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Volume XLII April 2021 No. 306
Find the Good in Every Day
by Justin Helvik, MASSP President
Home About SAM MACSS MAEMSP MASS MASSP META MCASE Advocacy Prof. Learning
In This Issue...
1. MASSP PresidentMessage
2. SAM Executive DirectorMessage
3. 2021 Legislative Update 4. 2021-22 Membership
Drive Launches April 65. MCASE/MCEC Spring
Conference6. Save the Date: SAMAI
2021/SAM's 50thAnniversary
7. CoSN - StrategicTechnology Planningand Investment
8. New SAM BusinessPartners
Upcoming
Conferences, Meetings, & Events
April 15, 2021: MCASE/MCECConference
June 10, 2021: Eveningof Excellence
June 10-11, 2021: SAMDelegate Assembly
July 26-28 2021: SAMAdministrators Institute
** View the full SAMCalendar**
Spring break of 2020 was unlike any spring break I had ever experienced. Not because I was relaxing on somepristine beach or on some great adventure but because a pandemic made its way to Montana. Students left fortheir break and never returned in person for what seemed like an eternity. In a short time, our lives and jobschanged drastically as we knew it. Our world was flipped upside down and educators were asked to redefineeducation in a blink of an eye.
A school administrator's job is an ever changing one. We have to be adaptable and professional problem solvers.The intricacies of education are more complex now. School leaders are at the forefront of shaping their school’sculture and ensuring academic progress for our students. Family dynamics, academic accountability, acommunity’s ever changing social economic status, and mental health/wellness are now more pressing pieces aschool leader must take into account when leading a learning community. From teachers to administrators, toparaprofessionals we all have to try to balance continuity and change. It is often human nature to get hung up onthe obstacles we face and dwell on the negative.
One of the most important lessons I have learned was not taught to me by a teacher, parent, or colleague. Rather,it was one of my former students, Sydney, who taught me perhaps the greatest lesson of all. Sydney was a studentat the middle school where I landed my first job as a principal several years ago. Syd, as she was referred to, toldeveryone in our school that you have to “find the good in every day”. She walked the halls of my former schoolwith a smile and had a positive attitude that was truly contagious. When I was feeling sorry for myself andthought I was having a bad day I would look at Syd and she’d always greet me with a smile and ask how I wasdoing. I always walked away after talking to Syd with a brighter outlook and a smile on my face. To be honest, Ialmost felt guilty for having such a poor outlook at times. You see, Syd was not just any student with a positiveattitude. Syd had been diagnosed with a life threatening brain tumor. The cancer had taken so much away fromher. She wasn’t able to do many of the things she used to cherish. She couldn’t play sports anymore due to thedisease impacting her coordination and balance. She had to spend months at a time in treatment in a farawayplace from home. When faced with tragedy and adversity many people become lethargic, angry, or depressed butnot Syd. She walked the halls with a smile and chose to find the good in every day.
Tragically, Syd is no longer physically with us. However, her legacy lives on. Anyone who had the pleasure ofknowing Syd was impacted by her grit and positive outlook on life. She chose to be happy despite facing the mostgrave circumstances. I have a framed picture of Syd’s touching words hanging in my office. “Find the good inevery day.” I carry this message with me every day and try to view life as Syd did. Yes, life is tough at times andwe are constantly facing challenges that may seem insurmountable. However, with grit and the right attitude, wecan choose to find the good in every day as Syd did.
Justin HelvikMASSP President
SAM - CreatingOpportunities!
by Kirk Miller, SAM Executive Director
2021 LegislativeSession - SAMUpdate
Thank you to this
month's featured
Business Partners!
April has arrived and I can feel therush you are all experiencing inour schools to complete the springof 2020-21 educationalprogramming for our students inthe midst of the ever changingCoronavirus pandemic effect, andthe planning for 2021-22! Thisspring acceleration of activity and
planning is normal, and because of COVID-19, hasadded some significant issues to contemplate in theservice to your students, school and community.Thank you for the great work you do in balancing thisvery important completion and planning process withsuch perseverance. At SAM, buried in advocacy (soimportant immediately because of the legislativesession), this Bulletin Article has given me theopportunity to think about more than just advocacyand reflect on SAM’s core purpose to createopportunities that support you in your professionallife, leading the education of our children.
Our SAM goals of ‘leadership involved in decisionsthat impact education’ and ‘professional learning andservices’ are so very important, as is the ‘advocacy’goal. Elsewhere in this Bulletin I have provided anupdate on our ‘advocacy’ goal. Following are somehighlights of the first two listed goals.
