MREA Greater Education Summit Breakout Sessions

Come learn about graphic student enrollment visuals along with pertinent demographic data to help you discover your district's real data. Use enrollment to tell your story and share the facts that will dispel the rumors.

Michael Hoheisel has more than 30 years of public finance experience. His primary focus is providing financial services to school districts in the upper Midwest, specifically Minnesota. Michael is affiliated with the Minnesota School Boards Association, the Minnesota Association of School Administrators, the Minnesota Association of School Business Officials and the Minnesota Rural Education Association. He holds a BS in management and finance from St. John's University and has served on the MASA Foundation Board since 2007.

Matt Rantapaa has worked as a public finance banker/analyst since 2009, specializing in education financing and helping school districts connect financial needs with effective debt solutions. He is affiliated with the Minnesota School Boards Association, the Minnesota Association of School Administrators, the Minnesota Association of School Business Officials and the Minnesota Rural Education Association. Matt earned his BS in economics from the University of South Dakota.

Earning trust from your staff, community and business partners is essential for a successful referendum campaign. The playbook has changed since 2020 with a brighter spotlight on school districts and how they address emerging issues. Join us as we unpack successful communication strategies, we’ve seen work in districts since the start of the pandemic. We’ll share ways your organization can tell stories of success about your students, staff and programs to rebuild or build trust among your key audiences. We’ll also share ways to better communicate your needs ahead of your next referendum campaign.

Jake Sturgis has worked for two school districts in the Twin Cities for nearly 12 years prior to starting Captivate Media + Consulting in 2014. He served on the Minnesota School Public Relations Association (MinnSPRA) Board from 2015-2019, including one year as President. Jake and his team work with dozens of districts each year on communications projects. His team produces the MREA award videos each year.

Dr. Bill Adams is an experienced Superintendent with a demonstrated history of working in education. He recently completed his Doctor of Education (Ed.D) in Educational Leadership from Bethel University. Before joining Willmar Schools, Bill was a superintendent in Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton and New London-Spicer districts.

The federal and state school nutrition programs have strict regulations about the reimbursement staying within the non-profit food service account (02 account). This session will provide information on the complex situations that rural schools deal with and how to navigate the use of funds in those situations.

Melissa Elder

Melissa Elder currently serves as the School Nutrition Business Supervisor within the MN Department of
Education’s (MDE) Nutrition Program Services (NPS) Division. Growing up on a family-owned dairy farm in southwestern Minnesota, Melissa understands life in small and rural schools and the every-day challenges that school professionals in our rural areas face. She is passionate about helping school administrators and foodservice professionals wade through the program regulations in order to see the real joy of working in school nutrition, which is ensuring our students have healthy foods and come out of their cafeterias each day with smiling faces and alert minds that are ready to learn.

SchoolsAlive! strategies have been proven to positively impact students' academics, behavior, and mental and physical health. Participants will learn about the Active Schools initiative and Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs (CSPAPs) and how they can be used as a Tier 1 intervention. Attendees will be able to identify the five components of a CSPAP (Physical Activity Before/After School; Physical Activity During School; Physical Education; Family and Community Involvement; and Staff Involvement) as well as evidence-based implementation strategies for each component.

Dr. Kristen Ford is an associate professor of health education, physical education, and general secondary pedagogy at Concordia College (Moorhead, MN). Kristen also teaches in Concordia's Master of Teaching and Learning program.

Dr. Jenny Linker is an associate professor in physical education teacher education at NDSU. She also serves as the Program Coordinator for NDSU's undergraduate Health and Physical Education programs and Master's in Leadership in Physical Education and Sport. Jenny and Kristen are SchoolsAlive! Instructional Co-Designers and Trainers and have been helping schools and after school programs implement best practices in physical activity for over 12 years.

Living our purpose in education leadership means providing excellent student experiences that connect to the world outside our walls. Learn how to bring joy and passion to the classroom and hear about successes and failures in doing this work. Your students will be better prepared while connecting to future careers in your community.

Jenny Maras has been a high school business teacher for 21 years. She teaches everything from introductory computer classes to advanced digital media curriculum and traditional business such as accounting, marketing, entrepreneurship, and personal finance. She is drawn to the practical aspects of her curriculum, pointing students to their future at every turn while placing emphasis on relationship and community connections. She was awarded MREA's “Educator of Excellence” award in 2022 and will represent Minnesota for the national award in November.

