I took the opportunity to attend my first MASSP conference this week when I went to the Middle Level Mid-Winter Summit in Mt. Pleasant. Though it is always difficult to leave my building, I am very glad that I attended this event. The information presented was relevant and instantly applicable to my job.

Reflecting the prolonged recession in Michigan, almost half of the public school students in the state in 2010 were eligible for free or reduced price lunch, according to the annual Kids Count in Michigan report.

The report, titled "Health Matters," focuses on child health and how social and economic factors play into that.

It found that every county in the state saw the percentages of students eligible for free or reduced lunch rise. It ranged from 21 percent of students in Livingston County to 93 percent of the students in Lake County.

The Bureau of Assessment and Accountability (BAA) has a special section on the MDE website with helpful information on the Explore and Plan pilot, click on this link to reach this information:

http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,1607,7-140-22709---,00.html

Hundreds of volunteers will help college-bound Michigan students and their families complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA at more than two dozen, statewide College Goal Sunday events February 12, 2012.

"For many students and their families, college seems like an unachievable and unaffordable dream," said state Superintendent of Public Instruction Mike Flanagan. “College Goal Sunday locations have financial aid experts who can help families complete these complex applications and maximize financial assistance for students wanting to go to college.”

Our day is filled with various meetings, observations, walk-through’s, discipline (in my case) and a litany of job duties pertinent to learning, communication and management.   So when the opportunity to attend a conference presents itself, I jump at it.