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From the Executive Director,
Erin Toninato:
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A New Year Is Coming Soon
 Happy Friday, everyone! It is hard to believe we are already nearing the end of summer, and a new school year is just around the corner. I hope you are entering the year with hope, excitement, and maybe even a little energy still left in your tank!
One of the best parts of this time of year is the opportunity to reconnect. I hope many of you are able to attend today’s MDE Directors Forum—and that I have the chance to see you in person.
A shout-out to the MASE members who have volunteered to help at the Minnesota Kids Rise booth at the State Fair. Thank you for giving your time and helping represent MASE as part of this important effort. If you are a State Fair goer, be sure to stop by the booth and show your support!
Finally, on a lighter note, it is exciting to have MASE swag available in our new online store! I hope you’ll head to our website and take a look—there may be something you didn’t know you needed! MASE wear is the new trend!
Have a great weekend everyone, and as always...thanks for all you do!
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✨ Share a Glimmer ✨
Share your “MASE Moments of Awe.” These are the stories—the glimmers—that highlight the beauty and importance of what we do.
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Blue Ribbon Commission Draft Recommendations Call for $255 Million in Special Education Reductions
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In the 2025 legislative session, the legislature established a Blue Ribbon Commission (BRC) on Special Education charged with developing a plan to transform special education services while maintaining a free appropriate public education (FAPE) for students with disabilities. Additionally, the legislature charged the BRC with the difficult task of identifying $250 million in cuts to the state special education budget. Without the identification of $250 million in savings, the reduction will be taken from cross-subsidy aid.
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District: Benton Stearns Education District
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Favorite Indoor Hobby: Reading
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Favorite Outdoor Hobby: Fishing and boating
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Dream Vacation Destination: Reading on a warm beach
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Best Habit: Being empathic
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Favorite Part about Being a MASE Member: Student-focused collaboration and mentoring
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Go-To Coffee or Tea Order: White Mocha with coconut milk and no whip =)
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Something Most People Don’t Know about Ellie: I spent a summer on the island of Guam working with children on a Navy base for a college internship
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MDE Ed-Fi Updates, August 10 | Read more
MDE Special Education Updates, August 14 | Read more
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MASE now offers a variety of T-shirts, polos, sweatshirts, and other merchandise. Show your MASE spirit at our events! Merchandise will be shipped directly to you.
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Minnesota Kids Rise Video
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Minnesota Kids Rise is a statewide effort to build trust, pride, and shared understanding of our public schools. We bring together real stories, local examples, and clear information so communities can feel confident in the role public schools play in our shared future. This work provides a clear, balanced view of how public schools support every child and strengthen communities across Minnesota. MASE encourages you to share this video to help spread the word!
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A Constitutional Amendment Is Coming to Your November Ballot: What It Means for Schools
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During the last legislative session, the Minnesota Legislature passed a bipartisan bill placing a constitutional amendment on the November ballot to change how the state's Permanent School Fund (PSF) distributes revenue to public schools. The PSF, established in 1858, generates revenue from timber, mining, land leases, and other activities on school trust lands, with assets invested by the State Board of Investment. Currently, distributions to districts are based primarily on interest and dividend earnings. The proposed amendment would instead base annual distributions on 4.5% of the fund's three-year rolling average market value.
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MDE Special Education Funding Training Webinars
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Registration is open for seven webinars running until October 21. Presentation material and information on joining the webinar will be sent to registered participants the day before each training.
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What Really Happens in Due Process: Lessons for Principals, Teachers, and District Leaders
CASE is offering a free one-hour webinar on Wednesday, September 2, starting at 1 p.m. CDT. Dr. David Bateman will kick off a monthly workshop series and office hours next month. The learning series is for General Education and Special Education leaders! This five-part workshop series is designed specifically for principals and building-level leaders who are responsible for ensuring students with disabilities receive effective, legally compliant services under IDEA and Section 504. The series focuses on one of the most important realities in schools: special education works best when building leaders work together.
Each 60-minute session is tightly focused on a specific leadership challenge principals face when collaborating with special education administrators, instructional staff, MTSS teams, counselors, school psychologists, and related service providers. The sessions are practical, leadership-oriented, and centered on improving coordination, communication, and implementation across school systems.
David Bateman, PhD, is a nationally recognized expert in special education law, dispute resolution, and legal compliance. A former special education teacher and administrator, he has served as a due process hearing officer, complaint investigator, mediator, and neutral fact-finder in special education cases across the country.
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Review and Comment on Proposed EIDBI Licensing Standards
The Minnesota Department of Human Services seeks feedback on proposed licensing standards for Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention (EIDBI) providers. These standards will establish the requirements agencies must meet to become and remain licensed, while helping ensure the health, safety, rights, and quality of services for children receiving EIDBI.
If you work with EIDBI providers, families, or students who may be impacted, take a few minutes to review the draft standards and share your feedback. Input from providers, families, advocates, and community members will help shape the final recommendations that will be submitted to the Minnesota Legislature in January 2027.
