November 17, 2014 Developing College and Career Ready Graduates Speaker Bios (in order of presentation)

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1 November 17, 2014 Developing College and Career Ready Graduates Speaker Bios (in order of presentation) A Developmental Approach to Preparing College and Career Ready Students Dr. Mandy Savitz- Romer, Harvard University Mandy Savitz- Romer's professional experience has allowed her to link research to practice in the field of school counseling, specifically as it relates to college access and retention for urban students. Before joining the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE), Savitz- Romer was the associate director of the Boston Higher Education Partnership, where she led research, policy and programmatic initiatives focused on promoting college access, readiness and support for Boston Public School students. She previously taught courses in school counseling and postsecondary planning at Boston University. As a former urban school counselor, Savitz- Romer is particularly interested in how schools structure counseling support systems and college planning efforts to reach all students. Her work in promoting academic achievement for Boston students has also included directing various enrichment programs for middle school, high school and first- year college students in the Boston Public Schools, Boston University, Boston College and Simmons College. She is also the co- author of Ready, Willing, and Able: A Developmental Approach to College Access and Success (Harvard Education Press 2012). Savitz- Romer is the director of HGSE's master's program in Prevention Science and Practice (PSP). Her research interests include college access and retention for urban students; early college planning and awareness; school counselor development; K- 16 policies and reform; and school- university partnerships. Breakout Sessions Engaging Parents and Preparing Students for Life After Graduation St. Louis Park High School s Building Assets Reducing Risk program Angela Jerabek, Counselor, St. Louis Park High School Angela Jerabek, M.S., is the Developer of the Building Assets Reducing Risks model, a licensed K- 12 teacher and middle school and high school counselor at St. Louis Park High School in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is an author and nationally known as a speaker and educational innovator. She has developed numerous educational programs and directed evaluation projects in schools across the country. Her expertise and passion lies in high school reform, youth development, school safety, counseling adolescents and families, and data- driven decision making in schools. In 1998, she developed Building Assets, Reducing Risks in St Louis Park High School to combat the problems of failing grades, substance use, truancy, and discipline referrals. Within one year, the course failure rate decreased from 44% down to 28%. It has held at 14% for the last 15 years. Since 1998, she has been refining the model based on current educational research and recording similar outcomes in suburban, rural, 1

2 and urban schools. The model has undergone stringent evaluations including a Randomized Controlled Trial and the results have been shown to be highly statistical significant. Justin Barbeau, Teacher, St. Louis Park High School Justin Barbeau, MA, is the Director of Educator Technical Assistance for the Building Assets, Reducing Risks program and is a licensed 5-12 teacher. In his Director role, he leads a team of experienced educators in providing coaching that maximizes teacher effectiveness and student achievement at schools across the country. He is steadfast in his focus to deliver continuous improvement in the field of education and continues to drive results by leveraging two essential components for reform: relationships and real- time data. St. Paul s College and Career Ready Parent Engagement Program Jon Peterson, Director, Office of College and Career Readiness (OCCR) Jon Peterson has been an urban educator since Jon has worked in both suburban and urban school districts. Currently, Jon serves the Saint Paul Public Schools as the Director of the Office of College and Career Readiness. Tracy Zanitsch, Special Project Coordinator, OCCR Tracy Zanitsch is the Special Project Coordinator for the Office of College and Career Readiness at Saint Paul Public Schools. She is the dreamer, planner, list maker behind the district s new Dream Plan Achieve initiative. Zanitsch draws on the skills and experiences gained through 12+ years in Student Affairs, plus the 10+ years working for Fortune 50 companies. One of her favorite phrases is: plan and do today, for a smooth and effective tomorrow. Tracy has been a featured guest blogger at a blog about school success in Minnesota. Early College and Workforce Development Through Experiential Learning North Suburban Career & College Readiness Consortium Dan Hoverman, Superintendent, Mounds View Public Schools Dan Hoverman s career with Mounds View Public Schools spans 40 years of management experience at all school levels. In 2007, the School Board named him Superintendent. Under his leadership, Hoverman has championed a variety of efforts to enhance the personalization of public school education through innovation and data- driven decision- making that allows Mounds View to consistently rank among the Top 10 highest- performing districts in the state. As Superintendent, Hoverman launched a comprehensive effort aimed at post- secondary success for all students, including an Equity Promise which states that all students will be prepared for success after high school regardless of race, class or disability. Part of this initiative is Mounds View s award- winning, first- of- its- kind Early College program that allows students in the academic middle the opportunity to earn an associate degree on campus for free. Hoverman also spearheaded an effort that enables all District juniors to take the ACT exam onsite, free of charge. The District also has provided every middle and high school student with an online Personal Learning Plan. 2