‘Leadership involved in decisions that impacteducation’ has many of our SAM membersparticipating in the decision making that drives policyand opportunities in our schools. SAM members aredeeply involved in all of the planning efforts aroundmitigation of the impact of Coronavirus on theeducation of Montana’s children. From ongoingefforts to determine the needs of our schools to bealigned with significant federal funding, to embracinglearning recovery through acceleration and addressingsocial emotional needs, SAM members are at the tableproviding the necessary expertise to help guidedecision-making. SAM members are on the Varianceto Standards Review Board, looking at requests forvariance to standards from the perspective ofpracticing school administrators in order to help makethe best decisions. SAM has members that are keyparticipants in Negotiated Rule Making processes thatyield policy decisions. SAM members will be
Week 14 of the 67th legislative session getsunderway on April 6 (following Easterbreak) and we have completed 64 days ofthe session with 26 days remaining. As Idescribed at policy bill transmittal time(3/5/21), we had early victories this sessionwith HB 15 passing and signed into law onFebruary 25, outlining the inflationaryincrease to the funding formula, giving ourschools the ability to begin the plans fortheir 2021-22 district budgets. Progresscontinues on HB 630 (ESSER II) and HB632 (ESSER III) to determine Montana’sappropriation of Coronavirus federal fundsallocated to public schools to mitigate theimpact of COVID-19.
The best references to the details of thelegislative session can be found on the SAM2021 Legislative Session webpage. SAMLN21 Legislative Update 14 SAMStatus Report 4-2-21 and Podcast 14 havebeen prepared to give you a look at theprogress of SAM Advocacy during thissession.
The legislature as of 4/1/21 has produced3367 bill drafts with 1273 introduced bills. SAM advocacy is tracking 366 bill drafts(10.9%) with 187 (14.7%) of those billsintroduced. A review of SAM FollowedBills 4-1-21, SAM Followed Bills Status 4-1-21, and SAM Followed Bills Priority Status4-1-21 will provide a deep dive into thestatus of 187 SAM tracked introduced bills. The SAM Testimony Log 2021 LegislativeSession 4-1-21 shows that SAM/MT-PEChas provided testimony 113 times on 63different bills at this point in the session.
SAM Followed Bills Priority Status Report4-1-21 describes the status of bills under theSAM advocacy priorities – Note thedesignation of SAM priorities: 1 SF SchoolFunding (15 bills), 2 PP Privatization withPublic Funds (5 bills), 3 RR Recruitmentand Retention (4 bills), 4 MH MentalHealth (11 bills), 5 IT Infrastructure &
SAM Leadership
SAMDale Olinger
PresidentCal KetchumPresident Elect
Peter HamiltonPast President
MASSP
Justin HelvikPresident
Shawn HendricksonPresident ElectKJ PoeppingVice PresidentJake HaynesPast President
MAEMSP
Shelley AndresPresident
Nicole TrahanPresident Elect
Ted MillerVice President
Craig CrawfordPast PresidentMarlin Lewis
Barb DroesslerSAM Representatives
MASS
Casey KlasnaPresident
Dr. Greg DernPresident Elect
Dr. Mike PerryPast PresidentRick Duncan
Federal RelationsCoordinator
participating in the review of Chapter 57 and Chapter58 administrative rules keeping the best interest ofour children front and center in those discussions. SAM participates on the Montana School SafetyAdvisory Council that has grown out of the work of theMontana School Emergency Management PlanningAdvisory Council, to help Montana develop the bestsafe school practices and make them readily availableto all schools. These are just a few instances of thecontribution of administrators to the educationprofession and to our system of quality public schoolsin Montana.
I would also touch briefly on the work of the SAMLeaders Professional Learning Program (LPLP)members and their impact in several areas on the‘professional learning’ SAM goal. The SAM LPLPTransformational Learning (TL) CLN, over the pastfive years has been collecting and sharing successesand challenges in their work to implementpersonalized learning/proficiency basedlearning/student centered learning in theirclassrooms, school and even entire district. The workof the TL CLN led to legislation to incentivizetransformational learning (HB 351, 2019 legislature),and continues to be a leading think tank on successfulpractices in transformational learning. The SAMLPLP Social Emotional Learning (SEL) CLN continuesto work together on developing best practices for ourschools around social emotional learning, evermagnified by the COVID pandemic. I bring to yourattention the continuing work of the AspiringSuperintendents (AS) CLN, the New Superintendent(NS) CLN, the New Principals (NP) CLN, the SpecialEducation (SPED) CLN and Comprehensive Schools(CS) CLN, all of which are using collaborativepractices and coach/mentors to make great progresson their work to improve student learning and meetthe social emotional needs of the whole child. We arealso seeing great success with the SAM LPLP Huddle -- a monthly one-hour virtual discussion between SAMLPLP Members, Providers and SAM leadership,featuring monthly calendar items and resourceupdate, thought-leader sessions around contemporarytopics, and discussion/Q & A. This collective effort ofthe LPLP is making difference for our state as wecontinue to work on best practices for educating ourstudents. My thanks to all 70 SAM Members and our
Technology (18 bills), 6 EP EducationPolicy (87 bills), 7 RT Revenue & Taxation(20 bills), 8 PL Pension Laws (8 bills), 9 SPState Policy (19 bills). The Report providesa brief discussion on the bill status andstatistics of SAM progress on our advocacypriorities as of 4/1/21 (Day 64).
