February 12, 2026 Board Meeting

Minutes of the February 12, 2026, Board Meeting

Present: President: Dr. Carl Hermanns, Ret. Clinical Professor, Arizona State Univ.
President-elect: Ms. Jeanne Deweese, Ret. Supt of schools, VT
Vice President:  Ms. Toba Cohen-Dunning, Exec. Dir. Foundation, Omaha Public Schools (NE)
Past President:  Dr. Kevin Riley, Ret. Supt of Schools & Assoc. Prof., Ed. Ad., U. of NE-Omaha
Dr. Ruben Alejandro, former Supt., Student Impact Consulting, Weslaco, TX.
Dr. Martin Brooks, Ret. Executive Director. Tri-State Consortium, Setauket, NY
Dr. Martha Bruckner, former Supt., Bd. of Governors, Metro Comm. College, Omaha, NE
Dr. Jim Lloyd, Supt., Olmstead Falls City Schools, OH
Mr. Tobin Novasio, Supt., Hardin School Districts, Billing, MT
Dr. Michael Simeck, Supt. Deerfield 109 IL
Dr. Louis N Wool, Supt., Harrison Central School District NY
Mr. James Minichello, Executive Director,Alexandria, VA

Meeting called to order by Carl Hermanns.
Introductions
Discussed the three questions:

  1. How do we meet this moment, in terms of acting on our mission? What should our main priorities be?
  2. How do we most effectively act on each priority?
  3. Given our priorities and opportunities for action, what are the implications for membership recruitment and retention/

Public Education Advocacy Strategy Meeting

The board meeting began with introductions and a review of the Horace Mann League’s history and current challenges. Carl Hermanns highlighted the threat of voucher programs and the need to reclaim the narrative around public education.

The group discussed the importance of advocating for public education as a cornerstone of democracy.

  1. The main focus was on setting priorities for the coming year, with advocacy for public education emerging as a key theme.
  2. The board agreed to focus on this single priority rather than spreading their efforts too thin.
  3. The group agreed that advocacy for public education should be their main priority, with a focus on reclaiming the narrative and partnering with other organizations.
  4. The Board discussed the need to make their goals more specific, such as partnering with the National Association of Education Foundations and reaching out to non-educators like mayors and governors.
  5. They agreed to focus on reaching parents, seniors, and community leaders, with action items including creating fact sheets, partnering with other organizations, and developing targeted messaging. The board also aligned on increasing membership through various means, including engaging current members, seeking donations, and pursuing foundation grants.

To Do:

  1. All board members: Contact their state executive director to determine willingness to promote Horace Mann League membership. Jeanne and James
  2. All board members: Submit nominations for Champions of Public Education recognitions.
  3. All board members: Review and provide additional input on advocacy and action steps document when sent by James
  4. All board members: Commit to one or more engagement actions (member recruitment, donation, grant seeking, partnership development) before next meeting. 
  5. All board members: Attend next board meeting (3rd Thursday in April – 1.5 hours)
  6. Jeanne/Carl: Add regular 15-minute agenda item to board meetings to discuss membership growth strategies
  7. Jeanne/Carl: Add regular agenda item to identify and agree on monthly Champions of Public Education recognitions
  8. Jeanne: Reach out to Brent to ask him to present at a state executive director meeting about how Illinois onboards new superintendent members
  9. Jeanne: Revitalize the Champions of Public Education committee
  10. Jeanne: Write up specific guidance for board members to use when contacting state executive directors
  11. Carl: Set up Google Doc/folder for shared access to documents and resources
  12. James: Update website to reflect his role as Executive Director (remove Jack’s information)
  13. Carl: Send out quick outline of what was discussed for additional input from board members
  14. Jeanne/James: Update social media management responsibilities (currently with Jeanne, may need additional support)

Tentative Agenda for the Board Meeting in April

  1. Follow-up report on Assignments for Recruiting and Retention by
  2. Follow-up report on the Advocacy Initiative by
  3. Follow- up report of contacts with state superintendents’ associations by
  4. Follow-up report on social media: Linken, Facebook, X, and Instagram by
  5. Follow-up report on Revitalize the Champions of Public Education committee by
  6. Follow-up report on website improvement, design, access, promotion.
  7. Follow-up on discussion of board member attendance at meetings