MRVED Update - September 28, 2023

MRVED Business

MRVED Meetings

Wednesday, October 26, 2022 - Superintendents' Council Meeting

Friday, October 28, 2022 - Principals' Council Meeting

Welcome Back

Welcome back to the 2022-23 school year. It's been fun to see all the smiling faces back in the buildings with lots of learning happening. The MRVED staff wishes you the best school year ever. If there is anything we can do to help you accomplish your goals please don't hesitate to call or email any one of us. Our main goal is to be of help and service to our member school districts. Have a great year!

Karen Jacobson - Director

Brandon Raymo - Assistant Director

Katie Raymo - Administrative Assistant

Pam Bruns - Administrative Assistant

October 19th Common Inservice Day

The MRVED has prided itself on providing high quality professional development opportunities for the past 25 years. For the past 6 years our nine school districts have collaborated during 3 common inservice dates per school year. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances with our keynote speaker, the October 19th common MRVED inservice date will now be converted back to district controlled time. The MRVED is thankful to the Benson School District for being willing to host the day. Your administration will be in contact with you about your individual plans for the October 19th inservice day. We look forward to coming together during the MELT Conference on January 16, 2023 at Lac qui Parle Valley High School.

MELT Call for Presentations

The 2023 MELT will once again be held at Lac qui Parle Valley High School on January 16, 2023. This conference is the envy of many around the state of Minnesota. There aren't very many school districts in the state of Minnesota that send their whole staff to a conference like this, let alone 9 school districts!

Each year, we rely heavily on local presenters to share what they are doing in their classroom. This year is no exception. There are so many great things happening in all our classrooms. Please consider sharing your ideas & talents with your colleagues. There is a stipend and perks to presenting.

The Call for Presentations is NOT a guarantee or agreement to present. It is simply providing your name and idea for the committee to consider. Brandon will contact you by the middle of October if your session is selected.

MELT Call for Presentations Link

Paraprofessional Conference Recap - August 17, 2022

MRVED hosted the annual Paraprofessional Conference on August 17, 2022 at Benson High School. Over 120 paraprofessionals attended the conference and participated in a variety of breakout sessions throughout the day. The day started with a general session focused on poverty presented by Heather Jesertiz and Angela Larson from United Community Action Partnership. After the general session there were breakout sessions the remainder of the day. Breakout sessions that were offered are listed below. Thank you to all that attended and to those that were willing to present.

Poor vs. Poverty Follow-Up - H. Jeseritz & A. Larson	Para 101; Karen Jacobson	Phrases para la classe - Ana Pieda & Missy Ochsendorf
Minnesota Standards Update - Brandon Raymo	Why I'm Right and You're Wrong - Dr. Jennie Gunlogson	Suicide Prevention - Brian Skogen
From Para to SPED Track - SMSU Professors	Fine Motor Strategies - Peggy Knutson	Intro to Google Apps - Aimee Thalberg
What is LETRS? - Sheri Schneider	Immigration Process - Rafael Antonio Valenzuela Charver	Behavior Regulation Strategies and Supports - Angie Young
Race and Culture for Ourselves & for our Students - Hope Schmidt	What Would You Do? - Brandon Raymo	Math Tips, Tricks, & Games - Karen Hartke
Para 201 - Karen Jacobson

Professional Development

Perpich Center Regional Arts Teacher-Leader Network

The Regional Arts Teacher-Leader Network is a virtual cohort of Minnesota arts educators (dance, music, theater, visual & media) working collaboratively through multi-year professional development to advance their leadership skills and classroom practices. This opportunity is hosted by the Perpich Center.

While an Interest Form is available now, more detailed information will be coming as applications open, which they are anticipating will be in late October. Applications will close in December with an anticipated start date of January 2023. As this is a multi-year professional development network, applications may not open again for two or more years.

SWWC It2 Conference

Date: October 27-28, 2022

Location: Willmar Event Center

What: The conference begins on Thursday, October 27, 2022, at 1:00 pm with a series of concurrent sessions. New this year, the Exhibit Hall will have exclusive hours during the conference from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, during which appetizers and refreshments will be available. Our Exhibit Hall challenge will make a return this year, which is your ticket to enter the drawings for some awesome door prizes. The conference will resume on Friday, October 28, 2022. Our keynote speaker, Steven Baule, will begin the day at 8:00 a.m. with breakout sessions to follow. The breakout sessions should conclude around 3:00 p.m. with the door prize drawings held after.