3 Jeff Ronneberg, Superintendent, Spring Lake Park Schools Jeff Ronneberg, Ed.D has been superintendent of Spring Lake Park Schools since January Spring Lake Park Schools is a growing district in suburban Minneapolis- St. Paul with an enrollment of about 5,700 students from the cities of Blaine, Spring Lake Park, and Fridley. Dr. Ronneberg previously served as Spring Lake Park s assistant superintendent; director of teaching, learning and accountability; and as an elementary principal. Prior to working in Spring Lake Park, he was dean of students at Oak Grove Intermediate School, Bloomington Public Schools; an administrative intern and sixth grade teacher at Oak Point Intermediate School, Eden Prairie Schools; and a teacher in Minneapolis Public Schools. Under Dr. Ronneberg s leadership, Spring Lake Park along with a partnering district received the Minnesota Department of Education s first Innovation Zone designation in Spring Lake Park works in collaboration towards customizing learning and meeting the unique needs of all learners. Dr. Ronneberg led Spring Lake Park to become one of the two largest Twin Cities metro school districts to implement a one- to- one digital learning initiative during the school year. He has been an adjunct instructor at the U of M since 2007, an adjunct professor at Capella University since 2003, and a guest lecturer and instructor at Hamline University, Minnesota State University, St. Cloud State University, and Concordia College. Kent Hanson, President, Anoka- Ramsey Community College Dr. Kent Hanson became President of Anoka- Ramsey Community College, with Campuses in Cambridge and Coon Rapids as well as President of Anoka Technical College, July 1, Previously, Kent served as interim president of Riverland Community College since August He served nine years as provost and vice president for academic and student affairs at Northland Community and Technical College and 12 years at Northwest Technical College, first as radiology program director from and then as health and human services dean from It is most important to note that Dr. Hanson began his career in higher education as a teacher training students to become Radiologic Technicians. And Kent believes that teaching is at the heart of the important work that the college provides. Minnetonka Vantage Program Eric Schneider, Assistant Superintendent Eric Schneider is in his fourth year as Assistant Superintendent for Instruction in Minnetonka Public Schools. In addition to its high levels of student achievement, Minnetonka is a leader in innovation, using crowdsourcing software to identify new solutions that have the potential to improve current programming. Minnetonka has a history of implementing innovative programs, such as its K- 12 language immersion program in both Spanish and Mandarin serving nearly 3,000 students. Minnetonka is also a leader in the use of technology with over 5,000 ipads deployed 1:1 in grades 7 through 12. Last year, Minnetonka launched a new VANTAGE program for profession- based learning, a virtual- learning platform called Tonka Online, and a K- 12 Computer Programming curriculum called Tonka <codes>. Schneider taught English at Patrick Henry HS and was an Assistant Principal at Washburn HS in Minneapolis Public Schools, he served as a Director of Curriculum in Osseo Area Schools, and was the principal of Vintage HS in Napa, CA. Schneider blogs weekly at 3

4 Jeff Erickson, Principal, Minnetonka High School Jeffrey Erickson is the Lead Principal of Minnetonka High School (MHS), a school of 3000 students located in a southwest suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Prior to this role, Jeff taught Spanish for 14 years before becoming an Assistant Principal at MHS and, recently, served as Principal of Mounds View High School. He is bilingual in Spanish and English. Career and Technical Programs: Reducing Drop Out Rates and Supporting Student Achievement District 287 Gateway to College program Rose Hobson, Principal, Gateway to College and Career and Tech Ed Rose Hobson is Principal of Hennepin Gateway to College and Career and Technical Education Programs for Intermediate District 287. Her experience in the field of Career and Technical Education spans thirty years. Beginning as an instructor, she has continued to gain knowledge and expertise through an advanced degree in Career Counseling and Principal licensure. Ms. Hobson is a recognized leader in the field serving as a past Board member of the Minnesota Association of Career and Technical Educators. And, as a District 287 leader, she convenes other area leaders in the field to problem solve current issues facing Career and Technical Education. Anne Runck, Program Facilitator, Brooklyn Park Campus Anne Runck is Program Facilitator of Hennepin Gateway to College for Intermediate District 287 and Hennepin Technical College. Ms. Runck has 30 thirty years experience in Education. She has worked as an instructor in Career and Technical Education, Special Education, Guidance Counselor, AVID Co- District Director and Manager of Alternative Programs. Ms. Runck is a past Board member of Minnesota Association of Alternative Programs. Minneapolis Public Schools: Pathways to Career Readiness Shirley Poelstra, Work Based Learning Coordinator, Edison High School Shirley Poelstra received her Bachelor s degree at South Dakota State University in Business Economics and her Masters at the University of Minnesota in Marketing Education. She has been teaching and managing programs at Thomas Edison High School since Prior to teaching, she has experience in business as a sales representative for ten years and worked for the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce for six years implementing and managing the Voyager Leadership model. She currently serves as the chair of the CTE department and as the Career Experience Coordinator at Thomas Edison High School. Shirley manages the Target ementor program and the Junior Achievement Company of the Year program, where she coached students to advance to three National JA competitions. She is also the recipient of the High School Teacher of the Year Award with Junior Achievement. David Sylvestre, Work Based Learning Coordinator, Patrick Henry High School David Sylvestre received his Bachelor s degree at the University of Minnesota in Film and Video Studies and is currently working on a Master s degree at the University of Minnesota in CTE. He has taught on the Northside of Minneapolis for the past 15 years. David is currently Engineering Department chair at Patrick Henry High School, where he teaches Project Lead the Way Engineering courses and is the Work Based Learning Coordinator. In his role as lead 4

