Transition on the MASSP Board of Directors is always a bittersweet occasion. I am proud and privileged to have worked with an outstanding group of Principals for the 2012-13 school year. This group has had a number of significant achievements and I cannot thank them enough for their encouragement and support of my leadership.

Board Achievements for the 2012-13 school year include:

As a high school principal, the end of each school year is always busy. Awards ceremonies, graduation, music performances, end of the year reports - all of these and more make the last month of school fly by. I often feel like I am running, just to keep up with all of the activities going on around me.

A group of protesters turned out at the State Board of Education (SBE) meeting on Tuesday to protest the Common core State Standards, while a number of advocates, including MASSP, spoke publically at the meeting and urged the SBE to stay the course on the CCSS.

The Cleveland kidnapping has received international coverage over the past couple of weeks. Given the brutal details of rape, beatings and bondage in the news, those of us who work with children are challenged with how to respond to this horrific news and how to create teachable moments and talkable opportunities to protect our children.

Beginning with the 2013-14 school year, Michigan districts must comply with new requirements regarding the display of the US flag and saying the Pledge of Allegiance. In order to ensure that your school is compliant with the new requirements, now is the time to plan ahead with flag purchases and scheduling.