The High Cost of Managing Attendance With Spreadsheets
Every educator knows the feeling of the "slow erosion." It isn’t usually a single dramatic crisis that disrupts your day; it’s the constant friction of empty desks, excess spreadsheets, too much tech, and kids coming late to class. School leaders are constantly putting out fires. So we recently attended three key industry trade shows to gather data on the biggest challenges. At each show, we invited hundreds of educators to take part…
Principal’s Checklist Companion | Build Better Hiring Performance Tasks With AI
My name is William Grube. I’ll be speaking at EdCon this summer on practical AI use for principals. Below is a practical AI use you can use as you dive into the “Interviewing/Hiring Staff” section of your MASSP April Principal’s Checklist. When preparing for interviews, building highly effective and unique performance tasks from scratch takes too much time. This leads to the same tasks being reused every year. Use AI to build…
April 2026 QUICK TIPS | Spring to It
Many schools are kicking off April with spring break – let it be a reminder that you need to take care of yourself in order to lead your school through the final quarter of the academic year. Whether you're traveling or experiencing a staycation, please find time to rest and find joy each day. Check out these tips from your Board to help you when you return to school. Nicole Carter, Principal,…
Rethinking What’s Possible: An Invitation to Middle Level Leaders
What if the next breakthrough in your school is already sitting in your building … just waiting for the right space, the right support, and the right conversation? Across Michigan, middle schools are navigating a familiar set of challenges: student engagement that ebbs and flows, staff who are stretched thin, schedules that never seem to allow enough time for meaningful collaboration, and a constant push to meet the evolving needs of young…
Michigan College Students Receive More Than $558 Million in State Financial Aid
At the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP), our mission is to expand access to state scholarships and grants and make sure every student in Michigan has a real pathway to a postsecondary credential. In Academic Year 2024-25, MiLEAP provided more than $558 million in financial aid to over 153,000 Michigan college students! This reflects a 30.4% increase in students served (compared to the 2023-24 academic year) and with…
Help Protect Students from Gambling Risks
Share the Don’t Regret the Bet Campaign Michigan Gaming Control Board HELP PROTECT STUDENTS FROM GAMBLING RISKS: SHARE THE “DON’T REGRET THE BET” CAMPAIGN Across Michigan, students are growing up in a sports culture that increasingly includes betting promotions, online gaming advertisements, and gambling content across social media and televised events. While these messages are designed for adults, young people see them often — and that exposure can shape how they think…
This Week in Politics in 5 Sentences (or Fewer)
Michigan lawmakers took another step to scale back 11th grade assessment requirements this week, as the Senate approved HB 4556 and HB 4557 by a 24–9 vote—the bills would eliminate the SAT essay portion of the Michigan Merit Examination and remove the requirement that student MME scores appear on their transcripts, with a House concurrence vote now the final step before the bills head to the governor for signature. Paired with the…
10 Things Michigan Principals Should Know Before the First Administration of the WIN Work Readiness Assessment
This spring marks the first statewide administration of the WIN Work Readiness Assessments as part of the Michigan Merit Exam (MME). The new assessment replaces ACT WorkKeys and will be administered to Michigan 11th grade students between April 6 and May 1. Over the past several months MASSP has shared information about the structure and policy context surrounding the transition to WIN. As the testing window approaches, school leaders are now turning…
MDHHS Tobacco Youth Focus Groups: Please Share with Students
The MDHHS Tobacco Control Program is partnering with the Michigan Public Health Institute (MPHI) to conduct virtual focus groups with high school youth about their insights related to youth use of commercial tobacco and nicotine products. The focus group will consist of up to a 90-minute Zoom call with an MPHI facilitator and note-taker. Participants will receive a $50 Visa gift card as compensation. Focus group results will help answer key questions to improve Michigan’s commercial tobacco prevention and…
Administrator Mentor Coaching Requirements and Available Grant Support
Michigan now requires districts to provide mentor support for all school administrators, excluding superintendents, within their first three years in a new position. With dedicated grant funding from MDE becoming available soon, districts have an opportunity to align compliance with meaningful leadership development. MASSP’s Strengthening Leaders Program is ready to partner with you to provide mentor-coaches and support building confident, capable leaders. As districts and school leaders begin planning for the 2026–27…