SAM advocacy statistics on the 187 SAMFollowed Bills …
Support 36 bills, Oppose 24 bills andMonitor 127 bills51 bills have Passed, 82 bills haveFailed, 54 bills are still aliveBig Wins – 17 of 36 Support billshave Passed (47.2%) and 16 of 24Oppose Bills have Failed (66.7%)Challenges – 9 of 36 Support billshave Failed (25.0%) and 1 of 24Oppose bills have Passed (4.2%)
A big thanks to all SAM members who arehelping ensure that SAM’s AdvocacyPriorities are addressed with fidelity andvigor in this legislative session!
SAM MembershipDrive 2021-22Launches April 6th!
The School Administrators of Montana(SAM) Membership Drive will beginon Tuesday, April 6th for the 2021-22 membership year! We will once again beusing the online renewal process that wehave used the past several years. As the"key contact" for a district, districtclerks/business managers will receive anemail that will include information forcompleting membership renewalsfor their district's MASS, MASSP,MAEMSP, and META members. Please
MCASEMichelle Halberg
President
MACSSCathy Maloney
President
METAEverett Holm
President
SAM OfficeKirk Miller
Executive Director
Gary WagnerDirector of Operations,
Membership & Finances
Kim ScofieldDirector of Member Services
& Professional Learning
10 SAM LPLP Providers who are actively contributingto our education system through your work with theSAM LPLP!
The discussion of the SAM LPLP crosses frominsuring that ‘leadership is involved in decisions thatimpact education in Montana’, to the ‘professionallearning and member services’ SAM goals. Certainly,the SAM LPLP is a professional learning deliverysystem that is personalized to meet the needs of ourSAM members who participate. Our collective effortto develop this professional learning delivery systemover the past 7 years is showing results about theimpact of this collaboration on administratorsatisfaction and longevity – ultimately the keys toimproving student learning. You may want toconsider joining this great opportunity and sign up forthe SAM LPLP 2021-22! Details coming soon.
In this Bulletin, you will see other SAM professionallearning and member services targeted to help youbecome the outstanding, complete administrator thatyou aspire to be in serving your students. Check outthe membership drive information and the SAMAdministrators Institute 2021 opportunity!
Thank you SAM members for your great effort to be‘leaders involved in the decision making that impactsthe education of our children’ and for your focus on‘professional learning and member services’ to assistyou in being the best leader you can be. At SAM, weare intent on creating opportunities for you! Here’s toan outstanding April!!
Registration Open forMCASE-MCEC Virtual
Conference
April 15, 2021
work with your district clerk/businessmanager to be sure your membership iscorrect. MCASE members and membersnot linked to a school district will receive anemail that will include a link to theirmembership renewal form.
We encourage you to renew yourmembership early so you can start the nextfiscal year with the full benefits of yourmembership in place and without anychance of it lapsing. Contact the SAM Officewith any questions you may have.
Driving K-12Innovation: LookingBack and LookingForward
The Consortium for School Networking(CoSN) and its Montana state affiliatechapter, Montana EducationalTechnologists Association (META) arepleased to continue to support the work ofcurrent and aspiring superintendents anddistrict leadership teams in leading allaspects of digital learningtransformations.
The Empowered SuperintendentedWebinar Series – Monday, April12, 2021, 3:00 pm MT
“Looking Back and LookingForward: Leading Teaching andLearning in Today's World”
Register HERE!
This series includes:
April 15 - 8:30 - 12:30 CELEBRATING RESILIENCE- with keynote by
Kristin Souers, followed by awards
April 21st 8:30-9:30 a.m.
TRAUMA INVESTED COMMUNICATION withKristin Souers
April 22nd 8:30-9:30 a.m.
