LegalEase December 2023 | Teacher Placement, Prohibited Subjects and Evaluations – A Legislative Update
The Michigan Legislature adjourned its 2023 session on November 14, 2023, and it marked the busiest legislative session for public education in at least a decade. These major legislative changes will take effect in 2024 – some as early as February 13. TEACHER PLACEMENTStaffing for the 2024-2025 school year will be markedly different than prior years. There are two legislative changes: Section 1248 of the Revised School Code was revised dramatically, and…
High School Esports Conference & Championships Held at Oakland University
Voices in the large ballroom fell silent as the sound of a highlight video filled the space and lit up the front screens. All attendees, from high school students to adult educators, turned their attention to the front of the room as the keynote speaker took the stage. More than 350 individuals from high schools across Michigan attended the Michigan High School Esports League’s second Explore Esports conference and/or watched the…
Litigation With Implications for School Administrator Retirement
It's imperative that Michigan Association of Secondary Schools Principals members become aware of a recent Michigan Court of Appeals ruling that has the potential to impact the MPSERS pension benefits of building level leaders. The goal of this communication is to: Provide you with an overview of how this litigation began and the course of action it has taken through the court system Make you aware of the current status and why…
Leaning On One Another to Lead Forward
As a high school principal, my favorite time of the day was after the first bell. My team of APs and I would walk the building, checking that doors were shut, and talking about the day and sometimes the days ahead. It was that rare time in the day when we could talk deliberately and not in the middle of 15 other things. In my last year as Principal at Utica High…
Traverse City High Schools Are Leading Learning
When I was a building principal and I was having a tough day I would escape by going into classrooms to be inspired by the great things the students and staff were doing … and that hasn’t changed. My favorite aspect of my job as Executive Director at MASSP: school visits. I enjoy learning about what principals are doing and thinking about how MASSP can elevate member voice, share best practices and…
Who is Your Champion?
Think back. Think back to your days in school. Not present day, where you are leading your building, greeting your students at the door, facilitating instructional growth, etc. But rather when you were the one seated in the desk, you were the one taking notes/quizzes/exams & there was a teacher in front of you. Of all of the educators you had the pleasure of learning from, K-12, which one sticks out? Which…
Breaking the Vape Chain: A Journey from Personal Quitting to Schoolwide Prevention
By Justin Hauser, Principal, L’anse Creuse East Middle School In April 2020, amidst the onset of the pandemic, I made a life-altering decision to quit smoking and vaping, a habit I had maintained for 20 years. Despite being a smoker, I concealed my habit with cologne during my commutes, lunch breaks, and even while advising middle school students to stay away from tobacco. Upon quitting, I committed to repurposing my past vice…
The Heartbeat of High School: Finding Our Collective Purpose
Finding Purpose: The Key to Student MotivationIn the bustling hallways of our high schools, amidst the cacophony of locker doors slamming and the chatter of students, there lies a silent question: “What is our purpose?” As educators, we often grapple with this existential query, not just for ourselves but for our students. The answer, as I've come to realize, is the cornerstone of motivation and the driving force behind every successful educational…
College Board Going Digital: Part 1 – Ordering, Planning and SSD Requirements
Part 1 of our College Board Going Digital Series Part 1 of our MASSP College Board Going Digital series was held on Tuesday, June 6. This webinar was designed to help assessment teams learn what they need to prepare for the fall administration of the PSAT digital College Board assessments. The webinar included planning for that process, ordering your assessments and understanding the SSD requirements and deadlines. Register for the additional sessions at massp.com/events.…
Three Generations of Ojibwe Women Helped Make the Path to the Principalship for Kate VanHouten
Growing up as Majiikwewis (an eldest daughter) on the Bay Mills Indian Community in the Upper Peninsula, Lake Fenton High School Principal Kate VanHouten was in only the second generation of indigenous people to attend a Brimley area public school off of the reservation. They did not offer Ojibwe culture classes or language classes there. “Most of my education for my culture came from my mother and my community, my tribe,” she…