The world of special education is continually adapting to new challenges, and teletherapy has emerged as an effective solution to enhance students’ access to essential services. Learn how to navigate providing virtual speech services, lessons learned, the quality services our people provide to our members, and how teletherapy has enabled access to special education services in our rural area.

Cassandra Gohman has been working with the Southwest West Central (SWWC) Service Cooperative for the past 8 years; currently a Licensed Special Education Director serving as the Staff Development and Low Incidence Administrator. In her role, she providers leadership and directs the Regional 6 & 8 Low Incidence Project and SWWC Staff Development Programs, assists member districts in implementing special education services for student’s birth to age 21 in conformance with District, State, and Federal objectives, serves as a resource to SWWC and school personnel, and maintains adequate staffing to ensure objectives of programs and services are achieved.

Jennifer Kimman is the Director of the Educational Learning Centers with the Southwest-West Central Service Cooperative. She currently enjoys working with leaders in education to ensure students with special needs are provided a meaningful, high-quality education. Throughout Jen’s years working with SWWC, she has had the privilege of working closely with the team of speech language pathologists. Together they are meeting the challenges of staff shortages by incorporating teletherapy practices across the region.

Generative AI and tools like ChatGPT are the latest technology disruptions to hit our education system–both K-12 and post secondary education. How will these tools impact our students? How do they affect how teachers teach? How will these technologies impact the workforce? As with most technology, Generative AI can have both a light and a dark side. In this session, we will discuss ways that Generative AI can be used to enhance the learning experience for students and how educators can adapt practices that use Generative AI complement the learning process in any content area.We will also talk about how Generative AI can save teachers time and model the use of these tools for students. Participants will leave with an understanding of how Generative AI works, resources and guidance for helping students use it to increase their learning, and how to help students avoid the pitfalls of misuse.

Mary Mehsikomer has worked in Minnesota's education system on technology-related issues for over 40 years. In her current role at Sourcewell, she helps districts with strategic technology planning and manages the Minnesota Learning Commons, a partnership between the U of M, Minnesota State, and the Minnesota Department of Education, which advocates for innovation and best practices in digital learning. Mary holds a CoSN CETL certification and is an ISTE Certified Educator.

If you already know you want to utilize arts integration in teaching but aren’t sure how to get started, this session is for you. Perpich Center looks at arts integration along a continuum. #ItDepends. Be introduced to four models of arts integration and five questions to help you decide which model is most appropriate to the given situation. Resources include a brief overview of artistic processes; a lesson/unit planning template for each model; suggested types of assessments; examples Big Ideas, EQs, EUs; and examples of how a lesson/unit might appear through the different models of integration.

Wendy Barden, Ph.D. leads Professional Development and Resource Programs at Perpich Center for Arts Education. She and eight specialists provide arts-based professional development to districts, schools, departments, and individuals statewide. Prior to coming to Perpich Center, Barden wore many hats in District 279 Osseo Area Schools—elementary and secondary music educator, K-12 music coordinator, grant writer, and curriculum integration coordinator at Birch Grove Elementary School for the Arts.

There is a major crisis in public school leadership in our state and nationally. The perception is that school district leadership positions are so challenging that the purpose and vision to make an impact and make a difference to children and families is to great too endure. As a result, we see a lack of candidates for these positions in the rural, metro, and urban levels. The survey complete in December of 2022 demonstrates that there is a great deal of support and conviction for public schools leaders to make an impact and make a difference with our children, families, and communities! School Board members and communities must acknowledge the need to invest time and energy in building relationships with today's public-school leaders.

Dr. Christopher E. Mills Superintendent of Schools / Stephen-Argyle Central, MN 2000-2023 Superintendent of Schools / Thief River Falls, MN 2023- Faculty / Minnesota State University-Moorhead 2010-Present

Learn what it means to support the “trifecta” of relationships inside every school district. We will emphasize legal strategies for responding to difficult situations surrounding three types of relationships: student-student, teacher-teacher, and student-teacher. This session will include core legal principles from the Safe and Supportive Schools Act, Title IX, and the Minnesota Human Rights Act.

Abbie Thurmes is an attorney at Pemberton Law Firm and practices employment, labor, and school law. Abbie received her Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice and went to Mitchell Hamline School of Law. Abbie has a passion for helping others and problem-solving, and enjoys assisting school districts with their daily needs, including both student and employee matters.

Elise Heifort is an attorney with the Pemberton Law Firm, practicing primarily in the areas of employment law, labor law, and school law. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from the University of Minnesota, Duluth, and later attended law school at the University of St. Thomas School of Law. Elise grew up in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, and enjoys serving clients throughout Greater Minnesota.

