work on the school yearbook or do some sort of after-school activity are much more likely to stay in school and graduate. Those activities provide an important social aspect to a student’s life. Schoolmates can connect with each other, and that connection is a strong motivator for them to stay in school. Participating in activities sponsored by the Minnesota State High School League also helps deter them from using drugs and alcohol. Students know that violating the MSHSL contract will endanger their chances to continue in any extracurricular activities they enjoy. Higher-level thinking and health – The simple physical activity in sports after school also has huge benefits for the health of your students. Instead of going home to watch television or turn on a computer screen, the physical activity cuts down that screen time and promotes better health. As for activities not sports related? Studies are showing over and over how music and the arts promote higherlevel thinking in math and critical thinking overall. So how does this apply to school boards? It’s a simple matter of your budget priorities. During your term on the board, you will – sooner or later – be faced with the all-too-familiar task of cutting the budget. Sometimes, it is easy to target things like extracurriculars. But I’m hoping boards think long and hard before automatically going down that path. Those activities might be the reason some students stay in school. It might be the reason some are excelling in school. And when you think of educating the whole child, employers and colleges are looking for students who excel beyond academics. They want to see students with teamwork, critical-thinking skills and good timemanagement behaviors. These skills are why extracurriculars are important. These skills make students better people.

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Developing A Comprehensive Superintendent Evaluation 8 MSBA Journal

When searching for a new superintendent, school boards rightly spend a great amount of time developing the position hiring criteria and reviewing the job description. School boards know that hiring a new superintendent is one of their most important responsibilities, and they want to get it right.

Amy Fullenkamp-Taylor and Sandy Gundlach

Once the school board hires a superintendent, the school board should work with the superintendent to cultivate a positive school board-superintendent working relationship, which is critical to accomplishing the school district’s mission and priorities. Having an effective, constructive evaluation process and procedures in place is one way to both develop a positive school board-superintendent relationship and drive forward the school district’s improvement efforts. MSBA and Minnesota Association of School Administrators (MASA) have been working together to improve the superintendent evaluation process. With new principal evaluations and teacher evaluations on the way, MSBA convened a workgroup comprised of both MSBA and MASA representatives to review MSBA’s evaluation forms and evaluation process. The group reviewed several superintendent evaluation forms and processes gathered from other states and organizations and identified effective superintendent evaluation processes and procedures which it used to create a resource aptly titled “Superintendent Evaluation: A Resource for School Board Members and Superintendents.” The new evaluation resource is much more goal-oriented and aligns much better with requirements in the World’s Best Work Force requirements. School board members and superintendents may wonder, “What are the components of a comprehensive, effective superintendent evaluation process and procedure?” In the evaluation resource, the group identified seven principles of a comprehensive evaluation process. A comprehensive superintendent evaluation process must: 1. provide opportunities for both the superintendent’s personal and professional growth; 2. be intended to improve performance, not prove incompetence; 3. provide legal, realistic, accurate, useful, and measurable criteria reflective of the competencies in Minnesota Rule 3512.0510;

4. be ongoing and connected to school district/school improvement goals; 5. connect the school district’s goals with its community’s vision for its schools; 6. link to academic, social, and emotional growth for all students in the school district; and 7. recognize the importance of a superintendent’s leadership work to facilitate a better quality of life for all groups, both inside the school community and in the community at large. School boards and superintendents would be wise to keep the seven principles in mind when developing superintendent evaluation processes. In addition to the seven principles, the evaluation resource includes a variety of tools to aid school boards and superintendents with the evaluation process: • a sample timeline for conducting evaluations; • a sample job description based on the Minnesota Rule; • sample forms (e.g., establishment of goals, mid-year formative evaluation, end-of-year summative evaluation, and superintendent self-evaluation); and • reminders to comply with relevant Minnesota laws. As a reminder, in order to help keep school boards and superintendents focused, the parties should limit the number of goals, and ensure the adopted goals are simple, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely (SMART). The “Resource” is available on MSBA’s website at http://www.mnmsba.org/SuperintendentEvaluationResources. Amy Fullenkamp-Taylor is the associate director of management services and Sandy Gundlach is director of school board services for the Minnesota School Boards Association. Contact the work group members, Amy, Sandy or MSBA Deputy Executive Director John Sylvester with questions. Watch for details for upcoming training opportunities, including at the 2015 Leadership Conference in January. September/October 2014 9

We Remember

Brown v. Board – Marty McGuire

Now What?

Tracine D. Asberry, Ed.D.

Saturday, May 17, 2014, marked the 60th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education. This landmark Supreme Court decision determined separate schools for black and white students to be unconstitutional. As I reflect on this case and subsequent decision, attention must be paid to the “v” or “versus” that connects an eight-year-old African American student, Linda Brown, to public education during that time. This detail serves to remind us of the oppositional history that existed for African American students but should not continue if all kids are truly our kids; and equally important, why this history is American history that requires constant critical analysis. My commitment is to a #BelovedCommUNITY where we work collectively to prevent even the hint of backsliding into beliefs, thinking, policies, and practices reminiscent of life for African American students just 15 years before I was born. With this goal in mind, I offer these personal insights along with opportunities to remember Brown v. Board of Education as an African American parent, teacher, and policymaker.

