Roll Call

At the July 21, 2022, Board meeting, a motion was made and passed that each officer and director nominate a minimum of five (5) potential members each year. Implied in the recruitment effort was that those accepting the nomination will have the first-year dues waived. Success of the strategy of those nominated and accepting members has been good.

Those members that have not renewed their membership after one-year of billing, monthly, have been deleted from the data base.

New Members: (as of October 20, 2022)

	First	Last	Title	City	State	Sponsor
	Scott	Kinney	Supt. of Schools	Superior	MT	Barron, Laurie
Dr.	Susie	DeSilva	Supt of Schools	Ridgefield	CT	Brooks, Martin
	John	Griffith	Assistant Superintendent	Croton-on-Hudson	NY	Brooks, Martin
Dr.	Tim	Kaltenecker	Deputy Superintendent	Armonk	NY	Brooks, Martin
Dr.	Jen	Lamia	Supt. of Schools	Armonk	NY	Brooks, Martin
	Anthony	Mignella	Assistant Superintendent	Baldwin	NY	Brooks, Martin
	Julio	Vazquez	Curriculum Director	North Salem	NY	Brooks, Martin
Mr.	Brent	O’Daniell	Supt of Schools	Genoa	IL	Clark, Brent
Dr.	Scott	Rowe	Supt of Schools	Algonquin	IL	Clark, Brent
Dr.	Rachel	Savage	Supt. of Schools	Moline	IL	Clark, Brent
Ms.	Tracey	Fair	Supt of Schools	Jacksonville	IL	Clark, Brent
Ms.	Libby	Bonesteel	Supt. of Schools	Montpelier	VT	Collins, Jeanne
Mr.	Chris	Hennessey	Supt. of Schools	Barre	VT	Collins, Jeanne
Dr.	Randi	Lowe	Supt. of Schools	Sunderland	VT	Collins, Jeanne
Ms.	Brooke	Olsen-Farrell	Supt. of Schools	Fair Haven	VT	Collins, Jeanne
Dr.	David	St. Germain	Principal	Chittenden	VT	Collins, Jeanne
Dr.	Brooke	Olson-Farrell	Supt of Schools	Fair Haven	VT	Collins, Jeanne
Dr.	Brent	Maddin	Exec. Dir., Next Education Workforce	Tempe	AZ	Fourlis, Andi
Dr.	Karen	Benson	Ass’ t. Supt. of Schools	Scottsdale	AZ	Fourlis, Andi
Dr.	Jeffery	Thomas	Ass’t Supt	Bellevue	WA	Fourlis, Andi
Dr.	Kathy	Wiebke	Executive Director	Phoenix	AZ	Fourlis, Andi
Dr.	Jameson	Brewer	Assistant Professor, Social Foundations	Dahlonega	GA	Mathis, Bill
Ms.	Susan	Knoll	Care Coordinator	Lancaster	PA	Mathis, Bill
	Matthew	Garcia		Denver	CO	Mathis, Bill
Dr.	Jill	Gildea	Supt. of Schools	Park City	UT	McKay, Jack
Dr.	Jinger	Haberer	Supt of Schools	Ellenssburg	WA	McKay, Jack
Mr	Andrew	Perkins	Supt of Schools	Thorp	WA	McKay, Jack
Dr.	Mike	Dulaney,	Exec, Dir. NASA	Lincoln	NE	Riley, Kevin
Dr.	Melissa	Polonic	Supt of Schools	Valley	NE	Riley, Kevin
Dr.	John	Schwartz	Supt of Schools	Firth	NE	Riley, Kevin
Dr.	Tracey	Beckendorf-Edou	Supt of Schools	Leavenworth	WA	Sharratt, Gene
Dr.	Sylvia	Reyna	Natonal PTA Board	San Antonio	TX
Dr.	Meredith	Mountford	Associate Prof.	Boca Raton	FL

Podcast Schedule

Chair, Bill Mathis, has been contacting potential panelist for future podcasts.

The Horace Mann League’s Podcast Series. (Click on the blue title to listen.)