Do the paraprofessionals that you hire struggle to pass the para competency exams? Join us to find out what Worthington School District has done to better prepare new paraprofessionals for the exams and success in their new roles.

Kris Doeden has taught for 31 years in Worthington at various grade levels. She is committed to a positive work environment for all school employees to enhance the learning opportunities for all students.

Sharon Johnson has been the Community Education Director in Worthington for eleven years. She oversees the Adult Basic Education department and proposed the collaboration that resulted in the paraprofessional competency training now offered to new hires.

A discussion of key findings gathered from a dissertation on teacher recruitment and retention challenges post-COVID-19. The purpose of this case study was to understand recruitment and retainment challenges districts faced pre-COVID-19 and post-COVID-19. Human resources administrators and teaching and learning administrators were interviewed in pairs and discussed challenges their district has faced related to recruitment and retainment of teachers pre- and post-COVID-19. Further, the participant pairs described strategies their districts are using to recruit and retain teachers. The themes from the analysis included: teacher candidate characteristics, recruitment strategies, factors for mobility, and factors and strategies for retention.

Dr. Julie Williams is the Director of Student Support Services for Cambridge-Isanti Schools. Dr. Williams has over 20 years of experience in the education system as a teacher, supervisor and a director. She received her B.A., M.A., Ed.S. and Ed.D. degrees from the University of St. Thomas and holds licensure in the areas of K-8 Elem, 5-8 Language Arts/Communication, K-12 Special Ed, Principal, Director of SpEd and Superintendent.

Members new to MREA and advocacy will learn about MREA’s advocacy initiatives and how they impact education funding and policy at the local and state level. From contacting your legislator to talking with a neighbor, simple steps can have the most effect for students in your district. At the state level, see how MREA prioritizes rural education issues such as facilities funding, unfunded mandates, special education, and local levies and keeps them forefront at the legislature.

Sam Walseth, President of Capitol Hill Associates, has logged 23 legislative sessions lobbying at the Minnesota State Capitol, leading successful coalitions to improve equity in educational opportunities for rural students.

Bob Indihar is MREA's Executive Director and comes to MREA after serving as a teacher, principal, and superintendent, most recently for Moose Lake school district.

School districts all over the country responded to the pandemic crisis by providing students access to devices and tools that would allow for distance learning. In addition, the last few years have brought the challenges of security and data privacy presented by an increase in cyber crime. Many districts are now taking a step back to consider what types of tools administrators, students and teachers need going forward. In order to plan effectively, a school district needs to gather information about their technology infrastructure and practices AND how their technology implementations benefit student learning. In this session, participants will learn about key data points that can be collected to help create benchmarks and set priorities for the future, interact with the data to see how it can be analyzed, and get some recommended next steps for setting technology strategies.

Mary Mehsikomer has worked in Minnesota's education system on technology-related issues for over 40 years. In her current role at Sourcewell, she helps districts with strategic technology planning and manages the Minnesota Learning Commons, a partnership between the U of M, Minnesota State, and the Minnesota Department of Education, which advocates for innovation and best practices in digital learning. Mary holds a CoSN CETL certification and is an ISTE Certified Educator.

The federal landscape of the Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP) has multiple components that can aid districts in elevating student achievement. Navigating the REAP eligibility, planning, budgeting and application processes can be challenging. In this session, we will discuss funding in the Small Rural School Achievement (SRSA) and Rural Low Income School (RLIS) programs; examine the opportunity that the Alternative Fund Use Authority (AFUA) provides; and discuss supplement not supplant concerns and challenges for REAP funding uses. This interactive conversation will engage participants in thoughtful and creative conversations to effectively utilize these resources to increase student academic achievement.

Graham Hartley, Education Specialist with the Minnesota Department of Education, coordinates the state's Rural Education Achievement Programs (REAP). As a former classroom teacher and non-profit administrator, he has 30 years of experience creating and managing federal, state and foundation grants.

By creating student access opportunities within planned investments improvements, rural MN school districts can identify real, relevant, and impactful student engagement pathways to support workforce development and student career readiness needs. Explore how partnering with industry can accelerate stakeholder success and learn how to promote both environmental and social gains within the normal flow of projects and financial investment needed. Understand how to leverage large federal incentives to target investments that improve energy efficiency and support decarbonization goals while driving performance improvements on both sides of the “green” equation, reducing financial and operational demand and decreasing emissions. How did this work out for one Greater Minnesota school district? Join us to learn more.

