MDE WEEKLY SUPERINTENDENT MAIL

TO: Superintendents

FROM: Dr. Brenda Cassellius, Commissioner

DATE: September 27, 2012

MDE NEWS AND INFORMATION

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Last week, Commissioner Cassellius sent an invitation to superintendents and charter school directors to attend a discussion facilitated by Tony Wagner about how to advance meaningful education reforms in Minnesota – our next steps, individually and collectively. The presentation will be held at the Minnesota Department of Education, Tuesday, October 16, 1:00-4:00 p.m., Conference Center Room 16. For those of you who will not be able to attend, a WebEx session of the event will be available. Those details will come at a later date.

On behalf of the President, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan delivered this year’s Back-to-School speech on Friday, September 21, to hundreds of area students, U.S. Education Department staff and community members gathered for remarks by Secretary Duncan, student performances and a concert by the up-and-coming band Kids These Days. Read attached Secretary Duncan’s Back-to-School speech.

PRESS RELEASE

The Education Finance Work Group is embarking on a statewide tour to share its findings and hear from Minnesotans. The School Funding Listening Session tour begins today and continues throughout the fall. See the September 26 press release.

ACTION ITEMS

The October Conference Call has been cancelled due to the education reform presentation that will be held October 16^th for superintendents. The next conference call is scheduled for Monday, November 19, 9:30-10:30 a.m. School district superintendents are invited to participate in this monthly dialogue via audio conference call. Call-in instructions will be e-mailed to you two days prior to the conference call. All calls will be held 9:30-10:30 a.m. 2012-2013 Conference Call Schedule:

See the notice from the Minnesota Department of Education’s Food and Nutrition Service regarding the above-mentioned matter.

MISCELLANEOUS

See the attached announcement regarding a series of webinars hosted by the Minnesota Department of Education that focus on effectively using data for planning, school improvement, evaluation, and other reporting needs required by state statute. All districts and schools are encouraged to join the webinars. Please share this information with district/school leadership, data coaches, district/school assessment coordinators, and other interested staff. The first webinar is scheduled for October 16, 2:30-3:30 p.m.

School library media specialists, technology integrationists, and technology coordinators: Register now for the 2012 MEMO Fall Conference! The conference will be held at the River’s Edge Conference Center and Kelly Inn, St. Cloud, Minnesota. Visit the MEMO website for registration and further details.

See the fall and spring professional development opportunities available from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

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