Thoughts on the State of Public Education with David Berliner and Diane Ravitch. = 117

Leading a School District During a Pandemic with Jim Sutfin, Luvelle Brown, and Andi Fourlis. = 83

Challenges and Opportunities of Leading with Jeanne Collins, Doug Burge, and Laura Barron. -= 85

The Implications of charters and Privatization of Public Education with Carol Burris and Kevin Welner = 113

Critical Race Theory and School Board Meetings with Bryan Brayboy, Adrienne Dixson, and Daniel G. Solorzano. = 139

The U.S. Dept. of Education and the Local Public School with Secretary Miguel Cardona and Julie Underwood. = 53

Equity and Equality in the Public Schools with Linda Darling Hammond and Joshua Starr. = 64

Recent Supreme Court Decision and the Implications for Public Schools with Derek Black and Jessica Levin. = 113

Democracy and Education: The Crisis of our Times with David Berliner and Joel Westheimer =82

2022 Annual Meeting Presentations

The Future of Public Education with Valerie Strauss, education journalist for the Washington Post. (Annual Meeting Presentation)

The Future of Public Education with Gloria Ladson Billings, professor at the University of Wisconsin. (Annual Meeting Presentation)

Assistant Executive Director Activities

Regular Zoom meetings have been held during the past three months. Topics covered: website new pages and editing, data base contents, social media, directory terms and reappointments, annual schedule of League events, preparations for board meetings and the annual meeting, uploading HML Post articles to Facebook, uploading podcasts to YouTube and Spotify, and process for by-law revisions.

Amicus Brief Partners

Letters, explaining the interest of the League in involving Amicus briefs on issues before the Supreme Court were sent to the National School Boards Association and Americans United.

HML Post Publication

Access to recently published issues of the HML Post are now linked from the League’s website and the weekly Post. There is also a link to previously published issues, going back to 2012, available for research purposes.

Website Updates

The HML website has been slightly modified to improve linkage to the by-laws, Articles of Incorporation and Past Presidents.

Action Items

What Should be the Revisions the League’s By-laws?

Per the current by-laws, the President-elect (Bill Mathis) will conduct a discussion of the proposed revisions. Jeanne Collins is chairing the By-Law committee to make proposals for the revision of the by-laws.

Suggested changes to date are:

The by-Laws Committee are James Harvey, Bill Mathis, Virginia Cardenas, and Ruben Alejandro.

Proposed revisions:

Who Should be Presenters at the 2023 Annual Meeting

Suggested Awardees are:

Outstanding Friend of Public Education –

Patricia Gándara & Gary Orfield – codirectors of UCLA Civil Rights project, Patricia has served as president of the Soc of Ed Assoc,, Chair Hispanic SIG, AERA
Paul Thomas,– prominent and prolific writer
Warren Simmons.- ,Founded Philadelphia Ed fund, distinguished contributions award NGA
Maureen Downey, (by Peter Smagoninsky) who edits the Get Schooled blog of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Maureen Downey has been the editor of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Get Schooled education blog for over a decade. Although the AJC lacks the reach of the Washington Post, I think that it publishes more content (easy to document) and better material (my subjective opinion) than The Answer Sheet, and is better edited. Her authors write about matters both central to the Atlanta region and state of Georgia, and matters of national interest. The AJC Get Schooled Facebook page provides a robust discussion of each day’s essay, with contributors required to identify themselves, thus making them accountable for their comments. Downey is conscientious and knowledgeable, and a solid journalist in every way. She publishes opinions from across the political spectrum, some of which I find odious, but her approach provides balance for readers to evaluate.
Rachel Laser—(by David Berliner) President of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Rachel Laser—President of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. In her two years as president she has been a great foe of privatization and of funding for religious schools, and she has directed amicus briefs for the supreme court. If she is picked it should be her and the organization.
Alex Molnar – Co-Founder of National Education Policy Center – Arguably the leading policy research center\
Jennifer Berkshire (by ) writes about education and politics for the Nation, the New Republic, the Washington Post, and other publications. The creator and co-host of the education policy podcast “Have You Heard”

