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From the Executive Director,
Erin Toninato:
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 New Opportunities to Learn, Grow, and Support
As we turn the calendar to July, I always think of it as "Happy New Year" in education. While many people celebrate January 1, those of us in schools know that July 1 marks the beginning of a new fiscal year and another opportunity to learn, grow, and support one another.
I had the opportunity to kick off this new "year" by attending a MASE Area G Meeting that featured an unconference. (A photo from the event is just below my report.) The morning was breakout sessions learning from each other and the afternoon revolved around school law. The unconference format allowed participants to learn from one another through small group discussions, sharing ideas, problem-solving, and conversations about the work happening in districts across the region. It was a great reminder that some of our best professional learning comes from each other.
What made the day especially meaningful was knowing that gatherings like this happen because of MASE members. The willingness to collaborate, share expertise, and create opportunities for colleagues is one of the things that makes this organization so strong.
Thank you to Area G for welcoming me to be part of the conversation. I always leave these meetings with new ideas, new perspectives, and a renewed appreciation for the incredible work happening across Minnesota in special education. I truly value the opportunity to learn alongside you.
As always...thank you 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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MDE Special Education Funding Training Webinars
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Registration is open for seven webinars running from August 12 to October 21. Presentation material and information on joining the webinar will be sent to registered participants the day before each training.
Learn More and Register
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Updates to the Minnesota READ Act
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The 2026 legislative session brought several important updates to the Minnesota READ Act, strengthening Minnesota’s ongoing commitment to high‑quality literacy instruction for all students. This month’s newsletter highlights key statutory changes, including revisions to screening requirements across grades K–12, updates to professional development pathways, enhancements to curriculum review processes, and technical revisions that clarify key definitions within the law. These changes support districts, charter organizations, and educators as they continue implementing structured literacy aligned with the READ Act, and they reflect the state’s dedication to ensuring equitable, evidence‑based literacy practices for every learner.
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MARSS Statewide Edit Submissions and Entitlements (FY2026)
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School District and Charter school MARSS staff have been submitting preliminary final FY2026 student data to MDE since mid-March to begin closing out the year. Up to this point in MARSS reporting, General Education entitlements have been paid based on estimated data submitted on the ADMWE system. Beginning with the July 23 statewide MARSS edit and every subsequent statewide submission until Oct. 8 (when your district’s final student data is due), MDE School Finance staff will adjust entitlements based on these MARSS submissions. Please note that although MARSS has its own set of required and optional deadlines, General Education payment in IDEAS dates do not always align perfectly. Payments might come earlier or later, depending on the IDEAS calendar. The Aug. 30 IDEAS payment will reflect FY2026 MARSS data. The FY2027 district payments will continue to use estimated student data from ADMWE until this time next year.
Due to the availability of multiple MARSS statewide edits over the next three months, once the final MARSS student data submission deadline has passed, appeals of student data will not be accepted unless under extreme circumstances. For the remaining submission dates, please see the MARSS FY2026 EOY timeline. Because student data is a critical part of school district and charter funding, MDE staff reminds MARSS staff to review the following local and statewide reports before and after each MARSS submission until the data is finalized for FY2026 with the October submission.
Local (Secure) Reports
Statewide (Secure) Reports
• MARSS 29 – Low ADM • MARSS 35 – ADM Adjustment • MARSS 31 – Residents Served Elsewhere (to be reviewed alongside MARSS 19 from the serving district and MARSS 35, since adjustments are tied to resident students served elsewhere) • MARSS 42 – End of Year (EOY) Check-Off • MARSS 32 – English Learner Funding Eligibility Report • MARSS 56 – PSEO Statewide Report
Please reach out to the MARSS Helpdesk (MARSS@state.mn.us) with any questions.
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Help Me Connect Resources
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District: Elk River Area Schools
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Favorite Indoor Hobby: It's a tie: Reading and Baking
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Favorite Outdoor Hobby: Another tie: Mountain Biking (summer) and Snowboarding (winter)!
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Dream Vacation Destination: Visiting Greece and surrounding islands with my daughters.
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Best Habit: I am an early riser and make time for mindfulness and exercise every morning.
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Favorite Part about Being a MASE Member: Being able to be part of a group that understands the demands and complexity of our work where I can always receive support, advice, ideas and feedback.
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Go-To Coffee or Tea Order: Large sugar-free vanilla oatmilk latte
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Something Most People Don’t Know about Megan: I started out as a theater major in college. While I ended up changing directions, I still use my theater skills every day in this work. Specifically, when I am working to engage staff in professional development utilizing improv to navigate difficult meetings and unexpected questions!
