Vol. 3, March 2004
The
Professional
A
Publication of the Minnetonka Teachers Association
Members of Education Minnesota, NEA, AFT, Minnesota
Local #7173
http://www.minnetonkateachers.org
Editor,
Mary Tingblad, mary.tingblad@minnetonka.k12.mn.us
MM-West,
6421 Hazeltine Blvd., Excelsior, MN 55331
2003-2004
Minnetonka Teachers Association Governance Board
~
President Mark Chalupsky ~ Vice President Julie Anderson-Simonson ~
~
Secretary Mary Tingblad ~ Treasurer Joseph Ricke ~
~
DEC Linda Morantez ~ Deephaven Margaret Ruffino~ Groveland Pam Wertjes ~
~
Excelsior Mark Broten ~ Minnewashta Melanie Casiday ~
~
Clear Springs Debra Jensen ~ Scenic Heights Katie Tuthill ~
~
MM-East Mark Brzezinski & Sandy Gosen ~
~
MM-West Mary Tingblad & Jeri Goodspeed-Gross ~
~
MHS Joseph Ricke, Jan Nelson, Mike Cutshall & Miles Mortensen ~
~~ President’s Ponderings ~~
MTA President, Mark Chalupsky,
mark.chalupsky@minnetonka.k12.mn.us
Hello everyone! I would like
to address some issues that eventually will affect all of you in the future.
The first issue is student grading. About two years ago, I asked the district
administration to establish a grading committee to help establish some grading
policies for all Minnetonka schools. The committee is a large one and has
worked very hard over the last 18 months to come up with some policies that
hopefully will be adopted by the school board and put into effect next school
year. I am hopeful that the policies will bring more consistency to how we
evaluate and grade students.
Currently, I am one of a group of teachers
piloting the Skyward Grade Book program this semester. It is similar to the
Making The Grade program many people are currently using. It would be great if
we can get every teacher using one program, and each teacher would only have to
enter his/her grades one time.
A tie-in to the above issues
is the Blackboard software program that the district is currently evaluating.
This is a program that every teacher would use to set up his/her own webpage
and would allow students and parents to access grades and homework assignments
in the future. I think all of these changes will eventually save time for every
teacher.
I am currently part of a
committee that is setting a program tentatively called “The Distinguished
Teacher” program. The program will be a scaled-back version of the National Board
Certification program. It will be another way that the people under the
Minnetonka Teachers Association collective bargaining agreement will be able to
demonstrate their skills and knowledge and also receive compensation for their
efforts. Look for more information on this later this spring!
~~ Vice-President’s Notes ~~
MTA Vice-President, julie.anderson-simonson@minnetonka.k12.mn.us
·
The
election for the NEA RA State-Credentialed Delegation occurred on March 11-12,
2004. These are delegates who will be representing us from our regional
organization, Metro West UniServ, in Washington, DC in July.
·
You
will soon receive a Zoomerang survey via e-mail from the Calendar Committee.
The MTA has made an agreement with the District to modify the 2004-05 school
year. Please take the time to complete the survey. It will be important for you
to weigh the questions as they pertain to your grade level and area of
expertise.
·
Seven
MTA members represented you at the Education Minnesota Representative
Convention in St. Paul, March 19-20, 2004. We voted for the state Vice
President and Secretary Treasurer, as well as various amendments and changes to
the state bylaws.
·
Six
buildings will have upcoming elections for Building Representatives on April
20, 2004. Members in these six buildings have received information regarding
submitting their names for the building Representative elections.
~~ MTA Contract
Administration Update ~~
joseph.ricke@minnetonka.k12.mn.us
No significant contract issues have occurred, but
more items affecting our workload are being considered. Items discussed on March 10, 2004, include:
·
The
TIP committee will be making recommendations soon.
·
The
Distinguish Teacher Program (name not finalized) should be in place for next
year. Details to follow.
·
The
district is discussing having head coaches at the high school.
·
The
Calendar Committee will be meeting in the next two weeks.
·
The
Grading and Reporting Committee should have recommendations for the school
board by summer. A webpage by all
teachers for grading and assignment updates is being considered. A software
package is being evaluated.
·
Teachers
will not have the March 5th snow day counted against their “Basic Leave” time.
