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From the Executive Director,
Erin Toninato:
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A Week of Connections
What a great week of sharing, learning, and connecting! SLICE, regional superintendent meetings, our MASE Membership and Legislative Committees, a MASE staff meeting, finalizing conference details, and today's MDE Directors’ Forum have certainly kept things moving. There hasn't been much white space on my calendar, but there has been no shortage of great conversations and ideas!
I especially enjoyed seeing new committee members joining those who have been involved for years. There is something exciting about bringing fresh ideas and perspectives together with the experience and knowledge of those who have helped guide our work.
Hearing what is happening across our state and learning from one another reminds me of what makes MASE so valuable. Thank you to everyone who makes time to be part of these conversations.
I hope that whether you joined the MDE Forum in person or virtually, you came away with something valuable to take back to your work.
During the Forum today, Jill Bemis, MDE Fiscal Monitor, addressed the group about her impending retirement. If you were in attendance, I hope that it was a gentle reminder that there are humans behind the work at MDE. Humans who, as demonstrated by Jill, are dedicated, caring, and who believe strongly in the importance of the work for students receiving special education. Congratulations, Jill! Enjoy the next phase of less email and more time to enjoy the things you love!
With MEA next week, I hope the shorter week gives many of you a little time to catch your breath and enjoy a change of pace. Watch for this newsletter on Wednesday afternoon.
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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Thanks to Our Platinum Business Partners!
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Everway
Goalbook
Indigo Education
Infinitec
Kennedy & Graven
Kraus-Anderson
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Next Level Speech Therapy
Sourcewell
SpEd Forms
Strategic Behavioral Solutions
Strategic Staffing Solutions
Work Life Ready
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MDE Response to EIDBI or ABA Memo
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The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) has received questions and concerns from families and advocacy groups regarding the recent memo about care and treatment requirements and how Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention (EIDBI) services intersect with those requirements. MDE wants to reiterate that the purpose of the memo was to clarify school district responsibilities for students participating in ABA services or services otherwise covered by the EIDBI benefit and clarify district responsibilities related to providing FAPE.
For some time, districts have asked MDE whether ABA or EIDBI providers qualify as care and treatment facilities under Minnesota Statutes 2025, sections 125A.15, 125A.51, and 125A.515, and Minnesota Rules, part 3525.2325. This need for guidance was highlighted in a presentation by the Minnesota Administrators for Special Education (MASE) during the April 16, 2026, House Education Finance Committee hearing. After this hearing, MDE committed to issuing clarification on this topic before the start of the 2026-27 school year.
The memo clarifies that ABA services, or services covered under the EIDBI benefit, may be components of a care and treatment program in individual situations but do not, on their own, meet the statutory and regulatory criteria for care and treatment. In each case, statutory requirements, such as providing an approved educational program and, in some circumstances, transportation, may apply. When determining school district obligations, schools should consult with families to determine whether the student’s participation in ABA or EIDBI services is part of a care and treatment program under Minnesota Rules, part 3525.2325. As always, families who disagree with local decisions may access MDE’s Special Education Dispute Resolution options.
Importantly, the memo does not instruct schools to discontinue educational services or transportation for students participating in ABA or EIDBI. It also does not instruct schools to classify absences for ABA or EIDBI as excused or unexcused under Minnesota Statutes (2025), section 120A.22, subdivision 12.
For additional information, please contact Special Education Division supervisor of the Interagency Partnerships Unit Thomas J. Delaney (thomas.delaney@state.mn.us) or Special Education Division supervisor of the Program Monitoring Unit Rebecca Nesset (rebecca.nesset@state.mn.us).
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District: SWWC Service Cooperative
Favorite Indoor Hobby: I love to do fun sewing projects and quilting
Favorite Outdoor Hobby: Gardening and playing with my boys
Dream Vacation Destination: Italy (Amalfi Coast and Florence)
Best Habit: Building organized systems
Favorite Part about Being a MASE Member: My favorite part of being a MASE member is connecting with other members, learning from their experiences, and feeling a strong sense of professional community.
Go-To Coffee or Tea Order: Hot Turtle Mocha at Caribou
Something Most People Don’t Know about Cassandra: I taught and lived in Alaska 30 miles north of the Arctic Circle
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MDE Special Education Updates, October 6 | Read more
MDE Ed-Fi Updates, October 5 | Read more
MDE Special Education Updates, October 2 | Read more
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Blue Ribbon Commission Report Released
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PELSB R-4863 Rulemaking Update
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On September 28, 2026, the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB or Board) published a notice in the State Register announcing its intent to adopt changes to the rules relating to teacher licensure, renewal, and other legislative requirements (Minnesota Rules 8705.1010, 8705.2100, 8705.2200, 8705.2600, 8710.0310, 8710.0311, 8710.0312, 8710.0313, 8710.0314, 8710.0320, 8710.0321, 8710.0326, 8710.0330, 8710.0500, 8710.2100, 8710.3000, 8710.3350, 8710.4100, 8710.4810 (Proposed New Rule), 8710.4815 (Proposed New Rule), 8710.4875 (Proposed New Rule), 8710.6000, 8710.6200, 8710.6400, 8710.7200, 8710.7500 (Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board - MN Rules)). The notice, referred to as the Dual Notice, is available in the link below and in the State Register (Minnesota State Register / Minnesota.gov).
