Supporting Administrators as You Practice the Greatest Profession!

by Kirk Miller, SAM Executive Director

The 2019-20 school year begins with enthusiasm and energy that our excited students bring with anticipation of growing and learning.  Our quality educators in Montana schools, actively engaging our students during these first couple of days, match that excitement.  This is a whole community event where parents and the greater community have really looked forward to the restart of school and activities and all of those wonderful events that hold the center of attention in Montana communities.  This collective excitement does not happen by chance, and behind every successful effort to create this healthy, wonderful environment for learning is a quality Montana administrator who worked diligently these past couple of months to insure this atmosphere of success!  So, I begin this school year with a thank you to over 1000 Montana school and district administrators who have chosen the greatest profession for the great work you have done to get the 2019-20 school year off to a great start!

Your professional association, SAM, has been paying attention to creating supports for administrators that will help you as the school year gets underway.  That attention is centered around the goals of the SAM Strategic Plan, adopted by the SAM Board of Directors and the living, breathing strategic objectives and actions that make the plan alive and useful.  I hope that this year you will connect with and use the many resources that have been created to assist you in your work. To start this year out, I’m sharing with you the broad concepts and details (as links) for your review…

SAM was organized as an association for administrators in 1971. It rep­resents the interests, aspirations, and professional leadership of Montana administrators.  Over 1050 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 Update
  
  • 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.
  • HB 211 passed 2019 legislature – loan repayment for critical educator shortages
• GREAT 2018 - The Great Work of Montana's Public Schools volume VI was released at MCEL 2018.  Expect to see GREAT 2019 released at MCEL 2019, Oct 16-18 in Billings
• School Safety and MT-PEC Project Safe Schools and Suicide Prevention
• Broadband Expansion ESH Report and 2019-20 Work Plan
• DPHHS School Health/Safety Proposed Rules are being addressed by SAM and MT-PEC
• 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.

Advocacy

• 2019 Legislative Session, SAM 2019 Legislative Session Summary
• SAM Delegate Assembly - recommendations for SAM Business Meeting on 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 6 years, the LPLP has supported nearly 350 administrators.  See the SAM LPLP 2018-19 Executive Summary.  In 2019-20, over 75 administrators have joined the LPLP, forming ten Collegial Learning Networks with coach/mentors to personalize a professional learning plan enhancing their ability to serve their students, school and community!
• MT-PEC Collaborative Professional Development Flexibility & Efficiency - Framework
• SAM Administrators Institute 2019 link has resources shared at the Institute
• MCEL 2019 (October 16-18, 2019) “Each Child. Every School.” will be in Billings. Schedule at a Glance gives you info on the sessions offered.
• SAM annually assists in the operation of 11 conferences creating learning opportunities for our members. See the ‘Professional Learning’ ‘Conferences’ tab on the website.
• In September - MASS/MCASE Fall Conference 2019 and MACSS Fall Conference 2019
• SAM Membership 2019-20
• SAM Youth Endowment – help a worthy student/family through the Endowment.
• SAM and Affiliate Awards
• SAM developed 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

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!  Wishing you an outstanding school year!

Award Opportunities - Application/Nomination Deadlines Approaching

The following award nominations/applications are now open.  Please consider nominating someone you would like to recognize for their outstanding service to the education of Montana's children.  

MASS AASA Convention Incentive Award - Nominations close September 11, 2019:  The Montana Association of School Superintendents Incentive Award Program is intended to provide an opportunity for two administrators to attend the AASA National Conference on Education (NCE) in San Diego February 13-15, 2020. Nominees must be members of MASS and AASA and must not have previously attended an AASA NCE.

NASSP Student Leadership Advisory Committee - Open to 10th and 11th-grade students - Nominations close September 16, 2019:  NASSP is excited to welcome nominations for new committee members for the term mid - November 2019 to October 30, 2021.  NASSP is looking for young people who communicate effectively, verbally and in writing; have a strong sense of responsibility and accountability, and have demonstrated a commitment to school and/or community organizations.

MASS School Board of the Year - Nominations close October 1, 2019:  The purpose of the award is to recognize and focus attention on the dedicated and ethical service rendered by school boards to the children of Montana.  Nominations for the MASS School Board of the Year may be submitted by any Montana Superintendent of Schools.  A committee reviews the applications and selects up to two (2) Outstanding School Boards in Montana.  The winners are announced at the annual MCEL Conference in October.  

MASSP/NASSP Assistant Principal of the Year Award - Nominations/Applications close October 4, 2019:  The National Assistant Principal of the Year program recognizes outstanding school leaders who have succeeded in providing high-quality learning opportunities for students. These assistant principals are acknowledged by their peers for the exemplary contributions they have made to the profession. The program honors high school assistant principals who have demonstrated excellence in the areas addressed by the selection criteria. 

SAM Leaders Professional Learning Program 2019-20 

It isn't too late to join the nearly 80 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 beginning to set goals for the 2019-20 program year:    Social-Emotional Learning, Transformational Learning, AASA/SAM Aspiring Superintendent, TierII/Tier III Behavior Project, New Leaders, New Superintendents, Special Education Directors, Trusted Learning Environment, ESSA Comprehensive Support.

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.  

We begin this new school year with a look at the CoSN Empowered Superintendent Initiative and the recently released CoSN Driving K-12 Innovation Report.  The CoSN Empowered Superintendent Initiative was initially created when CoSN and AASA, The School Superintendents Association, joined together to create The Empowered Superintendent Toolkit, available for download at http://www.cosn.org/superintendents. The toolkit provides free high quality resources for superintendents and school leaders to support their work in leading digital transformations.  In July of this year, CoSN and AASA announced a new partnership agreement that will continue the collaboration of these two associations in helping PreK-12 leaders lead and leverage technology tools for learning and school operations. 

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.  Season 2 of the CoSN/edWeb Empowered Superintendent webinar series begins on Monday, September 9 at 4;00 pm CT with a review of the Empowered Superintendent Toolkit and a look at the CoSN Driving K-12 Innovation report.  Devorah Kerr, Superintendent of Brown Deer School District, WI (and current president of AASA) and David Schuler, Superintendent of High School District 214, IL (and chair of the CoSN Superintendent Advisory Panel) join Keith Krueger, CoSN CEO, as webinar guest panelists.  Learn more and register for this free webinar - as well as access the recordings of last season's webinars - at this link:   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].  

SAM Welcomes New Business Partner:  C & C School Accounting

• Established in 1980 by Superintendent Cal Wahl and Principal Carl Fox
  
• First Fund Accounting software in Montana and among the first in the United States to run on a PC.
• The software is used to manage over $200 million in the General  Fund, and payroll to over 4,900 school personnel.
• Used at over 90 school districts.
• Can manage payroll for up to 350 school staff and teachers.
• Visit the C& C School Accounting website for more information.