Commissioner Invitation to Superintendents’ Conference

May 23, 2011

Dear Superintendents and Assistant Superintendents of Schools:

I’m pleased to invite you to the 100^th Annual School Superintendents’ and Assistant Superintendents’ Conference on June 27-28, 2011 at the Senator Inn in Augusta, Maine.

As a former teacher of history, the significance of this being the 100^th Annual Superintendents’ Conference is not lost on me. It represents an opportunity to reflect on a century of public education in Maine, but it is also, I believe, an opportunity to discuss the ways that the system of schooling we have inherited from those who came before us needs to change for this new era.

In fact, if there was a common theme that emerged in my visits to the superintendent region meetings, it is that lurching from one “reform” to another is not the way to move forward. What is needed is a clear vision of what we want our schools to be, a detailed plan to get us there, and the resolve to stay to course.

Accordingly, the theme of this year’s conference is “transformation.” Our intent is to discuss the need for transformative change, to learn about school transformation efforts both here in Maine and across New England, and to gather important feedback about ways the Department can partner with you to make such efforts effective.

On Monday the 27^th, I’ll begin with a review of what I heard on my listening tour about how our schools need to change. The rest of the morning and early afternoon will be devoted to reviewing models of systemic change from schools across Maine, and will include presentations by students, teachers and school administrators. That afternoon, we will facilitate a discussion with you on the subject of what will is needed for transformative change to be successful.

The evening of the 27^th is reserved for the Maine School Superintendents’ Association Reception Event and our Annual Awards and Recognition Banquet.

On Tuesday morning, June 28^th, the conference will continue with a Maine School Superintendents’ Association business meeting. Following that, I will do a brief presentation outlining the Department’s plans for the year ahead, much of which has been determined by the feedback I received on the listening tour.

Beginning at 10:30a.m., I will host a panel discussion with staff from the Department, describing various initiatives the agency is working on. That presentation will be followed by a roundtable discussion to solicit feedback from all of you about ways that the Department can support your work at the district level moving forward.

Mark Kostin, Maine’s liaison to the New England Secondary School Consortium, will be the conference’s luncheon speaker, and will discuss the work NESSC is doing to support school transformation across New England.

To close out the conference with a glimpse into the future, Apple Inc. will conduct a demonstration after lunch on how IPads can and will be used in teaching and learning.

You may register for the conference online at: www.maine.gov/education/calendar/062711.html.  The cost of this year’s conference will be $125.00 which includes Monday & Tuesday full day registration, all meals, and conference space & materials. No partial payments will be accepted. If you will be bringing family or guests, please indicate the ADDITIONAL meals that you would like at the appropriate place on the registration form.  Your meals have been included in the cost of registration so please do NOT include them as additional meals.

Hotel Reservations should be made separately by calling the Senator Inn directly.  Reservations can be made by calling 207-622-5804.  Please identify yourself as part of the Maine Department of Education Superintendent Conference to get the preferred rate of $69. Both Sunday, June 26 and Monday, June 27 have been reserved at this low rate.  Reservations should be made by June 15, 2011 in order to receive the preferred rate of $69.

Payments must be received prior to the conference. Please make checks payable to: Treasurer, State of Maine and send to the attention of Nancy Lamontagne, Maine Department of Education, 23 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333.  If you have any questions regarding the enclosed materials, please contact Nancy Lamontagne at 624-6822 or nancy.a.lamontagne@maine.gov.

100^th AnnualMaine School Superintendents’ Conference

 

Monday, June 27, 2011

7:30 – 9:00 a.m.	Registration	Embassy
8:00 – 9:00 a.m.	Breakfast	Embassy
9:00 – 9:30 a.m.	Welcome & Opening Remarks Stephen Bowen, Commissioner of Education	Embassy/State
9:40 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.	Breakout sessions ~ Transformation in Maine schools
9:40 – 10:50 a.m.	Session 1
11:00 a.m. – 12:10 p.m.	Session 2
	Breakout 1 ~ Hall Dale HS Breakout 2 ~ Gray/New Gloucester Breakout 3 ~ RSU 57 Breakout 4 ~ Casco Bay HS Breakout 5 ~ RSU 9 & CTE Breakout 6 ~ Yarmouth & MLTI	Oak Rm Katahdin Rm Board Rm A Board Rm B Board Rm C Embassy
12:15- 1:15 p.m.	Lunch	Embassy/State
1:20 – 2:30 p.m.	Session 3
2:45 – 4:15 p.m.	Transformation across Maine – How will we get there? Don Siviski, Department of Education	Embassy/State
2:45 – 3:30 p.m.	Visioning work in Table Groups
3:30 – 4:15 p.m.	Report out of Table Groups, Discussion
4:15 – 4:45 p.m.	Feedback – Q&A
4:45 p.m.	Adjourn
5:00 – 6:00 p.m.	Maine School Superintendents’ Association Reception – Sponsored by:  Apple, Inc.	Oak and Dining
6:00 – 9:00pm	DinnerAnnual Awards and Recognition Banquet	Embassy/State

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

7:00 – 8:30 a.m.	Breakfast	Embassy
8:00 – 8:30 a.m.	MSSA Business Meeting	Embassy/State
8:30 – 9:00 a.m.	Welcome and Overview of the Day Stephen Bowen, Commissioner of Education	Embassy/State
9:00a.m. – 12:00p.m.	Transformation and the Department of Education:How can the Department partner with you?
9:00 – 10:15 am	DOE Panel Discussion: What’s next? Common Core – Wanda Monthey Common Assessments – Dan Hupp Longitudinal Data System – Bill Hurwitch Digital Learning – Jeff Mao DOE Website redesign/learning clearinghouse – Jay Collier
10:15 – 10:30 a.m.	Break
10:30 – 12:00p.m.	The DOE’s Role – What do you need from us?
10:30 – 11:15 a.m.	Table Groups
11:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.	Reporting out, summing up
12:00 – 1:30 p.m.	Luncheon Address: Mark Kostin, NESSC Transformation across New England
1:30 – 3:00 p.m.	Looking into the Future:  Perspectives on Innovation and LearningApple, Inc.
3:00 p.m.	Adjourn