Please submit your RFP HERE. Deadline is January 10th
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Based on your feedback and the ever-changing times in public education, the MASS Professional Development Committee has developed this year’s theme and format for the 30th Annual Paul J. Andrews Executive Institute which will be held from July 16-18, 2024 at the Sea Crest Resort in Falmouth, MA and Mashpee High School in Mashpee, MA.
Please note that this year’s RFP is a little different from previous years.
This year’s theme, Empowering Each Other: Sustaining Conditions for All to Thrive is one of five different conference strands for this year’s Executive Institute. We are expanding the number of conference strands from three to five because the roles of Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent have become increasingly challenging given the political, economic, and global issues that our schools face, combined with the ever-changing demographics of our students. District leaders face a myriad of long term and day to day dilemmas that impact students, staff, and their communities. This Institute is designed to support District Leaders in facing those dilemmas.
We are looking for the best practices from our District leaders and their teams who have put theory to practice for all to thrive. Therefore, we are accepting Request for Proposals (RFPs) that will align to one or more of the following strands:
Strand 1-This Year’s Theme (Empowering Each Other: Sustaining Conditions for All to Thrive) This strand focuses on the following:
- Sustainability: How do we sustain and build upon what is going on in our schools so that all students can become powerful learners?
- Leadership for All: How do you lead when people do not want it or are afraid of it?
- Leadership in Changing Times: How do you lead with the ever-changing landscape of education?
- Leadership in Challenging Climates: What does leadership look like at the district and school level in this challenging climate?
- Restore Morale: How do we support our leaders and restore morale in our schools?
- Self-Care: How do we practice self-care, overcome anxieties, and avoid burnout for ourselves and our building and district leaders?
- Leadership without Distraction: How do we stay focused on our core mission without letting distractions derail our work?
Strand 2-Equity equals Academics. This strand focuses on the following:
- REDI Work: How do we advance our Race, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion (REDI) work to create powerful learning experiences for all students?
- Opportunity Gap: How do we eliminate the opportunity gap for all students?
- Equity and the Instructional Core: What does equity in the classroom look like and how do we get there?
- MTSS: How do we use the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) to advance our equity work?
- Achievement Gap: How can we use equitable practices in our schools and districts to improve the instructional core and close the achievement gap for all students?
- Equity and Mental Health: How do we prioritize both our equity work and our mental health work simultaneously to improve academic success?
- Equity and Instructional Practices: How do we advance our equity work to build instructional practices to meet student needs?
- Cycle of Improvement: How do we use a cycle of improvement to advance our equity work and improve student success?
Strand 3-Current Leadership Issues and Challenges. This strand focuses on the following. Please note that for this strand, other current leadership issues may apply.
- Strategic Communication: How do we communicate effectively, strategically, and timely during these challenging political times?
- Chronic Student Absenteeism: What strategies can be implemented to curb chronic absenteeism?
- Migrant Students: How do we successfully integrate our migrant students into our schools?
- Political Climate: How do we navigate political landmines as a Superintendent while staying true to our core mission?
- Physical and Psychological Safety: How do we continue to employ both physical and psychological safety best practices in our schools?
- Legal Issues: What current legal issues do we face that impact our schools?
- Hiring Diverse Staff: How do we effectively hire and retain a diverse teaching, learning, and leading workforce during these changing times?
Strand 4-Assistant Superintendent Work. This strand focuses on issues that Assistant Superintendents may face in their work, including the following topics. Please note that for this strand, other current topics may apply.
- Protecting Civil Rights: Investigating and Preventing Civil Rights Issues (e.g. Title IX, Title VI, Bullying and Harassment, IDEA, 504)
- Literacy: The Science of Reading and its Impact
- Health Curriculum: DESE Physical Education and Health Framework implementation.
- Data Informed Decisions: The use of data to gauge growth and improvement.
- Supervision and Evaluation: Use of Educator Evaluation System to improve equitable practices in schools.
Strand 5-Operations Issues That May Impact Ourselves and Our Districts. This strand focuses on issues that traditionally operationally impact our schools and can derail our work if not implemented effectively. Examples include:
- MSBA
- Facilities
- Legal issues
- Educator Licensure
- MTRS
- DESE specific topics
We strongly encourage districts who have been implementing any of the above best practices in any strand to submit a proposal, regardless of the stage of implementation. As part of the presentation, the Professional Development Committee encourages presenters to show how success is measured through quantitative or qualitative means for your initiative or practice. In addition, please consider how your practice or initiative can be replicated for other schools or districts.
Through the selected sessions, we hope to celebrate the excellent work that is taking place in your school districts and in all public schools across the Commonwealth. We are looking for strong proposals that help address one or more of the questions above. We also encourage districts who have developed partnerships with other districts, collaboratives, consortiums, vocational schools, or regional schools to submit a proposal. We will only consider Request for Proposals that align with our strands. In addition, we will not accept proposals from vendors unless they are presenting with a school district and the school district is leading the presentation.
Please consider submitting a proposal for this year’s Executive Institute. The deadline to submit proposals is Wednesday, January 10, 2024. Please note that you will be contacted regarding the status of your proposal. Over the last few years, we have received many outstanding proposals and, unfortunately, it is logistically impossible to accommodate all the proposals. We will also attempt to recommend any proposals not accepted to other MASS sponsored events (e.g. MASS/MASC).
We look forward to reviewing your submissions! Questions please email Erica at ehedrick@massupt.org
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE LENGTH OF THIS YEAR’S PRESENTATIONS IS ONE HOUR
Please submit your RFP HERE. Deadline is January 10th