Firearms, Safety and Schools - A Legal Perspective
Job Sharing Teacher Evaluations
This Week in Politics in 5 Sentences (or Fewer)
On Tuesday, the Senate K-12 budget subcommittee reported out its proposal for the 2018-19 School Aid budget…a proposal that looked a lot like Governor Snyder's executive budget recommendation with a few key changes. The House held off on reporting out its version of the K-12 budget for next year until after the legislature returns from its spring break in two weeks.
Senate Reports K-12 Budget Recommendation
On Tuesday morning, the Senate K-12 budget subcommittee reported out its version of the K-12 budget for 2018-19. What’s in? The Senate included a sizable foundation increase on the 2X formula, new funding for CTE programs that do not have access to local CTE millage dollars, and the $25 per pupil bonus for high school students that first appeared in last year’s budget. What’s out? The Governor’s proposals for cuts to shared time programs and cyber schools, a per pupil incentive payment for CTE students, and changes to the boilerplate for At Risk funding.
Side-by-Side
Here’s a side-by-side breakdown of the Senate budget recommendation and the executive budget recommendation:
Using the Instructional Planning Report to Identify Students of Interest
Continuing the series of highlighting activities and resources that take place in MASSP’s recently updated Data Analysis Protocol 2.0 Workshop, educators can use the Instructional Planning Report to help identify students of interest based on performance levels in various subscore areas. This report, which can be located in the Reports Center portal, can help identify students who need to strengthen skills, are approaching benchmark, or have met or exceeded the benchmark. Knowing the students who fall into these categories for the different parts of the PSAT/SAT Suite of Assessments can allow for better individual planning regarding instructional practices.
This Week in Politics in 5 Sentences (or Fewer)
On Tuesday, the House Workforce and Talent Development Committee passed HB 4106 and HB 5676, a pair of bills that could make it easier for high school students to earn credit for work-based learning experiences and should also simplify the process for high schools that have to oversee those experiences.
WorkKeys Testing Time Extended. Are You Ready?
Beginning with this spring's WorkKeys test, students will now have ten more minutes per section. This increase from 45 to 55 minutes will extend the overall testing time by 30 minutes, meaning that the total time needed for all three standard-time assessments, including the 15-minute break after the Applied Math test, is now three hours.
MDE Announces New MiSTEM Regions, Plan
MDE recently announced that the MiSTEM Network – created under the 2017-18 School Aid Budget as a presumed replacement for the long-standing Michigan Math and Science Center Network – has formalized the structure of its 16 new service regions and is in the process of developing community partnerships and strategies to promote its new mission. The shift from dedicated state funding for the Math and Science Center Network to the new MiSTEM councils is just one more part of a broader, state-level shift in focus away from general education toward a focus on careers and the workforce.
Find Your Energy Source
I recently had a great day at the Aspiring Principal’s Workshop that is offered annually by MASSP. The title says it all. There were 50+ educators attending who were very energized and enthusiastic about making a step into school administration. They were there excited to learn and take in every piece of advice that they could get for their journey. What most of them probably don’t realize is that this day is just as much a benefit to someone like me, who has been on the path for a while now, as it is to them.