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Inside this issue
Important Upcoming Events/Meetings
December 1: AT Cohort December 1: EL PLC @ RBEC December 3: International Day of Persons with Disabilities December 5: Instructional Coaches PLC in Rochester, 8:00 - 3:00 December 6: GCED School Board Meeting December 7: Principal Meeting @ RBEC, 12:30 - 3:30 December 7: Region 10 CTIC December 8: MDE Special Education Directors Forum December 12: Woodcock Johnson IV Training for Teachers @ RBEC December 14: GCED/RW CTE Advisory Committee December 14: SLD Cohort December 14: GCED District Data & Implementation Team Meeting December 18: SPED Leadership Team Meeting December 19: ASD/DCD Cohort December 20: Superintendents Council January 1, 2018: Happy New Year! |
The Progress, December 2017: Volume 3, Issue 4
The Progress archive
Click here to view past issues from the current school year. Comments? Suggestions for new articles?
Contact Jillynne Raymond, Editor, The Progress, jraymond@gced.k12.mn.us 
Winter Assessment Window is open December 4th through January 17th.
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International Day of Persons with Disabilities
Established in 1992 by the United Nations, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities is intended to increase understanding of disability issues as well as to celebrate the lives and the abilities of people with disabilities. Approximately 15% of the world's population live with some form of disability; they often face barriers to inclusion in society. Awareness is the first step to break down those barriers. We celebrate today and every day the achievements of people with disabilities. We also look forward to the day when people with disabilities have the same access to education and employment opportunities as their peers without disabilities.
Behavior (it’s what we do)
Cherie Johnson
Many of you are familiar with the work of Simon Sinek. One of his quotes that I have been reminded of lately is, “There are only two ways to influence human behavior: You can manipulate it, or you can inspire it.” Behavior is what we do, and it's observable and measurable. Whether it is to walk from one place to another or to crack one's knuckles, behavior serves some type of function.
In our schools, we use the research-based approach to modifying behavior, called Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). The function of an inappropriate behavior is sought out, in order to find a replacement behavior to substitute it. Every behavior serves a function and provides a consequence or reinforcement for the behavior.
In our schools, we use a Functional Behavioral Analysis (FBA) to create a behavior plan for any student with difficult behavior. These plans are not just for our students with emotional and behavioral disabilities. While I am not saying that an FBA and the consequent Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) must be done for every student, I am saying that if the team asks, “Does the student exhibit behaviors that impede his or her learning or that of others?” and the answer is yes, than we need to be sure that an FBA and BIP are created. If a student behavioral issue comes to my attention, the first question I will ask is, “Have the FBA and/or BIP been reviewed?”
When a team successfully identifies the function of the behavior, they can reinforce an alternate, acceptable behavior that will replace it. When a student has a particular need or function fulfilled by an alternate means, the unacceptable behavior is less likely to reappear. For example, if a child needs attention, and we give them attention in an appropriate way because of appropriate behavior, the appropriate behavior is more likely to be repeated and the unwanted behavior is less likely to appear. You all know this. Everything that our students, or for that matter we do, falls into one of the following six categories or functions:
In the months ahead, each newsletter will have an article focused on behavior. We will first do an article about behavior basics. For those of you that are skilled in this area, I challenge you to reach out to some of your colleagues that may be in the first years of teaching. Other articles will include more in-depth discussions of FBAs, BIPs, data collection, and strategies.
Managing behavior is one of the most important roles we have. Our ability as manage the classroom and school environment and inspire learning is essential to student achievement.
Cherie Johnson
Many of you are familiar with the work of Simon Sinek. One of his quotes that I have been reminded of lately is, “There are only two ways to influence human behavior: You can manipulate it, or you can inspire it.” Behavior is what we do, and it's observable and measurable. Whether it is to walk from one place to another or to crack one's knuckles, behavior serves some type of function.
In our schools, we use the research-based approach to modifying behavior, called Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). The function of an inappropriate behavior is sought out, in order to find a replacement behavior to substitute it. Every behavior serves a function and provides a consequence or reinforcement for the behavior.
