MASPA Roundtables
Private, small-group conversations for school members in August and September, 2020
July 30, 2020
One of the most valuable resources to any one person is the network of colleagues that they can call on for consultation, comparison, and sharing common experiences. The occasional events and email groups supported by MASPA and the State Negotiators help peers to connect but we think that there is a more that can be done in these extraordinary weeks surrounding the start of the 20-21 school year.
As guidance rolls-out and operations get under way, numerous new and unanticipated challenges are expected. To help the network of school administrators respond, a new benefit has been created for dues-paying members of MASPA and State Negotiators.
For the months of August and September, 2020, MASPA will host weekly Roundtable meetings. Participants in these sessions will spend the majority of the meeting time in small group breakout rooms of 3 to 5 school administrators. The purpose of the small group format is to allow for confidential and inclusive conversation giving individuals the opportunity to bring specific scenarios to the table with peers from other districts. The small group breakout time will be "bookended" with facilitated large group sharing of information.
MASPA Roundtable meetings are not a replacement to the regular schedule of State Negotiators meetings.
Each Roundtable will be scheduled for 60 minutes from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. and will be held Thursday or Friday. The first meeting is 8/6.
Because the purpose of the Roundtables is to provide peer-to-peer collaboration opportunity, attendance will be restricted to dues-paying school members of MASPA or State Negotiators, attorneys from legal firm business members, and select representatives from partner organizations.
Schedule of RoundtablesClick the date to register. If you're not currently a dues-paying member you can upgrade for the 20-21 membership year and attend all meetings. Thursday, August 6 Friday, August 14 Thursday, August 20 Friday, August 28 | MASPA Roundtable meeting structurePre-meeting activities
Day of meeting
Questions & AnswersWho can participate?
Do other Business Members have any way of participating in these meetings? While the eligibility for live participation limits access, Business members will have the opportunity to place approved messages with the delivery of the sessions. Placements can be arranged with the MASPA Coordinator. How long will the Roundtables be scheduled? The initial plan is to schedule weekly sessions through August and September, 2020. The MASPA Board will periodically review the performance of the sessions to determine any changes to schedule within and beyond those first couple of months. How is the success of the Roundtable session determined?
Is there a drop-in option for non-dues-paying members? No. The operational cost of invoicing and collecting check payments prevents this. Guests of dues-paying members may be added at the time the member registers.
How do participants sign-up to participate? All meetings are posted at https://mnaspa.org/events. Registration for members and guests is done through that site. An email invitation will be sent to eligible participants three days prior to each event.
Will recordings be mode available if a member cannot attend? No. The value of the Roundtable is in the many peer-to-peer conversations that will happen simultaneously. These conversations involve smaller groups and are more intimate than would be appropriate for replay out of context.
How will breakout rooms be determined? Each breakout room will have 4 to 6 participants. Participants will be assigned based on the following priorities: (1) common topic interest, then (2) similarity in geographic location, then (3) similarity in organization size. |