MSBA Journal: September-October 2015 by Minnesota School Boards Association

MINNESOTA SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION

September-October 2015

Facilities Fairness Board Vacancies Just Became More Costly, Complex and Confusing You Say You Want A Resolution?

Volume 68, No. 2

2015 Summer Seminar

Scrapbook page 23

Crucial Conversations

SEPTEMBER 2015

Divisions 4 5 6 23 24

QUOTES OF NOTE MSBA Staff STRAIGHT TALK Kirk Schneidawind, MSBA Executive Director PRESIDENT’S COLUMN Kevin Donovan, MSBA President Summer Seminar Scrapbook MSBA Staff VENDOR DIRECTORY Pierre Productions & Promotions, Inc.

Articles 8 12 14 15 20

Facilities fairness Rod Schumacher and Greg Crowe Board vacancies just became more costly, complex and confusing Greg Abbott MSBA going on Tour MSBA Staff You say you want a resolution? Denise Dittrich Increasing student engagement Brett Bernard

7 �� Labor Day (no meetings) 10 �� Statewide Advocacy Tour (North Mankato & Rochester) 15 �� Statewide Advocacy Tour (North St. Paul & Worthington) 16 �� Statewide Advocacy Tour (Bloomington & Spring Lake Park) 17 �� Statewide Advocacy Tour (Hopkins & Willmar) 22 �� Statewide Advocacy Tour (Thief River Falls & Sartell) 23 �� Statewide Advocacy Tour (Grand Rapids & Fergus Falls) 24 �� Statewide Advocacy Tour (Walker & Cloquet) 28–29 �� MASA Fall Conference 30 �� Last Day for Submitting Legislative Resolutions

OCTOBER 2015 8–9 �� MN Association of Educational Office Professionals (MAEOP) Conference 12 �� Columbus Day Observed (optional holiday) 15–16 �� Education Minnesota Conference 22 �� MSBA Insurance Trust Annual Meeting 24 �� MSBA Charter School Board Training (St. Cloud)

novem B E R 2 0 1 5 3 �� Election Day (if applicable – no meetings or activities 6 p.m.–8 p.m.) 5–6 �� MSBA Board of Directors’ Meeting 11 �� Veterans Day (no meetings) 12 �� MSBA Pre-Delegate Assembly Meetings 12–13 �� MASBO Fall Conference 14 �� MSBA Pre-Delegate Assembly Meetings 15–21 �� American Education Week 17 �� Minnesota School District Liquid Asset Fund Plus Annual Meeting 26 �� Thanksgiving Day (no meetings) 27 �� Optional Holiday

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

Bre Erickson

September/October 2015 3

CONTENTS September/October 2015 VOLUME 68, NUMBER 2

Calendar

Officers President: Kevin Donovan, Mahtomedi Past-President: Walter Hautala, Mesabi East 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: Suzy Guthmueller, Centennial District 6: George Kimball, White Bear Lake Area District 7: Melissa Sauser, Farmington District 8: Carla Bates, Minneapolis District 9: Kirby Ekstrom, North Branch Area District 10: Michael Domin, Crosby-Ironton District 11: John Berklich, Hibbing District 12: Ann Long Voelkner, Bemidji Area District 13: Deborah Pauly, Jordan Staff Kirk Schneidawind: Executive Director Kelly Martell: Executive Assistant Tiffany Rodning: Deputy Executive Director Greg Abbott: Director of Communications Denise Dittrich: Associate Director of Government 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 Government 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 Government Relations Katie Klanderud: Director of Board Development Gary Lee: Director of Membership Services Bruce Lombard: Associate Director of Communications Cathy Miller: Director of Legal and Policy Services Sue Munsterman: Administrative Assistant to Board Development/Communications Jeff Olson: Membership Services 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.

No Child Left Behind reauthorization

Local control

“We are one step closer to replacing a flawed law and improving K–12 education for our nation’s children and families. There is a lot of work that lies ahead, but I am confident we will find common ground and send a bill to the president’s desk that helps ensure every child in every school receives an excellent education.”

“Parents, teachers, school boards, and communities are in the best position to know the needs of their students . . . education decisions are best made at the state and local level.”

U.S. House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman Rep. John Kline, R-Minnesota, after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Student Success Act (H.R. 5) on July 8. The proposal would reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act – aka the No Child Left Behind Act – with reforms that would reduce the federal role, restore local control, and empower parents and education leaders to hold local schools accountable.

