SAM - Outstanding Year Drives Cycle of Progress!

by Kirk Miller, SAM Executive Director

2018-19 has been an outstanding year for your professional association, SAM, with great contributions from over 1000 members insuring progress on our strategic plan!  I often travel to present a SAM Update to our members and many organizations both in state and out of state.  Our story of progress is easy to share as a result of the collective energy and effort of administrators all across our state.  I share with you the most recent SAM Update presented to the 2021 Legislative Education Interim Committee on Friday 6-24-19, in its entirety for reflection on the great work you have done.  This, as you will read, cycles into a very robust agenda for 2019-20, with our administrators and SAM leading the way on numerous efforts to positively impact the education of our Montana students …

SAM was organized as an association for administrators in 1971. It rep­resents the interests, aspirations, and professional leadership of Montana administrators.  Over 1040 members network under six affiliate associations (MASS, MAEMSP, MASSP, MCASE, MACSS, META) to promote GREAT Montana Schools, supporting leader’s passion for providing an outstanding education to Montana's children!

The SAM Strategic Plan 2018-22(adopted by the SAM Board 10/18/18) outlines the benefits being a SAM member affords each education leader through their contributions to the greater good of the education community to inspire our students…

Leadership Involved in Decisions that Impact Education

• AKA – SAM members working together to literally have a seat at the table (input) on all efforts that impact the education of Montana’s children.
• Recruitment and Retention of Quality Educators UpdateMontana ESSA and ESSA Implementation Plan.  ESSA Montana School Report Card and School Report Card Data Details for Districts released 4/30/19.
  • RISE4MT Update 1-9-19 and MUS Rural Educator Recruitment and Retention Task Force.
  • MT Critical Quality Educator Shortage Report 2018-19
  • MT 2018 R&R Survey Results and Summary implications on future recruitment & retention efforts.
• School Safety and MT-PEC Project Safe Schools and Suicide Prevention
• Broadband for MT Schools Program, Broadband Expansion ESH Report and 2019-20 Work Plan
• Negotiated Rule Making Committees-Student Assessment and MT Hazard & Emergency Response
• The SAM Needs Assessment 2019 Executive Summary and the SAM Needs Assessment Data Disaggregated by Affiliate 2019 provides information for our association’s future professional learning, advocacy, and items important to our attention toward.
• GREAT 2018 - The Great Work of Montana's Public Schools volume VI was released at MCEL 2018, see the Press Release available for you to tell the story about your local schools.  Expect to see GREAT 2019 volume VII, with release coming at MCEL 2019.

Advocacy

• 2019 Legislative Session, SAM 2019 Legislative Summary
• MT-PEC plans for unified professional development funding, flexibility, efficiency - Framework
• Delegate Assembly 2019, DA 2019 Business Meeting Recommendations 10-18-19
• Federal Advocacy

Professional Learning and Services

• Professional learning opportunities for educational leaders aligned with best practices research and innovative strategies.
• The SAM Leaders Professional Learning Program (LPLP) 2019-20 is a best practices professional learning delivery system that personalizes learning for Montana administrators. Over 5 years, the LPLP has supported nearly 350 administrators.  LPLP formed Collegial Learning Networks with coach/mentors to personalize a professional learning plan enhancing their ability to serve their students, school, and community!  Review the SAM LPLP 2018-19 Mid Year Executive Summary to see the significant progress being made.  The SAM LPLP has recently added the Washington Foundation as a business sponsor!
• SAM Administrators Institute 2019, scheduled for July 29-31, 2019 in Helena – get ready for “The Montana HOW”! – intended to engage and prepare you and your team for the 2019-20 school year!
• MCEL 2019 (October 16-18, 2019) “Each Child. Every School.” will be in Billings and planning is underway. Expect to see the rollout of MT-PEC plans for unified professional development funding, flexibility, efficiency - Framework and GREAT volume VII.
• SAM annually assists in the operation of 11 conferences creating learning opportunities for our members. See the ‘Professional Learning’ ‘Conferences’ tab on the website.
• SAM Membership 2018-19 and SAM Membership 2019-20
• SAM Youth Endowment – help a worthy student/family through the Endowment.
• SAM and Affiliate Awards
• SAM continues implementation of association management software (MemberClicks) upgrading our website, database, and tools for all SAM members.  Web-based communication tools for the use of our Members. Click HERE to see the instructions on how to use the E-list tool.  Click DOCUMENT or VIDEO to learn how to use SAM Community Forums.
• Member benefits:  Affiliate regional meetings, SAM Bulletin, and weekly SAM Update, colleague networks, state and federal advocacy networks, legal assistance, professional liability insurance, technology embedded solutions including website, cloud-based solutions, use of social media, E-Lists, digital Community Forums to enhance member communication, many more…

Make sure to follow SAM on Twitter @MTEDLeadership & on Facebook at Sam Montana

Thank you SAM members for a great 2018-19.  As you can see we are ready for continuing our collective effort for the greater good of the education community to inspire our students in 2019-20!