Remembering requires critical thinking

Each day I communicate with neighbors via e-mail, telephone, and social media who share a commitment to Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS). Last spring, I reached out to several constituents to gain their perspectives around the Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 Budget. In each 10 MSBA Journal

conversation, there were questions raised around how we think about the budget and the vision that guides funding decisions. It became clear that the budget issue is not simply a lack of school funding. Rather the issue extends to the critical thinking necessary to determine budget priorities, and incentives to engage in creative problemsolving and innovation conversations. “Vision, Passion and Imagination are kinfolk” and essential for every student to thrive at MPS (Chaun Webster, Curator of Literature at Ancestry Books and MPS parent). Funding rooted in critical thinking responds wholeheartedly to the vision at MPS without apology. Conversations start with the end in mind – every child college and career ready – school-dependent learners, students of color, thriving learners, and learners who need the foundational programming plus additional services and support – while simultaneously imagining how to ensure that the best practices necessary for a quality educational experience are identified, replicated, and scaled up for greater impact. In short, based on critical thinking surrounding the national beliefs, federal laws, general public beliefs, and education practices just 60 years ago, public school budget decisions become conversations surrounding conditions that ensure African American students have the platform to be who they were created to be from Pre-K through Grade 12. OPPORTUNITY: View the video Cultural Criticism and Transformation, Part 1 by bell hooks at https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=KLMVqnyTo_0. ACTION: Review the previous legislative agenda for your school district. How can the agenda this session create better conditions for African American students? What is needed to ensure high expectations and high support? Think about the surrounding conditions that need to change to nurture, develop, and invest in the beauty, brilliance, and boldness of African American students.

Remembering requires sustainable funding

I have heard a few times during the recent Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) budgeting cycle that “school budgets are moral documents.” This statement is intriguing on many levels – specifically, when it is followed by an explanation of the moral disposition that drives the budget beyond merely balancing line items, covering a traditional checklist, and allocating resources. As of this time, I have yet to hear (or see) a direct alignment between the strategic plan and the vision for African American students who are the group singled out for most disparaging data – suspensions, special education, dropout rates and poor attendance. I have yet to see bold decisions made without struggle or a last-minute gesture of good faith. I have yet to see the accountability and transparency to ensure integration programs and funding specifically designed to ensure African American students (among other groups of color) receive more than a seat in the classroom, but an earned path across the graduation stage with options beyond basic survival.

Katy Rabenberg

OPPORTUNITY: Examine your school budget to determine the fiscal and moral commitment to African American students (and their families). Do budget decisions respond substantially to the vision for African American students based on gaps identified in achievement, belief, and opportunities? ACTION: Review the budget. Identify budget allocations designated for African American students (and their families). Develop a timeline that aligns with the expected outcomes and the indicator of effectiveness. If these evaluation details do not exist, be sure to ask why. How will you know if the intentions are met? This data will be a platform to continue to fund what works (as well replicate and scale up) and cease funding programs and strategies that are not demonstrating and documenting effectiveness with urgency.

Remembering requires a paradigm shift

We must not underestimate the beliefs, thinking, and practices that required a Supreme Court decision to change the faces of public education to reflect the demographics of the public. When we are committed to all students, we must ensure that we imagine all students along with their race, class, gender, ability, sexual orientation, religion, and language realities. Merely imagining who has the right to a quality education, extracurricular activities, advanced courses, special education, exposure to arts and culture, support services, English as a Second Language services, travel locally and nationally, and leadership opportunities may require a paradigm shift if we truly believe all students deserve the right to thrive at MPS. This simply makes sense due to the lengthy United States history of violations through education (boarding schools for Native American students, segregation of African American students, English-only movement, etc.). Still, I believe we have the will for a paradigm shift! September/October 2014 11

Brown v. Board

– Now What?

We Remember

In the state of Minnesota, we made a paradigm shift with the success of bills such as the Dream Act, Same-Sex Marriage, Safe Schools, and Minimum Wage. The positive impact of these paradigm shifts on MPS students, families, teachers and staff is irrefutable. We must shift again and quickly when we remember Brown v. Board, and recognize what life was like for African American students prior to 1954. These realities should be nearly paralyzing when we confront the heartbreaking realities our African American students face as residual effects of institutional racism, especially when we confront the overidentification in school suspensions and the under-identification in advanced courses, school leadership, and traveling opportunities only 60 years since Brown v. Board. I believe wholeheartedly that we can welcome a paradigm shift that allows us to (1) think critically about the construction of race, (2) change the course of outcomes at our schools predicted by race (as well as the interlocking realities of class, gender, and ability), and (3) honor the dreams of every student with respect to the intentional and/or unintentional policies, practices, and procedures that may perpetuate racism. OPPORTUNITY: I am proud to live in a state that passed both the Safe Schools and Minimum Wage bills last session. I believe it was the right thing to do. Now, I look forward to the work the Legislature will do to provide and protect working-class Minnesotans and all children. ACTION: Call your legislators. Ask them what they will do this session to invest in the educational conditions of African American students, Pre-K through Grade 12. Tell them that you are ready to support their efforts and will call five voters to do the same.

Remembering requires action

After nearly a decade as a MPS teacher and rounding the corner of my second year on the MPS Board of Education, I am constantly reminded as George Santayana (1863–1952) contends, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” I agree that remembering the past can serve to prevent the same mistakes done with African American students. However, remembering for African American people was/is focused on the struggle and the value of “Emancipation and Education” (Dr. Josie R. Johnson). There is a sense that both formal and informal education are inextricably linked to our overall freedom. As 12 MSBA Journal

Bayard Rustin reminds us, “The proof that one truly believes is in action.” Further, Paul Wellstone urges, “We all do better when we all do better.” OPPORTUNITY: Attend and participate in YOUR school board meetings. ACTION: Be a vocal champion for African American students by speaking during school board public comments. What do you believe about African American students and how will you act on this belief?