“We greatly appreciate the strong leadership of Senators Lamar Alexander and Patty Murray for anchoring a bipartisan fix for NCLB that affirms the value of local governance. (The) passage of (Senate bill) S.1177 and the House’s recent passage of H.R. 5, the Student Success Act – both of which include local governance provisions – are promising signs that the final bill will incorporate provisions to support community ownership of all public schools.” National School Boards Association Executive Director Thomas J. Gentzel

(Note: Congress is expected to debate both rewrites of the No Child Left Behind law in September.)

Reforming application process for out-of-state teachers “You’re always looking for that one issue that will bring all of the districts together, and this is one of those. We had districts from Thief River Falls to Minneapolis that had the same issue about finding qualified people, who were running into licensure barriers, when they’d come into Minnesota.” MSBA Executive Director Kirk Schneidawind

U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Nebraska (and former president of the Nebraska Association of School Boards)

Counselor shortage “In Minnesota, we’re like third from the bottom on counselors. We have over 700 kids per counselor, which is not good.” U.S. Sen. Al Franken, D-Minnesota

Broadband representation “I look forward to continuing the good work of the members who have served and continue to serve on the governor’s Broadband Task Force. The goal of the governor’s Task Force is important to all the schools and students in our public school system. I hope to bring the school boards’ perspective to the task force.” MSBA Associate Director of Government Relations Denise Dittrich, after Gov. Mark Dayton selected her for the Minnesota Broadband Task Force

Importance of enrollment “The amount of students that we service really is the core piece of our organization; it determines a lot of things. (Enrollment) determines the number of staff, the bus routes, the number of meals served, everything. Number of programs we have, number of students on a sports team, everything.” Brainerd Public Schools Director of Business Services Steve Lund

Straight T alk N – o regrets take action for your students now

In September, my twin children – Koen and Kaci – will enter the final stage of their public school careers as they begin their senior year at Mankato East High School. It always comes off as cliché, but it literally seems like it was yesterday that the twins were babies.

Kirk Schneidawind MSBA Executive Director

“Did I do enough as a school board member to maximize these students’ level of achievement and preparedness for postsecondary education and/or the workforce?”

As you probably know, kids do grow up quickly, in a-blink-of-an-eye fashion. As much as you look forward to the upside of your children reaching certain milestones – crawling, walking, riding a bike, tying their shoes, losing teeth, etc. – the downside is that it means they are growing up. I often look back on the kids’ past 17 years – and I reflect within myself. As a parent, did I do enough? Did I do enough to help give them the basic tools to navigate the game of life – now and into the future? Did I read to them enough when they were little? Did I spend enough quality time with them? Did I impart enough “Dad wisdom” to them? Did I do everything I could to make them the best citizens they can be? Do I have any regrets for anything unsaid or undone? As much as I may think I was a perfect father, there are decisions I made (or didn’t make) for which I wish I could have hit the “do over” button. School boards have the benefit of a continuous cycle of students showing up at your front door each year. But that shouldn’t reduce the urgency for improvement. In fact, the urgency for improvement should be accelerated.

When you take on the role of a school board member, you are responsible not just for your children and/ or grandchildren, but hundreds or thousands (depending on the size of your school district) of children. Your duty is magnified. You might ask yourselves some of those same questions (that I asked myself above) later this school year when you see seniors from your high schools’ Class of 2016 walk across that stage in May or June. You might ask yourself: “Did I do enough as a school board member to maximize these students’ level of achievement and preparedness for postsecondary education and/or the workforce?” This is a fundamental question that needs to be asked each day. It is the school board’s responsibility to ensure all the pieces are in the right place for your students to achieve and prepare. Shepherding students through 12-plus years of school is a monumental task, but when school boards focus and act on what needs to be done, they provide a successful path for their students for their future. Don’t regret anything you didn’t do. As they say in sports – “Don’t leave anything on the field.” Take the proper course of action now.

September/October 2015 5

President’s Column MSBA Delegate Assembly is democracy at its best

At the close of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, Benjamin Franklin was quoted to say: “A Republic, if they can keep it.” Over the past 239 years since our independence, our republic has faced some challenges and tests of our democratic process. We the people of United States, despite our differences, are stronger now than ever before. One of the hallmarks of our republic is a system of representative government.

Kevin Donovan MSBA President

There is no better way to come together for the betterment of our public school students than to participate as a representative in the MSBA Delegate Assembly.

