February, 2010

Can anyone give some insight as to either the success or lack of success in implementing more stringent athletic/extracurricular academic eligibility policies? (fyi--we recently went from a policy where students had to pass at least 5 (out of 6) classes where at least 3 of the grades had to be a "C".....and now it is stated that you have to pass all 6 classes, with the same requirement for "C"s) Feel free to comment on any aspect of this.

Can't see the video? Click here.

I am interested in reviewing the policies other districts have established in regards to student cell phones (particularly during the school day).

I need a sample letter to send home for seniors that won't be walking at graduation because they are off track with credits. We have never sent one home before and have relied on verbal notice but last year this was an issue.

The gaps in student achievement across Michigan don't just boil down to municipal boundaries, family finances and race, but instead relate more to differences in curriculum standards among classrooms and the level of knowledge a teacher has in their particular subject area, a House subcommittee investigating academic emergencies was told Thursday.

William Schmidt, a professor of statistics and co-director of Michigan State University's Education Policy Center, said in his studies he's found that, while Michigan has some of the most rigorous curriculum standards in the world, how those are taught in classrooms around the state vary tremendously, with some schools teaching "watered down" versions of the courses.

Students in up to 20 schools in eight states will have the chance to graduate after 10th grade, starting in the 2011-12 school year. The pilot program organized by the National Center on Education and the Economy and initially funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will require students to pass a series of college-level subject-based tests for program eligibility. The high schoolers chosen in Connecticut, Kentucky, Maine, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont will have the option of going straight into a community college program after graduating following their sophomore year. The pilot’s goal is to reduce the number of students entering college who require remedial classes.

Gongwer News (FEB 19, 2010) - The plans outlined by Governor Jennifer Granholm to provide an incentive for state employees to retire, with the state replacing two of every three who do, would save the state's main checkbook $758.1 million by 2020, while gross savings would total $1.95 billion, according to a new review by the House Fiscal Agency.

The bulk of her proposed changes - increasing the pension multiplier by 0.1 percentage point, raising terminal leave payments and retiree health care costs - will actually cost $617 million, but Ms. Granholm's savings of $2.6 billion come from not replacing everyone who walks out the door.

Learned this week that in the U.S.A., one out of two people unemployed, resides(ed) in Michigan.

Our podcast about the new proposed retirement plan we recorded and published last Friday afternoon has been downloaded 1,737 since then (7 days). The number continues to grow each day.

Here's a commentary from the NASSP Executive Director, Gerry Tirrozi that recently appeared in Education Week. It's a great synopsis of the work we do. After reading it, I found myself saying, "Amen!" Here it is in case you haven't seen it yet.

Diane

'Untie my Hands': A Principal's Plea
By Gerald N. Tirrozi

By Lisa Swem
Thrun Law Firm

*Don't Miss our Related Seminars
Principal Contracts and Negotiations--March 6, 2010 Lansing
2010 MASSP Spring Law Update--April 28, 2010, Lansing

Here is the clarification of SB 981 language regarding Algebra II credit within approved CTE courses. Before reading, I advise you get refreshment. It will take awhile.

My read tells me their word says... know the law, use the overall HS math content expectations document in your decision (the big book--not the individual course/credit content expectations documents), within a group make a decision, let you conscience be your guide and "don't ask - don't tell."

Have your refreshment? Click below to read it.

Jim Ballard

Feb.

Two legislative subcommittees began discussions of the School Aid Fund budget Wednesday, with members from both parties raising concerns that the proposal to apply the sales tax to services would not make it through the Legislature and would not provide the long-term funding needed to support schools.

Robbie Jameson with the State Budget Office said the proposal was essentially a continuation budget and, under the proposal, would remain that way for the next four fiscal years. "But in order to be able to afford a status quo budget, we looked at several reforms," she said.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) was among several who raised concerns that the Legislature would not accept the proposed sales tax change.

The Save Our Students, Schools and State Coalition is looking for caps on what districts have to pay toward health care and retirement and automatic renewal of the 18-mill local school tax as ways to keep districts out of deficits in the coming years.

But the state also needs to step up and begin boosting funding for schools in both the short- and long term, the group said in its plan released Tuesday.

The state should at least return foundation grants to 2008-09 levels, with additional revenue coming from elimination of tax expenditures and changes in the sales tax as well as freezing coming income tax reductions, the group said. But it also urged a comprehensive review of school funding in line with a coming report from the Citizens Research Council.

Rebuke of the governor's proposal to extend the sales tax to services and lower the rate to avoid cuts to education in the coming fiscal year continued Thursday when the Democratic-led House Education Committee began what will be at least a one-month study in school reform savings.

In beginning the hearing, chair Rep. Tim Melton (D-Auburn Hills) said in light of the fact "there is not much appetite among some parties to raise money," the committee plans to take the next several weeks examining reform proposals and gauging how much those could save schools to deal with the more than $400 million deficit in the School Aid Fund.

We're attempting to revise our M.S. Health curriculum to ensure a broad "Life Skills" focus, offering different health-related classes all three grades, with a clear progression, or distinction, between topics of study from grade-to-grade. If anyone has done something similar, I would love to see your course outlines or curricula maps.

We are trying to get some input on drug testing within schools. Have any of you been down this road? Any suggestions/insight you can share would be greatly appreciated.

mnewman@chsd.us

We invite you to submit a proposal for presenting at the 2010 Annual Convention: Building Instructional Leaders, October 4–5, in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Take advantage of this opportunity to tell your colleagues what is working in your school and to share your expertise, network and enhance your professional growth.

Download the Call for Professional Presentations

If your high school is using a Positive Behavior Support Model, please call me asap! Thank you.

1-616-994-5099.
hensonk@westottawa.net

MASSP is a sponsor of: MI-SOS
Save Our Student, Save Our Schools, Save Our State, Coalition

Introduction
The primary goals of SOS are:
• Create a grassroots network of school personnel and community members to promote change via legislative action;
• Assist schools to operate more efficiently and effectively; and
• Create a reformed system for funding K-12 education that yields equitable, adequate and predictable funding.