Registration Link

Standards Update

In the past four years we have seen updates to the ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies state standards. While implementation of these standards are a few years away, there will still be valuable work that needs to be completed to be ready for implementation and the first testing of the new standards. Currently all four documents are in the rulemaking process. This process can take upwards of two years after the final draft has been completed. Sometime this winter we should see ELA and Science exit the rulemaking process and move into implementation. Social Studies and Math will likely be in rulemaking throughout this school year.

There are significant changes in all the standard areas, so an implementation plan should be in place in all our districts to prepare ourselves for the first testing of the new standards. All new standards are linked below. Please note - these standards are NOT what our students are CURRENTLY being tested on.

ELA Standards

Math Standards

Science Standards

Social Studies Standards

Brandon's Books to Read for 2022-23

I always enjoy getting book suggestions from people. It helps me narrow down my search for the next book I'll read. Here is my list of professional books I am currently reading, have recently read, or are on my list to read.

Dare to Lead - Brene Brown

Teach Like a Champion - Doug Lemov

Leaders Eat Last - Simon Sinek

You Win in the Locker Room First - Jon Gordon & Mike Smith

The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More, & Change the Way You Lead Forever - Michael Bungay Stanier

MRVED Update - November 20, 2019

MRVED Business

Upcoming Meetings

November 17, 2019 - Superintendents' Council Meeting

December 3, 2019 - Community Education Directors' Meeting

December 6, 2019 - Title III Teachers' Meeting

December 11, 2019 - MRVED Board Meeting (6:00 p.m.)

December 12, 2019 - Teacher Advisory Meeting

December 13, 2019 - Principals' Council Meeting

December 18, 2019 - Superintendents' Council Meeting

MELT Update:  January 20, 2020

MELT 2020 is quickly approaching and the MRVED staff has been working hard to ensure everyone has a beneficial educational conference!   There are approximately 30 sessions to choose from each hour.  As always, there are numerous new sessions offered this year, as well as some favorite sessions from years past.  Some groups will also have an opportunity to network.  

Please note that there will be a 'Cultural Competency Training'.  This is a new session and is a two hour session that will be offered once in the morning and once in the afternoon.  This will fill up fast!  Seating is limited and the session will be closed once it reaches maximum capacity.   

Registration:  

The MELT brochure will be sent to you on Thursday, December 5th.  The registration link will open on Tuesday, December 10th at 7:30 a.m.  Your principal will forward you the email with the brochure and registration link.  Principals, please keep your eyes out for this email and send it out as soon as possible.  The registration link will also be available on our MRVED website under "Latest News" - www.mrved.com.

Again, we CANNOT stress enough the importance of registering as early as possible.  Once you register for your sessions, you WILL NOT be able to switch sessions.  With over 650 registrants, it becomes difficult to make all of those changes correctly.  Thank you for your understanding!

English Language Arts Standards Update:

1st Draft of New Minnesota ELA Standards

The First Draft of the English Language Arts (ELA) Standards represents the work of the ELA Standards review committee. This group of 32 individuals includes K-12 teachers, administrators, college faculty, representatives of educational organizations, and community members. The committee membership, timeline and assumptions that guide their work are found on the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) ELA webpage, [https://education.mn.gov/MDE/dse/stds/ela/].

We encourage you to provide feedback and comments about this draft of the standards via the online feedback survey from November 11 – December 6. Town Hall Meetings are scheduled at several locations across the state. These meetings provide background about the standards revision process and provide an opportunity for input. The survey and the meeting schedule are posted at the above link.

The second draft of the standards will be published in February and the final draft will be available in May. The final draft will be available for planning purposes and the standards become law through the Minnesota rulemaking process. More information on the standards development process is at the MDE English Language Arts (ELA) webpage linked above.

Minnesota Statutes require that there be statements of standards and benchmarks. Anchor Standards are a summary description of student learning. The Kindergarten - Grade 12 benchmarks identify the learning that is to be accomplished by all students by the end of each grade.

Professional Development

SEL Movies

If you are looking for something inspiring to watch this holiday season, Love Them First by KARE11 and Paper Tigers are two excellent movies that will pull at your heart strings.