Outstanding Public Educator Award –

Angela Valenzuela,- Director, Univ TX ED Policy Center, Director Latino Policy Project
Marilyn Cochran-Smith– Teacher education leader
Ken Zeichner,– Lifetime Achievement award, Teacher education
Kevin K. Kumashiro, internationally recognized expert and activist on educational policy, school reform, teacher preparation, and educational equity and social justice,
Julie Mead, Legal – school choice and sped, University of Wisconsin
Debbie Meier — (by David Berliner) is one of the essay authors in Public Education—the HML sponsored book and has been working in public education as a teacher, principal, writer, advocate since the early 1960s. She ranks among the most acclaimed leaders of the school reform movement in the U.S. She started her work as an early childhood teacher in Chicago after graduating from the U of Chicago. In New York City, in 1974, Meier became the founder and director of the alternative Central Park East school, which embraced progressive ideals in the tradition of John Dewey in an effort to provide better education for children in East Harlem, within the New York City public school system. She is the MacArthur Award-winning founder of the acclaimed Central Park East School in East Harlem, and the Mission Hill School in Boston. Her work as a principal and scholar has earned her honorary degrees from a number of institutions, including Harvard University and Teachers College.
Derek Black (by David Berliner) Derek Black is one of the nation’s foremost experts in education law and policy. He focuses on educational equality, school funding, the constitutional right to education, segregation, and the federal role in schools. He has published over thirty scholarly articles in the nation’s top legal journals, including the flagship journals at Yale, Stanford, New York University, California-Berkeley, Cornell, Northwestern and Vanderbilt. That work has been cited several times in the federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. It has also drawn him into litigation disputes over school funding and federal policy, where he has served as an expert witness and consultant.
David Kirp (by David Berliner) is a professor of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley, where he received the university’s coveted “outstanding teacher” award; a contributing writer at The New York Times, where he continues to publish articles on higher education; the author of seventeen books,
Jennifer Berkshire writes about education and politics for the Nation, the New Republic, the Washington Post, and other publications. The creator and co-host of the education policy podcast “Have You Heard”

Who should be Nominated for Officers for 2023

Suggested nominations for 2023 Officers (nominations to be voted on at the 20223 Annual Meeting).

President: Bill Mathis (VT)

President-Elect: Brent Clark (IL)

Vice President:

Past resident: Ruben Alejandro (TX)

Who should be Reappointed for three-year terms?

Suggested reappointments for three-years terms are (2023-2026)

Kevin Riley, (NE)

David Berliner (CA)

Should the Annual Dues for Full and Retired Membership Classifications be Adjusted?

The current dues structure, set in 2018, is $125.oo for Regular membership and $75.00 for Retired and Graduate students. It is suggested that the dues be increased to offset the additional costs for postage, supplies, technical services, professional memberships, and the Executive Director’s salary.

Proposed structure:

Regular Membership: $175.00

Retired and Graduate Students: 90.00

Attachments

Attachment #1 Minutes of May 10, 2022

The Horace Mann League of the USA
Minutes of. the Board of Directors

May 10, 2022.
The meeting was called to order by President, Ruben Alejandro at 9:04 am.

Members present via Zoom: Ruben Alejandro, Martin Brooks, Marth Bruckner, Kevin Riley, James Harvey, and Jack McKay
In absentia: Joshua Starr, Lisa Parady, and Bill Mathis

A brief meeting of the Leagues’ Board of Directors was held on Tuesday, May 10th, to officially appoint Dr. Jeanne Collins as the “part-time” Assistant Executive Director, starting on July 1, 2022, for an annual stipend of $5,000.00. The intention is that the Assistant Executive Director will assume the position of the League’s Executive Director on July 1, 2023.

Motion by Kevin Riley, seconded by James Harvey, that Dr. Jeanne Collins, be appointed as the Assistant Executive Director of the Horace Mann League, starting on July 1, 2022, with an annual stipend of $5,000.00, The intention is that the Assistant Executive Director will assume the position of the League’s Executive Director on July 1, 2023.

Passed.

Dr. Collins is currently on the League’s Board of Directors, and has experience as president and officer at a number of other associations, broadening her experience to bring to HML (a) president of the Vermont Superintendent Association, (b) the New England Association of School Supts (NEASS), and (c) the Southwest VT Supt Association, and have (d) served on the governing board of AASA and (e) Council for Exceptional Children/ Council for Administrators of Special Education.

Meeting adjourned at 9:20 am.