~~ Teachers’ Rights Review ~~
MTA Teachers’ Rights
Co-Chair, mary.benson@minnetonka.k12.mn.us
(source: Paul C. Ratwik of Ratwik, Roszak &
Maloney, P.A., Attorneys at Law)
In
2003, the legislature adopted a provision amending Minnesota Statutes Section
121A.64 and declaring that “a classroom teacher has a legitimate educational
interest in knowing which students in the teacher’s classroom has a history of
violent behavior” and requiring that notification must be given to teachers
before such students are placed in their classrooms. The new requirement became
effective with the start of the 2003-2004 school year. The statute gives school
boards significant latitude in determining how the statute will be implemented
in their particular districts.
REQUIRED
ACTIONS
·
Notification is required to be
given to a classroom teacher that a student with a history of violent behavior
is going to be placed in the teacher’s classroom.
·
Representatives
of each school board must meet with their teachers’ exclusive representative to
“discuss issues related to the model policy on student records… and any
modifications adopted under this act” regarding notifying classroom teachers
and other school district employees having a legitimate educational interest in
knowing about students with a history of violent behavior placed in classrooms.
The discussions “may” include “the need for intervention services or conflict
resolution or training for staff related to placing students with a history of
violent behavior in teachers’ classrooms.” Minn. Stat. 121A.64 (b).
~~ MTA Political
Organizer Report~~
MTA Political Organizer Jan Nelson, janet.nelson@minnetonka.k12.mn.us
Licensed to Be a Minnesota
Teacher
Research tells us that students learn
best from those who are trained and licensed to teach. In Minnesota’s
public schools that means having a current and appropriate license from the
Minnesota Department of Education's Division of Personnel Licensing based on
standards set by the Minnesota Board
of Teaching (BOT).
Most who wish to teach in Minnesota's
P-12 public schools are looking for a teacher preparation program that will
meet their needs. The Minnesota Association of Colleges of Teacher Education
(MACTE) has prepared a website to make that information available for your
review. Explore this site, Measure of
Teacher Quality in Minnesota, to find out about the 28
approved teacher preparation programs and to look a little deeper to
understand the reasons for Minnesota's reputation for preparing high quality
teachers.
|
|
|
If you're interested in more
information about the ideas included, download this NCTAF publication: No
Dream Denied: A Pledge to America's Children, Summary Report. National
Commission on Teaching and America's Future. (2003). |
The Board of Teaching rules create a process
by which practicing Minnesota teachers must renew
a teaching license every five years. Your local school district’s
Continuing Education Committee is the first source of information about this
process.
Licenses expire on June 30 of the year established for
renewal and it is the license holder's responsibility to assure that the
license is renewed. You may renew any time after January 1 of that year. Be
sure to allow plenty of time for your application to be processed. The turn
around time gets longer as the calendar moves toward July. No one may teach
without an up-to-date Minnesota license.
~~ School Jobs Online ~~
Minnesota
Schools Jobsite Online offers a free service to teachers, support staff and
administrators. Candidates can search for all types of school jobs online.
Teachers are able to place their profiles online and make their availability
known to districts searching for new talent. This is available at no cost to
the candidates. To find out how to enter your profile, go to: www.mnasa.org.
~~ MTA Teachers
Celebration ~~
You are cordially invited
to an afternoon of socializing with friends
to celebrate your amazing accomplishments!
The Minnetonka Teachers Association
would like to honor all the members
that make such a difference every day.
Please mark your calendars
April 30th, 3:00pm-6:00pm
and join us at the Marsh (15000 Minnetonka Blvd)
for an afternoon of delicious
appetizers (free!),
cash bar (not free!), and fabulous
conversation
with those colleagues you never get
to see.
Hope to see you there!
News From Education Minnesota
~~ Help Your Local Win a
Computer ~~
Your Education Minnesota Local or
affiliate has the chance to win a Dell Dimension 2400 computer or a digital
camera, and you can help! Just register a username and password at www.educationminnesota.org by
April 15, 2004. The Locals or affiliates in five size categories with the
highest percentage of registered members win either a computer (first place) or
camera (second place).
To register your username and password, go to www.educationminnesota.org, click
on “not registered” in the far right column and follow the instructions. Watch
for the announcement after April 15th to find out the winning
Locals/affiliates. The contest is co-sponsored by Education Minnesota and ESI.
Here’s the really great news—if the Minnetonka Teachers
Association wins, the prize will be given away to one of our lucky MTA members! Don’t miss out on this
great opportunity! Go to www.educationminnesota.org
to register yourself, and then go tell your colleagues to register, too.
