May 30, 2017
Federal Advocacy - Your voice does make a difference!
Dear Members,

Your voice does make a difference. How do I know?

Here is an excerpt from an email I received from one of our members last week:

"Noelle's analysis was very helpful. I also hope that folks are still spreading the word about the Medicaid funding issue. I am on a regular, weekly conference call with (my) Senator ... and he is still gathering stories from parents. He and his staff keep stressing that both Senate and House members must be contacted, particularly by parents of special needs children, to talk about the devastating impact the funding cuts, plus (the) block grant, will have on children.
 
...He said to keep up the information to school districts and that the ESAs play an essential role in getting the word out."

To help you with your advocacy efforts, last week, we  sent an analysis of President Trump's FY 2018 education budget provided by Noelle Ellerson Ng, AESA's federal legislative liaison.  You can read it here.  Early in the month, we sent out the Medicaid Toolkit.   You can access that here.

An important role of AESA is providing information about current federal legislative developments. Your voice is important to assure federal legislation addresses the needs of students, local school districts, and ESAs across the country.

Thank you to everyone who has been "telling the story" of the potential impact the President's budget proposal will have on our students and our schools. It is critical that we all participate in federal advocacy.  If we can help you in any way, please don't hesitate to contact us. We urge you to continue contacting legislators and have your voice heard, too.

Sincerely, 
Joan H. Wade, Ed.D.
Executive Director
AESA
Summer Professional Development Opportunities
AESA Summer Leadership Conference
Leading Strategic Partnerships
July 17-20, 2017

AESA's Summer Leadership Conference is designed especially for CEOs and their leadership teams.  Register today!


Here's the line-up you don't want to miss!

Monday, July 17
4 p.m. Registration opens
6 p.m. Welcome reception and dinner

Day 1: Day with the Experts: A Framework for Investigating Strategic Partnerships
Tuesday, July 18, 7:15 a.m. - 4 p.m. 
Dr. Duncan Simester, MIT professor and expert in how economics drives marketing decisions, will introduce the principles that can guide how an ESA can create and capture value through various types of strategic partnerships.

Mr. Michael Soules, President of Corwin, has proven experience in forming and creating value through partnerships. He will help participants look through the "partner's" lens.

Day 2: Partnerships in Action: Application Labs
Wednesday, July 19,  7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.  
Facilitated by Dr. Susan Leddick
We will dig in as various ESAs share real-life partnerships to deepen your understanding of how to apply the framework (presented on Day 1) to enhance the work of your ESA.

Day 3: Bring it home
Thursday, July 20,  7:30-11:30 a.m. 
Wrap-up your learning on Day 3 as you and your team prepare to make strategic decisions about your agency's partnerships.
Midwest Regional Forum: 
Equity, Opportunity and Inclusive Practices
July 31-August 1, 2017
Columbus, Ohio

Keynote:
Joshua Starr, Chief Executive Officer of PDK International, will be a keynote speaker at the Equity, Opportunity and Inclusive Practices forum taking place on July 31 - August 1, 2017 in Columbus, Ohio.   
Who should attend?
This summit is designed to deepen regional service agency staff knowledge and understanding of issues of equity, opportunity, and inclusive practices and the unique role that regional service agencies play in addressing these topics. 

What will participants learn?
Participants will learn about and practice new tools, models, and mindsets that advance organizational and regional equity agendas. The summit is designed with teams in mind, and will provide significant time for networking and connecting with colleagues across regions and states, as well as time to work as a team on local equity problems of practice.
 
For more details and registration information: 
AESA Perspectives Journal Editorial Board Openings
The editorial board for AESA's Perspectives: A Journal of Research and Practice of
Educational Service Agencies is looking to add new members. At the AESA spring council
meeting a decision was made to establish staggered terms of service for editorial board members and to expand the number of board members to ensure geographic and demographic diversity on the board. 

Seeking Letters of Interest 
We are seeking letters of interest along with a resume of individuals who would like to be considered for appointment to the editorial board at the July AESA Executive Council meeting. There are up to four available positions from the following regions:  Eastern (Bye) Central (1 position), Southern (1 position), Western (2 positions)
 
Regional Composition
Eastern: Connecticut, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont
 
Central: Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin
 
Southern: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia
 
Western: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming

The role of the Editorial Board Members
Editorial board members are asked to review manuscripts in two of the three publication strands for the journal (research and program/innovation) and to provide input in terms of whether the submission meets the standards of quality and relevance for publication as well as to make editorial suggestions with respect to both content and style to ensure high quality manuscripts for distribution to the membership and online publication.  

Individuals who are interested in joining the editorial board should submit a letter of interest and resume to the Perspectives editor, Scott Menzel at [email protected].
Questions about the editorial board may also be directed to him at the above email address or by calling 734-994-8100 x1301. 

Applications are due by June 22, 2017 to allow sufficient time for review  and follow-up prior to the Council meeting in July.
AESA Business Partner News: 
Designing PD that Thrives!






Effective professional development takes time, but the investment is well worth it. Read how schools and districts are using  Corwin's PD Resource Center to design PD that can be sustained over time, encourage collaborative activities, and provide hands-on activities for learning "stickiness."  Download white paper.

AESA 
832-437-8231
[email protected]
http://www.aesa.us