Montana Schools Recruitment Project - Helping with Your Special Education Personnel Needs 

It isn't too late to join the many new and experienced administrators who have registered for SAM LPLP 2019-20!

SAM LPLP’s multi-faceted blended learning approach consists of a rich online resource center, collegial learning networks designed to be dynamic based upon topics of interest as they arise that allow participants to focus on specific areas of interest, and personal learning networks including the option of one-on-one coaching/mentoring with experienced Providers. 

Tailored to meet the needs of new, experienced, and aspiring administrators, learning networks meet both virtually and face-to-face allowing participants to share challenges, successes, and thought leadership with like-minded Montana leaders experiencing similar job roles, situations, and context while bringing professional development to the administrator. The following Collegial Learning Networks (CLNs) are being planned for the 2019-20 program year:    Social-Emotional Learning, Transformational Learning, AASA Aspiring Superintendents, TierII/Tier III Behavior Project, New Leaders, Special Education Directors, Trusted Learning Environment.

The goal of the SAM LPLP is to provide intentional, personalized professional learning to Montana educators through research-based strategies resulting in improvements in job satisfaction, administrator longevity, and ultimately to increased student achievement and quality of instruction which will positively impact the education of students across Montana. 

The members of Montana Association of School Superintendents (MASS) believe so strongly in the SAM LPLP that they have agreed to pay the registration fee for all Montana superintendents new to their position.  For more information, contact the SAM office.  

Register for SAM LPLP 2019-20!

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 addressed the issues involved with Closing the Homework Gap: Digital Equity Strategies for Learning Beyond the Classroom.

This month we focus on “Smart Network Design for Transformation & Innovation”. Education networks have evolved from addressing district operational and administrative needs to serving students and teachers in and beyond the classroom, anywhere and anytime. Innovative technologies, more access to the Internet, and powerful communication, creation, and collaboration tools are driving instructional transformation. Rapid change is increasing demand for greater network capacity and reliability. In the not-too-distant future, innovations in data visualization, embedded digital formative assessment, immersive, adaptive digital content, and interoperability will place additional demands on district networks. And all this comes in an uncertain funding environment. How can district leaders make high-stakes infrastructure investment decisions when technology, teaching and learning priorities, and funding are changing so rapidly and so constantly? Check out CoSN’s one-page document that identifies six core characteristics of the “new” network to include in your network design and architecture planning at this link.

CoSN has partnered with edWeb to provide a monthly webinar series on topics essential for leading digital transformations. School superintendents serve as panelists on each webinar and share their stories and expertise. Every webinar is recorded for viewing by those who are not able to join the live broadcast. The title of the July 8, 2019 webinar (scheduled for 5:00 pm ET) is “Smart Network Design for Transformation and Innovation: Reaching in and Beyond the Classroom”. Learn more and register for this free webinar HERE.

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].  

SAM Welcomes New Business Partners:  Winsor Learning and Teachers On Call 

Since 1997, Winsor Learning has been the program of choice for thousands of school districts in their efforts to improve reading scores and assist students with Dyslexia. The Sonday System brings Orton-Gillingham based tools and training to educators working with struggling students in a way that is easy for teachers to use, requires minimal training, and very affordable. Today, school districts around the country use the Sonday System as their “go to” intervention for struggling readers and those with Dyslexia.

Teachers On Call, a Kelly Services Company, is a substitute staffing service that offers the Absence Management (Aesop) system with our substitute staffing management solution for school districts. We don't outsource, but in-source your sub-pool by hiring the district’s current substitute pool as our employees, and then additionally recruit, hire, train, and place substitutes. We take over on the responsibilities for substitutes like payroll, payroll taxes, workers comp, unemployment, liability, ACA tracking and more, streamlining the process for PK-12 public schools.