“The Minnesota Principals Academy is the best professional development I have ever been a part of.”
Joel Leer, Principal, Northfield High School
“Life changing. I wish this was a mandatory experience for all principals to participate in. I am very fortunate to have this opportunity in my first years of administration.”
Brittany Galetka, Principal, GFW Junior & Senior High School
“MPA was by far the best professional development that I have ever done as an educational leader. I wish I would have done it ten years ago, honestly, I wish I would have been exposed to many of the topics when I was still teaching. I know MPA will make me a better educational leader in the future, but it would have made me a better teacher a long time ago.”
Peter Wieczorek, Charter School Director, Northwest Passage High School
“The most transformative professional development that I have ever received. The work was thought-provoking and whatever you put into it, you took out of it. The collaboration with other principals has been instrumental in my growth and Katie along with the guest facilitators care about our success. I hope one day to pay that forward myself.”
Matt Menier, Principal, Willow Lane Elementary School
“Hands down, it was one of the best professional development opportunities I’ve been a part of. Slowing down and taking time to THINK about education, its history and where we are today, instructional research, and what it takes to make transformational change was worth all the days away from the district, as going forward I know all of my future decisions will be grounded in ‘what does the research say’ and ‘how will I evaluate if what we’re doing is effective.’ Simple concepts, but concepts not always regularly practiced in education.”
Michelle Cuka, Director of Student Support Services, Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools
“Pivotal to my future. It filled each and every blind spot and hole in my prior training. BOSA is one thing – and has 99 things – but this program is the lifeblood for future growth and a learning mindset. The colleagues and relationships that I’ve gained are the bridge to my future as well. The collective thinking and learning that we did is the inspiration by which I will continue to believe I can live and do this important work. The opportunity cost seemed high (two days out of the building each month) – but it was worth it in the investment in future learning and thinking.”
Jeff Copp, Pre-K4 Elementary Principal, La Crescent-Hokah Schools
“One of the things that separates the Academy from other professional development opportunities is that it’s really action-oriented. It’s not just sit-and-get. From day one, you are getting things that will help your school.”
Eric Fort, Assistant Principal, Tartan High School
“The Minnesota Principals Academy was the best professional development that I have received in my eleven years as an elementary principal. The ability to network and share ideas with colleagues working in the field has been invaluable in my continued growth as the instructional leader in my school.”
Julie Greiman, Principal, Scandia Elementary School
“The Principals Academy has provided me the most rigorous and relevant learning experience I’ve experienced as a principal. As a rural Minnesota principal who experiences regional limitations to professional development, our cohort has stretched my thinking and positively pushed my practice of leading—best professional growth in my career!”
Andrea Rusk, Principal, Brainerd High School
“The Principals Academy has been the best professional development program in which I have ever participated. The depth of knowledge of the facilitators and the director is unbelievable. More importantly, their knowledge is rooted in and scaffolded upon research-based practices in education. There is no doubt in my mind I am a better educator and administrator as a result of this academy.”
Robert Sahli, Assistant Principal, St. Paul Public Schools
“The Minnesota Principals Academy is the best professional development for principals – there is no equal. The time given and the depth of the learning creates a foundation to have a profound effect on education.”
John Regan, Principal, Motley-Staples Middle School
“The Minnesota Principals Academy is unique because it is geared towards ALL aspects of the work we do as principals. It gives us the time and space to learn, collaborate with colleagues, implement new learning at our buildings, and come back to reflect. No other professional development has the continuity that allows for the learning, implementation and the building of professional relationships like MPA does.”
Mona Perkins, Principal, North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale Schools