In our schools, we use a Functional Behavioral Analysis (FBA) to create a behavior plan for any student with difficult behavior. These plans are not just for our students with emotional and behavioral disabilities. While I am not saying that an FBA and the consequent Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) must be done for every student, I am saying that if the team asks, “Does the student exhibit behaviors that impede his or her learning or that of others?” and the answer is yes, than we need to be sure that an FBA and BIP are created. If a student behavioral issue comes to my attention, the first question I will ask is, “Have the FBA and/or BIP been reviewed?”
When a team successfully identifies the function of the behavior, they can reinforce an alternate, acceptable behavior that will replace it. When a student has a particular need or function fulfilled by an alternate means, the unacceptable behavior is less likely to reappear. For example, if a child needs attention, and we give them attention in an appropriate way because of appropriate behavior, the appropriate behavior is more likely to be repeated and the unwanted behavior is less likely to appear. You all know this. Everything that our students, or for that matter we do, falls into one of the following six categories or functions:
- To obtain a preferred item or activity.
- Escape or avoidance. The behavior helps the child to escape from a setting or activity that he or she doesn't want.
- To get attention, either from significant adults or peers.
- To communicate. This is especially true with children with disabilities that limit their ability to communicate.
- Self-stimulation, when the behavior itself provides reinforcement.
- Control or power. Some students feel particularly powerless and a problem behavior may give them a sense of power or control.
In the months ahead, each newsletter will have an article focused on behavior. We will first do an article about behavior basics. For those of you that are skilled in this area, I challenge you to reach out to some of your colleagues that may be in the first years of teaching. Other articles will include more in-depth discussions of FBAs, BIPs, data collection, and strategies.
Managing behavior is one of the most important roles we have. Our ability as manage the classroom and school environment and inspire learning is essential to student achievement.
Minnesota Indian Education Association Conference
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By Jillynne Raymond
Along with close to 500 other educators, I had the opportunity to attend the MN Indian Education Association Conference at Prairie Island last month. It was a conference filled with rich and meaningful dialogue focused on improving our Indian students' outcomes. Reading, math, and science MCA-III data (see right column) demonstrate that our American Indian students are lagging behind; educators must respond. Breakout sessions throughout the conference offered background knowledge to understand the current state of affairs, as well as ideas on making improvements. Random highlights include: Opening Ceremony Traditional dance, music, and customs were all a part of the opening ceremony. In the spirit of inclusion, all audience members were invited to take part. At one point almost all of the audience members were in a large circle around the banquet hall for a smudging ceremony. Sage was burned as a way to cleanse and purify the body and energy for a positive conference. Keynote Speaker: Dr. Karina Walters, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Dr. Walters presented on historical trauma and its implications on present-day. Her presentation builds on the "growing body of trauma research emphasizing the resiliency of Indigenous communities and the importance of designing educational and health interventions that prioritize Indigenous worldviews and ancestral teachings." Gifted/Talented Strategies for All Students Wendy Behrens from MDE led a discussion on strategies to engage students. She challenged us to shift our mindset of G/T equals gifted and talented to G/T equals good teaching, which is good for ALL students. Good teaching begins with building relationships with all students, creating a welcoming and safe learning culture. She encouraged all educators to differentiate instruction, to build on students' strengths, and to use students' interests to engage them in the learning. Coming in the 2018-19 school year from MDE: free professional development modules for teachers. Key Variable in Student Success Dr. John Gonzalez, Bemidji State University presented findings from his study titled, We Shall Remain: American Indian College Student Development . Dr. Gonzalez examined variables that impact American Indian students' higher education success. First of all, GPA is not predictive of success, at least not in his work. His study aligned with other research on resiliency that questions what makes the difference for our students at risk - one caring adult in that student's life. For Dr. Gonzalez' study he believed that interactions with American Indian faculty members would have the largest impact on the students' success; and yet the greatest impact came from non-American Indian faculty. Of course, one needs to consider the pure number (or lack thereof) of American Indian faculty members available for interactions. No matter what, the research is clear that our students at the PK-12 level or at the higher education level need at least one caring adult at school. Microagressions Dr. Vivian Delgado and Tori Dahlke of Bemidji State University and Nanette Missaghi of University of St. Thomas presented on unnspoken aggressions called microagressions, which are