Missouri School Public Relations Association

2024 MASA/MOSPRA Spring Conference: Information & Registration

November 18, 2023

Be sure to make plans to register for the 2024 MASA/MOSPRA Spring Conference March 20-22, at Margaritaville Resort & Conference Center, Lake Ozark, Missouri. The Spring Conference will provide attendees more than 40 breakout sessions on topics that include attracting and retaining teachers, leadership, important legal issues, school finance, curriculum and instruction, safety, communications and public relations, mental wellness, facility management, innovative education practices and workforce development.    

Powerful Keynotes!

Our First General Session will be on Wednesday, March 20 at 2:00 p.m. Our keynote speaker is Dr. Lisa Hinkelman, who will present "The Confidence Crisis: What 15,000+ Girls Think About Stress, Social Media, School & Their Futures." 

Dr. Lisa Hinkelman will present the newest insights and practical interventions for educators as she shares original research from the country’s largest-of-its-kind national survey with more than 15,000 5th-12th grade girls. From confidence, body image, sexting and social media to school, academics, career planning and leadership, the findings from The Girls’ Index™ provide a roadmap for all educators to recognize the specific challenges impacting girls. Attendees will learn tools and strategies for creating stronger girls, safer schools and successful students.  

Lisa is the author of the groundbreaking research report, The Girls’ Index™ , a national study with more than 15,000 girls. Lisa’s most recent book is ’Girls Without Limits: Helping Girls Succeed in Relationships, Academics, Careers and Life ’ Her work has been featured by The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, SXSW and Education World. 

Wednesday afternoon will also include several breakout sessions. On Wednesday night both MASA and MOSPRA will hold their respective receptions and banquets.

On Thursday, March 21, participants will have multiple professional development sessions from which to choose. The Exhibition Hall, which is housed in the main lodge, will be open throughout the morning with a complimentary continental breakfast. 

Thursday’s Lunch and General Session will feature Dr. Chad Weinstein who will present, “Leading from the Inside, Out: Ethics in Leadership.”  Leadership is sometimes hard, often rewarding, and always critical to the missions of our public schools and ultimately for the success of our students. This session will consider three interlocking characteristics of effective leaders and educators – moral motivation, moral clarity, and moral courage – and present skills and practices that can help school leaders to maintain, restore, and grow these capacities in ourselves and for those we lead. Participants will be asked to reflect on the leadership challenges they face, and to listen, learn, and sometimes laugh at real-world stories of other challenges faced and overcome.

Not your garden variety speaker, Chad is an entrepreneur with a Ph.D. in ethics. Through his keynotes and workshops, he helps leaders embrace ethical principles and practices that build trust, ignite engagement, and deliver extraordinary results. Chad knows how to make ethical leadership positive, entertaining, imaginative and highly relevant to today’s work environments. 

On Friday morning, the MASA Business Meeting will be held and MOSPRA will hold a special breakfast and extended PR session.

Breakout Sessions On Current Topics!

Leadership, Administration & Finance

• Current School Finance & Transportation Topics (DESE)
• Federal Relief Programs – Last Call? (DESE)
• Leadership & Ethics: Panel & Round tables
• Emerging Superintendent Coaching Program 
• Veteran Superintendent Collaborative Cohorts
• Women in Leadership Round Tables
• First-Year Superintendents Panel and Discussion
• Does Your Budget Match Your CSIP?
• Tax Levy Success: Sharing Your District Story & Priorities
• Untangling ‘Charlotte’s Web’ for School Boards: Lessons in Board Relations, Teamwork and Collaboration
• Creating Internal Leadership Training for Aspiring Principals 
• Leading Change: The Power of Student Agency and Teacher Efficacy
• Empower, Collaborate, Lead: Building Tomorrow’s Success Today!
• Leading High-Performing Teams
• Navigating Leadership Change: Insights from North Kansas City Public Schools

Curriculum & Instruction

• Making Proficiency Scales Scalable 
• Curriculum Binders and Beyond!
• Real World Learning- Every Student Will Graduate With a Clear Plan for Their Future

Communications, Public Relations and Marketing

• Amplifying Your District’s Story
• Enhancing Communication through CANVA for Teams
• Turn Your One-Person Shop Into a Communications Team
• How My Communication Plan Changed My Life
• The Art of Media Magnetism: Strategies to Draw the Media In and Keep Them Hooked
• Bond Buy-In and Lessons Learned: Unlocking Support and Commitment from the Community
• Decades of Wisdom: 37 Years & 37 Essential Communication Strategies
• Branding Your School Year
• Building Bridges: Strengthening District Climate and Culture through Feedback
• You Can’t Make This Stuff Up - Bingo
• Communications/Public Relations Gold Mine (Nine Mini-Sessions You Won’t Want to Miss!)