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Update: December 1, 2026, Federal Child Count
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The special education child count data reporting process through the Minnesota Automated Reporting Student System (MARSS) has been completed for the September 17, 2026, reporting deadline. Students included in child count must be reported on MARSS with a Special Education Evaluation Status (SEES) of 4 or 6. Refer to the MARSS Reference Guide for definitions of the SEES. Report 13 has been posted to the website and can be accessed at the following location:
Data Center > Data Reports and Analytics > Minnesota Funding Reports (MFR)
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CAREI District Assembly Research Watch
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Effective support is not a one-size-fits-all. Leaders should ensure that instruction, scaffolding, and coaching are matched to students’ needs, the skill being taught, and the specific responsibilities of the adults providing support.
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Strong relationships are essential to successful implementation. High-quality teacher-student interactions, effective staff collaboration, visible administrator support, and trusted community partnerships all influence whether improvement efforts succeed and are sustained.
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One-time professional development is rarely enough to change practice. Leaders should prioritize job-embedded coaching, protected collaboration time, actionable feedback, and ongoing use of data to strengthen implementation.
Looking ahead
CAREI’s 2026–27 Professional Learning Catalog is now live!
Explore upcoming opportunities designed to help educators and leaders translate research into stronger instruction, more effective systems, and improved student outcomes.
Additional learning opportunities will be offered throughout the school year. Watch for registration details and new ways to connect with CAREI’s team members!
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MDE Convenes Task Force to Review Statewide Standardized Tests & Recommend Modernization
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The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) has announced a new 28-member task force charged with reviewing Minnesota’s standardized testing and assessment framework and identifying recommendations for future modernization and reform. MDE’s Testing and Assessment Task Force comes on the heels of a national conversation about standardized testing efficacy.
Currently, Minnesota’s assessment system relies on single-administration standardized tests that provide limited instructional value. Feedback from educators, school leaders, students, parents, and elected officials of all political persuasions reflects consensus on the need for a more adaptive, timely, and informative system that is relevant to modern curriculum, promotes alternative pathways to learning, and provides more actionable data. Learn more about the task force on MDE’s Statewide Testing page on their website.
Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. on October 9, 2026.
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MASE Finance Academy: Register Now!
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Join us for one of four in-person, full-day Finance Academy sessions in three locations around the state—and/or attend one or more one-hour virtual Finance Academy sessions. The content for all of the in-person sessions is the same, but each of the three virtual sessions addresses a different topic. Our first virtual session is scheduled for October 27, and our first in-person session is scheduled for November 17 at Sourcewell in Staples, Minn.
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Reminder of Features on MASE Website
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Do you have questions about how to use the features on the MASE website? At the Fall Leadership Conference, Operations Director Laurie Pumper will be available to help you! Check with Laurie during one of the less busy times during conference.
To help members find information more easily, a reminder about these website pages:
FAQ page: Need to know how to pay for several members’ dues in one transaction? Not sure where to find our member directory? For these and a range of other questions, visit our MASE FAQs page. We add new items to this page as we hear from you!
MASE Area Map: Not sure where the boundaries are for the MASE areas? Check out the MASE Area Map! By clicking on the tabs for each area at the top of the page, you can see which cities/school districts are found within a specific area.
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Order Your MASE Gear Now for Fall Events!
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MASE 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. Here are just a few of the options available with cooler weather in mind:
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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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Thanks to Our Gold Business Partner!
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Ratwick, Roszak & Maloney
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MASE Member Survey
The MASE Membership Committee encourages you to let us know about your experience as a member of our association. What do you find valuable about MASE? How could we improve? The survey can take as little as 2 minutes and up to 10 minutes. Your feedback will help our committee to provide the best possible benefits for all our members.
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MASE Day at the Capitol
February 24, 2027 | 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Special education administrators and leaders from across Minnesota are invited to attend MASE’s 2027 Day at the Capitol in St. Paul. With legislators making important budget and policy decisions in 2027, it is especially important for special education leaders to have a strong presence at the Capitol. This is an opportunity to educate and connect directly with state legislators about the funding, policies, and legislative proposals that affect special education programs, staffing, services, and the students and families that MASE members serve.
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Annual School Law Seminar
Friday, October 30, 2026 | 8 a.m.-3 p.m. | Heritage Center of Brooklyn Center, MN
For over 39 years, Ratwik, Roszak & Maloney has held a School Law Seminar, free of charge, informing schools of the most significant changes in school law and providing practical advice on the issues schools may encounter during the upcoming school year. Learn more at www.ratwiklaw.com.
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Are You Ready to BINGO?!?