defined as "an action, comment, body language, or facial expression that subtly or understatedly expresses a prejudiced attitude toward a member of a marginalized group. Internalized racism is self-hatred when marginalized people take on the harmful messages of the oppressor and manifests itself individually, in families and to the larger community." American Indian Parent Advisory Committee (AIPAC) Designed to ensure that the voice of American Indian parents were “officially” listened to when school districts had federal or state program funds which specifically targeted American Indian students. In Minnesota school districts that have 10 or more American Indian students, are required to have an American Indian Parent Advisory Committee (AIPAC). A district's AIPAC: •Is advisory to the school district; •Conducts regular and open meetings; •Develops by-laws by which it conducts business; •Works with school personnel; •Must develop its recommendations in consultation with the curriculum committee. (See Section 120B.11, Subd. 3); the curriculum committee must give parents opportunity to express their views concerning all aspects of AI education; •Uses data to make decisions about educational programming at school; and •Look at trends in the data and see what may be needed or helpful for American Indian students. |
READING DATA
MATH DATA
SCIENCE DATA
MARSS Changes on the Horizon
In 2017 the Minnesota State Legislature required districts to collect more detailed student data on the seven race and ethnicity categories set by the U.S. Department of Education for specific groups. Minnesota Statutes 2016, 120B.35, subdivision 3. The goal of collecting more detailed ancestry or ethnic origin information is to identify educational achievement gaps between groups. The more detailed groups were identified by the Minnesota State Demographer based on the U.S. Census Bureau’s classification/coding system: https://www.census.gov/topics/population/race/about.html. More information will be coming. For now we know that beginning in the 2018-19 school year, all districts will submit information from 2017-18 in some version. The full version will be developed to begin in 2019-20. American Indian Education Resources There are education resources available to help with American Indian Education; see the MIEA website. One source on the list is the Minnesota Humanities Center. They have done a beautiful job of collecting Absent Narratives Resource Collection, which is "a searchable database of ready-to-use videos, teacher guides, and readings that will support your efforts to include Absent Narratives in your classroom or workplace. Items included in the collection have been created or developed by the Humanities Center and its partners." (mnhum.org) Another resource that could be used in ELA, Social Studies or other classes is TreatiesMatter.org; this site is a companion to a traveling exhibit (now on display at the MN State Capitol). The site includes videos, text, teacher resources for examining the Dakota and Ojibwe-US treaties. Check out all of these resources available for incredible learning opportunities. |
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PAST (July - November)
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PRESENT (December - January)
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FUTURE (February - June)
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FastBridge Tools and Special Education
By Rachel Brown, Ph.D., NCSP
Special education is a unique and important feature of U.S. public education. Although some states implemented special education programs before 1975, it was the passage of PL 94-142, the Education of All Handicapped Children Act, that year that implemented a nationwide system of supports for students with disabilities (U.S. Department of Education, 2017). A less known part of the history of special education in the U.S. is that certain types of formative assessments, including curriculum-based measures (CBM) were developed for the purpose of monitoring the progress of students with individualized education programs (IEP). As with many innovations that were originally designed for a limited purpose (e.g., Velcro, cellular phones) measures like CBM were later used with the entire population of school-age children for applications like universal screening and progress monitoring of tiered supports. The FastBridge system offers a range of assessments that can be used with all students, including those who have an IEP. In this blog, students in special education will be referred to as those with IEPs. This is because not all students with disabilities require or participate in special education.
Screening Considerations
Most students with an IEP should participate in universal benchmark screening. Excluding any student from screening suggests that the student is not expected to access the general education curriculum. Denying such access violates a student’s right to a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment (LRE). Both FAPE and LRE are cornerstones of U.S. special education and can only be modified after prior written notice and with the consent of the parent(s). Including students with IEPs in screening provides educators with information about how each student’s skills compare with others in the same grade level. Through their participation in screening, students with IEPs demonstrate how close or far they are from grade level learning goals. Since the goal of special education is to provide students with FAPE in a setting as close to the general education classroom as possible, universal screening scores can be used to assist IEP teams in determining the right types of services to include in student programs.