FOSTERING RESILIENCE and GIVINGGRACE with Kristin Souers
SAMAdministrators
Institute
July 26-28, 2021
This is going to be a special SAM AdministratorsInstitute that you will not want to miss! It will mark thelaunch of SAM's 50th Anniversary. We are planning for
a blended delivery model, offering both in-person andvirtual delivery. Watch for more information coming
soon.
The upcoming episode of the monthlyEmpowerED Superintendent Webinarseries, co-hosted by CoSN, AASA andedWeb.net, and sponsored byClassLink, airs on Monday, April 12, 2021at 3:00 pm Mountain Time. The Aprilwebinar is titled Looking Back and LookingForward: Leading Teaching and Learningin Today’s World. In this edWebinar, foureducation leaders: Dr. Carol Kelley,Superintendent, Oak Park ElementaryDistrict 97, IL, Dr. Chris Marczak, Chief ofInstructional Leadership for the USDepartment of Defense Education ActivityPacific Center Japan, Dr. David Schuler,Superintendent Township HS District 214,IL, and Dr. Donna Wright, Director ofSchools, Wilson County Schools, TN reflecton the lessons learned for dealing with asudden crisis as they recall the steps theytook in March and April of 2020 when theworld was beginning to deal with the realityof a global pandemic. They will also sharestrategies, policies and practices they areimplementing in their school systems toassure that effective learning for allstudents continues today and in the future.Frankie Jackson, Independent CTO, whoserved on the CoSN Driving K-12Innovation Advisory Board, will share thelatest updates from CoSN’s 2021 Driving K-12 Innovation Report. Join in theconversation as together we look back andlook forward.
Free registration for the April 12, 2021webinar is now available HERE. Webinarsin this series are also freely available asrecordings HERE and via podcast HERE aday or two after the initial live broadcast.
CoSN Resources - Driving K-12Innovation
Through the Driving K-12 Innovationseries, CoSN continues its commitment tosharing high-quality trend reports thatsupport the use of emerging technology in
SAM LeadersProfessional
Learning Program2021-22
It isn't too early to start thinking about professionallearning for you and your district administrators for nextyear. The goal of the SAM LPLP is to provide intentional,personalized professional learning to Montana educatorsthrough research-based strategies resulting inimprovements in job satisfaction, administrator longevity,and ultimately to increased student achievement andquality of instruction which will positively impact theeducation of students across Montana. Watch forregistration for SAM LPLP 2021-22 coming soon!
SAM Welcomes 45Architecture, LLCas a New BusinessPartner
45 Architecture is a diverse planning, architecture andinterior design firm that offers comprehensive services to
K-12 education to transform learning. Theannual report identifies three areas thatmove K-12 Innovation forward: Hurdles,Accelerators and Tech Enablers. Hurdlesare obstacles that make participants slowdown, evaluate, practice, and then makethe leap to better support teaching andlearning. Accelerators are megatrends thatdrive change – sometimes suddenly andsometimes so gradually that theimplications are not readily apparent. TechEnablers are tools that support smootherleaps over the hurdles and expansivechanges in global K-12 education. You areinvited to view the results of the mostrecent 2021 Driving K-12 InnovationSurvey and explore the Hurdles,Accelerators and Tech Enablers topics thatrose to the top in each category HERE.
CoSN Membership
If your school or district would like moreinformation about joining CoSN or gettingmore involved with CoSN, please contactBrian Calvary, CAE, CoSN Director ofMembership and Chapters, [email protected].
SAM WelcomesBoardworks as a NewBusiness Partner
A leader in supplemental K12 interactivecurriculum, Boardworks provides 25Kslides of ready-made presentations forMath, Science, ELA, and Social Studies.
clients in both the public and private sector. 45Architecture’s work includes many public/ communityprojects throughout Montana, including, Libraries, K-12Education Facilities, Stadium/ Athletic Facilities andHigher Education Facilities.
45 Architecture's design process brings together theirexperience as professionals with functional goals, projectscope, challenges, and opportunities which combines theintimacy of a small design practice with the extensivenational knowledge of a major design firm. They strive toserve their communities through the spaces they designand through their engaged design process. A process thatadds value to those spaces which in turn strengthens theircommunities, schools, businesses, institutions,organizations and individuals.
Simple to use content that empowersteachers, engages students, and improveslearning.
Boardwork's resources enhance anylearning situation with any connecteddevice. They keep teachers, teaching bygiving them empowering tools to furtherinstruction and engage students. Teachersare able to use provide synchronous orasynchronous instruction seamlessly anddistricts can integrate our content with anyLMS.
