MASSP MEMO

Team,

Happy New Year to one and all! I am confident that each of you enjoyed the holiday break and the excitement that it brings. Time with family, loved ones and friends is what makes the holiday season so special and I am confident that you took time to focus on what matters most. Please be sure to always take advantage of the time you have with those who you love and cherish and to keep in perspective what that really means. Your work is critical and vitally important but always remember that what defines you is not your job title but those many other titles you possess-mom, dad, grandmother, grandfather, brother, son, daughter, friend. Those titles will be the best you'll ever have!

Speaking of cherished titles I am sharing exciting news as a proud "Pop". Our family welcomed our fourth grandchild into the world on December 26th. Jude Michael came weighing in at 8 lbs. 3 ozs. and arrived healthy and happy. He, mom, dad and baby brother are doing great! Celebrating life's milestones is what makes our leadership journeys special!

You have received e-mails regarding the two conferences described above. Please share with your teams and networks these great professional development opportunities that help build leadership capacity across our learning communities. If there are any questions regarding either of these amazing gatherings I'm glad to respond to those with inquiries.

Finally, please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly if you have a question or if you want to share an idea or a thought as to how we can grow and improve as a professional organization. You will be receiving an e-mail regarding a brief survey coming to you this week. The survey will help me better understand your needs as members and how I can work to better advocate for you and support you moving forward.

In closing, let me again state emphatically how much I highly value and greatly respect the work you are doing to move your schools forward. I have had the opportunity to visit a number of schools over this first half of the school year and to say I have been incredibly impressed with what I have seen and experienced would be a huge understatement. Again, Happy New Year to you and your teams. Keep the momentum going as we enter this new year-let's make 2025 the best one yet!

Sincerely,

Chris

cmtruffer@mdmassp.org

443-545-9988

Congratulations to Dr. La Faye Howard, Assistant Principal at Winston Churchill High School, Montgomery County, and Ms. Anna Ory, Assistant Principal at Marley Middle School, Anne Arundel County, as our 2025 MASSP Assistant Principals of the Year! Kudos to these amazing school leaders for the work they are doing to support student and staff success. They are both eligible for consideration for the NASSP national award. Way to go Anna and La Faye!

Nominations for MASSP Principal of the Year at both middle and high school level will be received until January 14! We will also need judges to score applications we have received. If you or someone you know is interested in scoring applications please contact Chris Truffer at cmtruffer@mdmassp.org!

We ask all of our current MASSP/NASSP members to encourage others in your professional network to join these excellent organizations. You are provided with amazing resources and liability protection for just $390 per year. As a reminder when you join MASSP you are automatically joining NASSP and reaping the benefits of vast resources and supports. You can use school based discretionary funds to support your membership and can also purchase for members of your leadership/admin team as well.

Share this link with others to join MASSP/NASSP:

www.mdmassp.org

Leadership can feel isolating at times and the power to networking can be rejuvenating! The 2025 UNITED Conference is your chance to do that—join over 4,000 school leaders like you to learn, grow, and find a community of peers who truly understand your challenges.

Co-hosted by NASSP and NAESP, this event will be held July 11–13, 2025, in Seattle. Sessions are tailored to your needs, offering insights on building leadership capacity, school culture, climate and inclusivity, and instructional leadership. You’ll gain practical strategies, engage in discussions on real-world challenges, and leave UNITED with actionable ideas to elevate your role as a school leader.

To register click this link: I’m ready! Let’s do this.

Experience UNITED in 2025!

The UNITED Conference, co-hosted by NASSP and NAESP, brings school leaders together for tailored sessions, networking, and strategies to elevate leadership—making it the must-attend event for principals and assistant principals.
*Early bird pricing ends December 31, 2024. Tickets increase to $1,300 after that date.

National Association of Secondary School Principals, 1904 Association Drive , Reston, VA 20191

Promoting Excellence in School Leadership Through Service in the areas of advocacy, communication, and professional development.

Follow us on Instagram: md_massp for current news and updates!

We are advocating on your behalf at the state legislative level and we are working hard to get legislation passed to ensure a sitting principal is a member of the State Board of Education. We have partnered with MAESP and have had several meetings with key state senators and delegates to keep this moving forward. We will continue this effort and will provide updates as the new legislative session begins. Thanks for the ongoing support!

Join principals and assistant principals from across the state for the First Annual MASSP and Special Olympics Maryland Cool Schools Plunge on January 28th at Sandy Point State Park!

How are you taking time to recognize and celebrate the many great things happening in your classrooms, schools and communities? Never hesitate to celebrate!

A reminder that our next MASSP Executive Board Meeting will take place on Saturday, January 25th. An agenda and Zoom link will be sent out prior to the meeting.