Jack McKay, Executive Secretary

Attachment #2 Minutes of April 14, 2022

The Horace Mann league of the USA

Minutes of the Board Meeting on April 14, 2022.

Present: Ruben Alejandro. Virginia Cardenas, James Harvey Bill Mathis, Joshua Starr, Martin Brooks, Jeanne Collins, Martha Bruckner, David Berliner, Kevin Riley, and Jack McKay.

To view the agenda packet of this meeting click here.

Minutes: Motion by James Harvey, seconded by Virginia Cardenas to approve the minutes of the 2022 Winter Board and the 2022 Annual Meeting. Passed.

Reports:

Reviewed the membership status of the League.

Reviewed the financial status of the League through March 2022.

Reviewed the sale of the book, Public Education: Defending the Cornerstone of our Democracy. No information at this time.

Reviewed the podcast series and how to promote viewership.

Reviewed the Supreme Court decisions relating to prayer in public schools

Reviewed the position statement of the League about proposed regulations about charter schools.

Reviewed interest in the Assistant Director vacancy. One applicant as of April 14, 2022.

Action Items:

Motion by Collins, seconded by Mathis, to have the Executive Director send invitations to the 50 State Superintendents of the Year, the Executive Directors of State Superintendents, and members of the University Council of Educational Administration. Each individual will receive a one-year subscription of the HML Post, and an invitation to join the League.

Motion by Harvey, seconded by Cardenas, to not establish a committee on tours of Washington, DC. Passed.

Motion by Harvey, seconded by Collins to have the board make suggestions on revisions to the by-laws. Further that a comprehensive review of the by-laws take place after the transition of the Executive Director, (after July 2023.) Passed.

Motion by James Harvey, seconded by Virginia Cardenas to set the Fall Meeting of the Board for October 20-21, 2022, in Austin. Passed.

Motion by Martha Bruckner, seconded by Jeanne Collins, to affirm the current by-laws that each officer and board member nominate a minimum ten (10) potential members per year. Passed.

Motion by Bill Mathis, seconded by Jeanne Collins, to adjourn the meeting. Passed.

To dos:

Executive Director will send a letter to AASA to obtain the list of the 50 State Superintendent of Year awardees. Then inviting each to join the Horace Mann League. Each will receive the weekly HML Post for one year. Note to Goldman and Minichello on assistance.
Executive Director will send a letter to each state AASA Executive Director asking for an email list of members. The Executive Director will follow-up with a letter of invitation for membership to each state member including a one-year subscription to the HML Post. Email to Execs will be sent during week of April 18.
Executive Director will obtain a mailing list of the membership of the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA). The Executive Director will follow-up with a letter of invitation for membership to each UCEA member including a one-year subscription to the HML Post. Asked Kevin Riley and Bill Mathis for help.
Executive Director will update the League’s website and the weekly Post to include the presentations at the Annual Meeting. Done. Also on the website.
Executive Director will contact Americans United about the League’s interest in being involved in future legal briefs regard religion in public schools. Letter to AU is to be done this week. April 18, 2022
Executive Director will include brief summaries of chapters from the book, Public Education: Defending the Cornerstone of our Democracy, in the weekly HML Post. Harvey will do Berliner’s article in the book.
Executive Director will contact Joshua Starr about possible promotion of the book, Public Education: Defending the Cornerstone of our Democracy, in future Kappan publication. Contacted Joshua about ideas.

Executive Director will follow-up with the Teachers College Press on the sale of the book, Public Education: Defending the Cornerstone of our Democracy. Follow up on how are printed.

Executive Director will schedule a Zoom meeting with the President for Thursday, April 21.

Executive Director will include the article by Berliner on charter school corruption in the next HML Pos Done by Harvey.

Attachment #3 Minutes of July 21. 2022

Horace Mann League Board Meeting
July 21, 2022, via Zoom (recorded)

Members attending: Ruben Alejandro, Jeanne Collins, Kevin Riley, Virginia Cardenas, Bill Mathis, Martha Bruckner, Gregg Furstenau, Joshua Starr, James Harvey, Martin Brooks, Jack McKay

Reports;

Reviewed Membership data.