School board governance is a great example of a representative system of governance. The voters choose a local group of citizens with common beliefs and values to represent the school district as a school board. School board governance began long before we were an independent nation. In 1647, the Massachusetts Bay Colony passed a law requiring towns to establish and maintain schools administered by citizens through town hall meetings. My great-great-grandfather, James Monroe Thompson – a Civil War veteran and mercantile store owner in Bedford, Iowa – was one such local elected official. He was often heard to say just how much he enjoyed his service to the community as an elected school board member. We, as elected board members, bring a diversity of experience to our local boards. We are elected by the people to represent many points of view.

I would argue that, although our primary service as elected school board members is to set vision and policy for our local districts, our service should not end there. We need to understand and articulate the needs of our home districts and find common ground with our fellow districts from around the state of Minnesota. We must speak with one voice to our elected state officials for the 845,000 students we serve. There is no better way to come together for the betterment of our public school students than to participate as

6 MSBA Journal

a representative in the MSBA Delegate Assembly. In this process, school board members – elected by their fellow board members representing districts from all across the state – come together to vote on resolutions for the MSBA Government Relations staff to carry to the state Capitol in St. Paul. This ensures that the voices of the 333 local school boards are heard by our elected senators and representatives. Of the four local associations that represent local units of government – MSBA, the League of Minnesota Cities, the Association of Minnesota Counties and the Minnesota Association of Townships – only MSBA has this grass-roots approach to setting a unified direction. The process for the Minnesota School Boards Delegate Assembly begins in July and culminates the first weekend in December. The MSBA Statewide Advocacy Tour (formerly Fall Regional Meetings) begins in September, bringing school board members and state officials together to discuss issues in 14 regions across Minnesota. All Minnesota school boards and/or individual school board members can bring forward resolutions for consideration at the Delegate Assembly. Visit http://www.mnmsba.org/ StatewideAdvocacyTour for more details about the MSBA Statewide Advocacy Tour. See Page 14 for more information. Delegates, who are elected for a twoyear term, come together at the MSBA Delegate Assembly Conference (held each December) to discuss and vote on various legislative resolutions submitted by school boards. In an average year there will be 40 resolutions for consideration. Resolutions that are passed with a majority vote will become the basis for MSBA’s legislative platform and the focus for staff lobbying at the state Capitol. The Minnesota School Boards Association, with its Delegate Assembly process, is doing its part to keep democracy strong and our communities’ schools well represented. Visit http://www.mnmsba.org/ DelegateAssembly to learn more about the Delegate Assembly, including a video presented by MSBA Executive Director Kirk Schneidawind.

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Facilities Fairness

New legislation gives a jump start for building maintenance, takes steps toward equity

By Greg Crowe Municipal Advisor, Ehlers

8 MSBA Journal

For years, many Minnesota school district referendums for facilities maintenance projects did not pass. The Legislature, recognizing an important need to maintain district facilities, requested input on how to create a more equitable and sustainable financing process for public school facilities. As a result, the School Facilities Financing Working Group provided recommendations, and new legislation was passed during a special session last month that provides revenue increases for school districts not currently eligible to participate in the Alternative Facilities Bonding and Levy program. During the 2014 legislative session, several bills were introduced that would have implemented many of the recommendations from the “School Facilities Financing Working Group Report.” The only one that ultimately was adopted was a variation of the first recommendation that proposed the current Alternative Facilities Bonding and Levy program – enjoyed by the largest 25 districts – be extended to all school districts.

The new program, referred to as Long-Term Facilities Maintenance (LTFM) Revenue, includes a three-year phased approach beginning in FY 2017. Districts will receive up to $193 per pupil of revenue the first year, then in FY 2018, districts can obtain up to $292 per pupil and up to $380 per pupil in FY 2019. These figures are prorated for districts with an average building age of 35 years or less. This replaces the former Health and Safety and Deferred Maintenance revenue programs and associated funding.

pupil LTFM allowance. However, this approval process has separate requirements. New construction and remodeling projects are specifically excluded from the program.

Another component of the new legislation requires that districts develop a 10-year facilities maintenance plan adopted by their boards. There are generally two primary components of a school facilities plan – physical condition and educational adequacy. Research shows that preventative maintenance preserves the physical condition of a facility so it can provide reliable use and the lowest overall cost measured across the life of facilities and infrastructure. Curricular changes within education programs can have a significant impact on facilities. The most common challenge experienced during preparation of a facilities plan is balancing and prioritizing physical conditions with educational needs. Working with experienced and qualified consultants to plan and prioritize maintenance and improvement projects can help with this process.