Love Them First
With unprecedented access over the course of a year, Love Them First: Lessons from Lucy Laney Elementary follows the determination of a charismatic north Minneapolis school principal, Mauri Melander Friestleben, as she sets out to undo history. Not only does Minnesota have the largest achievement gap between black and white children in the United States, Friestleben faced another seemingly impossible obstacle, with Lucy Laney at the bottom of the state's list of underperforming schools for two decades. Under Friestleben's leadership, standardized test scores from most black students began rising for the first time, but when the school encounters a heartbreaking setback, Friestleben is forced to confront the true measure of student success at Lucy Laney. It's a story of inspiration, heartbreak, perseverance, and the power of love.

Paper Tigers

Paper Tigers follows a year in the life of an alternative high school that has radically changed its approach to disciplining its students, becoming a promising model for how to break the cycles of poverty, violence, and disease that affect families.

Book Study

Lead Like a Pirate - Chapters 13-17

As we continue through Lead Like a Pirate, this is a reminder that my synopsis of the chapters in no way should take away from reading the book.  This is simply my thoughts on each chapter in hopes of getting you to think and reflect on your own leadership style.

Chapter 13 is all about change.  How do we change without capsizing our ship?  This is a question all leaders ask themselves.  How much & what type of change can my organization endure before the ship tips?  George Couros says in the Innovator's Mindset that "Change is an opportunity to do something amazing".  Any time we introduce something new, whether it be in the classroom or districtwide, we need to be deliberate about our steps and clear about our goals and expectations.  If you don't have the trust of your crew, then you need to work that much harder to help them see the end.  A crew that has trust in a captain, will blindly follow.  But a crew that doesn't trust the captain, needs to see what the end looks like.

Chapter 14 was a quick read.  It talks about putting faces and stories to the data and/or change you are trying to implement.  Think about a time when you were in a staff meeting and someone was throwing around data at you like crazy...25% of our kids are ELL, 30% are SPED, etc...  In order for people to get emotionally tied to the data, we have to put faces and stories to these numbers.  That is what will motivate people to change...stories and people, not numbers.

Chapter 15 is all about utilizing social media to tell your story.  This is a topic I have had numerous conversations around.  The number one thing I tell people, and it is reiterated in Lead Like a Pirate is, "If you aren't telling your own story, other people will".  Control your story as a school, as a classroom, as an activity.  Show and tell people what you are doing.  Because if you don't, other people will and it might not be the story you want told.  I think it goes without being said that any social media platform is a good place to tell your story.

Chapter 16 & 17 talk about doing what is best for kids and professional development.  Bottom line, we must be doing things that are in the best interest of our clientele, the kids.  I once heard a quote that made me really stop and think, "School was created for kids to get an education, not for adults to be employed".  Whether it's bringing in the latest PBIS strategy or sitting through a professional development session on bloodborne pathogens, everything must be done with a "kids first" mentality.

Tech Tip - Front Row

Front Row
Front Row is an individualized math and ELA program that allows students to practice at their own pace. Their curriculum is completely Common Core aligned, and covers every standard in K-8 math.

Students start Front Row by taking a diagnostic test that places them based on their capability. Then, they answer practice questions that vary based on what the student knows. If a student gets stuck, they see remediation material and videos that help them understand the topic at hand. If they do well, they move on to harder material! The kids love using Front Row because it’s so engaging.

The Front Row dashboard is just amazing for teachers. It shows where each student is stuck, and whether they need help, and it also gives materials that can help them! What’s really amazing is the printables feature, which allows teachers to generate a personalized printable sheet for each student that gives practice where they need it.

Overall, Front Row is an amazing time saver, and students really love it. Sign up is super easy, just go to http://www.frontrowed.com and click on the sign up button. It’s free!

Front Row Resource Folder

MRVED Business

Upcoming Meetings
December 7, 2015  District Assessment Coordinators (DAC)
December 8, 2015  World Languages
December 11, 2015  Social Studies
December 16, 2015  Superintendents' Council
December 16, 2015  MRVED Board (7 p.m.)
December 17, 2015  Teachers' Advisory Council (TAC)
December 18, 2015  Principals' Council (11:30 a.m. start)

Best Practice Meeting Updates
Industrial Technology
The Industrial Technology best practice meeting was cancelled due to the weather.  We will meet in the Spring.