September 27 Meeting

Link to view the meeting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObA1GQK4UTE

Agenda: https://www.marylandpublicschools.org/stateboard/Pages/meeting-agendas/2024/0924/2024-09-24.aspx

Minutes: https://www.marylandpublicschools.org/stateboard/Documents/2024/0924/9.24.24-Minutes-A.pdf

October 22 Meeting

Link to view the meeting: https://www.marylandpublicschools.org/stateboard/Pages/meeting-agendas/2024/1022/2024-10-22.aspx

Agenda: https://www.marylandpublicschools.org/stateboard/Pages/meeting-agendas/2024/1022/2024-10-22.aspx

Minutes for the October 22 meeting: https://marylandpublicschools.org/stateboard/Documents/2024/1022/10.22.24-Minutes-A.pdf

Here is the link for the January MASC Bulletin:

https://mrskcrawford.wixsite.com/so/6fPEDCOGr?languageTag=en

Here is the link for the November MASC Bulletin:

https://mrskcrawford.wixsite.com/so/e6PAttqG7?languageTag=en&cid=e77265be-72d5-4f56-a31c-a7036de10212

Mr. Chris Truffer, Executive Director

228 Cloister Road

Arnold, MD 21012

443-545-9988

www.mdmassp.org

Below you will find the list of MASSP Officers and school district representatives. We sometimes lose board members to promotions or transfers to elementary; therefore, we have a few vacancies. Some districts choose to have co-representatives, which is just fine! If you would like to represent your county or private/independent schools, individually or with a colleague, please contact me at cmtruffer@mdmassp.org. We would love to have all school districts and independent schools represented on the MASSP Board of Directors.

Officers:

President: Michael C. Brown, Wilde Lake H.S. (Howard)

President Elect: Kris Hemstetter, Kent County H.S. (Kent)

Past President: Dr. Afie Mirshah-Nayar, Director of High Schools (Frederick)

Treasurer: Dr. Marc Cohen, retired

Secretary: Erin O'Hara, North Harford M.S. (Harford)

NASSP State Coordinator: Melissa Shindel, Glenwood M.S. (Howard)

Board Members:

Allegany - Charles Moran, Assistant Principal, Allegany High School

Anne Arundel - Linda Chandler, Principal, Old Mill Middle South

Baltimore City - Stephanie Farmer, Principal, Vivien T. Thomas Medical Arts Academy and Yetunde Reeves, Principal, Dunbar High School

Baltimore County - Kim Culbertson, Assistant Principal , Towson H.S., Kim Magginson, Assistant Principal, Ridgely M.S.

Calvert - Anthony Barone, Principal, Patuxent HS

Caroline - Yolanda Holloway, Principal, Colonel Richardson MS

Carroll - Stacy Novotny, Assistant Principal, Winters Mill High School

Cecil - Gina Pucci, Assistant Principal, Perryville HS

Charles - Doug Dolan, Principal, LaPlata HS

Dorchester - David Stofa, Principal, North Dorchester HS

Frederick - Donna Clabaugh, Principal, Urbana HS

Garrett - VACANCY

Harford - Lamark Holley, Assistant Principal, South Hampton MS

Howard - Allison McCoy, Assistant Principal, Mt. Hebron HS

Kent - Kris Hemstetter, Principal, Kent County HS

Montgomery - Ricardo Hernandez, Seneca Valley HS/Jewel Sanders, Director, Office of School Support and Well-Being/James Allrich, Argyle MS

Prince George's - Eunice Humphrey, Principal, International HS at Langley Park & Robynne Prince, Principal, Martin Luther King MS

Queen Anne's - Rob Watkins, Principal, Sudlersville MS

St. Mary's - Debbie Dennie , Principal, Leonardtown MS

Somerset - VACANCY

Talbot - VACANCY

Washington - Amanda Mulledy, Principal, Hancock Middle Senior HS

Wicomico - Liza Hastings, Principal, Mardela Middle/High School

Worcester - Jenifer Rayne, Principal, Pocomoke HS

Higher Education - Dr. Gina Massella, Professor, Loyola University

Private/Non-Public: VACANCY

Organizational Representatives:

Maryland Association of Student Councils (MASC): Ms. Debbie Dennie, St. Mary's County

Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) Representative: Donna Clabaugh, Principal, Frederick County

Maryland State Board of Education: Dr. Irma E. Johnson

Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) Representative: VACANCY

National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) Past Presidents:

Mr. Robert Motley, Director of High Schools, Howard County

Dr. Christine Handy, MCAAP / MCBOA President

Mr. William Cecil Short, Charles County & Prince George's County

MASSP thanks all of the MASSP officers, board members, and organizational representatives who volunteer their time to ensure that all members receive current information, quality resources, professional development, networking opportunities, and resources. They also work behind the scenes to advocate for school leaders! Our voices must be heard!

LIST OF MASSP MEMBERS WHO ARE PARTICIPATING AS YOUR REPRESENTATIVE ON MSDE COMMITTEES

Mr. Michael Brown (Howard) - Blueprint Special Education Workgroup

Mr. Tony Bevilaqua - (Somerset) - Data Privacy

Ms. Stephanie Farmer - (Baltimore City) - Professional Standards of Teachers of Education Board (PSTEB)

School-Based Heath Centers - VACANCY

Mr. James Allrich - (Montgomery) - MSDE Assessment & Accountability Task Force

Dr. Debbie Dennie (St. Mary's) - Maryland Association of Student Councils

MASSP is fortunate to work with the following partners throughout the year:

MASSP/MAESP Joint Partners:

Josten's

Lifetouch

MASSP Partners:

American College of Education (ACE)

Avalon

EPI

Grand Canyon University

PlayVS

IXL Learning

Maryland Non-Profit Partners:

Arts Education for Maryland Schools (AMES)

Council of Educational, Administrative, Supervisory Organizations of Maryland (CEASOM)

Maryland Association of Student Councils (MASC)

Maryland Center for School Safety (MCSS)