Dr. Teri Staloch Receives Kay E. Jacobs Memorial Award
(St. Paul, MN) – The Minnesota Association of School Administrators (MASA) has named Dr. Teri Staloch, Superintendent of Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools (PLSAS), recipient of the 2022 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. Staloch 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 10-11, 2022.

“Dr. Staloch is a tireless advocate for public education and has given so much to our District and community. She is truly committed to help every student succeed,” wrote Michael Nelson, PLSAS Board Chair, in her letter of support. “Dr. Staloch is clear about her ‘why’ and her work supports that clarity at every turn. She has pages of impressive accomplishments, all which add incredible value to her leadership, but it is her commitment to stay true to her ‘why,’ is what we believe has made her an invaluable leader in our schools and community.”

Prior to the superintendency, Dr. Staloch was the Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Educational Standards and then Assistant Superintendent at Osseo Area Schools. She also served as Principal and then Director of Instructional Services at the Holmen School District in Wisconsin, and has served as Assistant Professor and Interim Director for the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse. Dr. Staloch began her educational career as an English teacher with St. Charles Public Schools.

During her time at PLSAS, Dr. Staloch implemented a district-wide system of continuous improvement to support shared leadership and generate systematic accountability. This has formed a culture within the district where multiple perspectives, talents, and ideas consistently come together in decision making for the benefit and success of all students. Dr. Staloch also established the first Superintendent Advisory Group, made up exclusively of students, for the purpose of listening to student perspectives and supporting their ideas for school improvement. In addition, each year she mentors a new School Board Student Representative to help them develop their leadership skills and have a voice on the PLSAS Board.

Under Dr. Staloch's leadership, PLSAS began the important work of bringing educational equity to the forefront within the district through the development of an E-12 Educational Equity and Excellence Plan to close achievement gaps. This included the implementation of Culturally Responsive Teaching strategies and learning environments, family engagement, and professional development opportunities for every staff member. As an equity leader, Dr. Staloch ensured that PLSAS was a frontrunner in hosting a World Cafe event to gather input on educational equity and excellence as part of Reimagine Minnesota. She also led a process in spring 2021 to hire PLSAS’ first Director of Equity and Inclusion.

During the pandemic, Dr. Staloch created the COVID-19 Incident Command Team which was made up of board members and key district administrative staff representing both elementary and secondary buildings. Each week the team has met to share information from state and county health organizations as well as internal data to improve and maintain the district’s Safe Learning Plan. In addition to working with her district team, Dr. Staloch has been instrumental in her collaboration with area superintendents to make sure she was aware of the health impact in surrounding communities. The ongoing work of this team has been instrumental in navigating the rapidly changing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic for PLSAS.

Dr. Staloch is an active member in MASA. She currently serves on the MASA Board of Directors and is the MASA Representative to the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) Board of Directors. Dr. Staloch has also been a member of the MASA Executive Development and Legislative committees.

Dr. Staloch received the 2019 MASA Region 9 Regional Administrator of Excellence Award.

Dr. Staloch’s other professional involvement include the Association of Metropolitan School Districts (AMSD), Schools for Equity in Education (SEE), and the Minnesota School Board Association (MSBA). She is also a member of the Prior Lake Rotary, Scott Family Net Steering Committee, and the School County Association for Leadership and Efficiency.

Dr. Staloch earned a doctorate of Education in Educational Policy and Administration and a master’s in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. She received her bachelor's in English and Education from Luther College.

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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Press Release