Trust Fuels Agility: What Every Secondary Principal Needs to Know
When educational leaders talk about agility, we often focus on flexible scheduling, adaptive systems, or instructional shifts. But beneath all of those is something deeper: trust. Without trust, decisions stall, staff retreat into self-preservation, and innovation flatlines. True organizational agility in schools, especially at the secondary level, is impossible without a high-trust culture. Leadership Question: What would your staff say they’re trusted to lead and where are they still waiting for permission?…
MDHHS Tobacco in Schools: Rethinking Zero Tolerance – A New Vision for School Tobacco & Nicotine Policies
Many K-12 school policies respond to student tobacco use and vaping with punitive approaches, such as suspension and exclusion from activities. While these actions are common, they do not address the root causes of nicotine addiction or provide the support students need to quit for good. During this session, an MDHHS tobacco policy consultant provided an overview of best practices for developing a comprehensive K-12 commercial tobacco-free/vape-free policy. The presentation included information…
Your Educators Could Be Counting on You for Help with the Student Loan Repayment Program
In April, the Michigan Department of Education opened a round of Student Loan Repayment Program applications, which closed on Monday, May 19, 2025. Now school districts must verify each applicant’s employment details, in accordance with the updated eligibility criteria for the program, before the deadline of Tuesday, June 17, 2025. Any applicant whose district does not complete the verification step by the deadline will NOT receive funds under the program. MDE notified all local and intermediate district…
MHSEL Celebrates Record Growth and National Recognition
Since its inception in the 2020–21 school year, the Michigan High School Esports League has experienced remarkable growth, establishing itself as a premier platform for competitive gaming in the state. MHSEL launched with only 24 schools and 34 teams. Now entering its sixth year, the league boasts participation from more than 200 schools, 840+ teams, with more than 3,700 student participants across Michigan. MHSEL offers a diverse array of 15 popular game…
Celebrating All the Small Moments: How to Make Middle School Memorable and Build a Positive Working Culture
May in middle school feels like sprinting a marathon — uphill, in a windstorm. There’s testing on one end, transitions on the other, and everything in between: retirements, celebrations, staffing, scheduling, and maybe a countdown or two. Everyone’s exhausted, including the students. Time is short, tensions are high and the to-do list keeps growing. In all the noise and urgency, it’s easy to just keep pushing forward. But if we don’t pause…
The Behavioral Edge: Why Principals Need More Than Skills
What sets great principals apart isn't just their instructional knowledge or strategic mindset, it’s their ability to understand and adapt their behavior in service of others. In a world where school leaders are called to be communicators, mediators, motivators, and visionaries, often all before noon, technical competence simply isn’t enough. That’s where Behavioral Intelligence comes in.More Than Personality: A Next Step in Leadership Self-Awareness For years, educators and leaders have turned to…
This Week in Politics in 5 Sentences (or Fewer)
On Monday, Governor Whitmer signed HB 4345 into law, allowing districts impacted by this winter’s severe storms to waive up to 15 instructional days if the closures were due to a declared state of emergency, a majority of the school board votes in favor, and the missed time was directly caused by the emergency (no reporting to MDE is required as long as documentation, including the resolution, is kept on file locally).…
June & July Heritage Month & Recognition Days 2025
June LGBTQ+ Pride Month: All Month Pride Month is an annual celebration that takes place in June to honor the LGBTQ+ community, promote inclusivity and raise awareness about the ongoing fight for equal rights. It commemorates the Stonewall riots in New York City, which occurred in June 1969 and sparked the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. Pride Month is celebrated by individuals, organizations and communities worldwide. During Pride Month, people embrace their true…
The Detroit Lions Challenge You to Host Blood Drives this Summer
By Versiti Blood Center of Michigan When Michigan’s high school football players watch the Detroit Lions, they look up to the team in more ways than one. To these student athletes, the Lions are heroes not merely for their game-changing touchdown drives, but even more so for their difference-making blood drives. A Versiti Blood Center of Michigan program gives those hardworking student athletes a way to follow their favorite players’ footsteps –…
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,…