Remembering requires reciprocation

I grew up in Detroit, Michigan, as the youngest of eight children. Education, both formal and informal, was a primary value in my home. My father was illiterate, but an organic intellectual. He worked for 30 years as an assembly line operator at the first Henry Ford Motor Plant, engaging in Civil Right activities in his free time. When I was four, my mother earned a GED and went on to complete her undergraduate degree to become a state social worker. Modeling resilience throughout their struggles, my parents instilled in me a firm belief that education is a gateway out of poverty; academic achievement in school determines who thrives and who survives outside of school. Understanding education as the means to transform the world gave me strength to rise to my full potential and called on me to reciprocate. Raised with high expectations and high support, my parents taught me to give to family and community based on the love, will, and vision of so many before me. To this day, I believe it is everyone’s duty to lift each other up. OPPORTUNITY: I share my insights along with opportunity and action ideas for your consideration. My hope is that you will be moved by my article to act individually to start a movement for African American students. I also invite you to go to http:// www.tcdailyplanet.net/profiles/tracine-asberry to read my Why We Can’t Wait blog. Thank you for your time and consideration; and please feel free to share your comments, questions, and words of wisdom. Tracine D. Asberry is a board member on the Minneapolis Public School Board. You can contact her about this article at Tracine.Asberry@mpls.k12.mn.us.

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PLANNERS / ARCHITECTS / ENGINEERS

Contact David Maroney 800.545.3731

dmaroney@atsr.com www.atsr.com

Designing for the Possibilities September/October 2014 13

Allie Trnka

School

Vote Yes

committees

need to consider an early-voting strategy

In the mountains of laws passed during the “Unsession” this year, a small provision was changed that allows for people to cast an absentee ballot without having to give a reason such as “I have an operation scheduled for that day” or “I spend winters in Arizona.” Basically, if people want to vote early, they can. This changes strategy for school district Vote Yes groups as they prepare to get out the vote for a bond or levy referendum this fall. The strategy now should be: One campaign for early voters and one campaign for the rest of the people voting on Election Day.

Greg Abbott

When do people make a decision about your referendum? Dr. Bill Morris, of Morris Leatherman Company, had some interesting statistics about when people make decisions about referendums and candidates. Morris’ survey results showed 45 percent of people have already made up their mind about ballot questions before Sept. 1 rolls around. And another 20 percent make their decisions in September. Absentee ballots are available Sept. 19 this year for the General Election. In the past, people have had to give a reason why they would not be able to vote in November. With the law change, no reason is needed. Anyone can vote early. This provides a window of opportunity for Yes committees to put in place a strategy to capture more of the parent vote and youth vote by encouraging them to vote early.

The strategy: Target parents who didn’t vote in the past election Any good Vote Yes campaign starts with getting the voting rolls from the past election (or the past referenda election). Compare that list to your list of parents and see how many parents voted. Then, start a list of parents who didn’t vote. That list of parents who didn’t make it to the polls contains your targets in your campaign for early voting.

14 MSBA Journal

Again, Morris Leatherman found that four out of five parents will vote in favor of any reasonable tax increase. The problem is, according to Morris: “In some districts in 2013, the parent turnout rate dropped below the general turnout rate.” Whether parents thought the issue would pass without their vote or thought it might fail so they didn’t turn out, the numbers of voting parents are dropping. The beauty of an early voting campaign is that you can locate those parents who are not showing up at the polls and get an absentee ballot in their hands.

Absentee voting is easy People can vote absentee in person or by mail. The law allows for a voter to ask a person they know to pick up and deliver an absentee ballot for them. It starts by requesting an absentee ballot application. This can be done online or you can request one from the county election office – even if you are not a registered voter. (If you are not a registered voter, the county will send the absentee application and a voter registration application.) To complete a voter registration form, the person must have a proof of residence. County offices – and some city offices – will be open during normal business hours for people wanting to vote early by absentee. And for those with transportation issues, they can also request an absentee ballot and vote by mail.

Banking your votes early saves time at the end of the campaign

Strategy change also requires an earlier district informational campaign If the Vote Yes group is going to be successful at increasing the parent and youth vote, it means the district also has to adjust their schedule of when information on the referendum goes out. From Morris’ findings, that information campaign should really start in July. And it should definitely be in place by the time absentee ballots are available Sept. 19. If the information is available, it makes it easier for the Yes committee to encourage early voters to support the referenda because an informed voter is usually a Yes voter. An uninformed voter is usually a No voter. Another plus for early information is that you avoid the glut of nasty political ads that dominate governor races, legislative races and some local county and city races. Before the media is clogged with other races, the district has a golden opportunity to get information out and help the Yes Committee start to bank votes. If early voting efforts can increase parent turnout or youth turnout by just 20 percent, you could see a much more positive result when ballots are cast in November. The key is to make sure your Yes group has funding for an early voting campaign and has a strategy set for targeting young people and parents who didn’t vote in the past election. Greg Abbott is the communications director for the Minnesota School Boards Association. Information on voting decision percentages and parent voting rates are courtesy of Morris Leatherman Company.

An early voting campaign can be a good way to increase the faltering turnout rates for parent voting. Once you have targeted parents who didn’t vote in previous elections, you can turn to 20-somethings who haven’t voted. The more people you can check off your list for parents who voted early, the fewer your campaign will have to target down the stretch. The district can help start the early voting campaign by making sure that everyone is notified about the Early Voting Law and the time period of Sept. 19 through Nov. 3. The information can also list where to vote (the county and any city location) and how to get an absentee voting application form online. The key for district communications is to not encourage a Yes vote. Only the Yes Committee can send out information that includes a pitch for the referendum. The second strategy targets recent graduates and 20-somethings. A Yes Committee can have friends or classmates contact the people in that age group and make sure they know about voting early. Remembering to vote and saving time to vote on a specific day can be somewhat problematic for young families who have to run to jobs, get their baby to daycare or get to the polls if bad weather hits on Election Day. Recent graduates might be at college and need to receive information about voting early in their hometown. So again, the more targeted people voting early, the greater the percentage of voters in favorable categories who might not otherwise get to the polls.

