May 10, 2021

Check-in from Office of American Indian Education Director Jane Harstad

May is American Indian Month in Minnesota, but this year’s festivities have been curtailed to keep our communities safe during the pandemic. Nonetheless, Minnesota is home to many heritage sites that explore Native history, artistry and living culture. When it is safe to do so, there are many opportunities to visit historical and contemporary indigenous sites across the state. I also invite you to view the video Origin(s) of Native American Heritage Month and the video Native American Hoop Dancing and Hip-Hop in Minneapolis. This PBS video spotlights some local Metro Area American Indian dancers with a contemporary flair. According to the Bdewakantonwan Dakota creation story, Dakota people and life began in Minnesota. Through oral histories, we know that the Anishinaabe migrated here through a passage of the Great Lakes until they found the place where food grows on the water (Manoomin or Wild Rice). Today, there are 11 sovereign indigenous nations in Minnesota. The four Dakota nations are the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, Prairie Island Indian Community, Lower Sioux Indian Community and Upper Sioux Indian Community. The seven Anishinaabe nations are the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, White Earth Band of Ojibwe and the Red Lake Nation. The Minnesota Department of Education has a government-to-government relationship with each of the 11 sovereign nations. Governor Walz’s Executive Order 19-24 and MDE’s Tribal Nations Consultation Policy affirm the state of Minnesota and MDE’s relationship with Minnesota Tribal Nations. Our agency policy outlines MDE’s deep commitment to engaging in meaningful consultation, coordination and cooperation with the tribal communities in our state as we strengthen, protect and advance the overall educational experience and opportunities for all American Indian students. Additionally, MDE has further opportunities to collaborate under Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.73, subdivision 3, which names the Tribal Nations Education Committee (TNEC) as the committee that the commissioner consults with on American Indian education programs, policy, and all matters related to education Minnesota’s American Indian students. When we think about our commitments to equity, it really is important for all of us to think of the over 26,000 American Indian students across the state. The ways in which we provide guidance, assistance, and programs to districts must include provisions for the unique cultural and academic needs of American Indian students. If you aren’t aware of the Indian Education Act of 1988, read it. Minnesota has known for a long while that American Indian students have not been performing in our educational system at the same rates as their peers. We can change that! With the commitments made in the executive order, agency policy and the statutes we have in place, and with the professional development of the Tribal State Relations Training (TSRT), we have the opportunity to positively impact American Indian students and we need to do our very best for them. Please visit the Office of American Indian Education webpage for more information. As always, the Office of American Indian Education is here to assist you in your roles at MDE to provide equitable educational opportunities for American Indian students in Minnesota and to strengthen and promote positive experiences and educational outcomes for students across the state.

Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2021

Reflections from Assistant Commissioner and Chief of Staff Wendy Hatch on Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month

This Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month I would like to share some reflections on what this month means to me. Growing up, I was always taught to be proud of my Asian heritage. It was simply infused into my everyday life. When I'd go camping, my mom reminded me that the compass was first invented by the Chinese. When I took a book binding course, I heard my dad tell the teacher that they should also teach my classmates who invented paper and printing. I am bilingual, participated in Chinese cultural dance troupes, learned to play the erhu from my grandfather, and every single year of elementary school during Lunar New Year my mom would come to my class and together we’d share with my classmates the stories behind the traditions as well as the history and contributions of my ancestors.  It wasn’t always easy. I was told things from peers and complete strangers like I was only good at math “because I was Asian,” that speaking Mandarin in front of others who don’t understand “isn’t polite,” and that they didn’t think Asian girls were “allowed” to speak their mind. This past year during the pandemic has been really tough. The violence towards the Asian/Pacific Islander community has been horrifying and I worried every day about the safety of my family.  However, in all of that darkness there is strength. There is pride. Being Taiwanese is baked into the core of my identity. This month is important to me because it not only gives me a chance to celebrate my heritage as well as the rich, individual cultures of my fellow Asian/Pacific Islander communities, but it also gives people who don't share my background an opportunity to stop and learn more. I hope you take the opportunity to learn more. For gaining a better understanding of one another is how we move forward together.

Celebrating Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month at MDE: Lunch and Learn Series Includes Videos, Documentaries and Speakers

MDE will be celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage with a lunch and learn series led by Macarre Traynham, director of of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and Katona Barnes, Affirmative Action Officer. The lunch and learns will include a series of various videos, documentaries and speakers followed by open conversations that will help us expand our view of the Asian American experience which includes exploring the rich diversity of Asian Americans. See the calendar of sessions and resources on Inside MDE.