SAM members will receive consortium-typediscounts on our resources. Also,Boardwork's content is priced as a NON-subscription and more of a district-widelicense at a ONETIME purchase.Professional development is included inthese prices. This allows districts to bringconsistency to their instruction along withsupport easing future budgets.
Thank you to SAM's Business Partners!
Please take time to visit their websites.
Montana Big Sky Sponsors
Health InsuranceP O Box 4579 - Helena, MT [email protected] Technology Innovation
1309 NW Bypass - Great Falls, MT 59404 [email protected] 406-727-5994
Total Education Solutions in Technology (T.E.S.T) PO Box 2900Missoula, MT [email protected]
888-401-6950
Empowering Teachers ToDrive Their Own Professional Learning84 Sherman StreetCambridge, MA 02140 [email protected]
Montana Glacier Sponsors
Infinite Campus is thelargest American-ownedstudent information
system 4321 109th Avenue NEBlaine, MN 55449stephanie.sondrol@infinite campus.com 763-458-1752
Annuities, life insurance 430 Ryman St., #102Missoula, MT 59892 [email protected]
Mileposts™ cloud-basedachievement & data management408 E. Parkcenter Blvd., Ste.300Boise, ID [email protected] 208-413-2020
School property & liabilityinsurance1200 North Montana Ave.Helena. MT. 59601
Montana Mountain Sponsors
Connecting Schools,Parents, andCommunities through Cloud-Based Communication Tools 218 N. 3rd Ave Durant, OK [email protected]
Professional LearningOrganization 1031 N. Academic Way, Ste.242 Coeur d’Alene, Idaho [email protected] 208-292-2529
Provides Orton-Gillingham SondaySystem Programs and TrainingAmanda Burnette 3001 Metro Drive, Suite 480Bloomington, MN. [email protected]
Building Management andSystem IntegrationRick Ruiz, BusinessDevelopment800 7th Ave. NorthGreat Falls, MT. 59911406-452-0009
The Great Conversation SeriesJamie [email protected]
Reach Higher MontanaJason ButcherOutreach Director406-366-0777406-422-1275 Ext. [email protected]
Standards-based digitalcurriculum resources forK–12 classrooms Emily [email protected] 847-337-9546
K–12 online curriculum andblended learning solutionsMichael [email protected]
Targeted Professional DevelopmentDaniel Sybrant557 Cow Creek LaneCorvallis, MT [email protected] 888-413-3669, ext. 5776
Energy Efficiency and RenewableEnergy Solutions34 West 6th Avenue, Suite 2BHelena, MT [email protected]
Partners is Clean, Safe &Healthy Buildings2525 Overland AvenueBillings, MT 59102 [email protected]
School portraits, yearbooks &sports portraits2110 Overland Ave., #115A Billings, MT59102 [email protected]
C&C School AccountingSoftware For Schools In Montana [email protected](800)-442-6107
Safe, Easily Managed SchoolNetworks106 East Sixth Street, Suite 500Austin TX [email protected] 512-904-0544
Auto, homeowners, life insuranceand financial services617 W Stolley Park RoadGrand Island, NE [email protected] 866-517-6870
School Workers’ Compensation &Liability
College Assistance, Job SkillTraining 1956 MT Majo Street
CoveragePO Box 7029 - Helena, MT [email protected]: 406-457-4418
Fort Harrison, MT [email protected]
Montana Meadow Sponsors
Substitute Staffing ServiceMaya Burnaugh3001 Metro Drive, Suite 200Bloomington, MN. [email protected]
School Accounting Software145 Southlake Crest, Suite 1Polson, MT. [email protected] 800-353-8829
Technology planning, project &solution services2135 Charlotte StreetBozeman MT [email protected] 406-294-5470
Network and CommunicationsSolutions 904 C AvenueCircle, MT [email protected] 406-234-7470
Systems and applications to reducethe financial burden of federalstudent [email protected]
A turn-key library of interactivelessons that enrich K-12 [email protected]
855-405-7939
Collaborating with you to innovate1627 W. Main Street Suite #325Bozeman, MT [email protected] 406-577-2345
900 N. Montana Ave. Suite A-4| Helena, MT. 59601| Phone (406)442-2510 | Fax (406)442-2518
www.sammt.org
2020-21 SAM Bulletins
March 2021 BulletinFebruary 2021 BulletinJanuary 2021 BulletinDecember 2020 BulletinNovember 2020 BulletinOctober 2020 BulletinSeptember 2020 BulletinJuly-August 2020 Bulletin
SAM Bulletins from Previous Years
© School Administrators of Montana
900 N. Montana Ave., Suite A-4 Helena, MT 59601
Phone: (406)442-2510 Fax: (406)442-2518
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