Highlights

MARE Focus

March 28, 2008

by Dr. Ray Patrick

March 28, 2008

MARE will post your administrator openings on the web site and in the MARE Focus at not cost. Just give us a call at (660) 747-8050 or e-mail: rpatrick@moare.com.

Clink for link to form

If the school district is conducting the search for the open position, MARE has available labels ($10.00) with Missouri School District addresses. We also can provide a set of sample interview questions (no cost) upon request.

ANNUAL ELECTION OF EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS

Missouri Association of Rural Education Executive Board Members shall serve two-year terms and are eligible for re-election. Elections or appointments shall be scheduled by the executive board with new executive board members taking office effective July 1, which is the beginning of the new fiscal year, and seated at the summer board meeting.

Members to be elected in evennumbered years (2008) are:

Five (5)members, one from each of the determined regions of the state: B, D, F, H, and J

One (1)member from region "G" to complete one-year un-expired term (due to resignation).

One (1)member from the board of education whose school is a member of MARE. (One position for a one-year un-expired term.)

REGIONAL OFFICERS

Interested Candidates may file, in writing, with the Executive Directors office, or rpatrick@moare.com. All Regional Candidates' names will be listed on a ballot in the order received and mailed to the member schools in the counties making up that particular region. The candidate receiving the highest number of votes will be declared elected to a two-year term.

Mr. Yancy Poorman of the North St. Francois Co. R-I School District is completing two-year term in Region "B".

Mrs. Geanine Bloch of the Stoutland R-II School District is completing two-year term in Region "D".

Mrs. Joan Twidwell of the La Monte R-IV School District is completing a two-year term in Region "F".

Mr. Larry Flanagan of the Elsberry R-II School District is completing a two-year term in Region "H".

Dr. Francis Moran of the North Platte Co. R-I School District is completing a two-year term in Region "J".

All are eligible for re-election with the exception of Region D and Region J representatives who will be retiring at the end of the current school year.

Candidates are being accepted to complete a one-year un-expired term representing Region "G".

OTHER OFFICERS

Interested Candidates may file, in writing, with the Executive Directors office, or rpatrick@moare.com. The ten board members representing the ten determined regions of the state will then meet as a selection committee and select a member for each position from the list of declared candidates.

Candidates are being accepted to complete a one-year un-expired term representing a board of education member (at large) on the executive board.

The MARE Executive Director has set the deadline for Interested Candidates to file for office on the MARE Board of Directors for Friday, May 2, 2008, 12:00 noon.

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Representative Regions by Counties

Region B: Counties of -Gasconade, Franklin, Crawford, Washington, Iron, Reynolds, St. Francis, Ste Genevieve, Jefferson, St. Louis

Region D: Counties of - Laclede, Camden, Miller, Cole, Osage, Maries, Phelps, Pulaski, Dent.

Region F: Counties of - Jackson, Cass, Lafayette, Johnson, Henry, Saline, Pettis, Cooper, Moniteau, Morgan.

Region G: Counties of - Wright, Douglas, Ozark, Texas, Howell, Shannon, Oregon, Carter, Ripley.

Region H: Counties of - Scotland, Knox, Shelby, Monroe, Audrian, Callaway, Clark, Lewis, Marion, Ralls, Pike, Montgomery, Lincoln, Warren, St. Charles.

Region J: Counties of - Atchison, Holt, Nodaway, Andrew, Buchanan, Platte, Clay, Worth, Gentry, DeKalb, Clinton, Ray, Caldwell, Daviess, Harrison

Facilities Planners Conference:

The Council of Educational Facility Planners International is holding a conference on May 15-17, in St. Louis. Karen Johnson, a presenter at this years MARE Conference is coordinating this conference which is held in various Midwest cities each spring. If you should have some interest in attending this meeting go to the following link: http://midwestgreatlakes.cefpi.org/2008conference. For additional questions, please contact Karen Johnson at (314) 276-3199.

MARE Board Training Schedule:

Location

Dates

Times

Chateau on the Lake

Branson, MO (K-8 Conference)

April 16, 2008

April 17, 2008

April 18, 2008

6:00 -- 10:00 p.m.

8:15 a.m. -- 4:15 p.m.

8:00 a.m. --12:00 Noon

Look for additional training dates.

MAP Testing Extended by ONE WEEK

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has announced that for the second year in a row, because of the bad winter weather, the period of time during which schools may give students the mandatory Missouri Assessment Program tests has been extended by one week.

The original "window" for testing was March 31 through April 25. It has been extended by one week, to May 2. Local school districts have the flexibility to schedule their administration of MAP tests any time during this five-week period.

Missouri Department of Insurance Educator Resources:

The Missouri Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions & Professional Registration supports the use of insurance educational material in Missouri schools. Teaching teens and young adults the importance of insurance coverage will further prepare them for life's journey. The Department of Insurance offers a variety of Educator Resources (including lesson plans) for teachers to use. Could be some valuable resources in the required Personal Finance class that districts are required to offer. To link to the resources click on www.insurance.mo.gov >>> Consumers >>> Teens >>> (Scroll to bottom of page to) Educator Resources.

A direct link is http://insurance.mo.gov/consumer/teens/educators.htm.