Unfortunately, the full participation of students with IEPs in screening has not always been standard practice. In earlier decades, it was sometimes assumed that students with IEPs could not perform as well as other students and, therefore, they should be excused from such assessments. The unintended consequence of excluding students from screening was that teachers never had data that could show if a student was actually performing at or above grade-level expectations. When students with IEPs were expected to perform at lower levels, they did so and confirmed teacher expectations. There is a strong body of research about how teacher expectations contribute to student performance (Rosenthal & Jacobson, 2003). Cook and Schirmer (2003) found that students participating in special education do not necessarily benefit from such programs and that, in some cases, the reduced expectations that can accompany an IEP result in students losing, rather than gaining, skills from their IEPs.
Finally, in regard to whether any students with IEPs should be excused from screening, there are a very small number of students with severe and profound disabilities who will not be functionally able to complete the screening assessments. It is likely that the number of such students in any school will be below 2% of the total enrollment and often less than that. Put another way, keep in mind that the vast majority of students with IEPs spend most of their school days in the general education environment and are fully able to complete screening assessments at grade level. It is also important to note that screening assessments are ALWAYS grade level measures because their purpose is to learn each student’s current performance in grade level content. For students whose screening scores indicate below grade-level skills, providing intervention and progress monitoring is the next step. This is true whether the student does or does not have an IEP.
Progress Monitoring Considerations
As noted at the beginning, CBM and other formative assessments were designed for the purpose of monitoring IEP goals. Despite this legacy, not all students with IEPs complete regular progress assessments. Some type of IEP progress assessment should be done at least quarterly and the results included in the IEP documentation. All students with academic learning goals in their IEPs can be monitored with a CBM. Since students with IEPs have a disability that affects school performance, and the purpose of the IEP is to improve student outcomes, more frequent monitoring is recommended. FastBridge suggests that students with academic IEP goals complete weekly progress measures to document their skill improvements.
The specific FastBridge assessments that can be used for academic IEP goals include the following:
Due Process
A final point to keep in mind when discussing possible use of FastBridge assessments for students with IEPs is that any intervention and progress monitoring efforts in place prior to a student being referred or becoming eligible for special education cannot delay a referral for a special education evaluation. For example, many schools have a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) that includes providing any and all students with learning gaps supplemental interventions. The process of providing such intervention and progress monitoring cannot be used as a reason to delay a referral for evaluation. In particular, if a parent initiates a request for referral to special education, it must be acted on according to the state and federal special education due process rules, including the required evaluation timelines (U.S. Department of Education, 2011).
Conclusion
Special education is a unique and important feature of U.S. public education policy. The FastBridge suite of assessments provide tools that can be used with all students, including those with IEPs. Except for a very small number of students with severe and profound disabilities, all students should participate in universal benchmark screening so that teachers can learn each student’s current skills in relation to grade level expectations. Those students whose skills are below expectations should be provided with intervention and progress monitoring, either as part of an MTSS or within an IEP. FastBridge CBM tools can help teachers learn the effects of special education programming and whether changes are needed. Importantly, the use of tiered supports and progress monitoring prior to a referral cannot be used to delay a comprehensive evaluation for special education services.
References
Cook, B. G., & Schirmer, B. R. (2003). What is special about special education?: Overview and analysis. The Journal of Special Education, 37, 200-205. doi:10.1177/00224669030370031001
Rosenthal, R. & Jacobson, L. (2003). Pygmalion in the classroom: Teacher expectation and pupils’ intellectual development (new edition). New York: Crown House Publishing.
U.S. Department of Education. Office of Special Education Programs. (2011). OSEP memo 11-07: Response to intervention (RTI) memo. Retrieved from: https://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/memosdcltrs/osep11-07rtimemo.pdf
U.S. Department of Education. (2017). Twenty-five years of progress in educating children with disabilities through IDEA. Retrieved from: https://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/leg/idea/history.html
Special education is a unique and important feature of U.S. public education. Although some states implemented special education programs before 1975, it was the passage of PL 94-142, the Education of All Handicapped Children Act, that year that implemented a nationwide system of supports for students with disabilities (U.S. Department of Education, 2017). A less known part of the history of special education in the U.S. is that certain types of formative assessments, including curriculum-based measures (CBM) were developed for the purpose of monitoring the progress of students with individualized education programs (IEP). As with many innovations that were originally designed for a limited purpose (e.g., Velcro, cellular phones) measures like CBM were later used with the entire population of school-age children for applications like universal screening and progress monitoring of tiered supports. The FastBridge system offers a range of assessments that can be used with all students, including those who have an IEP. In this blog, students in special education will be referred to as those with IEPs. This is because not all students with disabilities require or participate in special education.