Staff Appreciation Day 2021

Thank You for All You Do! 

We appreciate you and the work you do to to ensure our schools, students and families have what they need to be successful. Thank you for your continued service to the State of Minnesota.

–The Executive Team

Commissioner Mueller greets staff during the Donuts and Drive-through Staff Appreciation event Friday.

Assistant Commissioner/Chief of Staff Wendy Hatch waves to staff during the Donuts and Drive-through event Friday.

Register on ELM by May 21 to Participate in Agency-Wide Professional Development Day on Wednesday, May 26

The agency-wide professional development day is scheduled for Wednesday, May 26. Be sure to register in ELM by Friday, May 21, to attend the sessions. There will be two session topics presented in both the morning and afternoon: Organizational Culture; and Values, Beliefs, and Unconscious Bias. Staff will attend either the morning or afternoon session.  See further details regarding session topics and presenters, session times, divisions assigned, and how to register in ELM.

Session Topics and Presenters

Organizational Culture – Presented by Willow Sweeney Willow is a co-founder of Top 20 Training that provides training and materials to empower leaders, teachers, parents and students to develop their potential. Her career has included high school teaching and coaching. She has been a national speaker and trainer since 2002. Willow and her Top 20 team have trained over 1,000,000 people throughout the United States. Her work focuses on helping others develop their potential through social and emotional skills and develop more effective workplace teams and cultures. Willow has co-authored Top 20 Teachers: The Revolution in American Education, Top 20 Parents: Raising Happy, Responsible and Emotionally Healthy Children and Top 20 Teens: Discovering the Best-kept Thinking, Learning and Communicating Secrets of Successful Teenagers. She and her husband, Brian, have two sons and live in St. Cloud, Minnesota.

Values, Beliefs, and Unconscious Bias – Presented by Dr. Macarre Traynham. Macarre is the director of MDE’s new Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Center, which will provide leadership, direction and support in the development and implementation of an equity framework that guides the work and decision-making of the agency. Prior to this role, Macarre was the Educational Equity specialist at MDE, where she designed and led professional development, worked as a thought-partner with various internal divisions and the Regional Centers of Excellence and was the co-chair to the One MDE diversity council. She also co-created and co-authored the Equity Magnifier and the soon-to-be-completed Equity Guidebook for the state.

Complete Tribal State Relations Training by May 31

Every year MMB and MDE require employees to complete mandatory online trainings. To make the process easier for you as employees, Trish Signor will enroll all of you in the courses you need to take. Once you receive email notices that you have been enrolled in courses, you can go into ELM and launch the course. Your courses will be sitting in “My learning.” Please do not go into ELM and try to take courses before you receive the ELM notice that you have been enrolled.

Trish's goal is to enroll everyone in all the classes that I can up front, but you don’t have to take the courses until they are due. Two Tribal State Relations Training (TSRT) courses are due for completion on May 31, 2021. The courses are:

1. Introduction to Indian Country: This is a new Tribal State Relations Training that staff members take once. If you have taken it already, you do not need to do over again.
2. Key Concepts and Terms: This is a new Tribal State Relations Training that staff members complete once. If you have taken it already you do not need to do over again.

Read more about the all of the upcoming required courses in Information You Need to Know on Required Employee Training on Inside MDE.

Teleworking? Working in the Office? On Vacation? Remember to Update Your Status in Online Tracking Form

Use New Link for Required Employee Status Update

To ensure we have real-time information on all employees for workplace planning and mobilization, we continue to require all employees to provide regular individual status updates using an electronic form.

You should continue reporting as you have been required to do since the beginning of the pandemic. There was a problem with a previous link so please use this new link to open the Employee Status Tracking form and update your status. Status options are: teleworking, working in office, out of the office on vacation, out sick, or out for other reasons). Please use this new link and add it your bookmarks and update your status every time a change in your status occurs (which may happen daily or may not change for multiple days running).

The information will be shared with agency leadership, Continuity of Operations staff, agency managers and supervisors, and other individuals involved in the COVID-19 response planning. The information will be used only for our response to the COVID-19 pandemic and for determining the impacts of COVID-19 after the pandemic.

Optional Employee Benefits Appointments: May 11

An informational meeting is available for employees to learn more about your Optional Employee Benefits. Schedule an individual phone consultation to discuss: Life insurance, short-term disability, accidental death and dismemberment, long-term disability. For details about optional benefits, visit the State of Minnesota Optional Benefits website. Be sure to provide your best phone number for the Ochs account manager to reach you at your scheduled appointment time.

