Call to Action against MASA proposed Legislation...reposted from MCEA

April 11, 2011
Dear MCEA Members,
A CALL TO ACTION!

A legislative issue needs our collective response. Currently, legislation is moving forward that makes
changes to MN Statute Sec. 4 Subd.3C, which would allow a district with a total population of 10,000 or less (current law is 2,000 or less) to identify an employee who holds a valid  MN principal or superintendent license under MN Rules, chapter 3512 to serve as director of community education.

This legislation is included in HF511, SF56 and in the House Omnibus Education Appropriations bill.
If this provision passes, 236 school districts (out of 340 statewide) would be affected by this change.
Currently, there are 49 Districts with less than 2,000 residents.

Your immediate help is needed to talk with your superintendent and ask them to contact Charlie Kyte,
Executive Director of the MN Association of School Administrators (MASA). His email address is
ckyte@mnasa.org, and his phone is 651-247-6505.  Mr. Kyte needs to know successful, small district, community education programs do not support this action from MASA.  If you are in a district that is currently not impacted by this legislation, I also urge you to talk with your superintendent.  There is great concern that if this legislation is passed, it will be detrimental to the integrity of community education.

Communication with your Superintendent and with Mr. Kyte should include the following:
1. This change in law is unnecessary. A provision in state law already exists for a school district to
request a waiver from the Board of School Administrators if a district cannot find a qualified
candidate. Since 2008, only 10 waivers have been submitted to the MN Board of School Administrators for consideration.
2. This change in state statute is not included in the MASA legislative platform.
3. There is evidence across the state that when an untrained employee administers community
education, the ability to provide programs and services that meet the needs of the community and the
ability to leverage additional funds is reduced.
4. The ability of Districts to pass referendums is compromised when Community Education programs,
services, and funding are not used to engage community residents to the fullest benefit. Decision
Resources, Inc. of MN research has proven that districts with strong community education programs
are much more likely to have positive community support and pass referenda in their communities.
5. Community Education Directors are required by state law to monitor and maintain community
education funds and reserves (Community Services, Unreserved/Undesignated Fund/Community
Education, Reserve Fund/ECFE Reserve Fund/School Readiness, Reserve Fund/Adult Basic
Education) and are specially trained for this kind of financial oversight.  

Minnesota Community
Education Association
CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT AND LIFELONG LEARNING6. Contact MASA Legislative Committee members in your school district with these messages. Follow
this link to the MASA Legislative Committee:

http://www.mnasa.org/2124101229145117547/blank/browse.asp?A=383&BMDRN=2000&BCOB=0&C=55825

If you feel this legislation would be detrimental to your school district and the services you are able to offer  your community in the future, I urge you to act today with a conversation with your Superintendent urging him/her to make contact with Mr. Kyte regarding this important issue. Please CC me  (katie.williams@hopkins.org) and/or Robert Meyer (rmeyer@chisagolakes.k12.mn.us) so that we can track the communications and conversations that are circulating around this issue.

Also of note, your Senators and Representatives will address this legislation through the conference
committee process.  It’s important to have your superintendent contact Mr. Kyte as soon as possible.  Please consider taking action immediately.


Thank you,
Katie Williams
MCEA 2011 President
952-988-4067
MCEA Executive Office
13750 Lake Blvd.
Lindstrom, MN 55045
Telephone: 651-257-0752
FAX: 651-213-2094
www.mn-mcea.org

Welcome to "Can Do" E-D-U! Here is a little about me and what I am thinking:)

American education in this day and age is a multi-faceted, pedagogical and methodological combination of nearly every educational philosophy that has come "down the pike" over the last few decades.  In addition, the avenues in which education can be administered and/or obtained are growing at a rapid pace.  Traditional education, alternative education, online education, community education, adult education, immersion education, charter school education; name it… and there is a philosophy, school, and educator for it.  Though some may argue that all educational philosophies ebb and flow, or are eventually recycled in some way, I believe there are certain principles that, whatever their label may be, are solid and useable educational foundations for any generation.  In particular, I am an advocate for the idea of Multiple Learning Styles, which when paired with Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences, has become of personal interest to me and has garnished a lot of attention from educators and administrators nationwide.

As a prospective administrator myself, I am intrigued by the combination of these two concepts and have spent the last two years developing practical applications and methodologies for my classroom environment, and to the school as an entirety.  In the future, I would like to take what I have done on my small scale, and replicate it at the community level, where I see endless opportunities for refinement, implementation, replication and expansion.

My idea centers on a core belief that everyone, at any age, is capable of learning.  However, not everyone at every age can learn in the manner they are taught.  Although most modern educators would agree with my statement, no one seems to know how to best implement this knowledge into a practical application, especially within the various types and levels of curriculum that exist in educational institutions all across America.  How can we possibly standardize the fact that no one learner is standard?  It is an arduous task to say the least, but for me, it has been the small efforts that have often seen the greatest results.  Although I cannot make a single lesson plan that will cater to all learning styles and intelligences at once, there are facets and aspects of each that I am able to address with intentional, creative and thoughtful planning.

In an institution that I administer, I would like the staff to become knowledgeable and supportive of these philosophies.  I would also hope that they would partner with me in administering the various programs and curriculum that integrate these principles.  My greatest hope is that everyone involved will recognize that when a learner is taught in a style that they, in their individual ability understand, that the definition of what we deem as a successful learner may need to be reshaped to fit the new implementation of "multiple" methodology.

In the end I would like to make an impact on the learning path of all whose education I help administer, by creating and implementing curricula, classes and programs that recognize and cater to multiple learning style/ intelligences and encourages success as individually obtained by each learner who comes through the door.