District Administration - January 2011 - (Page 17)

SUPERINTENDENT SHERI ALLEN, MANKATO (MINN.) AREA PUBLIC SCHOOLS AdministratorProfile A Welcome Home for Refugees By Mary Johnson Patt It came as no surprIse to the residents of mankato, minn. last fall when Forbes magazine called the city a great place for raising a family. The population in the area served by mankato area public schools, which straddles three counties in the southern part of the state, has reached more than 50,000, thanks to business and recreational opportunities, a low cost of living, state-of the-art health care, great schools, and a welcoming attitude toward newcomers. In fact, mankato has embraced several hundred refugee and immigrant families in recent years, many of them survivors of poverty and abuse in war-torn somalia and sudan. at last count, 31 languages were being spoken in a district that is actively educating all K12 students about the richness found in cultural diversity. seven years ago, school board member Jodi sapp helped found the Greater mankato Diversity council, a nonprofit that conducts grade-appropriate prejudice-reduction workshops in every classroom. according to sapp, school board members feared that some of the momentum driving local diversity education might be lost when mankato’s longstanding superintendent announced he would retire in 2009. “We were doing such great things,” she says, “that we didn’t want to hit a brick wall and wait for a new superintendent to catch up to us.” Taking the Lead enter sheri allen, a veteran teacherturned-administrator who applied for the superintendent job while still executive director of elementary and secondary education for rochester public schools, 125 miles to the east. During the hiring process, allen held a series of public meetwww.DistrictAdministration.com sion comes down to what our students need to be successful and what our staff needs so they are prepared to meet what comes to us.” Common Ground to address the challenges faced by refugee and immigrant families, allen hired four full-time community liaisons whose ability to speak east african languages is providing a much-needed bridge between home and school. she culled money for the new positions from various existing sources: adult basic education grants, compensatory and general funds, and the eLL department, which has been expanded and reorganized under her watch. allen also hired the director of the Diversity council part-time to mentor minority youth and to develop the “circle of parents”: During regular gatherings on school campuses, immigrant mothers and fathers can comfortably ask questions and exchange information with administrators, teachers and community members. Interpreters are present to help explain everything from school lunch choices to curriculum, discipline, adult basic education and college preparation. providing refugee and immigrant families opportunities for personal interaction with teachers and administrators will pave the way for student success over time, allen insists. “It is so important to raise the capacity for engagement and dialogue. our goal is to help the parents become self-sustaining—to make sure they become citizens who are able to provide for their families and who want to give back to the community.” DA Mary Johnson Patt is a freelance writer based in northern California. January 2011 17 Shari Allen greets Harbi Hassan, an Englishlanguage civics recruitment and outreach specialist for Mankato Area Public Schools. ings with mankato teachers and families to introduce herself and to explore local educational needs. “Her communication strengths were so great,” sapp recalls with a chuckle, “that every piece of feedback we received said the same thing: ‘Does she need help moving?’ sheri is so collaborative. she embraces every person, whether an adult or a child, and is truly invested in bringing them to the absolute height of what they can be.” “service to people is the core of everything,” says allen, now in her second year as mankato superintendent. “every deci- Superintendent, Mankato (Minn.) Area Public Schools Age: 48 Salary: $146,450 Tenure: 2 years Students: 7,285 K12 ; 2,648 preschool Schools: 11 District size: 140 square miles Staff and faculty: Approx. 1,200 Per-child expenditure: $9,405 Web site: www.isd77.org Sheri Allen http://www.isd77.org http://www.DistrictAdministration.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - January 2011

District Administration - January 2011
Contents
From the Editor
Letters
News Update
Administrator Profile
District Profile
Conversations
Crisis Response
Going Mobile
Online Edge
Professional Opinion
K12 Guide to Audio/Visual Solutions
Product Focus
What’s the Value in Value-Added?
The Politicization of Bullying
Holding On to Parent Voices
Tough New Issues Refocus Health Education
New Products
Books

District Administration - January 2011