NNER Dec. 4-5, 2009 Executive Board Meeting Agenda

NNER Dec. 4-5, 2009 Executive Board Meeting Agenda
Present: Ada Beth Cutler, Nick Michelli, Deb Shanley, Greg Bernhardt, Jean Eagle, Leslie Wilson, Ann Foster
CUNY Graduate Center, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY  10016.
1:00 -5:00 Friday, December 4
9:00-3:00 Saturday, December 5
Pease note that you will need a photo ID to get into the Graduate Center

1) Budget update and adoption of 2010 budget

The executive board asked that the 2009 Audit be scheduled in Feb.  after AACTE in conjunction with filing the 990.
Nick will get information on conference call service via cell phone as a communication option for group meetings.
Greg suggested that the board consider executive director long term compensation.
Adoption of 2010 budget . The budget remains at $130,000 for operations.
Travel and support line item for setting renewal and support for new leadership were adjusted to account for needs in other categories.
The NNER will cover executive director health benefits costs of $250 monthly.

2) Conferences

a) 2009 review of evaluations

Group reviewed the evaluation, expressed appreciation to the planning committee and will continue to work to engage new comers to ensure that  the NNER conference is inclusive while keeping the mission as the focus. Evaluations were generally positive however, there were only 90 respondents.

b) 2010 conference update

• Molly Munson-Dryer participated in the conversation regarding the2010 conference and Bryan Burgin’s proposals for conference organization.

The 2010 conference to be held in Normal. Ill, planning is progressing, the hotel contract is signed, save the date information is out, the  brochure will go out in Feb. with the call for proposals. Submissions will be due in March. The theme will be Realizing the Democratic Ideal. Greg Michie is confirmed as a major speaker. The board proffered suggestions for possible additional speakers including Vicky Choo ( be sure she has the context for an NNER related talk), Teach like your Hair’s on Fire, Milton Chen (Edutopia),  student voice (Little Village). Other suggestions included:  federal policy  was determined as critical to the policy strand.  Nick Michelli agreed to serve as a possible policy speaker, the committee was asked to consider panels of NNER leaders who can address RTT from different state perspectives and school leaders who can address federal policy impact on practice, school policy, and focus.  Jon Cohen’s work was also suggested as possible inclusion.  The board is mindful of the balance between expenditures and speaker possibilities.
Molly will send the committee meeting notes to the executive board.

The board suggested that just as the 2009 planners did, food costs should be kept as low as possible so that the limited funds can be used for other conference costs.
The tripartite council chairs discussed the meeting format and will look into scheduling the session making the best use of time for participants. This year’s session evaluations were positive on structure and content.

• Review Burgin’s proposal for NNER conferences

NNER/NAPDS connected conferences

There was agreement that the two conferences are very different in terms of  academic focus and attention to the NNER  mission. The board emphasized that the purpose for the conference is continued advancement of the mission. Connecting the NNER conference to the NAPDS conference was not seen as viable for two reasons; it would be subsumed by the larger and more general NAPDS sessions and adding additional days would result in low attendance as the timeframe is too long for people to be away. Additionally, co-planning would be logistically difficult.

NNER host at destination areas instead of setting host at local setting locations; the board reviewed this and determined that the conference should continue to celebrate unique qualities and the work done locally and be hosted at settings. Deb and Ann will contact Bryan with the board’s reply.
The board proffered an alternative possibility for collaboration. A day long intensive, interactive session preceding or following the NAPDS conference was suggested, aimed at  people attending the conference to learn more about the NNER, explore membership or deepen their understanding of the work.

c) 2011, 2012 conference locations

UCONN, CUNY, NE, CO, WY, UTEP  were discussed as possible settings for future conferences. Ann and Deb will contact these settings.  Dennis will raise the suggestion of a multiple setting hosted conference in the western region to the western group (CO, NE, WY)

3) Reading the Tea Leaves: US Federal Policy on Education and Implications for the NNER

Nick presented a ppt that overviewed the current administration’s focus on university teacher education and teacher preparation. The board expressed the need for the NNER be creative and detailed in getting information out on the unique work going on in the network in two areas as follows:
 
External: NNER governing council will explore options for NNER settings to produce creative ways to get the word out to a larger external audience on the partnership work.  Marketing is the issue not academic messages, discussion included the need to show students, hear their voice, see them in action. As an example have students using Flip “tell” their stories. Community members’ stories would also be valuable.

Internal:  Blog, Nick will facilitate a blog using the information he shared at the meeting.  Dennis will help Nick set up the blog.

