The Orono School district enjoyed a consulting relationship with the Center for Engaged Leadership. The Center designed and completed the analysis of our community engagement project. The results were outstanding. The presentation they offered as a summative of the results was detailed and informative. It was interesting to get a wise outside perspective. The research and professionalism of this Center is top notch and we are grateful for their assistance.
Karen Orcutt, Ed.DAs part of our school improvement process, our school district desired to improve the effectiveness of our Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). The Center for Engaged Leadership along with KSP Professional Development provided us with people who had the expertise to train and support our staff to improve our students' achievement through high functioning PLCs. We would highly recommend using the Minnesota State University Mankato Center for Engaged Leadership.
Ed WaltmanI was fortunate to be a participant in the Exemplary Leader Learning Community sponsored by the Center for Engaged Leadership, Minnesota State University Mankato. The leader learning community afforded me the opportunity to work with a cohort of superintendents to address key issues we face in the leadership role in our school districts. As a cohort we set the agenda for our meetings which led to study and discussion of current issues. Dr. Jean Haar and Dr. Jerry Robicheau provided guidance to our cohort and assisted in locating resources on various topics and leadership in our discussion. Assignments were given that guided and directed our studies that were pertinent to the problems and challenges superintendents face in their job.
I had been a superintendent for only a short period of time when I participated in the leadership learning community. The learning community sessions provided valuable assistance in my continued learning process that increased my knowledge base and skills. I continue to have contact with others in the cohort. They are an ongoing resource when issues arise that I wish to receive some feedback or to ascertain what other districts may be doing in similar circumstances. It was a great learning experience and I would highly recommend the leadership learning community experience.
Harlow C. HansonMy participation in the Center for Engaged Leadership has been one of the highlights of my educational journey and my career as a student and a practitioner. As a student in a cohort program for the superintendency, I thought that my participation would be tedious, considering the fact that I am already busy, but the professors made it conducive for me to continue in the program despite my busy schedule. The most important part was the learning that occurred as a result of my participation in the program. Every experience that I, as well as other members of my cohort, brought to the table was appreciated, valued and expanded. More importantly, I was quite impressed with the seminar, hands–on approach of the program. We learned from and with practicing practitioners in the field. We saw the "ins and outs" of the superintendency both practically and theoretically. The well–rounded experience is certainly a plus, and I feel like I will be going into the field with years and years of experience!
Dr. Fatima T. Lawson, Ph.D.At Sibley East one of our value statements reads, "We envision a school in which everyone participates in creating a positive and stimulating environment." During the past school year, Minnesota State University Center for Engaged Leadership facilitated a strategic planning process within our district. I was extremely pleased with the positive and stimulating environment that was created by our facilitators during their discussions with community members and faculty.
John LangenbrunnerThe Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial school board and administration are very pleased with the guidance and support that Dr. Haar and Dr. Robicheau provided in the development of the strategic plan for the school district.
Dr. Haar and Dr. Robicheau work well as a team. We were impressed with the way they interviewed focus groups to gain a realistic perception regarding the school district. They had the ability to ask structured questions of the focus group members that later led to the development of common themes. These themes became the core focus of each of the selected strategies in the planning process.
Their strength in working with large groups is outstanding. They were able to bring together diverse groups of staff and district residents to develop a consensus on the final core focus areas that included an action plan, resources needed, responsibility and desired outcomes. Everyone involved believed their opinion was valuable and understood. The committee agreed that the selected core focuses reflected the views of the majority of participants. We now have an ongoing living document of adopted strategies for the Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial school district.
Les Norman