1. education
2. school

A Publication of Massachusetts Elementary School Principals’ Association, Inc.
and Massachusetts Elementary School Principals’ Education Foundation
Vol. 31, No. 3 Spring, 2015
MESPA is unified with NAESP
“ Building a Collaborative Culture for
Growth during Changing Times ”
THE 2015 MESPA/MESPEF
SPRING CONFERENCE
and
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
INSTITUTE
featuring
Douglas Stone and Robert Evans
Will be held at
The Resort and Conference Center
at Hyannis ~ Hyannis, Massachusetts
on
Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday
May 27, 28, and 29, 2015
Visit mespa.org for more details
In This Issue:
3
Nadya’s Farewell
Message
8
Welcome New
Members
10 Spring Conference
Registration Form
Robert Evans is a longtime friend of MESPA,
and has appeared at many of our conferences and
workshops. He is a clinical and organizational
psychologist and the Executive Director of The
Human Relations Service in Wellesley, Massachusetts. A former high school and pre-school
teacher, and for many years a child and family
therapist, he has consulted in more than 1,700
schools throughout the U.S. and internationally, working with teachers,
administrators, and boards, and speaks widely at educational conferences.
Rob received his undergraduate degree from Princeton and his doctorate
from Harvard. His interests have focused on change and resistance to it in
schools and organizations, on the challenges of leading innovation, and on
changes in American families and their impact on schools. He is currently
concentrating on ways to improve collegiality and candor among educators and to promote realistic dialogue about accountability.
He is the author of many articles and three books: Seven Secrets of The
Savvy School Leader, The Human Side of School Change, and Family
Matters: How Schools Can Cope with The Crisis in Childrearing.
Douglas Stone is a Founder of Triad Consulting
Group and a Lecturer on Law at Harvard Law
School. Through Triad, he consults to a wide
range of organizations, including Fidelity, Honda,
HP, Merck, Shell, Time Warner, the Nature Conservancy, and the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center.
He has also had the opportunity to teach and mediate around the world. He has worked with mediators and journalists in South Africa, Greek and
Turkish political and community leaders in Cyprus, doctors and executives at the World Health Organization, and diplomats at the former Organization of African Unity in Ethiopia.
He has appeared on many TV and radio shows, including Oprah and
NPR’s Diane Rehm Show, and was a keynote speaker at the World Negotiation Forum in Brazil. In addition to teaching and consulting, he has
spent 22 years with the Harvard Negotiation Project, where he worked
with Roger Fisher and other colleagues on advanced negotiation applications and the development of negotiation theory. He learned an enormous
amount from Roger, perhaps most importantly, how to cultivate optimism
in the face of seemingly-intractable conflicts.
He graduated from Brown in 1980, and Harvard Law School in 1984.
Prior to returning to Harvard, he practiced transactional and regulatory
banking law at firms in Boston and New York. In his spare time he plays
guitar with his band, Monkey Down. “It’s not so much a band as it is a
few guys pretending to be a band.”
Spring, 2015
MESPA/MESPEF Principal View
President’s Message
Jennifer Chapin, President
Hatfield Elementary School, Hatfield
I received a gentle reminder that I needed to write my presidents article for
the Principal View last week and honestly it was on my to do list along with
the following….