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Special Expenditure Applications for Student Placements (Special Pupils) Webinar
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Attend this webinar to learn more about how to report Special Pupils for Care and Treatment in MARSS. Learn which students may be eligible for additional aid. See how enrollment data is used to record expenditures in SEDRA. The session will cover the specific student characteristics and the process of applying for state aid. You will also learn what happens after an application is reviewed. Presentation material and information on joining the webinar will be sent to registered participants the day before.
Register: Join the September 23, 2026, Special Expenditure Applications for Student Placements (Special Pupils) webinar
Registration Deadline: September 22, 2026
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Join a MASE Committee
Help us shape the future of MASE! Our committees are organizing for the upcoming school year. If you want to join a committee (or if you no longer want to serve on a committee that you’re signed up for now), it’s as easy as four quick steps:
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Log into the Member Compass
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Click on the Profile tab on the left side of the screen
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Scroll down and click on the box for the committee you want to join (or exit)
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Go back to the top of the page and click the “Save” button
Participation on a MASE committee is a great way to meet and network with other MASE members, to ensure that your voice is heard, and potentially to expand your skill set and leadership skills.
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READ Act: Structured Literacy Implementation Training for Elementary School Leaders
MDE wants to hear from Elementary school leaders interested in taking a structured literacy implementation training. MDE is offering, at no cost, three different training programs:
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LETRS for Administrators (Lexia)
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Leadership for Literacy (CORE)
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CAREIALL for ALL (Advancing Literacy Leadership)
Complete this MDE Literacy Training for Elementary School Administrators interest form by August 1, 2026 to be added to a waitlist to be notified when the next available cohort is available.
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Lodging Closes Monday! 2026 MDE/MASA Back to School Conference
August 4, 2026 | Minneapolis Marriott Northwest
Secure your spot here! | Lodging Info
Hotel room block cut-off is July 13! Act now!
Gather your leadership team and join colleagues from across Minnesota as we launch into a new school year—together! This is your opportunity to connect, align your team, and set a strong, strategic tone for the new school year. Come ready to engage, collaborate, and leave energized for the work ahead in the 2026-27 school year!
Registration Fees: $289 MASA Active Members | $149 MASA Retiree Members
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CASE Updates from Melissa Schaller
I want to lead 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.” With this in mind, this week’s CASE Update contains a great deal that we can do, given our current circumstances.
The CASE Collective: "Leading in Light of Current Circumstances"
Abe Saffer hosted the CASE Collective on June 25 regarding the recent interagency agreements moving OSERS to the Department of Health and Human Services and OCR to the Department of Justice. Look for the slides on the CASE website.
CASE signed on with more than 715 other organizations opposed to the recent IAAs.
CASE has a Policy Statement: The Federal Role in Special Education that outlines the organization's position.
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!
Myrna Mandlawitz is moving away from her role with CASE. We will miss her dearly. If you would like to write a message to her, please do so here. CASE will share these with her in a manner yet to be determined, as they are still in the process of planning how to honor her contributions to the field. Myrna hosted her last “60 Minutes with Myrna” earlier this month. A new iteration of this informative session with Abe Saffer (the new Director of Government Relations) began on June 15.
Abe Saffer’s career spans more than 20 years and includes work in Congress, the Maryland General Assembly, for-profit and non-profit advocacy, and political campaign management. Most recently, he led federal and state policy advocacy for the American Occupational Therapy Association. Learn more about Abe.
Abe Saffer 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.
Registration for the CASE Conference is open. This 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. Early bird registration closes on July 15. 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. 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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Special Education Funding Training Webinars, Through July
Registration is open for several webinars. To register, simply click on the training date and follow the instructions. Presentation material and information on joining the webinar will be sent to registered participants the day before each training.
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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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Free Professional Development Opportunity: Online Instruction
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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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DCYF Invites You to Share Your Story
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Metro Surge
The Governor’s Office is inviting individuals and organizations across Minnesota to share stories about how the Federal Metro Surge has affected their communities. These stories help inform the Governor’s understanding of impacts experienced throughout the state.
Individuals, communities and partners are encouraged to submit their stories directly through the Governor’s Office contact form.
Early Childhood Screening
The state is collecting stories about family experiences with Early Childhood Screening. Stories will help staff learn how to improve access to screening for children and families across the state. Share a screening story.
Early Childhood Family Education
Did Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) make a difference in your life or for a family you know? Share an ECFE story
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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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