Focusing on the Main Things!

by Kirk Miller, SAM Executive Director

February brings that time of the school year where the second half (semester) for focus on student academic and whole child achievement hits the long stretch.  Like in a marathon, our students and educators are in mile 13, digging deep for that determination to stay on pace to reach their goals.  Now is a time for encouragement, the kind that comes from inside, through reflection on each child, their successes and needs, to see the path ahead to help them reach their full potential by the end of the school year.  Our school and district administrators have all of this in mind for their school team as they create an educational atmosphere that allows focus on the main things – the success of each child in striving for their full potential.  Thanks for that!

Our SAM team is here for you, education leaders, as you focus on the achievements, successes, and challenges set out for this second half of the school year.  Through the SAM Strategic Plan, our goals… 1) insuring administrators are involved in decisions that impact education, 2) equipped with accurate information and prepared to use it to advocate for our children, and 3) professional learning through professional development, mentorship and member services … help us focus on the main things.  Our collective membership of all six affiliates of SAM have done exceedingly well in accomplishing the strategic objectives and actions outlined in each goal area during the first half of the school year.  If you want to go deeper into understanding that progress please review the SAM Strategic Plan 2018-22 Report for 2^nd Quarter 2019-20.  The Strategic Plan serves as a great way to help our entire SAM organization focus on the main things this second half of the school year.

As you focus on the main things, please consider some of the resources SAM is making available for your use.  The importance for our schools and school leaders to tell the story about the great work accomplished for each child, every day in our schools is very important in 2020.  Important enough, that I’m sharing once again those resources that can help you tell the story and develop strategies to do this in effective ways in your school community.  SAM has developed learning opportunities for being strategic in telling the story and gaining the support of your community (See Jamie Vollmer’s Great Conversation as described at MCEL and further through a SAM business partnership).  Please review the GREAT VII 2019 publication developed by MT-PEC, and use this for reference to advocate in your school community.  Another recently developed tool to impact your community is the MT-PEC Flexibility PD Series.  This access to deep professional learning about the many efficiencies and flexibility provided in legislation, law and administrative rules is intended to help you advocate for programming necessary in your schools to meet the needs of the children served. 

If we collectively work together to tell this local story of rich and diverse opportunities provided to our children we will make a difference in capturing back a positive, supportive attitude about our schools all across the state.  Accomplishing this support is most certainly a main thing for our focus!

Thanks for all you do to serve your children, school and community with expertise, compassion and passion!

Register Now - Montana's First Rural School Virtual Career Fair

The Montana Rural School Virtual Career Fair sponsored by the MCASE Recruitment Project, SAM, and MREA is scheduled for Friday, March 13.  Registration is FREE for candidates looking for Montana teaching and administration jobs. 

Who is invited?

• Candidates interested in rural Montana teaching & administration jobs

Where do I have to go?

• Nowhere, it all happens online, from your computer or smartphone!

What are job seekers saying about a Virtual Career?

• “I got four solid job leads while sitting in my living room, drinking coffee. Can't beat that.”
• “This was a great experience! I was able to search for openings, have my resume viewed, and communicate just with the employers I was interested in, all without leaving my desk. The idea of
  a virtual career fair takes the pressure off the job seeker and employer.”
• “The virtual career fair went great. I got one interview already and I am expecting more. I think that this was a great idea ….

There is a $195 early registration fee for those districts interested in participating. The deadline for early registration is February 14th. Contact the SAM Office, Lori Ruffier, or Dennis Parman with questions.

Congratulations to the Recent MAEMSP and MASSP Award Recipients!