Administered MCAS, scheduled make-up MCAS, packed up MCAS, unpacked MCAS when I discovered that the rules for bubbling changed for
schools who took advantage of the extended time, repacked MCAS, attended
two TEAM meetings, prepared a proposal for a new transitional kindergarten
model and presented at the School Committee meeting, screened 40 applications and scheduled interviews, called the DPW to fill all the potholes in the
parking lot, organized and facilitated a Superhero Math Scavenger Hunt Adventure Night for 84 people, attended a PTA meeting to plan for the 3rd annual Strawberry Festival (I’ll be in the dunk tank again!), met with the administrative team, met with 2 staff members regarding professional responsibilities, prepared documents for our Coordinated Program Review, met with the
play producer and director, realigned/reduced the budget for FY16, met with
3 teachers to review 63 pieces of evidence for their summative evaluation,
observed 5 teachers, conferenced and completed observation reports, interviewed 5 candidates for next school year, conducted the preschool lottery,
gave 3 school choice families tours of the school, filed a 51A, wrote thank
you letters to 5 staff members who went above and beyond, attended the 6th
grade Europefest and 1st grade Animal diorama exhibit, called or emailed 8+
parents regarding discipline issues, calmed down a bus driver who was angry
about the first grade bus behavior, read and responded to ridiculous amounts
of emails, shopped for 2 staff baby shower gifts, mediated with two kindergarteners who spit in each other’s ears, met with the transition team to plan
for moving up to 7th grade, welcomed a local author and attended a whole
school assembly, attended the Hatfield Book Club Teachers Tea, met with the
EEC coordinator to plan for a kindergarten registration night, participated in
the SSDR webinar, negotiated and developed a contract for the new executive
director, painted my daughter’s bedroom and planned, cooked and cleaned for
her 21st birthday party for 18 people and, because my life isn’t full enough,
picked out a new german shepherd puppy!
The roles of the principal are vast and they never told us we would be doing
½ of these things in our principal training classes! I am sure that everyone is
equally as busy as I am at this time of year, if not more so!
President’s Message
Continued on page 8
2
THE PRINCIPAL VIEW
The official publication of the
Massachusetts Elementary School
Principals’ Association, Inc. and
Massachusetts Elementary School
Principals’ Education Foundation,
published four times per school year to
members, superintendents, NAESP, 49
other state principals’ associations, and
others. All advertising should be
addressed to The Principal View in care
of MESPA. All articles published become
property of MESPA and may not be
reprinted without permission.
WEBSITE
mespa.org
ADVISORY BOARD
Jennifer Chapin, Hatfield
Stacey Jenkins, Williamsburg
Nadya Aswad Higgins,
MESPA Executive Director (ex-officio)
MESPA PRESIDENT
Jennifer Chapin
Hatfield Elementary School
33 Main Street
Hatfield, MA 01038
413-247-5010
[email protected]
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Nadya Aswad Higgins
MESPA Education Center
28 Lord Road, Suite 125
Marlborough, MA 01752
Tel: 508-624-0500
Fax: 508-485-9965
[email protected]
Spring, 2015
MESPA/MESPEF Principal View
EXECUTIVE EXCERPTS
Nadya Aswad Higgins
MESPA Executive Director
The End of a Journey
This is my last article for the Principal View. In eight weeks, I will complete my tenure as the MESPA /
MESPEF Executive Director. I have served in this position since February 1979, and it has been quite a
journey – one I have loved. It has been my distinct pleasure and a real privilege to serve the PreK - 8
principals of Massachusetts for over thirty-six years.
When I first began this journey, the association had no offices. It had been a strictly volunteer organization. When I was hired, I established an office in my home in Harvard with one secretary who came to my
house. My husband and I eventually put an addition on our house, and I worked from that location for
twelve years. In 1989, we began to look for space into which to move, as the program and membership
were growing rapidly. In 1990, we moved to Marlborough and into a building that allowed us to have both
office and conference space. We have been in this location ever since.
It is through the concerted efforts of Board and Staff members that we have been able to grow and serve
the principalship in innovative and effective ways.
Some of the milestones during the past thirty-six years have led us to be the first in the country to do
many things. MESPA was the first elementary school principals’ association in the country to:








Develop and own a conference center/headquarters building
Develop and conduct a state-approved certification program for principals
Develop a technology center for educators
Develop a Legal Services Program that provides unlimited legal assistance (for an additional fee) for
contract and work-related issues
Develop a doctoral program in educational leadership
Develop an Instructional Technology Licensure/Masters program
Develop a comprehensive recertification program for principals and other educators
Develop a music program in technology, which grants national certification for music educators
Many of these programs still exist today while some are no longer offered, but all were unique at the time
they were created.
