1. MISSION: Be the economic engine for the eastern shore of Maryland by graduating students who are college and career ready.
Contact:

2. Building and Launching a Rural Collaborative
Finding Partners; Identifying Common Needs; Creating Governance Structure; & Sustaining and Growing

3. INTRODUCTION Who you are? Who am I?
By the end of this session, what do you want to know and understand?

4. Framework for Presentation:
Brief Overview of Maryland Public Education in Maryland
Brief Overview of ESMEC
Why was ESMEC created?
What is the source of funding?
Who does ESMEC serve?
Evolution of Initiatives
How has ESMEC changed over time?
Current Activities
What types of services are currently provided by ESMEC?
Successes
What have been the major areas of success?

5. Framework for the Presentation:
Challenges
What challenges has ESMEC faced?
How has ESMEC addressed the challenges?
What potential future challenges will ESMEC need to address?
Creating a Collaborative: Process in Action
How do we get started?
How do we identify common needs?
How do we create a decision making process?
How do we sustain the collaborative?

6. Public Education in Maryland: Very Brief Overview of Structure
Governance – State
State Board of Education
Appointed by Governor (5 year term)
Adopt Education Policy and Regulations
Appoint State Superintendent of Schools

7. Public Education in Maryland: Very Brief Overview of Structure
Governance – State
State Superintendent of Schools
Appointed by State Board of Education (4 year term)
Provide Leadership to Public Education, Libraries, and State Corrections Education and Training

8. Public Education in Maryland: Very Brief Overview of Structure
Governance – State
Local School Systems
Total of 24 School Systems that follow geographic borders of Counties and Baltimore City
Range in Size from 2,500 students to 160,000 students
Local Boards of Education (Elected or Appointed or Combination Elected and Appointed)
Fiscally dependent (funding sources – state formula and local government)
Appoint local Superintendent of Schools (4 year term)

9. Brief Overview: Why was ESMEC created? Who does ESMEC serve?
What is the governing structure of ESMEC?
How is ESMEC funded? (Budget)

10. Why was ESMEC created? Formed 1986 Joint purchasing
Influence over state education policy
Common needs and challenges of rural school systems

11. Who does ESMEC serve? Eastern Shore of Maryland
PA; Delaware; Virginia; Chesapeake Bay
Agriculture (Chickens)
Nine rural public school systems
65,000 students
FARMS 52%
Diversity 36% minority
Single Parent or Grandparent 50%
130 Schools
Smallest 11 Students – Largest 1,250 Students

12. What is the governing structure of ESMEC?
Bylaws
Nine Superintendents of Schools Serve as the Governing Board
President of ESMEC ‘rotates’
Monthly meetings
Executive Director
Part-Time - Contractual
Appointed by the ESMEC Governing Board
Provide Leadership to ESMEC
Six Committees
Instruction  Transportation
Human Resources  Food Services
Fiscal  Facilities

13. How is ESMEC Funded?
Member school system pay ‘dues’ ($11,000 per school system = $99,000 total)
Administrative Services for State Superintendents’ Association and Energy Trust
Corporate Support
Grants
Current Budget = $128,333

14. Evolution of Initiatives:
How has the services provided by ESMEC changed over time?

15. How has the services provided by the ESMEC changed over time?
From Joint Purchasing, to:
Incubator for Shared Ideas
Superintendents Forum
CRAB
Committees
Facilitator for Building Capacity in Leadership
Board of Education and Superintendent Conference
Leadership Conference
Advocator for Public Schools
Economic Impact Study
Legislative Initiatives
Reducer of Costs
Energy Trust
Health Insurance
Special Education

16. Current Services:
What types of services are currently provided by ESMEC?

17. What Types of Services are Provided by ESMEC?
Building Capacity:
Board Member
Superintendents
Aspiring Leaders
Teachers
Supporting Collaboration:
Teacher Recruitment
Committees
CRAB
Educating Decision Makers:
Economic Impact Study
Newsletters
Advocacy
Enabling Cost Savings:
Energy Trust
Health Insurance
Special Education
Purchasing

18. Successes:
What have been the major areas of success for ESMEC?

19. What have been the major areas of success for ESMEC?
Provides a Process and Platform for Collaboration
Provides a Voice for Rural School Systems in an ‘Urban’ - ‘Suburban’ State
Provides Services to Save Funds and/or Reduce Cost Increases
Provides a Means to Share Opportunities, Challenges, and Solutions

20. Challenges: What challenges has ESMEC faced?
How has ESMEC addressed the challenges?
What potential future challenges will ESMEC need to address?

21. What challenges has ESMEC faced?
Loss of State Funding
Turnover of Superintendents
Changing Political Atmosphere
Changing Demographics

22. How has ESMEC addressed the challenges?
Loss of State Funding
Superintendent Turnover
Changing Political Atmosphere
Changing Demographics
Pursued Grants, Corporate Partnerships, and Reduced Services
Executive Director and School System Staff Sustain Initiatives
Advocacy and Education
Education (Beacon Study)

23. What potential future challenges will ESMEC need to address?
Anticipating Needs and Providing Supports
Advocating for Rural Education
Evolving as an Organization

24. ESMEC Summary Formed in 1986 ‘Bottom-Up’ Initiative (NOT ‘Top-Down’)
Governance – Superintendents – Meet Monthly
Evolved Over Time
Mutual Benefits
Forum for Collaboration
Platform for Advocacy

25. Building a Collaborative:

26. Finding Partners:
Existing Relationships AND/OR
Common Challenges

27. Two Pathways:
Existing Relationships:
Common Challenges:

28. Identifying Common Needs
Selecting One or Two to Build Cooperation:

29. Creating a Collaborative: Identify Common Needs
Identify a Common Need or Challenge:
Potential Collaborative Response:
Expenditures/Savings
Recruitment
Building Capacity: Teachers/Leaders
Joint Purchasing
Common Application
Regional Professional Development

30. Governance Structure:
Memorandum of Understanding OR
Bylaws

31. Memorandum of Understanding:
Letter of commitment signed by all Superintendents representing school systems in the collaborative.
Possible model of MOU is an interscholastic association agreement.

32. Governance Structure: Bylaws
Questions to Answer:
Purpose
Membership
Obligation of Members
Leadership of Collaborative
Decision Making Process
Opt Out Provision
What is the intent?
Who can join?
What is the commitment?
Who provides leadership and process of selection?
How will decisions be made?
How does a school system exit?

33. Sustaining and Growing:

34. Keys to Sustainability:
Value Added:
Examples:
Leadership Support
Buy-in from Staff
Platform for Sharing Solutions
Collegiality
Joint Response to Emerging challenges
Voice for Rural Schools
Monthly Superintendent Meetings
Committee Structure
Energy Trust/Health Insurance Alliance
Common Challenges
Teacher Shortage/ Assessment Task Force
Lobby Decision Makers

35. Final Thoughts:
Find leaders who want to work together with geographic similarities
Identify one or two common challenges
Mutual solution
Create a letter of understanding (MOU)
Bring the right people together to address challenges
Develop a plan
Implement the plan
Celebrate!
Next challenge?

36. Examples: Challenge: Solution:
Enhance the pool of educational leaders to address Principal shortage
Build support for public schools
Aspiring Leaders: Regional program for aspiring educational leaders
Economic Impact Study

37. Questions?

38. Contact Information:
Dr. Jon M. Andes, Executive Director
EASTERN SHORE OF MARYLAND EDUCATIONAL CONSORTIUM
202 CHESTERFIELD AVENUE
CENTREVILLE, MD
Phone: or x 132
Fax:
Website: