New Fiscal Year, New Rules: Your FY 2027 Compliance Checklist
Governor Whitmer signed the FY 2027 State School Aid Act (Public Act 25 of 2026) on July 21, 2026. The Act attaches several compliance obligations to district funding — and falling short on any of them can mean real money out of the District’s pocket. Some of these obligations carry over from prior years, but the 2026–27 cycle introduces new requirements that every building principal and central office administrator needs to understand. …
Six Weeks In: Leverage Early Warning Data as the Instructional Leader
Six weeks into the school year, attendance, discipline and course performance data are beginning to tell a story. The question is whether we are looking across those indicators closely enough to notice which students may be getting off track and what they need from us next. As building leaders, it is on us to not only comply with Michigan’s MTSS requirements, but to fill the role of instructional leaders and steward what’s…
Homecoming: School Culture Comes to Life
There are plenty of serious moments in the life of a principal, but Homecoming week reminds me why I became an educator: Sometimes the most important work we do is helping students have fun, feel like they belong, and create memories they will carry with them for the rest of their lives. At Woodhaven High School, Homecoming is much more than a football game and a dance. It is a week when…
Work Permits Are Changing: What Principals Need to Know Now
Beginning Oct. 2, Michigan is moving youth work permits out of local schools and into the state’s new Youth Employment Permit Portal (YEPP) run by the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO). For principals, there are two things to know right now: There is very little that schools need to do and nothing that has to be done urgently. The new system may create opportunities to use information about student…
Student Fundraising Pitfalls to Avoid
Student fundraising is a staple of the secondary school experience, funding everything from robotics trips and athletics to senior proms. The beginning of the school year can bring about numerous requests for fundraising. However, for secondary school administrators, managing these initiatives carries significant compliance, financial, and ethical responsibilities. Under Neola Policy 5830 (Student Fundraising), board policy establishes a clear framework: Because compulsory attendance laws make students a "captive audience," student solicitation must…
October 2026 QUICK TIPS | Things Don’t Just Fall Into Place, You Can Guide Them
With a month or so of school under our belts, it's time to ensure that good habits have been established for students, staff and administrators. Be sure to make time for all of the big and little things that are important to you – and work them into your daily or weekly schedule. What you intentionally plan now will seem like second nature in the months ahead. Nathaniel Moody, Assistant Principal, Valleywood…
When We Support You, You Can Support Them
There is a line in this week’s Member Spotlight that has stuck with me. As Patrick Donahue describes the intentional progression Allen Park Middle School has created for students, the message changes as students grow: In sixth grade: We’ve got you. Let us show you how. In seventh grade: Now let’s start doing this together. And by eighth grade: You’ve got this. Show us what you can do. It is a model…
Walking the Tightrope of Parent Rights
School personnel encounter parent disputes over their child’s education in many different areas. Whether it is disagreement over enrollment or a subpoena to testify in a custody hearing, school personnel must know the law to avoid becoming a reluctant referee in a parent dispute outside the district’s realm of authority. Enrollment Nonmarried (divorced or never married) parents typically have joint physical and legal custody and share authority to make educational decisions regarding…
Meet Them Where They Are. Prepare Them for Where They’re Going.
At Allen Park Middle School, we believe culture isn't something you hang on a wall. It's something students and staff experience every day. And sometimes, a strong culture means being willing to look at what you've always done and ask a simple question: Is this still what our kids need? That question led us to rethink the entire three-year middle school experience. For years, we watched our 6th graders enter middle school…
When the Bell Rings for Everyone: How Engadine Schools Embedded SEL into the Fabric of Teaching
On a winter morning in Engadine, the hallways hum with a quiet confidence. In a single K–12 building that houses just 246 students—some of whom even stay an extra year to earn community college credit—Heather Luoto slips easily between roles: former science teacher, current instructional coach and 7–12 principal. She jokes that she wears many hats, but the truth is more poetic: She stitches systems together. Three years ago, Luoto noticed a…