• Ten-year Facilities Plans, adopted by the school board and approved by the commissioner, must be submitted to the Minnesota Department of Education.

The Long-Term Facilities Maintenance Revenue comes as an equalized levy, meaning that the state will pay for a portion of the revenue, depending on the district’s property value. In this case, the equalizing factor for the program is set as 123 percent of the state average Adjusted Net Tax Capacities (ANTC) per pupil unit, which for FY 2017 is estimated to be around $9,000. This is important for two reasons. First, the equalizing factor is high enough that a significant number of districts qualify for aid. Second, the factor being set as a percent of state average ANTC per pupil unit means that over time, if property values increase statewide, the equalizing factor will also increase. This will in turn minimize the erosion of state aid that has been seen in so many programs that have fixed equalizing factors. The other key element of the equalization of this program is that half of the agricultural land in a district is not counted when calculating the district’s value per pupil. The result is that districts with significant concentrations of agricultural land will reflect a lower value when compared to land areas with more dense populations, potentially qualifying them for additional state aid. The program funds deferred maintenance expenditures. Primarily, this includes items that are attached to, or a part of, a building, and replaced on a like-for-like basis. Projects including roof and window replacement fall into this deferred maintenance category. While the Health and Safety program was replaced, any projects for indoor air quality, fire safety and asbestos removal that exceed $100,000 can be funded over and above a district’s per

Next Steps • Districts must indicate whether bonds, levy, or a combination of these will be used to finance the plan. • School board members should review the full report and talk with their legislators about the remaining recommendations to provide adequate and equitable funding to Minnesota schools. This recent legislative action is a good step toward creating adequate, equitable and sustainable financing of public school facilities throughout the state of Minnesota. For the full report, visit http://archive.leg.state.mn.us/ docs/2014/mandated/140199.pdf.

Background: Working Group The Minnesota Legislature requested and received the “School Facilities Financing Working Group Report and Recommendations” in 2014 after it became largely accepted that Minnesota’s system of funding schools needed a systematic improvement. The working group was established to review facilities funding, as state support for school facilities had gradually eroded over 20 years, and new programs such as alternative facilities funding and the capital project referendum levy had contributed to growing disparities in facilities funding among districts with low and high incomes.

Current Inequities • Overall, school districts who qualify for the “full” Alternative Facilities Bonding and Levy Program receive an average of $178 more per pupil unit than other districts. • The tax rate needed to raise $1,000 per pupil unit of facilities revenue in low income districts is about 2.6 times higher than high-wealth districts.

September/October 2015 9

Facilities Fairness

• Operating capital revenue per average daily membership has remained relatively flat since 1996. When adjusted to the consumer price index, the result is a 32-percent decline in purchasing power. The task force proposed eight different recommendations, covering the majority of programs that school districts have access to for capital facilities projects. The overarching goals were to increase equity in revenue, and access to funding. As a result, the major recommendations were to phase in an “alternative facilities” type deferred maintenance program; to increase equalization aid on debt and other programs; to reform the Lease Levy program to make it more broad; and to increase operating capital revenue and index it to inflation; as well as several other recommendations aimed at addressing specific situations. In the past, the Legislature adopted recommendations for districts that experienced a natural disaster, and recommendations for simplifying the state’s review and comment process, on a case-by-case basis.

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Board vacancies just became more costly, complex and confusing

Because of the new Elections Omnibus bill that was approved by the Legislature (M.S. 123B.095), filling a vacancy on your board just became more costly, complex and confusing. In the past, you could simply declare the position vacant and appoint someone to fill the spot until the next election cycle.

By Greg Abbott

12 MSBA Journal

The new law, which went into effect July 1, requires any board vacancy with more than 1 year left on the term to be filled by a special election not less than 120 days after the district is notified of the vacancy but no later than 12 weeks before the next scheduled primary

election; OR concurrently with the next primary or general election; OR no sooner than 120 days after the general election. The person elected during the special election will serve out the entire one-plus to three-plus years of the term for the vacated board member. A quick review of MSBA’s database shows 20 to 25 people resigning from their board seats each year. With an average of $10,000 spent per special election, it adds up to a quarter of a million dollars spent doing special elections, instead of districts having that money to use in the classroom.

