MDE WEEKLY SUPERINTENDENT MAIL

TO: Superintendents

FROM: Dr. Brenda Cassellius, Commissioner

DATE: August 16, 2012

MDE NEWS AND INFORMATION

Dear School Leadership Summit Participant,

Thank you for joining us last week at the 2012 School Leadership Summit. I hope you found the information beneficial and left with some practical tools for leading creatively in your district. Many of you have asked for copies of the materials from those two days. Links are provided below and documents are provided as attachments. Please let me know if you have any questions or additional thoughts you would like to share from the Summit.

I know you’re all immersed in back-to-school activities with your teams and communities, and I wish you my best as you continue to set the stage for a successful school year. I’ll look forward to speaking with you on our first Superintendent’s call on Wednesday, September 19, 9:30-10:30 a.m. Call-in instructions will be sent to you prior to that day.

- Brenda

View the presentation: "Fast Forward: Change in the 21st Century" -- Dr. Brenda Cassellius

View the presentation: “Assessment Update” – Jennifer Dugan

This week, Minnesota Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius, Health Commissioner Ed Ehlinger, University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital President Kathie Taranto and Physician-in-Chief Joe Neglia released an editorial and a great video reminding families to make sure an early childhood screening or well-child visit is on their Back-to-School checklist. Please share this information with your students’ families and the community. Read the article. Watch the video.

Commissioner Cassellius and the Prevention of School Bullying Task Force met with Governor Dayton yesterday to review and discuss the task force’s recommendations contained in their report, “Safe and Supportive Minnesota Schools.” View the report. For a summary of the meeting, see the August 15 Pioneer Press article.

PRESS RELEASE

Commissioner Brenda Cassellius will be in Moorhead today to hold a community listening session regarding Minnesota’s school funding system and how it meets the current needs of students and schools. See the August 15 press release.

ACTION ITEMS

See the attached memorandum from Assistant Commissioner Rose Chu; Beth Aune, director of Academic Standards; Dan Smith, supervisor of Career and Technical Education; and Richard Wassen, director of Educator Licensing, regarding the above-mentioned matter. For assistance with questions, refer to the contact information provided in the memo.

As part of Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232h; 34 CFR Part 98), all LEAs must provide parents and students notification of the Minnesota Student Survey administration in their district.  As part of this notification, parents must be allowed to review the survey and be given the opportunity to elect not to allow their child to participate in the survey (passive consent).  Notification of your District’s planned participation in the 2013 survey administration must be a part of your districts fall mailing and/or parent notification packet for the 2012-13 school year. This notification must information parents of their rights to review the survey and to request that their child does not participate.

A copy of the 2013 Survey instrument and additional information about both the Minnesota Student Survey and the PPRA parental notification will be provided to districts in August 2012. If you have questions about the upcoming survey administration, please contact MDE staff person Deb Loy at deb.loy@state.mn.us or 651-582-8306.

MISCELLANEOUS

The Minnesota Board of Teaching has taken the following licensure action:

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