Screening Considerations
Most students with an IEP should participate in universal benchmark screening. Excluding any student from screening suggests that the student is not expected to access the general education curriculum. Denying such access violates a student’s right to a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment (LRE). Both FAPE and LRE are cornerstones of U.S. special education and can only be modified after prior written notice and with the consent of the parent(s). Including students with IEPs in screening provides educators with information about how each student’s skills compare with others in the same grade level. Through their participation in screening, students with IEPs demonstrate how close or far they are from grade level learning goals. Since the goal of special education is to provide students with FAPE in a setting as close to the general education classroom as possible, universal screening scores can be used to assist IEP teams in determining the right types of services to include in student programs.
Unfortunately, the full participation of students with IEPs in screening has not always been standard practice. In earlier decades, it was sometimes assumed that students with IEPs could not perform as well as other students and, therefore, they should be excused from such assessments. The unintended consequence of excluding students from screening was that teachers never had data that could show if a student was actually performing at or above grade-level expectations. When students with IEPs were expected to perform at lower levels, they did so and confirmed teacher expectations. There is a strong body of research about how teacher expectations contribute to student performance (Rosenthal & Jacobson, 2003). Cook and Schirmer (2003) found that students participating in special education do not necessarily benefit from such programs and that, in some cases, the reduced expectations that can accompany an IEP result in students losing, rather than gaining, skills from their IEPs.
Finally, in regard to whether any students with IEPs should be excused from screening, there are a very small number of students with severe and profound disabilities who will not be functionally able to complete the screening assessments. It is likely that the number of such students in any school will be below 2% of the total enrollment and often less than that. Put another way, keep in mind that the vast majority of students with IEPs spend most of their school days in the general education environment and are fully able to complete screening assessments at grade level. It is also important to note that screening assessments are ALWAYS grade level measures because their purpose is to learn each student’s current performance in grade level content. For students whose screening scores indicate below grade-level skills, providing intervention and progress monitoring is the next step. This is true whether the student does or does not have an IEP.
Progress Monitoring Considerations
As noted at the beginning, CBM and other formative assessments were designed for the purpose of monitoring IEP goals. Despite this legacy, not all students with IEPs complete regular progress assessments. Some type of IEP progress assessment should be done at least quarterly and the results included in the IEP documentation. All students with academic learning goals in their IEPs can be monitored with a CBM. Since students with IEPs have a disability that affects school performance, and the purpose of the IEP is to improve student outcomes, more frequent monitoring is recommended. FastBridge suggests that students with academic IEP goals complete weekly progress measures to document their skill improvements.
The specific FastBridge assessments that can be used for academic IEP goals include the following:
- earlyReading
- earlyMath
- CBMreading
- CBMmath:
- Automaticity
- Concepts and Applications
- Process
Due Process
A final point to keep in mind when discussing possible use of FastBridge assessments for students with IEPs is that any intervention and progress monitoring efforts in place prior to a student being referred or becoming eligible for special education cannot delay a referral for a special education evaluation. For example, many schools have a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) that includes providing any and all students with learning gaps supplemental interventions. The process of providing such intervention and progress monitoring cannot be used as a reason to delay a referral for evaluation. In particular, if a parent initiates a request for referral to special education, it must be acted on according to the state and federal special education due process rules, including the required evaluation timelines (U.S. Department of Education, 2011).
Conclusion
Special education is a unique and important feature of U.S. public education policy. The FastBridge suite of assessments provide tools that can be used with all students, including those with IEPs. Except for a very small number of students with severe and profound disabilities, all students should participate in universal benchmark screening so that teachers can learn each student’s current skills in relation to grade level expectations. Those students whose skills are below expectations should be provided with intervention and progress monitoring, either as part of an MTSS or within an IEP. FastBridge CBM tools can help teachers learn the effects of special education programming and whether changes are needed. Importantly, the use of tiered supports and progress monitoring prior to a referral cannot be used to delay a comprehensive evaluation for special education services.
