The Horace Mann League of the USA
Minutes of Board Meeting on March 4, 2025
Draft version
Kevin Riley, President-elect, called the meeting to order.
Present: Kevin Riley, Jeanne Collins-Deweese, Ruben Alejandro, Maria Armstrong, Martin Brooks, Martha Bruckner, Matt Krise, Carl Hermanns, Jimmy Minichello, and Jack McKay.
Minutes of October 31, 2024 and January 16, 2025
1. Motion Carl Hermanns, second by Martha Bruckner, that the minutes of October 31, 2024 and January 16, 2025, be Approved. Passed
The Consent Agenda
The League’s Democracy Conference (See Attachment #1.)
2. Motion by Martin Brooks, second by Maria Armstrong, that the ‘Consent Agenda” be accepted. Passed
Action Items
Proposed 2025 Budget be Approved.
Actual 2024 Formula Proposed 2025
Beg. Balance $ 6,637.00 $4,126.01
Regular $ 17,124.00 125 * $175 $ 21,875.00
Retired $ 5,380.00 100*$90 $ 9,000.00
Annual Mtg $ 2,457.00 $ –
Donations $ 2,667.00 $ 2,000.00
Corporate $ 10,424.00 $ 5,000.00
Total Revenue $ 44,689.00 $42,001.01
Saving Bal. $ 4126.00
Budget Area Actual 2024 Proposed,2025
Supplies $ 122.81 $ 1,000.00
Postage $ 807.91 $ 1,000.00
Printing $ 369.36 $ 1,000.00
Exec. Dir $ 14,000.00 $ 12,000.00
IRS – State $ 109.98 $ 1,000.00
Annual Mtg $ 14,896.84 $ –
HML Post $ 6,400.00 $ 2,400.00
Summer Bd $ –
Subscriptions $ 291.28 $ 300.00
Technology $ 3,177.18 $ 3,000.00
Bank fees $ 387.63 $ 500.00
$ 40,562.99 $ 22,200.00
Demo Conf. $ 18,056.00
TOTAL $ 40,562.99 $ 40,256.00
Ending balance $ 4,126.01 $ 1,745.01
Savings $ 3,097.60
Total Assets $7,223.61
3. Motion by Carl Hermanns, seconded by Martin Brooks, that the proposed revenues and expenditures for 2025 be approved. Passed
By-Law Rewording be Approved? Carl Hermanns
The Horace Mann League exists to perpetuate the ideals of Horace Mann, the founder of the American public school system. The League believes that the public school system of the United States is an indispensable agency for perpetuating the ideals of our democracy and a most necessary identifying and dynamic influence in American life.
Our public schools should be free, classless, non-sectarian, and open to all children of all people. The public schools should be dominated by elevate and advance such purposes that will ensure the preparation of children and youth for effective democratic citizenship. in our democracy.
4. Motion by Carl Hermanns, seconded by Jeanne Collins, that the by-law changes be approved. Passed.
Nominations Committee Recommendations (See attachment #4 for updated terms.)
5. Motion by Martin Brooks, seconded by Jeanne Collins-Deweese that following officers be approved for one-year terms. Passed
President: Dr. Kevin Riley, Associate Professor, University of Nebraska-Omaha
President-Elect, Dr. Gregg Furstenau, Supt. of Schools (Ret.), Litchfield, IL
Vice President, Dr, Carl Hermanns, Professor of Leadership, ASU
Past President: Dr. Brent Clark,. Executive Director of the IL Assoc of School Admin.