~~ Online Petition to Fire Paige ~~
Education Minnesota received word from NEA leadership that MoveOn.org,
the website of the grassroots public policy group MoveOn, has created an online
petition that calls on President Bush to fire U.S. Secretary of Education Rod
Paige. The petition is based on Paige recently calling the NEA a “terrorist
organization.” If you would like to view or sign the petition, please go to: http://www.firepaige.org/petition.asp.
NEA News
~~ Ryan White HIV Prevention
Award ~~
Do you know an NEA member who is committed to implementing or
supporting innovative HIV prevention education? NEA will honor an NEA member or
affiliate with the Ryan White HIV Prevention Award at the 2004 NEA
Representative Assembly in Washington, D.C. Call 202-822-7787 for a nomination
form. The application deadline is May 1, 2004.
~~ All-USA Teacher Team ~~
NEA is encouraging members to seek nomination to the 2004 All-USA
Teacher Team. Twenty teachers who have excelled in a variety of teaching
situations will receive a trophy and a $2,500 cash award. The sponsor, USA
Today, is now accepting nominations. For more information, go to: www.nea.org/members/allusanom04.html.
~~ Keeping the Promise ~~
For the definitive word on NEA’s policy goals for the 108th
congress, request Keeping the Promise: What It Truly Means To Leave No Child
Behind. The guidebook identifies NEA’s initiatives from early childhood to
higher education, state fiscal crises, teacher quality, student achievement,
and the so-called “No Child Left Behind” law. For your copy, send an e-mail to:
rdepp-tyler@nea.org.
~~ Keep Assault Weapons Off the Streets ~~
The 1994 Assault Weapons Ban that keeps military-style assault weapons off the streets will expire in September if Congress does not renew it. Please tell your senator that any firearms legislation must renew the ban (S.1034) and close the gun show loophole (S. 1807) to stop illegal buyers at gun shows. Lawful gun owners are protected. For more information, go to: www.nea.org/lac.
~~ Racism Can Make You Stupid ~~
Racism can make you stupid—so says brain-imaging research led by Dartmouth University. The more biased people are, the more difficult it is for them to interact with other races without being offensive. The result? Biased people are unable to perform well on cognitive ability tests.
Meanwhile adolescents tend to do better in school if they have relatively complex beliefs about their ethnic identities. Those who hold optimistic ideas, are positive about their own ethnic group and society at-large, and are more likely to perform well on school tasks according to studies published in the Social Psychology Quarterly.
AFT
PLUS... The Benefits of Belonging
To take advantage of the above AFT-members-only opportunity, send an
e-mail to:
Mary Tingblad, mary.tingblad@minnetonka.k12.mn.us.
~~ AFT Scholarships for Children of Members ~~
The Porter Scholars Program was established in 1992 to honor the late
Robert G. Porter, who served as AFT secretary-treasurer from 1963 through 1991.
Four $8,000 scholarships will go to high school seniors graduating in 2004 who
are dependents of AFT members and who intend to pursue a career in labor,
education, healthcare or government. Also offered are 10 grants of $1,000 for
AFT members to pursue further study in their fields. Members may download the
application from the AFT Web site at www.aft.org/scholarships
or send an e-mail to porterscholars@aft.org.
Members who do not have access to the Internet may mail a postcard or letter to
the Robert G. Porter Scholars Program, 555 New Jersey Ave. N.W., Washington,
D.C. 20001. Applications must be postmarked no later than March 31, 2004.
Why did the computer cross the road? Because it
was programmed by the chicken.
What’s
black when clean, and white when dirty? A blackboard.
So, What’s New at YOUR School?
There are “good news” things happening everyday in
our schools. Send your school’s good news to mary.tingblad@minnetonka.k12.mn.us
to be included in the next issue of The Professional. I’ve been told that
this is one of the favorite features of the newsletter. It’s the way that we
can share all the good things going on with our teachers!
News From Excelsior
Special
education teacher Heather Fischer Stowman, and her husband Scott, welcomed baby girl Louisa Grace,
born February 17, 2004.
News From MHS
For
those following Maggie Pistner and her second career, she will be
performing as Ma Joad in Starting Gate Theatre’s production of The Grapes of
Wrath at The Loading Dock Theatre in St. Paul. The show runs weekends in
April.
News From Clear Springs
connie.moret@minnetonka.k12.mn.us
A dream comes true for some
“Partners in Peace”. It’s a simple math
story problem. Ten-year-old students
from Clear Springs Elementary School in Minnetonka plus 83-year-old Lynn
Elling, (father of Sandy Curry, Social Worker at Clear Springs), founder of
World Citizen, Inc. and Co-Chairman of the Annual Nobel Peace Prize Festival
equal a visit from 2002 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, President Jimmy Carter.