References
Cook, B. G., & Schirmer, B. R. (2003). What is special about special education?: Overview and analysis. The Journal of Special Education, 37, 200-205. doi:10.1177/00224669030370031001
Rosenthal, R. & Jacobson, L. (2003). Pygmalion in the classroom: Teacher expectation and pupils’ intellectual development (new edition). New York: Crown House Publishing.
U.S. Department of Education. Office of Special Education Programs. (2011). OSEP memo 11-07: Response to intervention (RTI) memo. Retrieved from: https://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/memosdcltrs/osep11-07rtimemo.pdf
U.S. Department of Education. (2017). Twenty-five years of progress in educating children with disabilities through IDEA. Retrieved from: https://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/leg/idea/history.html
This blog post is reprinted with permission from the author:
Brown, R. (2017, November 20). FastBridge Tools and Special Education [blog post]. Retrieved from: http://www.fastbridge.org/2017/11/fastbridge-tools-special-education/.
Brown, R. (2017, November 20). FastBridge Tools and Special Education [blog post]. Retrieved from: http://www.fastbridge.org/2017/11/fastbridge-tools-special-education/.
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"I love adult learning. I love watching the light bulbs go off for adults just like for our students." - Jennie Bordonaro
Jennifer Bordonaro, Burnside Elementary Principal
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First Things First...ie or y?
It's important to get a person's name right so I had to ask...is it Jenny or is it Jennie? She laughed right away and had a great story. With a name like Jennifer there are many variations, which she readily accepted. There was something different about her 6th grade year. She moved to a new school and embraced her identify when she "owned" the Jennie with an ie. So now we know. Need help with her last name? Think Bow and Arrow...now say it, Bordonaro. Once we know, it's easy! Rapid Round of Favorites Favorite Season = Fall Favorite Time of Day = 8:00 pm Favorite Book = The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Favorite Veg Out Activity = Netflix Favorite Quote = "All in." Jennie's Prediction: Who's going to play at the SuperBowl? Justin Timberlake! By golly, I think she got it right! |
Jennifer Bordonaro is the new principal at Burnside Elementary School. So how did she end up in Red Wing? "To be honest," she began and I was hooked. Jennie confessed that in the beginning Red Wing was a dot on the map. It came up as she looked for administrative positions; a task's time that had come. It was hard for Jennie to consider leaving the classroom having been a teacher and teacher leader for a long time, "really hard!" She had been able to keep one foot in the classroom with teaching while trying out her admin wings as a teacher leader. It was time to look for a full time administration role so she searched and up came the Red Wing posting. She and her husband had recently built a home in far east Rosemount, which made the commute manageable. She went on to the application process, the interview process, the hiring process, and kicking off the school year process. Throughout it all Jennie has learned that Red Wing is anything but a dot on the map. Right from the start in interviews, this position felt different for Jennie; she was sold on the two way communication. The position and town feels great from a professional and personal viewpoint.
That fit continues to strengthen as she interacts with the public. A pastor's daughter, she grew up in Ida Grove, which is a small rural town near Sioux City, Iowa. Her upbringing helped her understand the historical generations of a town and their significance. She feels comfortable with all community members and believes in the power of "coffee shop talk" such as asking the farmers how the weather is affecting their crops. Her background also prepared herself to adapt to any situation. As a teenager her family moved to White Bear Lake; Jennie went from a community of 600 people total to a graduating class of 900.
As Jennie graduated from high school she acknowledged that she was the kid that played school. As early as 2nd grade she found ways to improve the classroom whether that was slipping an "improved" seating chart to the teacher or when the class did small group activities and Jennie added fake prizes. She wrote the names of prizes on pieces of paper and then as students completed tasks from their activities she would congratulate her classmates and let them pick a fake prize. She was ahead of her time; Hattie, Marzano, and other educational researchers have proven the effect size of academic games. Building on these strengths Jennie applied for college with the intention of becoming a preschool aged occupational therapist, wanting to work in a school. Once she began her program she learned how she only wanted to be in the school setting. It was only natural for her to reflect, "if I only wanted to be in school, I'll be a teacher." She earned her undergrad degree at St. Catherine's, completed her masters degree through Concordia, and earned her principal licensure through Hamline.