As I leave MESPA, it is with a sense of gratitude for the opportunity to have worked with so many wonderful people and to have done creative work. Every year brought new challenges. But mostly, I am
grateful for the people – my terrific staff who work so hard to serve our members, Board members who
love MESPA as much as I do, Committee members who serve expecting nothing in return, and the membership (past and present) in which I have made many friends. There are also the great friendships made
with other associations, the consultants who work for MESPA, and those hard-working people at NAESP.
Not many people serve today for such a long period of time in the same job, but I have been able to do
so because of the people and, of course, because of the mission.
I hope to see you at the MESPA Spring Conference or in other venues before I leave. In case I don’t, I
wish each of you the very best as you meet the challenges facing principals in today’s complex educational world. Try to keep a balance in your life; you deserve that. And continue to support MESPA, because it is the one organization that has your best interests at heart.
3
Spring, 2015
MESPA/MESPEF Principal View
NAESP Report
John Quinn
NAESP Representative
Greetings, Principal Colleagues!
This past February, I joined 200 elementary and middle level educators and leaders from across the country in
Washington, D.C. for the National Association of Elementary School Principals’ (NAESP) National Leaders
Conference (NLC). For two full days, we advocated on behalf of principals, schools and students to ensure that
lawmakers do what’s right for American Education.
I had several meetings with Congressional leaders who were in the process of debating reauthorization of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), commonly referred to as No Child Left Behind. Providing
access to early childhood education, opposing the use of school vouchers, and improving principal training and
recruitment were the priorities of this group while on Capitol Hill.
We are all on the front lines every day working as hard as we can to improve schools for our students. I realized
during my visits how important it is for Congress to listen to what we are saying, especially when so many important decisions are being made about the future of our schools.
This was my first NLC, and I was amazed at the support and guidance the NAESP staff provided. With the support of NAESP, principals from all over the United States called on federal lawmakers to oppose Title I
“portability,” to support the Principal Recruitment and Training Act of 2015, to oppose the House ESEA bill in
its current form, and to encourage early pre-kindergarten programs and a P-3 alignment.
A highlight of the conference was attending a panel discussion and “Q & A” session with Eleanor Clift, contributing editor to Newsweek and The Daily Beast, and Pat Buchanan, former Presidential candidate and Chairman
of the American Cause Foundation.
Another highlight was meeting so many Principals from across the country. On our bus ride to Capitol Hill a
Principal from Louisiana was sitting next to me and she could not believe that the Potomac River was frozen. It
was the first time she had ever seen that. And listening to her stories of how she persevered through Hurricane
Katrina were amazing.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Zone 1 Director for NAESP, Tara McAuliffe. Massachusetts is part of Zone
1 along with Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. Tara is Principal of
the Rockwell School in Bristol, RI and her term of Zone Director ends in 2017. Tara is planning on coming to
our 2015 MESPA/MESPEF Spring Conference in May. If you see her at the conference, please make it a point
to introduce yourself to her. It is difficult for Zone Directors to get to other states conferences and she is excited
about attending.
Our current NAESP President, Mark White, is Principal of Hintgen Elementary School in La Crosse, WI.
Mark’s term is coming to an end and our new NAESP President will be Robyn Conrad Hansen. Robyn is Principal of Playa Del Rey Elementary School in Gilbert, AZ.
4
Spring, 2015
MESPA/MESPEF Principal View
Congratulations go out to Steven Geis, Principal of North Trail Elementary School in Farmington, MN on
being elected as President-Elect and Brian Partin, Principal of Thomas Jefferson Elementary School in
Kingsport, TN on being elected as Vice President.
