Does your school currently have an early warning system in place to identify and support struggling students? If not, consider using the State of Michigan’s new Early Warning Intervention and Monitoring System (EWIMS). The product of a partnership between MDE and the Michigan Data Hub, the EWIMS program promotes a research-based approach to identify students who are showing signs of risk for dropping out of school, examines the underlying causes to match students’ needs to interventions, and monitors students’ progress and the success of those interventions.
This Week in Politics in 5 Sentences (or Fewer)
The House and Senate K-12 budget subcommittees started hearings this week on the 2018-19 School Aid Fund budget and it quickly became obvious that—while legislators like the idea of giving schools a significant foundation increase going into a major election cycle—there was little support with either subcommittee chair for the Governor's proposals to reduce cyber school foundation or cap shared time expenditures as a way to fund that increase.
#MASSPchat - Growing, Attracting and Hiring New Teachers
The Topic:
The pool of available teachers for open positions continues to dwindle. What is your district/school doing to be proactive about growing, attracting and hiring the best teachers for your students? Let's discuss best practices and share strategies.
The Questions:
#MASSPchat - Restorative Practices
The Topic:
We are over half way through the school year and many schools began the year with new discipline policies aimed at reducing suspension and expulsion rates. Let's check in and share how the new policies are working for staff, students, parents and school boards.
The Questions:
This Week in Politics in 5 Sentences (or Fewer)
On Wednesday, Governor Snyder rolled out his eighth and final budget recommendation, which contained—among other things—a proposal for the largest single-year foundation increase since 2002: $120-240 per pupil on the 2X formula. Other highlights included three different per pupil increases targeted at special populations: $25 per pupil for high school students (a continuation of a provision the the current budget), $25 per pupil for students enrolled in CTE programs, and an additional $25 per pupil if the CTE program is in a high needs area.
New MMC FAQ Has Important Updates For Scheduling Season
Scheduling season is here! You may already be underway with scheduling classes for the 2018-19 school year. If not, you are certain to start the process in the coming weeks. This week, we want to highlight some key revisions made to MDE's MMC Frequently Asked Questions. This revised document was originally released in September 2017, so you may have seen it already or you may have simply put it in your pile of things to deal with at scheduling time.
MDE Memos Review Sexual Assault/Harassment, Cert Requirements
Principals will want to be aware of three memos put out recently by MDE. The first is a special memo from State Superintendent Brian Whiston that provides an easy-to-read overview of district and educator responsibilities under state and federal law when it comes to sexual assault and harassment. The other two memos review the limits on using staff with non-traditional backgrounds in counseling or library media related roles since both of these positions require specific degrees or endorsements.
Gov's Budget Proposal Calls for Variety of Per Pupil Increases
Governor Snyder has rolled out his final Executive Budget Recommendation…and it's a doozy. Fortunately, the major provisions are few and straightforward, making this budget pretty easy to explain and grasp. And for most Principals, this budget is good news: a big foundation increase, additional targeted adjustments for high school and CTE students, and continued funding for things like At Risk. But the Governor proposes paying for some of the new spending with targeted cuts, specifically a cap on shared time and a reduction in cyber school foundation allowances…two items that will be deal breakers for some districts.
Let's go to the film…
Foundation Allowance
Member Spotlight: Sheila Pilmore
Sheila Pilmore, Principal, Breckenridge Middle/High School
Making Time For Intentional Collaboration
The words collaboration and leadership are two words that are prevalent in most research surrounding effective teams. Although true, it seems that there is often a lack of clarity surrounding the various strategies one might use to engage others in collaborative dialogue. There is also a lack of training for this in most traditional Ed Leadership programs – leaving school leaders without the necessary strategies to efficiently and effectively build a culture of collaboration and shared ownership for students. Modeling these behaviors and reflecting on both the content and the process after exploration will ultimately allow for the ideas to be implemented into classroom instruction.