Timelines for setting a special election For the remainder of this year, the timeline looks like this: Districts with even-year elections If a board member resigns July 1 through Dec. 31, declare the position vacant, notify county auditors to give a 74-day notice and set the election 120 days or more after the vacancy. (Note that if your district includes cities with oddyear elections, you will follow the timeline for districts with odd-year elections below). Districts with odd-year elections If a board member resigns July 1 through July 6, declare the position vacant, notify the county auditors that the special election will be on General Election Day, Nov. 3. If a board member resigns July 7 through Dec. 31, declare the position vacant, notify the county auditors that the special election will be on March 4, 2016, at the earliest. (No special elections 120 days after the General Election). You can see how the new law took a simple appointment process that usually took a month and turned it into a confusing process that could leave your board seat vacant for up to nine months.

How do you fill vacancies with less than a year left on the term? For vacancies with less than one year left in the term, appointments can be made, but now many more requirements are needed, such as: • A public hearing must be held not more than 30 days after a vacancy occurs, with public notice given; • Notification of all public officials in the school district, such as county commissioners, township supervisors and city council members, with a written record entered of all the public officials with the names and addresses of those officials the school district has notified; • If the board can’t get a majority vote on the appointment after the hearing, a special election would be held for the position. • If the vacancy is within 90 days of the General Election, the seat stays vacant until a person is elected. MSBA’s Government Relations team will be working to remove this law to give boards a less costly option that can fill board seats in a more timely manner – such as the past appointment process. Greg Abbott is the MSBA Communications Director and oversees election questions. You can reach him at gabbott@mnmsba.org.

MSBA going on Tour

September tour will provide an update on education legislation, advocacy roadmap and more

The Minnesota School Boards Association is coming to a venue near you in September.

Fourteen dates have been scheduled for the MSBA Statewide Advocacy Tour (formerly Fall Regional Meetings). The Statewide Advocacy Tour will bring together MSBA members and legislators to discuss policy and funding issues that are impacting their By MSBA Staff school districts. All school board members and superintendents are invited to attend these meetings, where ideas are generated for MSBA’s legislative agenda. “Our advocacy efforts are recognized as one of the most grass-roots approaches at the state Capitol because many of our legislative initiatives come directly from local school boards,” said MSBA Executive Director Kirk Schneidawind. “School board members are closest to the action, and understand the policy and funding issues that are needed to support student learning opportunities.” This event is more than just a new name. The revised meeting agenda will include the following items. Advocacy Matters MSBA Government Relations staff members Grace Keliher and Denise Dittrich will review 2015 advocacy efforts and describe the 2016 legislative landscape. “By attending one of our Statewide Advocacy Tour meetings, you are taking the first step to effective change at the Legislature,” Dittrich said. Legislative Straight Talk on Advocacy from Local Legislators Members can address issues and present ideas during a discussion with their local legislators. This will help members jump-start their local advocacy efforts for the 2016 legislative session. MSBA Going Forward Members will learn how MSBA is evolving to better serve school boards. MSBA Executive Director Kirk Schneidawind or Deputy Executive Director Tiffany Rodning will discuss future expanded benefits and services available to MSBA members. 14 MSBA Journal

MSBA Awards Local school board members will receive recognition for earning MSBA Leadership Development Certificates. The Leadership Development Certificates are awarded to members who have completed the first three installments of MSBA’s Phase Orientation Workshop series: Phase I, Phase II and Phase III. Completing these Phase workshops is important because they establish a strong foundation for school board members. Members can attend any one of 14 meetings held across the state. The tentative lineup includes: • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Thursday, September 10: North Mankato Thursday, September 10: Rochester Tuesday, September 15: North St. Paul Tuesday, September 15: Worthington Wednesday, September 16: Bloomington Wednesday, September 16: Spring Lake Park Thursday, September 17: Hopkins Thursday, September 17: Willmar Tuesday, September 22: Thief River Falls Tuesday, September 22: Sartell Wednesday, September 23: Grand Rapids Wednesday, September 23: Fergus Falls Thursday, September 24: Walker Thursday, September 24: Cloquet

For complete details, visit http://www.mnmsba.org/StatewideAdvocacyTour for complete details. Dinner will be provided at no cost. Also, you will receive a copy of the 2015 MSBA Legislative Summary.

You say you want a

resolution? Get Involved!

Make a Difference!

Write a Resolution!

One of the most fulfilling and powerful privileges of membership in the Minnesota School Boards Association is the opportunity to participate in the policymaking process. Good policymaking begins when a school board or a school board member, just like you, identifies an issue that needs to be resolved or a new idea considered, and submits a solution in the form of a resolution.

