Minnesota Montessori Network, January 2019
Exciting News for Montessori Education Week
Montessori Education Week is right around the corner and we have exciting news to share!

MNMN has partnered with the producers of the new Montessori documentary
“Inside Montessori” for a special screening of the film to close our MEW celebration!
Join the world-wide Montessori celebration by:

  • Plan something special for your students or staff. Prepare a special Italian treat with your students or treat your staff to a continental breakfast
  • Creating a social media campaign for the week using Montessori quotes, celebrating staff or asking people to share what they love about your school
  • Reach out to your community newspaper and invite a staff writer to stop by for an observation

If you’re looking for ideas to celebrate Montessori Ed Week in your community?
Share With Us!
Whatever you do, please tag your social media posts, so we can share
your celebrations with the rest of the Montessori community!

#MontessoriEdWeek


Minnesota State Fair
Last year we hit a milestone in our “state fair in a box” effort. The majority of materials and furniture are owned by MNMN versus borrowed from schools and practitioners. We offer sincere gratitude for the generosity of MNMN Leadership over the years, the Montessori community in our great state as well as a few out of state contributions inspired by our interactive exhibit.

This state fair in a box concept and effort allows us to balance the material representation of each level, as well as keeping a balance in representation between levels- Infancy through Adolescence. Each as year we strive to improve upon the last we reflect upon our observations of which materials draw children in, inspire inquiry and curiosity by adult visitors and feedback from volunteers and practitioners. While Practical Life activities are the backbone of the early years what’s possible in an interactive booth is restricted. A material that is the most perfect, most beautiful representation of Elementary Math may not be intuitively used without a presentation. Representing the Adolescent Programs in Montessori Education calls for creativity and breadth of non-material content.

In planning for next year’s Great Minnesota Get-Together we ask that you consider what you might have to offer toward this end. We welcome feedback, creative ideas and offers from your inventory of unused material. If you're interested in donating materials we ask that you email us with a photo of your offer, be it gently used or before purchasing. We’ll reconcile it with our inventory and wishlist. We greatly value the contributions of our great community. Please reach out to Janette Leslie with questions or contributions.
Advocacy
Early Care and Education Crisis Workgroup Recommendations

Think Small, in partnership with the MN Chamber of Commerce, convened a broad group of organizations during the Fall of 2018 to develop a set of recommendations that address two crises impacting Minnesota's young children. These challenges are intertwined and must be addressed in a coordinated way. First, we have some of the nation's worst achievement gaps, which begin as opportunity gaps. Second, in many parts of the state we face a severe shortage of quality early care and education programs. Both crises endanger our children, communities and economy and require immediate action before they grow worse.
With this goal in mind the Early Care and Education Crisis Workgroup has developed the following resources:
•       Roadmap for Action- Full Report
•       Executive Summary
•       Recommendation for Administrative fixes
•       Local Level Recommendations
All of these resources can be found at w ww.thinksmall.org/crisis . Stay tuned for ways you can support this work in the 2019 legislative session.

How to Effectively Engage State Legislators

"Earlier is better."

That's one piece of advice for effectively engaging legislators on your issues. If you're looking to advocate for the first time or are looking for a refresher, check out this MinnPost article on how to use your time and resources wisely .

Mixed Delivery Policy Hour

Did you miss the special edition December Policy Hour about mixed delivery? Check out the summary on the Think Small Blog . You can also w atch back the entire 1.5 hour session on the Minnesota's Future Facebook page.

Ann Kaner-Roth Policy Hour

Ann Kaner-Roth Policy Hour is a monthly opportunity for early childhood and afterschool professionals to connect with each other and learn about current policy issues in an informal setting.

Bring your lunch. Invite your friends. No RSVP necessary.
Attend in person or stream it right from the Minnesota's Future Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/minnesotasfuture/

Mark your calendars! Ann Kaner-Roth Policy Hour is held the first Tuesday of each month, October 2018-June 2019, from Noon-1:00 p.m. at Think Small (2021 East Hennepin Avenue | Suite LL20, Minneapolis, MN 55413). These events are provided to the field at no cost by the Minnesota's Future Coalition.

MinnPost Article on Early Childhood Education

With the impending departure of Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius comes varying expectations for the next commissioner. But what exactly are education insiders looking for? Check out what various insiders are looking for in the MinnPost’s article: What education insiders are hoping for in Minnesota’s next ed commissioner .

Featured commentary includes MinneMinds’ co-chairs Acooa Ellis and Ann Mulholland, along with executive committee member Jim Bartholomew.

Letter to the Governor

Earlier this month, co-chairs Acooa Ellis and Ann Mulholland sent a letter to Governor-elect Walz and Lt. Governor-elect Flanagan on behalf of MinneMinds to outline our coalition's priorities to advance early childhood funding and policies across the state. We invite you to share the letter with your networks.