6. Motion by Carl Hermanns, seconded by Kevin Riley that the following be reappointed to three-year terms: Brian Schmidt, Martha Bruckner, Martin Brooks, and Jimmy Minichello. Passed
7. Motion by Jeanne Collins, seconded by Carl Hermanns, that the following be appointed to three-year-terms of the Board: Passed
Dr. Toba Cohen-Dunning, Exec. Dir. Fundraising, Omaha Public Schools (NE)
Ms. Jeanne Collins-Deweese, Former Exec. Dir. of HML, Ret. Supt. (VT)
Mr. Tobin Novasio, Superintendent, Hardin School Districts 17H & 1, Billing, (MT)
Dr. Theresa Rouse, Supt, Joliet Schools, (IL)
Dr. Jerry Thacker, Supt. Penn-Harris-Madison School, Mishawaka, (IN)
Dr. Louis N, Wool, Ed.D., Supt of School, Harrison Central School District (NY)
Proposed 2025 Membership Recruitment. (See attachment #1)
8. Motion by Jeanne Collins-Deweese, seconded by Martha Bruckner, that the proposed recruitment ideas and strategies presented be approved at the June Boar Meeting. Passed
Host a “special topics” Conference in 2026
9. Motion by Jeanne Collins-Deweese, seconded by Carl Hermanns, that Matt Krise and Maria Armstrong develop a proposal for hosting a special topic conference for the next board meeting. Passed
Host an Annual Luncheon Meeting with AASA
9. Motion to table. Passed
League Accept the Proposed 2025 Corporate Plan
10. Motion to table. Passed
League be Involved in Future League Publications
11. Motion to table. Passed
Position of Interim Executive Director be Filled
12. Moved by Kevin Riley, seconded by Martin Brooks, that Jack
McKay be appointed “Interim” Executive Director, starting February 6, 2025, for an estimated six months, (through August 2025), at a monthly compensation of $1,000 per month. Passed
Executive Director Search Committee Plan
Motion to table. Passed
League be Engaged in the Educators for Safe Schools Initiative. (See attachment #1:
13. Motion by Jeanne Collins-Deweese, seconded by Carl Hermanns, to have the League support and promote the Safe Schools Initiative.
Position Paper on the Elimination of the U.S. Department of Education
14. Motion to table. Passed
League’s Board Approve Future Meetings
Summer Board mtg: Thursday, June 19th, noon Eastern
Fall Board meeting: Thursday, October 16th at Noon Eastern
Winter Board Meeting: Thursday, February 12th at 2:00 Eastern in Nashville
15. Motion by Martha Bruckner, Jeanne Collins-Deweese to approve the future Board Meeting dates. Passed.
16. Motion by Martin Brooks, seconded by Jeanne Collins-Deweese to adjourn the meeting. Passed.
Submitted by Jack McKay
Interim Executive Director
To Do:
1. Welcome orientation of new board members
2. Promote podcast names and topics in Post
3. Promote nomination of colleagues in Post
4. Krise and Armstrong to develop proposal for special topics conference
Create agenda for next board meeting: June 19, 2025
Welcome new board members – Kevin riley and Jack McKay
Update on board engagement and expectations – Kevin riley
Special topics conference – Krise and Armstrong
AASA Annual Luncheon in 2025 – Kevin Riley
Support of US Dept. of Education – Ray Sanchez
Update on Recruitment plan for 2025 – Jeanne Collins
Update on search for Executive Director – Kevin Riley
Future League publications – David Berliner
Progress on Corporate sponsors for 2025 – Matt Krise
Update on membership and donations – Jack McKay
Update on revenues and expenditures -= Jack McKay
Attachment #1. Review of the League’s Democracy Conference
With the HML Board’s consent at, a member engagement plan was proposed. The plan was to hold a conference on “Democracy in Education” in February 2025, in South Carolin, with the anticipated 30-40 attendees. After some hesitancy by some board members, it was assured that the conference would be underwritten by corporate donations if registrations were below expectations. With Board consent, agreements were made for lodging and presenters. A contract was signed with Renaissance Hotel in Charleston, SC., with an initial obligation of $23,316. (lodging, meals, reception, AV assistance, presenter’s travel, etc.)
Throughout November and December, it was apparent that there would be a shortall in registrations and possibly, corporate support.
A special meeting of the officers was called to consider alternatives of canceling, postponing, or going ahead the Conference. With further meetings with the hotel, it was found that the League was not able to void the contract and canceling would be more expensive that holding the Conference. It was also assured by the conference planners that corporate partners would still be available to offset the hotel costs.
The following chart displays revenues and contracted expenditures.
