Dr. Ann-Marie Foucault Receives Kay E. Jacobs Memorial Award
March 6, 2024
The Minnesota Association of School Administrators (MASA) has named Dr. Ann-Marie Foucault, Superintendent of St. Michael-Albertville Schools (STMA), recipient of the 2024 Kay E. Jacobs Memorial Award. The award recognizes excellent leadership and involvement in MASA and other educational organizations by an administrator who is a woman. Dr. Foucault will be honored for her leadership, concern for students, and active involvement in professional and community affairs at a statewide recognition ceremony during the MASA/MASE Spring Conference held March 14-15, 2024.
Dr. Foucault has dedicated 30 years to the field of education. She began her role as Superintendent of STMA on July 1, 2016. Prior to the superintendency, she served as Principal, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, and Testing & Assessment Coordinator with STMA. Dr. Foucault started her career in education as a Science and Math Teacher at St. Vincent School in Osseo, MN.
During Dr. Foucault’s tenure, STMA has undergone a significant systemic change, withdrawing from the Sherburne-Northern Wright Special Education Cooperative (SNWSEC) to independently provide special education services. This process involved extensive stakeholder engagement, data analysis, and legal consultation. The primary goal was to address students' unique needs, resulting in successes such as increased Level III programming, improved Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) inclusion rates, timely services for infants/toddlers, a robust 18-22-year-old transition program, expanded staffing for low-incidence disabilities, and the hiring of an onsite special education director.
Despite a longstanding low per-pupil revenue ranking, STMA has faced intensified budget constraints due to stabilizing student enrollment. Failed operating referendums led to $7.3 million in cuts, prompting deliberate efforts to prioritize equitable access to educational opportunities, especially for economically disadvantaged students. Through Dr. Foucault’s leadership, community engagement, efficient resource allocation, strategic technology use, professional development, and legislative advocacy were implemented, showcasing STMA’s collective resilience and inventive problem-solving skills. This challenging period underscored the district’s unwavering dedication to meeting the needs of all students, regardless of socioeconomic status.
Dr. Foucault is an active MASA member serving as President-Elect of the Board of Directors. She also is a member of the MASA Legislative Committee and Region 6’s Leadership Team. Beyond MASA, Dr. Foucault’s involvement extends to the American Association of School Administrators (AASA), Association of Metropolitan School Districts (AMSD), Schools for Equity in Education (SEE), Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), Rotary St. Michael-Albertville Chapter, Chamber of Commerce I-94 West Chapter, and Resource Training and Solutions.
Dr. Foucault earned a doctorate in Educational Leadership and a master’s in Teaching and Learning from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota. She received a bachelor’s degree in Clinical Laboratory Science/Education from Michigan Technological University. Dr. Foucault holds Superintendent and Educational Administration licenses from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota.
Dr. Foucault has dedicated 30 years to the field of education. She began her role as Superintendent of STMA on July 1, 2016. Prior to the superintendency, she served as Principal, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, and Testing & Assessment Coordinator with STMA. Dr. Foucault started her career in education as a Science and Math Teacher at St. Vincent School in Osseo, MN.
During Dr. Foucault’s tenure, STMA has undergone a significant systemic change, withdrawing from the Sherburne-Northern Wright Special Education Cooperative (SNWSEC) to independently provide special education services. This process involved extensive stakeholder engagement, data analysis, and legal consultation. The primary goal was to address students' unique needs, resulting in successes such as increased Level III programming, improved Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) inclusion rates, timely services for infants/toddlers, a robust 18-22-year-old transition program, expanded staffing for low-incidence disabilities, and the hiring of an onsite special education director.
Despite a longstanding low per-pupil revenue ranking, STMA has faced intensified budget constraints due to stabilizing student enrollment. Failed operating referendums led to $7.3 million in cuts, prompting deliberate efforts to prioritize equitable access to educational opportunities, especially for economically disadvantaged students. Through Dr. Foucault’s leadership, community engagement, efficient resource allocation, strategic technology use, professional development, and legislative advocacy were implemented, showcasing STMA’s collective resilience and inventive problem-solving skills. This challenging period underscored the district’s unwavering dedication to meeting the needs of all students, regardless of socioeconomic status.
Dr. Foucault is an active MASA member serving as President-Elect of the Board of Directors. She also is a member of the MASA Legislative Committee and Region 6’s Leadership Team. Beyond MASA, Dr. Foucault’s involvement extends to the American Association of School Administrators (AASA), Association of Metropolitan School Districts (AMSD), Schools for Equity in Education (SEE), Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), Rotary St. Michael-Albertville Chapter, Chamber of Commerce I-94 West Chapter, and Resource Training and Solutions.
Dr. Foucault earned a doctorate in Educational Leadership and a master’s in Teaching and Learning from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota. She received a bachelor’s degree in Clinical Laboratory Science/Education from Michigan Technological University. Dr. Foucault holds Superintendent and Educational Administration licenses from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota.
The Memorial Award was established in 1983 in honor of Kay E. Jacobs, an outstanding young administrator of many achievements who died in a car accident in 1979. At the time of her death, Ms. Jacobs was the assistant superintendent for the Mahtomedi Schools and had just been nominated, through a national screening process, for membership in the 38th Annual Superintendents’ Work Conference at Teachers’ College, Columbia University. This was a distinct honor, because only forty-five outstanding chief school officers from school systems throughout the United States had been invited to participate. The Memorial Award recognizes women administrators who have demonstrated the attributes of leadership and involvement early in their careers as Kay Jacobs did.
Each year, MASA recognizes members for their contribution to public education. MASA is a professional organization of Minnesota’s school leaders, including superintendents, assistant superintendents, directors of special education, and other central office administrators, as well as state department administrators, college and university professors, and other educators throughout Minnesota dedicated to educational leadership for students.
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Each year, MASA recognizes members for their contribution to public education. MASA is a professional organization of Minnesota’s school leaders, including superintendents, assistant superintendents, directors of special education, and other central office administrators, as well as state department administrators, college and university professors, and other educators throughout Minnesota dedicated to educational leadership for students.
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