Together they extended an invitation to President Carter to attend this year’s
Nobel Peace Prize Festival at Augsburg College. Add to the equation, Lynn
Schultz’s multi-age class of 9-11 year olds from J.J. Hill Montessori School.
What’s the common factor between these two schools from opposite sides of the
Metro area? Together they served as Carter’s
“Partners in Peace Peanut Brigade” on February 21, 2004 and hosted the
visit from President and Mrs. Carter at J.J. Hill Montessori School.
Connie Moret’s fourth graders
studied Jimmy Carter’s life, created an interactive display, and represented
their Peace Site School, Clear Springs Elementary, at the Nobel Peace Prize
Festival at Augsburg College last year. Students from all of the peace site
schools in Minnesota are invited to participate in the annual festival by
performing or having a visual display at the event. The festival gives students
a chance to learn from each other and show their appreciation to the different
laureates for their contribution to world peace.
Following the festival, the Clear
Springs students made a videotape of their interactive display of Jimmy Carter
and his life contributions and sent a t-shirt designed for the festival to
President Carter. Along in this gift package to the Carter Center, was an
invitation to this year’s Nobel Peace Prize Festival. Mr. Lynn Elling, 83 and
his wife Donna, personally delivered the package to President Carter in Plains,
Georgia, in March after a Sunday church service.
As the school year
came to an end, the students at Clear Springs received a gift package and thank
you letter from President Carter. He explained in his personal letter that “he
had learned a great deal about his own life that he did not know” by watching
the video. He told the students that the t-shirt and video would be placed in
the Carter Center library on display.
President Carter indicated in his letter that he did not know if he
could attend the 2004 festival.
Clear
Springs students were determined to meet with Jimmy Carter. They told their teacher, Connie Moret, that
the best part of 4th grade was “Studying Jimmy Carter and attending
the Nobel Peace Prize Festival.” This affirmation from her children was all
that Connie needed to hear to write one more letter encouraging President
Carter to come and meet the children. She said to President Carter, “You are
truly their inspiration to make the world a better place. Thank you for your
faith, patience, and conviction. Your life has been filled with life’s little
lessons that taught the children these core values in embracing humanity. My
plea is on behalf of the children. They look up to you and would never forget
the experience of meeting you.”
Upon
returning to school this fall, Connie had a voice message from the Carter
Center. It stated that President Carter would not be able to attend the 2004
Nobel Peace Prize Festival. However, he would be in St. Paul on Saturday,
February 21, 2004, and wished to visit a Peace Site School in St. Paul. J.J.
Hill Montessori School was chosen to host this event. He requested that his
hour at the school be spent interacting with the children.
The students from Connie Moret’s Clear
Springs class joined with Lynn Schultz and Rita Hanle’s students from J.J. Hill
School as Jimmy Carter’s “Partners in Peace Peanut Brigade” to host this event
together. They greeted the President with Lynn Elling, then escorted him to the
displays and auditorium, and served as masters of ceremony during the program.
Only the five schools with displays had their four students and a teacher in
the atrium when President Carter arrived. Students from the 50 Peace Site
Schools, along with their teachers were the main audience and seated in the
gym. Other adults, (parents, dignitaries,
and other guests) were “guides on the sides” watching this incredible event
take place from their assigned seats. The adults supported this unique and
rewarding experience for President Carter and the children, foregoing any
personal agendas. The event was sponsored by world Citizen, Inc., Augsburg
College, St. Paul School District, J.J. Hill Montessori School, and Clear
Springs Elementary.
Editorial/Commentary/Opinion Page
Editorials,
commentary, opinions, and letters to the editor are not necessarily the
position of the MTA. All members are invited to share their unedited views,
thoughts, concerns, etc., by submitting them to: mary.tingblad@minnetonka.k12.mn.us,
Mary Tingblad, MM-West, 6421 Hazeltine Blvd, Excelsior, MN 55331.
A Letter to MTA
Members
Dear
Members of the MTA,
We are pleased to support Mark Chalupsky and Julie
Anderson-Simonson for President and Vice-President of our professional
organization. Both Mark and Julie have effectively served our organization in
leadership positions for many years. They have served not only as
President and Vice-President but also as negotiators, committee chairpersons,
and state representatives.
