MASE Informational Sessions
Stay tuned for future events!
Past Session Recordings & Materials
Paraprofessional Credentialing | April 22, 2024
MASE Informational Session: Paraprofessional Credentialing
April 22, 2024
Dr. Sonia Smith, State Director of Special Education, and Mr. Paul Ferrin, Supervisor of Special Education Funding offered a one-hour session regarding paraprofessional requirements.
Session Recording: https://youtu.be/iGzZrhboniw
April 22, 2024
Dr. Sonia Smith, State Director of Special Education, and Mr. Paul Ferrin, Supervisor of Special Education Funding offered a one-hour session regarding paraprofessional requirements.
Session Recording: https://youtu.be/iGzZrhboniw
Cultivating LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Schools | December 4, 2024
MASE Information Session: Cultivating LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Schools
Wed Dec 4, 2024
12pm – 1pm (CST)
Presented by Duane Wardally, M.P.A., LGBTQ Specialist, Minnesota Department of Education
Session Slides
Session Recording: https://youtu.be/BuLGmvvXwqE
Research shows that all students benefit when we support our LGBTQ+ students. Join us for an engaging and informative workshop designed to equip leaders with the knowledge and tools necessary to foster a safe and inclusive for LGBTQ+ students. In this workshop, we will learn about practical strategies for creating inclusive classrooms, how to provide effective support, and navigate laws and policies affecting LGBTQ+ students. Please join us as we continue to create equitable and supportive learning environments for all of our students.
About Our Presenter
Duane Wardally (he/him) serves as the new LGBTQ Specialist with the MDE. He is a first-generation Black gay man, born in Brooklyn, New York to parents from Grenada. He first grew up in the suburbs of New York City, spent his elementary school years in Grenada, and then moved to France during his middle and high school years. After spending his undergraduate and graduate studies at Cornell University, he served in multiple roles in public service, notably within regional school operations with the New York City Department of Education, as well as in academic and student achievement roles for a New York City based educational non-profit. He has most recently served as the Director of Educational Equity with Osseo Area Schools.
Wed Dec 4, 2024
12pm – 1pm (CST)
Presented by Duane Wardally, M.P.A., LGBTQ Specialist, Minnesota Department of Education
Session Slides
Session Recording: https://youtu.be/BuLGmvvXwqE
Research shows that all students benefit when we support our LGBTQ+ students. Join us for an engaging and informative workshop designed to equip leaders with the knowledge and tools necessary to foster a safe and inclusive for LGBTQ+ students. In this workshop, we will learn about practical strategies for creating inclusive classrooms, how to provide effective support, and navigate laws and policies affecting LGBTQ+ students. Please join us as we continue to create equitable and supportive learning environments for all of our students.
About Our Presenter
Duane Wardally (he/him) serves as the new LGBTQ Specialist with the MDE. He is a first-generation Black gay man, born in Brooklyn, New York to parents from Grenada. He first grew up in the suburbs of New York City, spent his elementary school years in Grenada, and then moved to France during his middle and high school years. After spending his undergraduate and graduate studies at Cornell University, he served in multiple roles in public service, notably within regional school operations with the New York City Department of Education, as well as in academic and student achievement roles for a New York City based educational non-profit. He has most recently served as the Director of Educational Equity with Osseo Area Schools.
Supporting All Kindergarteners | January 28, 2025
MASE Lunch and Learn:
Supporting All Kindergarteners: Insights from Data, Teacher Perspectives, and the MnKFA
Tuesday, January 28
12:00 – 1:00 pm
Session Materials
Slides
Recording
Additional Resources
Speaker Contact Information
Jon ([email protected]) and Liv ([email protected])
Kindergarten is the universal entry point to Minnesota’s education system and it is the responsibility of adults and systems to be ready for all age eligible kindergarten students. The Early Education Division at MDE will share findings from the past 10 years of full-day kindergarten, data from the kindergarten teacher survey, resources to support kindergarten practices, and updates on the Minnesota Kindergarten Fall Assessment (MnKFA).
Participants will also be asked what they want to hear or learn more about from the Early Education Division.
Olivia Christensen, PhD., is the Kindergarten and Early Elementary Specialist in the Early Education Division where she supports kindergarten and early elementary related initiatives across the agency. A former kindergarten teacher, Jon Vaupel, is the Minnesota Kindergarten Fall Assessment Coordinator at MDE and also serves as the vice-chair on the West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan Area School Board.
Supporting All Kindergarteners: Insights from Data, Teacher Perspectives, and the MnKFA
Tuesday, January 28
12:00 – 1:00 pm
Session Materials
Slides
Recording
Additional Resources
- Successful Learner Equation Website
- MDE Kindergarten Website
- MN Kindergarten Fall Assessment (MnKFA) Website
- Early Childhood Indicators of Progress (ECIPS): Please note that a revised copy of the ECIPS is in its final review and will be ready within the next couple of months.
Speaker Contact Information
Jon ([email protected]) and Liv ([email protected])
Kindergarten is the universal entry point to Minnesota’s education system and it is the responsibility of adults and systems to be ready for all age eligible kindergarten students. The Early Education Division at MDE will share findings from the past 10 years of full-day kindergarten, data from the kindergarten teacher survey, resources to support kindergarten practices, and updates on the Minnesota Kindergarten Fall Assessment (MnKFA).
Participants will also be asked what they want to hear or learn more about from the Early Education Division.
Olivia Christensen, PhD., is the Kindergarten and Early Elementary Specialist in the Early Education Division where she supports kindergarten and early elementary related initiatives across the agency. A former kindergarten teacher, Jon Vaupel, is the Minnesota Kindergarten Fall Assessment Coordinator at MDE and also serves as the vice-chair on the West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan Area School Board.
Diffusing Conflict in IEP Meetings | March 4, 2025
Diffusing Conflict in IEP Meetings
Presented by Liz Capone, M.S., Co-Founder of PD Ninja
March 4, 2025
12 - 1 pm Central
Zoom Recording: https://youtu.be/IINHmNY2pX0
Slides
Learn effective communication strategies to diffuse and disarm tense situations in IEP meetings. Participants will learn how to de-escalate and redirect conversations, ways to create momentum instead of stagnation within the meeting, what are flashpoint phrases that may trigger conflict and what to say instead, and key strategies you can use to prevent conflict in the first place.
A brief bio for the presenter(s):
Liz Capone, M.S. is a former Special Education teacher who has taught every grade level, from pre-K to 12th. She is the co-founder of PD Ninja, which provides K-12 professional development.
Presented by Liz Capone, M.S., Co-Founder of PD Ninja
March 4, 2025
12 - 1 pm Central
Zoom Recording: https://youtu.be/IINHmNY2pX0
Slides
Learn effective communication strategies to diffuse and disarm tense situations in IEP meetings. Participants will learn how to de-escalate and redirect conversations, ways to create momentum instead of stagnation within the meeting, what are flashpoint phrases that may trigger conflict and what to say instead, and key strategies you can use to prevent conflict in the first place.
A brief bio for the presenter(s):
Liz Capone, M.S. is a former Special Education teacher who has taught every grade level, from pre-K to 12th. She is the co-founder of PD Ninja, which provides K-12 professional development.