Say Hey, Let’s Talk Say Hey…for the last time as your Executive Director www.gomasa.org 7 As I write this last “Say Hey,” my mind drifts back to the first note I wrote to you 10 years ago as the newly appointed Executive Director. Many of you were not yet superintendents or members of our association; some of you were fresh out of college; and some of you were seasoned vets with a handle on all things educational. I knew that I wanted to share profound thoughts about the important work we all were doing, inspiring you to never forget that it was all about the children—each and every one of them. In that year, monies were good. Raises were still being given, sometimes as high as five and seven percent. Times were financially ok—definitely better than today. The MASA team set out to change the organizational culture by making it a true learning community, ensuring that everything we did helped superintendents and front-line administrators be all about student achievement. We launched the Courageous Journey™ certification and endorsement program—now 18 cohorts strong and growing—for aspiring and experienced superintendents. We introduced executive coaching and expanded our services to new superintendents. Today, our conferences are true working sessions with speakers addressing a common theme. We brought in speakers from the national arena with the newest ideas on instruction and leadership, as well as presenters from our ranks, who were doing great things in their districts. They shared best practices and ideas that worked and could be replicated in different settings across the state. Superintendents joined our Conference Planning Committee to participate with Dan Pappas and crew to make every conference better than the last. With that came new technologies and strategies. The Apple iPad project pushed us into new arenas of “what can be.” It was heady stuff and very exciting. Through it all we endured continual funding cuts and student decline after 2008. I started reminding you to “never, never, never give up” and to remember that somewhere underneath that pile of manure, there was, indeed, a pony. We worked on reforming the system—first, with the Council’s Lead Forward vision and then with the Systemic School Reform Committee. We achieved reforms in tenure, PERA, and healthcare, as well as many tweaked curriculum reforms that helped move Michigan educators forward in this changed world. The work continues with a new leader who will take MASA even further into an even brighter future for public education in Michigan. Thank you for allowing me to be part of this great courageous journey. Thank you for doing the great things you do under difficult circumstances. Thank you for your support for me and the many kind words. And thank you MASA staff for making me look good as your leader and for the great things you have done for children and the members we serve. It has been one wonderful ride. Godspeed and never, never, never give up. By William Mayes, MASA Executive Director
MASA Leader - Spring 2015
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