5 advisor for Henry s FIRST robotics team, David has supported students to advance to International Championship five out of the last seven years. Through his educational work with Engineering, he has built strong business partnerships with Boston Scientific, Medtronic, and General Mills. Barbara Pederson, Work Based Learning Coordinator, Roosevelt High School Barb Pederson graduated from the College of St. Scholastica with majors in Home Economics and Family Life Education. She received her Masters of Education from the University of Minnesota, Duluth. Her Career and Technical Education (CTE) experiences have included rural, suburban and urban school settings, with students ranging from third grade to adult. She is currently the Work Based Learning coordinator and the International Baccalaureate Career Certificate coordinator at Roosevelt High School, a position she has held for six years. Barb has worked for the Minneapolis Public Schools since 1989 in a variety of positions developing business and educational partnerships in many career areas. Pathways to Postsecondary Paula Palmer, Director, Career and College Success, MN Department of Education As Director of Career and College Success, Paula Palmer leads the postsecondary internal operations section of the department, which administers Adult Basic Education, Career Technical Education, Online Learning, and High School Initiatives. She directs the research, development, implementation and evaluation of state secondary and postsecondary strategic initiatives to help Minnesota secondary schools improve the educational achievement of students and ensure their readiness for, and success in college and/or career. Prior to her appointment, Ms. Palmer was the Minneapolis Public Schools Coordinator of Advanced Course Programming. She also worked as a consultant educator for the International Baccalaureate of Americas. With over thirty years of experience as an educator, Ms. Palmer has worked at the elementary, secondary and district levels in the area of curriculum and instruction. Panel Discussion: Creating the World s Best Workforce Superintendent Dan Hoverman, Mounds View Public Schools (see above) Commissioner Brenda Cassellius, Minnesota Department of Education Dr. Brenda Cassellius has been an educator for more than 24 years, working as a paraprofessional, classroom teacher, administrator and school superintendent in K- 12 systems both in Minnesota and Tennessee. Dr. Brenda Cassellius was appointed Minnesota s Education Commissioner in January Over the past three years, Dr. Cassellius has delivered on Governor Dayton's 7- point Plan, Better Schools for a Better Minnesota; which puts a sharp focus on early learning, third grade reading, high school graduation and the elimination of achievement gaps. She s played a key role in providing better funding for our schools, working with the governor and the legislature to enact historic investments for all- day kindergarten, early childhood education, third grade literacy and special education funding reform. Dr. Cassellius has been instrumental in the national attention Minnesota has received for its education reform efforts, as one of the first states to secure a waiver from the No Child Left Behind Law and for successfully securing key funding from the US Department of Education, including the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge Grant, Charter School Replication Grant and many additional partnership grants. 5

6 Senator Terri Bonoff, Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Division Chair Senator Terri Bonoff represents Senate District 44, which includes northern parts of Minnetonka, much of Plymouth, and Woodland. She began her legislative career by winning the Senate seat in a special election on November 22, In November 2012, Sen. Bonoff won re- election to the Minnesota Senate for the third time. She serves as Chair of the Higher Education/Workforce Development committee; Jobs, Agriculture, and Rural Development; the E- 12 Budget Division; and the Legacy subcommittee. Her special legislative interests include education policy and finance reform, state government redesign, and business and commerce issues. A graduate of Clark University, Worcester, MA, and a former marketing executive at both Tonka Toys and Navarre Corporation. After 18 years in business, Bonoff retired to be with her four teenage children. Prior to joining the Senate, she served as a Minnetonka Planning Commissioner, was President of Babe Ruth Baseball, a guide at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and served on other local boards. Commissioner Larry Pogemiller, MN Office of Higher Education Larry Pogemiller was appointed Commissioner of the Minnesota Office of Higher Education (OHE) by Governor Mark Dayton in November, Prior to becoming Commissioner, Pogemiller had a distinguished career in the Minnesota State Senate, representing a Minneapolis District for 30 years. Pogemiller served as Senate Majority Leader from 2007 to 2010, after having previously served as chair of the Senate Tax and Senate Education Committees. OHE is a cabinet level state agency that provides students with financial aid programs to help them gain access to postsecondary education. The agency also serves as the state's clearinghouse for data, research and analysis on postsecondary enrollment, financial aid, finance and policy trends. It administers up to $150 million dollars in need- based grants to Minnesota residents attending eligible institutions in Minnesota and manages the Minnesota student loan program (SELF). Dave Adney, Executive Director, MN Association of Secondary School Principals David Adney is the Executive Director of MASSP. Dave moved to the position in July, 2013, after 37 years in public education, the last 10 years as principal at Minnetonka High School. Dave is a national and international presenter on a wide variety of educational topics including assessment, innovation, international studies and leadership. Dave has served as an assistant professor for Saint Mary s University for the past six years and was the 2011 Hennepin Division Principal of the Year. 6