By Denise Dittrich

Authoring a resolution is a great way to get involved and create awareness of issues that need the attention of MSBA and state policymakers. During the legislative process, elected officials ask for MSBA’s resolutions because they respect what school board members think. Writing a resolution is not difficult. However, there is a format and process that must be followed. The new and simplified MSBA Resolution Template Form can be accessed online at www.mnmsba.org, and should be used to insure we record and represent the issue correctly. Resolutions may be submitted until September 30 for consideration at the 2015 Delegate Assembly. We encourage you to get involved and submit a resolution. Please see the following tips and guidelines to writing a good resolution.

September/October 2015 15

What is a resolution? A resolution is a proposal that asks MSBA to take a certain position or action on an issue. School boards or an individual school board member may submit a resolution. Before you write a resolution, ask yourself, “Does the resolution have statewide importance? Does the proposal help more than my school district?” A serious resolution should: • Assign a primary author. • Contain only one issue per resolution. • Include a “be it resolved” clause, relevant background information, and rationale. ➢• Address a timely issue that affects public education currently or in the future.

“Be it resolved . . .” clause The “be it resolved” statement is the most important part of a resolution, since it is what will become the MSBA policy if adopted. A strong “resolved” statement should: • State the topic and the action or policy called for. • Be fully understood as a stand-alone statement. • Contain a single issue. • Be specific enough to get your point across, yet flexible enough to be relevant in the long-term.

I wrote my resolution. What now? Submit your resolution to Barb Hoffman at bhoffman@mnmsba.org by September 30, 2015. Each submitted resolution is researched by the MSBA Government Relations staff. The Government Relations staff then presents each resolution to the MSBA Legislative and Resolution Committee. The committee’s recommendations are presented to the full MSBA Board of Directors. From there, your resolutions will be debated and voted on by school board delegates during the MSBA Delegate Assembly in December. See the next issue of the Journal to learn about how the Delegate Assembly works. Remember, as school board members, you are the closest to the issues that affect our schools and students. You are in the best position to identify issues that are in need of attention by MSBA and other policymakers. We encourage you to get involved and transform your issue into a resolution by September 30! Denise Dittrich is MSBA’s Associate Director of Government Relations. You can contact her at ddittrich@mnmsba.org.

Background (not required) Relevant background information may include statistics, analyses, surveys, commentaries and reports that you may be aware of.

Rationale for the “be it resolved” statement The rationale statements should paint a picture of why the topic should be addressed by MSBA. These statements offer an explanation, or the rationale, of what the “be it resolved” statement is intended to address. The rationale should: • Describe the problem or the need for action. • Explain how the “be it resolved” statement will correct the problem. • Address the timeliness or urgency with its effects on school districts. • Provide reasonable support in a logical order. Please visit http://www.mnmsba.org/Portals/0/PDFs/ SampleResolution2015.pdf to view a sample resolution.

16 MSBA Journal

During the legisla tive pr ocess elected officia , ls ask fo r MSB A’s resolu tions becau se t respec hey t what schoo l board memb ers th i nk.

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Gavin Sherman

Increasing student engagement Board members, teachers need to see importance in common language and structure

By Brett Bernard

There is no shortage of new programs to implement in schools and classrooms. Over my 20-year teaching career, I have seen graduation standards, performance packages, whole language, outcome-based-education, and countless other programs. Schools invest valuable dollars to train staff, purchase curriculum, and implement these and many other programs. What happens? They come and they go. Some of them are cyclical. All of a sudden, what was done 20 years ago comes back with a fresh twist or a new name. As a fifth-grade math teacher, I see the importance of math in the daily lives of my students. I see the anxiety in some and lack of confidence in others. There are students who don’t understand concepts; but more concerning to me is that we are seeing students disengage in this critical subject. For some reason, math is different. I have seen a connotation with math that it is impossible. I am never going to be good at it. My parents were not good so I don’t have to be. I have taught all subjects, and math is a sensitive one for students and their parents. Over the years, I have learned the importance of finding

20 MSBA Journal

ways to increase student engagement in my math classes for boys and girls. We constantly hear how test scores need to improve in the areas of math and science, and there is an easy way to accomplish this. It is not by adding another program that drains the budget and consumes the valuable time of teachers. We are constantly adding new programs that go away after a few years. Increasing student engagement in math is not a program. It is a structure for what teachers already have in place to ensure that students will be engaged in math class. There are four elements to engaging students that are already being done. However, if educators have a common language and structure to follow, we will provide a consistency for each child throughout their education. We have to think about FOUR simple questions that the students will have: 1. What’s in it for me? 2. Is this possible? 3. How do I feel? 4. Do I care?