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Architects Educational Planners

12 Long Lake Road Suite #17 St. Paul, MN 55115 (651) 770-4442 mark@architectsmla.com

ASSIGNMENT #1

REDUCE COST, IMPROVE FACILITIES

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Since 1984, the MSDLAF+ Fund has offered competitive investment options to Minnesota schools and related entities. As you proceed through the coming months remember that MSDLAF+ provides: • Unlimited number of accounts and no minimum investment requirement • Check writing, next day ACH, and same day Fed wiring all available • Variable- and fixed-rate investment options • Professionally managed investment portfolio • A simplified manner of monitoring collateral • A dedicated client service team Carole Loehr Senior Managing Consultant 320-202-1421 loehrc@pfm.com

Mark Thompson Senior Managing Consultant 612-371-3750 thompsonm@pfm.com

Donn Hanson Director 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 1-888-4MSDLAF 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) and Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) (www.sipc.org). PFM Fund Distributors, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of PFM Asset Management LLC.

DESIGNING FOR TODAY’S STUDENT Inspiring and high-performing buildings improve educational outcomes. At ISG, that fact is the cornerstone of each K-12 space we design. Whether designing new spaces, renovating existing buildings or performing deferred maintenance projects, our team of experts help build effective long-term plans and safe environments. These facilities are not only conducive to multiple learning modalities but reduce operating costs and offer responsive, sustainable solutions to accommodate the rapidly changing educational environment.

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Why Art is Core

Debra Hannu

Allie Trnka

Those of us who have the gift of sight take it for granted, yet we are making thousands of decisions daily via our eyes. Some are conscious, many are not – how many times have you driven home, responding to various stimuli such as stoplights and oncoming cars, while your brain was somewhere else? Your eyes and brain worked together to get you home, even without your analyzing each and every move on that TV screen in your head. Many of us don’t really “see” – we are, like the driver, on “autopilot.” An art education hones our abilities to really “see” what our eyes are pointed toward – an awareness that contributes to all learning; indeed, enables it. My husband will often joke how funny we “art people” are when we get together: we seem to just get a kick out of so many things. Why? We’re conscious of what’s around us, probably more than most folks.

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So it’s true: artists do have more fun! Like reading and language arts classes in school, art courses teach decoding and creating or “re-coding.” Our companions in literacy generally garner a much larger piece of the education pie, but the literacy of the visual is no less important; perhaps even more. After all, you’re only reading and writing at certain times in your daily life, but you’re looking and seeing all the time – and making decisions based on the information coming in. This became very clear to me during a summer camp experience, where I had students from a school district that had no elementary art specialists, and students of the same age from my own school district, who had a moderate dose of professional art education in their school diets. While both of these groups of students were looking at the same things, they could not SEE the same things or make the same observations. It was quite a startling revelation, especially considering that as the brain develops, certain neural pathways are closed, and malleability is forever changed. Just think of the implications for all other learning, in all content areas! Our brains resort to symbol systems as a form of “shorthand” for everyday life, a sort of visual glyph. We know without analysis which restroom to walk into, for example, by a pretty basic visual cue. Make that image many degrees more realistic, however, with a particular expression or colorized or postured in a specific way, and “reading” it becomes more complex and emotional – requiring noticing, nuance, an understanding of what organizational principles do in art, context, and the full range of skills that a quality art education provides. Kind of like the difference between understanding a STOP sign versus a novel. Lest anyone out there might still believe that art class is just about “making stuff” or “self-esteem” (comments that will surely raise the ire of your friendly local neighborhood art teacher), please be aware. Art education is firmly rooted and wrapped in cognitive development, and children go through predictable stages in their development in “markmaking” which coordinate with their development in language, in physical abilities, and so on. Your art teacher doesn’t just play with stuff and color; he or she is an expert in cognition and brain development – in knowing when and where to guide children in their visual understanding of the world around them. Your art teacher isn’t just showing students cool pictures; he or she is helping them learn to discern, to read images, and to figure out how to create images to get specific effects – all the while opening doors to a world of history, culture, and interconnectedness. No matter the art form or the delivery – be it aesthetics, visual culture, graphic design, media arts, art criticism, or teaching artistic behavior – a quality art education is hyper-relevant to today’s schooling. Our society is increasingly imagefocused – indeed, we respond to an image 10,000 times more readily than to words in our televisual society; yet visual and media arts education take a decided backseat to reading/language arts in schools. Images, with a potency that goes far beyond the written word, rule our worlds, while quality arts education programs are demoted in schools. With all that we now know about multiple intelligences and brain development, we still stubbornly hold to standardized tests as measures of intelligence. While we are adamant about having licensed reading teachers, we find loopholes to staffing arts courses professionally. Perhaps it’s time to reconcile the differences. Debra Hannu is a visual/media arts educator and curriculum coach in the Duluth Public Schools. She serves on the new National Coalition for Core Arts Standards Visual Arts Writing Team, and was awarded Minnesota’s Art Educator of the Year for 2013–14.

September/October 2014 19

Design for Learning

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September/October 2014 21

Music Education Meets Online Technology: Augmenting Programs Through Online School Partnerships

Marty M cGuire

The past decade of tight school budgets has taken its toll on the arts. As the 2014–15 school year approaches, Minnesota students will be headed back to schools that have 25 percent fewer music teachers than in 2004.

Paul Babcock

For many schools, creating a robust music program can be a challenge. Kerkoven-Murdock-Sunburg Schools Director of Bands, Pam Diem, is in charge of more than 10 different bands from elementary level to senior high pep band, wearing multiple hats as the sole director. The opportunity for support in rural areas is especially difficult to come by. After learning of an Online School Partnership opportunity with MacPhail Center for Music, she learned that she could augment her program and support the needs of the 80 to 90 students in the room with top-level instruction tailored to her curriculum. Martin Heidelberger, Superintendent of KMS Schools, knows the importance of supporting the teachers. “We’re a small rural school, and we’re isolated,” said Heidelberger. “We see that with inherent advantages and challenges.

