Thursday morning's House Education Reform Committee hearing was pretty much the only education-related legislative action this week, but the panel managed to pack a lot into a one-hour hearing. The committee overwhelmingly reported out a pair of bills (HB 5707 and 6401) that would return the percentage of teacher and school administrator evaluations that must be based on student growth to 25% (back down from 40% where it moved at the beginning of this school year).
You’re Filing a Grievance About What?!
Flashback to August 30, 2010: I was focused, filled with excitement and had total clarity of how I was going to launch my first staff meeting as a principal of a large high school. I methodically mapped out the school year to be productive and action-oriented, as the change was the overwhelming theme. My enthusiasm was quickly overshadowed by the reality of the recession, where change was viewed as forced and vehemently unwanted by most. It was the year of transitions as I had to lead the move from the luxury of a 4x4 block schedule, back to the traditional six-period day. The newly implemented Michigan Merit Curriculum and change in the schedule was taking its toll on elective courses as student choice was crippled.
School Safety Is Paramount, Get FREE Resources from OK2SAY
School safety continues to be on the forefront of every educator’s mind these days. To assist in keeping students, staff and buildings safe, many administrators are utilizing Michigan’s OK2SAY program.
Happy Principals Month!
Principals are the keystone of a their building, but often don't get recognition for all the hard work they do each and every day. That's why we are so happy to be celebrating Principal's Month during October, both here in Michigan and on a national scale. Throughout the month, MASSP will be putting a special spotlight on the Principal - the leader who gets up early and stays up late, going above and beyond the call of duty to get the job done.
On behalf of the MASSP Board of Directors and staff, thank you for the time and effort you devote to your students, staff and, ultimately, your community.
To kick off this month-long celebration, we'd like to share the Governor's Proclamation of Michigan Principals Month, which you'll find below.
This Week in Politics in 5 Sentences (or Fewer)
The Legislature returned to Lansing this week for a few more days of session before the election and the Senate Education Committee wasted no time taking up a trio of bills that dealt with everything from cyber schools to foreign exchange students.
When Is the Principal’s Summit?
For many years, MASSP has offered “Mid-Winter Summits” as multi-day conferences for building administrators – one specifically geared for Principals and the other tailored to meet the needs of Assistant Principals and Deans. After following up with participants at each of these events, we received quite a bit of feedback and subsequently made some changes to our professional development opportunities.
MDE Communications to Note - Week of Sept. 24
Each week, MASSP looks through all of the MDE communications sent to the field, including Memos and Spotlight, to ensure that you're aware of important information and deadlines. On Thursday, several MDE Memos were issued regarding curriculum-related changes, which we encourage you to take a glance at. Each memo can be found below.
MEMO #145-18 Report of Michigan Merit Curriculum Requirements Fulfilled by Completion of a Career and Technical Education Program or Curriculum
Slamming the Door Shut on Student Food Deliveries
There's no doubt that it's crucial for today's school administrators to know exactly who is stepping onto school grounds, when, and for how long. Justifiably, we're focused on the significant and serious security threats presented in the current climate. That being said, it's still necessary for an administrator to keep tabs on even the most mundane school visitor. To that end, with students enjoying increased access to technology, and the rise of companies like Uber Eats, schools are now faced with perhaps the blandest security threat of all: food delivery staff.
I’m Holding You Accountable, Not Hostage!
Leading a culture of accountability allows you to create a sustainable workplace that communicates clear expectations, is growth oriented, focuses on the development of individual employees, is predictable, consistent and safe, generates balanced workloads, breeds leadership, is built on trust, and inspires long-term commitment. So, why do so many leaders struggle with holding their employees accountable? And on the other side of the coin, why do so many people take offense to being held accountable? I believe there are several reasons why, but what commonly happens is that the organization lacks clearly defined protocols for accountability, therefore it is inconsistent and gets poorly executed.
MASSP Joins Coalition Urging Legislative Support to Grow Talent in Michigan
Business, military, law enforcement, higher education and government leaders today called for greater investment in education beyond high school to equip Michigan residents with the skills and credentials needed to fill the state’s talent gap.
The report, Total Talent: Equipping All Michiganders with the Education and Skills Needed for Success in the Economy of Today and Tomorrow, was released today by the Michigan Higher Education Attainment Roundtable (MIHEART) to urge the incoming Legislature and the next Governor to make talent attainment a top public policy priority.