That is it. I refer to these as the “Fascinating Four” when it comes to engaging students in my math class. These four questions can apply to all content areas. By learning how to more effectively implement this structure, teachers will be more effective at keeping students engaged. I have seen the results in my math classroom over my career and, the more I listen to others and collaborate, the more improvement I see. I told you about the “Fascinating Four.” Now it is time to break it down one more time. There are four things we can consider in each category. I call this the “Sweet Sixteen.” Let’s look at a few examples. In the “What’s in it for me?” category, one of the points is to connect a concept to students’ lives. I will always remember my fourth-grade math teacher. She let us share how we did in our baseball, football and basketball games and used that data in class to engage us. We added, multiplied, worked with mean, median and mode. I wanted to learn because it connected to my life. In the “Is this possible?” category, it is clear that it is important to track and study progress. This gives baseline data to the teacher and parents and, more importantly, it shows the child how much improvement he or she has made since the start of a unit or year. The final grade is not the only measure of success – just as the final score on a scoreboard does not measure victory. There are many other things to consider. There are little victories along the way.

The next question in the “Fascinating Four” is “How do I feel?” One of the categories in this is using humor. My math students love it when I start with a joke that pertained to the lesson. We sometimes watch YouTube® clips or movie clips that capture their attention. This also increases air flow to the brain. What a positive way to start a math lesson! The final question is “Do I care?” Using games is one of the effective ways to accomplish this. Another example I have is incorporating effective questioning into math lessons. How do you use this in your life? Give me some examples. Where have you seen parallel lines? What is another way to solve the problem? There you go. I have shared with you what I call the “Fascinating Four” and some of the examples of the “Sweet Sixteen.” School board members, teachers, parents and administrators need to see the importance of developing a common language and structure for this. Remember, it is not a new program. It is a structure for what is already in place. These are things teachers already do – and with more consistency and understanding, this will be a pivotal movement in education. It has increased the confidence in my math students, raised test scores, given me more time to focus on the common core and, most importantly, helped my students take what they have learned in math class and use it beyond the four walls of the classroom! Brett Bernard is a fifth-grade math teacher for Minnetonka Schools. You can reach him at brett.bernard@minnetonka.k12.mn.us.

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22 MSBA Journal

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2015 Summer Seminar Scrapbook

Crucial Conversations

Dr. John Draper gave attendees some tips on how to engage the public around sticky education issues.

Luci Willits said to pick four or five of the thousands of social media platforms and delve into them to find out how best to use these tools.

Anoka-Hennepin School Board Chair Tom Heidemann talked about his district’s process to eliminate bullying.

Minnesota State Demographer Susan Brower said changes in demography are going to bring huge changes to the state – starting in our schools. Minnesota Department of Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius answered a wide range of questions about K–12 education.

September/October 2015 23

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 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 (Tanya Pierce) 621 Lilac Drive N Minneapolis, MN 55422 763-545-9196, Fax 763-541-0056 www.clark-eng.com tpierce@clark-eng.com Cuningham Group Architecture, Inc. (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 (Christopher Gibbs) 520 Nicollet Mall, Suite 200 Minneapolis, MN 55402 612-977-3500, Fax 612-977-3600 www.dlrgroup.com cgibbs@dlrgroup.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 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

24 MSBA Journal

Larson Engineering, Inc. (Matt Woodruff) 3524 Labore Road White Bear Lake, MN 55110 651-481-9120, Fax 651-481-9201 www.larsonengr.com mwoodruff@larsonengr.com MLA Architects (Mark Lenz) 12 Long Lake Road, Suite #17 St. Paul, MN 55115 651-770-4442, Fax 651-770-1997 www.architectsmla.com mark@architectsmla.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 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 Attorneys Booth Law Group LLC (Laura Tubbs Booth) 10520 Wayzata Blvd., Suite 200 Minnetonka, MN 55305 763-253-4155, Fax 763-253-4160 www.boothlawgroup.com lbooth@boothlawgroup.com Kennedy & Graven, Chartered (Maggie R. Wallner) 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 Firm (Michael T. Rengel) 110 N Mill Street Fergus Falls, MN 56537 218-736-5493, Fax 218-736-3950 www.pemlaw.com m.rengel@pemlaw.com Ratwik, Roszak & Maloney, P.A. 730 2nd Avenue S, Suite 300 Minneapolis, MN 55402 612-339-0060, Fax 612-339-0038 www.ratwiklaw.com info@ratwiklaw.com Rupp, Anderson, Squires & Waldspurger, P.A. 527 Marquette Avenue S, Suite 1200 Minneapolis, MN 55402 612-436-4300, Fax 612-436-4340 www.raswlaw.com Commissioning 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 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 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 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 T.F. Powers Construction Co. 910 6th Ave. N, PO Box 2088 Fargo, ND 58102 701-293-1312, Fax 701-293-7426 www.tfpowers.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 Wenck Construction, Inc. (Andy Hoffmann) 5270 W. 84th Street, #550 Bloomington, MN 55437 952-837-3348, Fax 952-831-1268 wenckconstruction.com ahoffmann@wenck.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 Arvig 888-992-7844 www.arvig.com/business answers@arvig.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