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How it works The technology: Our Online School Partnerships (OSP) use state-of-the-art video conferencing to bring high-level learning in real time right into the classroom. Many schools already have sophisticated video conference equipment established, which makes for easy adoption. As an alternative, some schools use simple desktop video-conferencing technology such as Skype. The partnership: MacPhail works with the local music teachers and/or band directors to identify what could be most helpful to them and their students. Working within their curriculum, the program is able to pinpoint areas that help support a school’s ultimate goals, providing esteemed faculty and technology resources to supplement a student’s classroom experience where needed. During their scheduled class, MacPhail links chanus up via live feed to share faculty Jackie S expertise.

So as we look forward, how do we optimize? How do we capitalize on those? What we want are opportunities for our students, when they’re learning to achieve at their highest level, to attain their potential.” That’s where we at MacPhail come in. With advances in technology, teaching music is no longer limited to face-toface interaction. In 2011, our school set out to combine a successful background in providing collaborative music school partnerships with the use of new technology to bring music to rural areas of the state that would otherwise have limited access. We wanted to work with music directors to provide the resources and support needed to help their students achieve their highest potential. With KMS Schools, we were able to provide clinics, sectionals and 1-on-1 lessons online while enhancing their established program.

Nicole Boelter, instrumental music director for Yellow Medicine East School District in Granite Falls, had initial concerns about an online school partnership with MacPhail. After a year of working together, she says: “I am proud of how far I can push my students to help them improve, but the resources of MacPhail with their professional musicians and specific expertise help students achieve to the best of their ability.”

Innovation and leadership While a few collegiate organizations have previous experience in their respective field using online technology, MacPhail is the first to use video conferencing as a community-based organization for music education. We have grown to have powerful relationships with our partners that far exceed just business. The results have been great, with both music directors and students appreciating what it adds to their experience. “When you ask about priorities, as we saw in working with MacPhail’s service, it is really about excellence,” said Heidelberger. “MacPhail now has fulfilled a need.” September/October 2014 23

Augmenting Programs Through Online School Partnership

Music Education Meets Online Technology:

The end result MacPhail’s partnerships have created collaborative platforms in which faculty and technology support an established music program at any level. It has worked by creating more resources for the musical director to use that support the curriculum, giving him or her complete control with added expertise. At the same time, it helps create a more diverse classroom setting with opportunities to experience a new environment with differing skills and expertise from musicians who are experts on their instruments. There are two main concerns new partners have before creating a successful program. The first is uncertainty about how effective online lessons can be in a large classroom setting. The second is a concern that MacPhail’s program might replace the local teacher, rather than provide resources to enhance their music programs. Fortunately, both obstacles are quickly overcome. Victoria, a high school flute student from Kerkhoven, summed up her feelings about online lessons: “At first I was really afraid and uncertain about doing music lessons online. But it took about 30 seconds to see this was incredible!”

homas Emily T

Paul Babcock is President and COO of the MacPhail Center for Music. For more information on Online School Partnerships, contact Kristin Shoemaker at shoemaker.kristin@macphail.org.

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Emily Thomas

SCHOLASTIC ACHIEVEMENT PARTNERS

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Ashley LeBrun

A Call for Reform in School Construction Financing

Perhaps my eye was attracted to the total cost figure of $8.7 million. After all, the DoverEyota school electorate had just passed a bond issue referendum for $8.65 million, approving two school construction projects. Perhaps I was surprised over the relatively small amount of media attention given to this other $8.7 million public construction project compared to that given to our identically priced school project. Or perhaps it was just the contrasting process needed to approve such an expenditure for a publicly funded construction project.

Bruce A. Klaehn

26 MSBA Journal

Whatever the reason, reading the news of construction beginning on a new $8.7 million fire station in northeast Rochester again raised a nagging question in my mind, one being continually asked by education leaders all around the state: “Why are school districts the only public entity required to hold a referendum to levy for construction costs?” It seems that no matter when, or where, or of whom I ask that question, I have gotten no better answer than

the infamous, “Because it has always been that way.” We don’t consider that answer acceptable very often in our society today. In all walks of life, we are asking why, and we expect a pretty good reason. If not, we begin the process of change. Today, I call upon state government leaders to “begin the process of change” for school construction funding. The current system is a glaring discrepancy to how we otherwise go about taxation and representation. School boards, it seems, are the only publicly elected officials who, for whatever reason, cannot be entrusted with the authority to build as they see fit, even though they are held accountable in the same election process as legislators, county commissioners, city councils and township boards. “Checks and balances” you say? In addition to a referendum, school districts are already required to proceed through a process called “Review and Comment,” a lengthy report submitted to the state Department of Education. This report contains extensive information about the school district, its current facilities, current debt, details of the proposed plan, projected property tax impact of the project, enrollment history and projections, and a host of other details used for a thorough review by department officials. An approximate waiting period of 60 days passes while school leaders wait for the response, which could come as an approval, a denial, or a request for further information. I am not sure if any “Review and Comment” is required to build a similarly priced fire station. Schools aren’t asking for a credit card without a limit. We know we answer to our taxpayers. We respect that responsibility every year when we set our levies, just like the Legislature and all the other public entities. What we seek is equality. Equality for all kids across the state. Equality among all public boards and commissions. There are a lot of educational infrastructure needs throughout this state and nation, and one of the reasons those needs are ongoing and worsening is the referendum requirement.

