Crisis Response and Protecting Yourself
In the days following the tragedy in Oxford, many building principals around the state could easily have been thinking “that could be me.” Every day, in school buildings across Michigan, principals are forced to make complex decisions which sometimes require judgment calls. This is part of the job, but no principal should have to be worried about their job or, even worse, their personal assets if they are named in a civil…
COVID-19 Positive: Refocused
Ever since COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States in March of 2020, school (and much more) hasn’t been the same. “You never know what you're going to get or what the day is going to hold,” said Jill Hendrickson, Internal Funds Manager and Administrative Assistant at St. Charles Community High School. Hendrickson explained that, since the majority of the last school year was done remotely/hybrid, people are having to relearn things they haven’t…
Tragedy at Oxford High School
MASSP joins the entire Michigan school community in expressing our deepest sympathy and support for our friends and colleagues at Oxford High School. The loss of life (currently reported to be 4 fatalities and 5 injuries) is nothing short of heartbreaking. We know the days ahead will be incredibly difficult for the Oxford community. Students, families and educators around Michigan will also be feeling sadness, loss and even fear. It is important…
School Threat Update
Although MASSP is a large Association with 1800 members, we are a tight knit community and we want to both share information and support you as you do everything possible to keep your students and staff safe. It is with this in mind that we are providing you with an update, reminders and resources. We are also working on a Leader2Leader webinar for next week to provide a model of what a…
In Response to the Tragedy at Oxford High School
MASSP joins the entire Michigan school community in expressing our deepest sympathy and support for our friends and colleagues at Oxford High School. The loss of life (currently reported to be 3 fatalities and 6 injuries) is nothing short of heartbreaking. We know the days ahead will be incredibly difficult for the Oxford community. Students, families and educators around Michigan will also be feeling sadness, loss and even fear. It is important…
Legal Searches in School: Reasonable Suspicion Required
The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees “the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures.” This right generally requires officials to have reasonable cause before searching or seizing an individual or their property. In 1985, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the Fourth Amendment applies to students in the public schools (New Jersey v. T.L.O., 1985). The Court concluded,…
Rethinking Pandemic-Era Expulsions
We don’t know the impact COVID‑19 has had, and will have, on our students. We won’t know the full extent of its effects for many years, if ever. This sobering reality will be something with which our future selves will need to grapple. Here in the present, we are already seeing one consequence of COVID‑19 and the mitigation strategies that have been in place for the last year and a half: a…
New CDC Guidance: What You Should Know
On February 12, 2021, the CDC released guidance titled “Operational Strategy for K-12 Schools through Phased Mitigation.” As a supplement, the Department of Education released its own document titled “ED COVID-19 Handbook Volume 1: Strategies for Safely Reopening Elementary and Secondary Schools.” Each emphasizes the importance of in-person instruction and provides recommendations as to how to best return to in-person instruction and maintain that mode of learning. With each document punching in…
Setting Title IX Expectations Under the Biden Administration
A new administration means a new set of policies, and the shift is more dramatic when the White House is occupied by a member from the opposite political party. One of the more impactful changes for schools and universities during the Trump administration was in the realm of Title IX. The recently‑imposed regulations place emphasis on the rights of the accused, much to the consternation of advocates for the rights of complainants. …
Setting Expectations for Staff and Student Immunizations
This month, the first COVID-19 vaccines were officially rolled out to a limited number of individuals. Although we are unlikely to see widespread application of these vaccines to the general population immediately, we can expect availability in the months to come. Given the world-halting impact of the virus, which continues to foreclose in-person learning for many Michigan schools, school administrators will naturally ponder the extent to which students and staff may be…