Check-in from Deputy Commissioner Charlene Briner
It’s official: fall is definitely here. Over the course of a few days last week we moved from the hot, sticky days of summer into decidedly cool fall mornings and shorter days in which sunset seems to come earlier and earlier each day. The change of seasons is predictable and constant, and yet the abrupt arrival of each new season still always seems to catch me by surprise.
We’re in the midst of some transitions right now at MDE. A new accountability system, retirements of valued colleagues, changes in the way we support schools that need additional help, and an election that will usher in a new administration are just some of the transitions that may potentially impact us in our daily work, or which might pass without notice for some of us. The good news is that even though we’re in the midst of changes—some big and some small—our work on behalf of students, teachers and schools is constant, and continues to make a positive difference in the lives of Minnesotans from border to border.
Our agency-wide work over the past eight months to create a set of values and behaviors that define our work and mission is one way we can ensure that even in the midst of transition, we stay the course. By elevating the priority we place on leadership, collaboration and equity, whether in the way we approach our daily tasks or our interactions with stakeholders and each other, we’ve built a foundation that will help see us through the ups and downs and uncertainties that occur over time.
In the weeks ahead, you’ll be hearing about additional opportunities to discuss how we can more deeply embed these shared values in our work, whether it’s including them in the way we evaluate our performance or making sure they are part of every new job description we create. One way the leadership team is doing that is to include the values and behaviors in all of the documents we are preparing to share with the next administration.
Love it or not, change is always coming, and when it does, it offers the opportunity for growth. I’ve found the best way to move through it is to be open to the possibilities. And it doesn’t hurt to take a good, long walk in the crisp fall air, either.
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