Source Revenues Expenditure Expenditure
Ripple Effects $7,400.00 Total room, tax and incidental charges $4,305.84
UNIDOS
OPS foundation $2,500.00 Catering, technology, room rental with fees $20,532.74
Registrations $1,990.00 Misc. hotel charges (unused nights) $1,149.00
credit card fees $222.00 Credit card fee charged by hotel $551.00
Presenter travel $2,820.82
Misc. expenses (tips, hotel, etc) $251.00
Awards: Friend of League, Friend of Public Ed $471.39
Totals $12,112.00 $30,081.79
Shortfall: rev – exp. -$17,969.79 $15,636.05 actual
Per the hotel contract, the League has an outstanding obligation of -$17,969.79
Current assets (as of January 28, 2025), approximately $3,000 in checking and $5,000 in savings. Paying off the incurred debt with checking and savings would leave a balance of minus $6,000. To avoid credit card debt at a relatively high interest rate, the following alternative are suggested:
1. Solicit board members and members to donate funds to cover the debt.
2. Solicit board members to loan funds, to be paid back within two years.
3. Arrange a bank loan for the amount to be paid back in two years.
4. Continue the debt balance with American Express and pay off with two years. The primary source of funds to pay off the debt would be membership dues.
Atttachment #2Horace Mann League Membership Recruitment Proposal
Jeanné Collins Deweese, Former Executive Director
March 4, 2025
In my two years as Executive Director, I had many ideas on membership recruitment, not all of which I was able to put into place as the task was daunting. Membership recruitment should be the focus of the entire board, not just the Executive Director. It is crucial to our success as an association but requires a great deal of work to make happen. Below are recommendations I bring for discussion with the full Board.
Target audience
• Current and retired superintendents
• District administration, especially those aspiring to superintendency
• Higher education professors, researchers and graduate students
• All state association leaders
• Other association leaders of any associations of similar bend as HML
Recruitment Strategies
o Personalized Outreach – o Have board members personally invite 5-10 potential candidates each year and provide information on the League’s impact. However, this
should not be an obstacle to being on the board as there may be other ways board members can contribute. o Connect with state association leaders, working with Brent Clark, to reach out to all state association leaders and ask for their help in nominating 10 per state annually for existing superintendents and to nominate all new superintendents per year. Brent does this exceptionally well, often netting 30 new names a year.
o Establish an Ambassador from membership in states where the state association does not wish to participate and support HML.
▪ *Note, if we get 10 members per state per year, we would go up by
100 members per year, likely to generate an increase of $10000 to $17500 in revenue each year. That is not minimal and should be a priority process to garner new members
o Do the same at higher ed- Is there a similar connection for higher education? o Strategic Partnerships o Collaborate with like-minded organizations to reach potential members.
o Identified Partnerships o Offer membership to all HML award winners. I recommend a complimentary membership their first year as part of their recognition and then billed renewal dues after that. o Offer membership to all state supts of the year each year. To do this, it is best to buy the list of all supts with email addresses that is available at a cost of $500 annually o Member Referral Program – Use the POST and renewal letters to encourage current members to invite colleagues. This has worked well in the last year. Consider an incentive for referrals, such as bring in two members to get your next year’s dues reduced or free
o Enhance Online Presence – Strengthen our website and social media platforms to highlight membership benefits.
o Engagement /Networking Opportunities o Continue annual luncheon and reception at AASA
o Offer annual Conference on Democracy in Education. Keep it under 100 invited attendees to keep it a networking conference
o Increase our presence at key educational events to introduce our mission and recruit members
o With Amabassadors in states, have them attend state meetings and share information about being a member of HML
o Connect annually with Lifetime members to thank them, provide updates and seek donations or other commitment of support
Membership Categories o Review membership categories and consider the higher ed category in particular- it seems inordinately low. Perhaps raise to $75?
o Offer a 6 month complimentary membership for a trial period after assuming the nominee has access to an employer who will pay dues. In other words, assume payment but in the letter offer a 6 month complimentary if a trial period is requested.
o Provide complimentary membership for one year to HML award winners and to supts of the year
o Develop a district level membership at a higher rate, such as $500 for up to three members of a district. Each of those would get a renewal letter for individual dues or to create a district membership.
Outreach methods:
• Send renewals by mail with an advance email (through Constant Contact) that tells member to watch for the mailed letter and how to renew online. This is a proven strategy (mail plus email contact) to get attention better than just mail or email alone can.
• May/June reminders to members to let us know of position/address changes
• Use the POST to periodically encourage nominations
Key Messaging –
• The communication inviting new members should list benefits and values of the League, including the Post, annual luncheon, conference if we have one, podcasts, Champions of Education recognition and ability to network with others who believe in public education as a cornerstone of democracy. If we add benefits such as the discounted coaching services and white papers, they should be included. See sample renewal letter as a base line.
