MASSP MEMO

Experience Visionary Leadership: Rehema Ellis at the UNITED Conference

The UNITED conference is picking up steam as we announce our second keynote speaker, NBC News’ Chief Education correspondent Rehema Ellis.

Rehema Ellis is an Emmy-winning journalist who has covered generation-defining stories like the World Trade Center attacks and Hurricane Katrina. Her notable work includes leading coverage of the 2008 Presidential Election of Barack Obama and his historic inauguration and playing an integral part in NBC News’ "Education Nation" initiative.

UNITED is a new conference experience brought to you by NASSP and the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP). The two organizations have teamed up to combine their two summer conferences into one highly anticipated UNITED event designed for preK–12 school leaders at all levels of the leadership journey, addressing their unique needs and challenges.

In our continuous commitment to personal and professional development, we invite you to join us July 15–17 in Nashville. Don’t miss the chance to shape solutions for your entire leadership team or district: Buy four registrations and get the fifth free!

REGISTRATION RATES:

NASSP Members: $770
Nonmembers: $1,029

— Help your members make their case. We just released our toolkit to help school leaders finance their trip to UNITED: The National Conference on School Leadership. Share the blurb below in your newsletters and on social media to help them attend:

Interested in attending the UNITED conference, but need budget approval? NASSP has all the tools you need to get the final “yes!” including a budget request template to secure your attendance to UNITED, July 15-17 in beautiful Nashville, TN. Join 1800+ school leaders to gain all the timely insights and strategic tactics you need to make an impact on your leadership. Support your case to attend.

MAESP and MASSP signed a contract with the Ashore Resort and Beach Club in Ocean City, MD! The next Annual School Leaders Conference is November 14 - 16, 2024. SAVE THE DATE and MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW! Details will follow.

If you want to make your hotel reservation now, you may do so with this link:

MAESP and MASSP Annual School Leaders Conference

Dear MASSP Members,

It is finally spring, and I hope you all had a restful and peaceful spring break. Taking time to be with family and friends, going on vacation or a staycation, or just simply finding time for yourself is so important. While incredibly busy, you know that the end of the school year is near. It is my hope that you will have a successful ending, a beautiful graduation, and continue many meaningful relationships.

One way to continue and make meaningful relationships is to attend the NAESP/NASSP UNITED Conference. The details for registration are above, and if you have not already registered, now is the time to do so! If for no other reason, attend and support your colleagues. Many of us will be presenting at the conference; I will be presenting with Tiara Booker-Dwyer, Debbie O'Byrne, Erin O'Hara, and Marcus Allen on our Maryland Next Level Leadership Academy. We would love to see you there!

There are always sessions on advocacy work at the conference, which we try to attend. I want to take this opportunity to thank those of you who assisted us in advocating for Bill 598 to put a principal on the State Board of Education. Once again, it did not make it out of committee and was not put to a vote. Yet, we will not give up! We will try again next year, and we will need to get together for planning and very purposeful action. Perhaps a day down at the courthouse advocating for our our bill might help. We will try new ways of helping our legislators understand that the lack of a principal on the State Board of Education is unacceptable! We have the support of the State Board of Education, the Maryland Boards of Education (MABE), The Public School Superintendents (PSSAM), and the teachers. So, now it is up to us to do the legwork, communicate with our legislators and speak out. We are a powerful group, and schools cannot function without principals and assistant principals. Stay tuned, we might schedule a trip to Annapolis in the fall. We will need principals from every county to meet with his/her/their legislators to stress the importance of this legislation.

Legislation affects every aspect of school life and so does your professional learning. The MAESP/MASSP Annual School Leaders Conference is currently in the planning stages. Registration is open, some of the keynote speakers are hired, and we will be sending the Requests for Proposals shortly. As noted above, the conference will be held from November 14-16, 2024 at the Ashore Hotel and Beach Club in Ocean City. We look forward to seeing you all there.

Why should you attend a conference?