Thomas Huberty, Trane Technologies, Strategic Energy Solutions Advisor | Education, has strategically helped educational institutions connect facilities investment, operations, energy performance and sustainability goals to institutional goals and missions that are aligned with financial priorities and realities. He is a recognized thought leader for his clients and holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of St. Thomas.

Michael Hines, North American Director of Education | Energy Services, is responsible for leading Trane’s educational offerings and initiatives for the US and Canada. This includes providing pathways to achieve awareness and skill acquisition for all students in secondary and post-secondary education. He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Wyoming and a MBA from the University of Nebraska.

Zachary Main, Strategic Energy Solutions Advisor at Trane with 10 years of industry experience, has been specializing in comprehensive integrated energy projects and leading the controls design for large-scale hydronics systems. Zack has a passion for reducing environmental impact from the built environment while creating equity & diversity in workforce and pathways for workforce education. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, University of Hawaii at Mānoa and is a certified Professional Engineer.

Spencer Murray, Chief of Staff for National Coalition of Certification Centers, lives in Buffalo, NY and helped create a national non-profit organization called the Coalition for Career Development (CCD) Center. Currently he serves on the Buffalo and Erie County Workforce Investment Board and   serves on the Board for the National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB). Spencer is a diehard Buffalo Bills Fan.

Sara Paul, North Branch Area Public Schools, Superintendent

This session will explore the complex and often confusing impacts that 'screen time' has on children, parents and families. Parents and teachers are often challenged by how to manage technology in the school setting and at home. We will explore what harm reduction is and how we can use it to manage screen time for families and parents with children of all ages, with a special focus on unique factors at work in rural areas.

Leah Persky has more than 12 years of experience teaching and writing on issues of gender and family well-being social issues. She completed her PhD in political science and has a master’s degree in Conflict Resolution; she is also a Certified Family Life Educator and a Parent Coach and parent of two children. Leah has a passion for fitness, gardening and being outside. She works to support families and the community at Jewish Family and Children's Service of Minneapolis.

Jennifer Wazlawik is in my fifth year at the Minnesota Department of Education serving as the Literacy Project Manager, managing MDE's Literacy Unit. The Literacy Unit collaborates with literacy initiatives across the agency including COMPASS and MnMTSS. She holds a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction and a Master of Science in Reading. She served as a district reading specialist for ten years and was a Minnesota elementary classroom teacher for sixteen years prior to that. This is her 30th year in education.

Chris Bretz serves as COMPASS Literacy Specialist for the Minnesota Department of Education. COMPASS focuses on supporting district leadership teams across the state to accelerate student learning and match the state's response to those needs. Prior to his role at MDE, Chris worked for 12 years in district curriculum leadership roles, served as a Title programs coordinator, worked as a literacy specialist and coach, and was an assistant professor at Hamline University. Chris also was an elementary school teacher who taught in all grades K-6 and earned National Board Certification.

The Bemidji School District has been working on implementing more culturally-relevant place-based learning experiences for both educators and students. Session attendees will see how a northern Minnesota district is creating engaging learning activities for their students by bringing standards-based learning outside and incorporating other ways of learning and knowing.

Jamie Copenace is the American Indian Culture and Curriculum specialist and previously taught in the classroom for 11 years in a variety of settings: an Ojibwe immersion school, reservation school, and off-reservation elementary school. She enjoys spending time with her family and participating in powwows.

Laci Podmore and Anna Hamann, between the two of them, have taught at every grade level, kindergarten through grade 12. Laci originally taught secondary social studies before switching to special education k-8, and ultimately becoming an MTSS specialist. Anna Hamann has taught English/language arts both at the high school and college levels before becoming an MTSS specialist with the Bemidji School District.

It’s time to get serious about preparing students for success in life, not just a successful graduation. New research is shedding light on the types of programming that provides students with skills and experiences that can make a difference in their livelihood years after graduating high school. The value of graduating high school is difficult to overstate, yet gaining a diploma is just one way to leverage the experience. Come learn about the employment outcomes of previous Minnesota graduates to help inform your strategy for ensuring all students succeed after graduation.

Luke Greiner is the Department of Employment and Economic Development’s regional analyst for Central and Southwestern Minnesota. Luke conducts research, writes publications, and provides presentations about Greater Minnesota's economy, job market, industry trends, career and educational decision making, and higher education outcomes. He has a bachelor's degree in management from Park University in Parkville, MO and currently serves on the National ACT Steering Committee and Minnesota State ACT Council representing workforce.

