MAASE Membership

Welcome
MAASE is a statewide professional educational organization affiliated with the National Council of Administrators of Special Education and the Council for Exceptional Children.
Our Four Focus Areas
High Quality Student Evaluations
Specially Designed Instruction (SDI)
Skilled Staff
Program Evaluation
Latest News
Read about our latest news and events within the MAASE community.

Mini Grant Winners 2020-21
MAASE grants ten (10) $500 mini grants each year for special innovative programming. We thank Kim Samelstad, Mini Grant Chairperson, and her review team! See the descriptions of the programs and the expected student benefits below.

SLIP Winter Conference 2021
The one-day SLIP Conference will be held virtually on Thursday, January 14, 2021, 8:00 am – 3:30 pm.
The Zoom link will be emailed to registrants on Wednesday afternoon, January 13th. Please be sure to register by noon on the 13th so you’ll receive the link.

MAASE Statement on the 3 Week Pause Epidemic Order
As a statewide association representing Special Education Administrators, MAASE appreciates the Governor’s understanding that students with disabilities have unique needs which require individualized support. Today’s order allows districts the ability to make individualized plans for high school students with disabilities, while also understanding the need to prioritize safety within each community.

MAASE Board of Directors Meetings
The MAASE Board of Directors are expecting to meet virtually for the 2020-21 school year. The virtual meetings will be held on Mondays, from 4:00-7:00 pm as follows:
• October 12, 2020
• December 7, 2020
• February 8, 2021
• April 12, 2021
• June 7, 2021
If you have any questions regarding Board meetings, email Sue Leach, at maase.exec@gmail.com

MAASE Committee & CoP Schedule for 2020-21
One of the greatest benefits of MAASE membership is the ability to learn alongside our colleagues. The 2020-21 virtual meeting format presents a unique opportunity to become more involved in MAASE. Our Communities of Practice (CoP) and Committees are open to all MAASE members and provide a forum for learning, sharing resources, and problem solving with small groups around a particular topic or need area.
If you have questions about a CoP/Committee or need access to their virtual meeting, please reach out to the Chairperson for more information.

Mini Grants 2020!
If ever there was a time for creativity, it’s NOW.
MAASE is pleased to offer ten (10) $500 mini grants to schools that are offering innovative special education programming. Let your staff know of this opportunity. The deadline for submitting a mini grant application is Friday, October 30, 2020.
Message from Kim Samelstad, Committee Chairperson:
I am looking for readers for the Mini Grants. It is a wonderful opportunity to read about new and innovative happenings around the state.
The Mini Grant timeline is as follows:
- Deadline for applying for Mini Grants is Friday, October 30th by 5:00 pm.
- Mini Grant applications and scoring Rubric will be sent to readers by Friday, November 6th.
- Readers will have from November 6th to December 4th to review and score Mini Grants
- The 10 Winners will be announced on Friday, December 11th.
If you have any questions or would like to be a reviewer, please contact me at ksamelstad@vbisd.org.

MAASE Activities 2020-21
The Board of Directors has determined that MAASE events will be held virtually for the foreseeable future. To simplify the registration process and use only one Zoom link, the schedule will be as follows (times may change slightly):
- 8:00-9:00 – MDE Office of Special Education Update
- 9:00-10:00 – MAASE General Membership Meeting (including legislative updates)
- 10:00-10:15 – Break
- 10:15-1:00 – Professional Learning (Developing Leaders topics taken through the chat feature)
- 1:00-1:30 – Lunch
- 1:30-2:30 – Developing Leaders (3 breakouts)
Please mark your calendar:
- Tuesday, October 13, 2020
- Tuesday, December 8, 2020
- Tuesday, February 9, 2021
- Tuesday, April 13, 2021
- Tuesday, June 8, 2021
One fee of $70 will be charged for the day for all membership categories (voting, non-voting and guests). Registration will be available on the website later this week.
Note: Board of Directors will meet virtually at 4:00 pm on Mondays prior to Tuesday events.

2020-21 Professional Learning Brochure
The MAASE Professional Learning committee is excited to introduce the 2020-2021 Professional Learning Series focused on the power and promise of collective efficacy to acquire knowledge, develop skills, build capacity and summon will for the influential leader in each of us, and influencing the behaviors of those around us.
Engage in the process of professional and personal growth with your MAASE colleagues and learn how to increase your capacity to develop collective efficacy competencies for yourself and the ability to cultivate competencies in others. The power and promise of collective efficacy are the communal beliefs and behaviors evident in a systemic transformative culture where the impact leads the way to improved educational outcomes.
Note: It is anticipated that professional learning will be presented virtually (via Zoom) for the 2020-21 year.
MAASE Support of Lawsuit against USDOE
On July 8, 2020, MAASE joined MASA (Michigan Association of School Administrators) in support of the Michigan Attorney General’s filing of a lawsuit against Secretary DeVos and the US Department of Education for the inconsistent guidance around distributing CARES Act dollars to private schools. Both CASE and CEC also have long-standing positions against the use of public dollars for private schools.
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