• Professional learning should be one of your goals every year. This is one way to fulfill that goal.
• Remaining current while growing and developing your craft is essential. Life, society, and schools are in a constant state of change; you should be too!
• Hearing from other leaders who experience the same pride, the same challenges, and the same changes in education is empowering and healing.
• Networking and making new friends is essential to leadership excellence. I can guarantee that you will leave the conference with new ideas, new stories, and new friends.

If you are interested in participating in the planning committee, please let me know. You can e-mail me at akaufman@mdmassp.org.

The MAESP/MASSP Annual School Leaders Conference will be the last conference I help plan and attend. At this time, I want to let you know that I will be stepping down as Executive Director of MASSP. We have a search committee that will be marketing the position in the near future. If you are retiring and thinking about another job and you have been with MASSP for at least a few years, you might want to consider this position. You are welcome to contact me, at the above e-mail, if you have any questions.

I hope you all have a good weekend and remain safe. Thank you for all you do on behalf of Maryland's children. It is my honor and privilege to work with you, support you, empower you, and advocate for you.

Sincerely,

Dr. Addie Kaufman, Executive Director.

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!

I hope this message finds you well, and I hope you enjoyed a well-deserved break during this spring season. As we reach this milestone in the school year, it's a perfect moment to pause, refresh, and gear up for the final stretch of our educational journey.

Spring break offers us a crucial opportunity to recharge and rejuvenate, especially considering the overwhelming demands and exhaustion that can accompany this time of year. It's essential to take a moment to simply be still, allowing our bodies and minds to recalibrate for the challenges that lie ahead.

As we approach the finish line, we must remember that we are not alone in facing the hurdles that may arise in the coming months. Lean on the resources and support of our esteemed organization and each other. Together, we can navigate through any challenges that come our way.

Recently, I had the privilege of participating in the 2024 NASSP/NAESP Advocacy Conference in Washington, DC. Despite having attended virtually in the past due to scheduling constraints, the experience of advocating for change alongside colleagues from across the nation was truly inspiring. One particular highlight was meeting Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland, where our discussions underscored the impact of our advocacy efforts on both policymakers and the issues affecting our state.

As we enter the final quarter of the 2023/24 school year, let's remain focused on finishing strong. Your hard work and dedication will soon yield tangible results, whether through improved test scores, transformative student achievements, or the growth and success of your faculty and staff under your leadership.

I challenge each of you to reach out to a colleague and acknowledge their exceptional work. A small message of appreciation can have a powerful impact, especially during challenging times. Let's continue to support and uplift one another as we strive to make a difference in the lives of our students and communities.

Stay well, stay blessed, and let's finish this year strong together!

Warm regards,

Michael C. Brown

MASSP President

·I hope you each had a great spring break and that you’re ready for the excitement that the end of the year brings.

I have a bit of bad news and some good news. I’ll start with the not-so-good news first.

As you know, over the past two years we’ve been advocating and working to get a principal on the Maryland State Board of Education. Senator Ben Kramer sponsored Senate Bill 0598 and he secured a cross-file in the House, HB1468, by Delegate David Frasier-Hidalgo, in support of this. Clarence Crawford, the President of the Maryland State Board of Education, joined our most recent MASSP Board meeting and we also had his support. In February, along with folks from MAESP, I testified to the Maryland Senate Committee on Education, Energy, and the Environment advocating for favorable passage of SB 0598. Although we knew there was work to do, we were optimistic. Unfortunately, however, we recently learned that the Senate EEE Committee didn't take SB598 up for a vote, so it didn't make it to the Senate floor. In addition, the House cross-file, HB1468, didn't make it out of Rules, so there was no committee hearing/vote. This is certainly upsetting, but our fight is not over! Stay tuned for updates over the upcoming weeks and months as we continue to pursue this. We know that the voice of the school leader is critical at the state level, as we have a global understanding of our schools and we look out for the best interest of everyone – students, teachers, staff, leaders, parents and our communities. We can’t do this alone, so when the time comes we are going to need you to help us make this a reality.