Mark and Julie are knowledgeable about the issues in education today
and have developed a clear understanding of the challenges faced by teachers in
Minnetonka. We are grateful for Mark and Julie's experience and dedication and
hope you will consider voting for them in the upcoming election.
Best,
Bev
Ginther and Glenn Skoy
Leap Day Reports
I
spent Leap Day at a birthday party for a friend’s three-year-old. Then I went
to the State capitol in celebration of my student whose artwork was on display.
Both those events were fun, but the best part is what happened the next day. I
came down with the chicken pox! So, I nicely exposed my friend’s children and
all the other kids at the birthday party (since I would’ve been contagious for
24 hours before the bumps appeared. Good times, definitely a memorable Leap
Day!
Niki Danou,
Groveland
Here's what Kathryn Tietze, MM-West, sent to her
sister in Boise. She claims she “just woke up feeling silly that
day.”
Happy Leap
Day!! I can hardly believe the day is here, the day that we've been planning
for all these years! We can feel excitement in the air in our community. We're
so lucky that the many business owners in Plymouth and Wayzata have been
willing to pay for the elaborate Leap Day festivities.
The first event is happening
this morning even as I type: a group of hardy souls are competing in the Fifty
Yard Leap over on Lake Minnetonka. A large hole was cut into the ice (we
watched them out there from Caribou Coffee just yesterday as they prepared for
this!) and a platform with a diving board was erected. The competitors dive off
of the platform into the icy waters of the lake, and hope that their leap will
earn the most points for style and enthusiasm. Do they look before they leap?
Along the street by the ice hole there will be several bonfires for the leapers
to warm up after their plunge. Paramedics apparently will be on hand to watch
for signs of hypothermia.
Of course for the Frog
Leaping Contest there had to be a great deal of advance preparation. Since our
native frog population is currently hibernating, enterprising young people
spent time this summer and into the fall capturing frogs in local swamps and
bogs. The frogs have been kept and cared for by several area vets and pet store
owners. This afternoon, the frogs will be released onto the tarp-covered floor
of the high school, each frog with a number on its back, and money bet on these
frogs will go toward a wetland improvement program. The longest leap made by a
Leap Day frog will net the winning owner a trip to Bemidji.
I know it sounds as if there
are no activities for the littler kids, but the city counsel has thought of
everything--remember, they've had four years to think about this. In the
gymnasium of Central Middle School, they'll have a Cake Leap (variation of Cake
Walk), a Longest Leap Contest (they've put down sawdust to cushion the floor),
and several trampolines with college students to teach the young ones some
leaping basics.
It's a bit disappointing
that the fireworks had to be cancelled. Apparently, with the recent snow melt
we've experienced, the cache of fireworks was ruined by damp. Oh, well.... Do
tell me what you all are doing for this special day! I'm eager to learn about
it--I could pass along some new ideas to the folks who are going to plan for
the next Leap Day in another four years. Love and Wishes for a Happy Leap Day
to you all!
Welcome Spring!
I’m told that spring is arriving
soon. Some mornings, I awake to hints of spring’s arrival, but other mornings,
I awake to reminders of the struggle spring must face to finally arrive. I have
a tiny spot of dirt just outside my door at home, close to the building, where
my tulip and daffodil bulbs are popping up because they think it’s time for
spring weather. Just on the other side of the patio, though, are my reality
bulbs—the ones that are still under a pile of snow, knowing it’s not quite the
right time yet.
I
think the toughest week, whether it really is spring or not, is that week
before Spring Break. There are some who think it’s time for spring to be here,
whether it’s really here or not, and they are gearing up for that Spring Break.
There are others who are more patient, knowing spring is just around the
corner, but they are willing to wait for it. We all are looking forward to a
little time away from school, whether we are teachers or students. It’s nice to
get away, whether it’s away to some tropical vacation spot, or at home, safely
away from due dates and deadlines.
I
look forward to a vacation from the alarm clock. I usually wake up before the
alarm clock rings, but the fact that I have to set it each night reminds me
that I cannot sleep until I want to get up. I will have to use the alarm clock
to wake up early only once on my vacation—Saturday morning, so I can make the
drive to my parents’ house in central Wisconsin. I have promised myself not to
use an alarm clock after that until I have to get up for school on Monday
morning, the first day back from Spring Break. I hope that’s a promise I can
keep. I don’t know what adventures await me in Wisconsin, but I will try my
hardest to enjoy that little vacation I am planning away from my alarm clock.
Best wishes for a safe and restful Spring Break!
Mary Tingblad,
Editor