• Public education is under assault and the country is being stratified by the use of private vouchers. This must be called out and emphasized. Being a member of HML means being a part of a network of professionals who see the dangers in this and believe in providing a quality public education for all students. Education is a public good, not a private good.
Attachment #2: Should the League be Engaged in the Educators for Safe Schools Initiative? Martin Brooks
(We began when a small group of retired New York superintendents began discussing school safety. They then connected with U.S. Senator Chris Murphy’s office and wrote this position paper. Our position is that simply hardening schools is insufficient. Mental health services are imperative in combating the scourge of school violence.
Contact: Dr. Martin Brooks, retired Executive Director of the Tri-State Education Consortium.)
Five children were murdered and 25 others wounded in a Stockton, California, school in 1989 – needless tragedies that were just the first link in a long chain of horror. As current and former school leaders across America, we have no unique wisdom about the larger forces that created this reality. However, we do have expert views on making schools safe places where children learn without fear.
Predictably, incidents of school gun violence lead to calls to harden facilities and add security. Challenging experience demonstrates that such measures are insufficient.
Action is essential on three fronts: school community and student support. First, Problems—safety issues, disaffection, absenteeism—are less likely when children feel connected, known, and cared about. Robust mental health services, social skills, counseling support, adviser groups, and similar activities build a sense of community. The positive results of such strategies are measurable.
Second, more focused action is also necessary. While activities like these are essential, they are insufficient to keep children safe today. For example:
• Funding research on gun violence and methods of prevention
• Improving ways to identify and help children who perpetrate violence
• Providing counseling services for parents whose children are at risk
• Supporting professional and staff efforts to prevent gun violence in schools
• Holding parents responsible for children’s illegal use of firearms
• Generating positive local dialogue about how to engage and support all students.
Third are more politically tricky initiatives: universal background checks, firearms licensing, and registration. Restricting firearms possession for specific categories of people (the mentally ill, e.g.) and limiting access to assault-style automatic weapons.
Not everyone must embrace all these efforts, but finding common ground and summoning the political will to move forward is essential.
Schools must offer the young a deep, rich education in environments that nurture them. Yet, we’ve watched with horror for decades as hundreds of innocent children and adults have been gunned down.
We remember better times when tragedies like these were unimaginable. Thoughtful policies and practical, evidence-based strategies can help make them safe places of learning again. We will work to that end with individuals and groups who share our mission.
#4. Updated terms for 2025
2024 2025 2026
Brent Clark Kevin Riley Gregg Fuerstenau
Kevin Riley Gregg Fuerstenau
Gregg Fuerstenau Carl Hermanns
Bill Mathis Brent Clark Kevin Riley
Maria Armstrong (1) Maria Armstrong (2) Maria Armstrong (3)
Jeanne Deweese Jack McKay (interim)
1 David Berliner (2) David Berliner (3)
2 Ruben Alajandro (1) Ruben Alajandro (2) Ruben Alajandro (3)
Carl Hermanns (1) Jeanne Deweese (1) Jeanne Deweese (2)
4 Brian Schmidt (3) Brian Schmidt (1) Brian Schmidt (2)
5 Martha Bruckner (3) Martha Bruckner (1) Martha Bruckner (2)
6 Brooke-Olsen (2*) Toba C-Dunning, (1) Toba C-Dunning, (2)
7 Linda DHammond (1) Dr. Jerry Thacker. (1) Dr. Jerry Thacker. (2)
8 Martin Brooks (1) Martin Brooks (2) Martin Brooks (3)
9 Roxann Caserio (1) Roxann Caserio (2) Roxann Caserio (3)
10 Matt Krise (2) Matt Krise (3)
11 Jimmy Minichello (3) Jimmy Minichello (1) Jimmy Minichello (2)
12 Jack McKay (2) Dr. Theresa Rouse (1) Dr. Theresa Rouse (2)
13 Lisa Parady (3) Dr. Louis N, Wool (1) Dr. Louis N, Wool (2)
14 Andi Fourlis (3)* Mr. Tobin Novasio (1) Mr. Tobin Novasio (2)
15 Ray Sanchez (1) Ray Sanchez (2) Ray Sanchez (3)
16 Kathy Hurley (1) Kathy Hurley (2) Kathy Hurley (3)
Honorary Linda D. Hammond