Regular Members 242
Retired or Grad 97
Lifetime/past Pres. 39
Total 378

Reviewed bank reconciliation, revenues, and expenditures. On track to meet budget for the year. Jack McLay noted the discrepancy in costs from anticipated for the annual meeting was it was budgeted to be remote but was held in person
Reviewed Podcast Proposed Schedule for 2022-2023.

September – “The Purpose of Education in a Democratic Society” – Joel Westheimer
October- Public Education is Our Only Political Safety – Jim Harvey (his book chapter) –
November –As Good as it Gets” – Larry Cuban
December – open
January -The Commonwealth — The Necessity for Equality of all Groups – Julian Vanquez Heilig and Patricia Gandara
February – Lies and Myths: Obstructions to Democracy and Education – David Berliner and Christopher Lubienski
March -Opportunities and Dangers – Artificial Intelligence – Ben Williamson
Other possibilities:
Implications of Supreme Court Decisions- Gordon Black
Carol Burris, Executive Director, The Network for Public Education
Samuel E. Abrams, Study of Privatization in Education at Teachers College
Ken Zeichner, Teacher education at the University of Washington
Peter Smagorinsky focuses on Pedagogy, Mathematics education, Teaching method, Literacy
Jennifer King Rice – U of Maryland – Research on Horace Mann
Tina Trujillo – educational consultant, and program evaluator.

Concern about maintaining the diversity of the panels

Concern about multiple topics in one podcast

Schedule approved by consent.

Reviewed Assistant Director’s Activities
1. Utilization of social media exposure of the HML Post
2. Understanding the website design and maintenance
3. Reviewing procedures for Annual and Winter Meeting
4. Reviewing the daily routine and Annual calendar

Concern was expressed about the need for understanding database management and banking protocols.
Concern about merging the Job Description and transition activities designed by the board in the winter meeting with these activities
Concern about the review of the policies and by-laws
Request to have board members review by-laws and send suggestions and ideas to Jeanne Collins by August 30^th

Recruitment of Members.

Reviewed strategies to recruit new members.
What are the membership benefits?
What do we have to offer new members?

Agreed that each officer and director provide five (5) names of potential members each year. Those who accept nominations have the first-year dues waived.

Table the discussion on Position Statements of the League.

Motion by James Harvey seconded by Bill Mathis to request a special meeting of the Board to discuss in use of position statements on issues, to be held in September 2022.

Issues might include privatization, assault rifles, vouchers and charters, religion and the Separation of Church and State.

Fall Meeting in Austin, TX on Friday, October 21^st.

Arrangements to meet with the principal of an elementary school
The arrangements were made for board meeting space and hotel.

Motion by James Harvey, seconded by Virginia Cardenas to have the Executive Director contact each officer and director about attending the fall meeting for confirmed in person attendance count. As of July 20^th, four are planning to attend in person.

Annual Meeting Awardees Suggestions

Executive Director to solicit suggestions from officers and directors for awards. Also, to send Board members a list of past awardees.

Resignation letter by Bill Mathis, President-elect

Motion by James Harvey, seconded by Virginia Cardenas to direct the Executive Director to send a letter to Bill Mathis indicating that the Board desires he remain as president elect and then president, noting accommodations will be made to alleviate travel of other issues as needed. Passed

Meeting adjourned at 10:30 am

Submitted by Jack McKay, Executive Director

Attachment #4 Minutes of Special Meeting on September 22, 2022

Special Board Meeting Packet for

September 22, 2022.

Meeting called to order at 9:05 am

Ruben Alejandro, President, presiding

Present: Dr. Ruben Alejandro, Dr. David Berliner. Dr. Martin Brooks, Dr. Martha Bruckner, Ms. Virginia Cardenas, Dr. Jeanne Collins, Dr. Gregg Fuerstenau, Dr. Bill Mathis, Dr. Lisa Parady, and Jack McKay

Motion by Bill Mathis, seconded by Gregg Fuerstenau, that the League should develop position statements on issues relating to the welfare of students and leadership of public schools. Passed

Meeting adjourned at 10:00

Submitted by Jack McKay, Executive Director

To Do:

David Berliner volunteered to write a position statement on libraries.

Bill Mathis volunteered to write a position statement on public funds for private schools.

Bill Mathis will write a brief statement on “position statement” for the the League’s by-laws.