On a happier note, from March 10 - 13, over 400 school leaders from across the country, including a team of about 12 from Maryland, came to Washington DC to advocate for various issues impacting public schools, including things such as improving school mental health, wellness and safety resources, educator (including principal) shortages, and federal K-12 education budget priorities including Title I, Title II, Title IV, IDEA, CTE, and more. We spent time learning and hearing from elected officials – we even had a visit from Secretary of Education, Miguel Cardona. On March 13, together with our MAESP colleagues, we went to Capitol Hill and met with Representative Jamie Raskin, and legislative assistants from both of our US Senators and almost every US Representative from Maryland. The experience was empowering and impactful and I encourage each of you to consider joining us next year. I’m pleased to share that the text of the final FY 2024 federal appropriations package that includes K-12 education was released, and in short the bill is a big win for public schools and our advocacy priorities. A few highlights:

• Title I, $20 million increase
• Title II, level-funded
• Title IV, level-funded
• IDEA, $20 million increase
• CTE state grants, $10 million increase

In a year where we saw proposals from the House - to cut Title I by 80%, entirely eliminate Title II, and more - educators and our champions in Congress managed to avoid cuts and even saw small increases to some key programs. This is a big deal! Thank you to everyone who had a part in advocating for the funding that our schools need. In addition to our collective advocacy as referenced above in DC, MASSP signed NASSP’s joint letter advocating against proposed education cuts and calling for greater investments in Title I, Title II and Title IV. Further, so many of you helped these efforts by participating in the action alerts that have been sent to you over the past year. Working together with school leaders across Maryland and across the United States – we made a difference!! Don’t underestimate the power of your voice. Even if you can’t physically be in Washington DC, every little bit you can do can and did make a difference!

Wishing you a wonderful end to your school year, and I hope to see each of you in Nashville for United – the joint NASSP NAESP National Conference on School Leadership!

All the best,

Melissa Shindel

The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) today named Jeffrey Horstman, Sheri Murphy and Courtney Walker as the finalists for the 2024 NASSP National Assistant Principal of the Year award. Congratulations to Sheri Murphy, Jeffrey Horstman, Mililani Middle School, Mililani, HI and Courtney Walker, Carrollton High School, GA

From NASSP:

Sheri Murphy, Frederick High School Frederick, MD
Sheri Murphy has served as an assistant principal of Frederick High School since 2018. She is in her 11th year as an assistant principal with Frederick County Public Schools. She began her career as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker providing school based mental health services to K–12 students in both public and private schools. She is an advocate for equity and access for all students in education. Her passion for empowering and building leadership capacity in others is a driving influence for her educational leadership journey.

“Since becoming a member of NASSP, I’ve had the privilege to connect with remarkable school leaders nationwide, whose dedication and innovation continually inspire me to elevate my own leadership,” said Murphy. “From spearheading initiatives to enhance student engagement to fostering a culture of equity and inclusivity, my tenure as an assistant principal has been marked by achievements aimed at empowering our students and nurturing their success. I am profoundly grateful for this opportunity and I look forward to continuing this journey of growth, collaboration and impact.”

Early in March, Maryland's 2023 Principal of the Year, Mr. James Allrich was the guest speaker at the POY Leadership Network. James spoke about restorative practices in schools, energized his audience, and facilitated discussion around this important topic.

Michael contributed to this school year's Ed Week questions. One of them was just published at https://www.edweek.org/leadership/opinion-teachers-and-students-need-support-5-ways-administrators-can-help/2024/04

Last year, the AIB planned on rolling out a presentation for principals to share with teachers. Fortunately, the Blueprint Coordinators and I were able to collaborate with Maura Keaney to create a presentation for principals/administrators. Below, you will find two links. Please review these presentations with your administrative teams. By doing so, you will have increased information about the Blueprint and hopefully feel a bit more comfortable sharing the PowerPoint presentation with teachers.

1. PowerPoint with key information for teachers. This deck is designed for principals and other school leaders to use in communications with teachers.
2. PowerPoint with key information for principals/administrators. In recognition that principals are critical messengers at communicating elements of the Blueprint, this deck provides helpful information.