Meet with a Minnesota State Retirement System Representative by Phone or Zoom

Now may be a good time to meet with a Minnesota State Retirement System (MSRS) representative. Maybe you want to learn more about the benefits and features of the plans or maybe you want to review your accounts. Your plan representative can provide an overview, discuss your options, and implement any updates.

Sign Up for an Individual phone or Zoom counseling meeting with MSRS. When you sign up, be sure to select submit. You will receive an email confirmation and MSRS will contact you at your appointment time.

• Sign Up for Tuesday, May 25
• Sign Up for Wednesday, May 26

Communications Corner

Say, “Hello” to new Teams Backgrounds on May 12

On Wednesday, May 12, MDE will be rolling out the new Teams backgrounds across the agency for staff to have the option of using during work-related meetings.

The backgrounds include options with the MDE logo, the State of Minnesota logo, the St. Paul skyline and the State Capitol. See the Teams backgrounds below.

To apply a background, select the more actions or … icon from the top menu bar of Teams while you are in a meeting. Select apply background effects and scroll through the options to select an image to appear behind you. You can also visit Learn how to apply a Teams background.

Should you not see these new backgrounds after May 12, please do a full reboot of your workstation.

Shout-Outs to MDE Colleagues Who Go Above and Beyond

Shout-Out to Sue Rollinger for Hand-Crafting Cards!

The MDE Executive Team sends a shout-out to Sue Rollinger for hand-crafting all of the “thank you” cards we handed out at Friday’s Donuts and Drive-through event. We appreciate your creativity and your generous offer to contribute to Staff Appreciation Week. Thanks, Sue!

Accessibility in Action

Participate in Virtual Activities for Global Accessibility Awareness Day

Thursday, May 20, is  Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) 2021. Our Accessibility Community of Interest has a week of virtual activities planned for staff for GAAD 2021. Try some of the activities below in our Virtual Experience Lab for Global Accessibility Awareness Day.

Monday, May 17

• Minnesota Office of Accessibility No Mouse Challenge
• Color blindness simulator

Tuesday, May 18

• Hearing loss simulation/Hear the World Song
• What’s the difference between closed captioning and audio descriptions? Listen to the Frozen Trailer with audio description. Then, watch the Frozen Trailer with closed captions.

Wednesday, May 19

• Play the Accessibility Maze game as an introduction to accessibility concepts.
• Join the Minnesota Department of Education’s Accessibility Community of Interest meeting at 1 p.m. to discuss the activities you tried this week.

Thursday, May 20

• GAAD 2021—Office of Accessibility Accessible Meetings for All 1-2 p.m.

Also check out Free Digital Accessibility Resources from the State of Minnesota.

EDIAM Security Update Notice

On Thursday May 6, a new version of MDE’s EDIAM Security System was deployed to production. Any user who has created a web browser favorite (called bookmarks in some browsers) which links to the EDIAM login page instead of the application itself will have a broken favorite link after this new version is deployed. This is due to a problem with the web browser favorite, not with the EDIAM Security System.

A new document has been added to the MDE Data Submissions webpage with step-by-step instructions on how to correctly create a web browser favorite linked to an EDIAM-secured web application.

Get Your COVID-19 Vaccine

By the end of May, every eligible Minnesotan who wants a vaccination should be able to get one. Get your vaccination as soon as possible. Here are steps you can take to get your vaccination: Sign up for the COVID-19 Vaccine Connector to get updates on vaccine opportunities and be entered into the random selection process for the state’s Community Vaccination Program sites. Connect with your primary health care provider or local pharmacy. To search for a COVID-19 vaccine appointment near you, go to the CDC’s Vaccine Finder. Use the Vaccine Locator Map to find local vaccine providers in your area.

Wisconsin Information on Vaccines

We know some MDE staff members live in Wisconsin. Find information on getting the COVID-19 vaccine for Wisconsin residents on the Wisconsin Department of Health Services website.

Wanted: Your Stories and Shout-Outs

There is a lot of amazing work going on throughout the agency to support our school communities, our communities and each other during this time. If you have a story to share, or want to give a shout-out to one of your colleagues who has truly stepped up during this unprecedented time, please tell us! We will try to use a few of those stories in a future issue of Staff Lounge. Send your feel good story or shout-out to the communications team.

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