Lexie Franek

The current process is expensive and damaging. Thousands of dollars are expended in these referendums, dollars from the same fund a school uses to upgrade technology, buy buses, and pay the electric bill. Communities are split, and school effectiveness is bruised by the emotional blows delivered within these campaigns. Anyone calling these referendums a healthy part of the democratic process hasn’t been close enough to one to see what really goes on. We can do this better, Minnesota. We can set school debt limits. We can allow levies that “save up” for future construction needs, spreading the tax burden more fairly. We CAN entrust our school boards to make these decisions and prevent the divisions in communities that take years, if ever, to mend, negatively impacting the local education process along the way. Let’s sit down and figure out a better way, with a better reason than “the way it’s always been done.” I’ll be glad to help, and I’ll be glad to work with those who might be suspicious of such a change. Bruce A. Klaehn is superintendent of Dover-Eyota Public Schools. To comment on this article, you can reach him at bruceklaehn@desch.org.

September/October 2014 27

2014 Summer Seminar Scrapbook

William Morris – president of the Morris Leatherman Company – shares tips on what school boards, school staff and Vote Yes committees should do to make their referendum campaigns successful.

28 MSBA Journal

Attorney Peter Martin talks about the Safe and Supportive Schools Act and how it will affect school districts this fall.

Summer Seminar attendees try out a listening exercise with Dr. Alan Zimmerman moderating.

Minnesota Department of Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius talks about department initiatives and answers questions from seminar attendees.

Minnesota School Boards Association’s Grace Keliher runs through a few statistics about the 2014 Legislative Session.

September/October 2014 29

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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 Website at www.mnmsba.org. Most listings in the Web version of this directory include a link so you can head instantly to a Website 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 Erica Nelson at 763-497-1778 or erica@pierreproductions.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 Arvig 888-992-7844 www.arvig.com answers@arvig.com ATS&R Planners/Architects/ Engineers (Paul W. Erickson) 8501 Golden Valley Road, Suite 300 Minneapolis, MN 55427 763-545-3731, Fax 763-525-3289 www.atsr.com perickson@atsr.com Clark Engineering Corporation (Douglas Fell) 621 Lilac Drive N Minneapolis, MN 55422 763-545-9196, Fax 763-541-0056 www.clark-eng.com dfell@clark-eng.com Cuningham Group Architecture, Inc. (Cuningham Group®) (Judith Hoskens) 201 Main Street SE, Suite 325 Minneapolis, MN 55414 612-379-3400, Fax 612-379-4400 www.cuningham.com jhoskens@cuningham.com GLTArchitects (Evan Larson) 808 Courthouse Square St. Cloud, MN 56303 320-252-3740, Fax 320-255-0683 www.gltarchitects.com elarson@gltarchitects.com Hallberg Engineering, Inc. (Richard Lucio) 1750 Commerce Court White Bear Lake, MN 55110 651-748-1100, Fax 651-748-9370 www.hallbergengineering.com rlucio@hallbergengineering.com I+S Group (ISG) (Rod Schumacher) 115 E Hickory Street, Suite 300 Mankato, MN 56001 507-387-6651, Fax 507-387-3583 www.is-grp.com rod.schumacher@is-grp.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

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Johnson Controls, Inc. (Kathleen Donovan) 2605 Fernbrook Lane N Plymouth, MN 55447 612-554-5160, Fax 763-566-2208 www.johnsoncontrols.com kathleen.m.donovan@jci.com Kodet Architectural Group, Ltd. (Ed Kodet) 15 Groveland Terrace Minneapolis, MN 55403 612-377-2737, Fax 612-377-1331 www.kodet.com ekodet@kodet.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 http://nssi-usa.com tim@playgroundcompliance.com Nexus Solutions (Mike David) 11188 Zealand Avenue N Champlin, MN 55316 612-747-1003, Fax 763-201-8410 www.nexussolutions.com mdavid@nexussolutions.com TSP Architects and Engineers (Gary Sabart) 18707 Old Excelsior Boulevard Minnetonka, MN 55345 952-474-3291, Fax 952-474-3928 www.teamtsp.com sabartgw@teamtsp.com Unesco, Inc. (Kevin McGauley) 584 Woodland Drive Mahtomedi, MN 55115 952-486-7854, Fax 952-487-9389 www.unescocorp.com kevin.mcgauley@unescocorp.com Wendel (Jim Wilson) 111 Washington Avenue N, Suite 300 Minneapolis, MN 55401 612-332-1401, Fax 612-332-1405 www.wendelcompanies.com jwilson@wendelcompanies.com Widseth Smith Nolting (Kevin Donnay) 7804 Industrial Park Road Baxter, MN 56425 218-829-5117, Fax 218-829-2517 www.widsethsmithnolting.com kevin.donnay@wsn.us.com Wold Architects and Engineers (Vaughn Dierks) 305 St. Peter Street St. Paul, MN 55102 651-227-7773, Fax 651-223-5646 www.woldae.com mail@woldae.com

Athletic Facilities I+S Group (ISG) (Rod Schumacher) 115 E Hickory Street, Suite 300 Mankato, MN 56001 507-387-6651, Fax 507-387-3583 www.is-grp.com rod.schumacher@is-grp.com Athletic Sports Floors/Surfacing Fisher Tracks, Inc. (Jordan Fisher) 1192 235th Street Boone, IA 50036 515-432-3191, Fax 515-432-3193 www.fishertracks.com jfisher@fishertracks.com Midwest Tennis & Track (Brian Launderville) 22 South Main Street Denison, IA 51442 712-263-3554, Fax 712-263-5110 www.midwesttennisandtrack.com brian@midwesttennisandtrack.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 http://nssi-usa.com tim@playgroundcompliance.com Attorneys Kennedy & Graven, Chartered (Neil Simmons) 470 US Bank Plaza, 200 S 6th Street Minneapolis, MN 55402 612-337-9300, Fax 612-337-9310 www.kennedy-graven.com contactus@kennedy-graven.com Knutson, Flynn & Deans (Thomas S. Deans) 1155 Centre Pointe Drive, Suite 10 Mendota Heights, MN 55120 651-222-2811, Fax 651-225-0600 www.kfdmn.com tdeans@kfdmn.com Pemberton Law (Kristi A. Hastings) 110 N Mill Street Fergus Falls, MN 56537 218-736-5493, Fax 218-736-3950 www.pemlaw.com k.hastings@pemlaw.com Ratwik, Roszak & Maloney, P.A. (Joseph J. Langel) 730 2nd Avenue S, Suite 300 Minneapolis, MN 55402 612-339-0060, Fax 612-339-0038 www.ratwiklaw.com info@ratwiklaw.com