In her first principalship she is focused on being in the classrooms and in the school. To help, she has a mobile office that she uses as much as possible. It is a standing cart of wheels, which for now is mostly in the hallways. This allows her opportunities to get to know the students, to see volunteers, to take care of quick communication with staff members, as well as to move in and out of classrooms with ease. Every interaction is an opportunity for others to get to know her as well, which builds the relationships and trust that are needed. She believes so strongly in her mobile office that she is moving her fixed office space to a large closet in the building while that space becomes a conference room.
The mobile office is one demonstration of Jennie's efficiency, something she feels strongly about. She invests her time in building capacity as a school and that has meant putting into place leadership teams, which is a lot of work. "The process of being new and building capacity is something that I'm intentional about, but it is time intensive. It helps all understand our purpose; my job is to prepare well when teachers are together so that our time together is well used." Staff have already expressed their appreciation for her use of their time. Making the most of every minute is certainly a strength and she is able to individualize it. Efficiency is important and can be done in a manner to be in tune to the human aspect...valuing everyone's time.
All of this is building to where Jennie wants to be in five years, which is "at Burnside with some pretty awesome things happening. There are some great things going on now. We want to continue and grow with balanced literacy; I want people to come here and see what we are doing with balanced literacy. There is also a lot of drive for STEM/STEAM, which is not my natural area but there are people in our building that want to grow it, so I want to too. I want us to be connected and comparable to our metro schools. Red Wing is unique, even within our county; we have more in common with metro schools than we realize. We need to network and build connections to resources that are not too far away."
Jennie's wish for her staff members and students is the same, "I want them to embrace their own identities. I want them to know who they are thoroughly; I want people to understand themselves so they can truly understand our students and families." Jennie values different perspectives; she purposely seeks out perspectives different from her own. Understanding others' more can be an inside out approach to equity, an important issue to face in public education. Her passion for equity and valuing all humans does not stop outside of Burnside Elementary School. Jennie has been actively involved supporting refugee families for years. Ask her about Lah Lah sometime.
Also not stopping outside of Burnside is life. Jennie married her high school sweetheart, Chris; they lived nine houses a part in White Bear Lake while in high school. Although they each went their own way in college, they had a long distance relationship while she taught in Houston, Texas for two years. She came back to Minnesota for an interview with the Burnsville School District, which she got and to a marriage proposal, which she accepted. Now they co-parent their daughter Liana, whom will turn three in April and is making the adjustment of mom being a principal just fine. Chris takes Liana to daycare in the morning; a neighbor helps out after school three days a week, and twice a week Jennie leaves work on time to pick up Liana. Home and work are in balance, at least most of the time.
Red Wing may have begun as a dot on the map, but it is now "our town." A town that she wants her Rosemount neighbors with young children to discover and join. As efficient as she is, it may not take her 5 years to get them all moved here.
That fit continues to strengthen as she interacts with the public. A pastor's daughter, she grew up in Ida Grove, which is a small rural town near Sioux City, Iowa. Her upbringing helped her understand the historical generations of a town and their significance. She feels comfortable with all community members and believes in the power of "coffee shop talk" such as asking the farmers how the weather is affecting their crops. Her background also prepared herself to adapt to any situation. As a teenager her family moved to White Bear Lake; Jennie went from a community of 600 people total to a graduating class of 900.
As Jennie graduated from high school she acknowledged that she was the kid that played school. As early as 2nd grade she found ways to improve the classroom whether that was slipping an "improved" seating chart to the teacher or when the class did small group activities and Jennie added fake prizes. She wrote the names of prizes on pieces of paper and then as students completed tasks from their activities she would congratulate her classmates and let them pick a fake prize. She was ahead of her time; Hattie, Marzano, and other educational researchers have proven the effect size of academic games. Building on these strengths Jennie applied for college with the intention of becoming a preschool aged occupational therapist, wanting to work in a school. Once she began her program she learned how she only wanted to be in the school setting. It was only natural for her to reflect, "if I only wanted to be in school, I'll be a teacher." She earned her undergrad degree at St. Catherine's, completed her masters degree through Concordia, and earned her principal licensure through Hamline.