English Language Arts
The English Language Arts teachers gathered at the MRVED for their best practice meeting yesterday, December 3rd.  Like all the other best practice groups, the day started with an activity centered around grading practices.  Great discussion was had amongst the groups.  After the grading practices activity, they had the opportunity to meet as a district team and dissect data.  Pizza Ranch was amazing as usual.  In the afternoon the group networked and learned a little about integrating technology.  Another great meeting!


MELT Registration
It is that time of the year again!  Registration for the annual MELT conference will be coming to you on the morning of December 9th.  This year there are over 120 sessions to choose from.  Be sure to register early as sessions fill up.  The deadline to register will be December 22nd.  Registration is crucial to the process of the MELT, so please make a point to get it done right away.  Last year we had over 200 people register on the first day!  Let's top that number this year!  Look for the registration on December 9th from your Principal!

MRVED Business

Best Practice Meeting Updates
English Language Arts
The English Language Arts educators gathered at the MRVED on Tuesday December 2nd for their annual best practice meeting.  The room was filled with 34 teachers ranging from Kindergarten to 12th grade teachers.  The morning started with Brandon sharing some of the latest and greatest web tools for the classroom, which transitioned nicely into a session on the SAMR model.  The group had the opportunity to talk about creating a lesson through the SAMR model.  The morning ended with aligning their standards and curriculum K-12.  After lunch they finished their curriculum work and met in networking groups.  The group did an excellent job of networking, sharing many new resources for the classroom.  The day ended with a grading practice activity.  Overall it was another great day with almost every teacher bringing something new back to the classroom.

World Language
The World Language teachers attended their annual best practice meeting on Thursday, December 4th.  The day started with networking and discussing issues related to World Languages.  After that, the group had the opportunity to spend the rest of the day with their Minnesota Department of Education specialist Ursula Lentz.  The teachers had the opportunity to hear and learn from her.  Ms. Lentz has a wealth of knowledge in the realm of World Languages and it was a great day for everyone.

Best Practice Meetings
December 10, 2014  MRVED Board (7 p.m.)
December 12, 2014   Title III Teachers
December 15, 2014  District Assessment Coordinators (DAC)
December 16, 2014  FACS
December 17, 2014  Superintendents' Council
December 18, 2014  Teachers' Advisory Council (TAC)
December 19, 2014  Principals' Council (starting at 11:30 a.m.)

Fall Conference Dates

Fall Conferences
Art Educators of Minnesota - November 7 & 8 in Rochester
Minnesota Business Educators - November 6 & 7 in Bloomington
Minnesota Association of Health/PE - November 3 & 4 in Wayzata
Minnesota Council of Teachers of English - Fall Workshop October 27 in Brooklyn Park
Education Minnesota - October 16 & 17 in St. Paul

Upcoming Spring Conferences

Spring Conferences
Here is a list of upcoming spring professional development conferences from the different teachers associations.  If you have never been to one, make this the year!

Minnesota Science Teachers Association - February 21-22, 2014

Minnesota Council for the Social Studies - March 2-3, 2014

Minnesota Council of Teachers of English - April 3-4, 2014

Minnesota Council of Teachers of Mathematics - May 2-3, 2014

If you know of any other Spring conferences, please add it in the comments below.

MRVED Business

Meeting Updates
English Language Arts Best Practice Meeting
The English Language Arts Best Practice Meeting was held on Tuesday, December 3rd.  A large group of teachers gathered at the MRVED on a cold, wet/snowy day.  The morning started off learning what 21st century skills are and how they relate to the classroom.  After a great discussion on the 21st century skills, the group then broke into smaller groups and tackled creating a K-12 MRVED Academic Vocabulary List.  This was a great activity for teachers to do, and revealed some awesome discussion about teaching vocabulary in the classroom.  Lunch was great as usual.  The afternoon was a little more laid back and the teachers had the opportunity to share their own resources and ideas with each other.  Brandon showed some augmented reality technology at the end and the group parted ways for another year.  Again, overall a great bunch of teachers and an awesome day!


Health Best Practice Meeting
The Health best practice meeting was postponed due to the weather.  Look for a makeup date to be sent out soon.

MRVED Meetings
December 9, 2013  District Assessment Coordinators (DACs)
December 11, 2013  Principals' Council
December 12, 2013 Teachers' Advisory Council (TAC)
December 13, 2013  Title III Teachers
December 18, 2013  Superintendents' Council