MN principals recently expressed a need for more professional development, especially in the area of culturally responsive school leadership (CRSL) (Pekel et al., 2022). A consistent theme in this report, which included responses from 54% of Metro Area principals and 46% from Greater Minnesota, was a lack of knowledge and confidence in integrating CRSL into their practice. Attend this session for an  overview of a professional learning series intended to build leaders’ knowledge, confidence, and practice of CRSL. This session will promote an awareness of the CRSL framework and provide an opportunity for leaders to engage in a learning exercise.

Eskender Yousuf, PhD, is a Research Associate at the Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement. His research aims to support leaders in incorporating/integrating culturally responsive practices to better honor, acknowledge, and humanize all students, especially those minoritized.

Ann Mitchell, principal and district leader for 22 years, works with the Minnesota Department of Education supporting school and district leaders in elevating and amplifying learner-voice, and developing collaborative leadership and community partnerships.

Elizabeth Vaught is a lifelong learner and comes from a long line of teachers, farmers, and soldiers who settled in various parts of Appalachia. She works with the Minnesota Department of Education and Regional Centers of Excellence to support school and district leaders and is committed to being a learning partner for school leaders and a change agent for schools through collaboration and conversation.

This session provides practical tips for schools when navigating conflict between the school and the community. It could be the termination of a popular coach, a debate over the rights of certain students, or what books are in the library. Community and school conflict is on the rise and rural schools and small communities have unique considerations.

Kristi A. Hastings

Joshua M. Heggem

The presentation will discuss emotions that drive adversarial situations as well as tactics people deploy when logic takes a backseat to strong negative emotional drivers. Pick up practical knowledge and tools to spot these situations, protect yourself, and reflect so your organization and your own leadership don't fall into these adversarial strategies. Much of this presentation was inspired by the book, "Escaping the School Leader's Dunk Tank" by Rebecca Coda and Rick Jetter.

Daniel Ludvigson has been a superintendent since 2017 and has served rural districts since 2017. He has presented at state conferences in North Dakota and Minnesota primarily on communication topics. He presently serves the Long Prairie-Grey Eagle School District.

School Finance 101 will introduce attendees to the high level components of school district funding, including access, formula components, timelines, and accountability.

Cathy Erickson began her career in K-12 school finance in 1999 as business manager at Lake Superior School District. In 2005, Cathy became a finance, funding, and management specialist for Region 2 (ARCC), specializing in school finance training and support. In 2018 Cathy became the Executive Director of Business Services/CFO for Duluth Public Schools until moving to the Minnesota Department of Education in July 2022 as Director of School Finance.

Park Rapids Area High School is undergoing a transformation to align the district strategic plan and the values of their community and students with This Century learning environments. The three-year process challenged the district to re-imagine curriculum delivery, revealing the importance of CTE within the district, and helping align their 1960's facility with current needs. Join Park Rapids Area Schools Superintendent Lance Bagstad and JLG, as they share how the district is preparing to deliver education for the future - creating a more flexible and open learning environment that anticipates the needs of tomorrow.

David Leapaldt is a Principal with JLG, helping to lead the JLG K12 Studio with 40 years of educational architectural design and planning experience to his projects. Throughout his career he has acted as Principal or Project Architect on numerous PK-12 education projects, and has facilitated numerous community and staff engagements, assisting districts with planning flexible learning environments that meet their communities’ needs. He has a proven ability to lead teams of educators, designers, engineers, and contractors successfully through complex educational planning. David earned his degree from North Dakota State University and currently works in the JLG St. Cloud, Minnesota office.

Lance Bagstad has been the superintendent of Park Rapids Area Schools the past 11 years. During his 29 years in education, he has served as an elementary teacher, K-12 principal and district superintendent. He is currently leading Park Rapids through PRroject 309 which is a $60M facility addition and renovation project.

Jeff Johnson, Park Rapids Area High School Principal, was born and raised on a dairy farm.  Graduating from Bertha High School, he pursued a career in construction, attended St. Cloud Vocational Tech School and Brainerd Community College, and finally changing his career to education, finishing his BA at Bemidji State University in Education. He has worked in three different school districts as an Industrial Technology Instructor for 12 years. He has earned his master’s degree in technology from BSU and his K-12 Principal/Superintendent License from Tri College (Moorhead State, Concordia, North Dakota State University).  He firmly believes he has the best seat in the house" and leads a great staff.