Other election results were:
Director, Zone 5: Adam Drummond, Principal of Lincoln Elementary School in Huntington, IN
Director, Zone 7: Dave Steckler, Principal of Red Trail Elementary School in Mandan, ND
Director, Zone 9: Dwight Cooper, Principal of Reardan Elementary School in Reardan, WA
Director-At-Large, Minority Level: Kimbrelle Lewis, Principal of Cordova Elementary School in Cordova,
TN was appointed by the Board of Directors
As you know, the NAESP National Conference is in Long Beach, California from June 30-July 2. If I can
help you with any conference planning or questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
If you have not already done so, please try to take advantage of the President Awards for Academic Excellence, Academic Achievement and Citizenship offered through NAESP. The certificates are free and the
pins to accompany the awards are inexpensive. I’ve been giving out these awards to our fifth grade students for years and they are always very much appreciated. You can find information about the awards on
the NAESP website.
I hope to see you at the Spring Conference in a few weeks. Elaine Mead, Professional Development Chair,
and her committee members have done a lot of work in preparation for a great conference this year. Her
committee is always looking for new members so, if you would like to be part of future conference planning, please let Elaine or anyone on the committee know.
Finally, as you know, this will be Nadya Aswad Higgins final Spring Conference as Executive Director of
MESPA/MESPEF. I want to say that it has been a pleasure to work with her for the last nine years on the
Professional Development Committee and the Legislative Committee and this past year on the Executive
Board. Nadya, I wish you a happy and healthy retirement!
If I can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected]
5
Spring, 2015
MESPA/MESPEF Principal View
6
Spring, 2015
MESPA/MESPEF Principal View
The MESPA and MESPEF Boards of Directors would like to extend a warm welcome to the following principals
and assistant principals who have joined the Association since our last publication of Principal View
as new or reclaimed Active Members:
Lacey Becotte
Maura Burke
Heather Castonguay
Kathryn Castonguay
Matthew Castonguay
Monica Crowley
Jennifer Lilley
Dr. Josephine Robertson
Sharon Seyller
Eric Ventura
John Burke Elementary Schools
St. Brendan Elementary School
Rockport Elementary School
Spoford Pond Elementary School
Louise Davy Trahan Elementary School
Amos E. Lawrence School
J.R. Briggs Elementary School
Sullivan Middle School
Fuller Middle School
Woodland Elementary School
7
Peobody
Dorchester
Rockport
Boxford
Tewksbury
Brookline
Ashburnham
Worcester
Framingham
Milford
Spring, 2015
MESPA/MESPEF Principal View
President’s Message
Continued from page 2
Last week was vacation week and I hope that everyone found a moment or two for themselves. The next round of
MCAS and PARCC are soon to be upon us then hopefully things will start to wind down. The last few weeks are
always full but are generally enjoyable and I know my stress level is reduced significantly, especially when field
day comes around!! This year, our Spring Conference is in May. It is the perfect opportunity to get away from
your school, network with colleagues, attend some exciting workshops and enjoy some time off each evening. I
always return to school after the conference refreshed and excited to implement what I have learned. If you haven’t registered yet, please take a few minutes to look at your calendar and then examine your budget and squeeze
out some funds so you can attend.
I look forward to reuniting with some of you and meeting new colleagues at this year’s conference.
Best,
Jen Chapin
MESPA invites our membership to share your best
practices and submit articles for the Summer 2015 issue
of Principal View.
The copy deadline is June 12, 2015.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Please send articles to Doreen Stuart at [email protected]
8
Spring, 2015
MESPA/MESPEF Principal View
2015 CPAL Cohort to be Convened in July 2015
The MESPA Certification Program for Administrator Licensure (CPAL) has
begun taking registrations for its next cohort. This cohort will be the 25 th
cohort of this outstanding program. If you have staff, who are potentially
strong leaders and who wish to become principals or assistant principals at
the elementary, middle, or secondary levels, have them go to this link for
information: http://mespa.org/licensure-program/
9
MESPA 2015 SPRING CONFERENCE
May 27, 28, and 29, 2015
AT THE RESORT AND CONFERENCE CENTER,
HYANNIS, MA
Visit mespa.org for Registration and Conference info
Keynote Speakers:
Nadya Aswad Higgins,
MESPA/MESPEF Executive Director,
is retiring after 36 years.
Let’s make her last Spring Conference
the best ever!
10
Spring, 2015
MESPA/MESPEF Principal View
11