Early Education Challenge to Legislators

We're proud to share a challenge from our friends at A Minnesota Without Poverty.
The mission of A Minnesota Without Poverty is to end poverty, and in the process to enlist the support of people of all political beliefs -especially our lawmakers - to better the lives of all Minnesotans. We believe investing in the futures of our most vulnerable and youngest children is a major step toward our goal. That’s why we have created a campaign we call THINK KIDS: THINK P.I.E. (Promote Investment Early) to build public and legislative support for increases in spending for high-quality care and education programs for our most vulnerable children ages 0 to 5.

A Minnesota Without Poverty will challenge the Legislature to:
Continue efforts to coordinate, fund and assess high-quality, early learning, school-readiness programs to help close the achievement/opportunity gap, including voluntary family home-visiting programs that provide education and support;
Focus on a variety of creative learning experiences that start very early in life;
Target resources to the most vulnerable children;
Support developmentally-appropriate, kindergarten-readiness best practices;
Ensure flexibility to meet the needs of a wide diversity of children, parents, and cultures.

Click here for more details on the challenge.
Click here to take action and join us in supporting their efforts.

In The News: Reducing Childhood Trauma in Minnesota

In the November issue of Minnesota Women's Press, MineMinds Member Carol Koepp published a moving piece on the life-long effects of abuse and trauma that occurs at an early age. Her partner's experience is an example of why nurturing environments at an early age have such a large impact throughout the life of a child. From the article:

My life-mate, Tom, had a childhood filled with toxic stress. The abuse and neglect were significant during his formative brain development years — when children acquire important functions in emotional control, trust, and forming attachments. It led to a life of post-traumatic stress disorder, self-doubt, depression, and anxiety.

One day, for example, I entered a room where he was working. I accidentally stepped on a piece of crisp paper that made a crackling sound. He whirled around and screamed loudly, with a look of terror. How does this happen to an accomplished man in his 78th year?

Research published in 1998, known as the ACE Study — Adverse Childhood Experiences — revealed the connection between early childhood trauma and chronic illnesses, such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes type 2, obesity, drug use, smoking, mental illness, substance abuse, violence, and early death.

Click here to read the full story.

New Committee Structure and Leadership in MN House

The Minnesota House has made changes to its committee structure and leadership staff for the 2019-2020 biennium.  We're looking forward to continued partnership with the new leaders in the legislature.

These new partners include:
Rep. Jim Davnie, Education Finance Division
Rep. Dave Pinto, Early Childhood Finance & Policy Subcommittee
Rep. Tina Liebling, Health and Human Services Finance
Rep. Rena Moran, Health and Human Services Policy
Rep. Cheryl Youakim, Education Policy
Welcome aboard!

To see the full list of Committee Chairs and a summary of the changes made to committee structure, click here .
Community Events
Kick-Off Montessori Ed Week at 5th Annual  Sister Ann Harvey - Minnesota Montessori Community Event 

Unite with your Montessori friends and colleagues to kick off Montessori Education Week ( February 24 through March 2, 2019)  
Sunday, February 24,   2:00-4:30 pm 
Afternoon Tea, Social Hour and Keynote speaker
Rauenhorst Ballroom, Couer de Catherine, 3rd Floor
Our featured speaker this year is Daisy Han.   
Daisy is a partner at The Wildflower Foundation, a co-founder and Director of Curriculum at DEEP (Disruptive Equity Education Project), and is a founding board member of Montessori for Social Justice. She holds Montessori certifications in lower and upper elementary and secondary I and secondary II education. Recently, Daisy taught a yearlong course on “Leading for Equity” at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education and continues to partner with school leaders in dismantling systemic racism and creating equitable opportunities for all students in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Daisy's most recent work focuses on adult learning and the spiritual preparation of self in one's own racial and ethnic identity through an organization she has founded called Embracing Equity. embracingequity.org  

Daisy will be speaking on the topic of "Teaching for Liberation."  
When one cultural community’s ways of being is arbitrarily legitimized over another this may result in what French sociologist, Pierre Bourdieu refers to as symbolic violence, or the imposition of cultural value onto another group or groups. When the social space in question is a preschool classroom, this process can lead to the privileging of certain ways of being while further marginalizing or punishing children in non-dominant groups. In this presentation, we will explore how to practice cultural humility -- a lifelong engagement in self-reflection and self-critique -- in order to teach for liberation.

Purchase Tickets online by Sunday, February 17
Cost of $15.00 per person includes Afternoon High Tea and Guest Speaker.
Sponsors may purchase a table for 8 for $100.00.
Career Opportunities
Kinderhaus Montessori School
3115 Victoria Street North, Roseville, MN, 55113
Position: Full-time Assistant Teacher for  2019-2020 school year
Start Date: position would start in August 2019 with salary starting in July 2019.Please submit application by 3/31/2019
Contact Taylor Amigon at taylor@kinderhaus-montessori.org, 612-719-2739
View Job posting on Indeed here

Mayflower Early Childhood Center
106 E Diamond Lake Road, Minneapolis MN 55419
Position: Executive Director
Beginning June 2019
Candidates are encouraged to explore the school’s website. www.mayflowerchildren.org
If you are interested in this opportunity, please send your cover letter and resume via email to the MECC Search Committee Chair Barbara Knott at mayflowerdirector@gmail.com
View Full Job posting here