The public comment period is open through August 31.
To review the draft standards, register for an engagement session, or submit comments, visit: EIDBI public comment info/link
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Last Chance! Submit a Proposal for MASA’s Fall Conference
The Minnesota Association of School Administrators (MASA) invites proposals for 60-minute concurrent breakout sessions at their 2026 Fall Conference, Sept. 27-29 at Madden’s on Gull Lake. MASA seeks practical, engaging sessions that provide actionable strategies, useful tools, honest insights, and meaningful opportunities for learning and reflection. MASA encourages proposals that move beyond awareness to offer real implementation guidance, share lessons learned, and equip educational leaders with ideas they can put into practice immediately. Editor’s note: It would be great to have a Special Education voice during this conference!
Please submit your proposal by August 14, 2026. Applicants will be notified of their proposal status by August 21, 2026.
If you have questions or need assistance completing the form, please contact Taylor Ethen at taylor.ethen@mnasa.org.
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CASE Updates from Melissa Schaller
For a few weeks my update has led with this quote by Margaret Meade, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” This continues to ring true following our time in Washington in July. While the issues are critical, we are committed as are the delegation of congresswomen and men representing Minnesota.
Special Education Legislative Summit (SELS)
A delegation from MASE met with our colleagues from across the nation to advocate for special education on Capitol Hill. Our Minnesota delegation had the opportunity to meet with both of our senators and all eight of our representatives while we were in D.C. We discussed three main issues with them, outlined in the issue briefs from the Council of Administrators of Special Education that are linked below.
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Federal Funding for Special Education (download PDF)
School Vouchers / Public Funds (download PDF)
Preserving the Department of Education (download PDF)
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Preserve the U.S. Department of Education, keeping all education programs funded under that agency together in the agency that is best able to ensure compliance with federal education laws.
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Halt the use of any Interagency Agreements to dismantle the Department of Education; such agreements have never been used to transfer programs from one federal agency to another.
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Maintain the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services (OSERS) within the U.S. Department of Education.
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Reject any changes that weaken IDEA implementation and oversight.
It really is an empowering event! We would love to have a bigger delegation...consider attending with us next July! In the meantime...
What can you do?
Contact your legislators!
Share your stories! The CASE office is collecting membership testimonials. Please fill out the form and forward it to three of your CASE friends, asking them to do the same.
Renew Your Membership
With MASE membership renewals in progress now, we strongly encourage you to keep or add a CEC/CASE Professional Basic Membership as part of your renewal! If the CEC/CASE membership is not included in your invoice, please contact Laurie Pumper at the MASE office to get your record updated; it’s a quick process. Less than half of our Active Members currently have opted in (or out) for CEC/CASE membership—let’s get our numbers up!
Abraham Thinking
Abe Saffer, Director of Governmental Relations for CASE, will begin Abraham Thinking to ponder policy and articulate advocacy on September 8. This is scheduled on the second Tuesday of each month from 4-5pm CST. Register on the CASE website.
CASE Conference
Registration for the CASE Conference is open. The conference takes place November 11-13 in Providence, Rhode Island. It would be awesome to have a Minnesota contingent attend. Consider adding this to your calendar. Check out details on the CASE website.
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Fall Leadership Conference Call for Proposals
The MASE team is working hard to plan the Fall Leadership Conference. This fall, MASE returns to Madden’s on Gull Lake to host Leading Well Under Pressure on October 21-23. If you or someone you know has an idea that fits this theme, we encourage you to submit a proposal.
MASE is accepting proposals for breakout sessions through our website until August 23. That’s less than a month away! Breakout sessions will be one hour long. Please complete your submission by using the online form to provide all the required information.
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🎉 MNSELF Funding Is Available — Apply Today!
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Did you know that funds raised at MNSELF events go directly back to YOU? MNSELF is now accepting proposals through our Professional Development Funding RFP—and we want to see your boldest ideas. Think beyond the typical district PD cycle: use funding for AI training to strengthen IEP quality, a book study on A Principal's Guide to Special Education, executive coaching, data literacy intensives, or legal fluency workshops. If it builds your leadership skills, we want to support it. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and reimbursement is issued after your final report is approved. Visit the MNSELF Website to access the RFP and submit your proposal—your next breakthrough in leadership development could be one application away!
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Members, Tell Us about Yourself
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We are bringing back the MASE Member Spotlights! We have some new questions and we’re hoping to hear from some of our members. We will feature Member Spotlights in this newsletter and in our social media posts so that members get to know more about one another. Thanks to those who have already responded!
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Help Share Info about Minnesota Kids Rise during Workshop Week
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As we prepare to welcome staff back for another school year, we know how valuable every single minute of workshop week is. We’re asking you to make a small amount of time for one important thing: help share information about the Minnesota Kids Rise statewide public school initiative.
Too often, the story of public education is defined by what isn’t working. Minnesota Kids Rise is an opportunity to broaden that story by showing Minnesotans what happens in our public schools every day — the relationships, opportunities, innovation, achievement, and countless moments that help our students grow.