Here is an article, about the Blueprint and mental health resources, from The Maryland Reporter:

BLUEPRINT FUNDS TO AID CHILD BEHAVIORAL HEALTH: Maryland state lawmakers on Tuesday announced $111 million in grant funding to 129 child-serving organizations across the state to help them bolster their behavioral health service offerings, including counseling, early intervention and parent encouragement programs. The money comes from the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, a multi-billion dollar investment to boost the state’s schools. Angela Roberts/The Baltimore Sun.

Calling all principals, vice principals, and superintendents! On Tuesday, May 7th, Digital4Good will be hosting our final Admin TechTalk of the academic year to reflect on the challenges (and successes) we’ve faced surrounding devices and technology in education. We would love for you to lead this important conversation as either a moderator or a panelist. Please contact admin@icanhelp.net if interested.

Here is the link to share the MASC April Bulletin:

https://shoutout.wix.com/so/77OuKtTyu?languageTag=en

— Your one-stop-shop to celebrate NSLW. April 22–26 is National Student Leadership Week 2024 (NSLW). This year’s theme is 'Level Up,' and the NSLW website is packed with resources from e-cards to celebration ideas that make it easy for schools to promote student leadership. Take a look and help your members make this week a truly memorable experience for your student leaders.

July 17th & 18th

Turf Valley Conference Center

Ellicott City, MD

"Safer Schools Together"

Click Here to Register

https://bit.ly/Prepare24EarlyRegistration

April School Safety News

The MCSS monthly newsletter includes school safety reminders and information about opportunities available to our school safety partners. MCSS curates and shares information received from nonprofit state and national school safety organizations. Thank you for reading, and please help expand the Maryland school safety network by sharing this newsletter. Encourage others to subscribe and receive information directly from MCSS. MCSS subscription link

Registration is now open for the MCSS Annual Safety Conference.

The 2024 theme is "Safer Schools Together".

Capacity is limited, so be sure to register soon using the Early Registration Link.

B'MORE SCHOOL PRINCIPALS EXPERIENCE THREATS – FROM PARENTS: Baltimore school principals and staff have been threatened with guns, punched in the face, pulled to the ground, kicked and stalked. Some have landed in the hospital. Others have installed cameras and more locks at home. They aren’t afraid of their students. It’s the parents they worry about. Liz Bowie/The Baltimore Banner.

FINDING FUNDS FOR MARYLAND's BLUEPRINT: Maryland’s Democratic-led legislature passed the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future in 2021, vowing to pour billions of dollars into the state’s public schools to offer universal prekindergarten, improve teaching and make sure students are ready for college or careers. But the General Assembly didn’t outline a long-term plan to fund the ambitious 10-year education reform effort — which increasingly looks like a blueprint for red ink. Kiersten Hacker, Christina Walker and Ela Jalil/The Capital News Service.

ADDRESSING MARYLAND's TEACHER SHORTAGE: The U.S. Department of Education's Teacher Shortage Areas database found that for the current school year, Maryland was short of teachers in 28 subjects, which is up from 17 five years earlier. The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future aims to fix that problem by “elevating the stature of the teaching profession” through higher pay, better training and stronger recruitment efforts. However, experts and educators have mixed views about whether that will successfully address the root causes of the shortage. Aidan Hughes and Daranee Balachandar of Capital News Service/MarylandReporter.com.

STATE BILL WOULD CHALLENGE BOOK BANS: A rise in challenges to books in Maryland’s schools and public libraries — including dozens recently in Carroll County schools — has put the state on a path to becoming one of the few with guardrails on book bans. The Freedom to Read Act, which Democrats in the Maryland General Assembly are gunning to pass in the legislative session’s final weeks, would set a statewide standard for some content in libraries for the first time. Sam Janesch and Thomas Goodwin Smith/The Baltimore Sun.

BLUEPRINT EATING UP STATE FUND: Diving deep into the reform plan in reporting “Behind the Blueprint” found that the Blueprint is already devouring hundreds of millions annually from the state’s fund balance, which is on target to be fully drained in 2027. And according to a state Department of Legislative Services fiscal briefing released in January, the state will start running a structural deficit in fiscal year 2025 that will multiply nearly sixfold by fiscal year 2029, when it will hit $2.93 billion. Kiersten Hacker, Christina Walker and Ela Jalil of Capital News Service/MarylandReporter.com.

