November Principal Leadership Support Newsletter

Minnesota Department of Education sent this bulletin at 11/19/2024 10:54 AM CST
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November 2024

Principal Leadership Support Newsletter

Dear Minnesota School Leaders, 

This November Minnesota Principal Newsletter comes to you with encouragement and hope, acknowledging the exhaustion and challenges educators face at this point of the school year. Between significant budget cuts, staffing shortages, and legislative requirements, we want to support you in finding the opportunities—to let go of old ways of doing things and consider transforming ourselves as leaders, practices in our learning communities, and processes in our systems. Reach out for a thought partner as you consider what's possible.

Listening

Quarterly Principal Listening and Networking Session

Thank you to leaders who were able to attend our November session and share their priorities, reflections, and questions. Please see our Summary of the November 7 Listening and Networking Session for an overview.

Our next Principals Listening and Networking session will be held February 13. If you have already participated (even if only once), you need not register again. You will receive a calendar invite and zoom link. If this is new to you, please sign up using the Quarterly Principal Listening and Networking Session Registration. You will receive an invite and zoom link for two options: 1-2 p.m. or 4-5 p.m. If you need assistance completing this form, please contact Ann Mitchell (651-582-8290).

Professional Learning Opportunities

Community of Practice: Culturally Responsive Rubric Alignment

The teacher development and evaluation (TDE) statute has changed, impacting all Minnesota school districts and charter schools. The updated statute requires instructional frameworks to embed culturally responsive methodologies by school year 2025–26. To aid with this process, consider joining an ongoing series of virtual networking sessions designed to support rubric alignment and to reflect on how to embed culturally responsive practices at your district or charter school while developing strong connections with other educators. Topics will include but are not limited to: aligning the rubric with Standards of Effective Practice, embedding culturally responsive methodologies within a system, building culturally relevant and responsive leadership practice, and fostering a collaborative learning culture. Dates for currently scheduled sessions (9:30-10:30 a.m.):  

  • (November 6 – Rubric revision)
  • January 22 – Sharing with staff/community
  • March 19 – Finalizing the rubric
  • May 14 – Planning professional development

Audience: School Leaders, Teacher Leaders, Teachers 

To join any of these sessions, even if you missed the November session, please reach out to Tamara Valmé, Educator Workforce and Development Center (651-582-8413).

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Facilitating Meaningful Feedback: In-Person Date Added

fmf

The purpose of the Facilitating Meaningful Feedback training is to enhance school leaders' skills in facilitating conversations with meaningful feedback. This training includes a particular focus on incorporating culturally responsive, equity-centered practices into your feedback.

This one-day (six-hour) session will include opportunities to:

  • Reflect on your practice.
  • Learn about facilitating meaningful feedback conversations. 
  • Practice utilizing a research-based rubric on four areas of providing feedback: Centering relationships, Evidence use, Differentiated questioning, and Leading to action.

Audience: Any school or teacher leader

Location: Minnesota Department of Education, 400 Stinson Blvd NE, Minneapolis, MN, 55413

Date: December 9, 2024, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Six CEUs will be provided.

Register for the Facilitating Meaningful Feedback professional learning. Do you have questions or need assistance completing this form? Call or email Elizabeth Vaught (651-582-8250), Principal Leadership Support. 

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Language Access Network

The Minnesota Department of Education has begun hosting a series of training sessions for district and charter schools during the 2024-25 school year. Based on changes in state law, districts and charter schools are required to adopt a Language Access Plan that specifies the district's process and procedures to render effective language assistance to students and adults who communicate in a language other than English. This Language Access Plan must be available to the public and included in the school’s handbook. The plan is also part of actions leaders and teams can take to practice culturally responsive leadership. 

District and charter school leaders should identify a team who will write the Language Access Plan for their district or charter to attend these training sessions. Further information about Language Access planning will be posted on Minnesota Department of Education Language Access Plan webpage. All meetings are held 10-11:30 a.m.

(Session 1: November 7, 2024 – Unlocking the Law: A Comprehensive Introduction to the Statute); recording of this session is available

Session 2: January 23, 2025 – Reflect and Assess: Evaluating Our Current Language Access Practices

Session 3: March 6, 2025 – Strategic Planning for Change: Crafting Your Language Access Roadmap

Session 4: May 15, 2025 – From Vision to Reality: Shaping the Draft of Your Action Plan

To register for the series, please have each participant use the link on the Minnesota Department of Education Calendar. We will provide information from the November 7 session.

Contact Michelle Niska for assistance with questions.
Fall

Closing

As the days get short and nature slows down a bit, we know the workload does not. Here is a Fall Checklist for Better Mental Health from Scenic City Neurotherapy in Tennessee. Among other items, they recommend you:

  • Foster social connection
  • Cultivate a sense of purpose
  • Fuel your body and drink water

We hope you find these tips helpful.

Our next newsletter will arrive in your inbox in December. If you have questions about this newsletter, please contact Elizabeth Vaught (651-582-8250).