Strategies for Financial Management in Upcoming Negotiations Cycles

Lori Volz, Financial Advisory Consultant with Baker Tilly, will be conducting a session on "Strategies for Financial Management in upcoming Negotiations Cycles". Best practices of Negotiations costing aligned with MSBA reporting will be outlined. Examples of negotiations cost calculations and templates/modules will be shared. Now is the time to start preparing for the upcoming teacher contract negotiation cycle! Other financial management analysis strategies will be reviewed through enrollment projection modules, UFARS cost comparison modules, EL/Sped staffing/cost comparisons, and more. All these points are part of a multi-faceted approach for current and multi-year planning.

Speaker Bio: Lori Volz has been in the field of school finance for over forty years and has worked in three Big 9 School Districts over the course of her career as Executive Director of Finance & Operations/Deputy Superintendent. She is currently working as a financial advisory consultant servicing public schools in Minnesota. Lori has established a working relationship with Jim Sheehan and Bob Porter who have developed numerous costing modules for public schools to utilize. Lori was previously a MASBO School Business Official of the Year, Pinnacle Award winner through ASBO International and presenter at many MASBO and MASA conferences.

Target Audience: Superintendents and Business Managers

Facilitated by Shannon Helgeson and Ross Herdina of Agile Ideas Leadership, this is an opportunity for instructional coaches of all levels of experience, and for those who want to strengthen their facilitation skills.

Participants will have opportunities to share ideas, practice conversational and coaching strategies, increase their professional skills, and establish strong systems that will help your coaching program flourish. Instructional coaches and others who lead teams and give feedback are encouraged to participate.

Instructional Coaching: Supporting the Resistant Educator

• How can we better understand why people resist support or making change?
• How can we process Theories of Action so we can better support growth?
• What are the steps to guiding difficult conversations?
• How can we create reflective structures for teams?

Professional Development for Building Leaders 

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 – 2026.    

In partnership with the Educator Workforce and Development Center, the Southeast Regional COMPASS Culturally Responsive Instructional Leadership (CRILL) Lead invites principals and directors of charter schools and Tribal-contract schools and their observation teams (i.e. Evaluation Teams, Oversight Committees, Q-comp Coordinators) to attend a professional development session for the integration of culturally responsive practices in teacher development and evaluation rubrics. In this session, participants will receive resources and support to help guide district leaders and their teams as they get started in the process. 

Participants attending this FREE professional development will also have an opportunity to receive follow-up support with the Southeast regional CRILL lead.

As you build your observation/evaluation team, they are encouraged to attend the session. Please reach out to Melanie Lawrence if you have questions.

School Nurse Community of Practice for the 24-25 School Year

Agenda will be available close to the date

SSC has opened up its Superintendent Advisory Committee meetings to all member district superintendents in our region. These meetings are an opportunity for SE MN superintendents to learn more about and provide input on SSC's programs and services, communicate ways in which SSC can support their district, and network with peers. These meetings will take place four times per year at SSC. There will be no charge to attend, lunch and refreshments will be served, and attendees will be reimbursed for their mileage.

Please note, the dates/times listed under the title of this opportunity are not accurate; licenses will be made available within 48 hours of registration/purchase.

Paraeducator is recognized by the Minnesota Department of Education as an option for the formal assessment required to consider a paraprofessional highly qualified. Paraeducator also provides high quality professional development that districts can use to support all paraprofessionals.

Paraeducator Online Courses Include

• 150+ self-paced courses covering general education and special education environments (Course listing)
• Courses that are organized into bite-sized units and are perfect for training days.
• Post-tests at the end of each course that are automatically graded.
• Training and assessments to highly qualify paraprofessionals and meet Title I, Part A requirements.
• Transcripts and course certificates that paraeducators can access to document their training.
• Content that aligns with CEC standards for paraeducators endorsed by CASE.
• Research-based content written by experts in the field.

Assessment Information

Highly qualified prep courses in the areas of mathematical skills, reading skills, writing skills, and supporting instruction, will be assigned to those taking the assessment. We strongly recommend that individuals complete these prep courses prior to taking the assessments (estimated to take 8-12 hours to complete). The passing scores are 65% for the Instructional Support test and 70% for the Knowledge and Application test.

