MSAA Matters
January Edition
January 16, 2020
Dear Colleagues,
I hope this Newsletter finds you well and enjoying the beginning of the second half of the school year! It is my intention to send out a nuts and bolts newsletter like this one once a month.
I am embarking this week on a project that I hope will resonate with all administrators/directors. I will be interviewing principals/directors to highlight the special work they have been focusing on in their school. If you are interested in being highlighted, please email me at bwittcoff@msaa.net. Be on the lookout for a spotlight newsletter later this month.
I am very excited about this initiative, as I think it dovetails beautifully with the Ignite and Unite project that our President, Kathleen Duff has undertaken this year. Speaking of Ignite and Unite it is just one click away - check out the videos already submitted by clicking on the below link. Moving forward you will always be able to find this link embedded in your MSAA Matters Newsletter.
Last Thursday your Board met with the Commissioner and covered a myriad of topics ranging from the DESE Play Position Paper, to the PALS work required by DESE for administration candidates who are seeking administrative licensure to the DESE Kaleidoscope Project. Stay tuned for a more detailed report from the Finance/Personnel Committee.
MSAA would like to call your attention to the important conference that the Rennie Center for Education and Research & Policy is hosting next week. The release of the Condition of Education at the Omni Parker House Hotel Thursday, 1/23 will be presented from 8:00 AM (registration) - 10:30 AM. Dr. Dana N Thompson Dorsey from the University of Pittsburgh is the keynote speaker. There are still a few spots open and it should prove to be a very enlightening morning. Register
On a final note we also would like to call your attention to how well the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is doing in regards to our educational standing as reported by the Education Week Research Center. In the September 4, 2019 edition, in the third installment of "quality Counts 2019 report card," Massachusetts was number 1 in the category of academic achievement! We were ranked number 2 overall in the synthesis of 39 indicators - just behind New Jersey due to school finance metrics.
So often the daily demands of our roles result in our forgetting to remind ourselves how successful we are in our respective schools. This objective measurement of overall school performance by Education Week is proof that our efforts are indeed making a difference for all students in the Commonwealth!
MSAA is proud of our members and the work you do on behalf of all the students in the Commonwealth.
Warm regards,
Beth
Beth Wittcoff
MSAA Assistant Director
Middle Level and Elementary Committee Liaison
MSAA Matters Newsletter
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Upcoming Professional Development, Special Events & Conferences
Special Events/Conferences
Student Council Advisor Workshop Friday, 1/24 -Saturday 1/25 at the Resort & Conference Center in Hyannis Register More Information
Ed Camp Saturday, February 1st 8:30 am - 12:00 pm at the MSAA Office Register
PK- 8 Spring Conference, Friday 3/27 at Devens Common Devens , MA Register
Assistant Principals Conference , Monday, 4/26 8:00 AM (Register) 8:30 AM Conference begins at the Doubletree Hotel Milford, MA Register
NAESP Leadership Immersion Institute, Thursday 5/5 - Friday 5/6 in Augusta, Maine
Upcoming Professional Development:
Friday, 1/17 MSAA Executive Assistants Summit Jen Vondenbrink and Andrea Bell Bergeron
8:30 am - 3:00 pm MSAA Office Register
Tuesday, 1/21 Align the Curriculum for Elementary Learners in Specialized Classrooms Shannon Pirrello 8:30 am - 3:00 pm MSAA Office Register
Tuesday, 1/28 Connecting Literacy and Science in Elementary Classrooms Martha- Heller-Winokur and Jeff Winokur 8:30 am - 3:00 pm MSAA Office Register
Friday, 1/31 Differentiated Instruction in the Middle School Math Classroom- Part Two Marcie Abramson, Ed.M 8:30 am - 3:00 pm MSAA Office Register
Monday, 2/3 Executive Function: Implications for Teaching and Learning Jane M. Hardin, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm MSAA Office, Register
Friday, 2/7 Deep Dive into Growth Mindset Jeffrey Benson 8:30 am - 3:00 pm MSAA Office, Register
Thursday, 2/13 Legal Aspects of Student Confidentiality Colleen Shea, Esq. 9:00 am - 2:30 pm MSAA Office, Register
Thursday, 2/13 Restorative Justice, Continued: Utilizing Restorative Circles as a Framework for Building School and Classroom Communities Dr. Curtis Bates 8:30 am - 3:00 pm MSAA Office, Register
Monday, 2/24 Building Positive Race and Ethnic Relations in the Current Political Climate Richard W. Cole 8:30 am - 3:00 pm MSAA Office, Register
Monday, 2/24 With Boys in Mind Tracey Calo 8:30 am - 3:00 pm MSAA Office, Register
Tuesday, 2/25 Lead from the Heart Dr. Maureen Cohen and Dr. Paul Vieira 8:30 am - 3:00 pm MSAA Office, Register
Thursday, 2/27 Rigorous Discourse: Structures, Cultures and Instruction that Support Rigor Dr. Mary O'Brien Merrigan 8:30 am - 3:00 pm MSAA Office, Register
Thursday, 2/27 Social Justice in the Elementary Mathematics Classroom Marcie Abramson 8:30 am - 3:00 pm MSAA Office, Register
Friday, 2/28 Hanging in with Challenging Students Jeffrey Benson 8:30 am - 3:00 pm MSAA Office, Register
Friday, 2/28 Special Education and Cultural Competency Related to ELL Learners Dr. Cindy Crimmin 8:30 am - 3:00 pm MSAA Office, Register
Friday, 2/28 The Effect of Social Media on Anxiety and Depression Jane M. Hardin 8:30 am - 3:00 pm MSAA Office, Register
NAESP Leadership Immersion Institute
NAESP Leadership Immersion Institute
May 5-6, 2020 | Augusta, ME
This 2-day event is a highly structured, interactive professional learning opportunity that integrates research-based best practices in mentoring and adult learning with educators’ knowledge and experiences. Principals from all grade levels and district personnel are encouraged to participate! Training topics include:
- Mentoring Principals to Lead Learning Communities
- Build Culture: Creating Schools that are Great Places to Teach and Learn
- Empower People: Leading Learning to Bring Out the Best in Teachers and Students
· Optimize Systems: Ensuring School Operations, Processes and Contexts Support Effective Teaching and Learning
The program curriculum has been newly redesigned to align with NAESP’s 2019 edition of Leading Learning Communities: Pillars, Practices, and Priorities for Effective Principals, the 2015 Professional Standards for Educational Leaders, and NAESP’s Mentor Competencies. To register or learn more about the program, visit https://www.naesp.org/mentor.