First, please familiarize yourself with Minnesota Kids Rise.
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Go to www.minnesotakidsrise.org and read about the campaign and sign up for the toolkit, if interested.
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Follow Minnesota Kids Rise on social media: Facebook, Instagram, X, Threads, and YouTube.
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Watch and send the launch video to your social circles and ask them to follow Minnesota Kids Rise on social media.
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Tell your families about Minnesota Kids Rise via district communications — these resources have been made for you and are available in the online toolkit.
During workshop week, please set aside a few minutes with your staff to introduce Minnesota Kids Rise and ask them to get involved in these simple ways:
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Go to www.minnesotakidsrise.org and read about the campaign.
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Follow Minnesota Kids Rise on social media. Share its content. Tell the stories of the incredible things happening in your school.
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Watch and send the launch video to their social circles and ask them to follow Minnesota Kids Rise on social media.
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For those districts that have not started school yet, come and attend “I’m a Minnesota Kid Day” at the Minnesota State Fair on September 2 and look for our booth celebrating Minnesota’s public schools.
Most importantly, remind your team that their voices matter. Every teacher, principal, staff member, parent, graduate, and community member has a public school story. When thousands of us begin telling those stories together, we can change the conversation about public education in Minnesota.
Minnesota Kids Rise isn’t about suggesting our schools don’t face challenges. We know they do. It’s about making sure those challenges aren’t the only stories Minnesotans hear.
Thank you for your leadership and for everything you do for Minnesota's students.
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Fridley Public Schools: Opportunity to Partner with Metro School Districts
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Fridley Public Schools has expanded the programming available through VISTA Education Center (Valuing Individual Student Talents and Abilities) to better serve students with intensive educational and behavioral needs throughout the Twin Cities area. Fridley welcomes the opportunity to partner with school districts to meet the needs of students who require intensive support. If your district has students who may benefit from VISTA programming, Dr. Danielle Thompson would be happy to discuss the programs, answer questions, schedule a tour, or review the referral process with your team.
Learn more by contacting Dr. Danielle Thompson at drthompson@isd14.org or at 763-502-5012.
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Japanese High School Student Seeks Global Perspectives on Student Pathway Choice and Help-Seeking
Shui Otaka, a high school student at Salesian International School in Japan, is conducting an international comparative study examining why students may feel pressure to choose one “correct” educational or career pathway, why they may hesitate to express uncertainty or seek guidance, and how schools can support both self-determination and help-seeking.
Adult education professionals, school leaders, administrators, counselors, researchers, psychologists, and student-support professionals are invited to complete a 20-question questionnaire taking approximately 5–10 minutes. Detailed knowledge of Japan is not required, optional questions may be skipped, and participation is entirely voluntary.
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2026 MASA Fall Conference: Register Now!
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Registration is open for the 2026 MASA Fall Conference in Brainerd!
Minnesota's school leaders are doing some of the most important—and most complex—work in our state. This fall, MASA gathers educational leaders from across Minnesota to learn, connect, and lead forward together.
Look for practical sessions that move beyond awareness to real implementation guidance. Hear from peers who've navigated similar challenges. Walk away with tools, strategies, and ideas you can use on Wednesday morning after our conference.
September 27-29 | Madden’s on Gull Lake, Brainerd
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Prepare Your MDE-ORG-Info for the 2026-27 School Year
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Summer is an ideal time to update information for the new fiscal year in MDE-ORG, the MDE master database for organizational directory information. MDE-ORG validates sites for all major MDE reporting systems, including MARSS, UFARS, assessments, and more. It is important that a point person is identified as the MDE-ORG Site Verification Coordinator (SVC) for your district/organization. The SVC has access to request and certify school/site configuration changes and update other essential contact and address information for your organization and all sites within your organization. If you are unsure if someone has been appointed to this role, you can check the SVC Glossary on MDE’s website.
School Finance staff recently sent a reminder email to all the known SVCs at school districts and charter schools, but this process could use your engagement as well. Please have your SVC review your organization record and reporting sites, including contacts, addresses and grades, and make changes in time for the start of the 2026-27 school year. To ensure data collections, payments, and reports are correct, organization and school site information and contacts for the 2026-27 school year must be reviewed and certified by August 28, 2026.
For more information, read the Annual Verification of District and School Site Information for SFY 2026-27 letter found on MDE’s District and School Site Verification webpage. This is the letter sent to SVCs that outlines the timeline and steps to maintain accurate organization and reporting site directory information, which is critical in correctly processing records for your organization including students, staff, payments, and federal programs.
If you have any questions, please contact Jen Verbrugge (mde.school-verify@state.mn.us), MDE-ORG Administrator.
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Click the button above to submit your news and/or job openings! Also, please whitelist info@mnase.org and laurie.pumper@mnase.org to ensure that you receive your newsletter without interruption.
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Everway
Ratwick, Roszak & Maloney
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