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 Unesco, Inc. (Kevin McGauley) 584 Woodland Drive Mahtomedi, MN 55115 952-486-7854, Fax 952-487-9389 www.unescocorp.com kevin.mcgauley@unescocorp.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 MSBA-Sponsored SchoolFinances.com (Todd Netzke, Ann Thomas) Netzke: 507-254-6215 Thomas: 612-598-0930 www.schoolfinances.com tnetzke@schoolmanagementservices.org ann@schoolfinances.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 Fire & Security Arvig 888-992-7844 www.arvig.com/business answers@arvig.com Fitness Equipment 2nd Wind Exercise Equipment (Shon Hartman) 7585 Equitable Drive Eden Prairie, MN 55344 952-224-1240, Fax 952-906-6905 www.2ndwindcommercial.com 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 Chartwells K–12 School Dining Services (Tim Leary) 615 Bucher Ave Shoreview, MN 55126 888-407-4536 www.eatlearnlive.com tim.leary@compass-usa.com Taher, Inc. (Erin Marissa) 5570 Smetana Drive Minnetonka, MN 55343 952-945-0505, Fax 952-945-0444 www.taher.com e.marissa@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 Minnesota School Boards Association Insurance Trust (MSBAIT) (Denise Drill, Gary Lee) 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 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

Security/Communications Systems Arvig 888-992-7844 www.arvig.com/business 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/business answers@arvig.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

Labor Relations

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

Kennedy & Graven, Chartered (Maggie R. Wallner) 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

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

Ratwik, Roszak & Maloney, P.A. 730 2nd Avenue S, Suite 300 Minneapolis, MN 55402 612-339-0060, Fax 612-339-0038 www.ratwiklaw.com info@ratwiklaw.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

Public Finance Kennedy & Graven, Chartered (Maggie R. Wallner) 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 Olivia Peterson

Ratwik, Roszak & Maloney, P.A. 730 2nd Avenue S, Suite 300 Minneapolis, MN 55402 612-339-0060, Fax 612-339-0038 www.ratwiklaw.com info@ratwiklaw.com

Wireless Communications Arvig 888-992-7844 www.arvig.com/business answers@arvig.com

September/October 2015 25

Advertisers ATS&R Planners/Architects/Engineers.......................... Page 19 Booth Law Group LLC...................................................... Page 21 Chartwells K–12 School Dining Services.......................... Page 26 Foster, Jacobs & Johnson, Inc........................................... Page 28 ISG (I+S Group)................................................................ Page 22 J+J Flooring Group............................................................ Page 10 Johnson Controls, Inc....................................................... Page 11 Kennedy & Graven, Chartered ........................................ Page 13 Knutson, Flynn & Deans, P.A............................................ Page 22 MSBAIT.............................................................................. Page 27 Nexus Solutions................................................................... Page 7 PFM Asset Management, LLC – MSDLAF+....................... Page 7 Pemberton Law.................................................................. Page 10 PreferredOne....................................................................... Page 2 Ratwik, Roszak & Maloney, P.A. ...................................... Page 17 Riverport Insurance Company.......................................... Page 11 Rupp, Anderson, Squires & Waldspurger, P.A................. Page 19 Taher, Inc........................................................................... Page 18 Telin Transportation Group.............................................. Page 18 Widseth Smith Nolting...................................................... Page 27 Khyla Thieling

WHAT DOES CHARTWELLS BRING TO YOUR TABLE?

With Chartwells at your table, there is great food, education and people to make a difference in your community! Tim Leary | tim.leary@compass-usa.com | 612-202-6407

26 MSBA Journal

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