Katie Becker, JLG

As a key player and Registered Architect in JLG’s K12 practice studio, Katie Becker has spent the last
decade leading the design, research, and implementation of emerging design trends – ensuring
schools are able to meet the evolving standards of education. Becker’s focus on progressive
improvement in learning environments has been presented at the national and regional levels. She
earned a Master of Architecture and Bachelor of Science in Environmental Design from North Dakota
State University and is based in JLG’s Minneapolis, MN office.  Becker currently serves on the Midwest
Great Lakes Board for the Association for Learning Environments.

With the rise of cyber-attacks and breaches, it is essential that academic institutions take steps to protect themselves and their students from these threats. We will explore the diverse types of cyber incidents that occur in schools, including cyber-attacks, breaches, and security incidents. Explore how these incidents can impact academic institutions and their students, and what steps can be taken to prevent them from happening. By attending, you will have a better understanding of why cybersecurity is so critical to academic success and what you can do to protect yourself and your institution from cyber threats.

Brady Carstens, Cybersecurity Engineer, is a founding staff member of the SWWC Cybersecurity Program which offers a comprehensive approach to staffing school district cybersecurity needs throughout the state. Throughout Brady's 5-year career with SWWC, he has made efforts to ensure that SWWC and our members employ best-in-class security principles and practices to continuously improve security posture and maturity.

Josh Sumption, Chief Technology and Information Officer at SWWC, has focused on improving the technology ecosystem in school districts throughout SWWC's membership and the state throughout his 20 years with SWWC. His professional passion is to ensure that rural school districts in Minnesota have best-in-class expertise and service available to them that can rival that to which large metro school districts can readily employe, and in some cases, services provided by SWWC's Technology Solutions have been accessed by those large metro districts as well! Ensuring appropriate security measures and practices are in place in schools and SWWC has been a career-long focus for Josh, and he's excited to now have a team that focuses on cyber available to SWWC's membership and the state.

Fergus Falls Schools' Prairie Science Class uses an innovative approach to using the outdoors as a classroom. This session will provide educators with ideas on how to use an outdoor classroom at any site with any level of students and curriculum. It will show how to guide instructional practice using curriculum and standards through the use of journals, place-based instruction, phenology, and naturalists. Be prepared to be outside for a portion of this session.

Mona Davis teaches 50-4th graders per year for the Fergus Falls Public Schools in the Prairie Science Class partnership at the Prairie Wetlands Learning Center. Prior to teaching with the PSC for the last 14 years, Mona taught in a traditional elementary classroom for 16 years in schools in Nebraska and MN. She graduated from Moorhead State University of Minnesota with an elementary education degree, Kindergarten endorsement, and an emphasis in Psychology. She has a master’s degree in education from Southwest State University in MN.

Tia Thysell graduated in 2006 from the University of Minnesota, Morris with a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and an endorsement in 5-8 science education. In 2009 she was hired by Fergus Falls Public Schools to teach 5th grade in their Prairie Science Class program, a program whose philosophy is to provide students with interdisciplinary, experiential learning through authentic, field-based experiences. This is her 14th year teaching 5th graders science, ELA and some math through nature and in nature.

Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa Schools built a P-12 CTE Matrix during the 2022-2023 school year, trying to build a 5th Core subject and giving it all the trappings of the other core subjects. They have created a K-12 curriculum framework with standards and action plans that guide instruction to elevate CTE to its deserved significance and allow all students to build CTE skills in a coherent fashion.

Patrick Walsh has been the Superintendent at BBE Schools for six years. Previously, he was a principal at three Minnesota Schools. At BBE, he has led CTE initiatives that have led to a $21M building project and developing multiple new connections to CTE.

Paul Weller has been on the BBE School Board for 16 years. He has been working at Bayer Built Manufacturing for 42 years doing everything from laborer to General Manager to now, Director of Operations. He has also worked diligently with the school district to expand CTE initiatives throughout his time on the Board.

Luke Greiner, Regional Analyst for Minnesota DEED, works closely with the Central Minnesota Manufacturers Association (CMMA) as well as the statewide Rural CTE initiative to increase access to CTE enrollment, build connections with industry/labor and to inform Minnesotans about the decision-making complex of students moving from school to work.

Too often our K-12 system of education is defined by time as the constant and learning as the variable. The traditional outdated, factory-based model of education in a majority of our schools today crushes enthusiasm for learning from our children and fails to recognize the unique talents of each child. In this session, you will learn why district teams should consider adopting a competency-based (CBE) model of education for student success. Additionally, you will learn how integrating elements of CBE into your classrooms and schools can help students realize their potential.