Instructions for Registering/Purchasing a Paraeducator License

If an individual would like to take the Paraeducator Assessment, he/she should select the Paraeducator Online Course + Assessment License rate when registering. ($85.00/license/year)

If an individual does not need to take the Paraeducator Assessment, he/she should select the Paraeducator Online Course License (no assessments) rate. ($65.00/license/year)

Once an individual has registered/purchased a license, he/she will be contacted via email with next steps for accessing his/her license and for those purchasing the license + assessments, information on scheduling the assessment.

*Individuals planning to take the assessments must have registered here and be assigned a license prior to the testing date and must provide their own internet-accessible laptop.

Districts also have the option to provide testing at their site with a designated proctor.

License Costs

$85 / license - Access to highly qualified online prep courses, access to all online PD courses, and assessments

$65 / license - Access to all online PD courses only

$20 / attempt - Each additional assessment retake (if taken with an SSC provided proctor)

Please use your school email address when registering, even if paying with personal credit card.

Professional Development for Building Leaders 

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 – 2026.    

In partnership with the Educator Workforce and Development Center, the Southeast Regional COMPASS Culturally Responsive Instructional Leadership (CRILL) Lead invites principals and directors of charter schools and Tribal-contract schools and their observation teams (i.e. Evaluation Teams, Oversight Committees, Q-comp Coordinators) to attend a professional development session for the integration of culturally responsive practices in teacher development and evaluation rubrics. In this session, participants will receive resources and support to help guide district leaders and their teams as they get started in the process. 

Participants attending this FREE professional development will also have an opportunity to receive follow-up support with the Southeast regional CRILL lead.

As you build your observation/evaluation team, they are encouraged to attend the session. Please reach out to Melanie Lawrence if you have questions.

Join us virtually for an opportunity to connect with other school mental health professionals (school social workers, school counselors, etc.) to discuss relevant topics to our day-to-day work. More information about the agenda will come out closer to the date.

CEU's provided.

Please note, the dates/times listed under the title of this opportunity are not accurate; licenses will be made available within 48 hours of registration/purchase.

Paraeducator is recognized by the Minnesota Department of Education as an option for the formal assessment required to consider a paraprofessional highly qualified. Paraeducator also provides high quality professional development that districts can use to support all paraprofessionals.

Paraeducator Online Courses Include

• 150+ self-paced courses covering general education and special education environments (Course listing)
• Courses that are organized into bite-sized units and are perfect for training days.
• Post-tests at the end of each course that are automatically graded.
• Training and assessments to highly qualify paraprofessionals and meet Title I, Part A requirements.
• Transcripts and course certificates that paraeducators can access to document their training.
• Content that aligns with CEC standards for paraeducators endorsed by CASE.
• Research-based content written by experts in the field.

Assessment Information

Highly qualified prep courses in the areas of mathematical skills, reading skills, writing skills, and supporting instruction, will be assigned to those taking the assessment. We strongly recommend that individuals complete these prep courses prior to taking the assessments (estimated to take 8-12 hours to complete). The passing scores are 65% for the Instructional Support test and 70% for the Knowledge and Application test.

Instructions for Registering/Purchasing a Paraeducator License

If an individual would like to take the Paraeducator Assessment, he/she should select the Paraeducator Online Course + Assessment License rate when registering. ($85.00/license/year)

If an individual does not need to take the Paraeducator Assessment, he/she should select the Paraeducator Online Course License (no assessments) rate. ($65.00/license/year)

Once an individual has registered/purchased a license, he/she will be contacted via email with next steps for accessing his/her license and for those purchasing the license + assessments, information on scheduling the assessment.

*Individuals planning to take the assessments must have registered here and be assigned a license prior to the testing date and must provide their own internet-accessible laptop.

Districts also have the option to provide testing at their site with a designated proctor.

License Costs

$85 / license - Access to highly qualified online prep courses, access to all online PD courses, and assessments

$65 / license - Access to all online PD courses only

$20 / attempt - Each additional assessment retake (if taken with an SSC provided proctor)

Please use your school email address when registering, even if paying with personal credit card.

Stay tuned for details regarding the agenda.

PREPaRE training is ideal for schools committed to improving and strengthening their school safety and crisis management plans and emergency response. All individuals who receive PREPaRE training will gain a better understanding of the organization and function of a comprehensive safety and crisis team and the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the mental health needs of students and staff in the aftermath of a crisis.