Construction Management & Consulting Services 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 Johnson Controls, Inc. (Kathleen Donovan) 2605 Fernbrook Lane N Plymouth, MN 55447 612-554-5160, Fax 763-566-2208 www.johnsoncontrols.com kathleen.m.donovan@jci.com Knutson Construction (Todd Vigil) 7515 Wayzata Boulevard Minneapolis, MN 55426 612-600-4464 or 763-525-3085 www.knutsonconstruction.com tvigil@knutsonconstruction.com Kraus-Anderson Construction Company (John Huenink) PO Box 158 Circle Pines, MN 55014 763-792-3616, Fax 763-786-2650 www.krausanderson.com john.huenink@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 http://nssi-usa.com tim@playgroundcompliance.com Stahl Construction (Josh Schultz) 5755 Wayzata Boulevard St. Louis Park, MN 55416 952-931-9300, Fax 952-931-9941 www.stahlconstruction.com jschultz@stahlconstruction.com Educational Programs/Services Minnesota State Academies for the Deaf and Blind (Brad Harper) 615 Olof Hanson Drive Faribault, MN 55021 507-384-6602, Fax 507-332-5528 www.msa.state.mn.us brad.harper@msa.state.mn.us The Minnesota Service Cooperatives (Jeremy Kovash) 1001 East Mount Faith Avenue Fergus Falls, MN 56537 218-739-3273, Fax 218-739-2459 www.lcsc.org jkovash@lcsc.org Electrical Engineers/AV Systems Widseth Smith Nolting (Kevin Donnay) 7804 Industrial Park Road Baxter, MN 56425 218-829-5117, Fax 218-829-2517 www.widsethsmithnolting.com kevin.donnay@wsn.us.com

Energy Solutions Johnson Controls, Inc. (Kathleen Donovan) 2605 Fernbrook Lane N Plymouth, MN 55447 612-554-5160, Fax 763-566-2208 www.johnsoncontrols.com kathleen.m.donovan@jci.com

MSBA-Sponsored SchoolFinances.com (Jim Sheehan, Ann Thomas) Sheehan: 952-435-0990 Thomas: 952-435-0955 www.schoolfinances.com jim@schoolfinances.com ann@schoolfinances.com

Unesco, Inc. (Kevin McGauley) 584 Woodland Drive Mahtomedi, MN 55115 952-486-7854, Fax 952-487-9389 www.unescocorp.com kevin.mcgauley@unescocorp.com

PFM Asset Management, LLC MSDLAF+ (Donn Hanson) 800 Nicollet Mall, Suite 2710 Minneapolis, MN 55402 612-371-3720, Fax 612-338-7264 www.msdlaf.org hansond@pfm.com

Facilities Maintenance & Supplies

Fire & Security

Clark Engineering Corporation (Douglas Fell) 621 Lilac Drive North Minneapolis, MN 55422 763-545-9196, Fax 763-541-0056 www.clark-eng.com dfell@clark-eng.com

Arvig 888-992-7844 www.arvig.com answers@arvig.com

Financial Management Ehlers (Joel Sutter) 3060 Centre Pointe Drive Roseville, MN 55113 651-697-8514, Fax 651-697-8555 www.ehlers-inc.com jsutter@ehlers-inc.com Eide Bailly LLP (Ross Manson) Fargo, ND; Minneapolis, Mankato, MN 855-220-8634, Fax 507-386-6268 www.eidebailly.com nationaltaxoffice@eidebailly.com MSBA-Sponsored Administration and Compliance Service (A&C Service) Administration and Compliance Service (Paige McNeal, Educators Benefit Consultants, LLC) 888-507-6053 or 763-552-6053 Fax 763-552-6055 www.ebcsolutions.com paige@ebcsolutions.com MSBA-Sponsored MNTAAB (Minnesota Tax and Aid Anticipation Borrowing) Program (Patty Heminover, Springsted, Inc.) 800-236-3033 or 651-223-3058 Fax 651-268-5058 www.springsted.com pheminover@springsted.com MSBA-Sponsored P-Card (Procurement Card) Program 800-891-7910 or 314-878-5000 Fax 314-878-5333 www.powercardpfm.com MSBA-Sponsored PaySchools-Data Business Systems (Andy Eckles) 17011 Lincoln Avenue Parker, CO 80134 303-779-6573 or 855-210-8232 X 130 www.payschools.com www.databusys.com andy.eckles@databusys.com

Fitness Equipment 2nd Wind Exercise Equipment (Shon Hartman) 7585 Equitable Drive Eden Prairie, MN 55344 952-224-1240, Fax 952-906-6905 www.2ndwindexercise.com/ commercial shartman@2ndwindexercise.com Floor Coverings Hiller Commercial Floors (Dave Bahr) 2909 S Broadway Rochester, MN 55904 507-254-6858 or 888-724-1766 Fax 507-288-8877 www.hillercarpet.com dbahr@hillercarpet.com Food Service Products & Services Taher, Inc. (Erin Hove) 5570 Smetana Drive Minnetonka, MN 55343 952-345-2891, Fax 952-945-0444 www.taher.com e.hove@taher.com Health Insurance PreferredOne (Mike Thielen) 6105 Golden Hills Drive Golden Valley, MN 55416 763-847-3549, Fax 763-847-4010 www.PreferredOne.com mike.thielen@preferredone.com Insurance Bullis Insurance Agency - Assured Risk Protection (Marc Bullis) 407 East Lake Street #201 Wayzata, MN 55391 952-449-0089 mbullis@bullisagency.com