Dr. Klint Willert with Improvement Success Partners is a recognized leader and innovator in education. He has been named as National Superintendent of the Year finalist, an Education Thought Leader, and a champion for continuous improvement and school transformation. Klint has 29 years in education and 23 as a building and district level leader and is Interim Superintendent at Pipestone Area Schools.

In this session, educators will have the opportunity to learn from Carlton School District's success in building a comprehensive mental health solution that drives student resilience and persistence with wraparound mental health services, impacting both educators and students. By focusing on mental health, the district saw significant improvements in school culture and student academic success and wellbeing. This session will provide practical strategies to create a similar solution to help build a healthier and more resilient school community.

Katie Dorn is a licensed school counselor, a marriage and family therapist and a social-impact entrepreneur with a focus on helping students, families and educators build resilience. After serving as a high school counselor in the western suburbs of Minneapolis, Katie opened a private practice as a therapist and worked as a program director a school counseling graduate program. The gaps in serving student and educator mental health support fueled Katie’s passion for founding EmpowerU as a way to deliver transformational student and educator mental health support. Katie has published several books and appeared on the Today Show. She is the mother of seven grown children.

Donita Stepan, Superintendent at Carlton Schools, is an accomplished education leader with over 30 years of experience in the field. She is a visionary dedicated to intentional goal-setting and the use of measurement tools. As a result, her district has made significant progress towards their objectives. Donita's expertise and commitment to data-driven decision-making have contributed to her success as an education leader.

When academic gains, student participation, and student growth are considered indicators of school success, it’s clear there is no one-size-fits-all approach. In this session rural school leaders will share how they are cultivating access to excellence for all rural students. They’ll talk about the obstacles, inequities, strategies, and solutions that help provide something for everyone in Greater Minnesota school districts.

This will be an interactive session to explore the many ways bias impacts our learning environment and our communities.

Carl Crawford was selected as Duluth’s Human Rights Officer in 2016 after serving as Lake Superior College’s Intercultural Center Coordinator since 2007. Crawford is charged with enforcing City and state human rights laws and works to ensure City services are accessible to all people without discrimination. In addition, Crawford serves as the Equal Opportunity Representative and the ADA Coordinator. Crawford brings a deep history of community involvement and human rights work to the position, including helping to draft the original Human Rights Ordinance, serving as past chair of the Human Rights Commission and was a founding board member of the Clayton Jackson McGhie Memorial. He is the recipient of the 2012 MLK Jr. Drum Major for Peace Award and Co-Owner of The Promise is you.

Keith Turner has a graduate degree in education and has worked in higher education student support services for over 25 years. He has received his active shooter training and is a Clery Act and Title IX compliance officer. He has been an experienced collegiate-level coach for over 25 years and has a number of conference titles and several All-Conference and All-American participants. Keith is currently the activities director at Hibbing High School and Co-Owner of The Promise Is You.

Learn about a new grant award of $6.7 million to Minnesota State University ~ Moorhead to address school-based mental health provider shortages in high-needs schools in Minnesota and North Dakota. This collaboration with 18 partner schools and other organizations (including Turtle Mountain Community College) will help increase the number of school-based mental health providers and evidence-based services to students in high needs K-12 schools. The plan focus includes recruiting students to the school counseling school psychology programs.

Dr. Taryn Akgul is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Addiction Counselor in North Dakota. She has worked in the substance use and mental health field for 10 years. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the Counseling Program at Minnesota State University Moorhead and serves as the Program Coordinator for the program. She is a certified Youth Mental Health First Aid Instructor.

Dr. Jessica Brown is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Addiction Counselor in North Dakota and a Licensed Drug and Alcohol Counselor in Minnesota. She has worked in the substance use and mental health field for 10 years. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the Counseling Program at Minnesota State University Moorhead. She is a certified Youth Mental Health First Aid Instructor.

Building strong connections between schools and community partners brings together students, families, and the region to achieve common goals. Completed in May 2018, Mora Public Schools and the region’s hospital, Welia Health, partnered to construct a new community wellness center, which provides a year-round wellness/fitness facility and healthcare resources for all generations. In addition, the new Mora High School opened in the fall of 2023. During this session, you’ll learn how community partnerships helped the district with a successful voter-approved referendum and identify the steps you need to take in your planning process.

Jeff Schiltz, Principal with ICS, has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minnesota Institute of Technology. With over 30 years of experience, he has focused on helping clients across the Midwest implement strategic facility plans and construction solutions. He has also developed over $600 million of comprehensive plans.