The Montana Principals Conference was held in
Helena January 27 - 29. Over 200 attendees
had the opportunity to listen to national
speakers, connect with colleagues from around
the state, and honor several outstanding
educators and friends of education. The
following awards were presented on Monday,
January 28th at the MAEMSP/MASSP Awards
Banquet:

MAEMSP:

• National Distinguished Principal - Travis Niemeyer, Beartooth Elementary, Billings Public Schools
• Adrian Langstaff Award - Norah Barney, Lincoln Elementary, Anaconda
• MAEMSP Executive Board Award - Dr. Bruce Whitehead, Retired, Missoula
• MAEMSP Friends of Education Award - Tom Wardell Family, Billings
• MAEMSP Aspiring Principal Scholarship Award - Matt Carey, Fairfield Public Schools
• MAEMSP Appreciation Award - Hawthorne Elementary Parent Advisory Council, Bozeman
• MAEMSP Conference Incentive Scholarship Award - Roxie Benjamin, Fort Benton Schools

MASSP:

• MASSP Principal of the Year - Shawn Hendrickson, St. Ignatius HS/MS
• MASSP Assistant Principal of the Year - John Larsen - Dawson County High School, Glendive
• MASSP Community Partner in Education Award -Fairfield Lions Club
• MASSP Future Administrator Scholarship Award - Denikka Miller, Eureka Public Schools
• MASSP Conference Incentive Scholarship Award - Sheri Heavrin, Broadwater High School, Townsend

Congratulations to all of the award winners and honorees!

Mark your calendars:  Montana Principals Conference 2021 -January 24-26 in Helena

MACSS Award Nominations Close March 15th

1. It is time to nominate an outstanding county superintendent for the County Superintendent of the Year Award. Please see the County Superintendent of the Year 2020 Criteria and Nomination Form for details. County Superintendents can be nominated for this award by fellow MACSS members, teachers, school administrators, school board members, parents, or County Commissioners

2. Rural Teacher of the Year Award is open for nominations.  Please consider nominating one of your phenomenal teachers and give them the chance to attend the National Rural Conference.  Follow the link for more information:  2020 TOY application and information.

META Award Nominations Closing Soon

Please consider nominating an outstanding technology director or empowered superintendent the following 2020 META awards.  Nomination forms must be completed by February 21, 2020.  Find out more about each award and nominate/apply by clicking 2020 META Awards.

• META Technologist of the Year Award
• META Empowered Superintendent of the Year Award

The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) and its state affiliate chapter, Montana Educational Technologists Association (META) are pleased to continue to support the work of current and aspiring superintendents and district leadership teams in leading all aspects of digital learning transformations.  

Last month we focused on the strategies necessary for leading digital learning with an emphasis on succeeding with 1:1 implementations. CoSN’s Leadership for Digital Learning Critical Issues Guide provides – in a concise, single-page format - an itemized check list for each of the main systems (both human and technological) that need to be properly established when implementing 1:1 technology for learning initiatives.

This month we turn our attention to how and why school district leadership teams collaborate on the implementation of online assessments within a school district system. As an ever increasing number of school districts launch online assessments as part of their standard practice, school leaders are learning that the challenges associated with implementing and leveraging online assessments to drive student learning are far more complex than simply adding technology. Today technology is an essential tool for planning, creating, delivering, and evaluating successful instruction. Online assessments are becoming routine within many school settings and are used not solely for summative or high stakes testing, but also for formative measures of learning as well. It takes a coordinated leadership team effort among multiple district level departments to execute online assessments successfully. The CoSN Critical Focus Area: Issue One Pager on Online Assessment offers nine key recommendations for leveraging online assessment capability and capacity.

CoSN, in partnership with edWeb.net, hosts The EmpowerED Superintendent monthly webinar series on topics that are essential for all educators engaged in leading digital transformations. The focus of the February 10, 2020 webinar (3:00 pm MT) is “Online Assessment: An Effective, Coordinated, District Leadership Team Approach”. Three members of Pennsylvania’s Hampton Township School District leadership team (Dr. Michael Loughead, Superintendent; Dr. Jacquelyn Removcik, Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment; Dr. Ed McKaveney, Director of Technology) share how they collaborate and effectively coordinate their work in order to successfully lead the implementation of online assessments as well as the strategic use of the resulting student learning data within all schools in their district. Learn more and register for this free webinar as well as access recordings of previously broadcast CoSN/edWeb webinars at https://home.edweb.net/supers/.

If your school or district would like more information about joining CoSN or getting more involved with CoSN, please contact Brian Calvary, CAE, CoSN Director of Membership and Chapters, at  [email protected].