In her first principalship she is focused on being in the classrooms and in the school. To help, she has a mobile office that she uses as much as possible. It is a standing cart of wheels, which for now is mostly in the hallways. This allows her opportunities to get to know the students, to see volunteers, to take care of quick communication with staff members, as well as to move in and out of classrooms with ease. Every interaction is an opportunity for others to get to know her as well, which builds the relationships and trust that are needed. She believes so strongly in her mobile office that she is moving her fixed office space to a large closet in the building while that space becomes a conference room.
The mobile office is one demonstration of Jennie's efficiency, something she feels strongly about. She invests her time in building capacity as a school and that has meant putting into place leadership teams, which is a lot of work. "The process of being new and building capacity is something that I'm intentional about, but it is time intensive. It helps all understand our purpose; my job is to prepare well when teachers are together so that our time together is well used." Staff have already expressed their appreciation for her use of their time. Making the most of every minute is certainly a strength and she is able to individualize it. Efficiency is important and can be done in a manner to be in tune to the human aspect...valuing everyone's time.
All of this is building to where Jennie wants to be in five years, which is "at Burnside with some pretty awesome things happening. There are some great things going on now. We want to continue and grow with balanced literacy; I want people to come here and see what we are doing with balanced literacy. There is also a lot of drive for STEM/STEAM, which is not my natural area but there are people in our building that want to grow it, so I want to too. I want us to be connected and comparable to our metro schools. Red Wing is unique, even within our county; we have more in common with metro schools than we realize. We need to network and build connections to resources that are not too far away."
Jennie's wish for her staff members and students is the same, "I want them to embrace their own identities. I want them to know who they are thoroughly; I want people to understand themselves so they can truly understand our students and families." Jennie values different perspectives; she purposely seeks out perspectives different from her own. Understanding others' more can be an inside out approach to equity, an important issue to face in public education. Her passion for equity and valuing all humans does not stop outside of Burnside Elementary School. Jennie has been actively involved supporting refugee families for years. Ask her about Lah Lah sometime.
Also not stopping outside of Burnside is life. Jennie married her high school sweetheart, Chris; they lived nine houses a part in White Bear Lake while in high school. Although they each went their own way in college, they had a long distance relationship while she taught in Houston, Texas for two years. She came back to Minnesota for an interview with the Burnsville School District, which she got and to a marriage proposal, which she accepted. Now they co-parent their daughter Liana, whom will turn three in April and is making the adjustment of mom being a principal just fine. Chris takes Liana to daycare in the morning; a neighbor helps out after school three days a week, and twice a week Jennie leaves work on time to pick up Liana. Home and work are in balance, at least most of the time.
Red Wing may have begun as a dot on the map, but it is now "our town." A town that she wants her Rosemount neighbors with young children to discover and join. As efficient as she is, it may not take her 5 years to get them all moved here.
Ask the Director
Cherie has agreed to initiate a column where she will answer questions posed by staff. We will choose the questions that we feel are the most valuable to everyone and publish the questions with Cherie’s response in the next issue of The Progress. Please email your questions to cluhman@gced.k12.mn.us.
Cherie has agreed to initiate a column where she will answer questions posed by staff. We will choose the questions that we feel are the most valuable to everyone and publish the questions with Cherie’s response in the next issue of The Progress. Please email your questions to cluhman@gced.k12.mn.us.
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The Early Childhood Autism Team at Colvill Family Center in Red Wing serves preschoolers and toddlers who are identified as being on the autism spectrum. The team also completes evaluations of students with suspected autism. The team uses a structured approach that combines a variety of strategies to meet the students’ needs. The team is lead by ECSE Teacher / Autism Specialist, Melissa Zenzen, Speech Language Pathologist / Autism Specialist, Mary Rauterkus, Occupational Therapist, Alison Hanlin, Paraprofessionals, Mary Erhardt and Shannon Chitty.
To a person, this team has a remarkable level of understanding, skill and compassion for the students they serve. While numbers of students in this program continue to rise, the quality of support they receive remains consistently high.
Thanks and kudos to Melissa, Mary, Alison, Mary, and Shannon for going the extra distance for our students!
To a person, this team has a remarkable level of understanding, skill and compassion for the students they serve. While numbers of students in this program continue to rise, the quality of support they receive remains consistently high.
Thanks and kudos to Melissa, Mary, Alison, Mary, and Shannon for going the extra distance for our students!
