2025-26 Student Leadership Events – Registration Now Open!
Spots are limited – reserve your place today! Ready to level up your student leadership experience? Our statewide lineup of Student Leadership Events is now open for registration! These one-of-a-kind workshops and conferences are designed to help students grow critical skills in communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and school impact. Our events are open to EVERY STUDENT! Whether you're a student council officer, leadership student, or just someone who wants to make a difference,…
FAFSA Completion Challenge Grant: Application Now Open
The Michigan Department of Education, working in collaboration with the Michigan Department of Treasury and MCAN, is implementing the FAFSA Completion Challenge Grant to build the capacity of school districts as they support students in completing the FAFSA. The deadline to complete the application form is Oct. 6, 2023. The application must be completed by the district through the GEMS/MARS system. Data indicates that a senior who completes the FAFSA is 84% more likely to enroll in postsecondary…
Building in Belonging
As schools in Michigan plan for the return of their students and teachers this month, a unique opportunity is presented to school leaders and educators. Principals (and teachers) build a positive culture and establish a sense of belonging in their schools for all students so that the learning environment is a safe and welcoming place. If there was a The Principalship for Dummies book, that would be on the first page, Success…
Jostens | Your Most Trusted Partner in Celebrating Moments that Matter
The Jostens Representatives of Michigan would like to extend our warmest wishes for a happy, healthy, and successful new school year. May this year be filled with moments of joy and transformative learning experiences for both educators and students alike. At Jostens, our passion is helping schools create experiences that champion a culture of belonging, achievement, and pride. It’s about so much more than class rings, yearbooks, and cap & gowns. We’re…
MASSP Partner: PoP! Fundraising
Well, it’s almost time for our students to return for a brand-new school year! It was an honor for POP! to be a part of EDCON in June and to share our message in a breakout session with many of the attendees. We started the session with a question: What would you do if you had an extra $15,000 for your middle school program? Here are a few responses from that conversation:…
Model the Way: Using AI to Save Time and Improve Instruction
In December of 2022, during my morning drive to Hillside Middle School, I first became aware of AI, or ChatGPT specifically. Prior to that, most of my AI experience was confined to doom-and-gloom movie portrayals like Skynet from the Terminator series or, perhaps slightly more optimistically, the self-aware eponymous robot from the movie Chappie. I did have a conversation with a tech-minded friend some weeks prior regarding a new app that could…
Relationships Matter
It is my hope that this article finds you rested, rejuvenated and ready to start the new school year. As you prepare to greet your staff and students, remember the importance of building relationships. No matter what we are asking of others, until they trust that we care about them, really care about them as a person … not teacher, secretary or student … getting business accomplished is difficult. The beginning of…
QUICK TIPS SEPTEMBER | Set a Tone
The first days and weeks of school set the tone for the remainder of the year. Students’ first experiences powerfully communicate what your school represents. What is posted on the walls, what experiences they engage in the classroom, and the opportunity they are provided to explore and discover all that makes your school great matters. What you say, what you do and what you promote reflects your identity values and beliefs. Students…
Pray What?! Rolling Into the School Year After . . . Groff?
Death. Taxes. The U.S. Supreme Court changing religious accommodation law? Observant readers of this column may recall last year’s opening salvo: “Pray What?! Rolling Into the School Year After Bremerton.” Bremerton involved a high school football coach whose “personal” and “private” prayers – in the middle of the football field, surrounded by a crowd, immediately after football games – were protected by the First Amendment. This year, Groff v. DeJoy takes us…
Virtual Student Mental Health Summit | Call for Presentations
Since its establishment in 2019, MASSP's Student Mental Health Summit has collaborated with thousands of educators and students, fostering the creation of essential school-based mental health resources and programs. We are thrilled to announce the return of the SMHS on September 28 as a fully virtual event. Our aim is to illuminate vital content, curriculum, and school-based initiatives in a way that every interested student or educator can access, regardless of where…