Dan Voce, Mora Superintendent, grew up and graduated in Princeton. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in history and social studies education from Gustavus Adolphus College. He taught and coached in Rush City before accepting a position in Pine City, teaching social studies and coaching varsity hockey and golf. He stayed in Pine City for 17 years before moving back to Princeton to be Assistant Principal and Principal for 12 years.

When considering facility projects, there are a variety of tools and strategies districts can use to maximize the total dollars available for construction; whether that is partnerships, the way debt is issued, or the way proceeds are invested. Attend this session to learn how these strategies could be useful for you in your district.

Steve Pumper joined PMA Financial Network in 2009. Prior to joining PMA, Steve worked as a school business manager in Minnesota schools for 22 years. He brings that experience in helping PMA develop services that are beneficial to the Business Manager in the field. Steve is a Registered Representative with FINRA and holds his series 7, 50 and 63 securities licenses.

Michael Hart is a Director of Public Finance in Minnesota for PMA Securities. He has over a decade of experience in public finance including leading school districts through the financial aspects of bond issues and referendums for both capital projects and operating funds. Mr. Hart holds Series 7, 50, 53, 54 and 63 FINRA licenses.

Ryan Nielsen

The World of Responsible Kids (WORK) program was established for students who need space and time to practice work-related skills at a school-based worksite. Since then, the WORK Program has expanded to include many community-based work experiences and business partnerships. Students in the program focus on three main areas of learning: work experiences, home living skills, and community involvement. The WORK program is based in New Ulm but has business partnerships in several surrounding towns. The program is designed to help students on IEP’s gain skills to confidently and effectively function at home, work, and with their peers.

Elise Cronon is a Special Education Teacher in the World of Responsible Kids program. She graduated from Minnesota State University, Mankato with a Bachelor of Science in Special Education and is licensed as an Academic and Behavioral Strategist. She earned her Work-Based Learning license from Bethel University and his honored to help young adults find and develop practical and meaningful plans for their lives after high school.

In this session we will explore the latest technology innovations taking place in the classroom that enhance student engagement and improve learning outcomes. Discover new tech for the classroom, how to optimize integration, and how to maximize instructional uptime.

Tara Johnson is an enthusiastic ed tech professional for over 7 years. She has a strong passion for providing powerful technology tools to help enrich and transform student engagement. She is successfully working with MN districts of all sizes with the understanding of their unique goals and challenges. As a mother of 3 children, she embraces and advocates the importance of innovative technology solutions.

Ryan Cox is the Director of Innovation and Instructional Technology for St. Cloud School District. Ryan has spent time as both a classroom teacher and technology integration coach. He has also earned his CETL certification through The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN). Throughout his career in education, Ryan has held the belief that technology is best used to support communication, collaboration, thinking critically, and creation in a personalized learning environment.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the world around us, and education is no exception. From personalized learning to tutoring, AI will revolutionize the way we teach and learn. Explore some of the ways that AI is changing education and what this means for students and educators alike. We will discuss the fundamentals of AI and then dive into some of its specific applications in education, such as adaptive learning systems and intelligent tutoring systems, as wells as challenges with AI in education, such as data privacy and ethical considerations. You will leave have a better understanding of how AI is changing education and what you can do to stay ahead of the curve.

David Berner has been the Technology Integration Program Coordinator at SWWC for the past two year and has 4 years of experience in the Technology Integration field following 5 years as a social studies classroom teacher. David oversees the technology integration initiatives for our member districts and is responsible for the organization and support of our region's technology integration specialists.

Brady Carstens has a passion in the study of Artificial Intelligence and seeks ways to incorporate the power of AI into his work as a Cybersecurity Engineer and identify ways that AI could be utilized to enhance attacks by threat actors. Brady has been with SWWC for 5 years and has served as a founding staff member of SWWC's Cybersecurity Team that provides Cybersecurity Services to schools statewide.

Listen and learn from MREA's 2023 Educators of Excellence as they share their experiences of rural teaching and their journeys to become rural leaders. How do they succeed at teaching in diverse and complex communities?

A positive school climate and intentional acts to support a positive work environment for adults can be achieved. Through a partnership with the Regional Centers of Excellence and adult SEL practices Voyager Elementary School has experienced positive growth in school climate.

Dana Christenson has been a teacher, dean of students and principal in Alexandria Public Schools for over 20 years.

Rick Sansted has served Alexandria Public Schools as the Superintendent since 2020. Prior to that he served as the Assistant Superintendent.