Individual Contact: Emily Kampeter (573) 526-4845

Financing Out of School Programs for Rural Youth:

Financing and Sustaining Out-of-School Time Programs in Rural Communities
http://www.financeproject.org/publications/OSTRuralYouth.pdf
Kate Sandel, Soumya Bhat
Washington, D.C.: The Finance Project
January 2008
This strategy brief describes the funding landscape of rural programs and highlights the unique challenges confronting rural program leaders. It describes the different public and private resources that can support out-of-school time programming and identifies key strategies that can be used to finance and sustain these programs in rural communities. [posted on the ALA outreach listserv]

Western Governors University:

Western Governors University (www.wgu.edu) continues working with the U.S. Department of Labor to increase the national pool of qualified rural teachers, particularly in the hard-to-fill disciplines of mathematics and science. The WGU Teachers College is among the largest teacher colleges providing online teaching degrees with approximately 1,200 students enrolled in math and science teaching programs.

WGU was awarded a $3 million grant from the Department of Labor that allows WGU to provide financial, academic and clinical support for teacher candidates, including scholarships up to $7,500 for qualified students. (To read the entire news release, click on the attachment.)

Scholarship Applications Available:

Applications are now being taken for the Rural Missouri Scholarship provided by the Missouri Association of Rural Education. Only junior and senior-level college students qualify as scholarship recipients. Copies of the information and application have been sent to the teacher education departments in all Missouri colleges/universities. The goal of this scholarship is:
- Attracting quality teachers to rural school districts
- Improving the economic development of rural communities by upgrading the education system to provide well-educated, skilled work force
- Attract intelligent, energetic individuals to furnish leadership skills in rural communities. (Deadline: April 23, 2008)

The application may also be downloaded from the MARE web site or by contacting the MARE office.

The Jack J. Isgur Foundation (1^st time applicants and prior year applicants) scholarship is now available. This foundation provides funds for college students majoring in education at four-year colleges. The foundation provides funds to students who have indicated a desire to teach in the humanities (e.g., literature, dance, fine arts, music, art or poetry) at the elementary and middle school levels. The Foundation prefers to provide funds to students entering their junior (or subsequent) year of college, who are interested in teaching within the State of Missouri in rural rather than metropolitan districts. (Please contact the MARE office if would like to receive a copy(s) of the application.) (Deadline: April 15, 2008)

Articles of Interest:

Findings from a landmark six-year study by the Community Involvement Program of the Annenberg Institutet for School Reform reveal that sophisticated community organizing at the grassroots level produces major improvements in student achievement. To read more:http://www.annenberginstitute.org/pdf/OrganizedCommunities.pdf

One of the largest and most persistent inequities in the modern American education system is the gap in math achievement along income and race lines. A new paper from Jobs for the Future highlights several obstacles to raising math achievement that deserve more attention and also provides key characteristics of model schools. By taking the best ideas from the small schools movement, a new generation of small schools has been able to retain struggling students and prepare them for post-secondary. To read more:http://www.jff.org/KnowledgeCenter/Beating+the+Odds%3A+The+Real+Challenges+Behind+the+Math+Achievement+Gap%97And+What+High-Achieving+Schools+Can+Teach+Us+About+How+to+Close+It.html
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/03/25/29aerasize_web.h27.html?print=1

Increasing community involvement in out-of-school programs has the potential to create significant benefits for the communities they serve. The partnerships satisfy a wide variety of needs, such as improving recruitment and attendance and contributing volunteers and other resources. To read more: http://www.childtrends.org//files/Child_Trends-2008_03_12_PI_CommunityPartner.pdf

Grant Opportunities:

Grants for Math and Science - The Toshiba America Foundation makes grants for projects in math and science designed by classroom teachers to improve instruction for students in grades K-12. Maximum Award: $10,000. Eligibility: Grades K-12. Deadline: Decisions about grants under $5,000 (K-6: $1,000) are made on a rolling basis and applications are throughout the year. Deadline for large grants grades 7-12: August 1, 2008. For additional details: http://www.toshiba.com/tafpub/jsp/home/default.jsp

Books Across America - The National Education Association’s Books Across America Library Books Awards Program enables public school libraries serving economically disadvantaged students to purchase books. Maximum Award: $1,000. Eligibility: Practicing pre-kindergarten through grade 12 school librarians, teachers or education support professionals in a U.S. public school with at least 70 percent of the students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch program. Deadline: November 7, 2008. For additional details: http://www.neafoundation.org/grants/NEA-Grants_bro-web.pdf

Award for Breakthrough Middle and Secondary Schools - The National Association of Secondary Principals (NASSP) and the MetLife Foundation are calling for entries in the search for the nation’s top "Breakthrough Schools." Applicants should be high achieving middle or high schools, or schools that are making dramatic improvements in student achievement, whose best practices and outstanding results can inform other schools as they further their own improvement efforts. Deadline: May 15, 2008. For additional details:

http://www.principals.org/s_nassp/sec_inside.asp?CID=66&DID=66

Quote for the Week:

"Whether you think you can, or think you can't ..... you're right!"

Henry Ford

Have a great weekend!!!

Ray V. Patrick, EdD.

Executive Director

Missouri Association of Rural Education

201 South Holden St. Suite 202

Warrensburg, Missouri 64093

(660) 747-8050

Fax: (660) 747-8160