Minnesota School Boards Association Insurance Trust (MSBAIT) (Denise Drill, Gary Lee, Amy Fullenkamp-Taylor, John Sylvester) 1900 West Jefferson Avenue St. Peter, MN 56082-3015 800-324-4459, Fax 507-931-1515 www.msbait.org ddrill@mnmsba.org glee@mnmsba.org ataylor@mnmsba.org jsylvester@mnmsba.org Riverport Insurance Company (Dave Kyllo) 222 South Ninth Street, Suite 1300 Minneapolis, MN 55402 612-766-3227, Fax 612-766-3397 www.riverportinsurance.com dkyllo@riverportinsurance.com Labor Relations Kennedy & Graven, Chartered (Neil Simmons) 470 US Bank Plaza, 200 S 6th Street Minneapolis, MN 55402 612-337-9300, Fax 612-337-9310 www.kennedy-graven.com contactus@kennedy-graven.com 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 http://nssi-usa.com tim@playgroundcompliance.com Public Finance Kennedy & Graven, Chartered (Neil Simmons) 470 US Bank Plaza, 200 S 6th Street Minneapolis, MN 55402 612-337-9300, Fax 612-337-9310 www.kennedy-graven.com contactus@kennedy-graven.com Roofing North Central Insulation (Brett Geboy) PO Box 91 Eau Claire, WI 54702 715-210-4307, Fax 715-835-8830 brett@northcentralinsulation.com Security/Communication Systems Arvig 888-992-7844 www.arvig.com answers@arvig.com Software Systems MSBA-Sponsored PaySchools-Data Business Systems (Andy Eckles) 17011 Lincoln Avenue Parker, CO 80134 303-779-6573 or 855-210-8232 X 130 www.payschools.com www.databusys.com andy.eckles@databusys.com

Technology Arvig 888-992-7844 www.arvig.com answers@arvig.com MSBA-Sponsored PaySchools-Data Business Systems (Andy Eckles) 17011 Lincoln Avenue Parker, CO 80134 303-779-6573 or 855-210-8232 X 130 www.payschools.com www.databusys.com andy.eckles@databusys.com Technology Education PreciouStatus (Julie Gilbert Newrai) 275 Market Square, Suite 519 Minneapolis, MN 55405 888-959-8982 www.precioustatus.com support@precioustatus.com Transportation Hoglund Bus Co., Inc. (Jason Anderson) PO Box 249 Monticello, MN 55362 800-866-3105, Fax 763-295-4992 www.hoglundbus.com salesmanager@hoglundbus.com Minnesota School Bus Operators Association (Shelly Jonas) 10606 Hemlock Street NW Annandale, MN 55302 320-274-8313, Fax 320-274-8027 www.msboa.com shellyj@msboa.com National Bus Sales (Paul Thompson) 8649 S Regency Drive Tulsa, OK 74131 800-475-1439 www.nationalbus.com paul@nationalbus.com North Central Bus & Equipment (Sandy Kiehm) 2629 Clearwater Road St. Cloud, MN 56301 320-257-1209, Fax 320-252-3561 www.northcentralinc.com sandyk@northcentralinc.com Telin Transportation Group (Dave Mohr) 16290 Kenrick Loop Lakeville, MN 55044 612-850-6348, Fax 952-435-9066 www.telingroup.com dmohr@telingroup.com Wireless Communications Arvig 888-992-7844 www.arvig.com answers@arvig.com

September/October 2014 33

Advertisers ATS&R Planners/Architects/Engineers.......................... Page 13 Eide Bailly LLP..................................................................... Page 7 I+S Group (ISG)................................................................ Page 17 Johnson Controls, Inc. ..................................................... Page 30 Kennedy & Graven, Chartered .......................................... Page 7 Knutson Construction....................................................... Page 21 Knutson, Flynn & Deans, P.A............................................ Page 35 Kraus-Anderson Construction Company......................... Page 16 MLA Architects.................................................................. Page 15 MSBAIT.............................................................................. Page 36 MSDLAF+........................................................................... Page 17 Nexus Solutions................................................................. Page 16 North Central Insulation................................................... Page 30 PreciouStatus...................................................................... Page 13 PreferredOne....................................................................... Page 2 Ratwik, Roszak & Maloney, P.A. ...................................... Page 31 Riverport Insurance Company.......................................... Page 20 Rupp, Anderson, Squires & Waldspurger, P.A................. Page 25 Scholastic Achievement Partners (SAP)........................... Page 25 Taher, Inc........................................................................... Page 21 Telin Transportation Group.............................................. Page 35 Widseth Smith Nolting...................................................... Page 20

34 MSBA Journal

Named

2009, 2010 & 2012 Best Print Publication by the Minnesota School Public Relations Association Cited for “Comprehensive Coverage” “Impressive Student Artwork” Brought to you by YOUR MSBA

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Our Warranty is UNMATCHED and comes standard with no additional cost www.TelinGroup.com 866.287.7278 or 952.435.9060 September/October 2014 35

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MANKATO, MN PERMIT NO. 47

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Protection assurance when you need it. The Minnesota School Boards Association Insurance Trust (MSBAIT) endorses companies with a proven record of service.

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Your MSBAIT contacts

Denise Drill ddrill@ mnmsba.org

Amy Fullenkamp-Taylor ataylor@ mnmsba.org

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Quality Coverage and Service Tailor-Made For School Districts Find out what MSBAIT can do for your district. Call 800-324-4459 or visit www.msbait.org.

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