4) New member recruitment

a) Review Carol’s document and the new setting recruitment recommendations from Randy’s group

b) Support materials for settings and those interested in joining

• Pod cast-Montclair  will look into producing one. NNER Today is being well received and used throughout the network.  In addition, Deb will check with a faculty member at Brooklyn College,  offer a  2k stipend  from the funds set aside for initiatives for a pod cast that explains the NNER mission using actual practice examples form higher education and schools. She and Ann will write up a proposal with clear expectations and set the expectations.
• Other materials—It was agreed that the current membership information sends a mixed message of inviting membership and monitoring new members. It needs to be made more invitational and include support and interaction with NNER members.
• Individual membership should be explored.
• Full day institute at NSPDS 2011 was suggested—(see above)
• Take the show on the road to other locations, pilot some forms of this; regional leadership associates to introduce the work.
• Recruitment of the eight settings listed in Dennis’ document was reviewed and none appear ready to join at this time, the board will follow up with the potential new settings.

Ft Hays update was added by Dennis. He will follow-up.

5) Summer symposium

• July 19-22 in Seattle

Ann will send out last year’s agenda for review and board member decisions on topics. Need books and materials ordered in early spring. Applications out by Feb and back asap,  March if possible. Dennis will do the online portion again and will examine ways cut back on material and focus on the overall content as well as nurturing pedagogy. Look at multi media rather than a large number of books and emphasize the importance of the online work.

Registration will $750 with 20 participant minimum. We will need confirmation by April to hold the session.

6) Feb Governing Council meeting agenda

• Board member outreach at AACTE meeting, Feb. 18, 1:00-4:00. Individuals will meet with colleagues in potential settings.
• Executive board  will meet at 11:30 for lunch and work on the summer symposium prior to the governing council meeting.

7) Expert panel report reviews

Will come to the GC for action to enact things that are critical to our work. 
Ada Beth will have the recommendations summarized for sending to the GC members along with the full reports.

• A&S deans-chaired by Ron Cambra

Report out Leslie Wilson (NNER and setting actions)

• Strong recommendation for A&S and Education to work together, most of issues focus on lack of mutual respect for each other’s work
• To do (and is happening) Education and A&S collaboration on grants through the Goodlad Institute
• UTEP as a model of bridging A&S and Education
• Role for NNER as a facilitator of ways to bridge the differences
• NNER conference is not a key conference for A&S attendance
• Letter to John Skillings to A&S deans with information on the journal.  Add to the journal editorial board members’ titles.
• Can we schedule a joint meetings of A&S and education deans?
• Education deans-chaired by Ada Beth Cutler

Actions: 

• *Communication options: Deliberate gatherings for education deans: Social network ,establish  internal expert bank, have space to get together at NNER gatherings, (needs a chief worrier).
• New NNER rituals like state of the network speech, awards,
• More expert visits
• Organize more initiatives around specific issues
• Have a convener to bring people together at other meetings i.e. policy as related to the NNER mission, bring together the RTTT proposals and respond

*Major session, Panel of deans from different areas to address policy at the 2010 conference

• Share information on a more ongoing basis and in more depth, be more welcoming at the GC meeting
• Plan for succession
• Take responsibility to get information out and encourage participation
• Teacher Educators-chaired by Nick Michelli

Action:

• Intentionality-survey
• Outstanding dissertation award that focuses on the AED
• Job fair, face-to-face or virtual
• Continue the work
• Special Education-chaired by Elizabeth Kozleski
• Settings that have expertise in special ed explore grants to support inclusive.
• Symposium that includes regular ed and special educators to continue the work.
• Superintendents-chaired by Jim Lowham

Actions:

• Create external wording for the NNER; partnerships, democracy, better schools, invest in the future by supporting teachers and students
• Symposium for conversation on special topics (similar to deans) and philosophical underpinnings of the work—the NNER is not a program it is what we do
• Local contact is important, send materials on the NNER and AED to supt. in their settings
• Community Engagement-chaired by Dennis Potthoff, Cori Mantle-Bromley, Mona Bailey

Actions:

• Add to Feb. agenda; We put equity front and center and we want to do this for community as well.  Add something to the annual report related to community engagement.
• Summit of a few settings that are focusing on community engagement
• Produce something for thought related to the NNER’s vision of community engagement: what is community, communities, engagement, role in the formal and informal NNER structures and work, local, broader, examples of communities i.e. school community, neighborhoods, university, departments within institutions.
• Elevate the status of this issue.
• The tripartite council work on this.
• For Feb: recommend that the group continues, discuss the rubric development or a process for gauging progress.

• GLBT- chaired by Tina Jacobowitz

Actions:

• Group wants to continue with a reconstituted equity committee and special ed task force as subcommittees of the group (see report)
• Settings can use the report as a resource
• Collaborate with Groundspark
• Add the resources to the web page
• Recommend continuation of the expert panels in 2010 in some format
• New setting recruitment-see above.

Compensation

Greg  moved to: make the executive director’s base salary  60,000 with$ 69,600 in the operating budget for benefits with the understanding that the total budget will remain at 130k.
Motion passed;
Action: Reorganize the dollar amounts on the various categories as needed. Drop the setting travel  as discussed earlier to accommodate the salary increase and remain at $130,000 yearly operating budget.

Meeting adjourned 11:30 a.m.

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