The More You Know: New Laws for 2026-27
A handful of new laws take effect for the first time during the 2026-27 school year. Principals are likely already aware of—and may already be prepared for—some or all of these changes. Still, they are worth reviewing as the school year begins. The good news is that not every change creates a major new compliance burden and the biggest changes will provide principals with leverage for reducing disruptions caused by cell phones…
Action Required: Verify Your School’s Contact for the Michigan School Census Literacy and School Library Study
As part of the FY 2025–2026 Michigan School Aid Budget, the Michigan Legislature provided funding to Wayne State University to conduct the Michigan School Census 2026: A Michigan Literacy and School Library Study. The first step in this statewide effort is contact verification. On August 11, 2026, the lead administrator for each Michigan public school will receive a personalized email from noreply@alchemer.com asking them to simply verify or update the contact information…
Three Mistakes to Avoid in Retirement
Retirement is a time of life that many people look forward to, but it’s also a time when financial mistakes can have serious consequences... Here are three significant financial mistakes people make once they retire, and what you can do to avoid them. Mistake #1: Overspending in the early years of retirement. Retirement is often associated with the freedom to spend more time with loved ones, travel, and enjoy new hobbies. But…
MASSP Promotes Angel Brewer to Chief of Staff
The Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals is proud to announce the promotion of Angel Brewer to the role of Chief of Staff. For more than 25 years, Angel has been a constant source of leadership, service and heart within MASSP. Throughout her tenure, she has become one of the Association's most trusted and recognizable faces, building meaningful relationships with members, students, partners, and colleagues while helping shape the exceptional experiences that…
Path to Leadership (PTL) CAEP Accreditation Update: Post-Site Visit Milestone Reached!
We are thrilled to share a major update regarding Michigan’s premier alternative route to PK-12 administrator certification. The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) site visit team has officially concluded their formal, multi-day evaluation of MASSP’s Path to Leadership (PTL) program. Surviving a national accreditation site visit is no small feat, and we are incredibly proud of how our program, faculty, and candidates shone under the microscope. Here is a…
Member Spotlight | If You See It, You Can Be It – This is What Can Happen when a Visual Learner Becomes a Principal
While sitting in an interview for an assistant principal candidate, Evan Winkler, Brandywine Middle/Senior High School Principal (then a phys ed, health teacher and coach), heard what the person up for the role was talking about and thought “I feel like that's what I love about teaching.” After seeing that same person be successful as an administrator, and with some encouragement from building leaders, Evan pursued his certification through MASSP’s Path to…
From Your Board | Principal Burden Leads with Love
Principal Burden fosters a culture of caring and non-negotiables through a blend of personal philosophy, daily routines and structured leadership frameworks. At the heart of his approach is a commitment to seeing the school as a "microcosm" of the world we want to live in. The "I Love You" Non-Negotiable The primary non-negotiable Principal Burden has established is a standard of unconditional care. Every morning, he greets both students and staff with…
Leadership Lives Here: Finding Your Next Best Step Through MASSP
Every leader's journey begins somewhere. For some, it begins when a teacher, coach or mentor sees something in them they cannot yet see in themselves. For others, it begins when they are asked to lead a team, support a colleague, sponsor a student group or step into a role that stretches them beyond their comfort zone. The paths are different, but the questions are often the same. Am I ready? Can I…
Michigan High School PBA: What Principals and Athletic Directors Need to Know
As of January 2026, the Michigan High School Athletic Association (“MHSAA”) permits Michigan high school student-athletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness through what it calls Personal Brand Activities (“PBAs”). While that change creates valuable opportunities for student athletes, it also introduces immediate compliance considerations for school leaders. PBAs and Limitations The MHSAA broadly defines a PBA as an arrangement in which a student-athlete promotes or endorses a product or…
What Matters?
If you haven't recently watched Disney's WALL-E, it is worth revisiting. The film presents a vision of humanity in surrender. Chased from earth by environmental collapse, humans in the movie are living in collective isolation on an automated cruise ship in space. Plugged into their devices and disconnected from the world, the passengers have ceded thought and decision-making to the intelligent robots with which they have surrounded themselves. This may sound like…