Don’t miss out on this FREE member benefit!

Strengthen your leadership. The NASSP 360º Survey and School Culture Survey are powerful tools NASSP members can use to strengthen their school leadership and promote a positive educational experience for their students.

Free for NASSP Members

• The 360º Survey enables members to gather valuable, anonymous feedback from teachers, staff, and supervisors, providing comprehensive insights at both micro and macro levels.
  
  
• The School Culture Survey, which collects anonymous feedback from students, parents, staff, and the broader community, offers a holistic assessment of the district’s collective culture.

Learn more and access these benefits todaDon't forget about your other membership benefits:

Advocacy

Ensure your voice is heard on some of the most important issues in education

Learn More

Leadership Networks

Connect with like-minded peers from around the country

Find Your Network

Tools to Improve Your School

Strengthen your learning community through effective leadership

View Resources

Career Development

Take the next step in your journey with national recognition and leadership opportunities

Learn More

Should you have any questions about your membership or accessing any of your benefits, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at membership@nassp.org. We’re here to help you every step of the way.

Go to www.nassp.org to join any of the Leadership Networks

As I receive dates for various networks, I will place them in the newsletter.

Middle School Leaders' Network

New Principals Leadership Network

Assistant Principals Network

Rural School Leaders Network

POY Network

LBGTQ+ School Leaders' Network

We meet at 4:30 pm (EST)

• April 18, 2024 - 4:30 pm (EST)
• May 16, 2024 - 4:30 pm (EST)

The Zoom link is as follows (same for each meeting):

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/3093930772

Dr. Addie Kaufman, Executive Director

10031 Old Ocean City Blvd., Suite 209

Berlin, Maryland 21811

443-545-9988

akaufman@mdmassp.org

www.mdmassp.org

Ms. Ronnie Bohn, Membership Coordinator

410-707-0420

ronniebohn@mdmassp.org

Ms. Carol LoSchiavo, Bookkeeper

carol.mdmassp@gmail.com

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 akaufman@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, Winters Mill H.S. (Carroll)

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

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

Treasurer: Dr. Marc Cohen, Seneca Valley H.S. (Montgomery)

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

Baltimore County - Monica Sample, Principal, Overlea H.S. & Kim Culbertson, Assistant Principal , Towson H.S.

Calvert - Anthony Barone, Principal, Patuxent HS

Caroline - Yolanda Holloway, Principal, Colonel Richardson MS

Carroll - Michael Brown, Principal, Winters Mill HS

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 - Stephanie Wesolowski, Principal, Southern MS

Harford - Lamark Holley, Assistant Principal, South Hampton MS

Howard - Robert Motley, Principal, Atholton HS

Kent - Kris Hemstetter, Principal, Kent County HS

Montgomery - James Allrich, Argyle MS & Ricardo Hernandez, Argyle MS

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

Queen Anne - Rob Watkins, Principal, Sudlersville MS

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

Somerset - Tony Bevilaqua, Washington Academy & High School

Talbot - Sherry Spurry, Principal, Easton HS

Washington - Amanda Mulledy, Principal, Hancock Middle Senior HS

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

Worcester - Jenifer Rayne, Principal, Pocomoke HS

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

Private/Non-Public: Amanda Macomber, MS Director, The Bryn Mawr School

Organizational Representatives:

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

Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) Representative: Patrick Saunderson, Director Central Office Administration, Howard County

Maryland State Board of Education: Coming Soon!!!

Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) Representative: Vacancy

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

Mr. Robert Motley, Atholton HS, 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 (Carroll) - Blueprint Special Education Workgroup

Mr. Tony Bevilaqua - (Somerset) - Data Privacy

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

Ms. Renay Johnson - (Montgomery) - MPSSAA

Ms. Marcy Leonard - (Howard) - School-Based Heath Centers

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

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

MASSP/MAESP Joint Partners:

Platinum - Josten's & Lifetouch

Bronze - VIRCO

MASSP Partners:

Silver - Avalon, EPI, Grand Canyon University & PlayVS

Bronze - American College of Education (ACE) & Horace Mann

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)