Opening Keynote Presenter 

Dr. Brenda Cassellius

Minnesota Commissioner of Education

S ince her appointment as Commissioner of Education in 2010, Dr. Brenda Cassellius has endeavored to enact comprehensive education reform that will benefit every child throughout Minnesota. Dr. Cassellius believes that change can happen quickly if it is purposeful, collaborative, and grounded in effective strategies.

A respected educator throughout her profession and across partisan lines, Commissioner Cassellius was critical in passing new alternative licensure; principal and teacher evaluation laws; as well as increased funding for PK-12 education; legislation ensuring a sharp, statewide focus on every child reading well by 3rd grade; and expanded access to quality early childhood education. 

Accommodations

This week the U.S. House Appropriations Committee approved their FY 2018 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill. The legislation passed by a partisan vote (28-22) and includes $96.4 million in funding for the Magnet Schools Assistance Program. This is welcome news as the U.S. Department of Education completes its first five-year grant competition this summer. Once complete, funding will be available for grantees participating in the program for the first time under the Every Student Succeeds Act or ESSA. 

Overall the bill reported by the committee would cut funding for the U.S. Department of Education by $2.4 billion. In comparison, President Trump's budget released in May calls for a $9.2 billion cut to DOE. A large portion of the cuts in the House bill come from eliminating Title II formula grants provided by the Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants program. These grants are used for  teacher professional development and reducing class sizes.

The Trump Administration also proposed the elimination of this program in its budget stating, "the grants are poorly targeted and funds are spread too thinly to have a meaningful impact on student outcomes. In addition, there is limited evidence that teacher professional development, a primary activity funded by the program, has led to increases in student achievement."

Congressman David Price from North Carolina who attempted to restore funding to the program through the amendment process, pointed out that 98 percent of school districts rely on this funding. He added, "None of the education reforms that we talk about and want to implement will be worth a thing without a first-rate teaching force."

In other areas, the House Appropriations Committee bill would:

• Level fund or freeze Title I dollars used to support low-income disadvantaged students;
• Increase IDEA funding for students with disabilities by $200 million;
• It would fund career and technical education at last year's level;
• Increase charter school funding by $28 million;
• Funding would not be provided to support the controversial Title I portability and voucher proposal included in the president's budget. 

Now that the U.S. House of Representatives has introduced its appropriations bill for fiscal year 2018, which begins October 1, the U.S. Senate must follow suit and pass similar legislation before submitting a complete bill to the president for his signature. As the appropriations process continues we will keep you informed of any important developments. 

 

Magnet Schools of America is pleased to announce the executive officers and members of the board of directors for the 2017-2018 school year.    

 

President - Sara Wheeler has over 40 years of experience in the field of education and is employed by District Five of Lexington & Richland Counties in Columbia, South Carolina. Ms. Wheeler has held a variety of positions throughout her career; classroom teacher, magnet school teacher, magnet school administrator, Smaller Learning Communities Site Coordinator and Project Director for three MSAP funded grants.

As a member of the board of directors, Sara has previously served as a Director At Large, Regional Director/Regional Chairperson, President-Elect, and now President.

 

President Elect - Susan King has worked as an educator for over 35 years. She served as Magnet Supervisor for Hillsborough County Public Schools in Tampa, FL where she evaluated magnet schools and programs in the district and at the national level. She was also the project manager for two MSAP federal grants. 

She is currently an educational consultant and presents and trains locally and nationally on a variety of topics including theme integration, instructional technology, curriculum development, and cultural competence. 

Immediate Past President - Doreen Marvin is the former Director of Development at LEARN in Old Lyme, Connecticut. She has extensive experience working with communities locally, statewide, and nationally. Ms. Marvin is also trained in strategic planning, creative planning, and systems approaches to organizational development. 

Regional Directors -

• Region 1 - Art Arpin, Educational Consultant, East Hartford, Connecticut 
   
• Region 2 - Bryan Stoll, Supervisor of Magnet Programs, Baltimore County Public Schools, Maryland
   
• Region 3 - Evonne Alvarez, Principal, New World School of the Arts, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Florida
   
• Region 4  - Dr. Kim Morrison, Superintendent, Mount Airy City Schools, North Carolina
   
• Region 5  - Theresa Porter, Director of Magnet Programs, East Baton Rouge Parish School System, Louisiana
   
• Region 6 - Jeff Peterson, Principal, Summit View Elementary Magnet School of Integrated Arts, Design, and Creativity, Wisconsin
   
• Region 7 - Dr. Kim Johnson Burkhalter, Equity/Diversity and Magnet Programs Director, Wichita Public Schools, Kansas
   
• Region 8 - Gia Moore, Director, Magnet Schools and Career and Technical Academies, Clark County School District, Nevada

 

Miller Fine Arts Magnet Middle School (Macon, GA)  has the following opening:

We are happy to announce that Faith Goodwin has joined Magnet Schools of America and will serve as Membership Coordinator in our Washington, DC office.  Faith enjoys working with members in a wide variety of areas, but likes helping them maximize their return on their membership the most.

Faith comes from a donor-relations background, and most recently served as the Individual Giving Coordinator at The Fund for American Studies. Faith has also worked in the legislative field and on several political campaigns.

Faith decided to join MSA because she went to two magnet schools in middle and high school and knows how life-changing they are.

She graduated cum laude with honors from Florida State University with a double major in political science and international affairs. An avid sports fan, Faith enjoys spending her time cheering on the Florida State Seminoles and the Miami Marlins. She also has been an active swing dancer for the last several years. 

You may reach Faith by email with any membership questions at: [email protected]

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