MinneTESOL

Members Present: Helen Ahearn, Anita Dualeh, Scott Endo, Kim Johnson, Jennifer Leazer, Peiling Liu, Paul Magnuson, Andrea Poulos, Nima Salehi, Patsy Vinogradov

Updates:

Membership numbers (Patsy)

· 497 current members—many new, particularly elem and secondary

· adult 110

· elem 178

· sec. 135

· college 50

· teacher ed. 49

Regional Conference (Wisconsin) (Paul Magnuson)

· Paul passed out Midwest Regional TESOL Accord document from 2000

· Traditionally Wisc./MN participation, but according to document could include several states from Midwest region (see document)

· Paul said that he clarified with WITESOL that $6000 seed money sits in budget for TESOL org. that is holding regional conference in current year, but there has not been a great deal of cooperation between the states. Currently, money is in WITESOL hands. Question: Continue regional relationship and push hard to collaborate more meaningfully, or end regional relationship between organizations?

· Nima asked if our journal should become Midwest Regional Journal—there is interest from leadership beyond Wisc and MN that Nima would pursue.

MinneTESOL Conference (Jennifer Leazer)

· Final attendance number=445

· $1000 short on budget (with $500 speaker grant, only $500 short)

· Parking was big fee that was not planned for

· 2 (rather than 1) big name speakers were large expense, but well worth expense

· large membership increase at conference

· evaluations very positive

· Venue at capacity at keynote. If in future we have big name speakers, may need to seek new conference site

· Food fee at MCTC is reasonable

· Highest number of evaluation responses from adult and elementary

· Summer ABE Training 2006 is being cancelled, which may (have) boost(ed) numbers for MinneTESOL Conference

Fall Conference

· already discussing keynote speakers

· Changes needing Board support:

o Fund-raising potential to make up for expenses (i.e. sponsors from departments, institutions, corporations, etc.)

o Nima suggested centralizing fund-raising for conference, perhaps in Treasurer—co-chairs could meet with Treasurer (Anita) early

o Formal planning meetings don’t start until March

o Raise exhibitor fees significantly (currently $100; raise to $200?). Don’t believe this would deter publishers from coming, although it might for non-profits and smaller/individual exhibitors; perhaps smaller exhibitors share table?

o Make plan to raise conference registration fee incrementally over next several years (by $5) NOW, so as not to dramatically raise registration fee at one point

o Designate keynote speaker host from Board to be in charge of meeting at airport, transporting from place to place, etc.

Publications

Journal (Nima)

· All going well

· 2 co-editors in Wisconsin

· Nima turning over leadership in fall in order to help with Newsletter

Newsletter (Patsy)

· Email once a month (recent one just sent out)

· Create paper version? Question of format—Concluded: no paper version

· Anita brought up that newsletter should include more than announcements

· $30 charge for ads (with link to website)

· Andrea suggested charge more than $30 and archive past newsletters

Executive Assistant (Patsy)

· officially 3 hours/week, but Patsy suggested bumping up to 4 hours/week in order to compensate for greater time spent ($300à$400)

· Increase approved by board

· Future need to define role and responsibilities more clearly so Exec. Asst. doesn’t get overwhelmed with work that board members can do

MinneTESOL Grant

· Top 3 Grants approved: Sermiagina, Lewin, Morrison

· Will do another round in the spring

Budget (Patsy) (will do by email)

Poster or Essay Contest

· no contest this year

· Push for 2007, alternating between poster and essay each year

· Essay Contest in 2007

Requests for TESOL Conference cost assistance

· Approved assistance to Marilyn Gierde ($250), Laura Funke ($250), Joy Brown ($250), Andrea Poulos (full), Jennifer Leazer (full)

Resource Center

· in future, monitor and document use

By-laws (Nima)

· Nima sending out sections to individual board members to revise and update to make current, vote on new version in November

Next Meeting date: Saturday, April 1 3-5pm Minnesota Literacy Conference

Executive Board Meeting adjourned at 10:10 am
MinneTESOL Interest Section & Board Meeting (10-11am)

Introductions

Present: Debbie Hadas and Marilyn Gierde (Secondary Interest Sect. Ldrs.), Karen Winkelman (Elementary Interest Sect. Ldr.), Nicki Carson-Padilla and Mary Lou Wilm (Adult Interest Sect. Ldrs.), Dave Bremer and Laura Funke (College Interest Sect. Ldrs.), Tina Edstam and Nancy Drescher (Teacher Ed. Interest Sect. Ldrs.), Helen Ahearn, Jennifer Leazer, Peiling Liu, Patsy Vinogradov, Joy Brown, Anita Dualeh, Kim Johnson, Andrea Poulos, Nima Salehi, Paul Magnuson, Scott Endo

MinneTESOL Binders

· Nima handed out to interest section leaders MinneTESOL binders outlining purposes, policy, roles, responsibilities, contacts, etc.

· Nima requested suggestions for keynote speaker for November, 2006 MinneTESOL Conference

· Tina Edstam is pursuing speaker and clarified that her contact is first choice.

Spring MinneTESOL Interest Section meetings

Potential spaces: MHC Humanities Education Center, Byerly’s (Ridgedale, St. Louis Park, Roseville), Walker, Café 421 (Dinkytown), Black Bear Crossing

Potential Activities

· Identify issues of concern to attack and form action groups

· Nima asked if leaders were interested in forming (cross-interest section) action/advocacy groups to lobby, write letters, disseminate information—interested people should let Andrea Poulos know

· Patsy requested information/news/requests for the Newsletter from interest section leaders (Patsy will email request to IS leaders)

IS Budget

· will be $250-$400 per IS for the year—flexible, but…

· please forward requests for increased funding to Andrea Poulos, send receipts to Patsy Vinogradov

General IS Information and Discussion

** All IS Leaders should share membership info. and registration forms—ENCOURAGE MEMBERSHIP!!

· Joy requested IS annual reports (for archives); Nima asked for IS meeting agendae/summaries

· IS Leaders should contact their own members (rather than through Patsy); if done through Patsy, she needs 1 week turn-around time

· Email contact to full membership goes through Patsy if needed

· Laura suggested making frequent, ongoing contact with IS members to keep it current and active

· Andrea suggested the new IS Leaders be sure to speak with past IS leaders in order to get history and lists of “burning issues” identified in past

· Methods of IS Communication

o Discussion of possible IS list serves to keep members involved and informed (problem of not all people wanting to join?)

o Yahoo Groups

o IS Email Groups (Reply All or IS Leaders collecting and sending out responses)