Innovations ● Teacher Shortage ● Mental Wellness ● Strategic Planning

• Wellness, Culture, & Staff Retention
• Navigating AI: A District’s Guide
• Leading Your CSIP: Shifting from Compliance to Ownership
• Building a Better Future: One Collaboration at a Time
• Develop and Implement a Strategic Facilities Plan

Legal Issues

• Hiring Boot Camp 2024: Background Checks, References, Letters of Intent, and Contracts in the Age of Technology
• Threats:  Impetuous Statements v. Sort of Threats v. True Threats – How to Tell the Difference and How to Respond  
• Political Speech in a Polarized World
• Board Superintendent Relations in an Increasingly Partisan World
• I’d Like to Use a Lifeline: When to Contact HR, Central Office, Legal, or an Outside Agency
• We Are Way Past KHFOOTY: Legal Issues Arising With the Increase in Student Discipline Incidents
• Balancing Employee Accountability and Staffing Needs
• The Alphabet Soup of FMLA, ADA and WC:  6 Tricky Scenarios

Conference Schedule

(Subject to change)

Wednesday, March 20

8:00 - Registration Opens

8:30 - 1:00  - *Aspiring Superintendent Workshop - Sponsored by OPAA! Food Management 

(*This session calls for a separate registration from the conference.)

10:00 - 1:00 - Group Meetings for Coaching and Collaboration Participants

Wednesday Afternoon Sessions

1:00 - 1:45 - Dialogue With The Commissioner (Special Note: This is a change in time due to a scheduling conflict.)

2:00 - 3:15 - Opening General Session -- Sponsored by Just Right Reader

Keynote Speaker - Dr. Lisa Hinkelman

3:30 - 4:30 - Breakout Sessions

Welcome Reception - Exhibit Hall - Sponsored by American Fidelity Assurance Company

Wednesday Evening

6:30 - MASA Awards Banquet - Sponsored by Tueth Keeney Cooper Mohan & Jackstadt, PC and Horace Mann

6:30 - MOSPRA New Member & Past Presidents Reception - Sponsored by ParentSquare & K12 Insight

7:00 - MOSPRA Awards Banquet - Sponsored by SchoolMessenger/PowerSchool

9:00 - MOSPRA Award Recipients Celebration - Sponsored by Apptegy, Class Intercom, Catapult K12, CESO, 

& TeacherLists

9:00 - MASA Dessert Reception For Honorees - Sponsored  by United Health Care

Thursday Morning, March 21

8:00 - 11:30 - Registration Opens

7:30 - 11:30 - Coffee Stand in Hotel Lobby/Bar Area Sponsored by Coryell Roofing

7:30 - 11:30 - Exhibits Open

7:30 - Breakfast - Sponsored by ReThinkED

8:30 - 9:30 - Breakout Sessions

9:30 - 10:30 - Time To Visit Exhibit Hall

10:30 -11:30 - Breakout Sessions

Thursday Luncheon

11:30 - General Session Luncheon - Sponsored by L. J. Hart & Co. and

EdCounsel LLC School Attorneys

MOSPRA Administrator of the Year

Keynote Speaker: Chad Weistein

Thursday Afternoon

1:30 - 3:30- Coffee Stand in Hotel Lobby/Bar Area Sponsored by Coryell Roofing

2:00 - 3:00 Breakout Sessions

3:00 - 3:30 Refreshment Break - Sponsored by DLR Group

3:30 - 4:30 Breakout Sessions

Thursday Evening

5:30 - Presidents Reception - Exhibit Door Prizes Announced

Sponsors by:  Stifel, Varsity Tutors, and Audio Enhancement

7:00 - Fun Activity - Sponsored by American Fidelity Assurance Company and 

Guin Mundorf, LLC

Friday Morning, March 22

8:00 - MOSPRA Breakfast and Special Friday Session - Sponsored by Finalsite;  President’s Sponsor: Alboum Translation Services

8:00 - MASA Breakfast and Business Meeting - MASA Breakfast Sponsored by Mickes O’Toole, LLC and Capturing Kids Hearts

9:00 - Legislative and School Finance Issues

REGISTER HERE!

MASA Active and Group Members who are already in the AMP management platform will be taken directly to your AMP page.

Important Instructions for Individuals that have not used our registration platform or non-MASA Members: If you are not an active or group member of MASA and you have never logged into our management platform before, please register as a non-member guest by selecting the "Member / Event Guest" icon, and completing the non-member application.  Then you will be able to register for this event or any other event of interest to you.

If you need assistance registering, contact Melissa Shannon, MASA Executive Assistant, 573-638-4825 / melissa.shannon@mcsa.org.