The Minnesota Special Education Leadership Foundation (MNSELF) will have a Bingo fundraiser on Thursday, October 22, 2026, starting at 7:25 p.m. in the Ballroom at the Town Hall Conference Center at Madden's on Gull Lake. Join us for this fun event at the MASE Fall Conference!
MNSELF Purpose: MNSELF promotes opportunities for leaders in special education by supporting innovative professional development to enhance leadership skills.
MNSELF is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3): a charitable nonprofit organization created to raise funds to sponsor leadership training for current and aspiring directors of special education.
Doors will open at 7:25 p.m., with Bingo games beginning at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 each and include 10 games of Bingo. Tickets will be available at the MNSELF booth in Town Hall Conference Center Lobby on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning. Participants may purchase additional games. Remaining tickets will be available for purchase at the door on Thursday evening.
There will be fabulous prizes—including designer handbags, nifty coolers, gift cards, and more. Additionally, there will be door prizes and a great raffle ticket prize!
Enjoy an evening with colleagues while supporting the mission of MNSELF. Participation is limited to 150 attendees, and tickets are expected to sell out quickly!
Please see the Bingo Flyer 2026 and bingo rules.
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CASE Updates from Melissa Schaller
Abraham Thinking
Abe Saffer, Director of Governmental Relations for CASE, hosted the first Abraham Thinking on September 8. The purpose of these sessions is to keep you up to date on policy and politics in Washington, D.C., and around the country, provide an opportunity to ask policy and legislative questions you may have, and to share what is happening with CASE. This is scheduled on the second Tuesday of each month from 4-5pm CST, so the next one is coming up on Tuesday, Oct. 13. Register on the CASE website.
Last month, Abe shared three themes in Washington, D.C.: uncertainty, systematic constraints, and polarization. Some details include the physical movement of Education Department staff to other agency buildings. This is occurring even though no details are being released about the plans to implement IAAs. There has been some congressional action on IAAs, one in the House to codify IAAs, but not the moves of OSERS and OCR, and another in both the House and Senate to stop the IAAs affecting the Education Department. While it is not believed these will pass, the authors are appropriators—so we could see action with budget bills.
In news on federal education funding, I'm including a few screen grabs (see our blog post) that summarize what’s happening. While 17% is the closest to full (40%) funding we've ever reached, with the exception of one year during the recession, currently we sit at about 10.9%.
Look for potential new rules from OMB and changes to EDGAR regarding federal grants. If you are interested in federal grants available, the place to look will be grants.gov.
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What can you do?
Check out the new CASE Legislative Action Center at casecec.org/action-center. You must be logged in.
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 through Sept. 30, 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!
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. If you are attending, there will be a state unit night—so don't forget to bring your MASE gear. If you are interested in CASE gear, check out their sale.
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MASE Annual Meeting
Friday, November 20 | Noon-1 p.m. | Webinar
Learn what MASE has been working on in the past year—and what our priorities are for the year ahead in this one-hour webinar. We also expect to vote on a minor change in the MASE Bylaws; additional information will be provided soon. This event is open to members and non-members at no cost.
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Our Deadline Is Monday—Don’t Miss Out!
More than 325 people are already registered for our conference at Madden’s. But time is running out for you to reserve your spot—our registration deadline is Monday, October 12!
Be sure to check out our breakout session schedule
You can also check out our speaker bios
New this year! We will have a photographer onsite to take headshot photos at no cost to you!
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Sponsorship Opportunities for Fall Leadership Conference
Our sponsors and exhibitors make a significant contribution to the quality of the event—with your help, we are able to enhance our professional development opportunities. At this year’s conference, we expect over 325 special education leaders from school districts and charter schools throughout Minnesota.
All our exhibit booths are sold! You can still boost your visibility at the conference with a sponsorship. We’ve already sold several of our top tier sponsorships, but here are some opportunities that are available right now:
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Mobile App Sponsor: Logo and link on MASE Fall Leadership Conference website and recognition on conference signage; includes 2 attendee registrations for the conference
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Coffee Break Sponsor: Logo and link on MASE Fall Leadership Conference website and recognition at coffee stations for one break
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Lunch Sponsor: Logo and link on MASE Fall Leadership Conference website and recognition on conference signage; includes 1 attendee registration for the conference
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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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Reminder: Join a MASE Committee
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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.
Please note that you must be a current MASE member to participate in our committees.
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Help Grow Your Special Education Team
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Do you have paraprofessionals, Tier 1 or Tier 2 teachers, or other staff members who have talked about going back to school or earning additional licensure? Please consider sharing this opportunity directly with them!
This program may be a great next step for staff who are ready to continue their education, work toward teacher licensure, or add an additional area of licensure. As special education leaders, your encouragement can make a meaningful difference in helping staff see themselves taking that next step.
Please forward this information to individuals on your team who may be interested and encourage them to learn more.
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Student Attendance, Behavior, and Intervention Conference
October 19-20 | Renaissance Minneapolis Hotel, the Depot
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This 2-day conference will equip district and school leaders with practical low-burden, high-impact strategies to improve student attendance, reduce problem behaviors, and deliver effective interventions with greater confidence to produce desired results.
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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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