Record-Breaking Enrollment in Michigan Achievement Scholarship Program: A Win for Students and Schools
Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently announced a historic milestone for Michigan students and families: more than 56,000 Michiganders are benefiting from the Michigan Achievement Scholarship Program this fall, saving more than $131.5 million in tuition costs. This represents a significant step toward making higher education more accessible and affordable, with benefits extending to community colleges, Tribal colleges, private institutions and public universities across the state. The program, launched in 2022, provides recent Michigan…
L2L Legal Webinar: Developing Effective AI Policies in Schools
Join us for an insightful webinar focusing on the integration of artificial intelligence in school settings. This session will explore the critical aspects of crafting and implementing AI policies to ensure ethical use and compliance with legal standards. Learn from legal experts about best practices for addressing data privacy, student safety, and transparency. Discover how to create a framework for AI use that aligns with your school’s values and regulatory requirements. This…
Supporting the Next Generation of School Leaders
MASSP is excited to announce the launch of our 2024-25 New Principal Connect Series—a four-part webinar series designed specifically to support new and early-career principals (years 1-3). The series aims to provide new building administrators with the tools, resources, and community they need to thrive in their roles, increase personal effectiveness, and build professional networks with fellow educators. Recognizing that new principals often face a steep learning curve, MASSP has developed this…
In the Middle With You: Digital PSAT & AI
Session #1 of the 2023-24 webinar series Thank you for attending session 1 of our In The Middle With You webinar for the 2023-24 school year. Special thanks to our guest presenters: Kari Anama and Ted Gardella from the College Board and our very own, Colin Ripmaster from MASSP, for presenting great information on the topics of PSAT-Digital Transition and AI in Middle Schools. During our session, Kari and Ted shared information about the digital transition of PSAT 8. They both shared rich resources…
In The Middle With You: Restorative Practices
Session #7 of the 2023-24 Webinar Series During the final "In The Middle With You" webinar for the 2023-24 school year, the focus was on Restorative Practices, with insights from Travis Thomsen and Sidney Bailey IV. Travis, principal of Portage North Middle School, shared his collaboration with Gryphon Place to create trauma-informed classrooms and manage compassion fatigue, emphasizing self-care and understanding spheres of influence to combat burnout. Sidney from Portage West Middle…
In the Middle With You: Parent Engagement & Student Voice
Session #6 of the 2023-24 webinar series This webinar focused on fostering student voice and parent engagement in middle schools. The discussion centered around the importance of involving students and parents in school activities, while acknowledging that successful strategies should be adapted to each school's unique context. Data from surveys and other sources was identified as a valuable tool for improving the school environment. Practical examples were shared by two MASSP board…
In The Middle With You: SEL & Staff Appreciation
Session #5 of the 2023-24 webinar series During our March In The Middle With You Webinar, we discussed the topics of Social Emotional Learning and Staff Appreciation. Special thanks to our Board of Directors representatives, Jeff Dykhouse and Craig Blower for sharing some of the great work each is leading in their respective buildings! Jeff Dykhouse, principal of East Grand Rapids Middle School, discussed the implementation of the Trails to Wellness program, developed by…
In the Middle With You: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Session #4 of the 2023-24 webinar series. Thank you for attending session 4 of our In The Middle With You webinar for the 2023-24 school year. Special thanks to our presenters Sonica and Lilliana fromThe Regional Laboratory Midwest for presenting great information on the DILE Approach (Data Informed Leadership for Equity) a program available to middle schools. During our session,we started by revisiting the definitions of DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion). We then particpated in the “Name Game”,…
In The Middle With You: PSAT/SAT Goes Digital
Session #3 of the 2023-24 webinar series In this session, presenters Kari Anama of College Board, presented great information on the topic of digital PSAT and Craig Blower of Swan Valley Middle School shared his fall testing experience. During our session, Kari shared valuable information related to the spring PSAT 8 test and helpful tips to help make sure you are prepared for the digital transition this spring. https://youtu.be/F3wQOfPOX_Y Slide Deck
In The Middle With You: Artificial Intelligence
Session #2 of the 2023-24 webinar series During our session, Bill Jones (Principal, Hillsdale Middle School) shared informative information related to the use of artificial intelligence in school. Bill started with general definitions, walked us through a short evolution and growth of technology, talked about the limitations of AI, and shared some AI education resources and tools. Interestingly, I used the new Zoom AI meeting summary feature to generate a summary of our…