Blogs

Tuesday I was invited to meet with the principals of Ingham County. It is always great to visit with them. We went through some of the recent reform legislation. I focused on those areas that impact the building principal right away. I was a little surprised, and pleased, at all the questions. I started with the changes to personal curriculum committee legislative language and then moved onto the Algebra II clarity language. I’m beginning to feel these two topics will be the focus of my career.

A great discussion was around the legislative language regarding performance and evaluation. As one principal said, “After reading the actual language this is a real paradigm shift.” He was right on target.

I recently sat with the Executive Director of the MEA, Lou Battaglieri, for some information sharing and friendship renewal. Lou wanted me to know what he, the MEA, was doing in regard to MOU issues. I wanted to listen and learn, and share with him what our association was saying.

The conversation took place during the closing hours of negotiation between MEA and the MI Department of Education regarding MI’s application for RTTT funds. The topic was the linking of student performance and teacher evaluation to be used in the application. “Significant” is the point of contention. Four pages of the application are required to explain the concept of this link.

How have you scheduled the Algebra 2 into the master schedule? Please indicate if you are on trimesters or semesters.

Jim - Thank you for the opportunity to participate in the MASSP Board of Directors Mtg. I found it very meaningful, particularly the connecting beyond the meeting with other board members and our day at the Capitol. It was quite a learning experience for me.

Jim - I really enjoyed my two days in Lansing last week. Even with the many things to discuss on our agenda, I felt that we were able to define some important goals and direction for the association. Additionally, our day at the Capitol was truly a great experience and one that I will always remember. Thank you and your staff for making our board meeting such a valuable experience.

Jim - Wow, I really enjoyed last week, great meetings, the capitol experience was cool!

I recently had the opportunity to do a presentation to our school board about the planning and implementation of the EXPLORE test at Kingsford Middle School. I was also able to explain the benefits of the test for our district and the individual student results. The response that Mr. Ballard sent to the MDE regarding EXPLORE for all in Michigan, which is posted on the MASSP website, was an excellent resource for this presentation. There was clear, concise information that was very valuable and easily understood when I highlighted the key points to our school board. Having access to communications like this, is an added value of being an MASSP member and something that will allow us all to be more informed, better principals.

Region One Updates
Region One principals gathered together Dec 2 & 3. 16 members from one end of the U.P. to the other were accounted for. Dave Holmes from Kingsford middle school gave us all a great lesson in the use of mymassp. If any one needs information give Dave a call. Mymassp will be changing formats this week. Login and see the changes. This is a very useful site; check out the principal's help desk!
Matt Houle, athletic director at Gladstone gave us the latest and greatest from MHSAA. MHSAA did some surveys about girls bball season, academic checks, and official down times. The results of that survey can be viewed at their website. Matt also gave us info on 8 man football and rating your refs.

Come to the one-day seminar on the unique educational ideas, approaches and systems in place at Milan High to help each and every child succeed! Come hear best practice ideas on Monday,
December 14th at Milan High School. Sessions times: 8 am – 11am noon-2:30pm.
Cost: $200 per person per day or $100 per half-day session; Groups: 1 free registration for every 5th staff member!
Sessions include:

Session A: Math For All: Algebra & Geometry Session I (all educators)
Milan High has had all Freshmen in Algebra or above for three years with less than 5% of students failing while meeting the new content expectations! This year, these same students also
took Geometry! Come see how each and every child learns the new MMC!
(As presented at Principal's Conference & NCA Conference)

October 30, 2009

Today the Governor finished the budget process. And, here’s what is now certain. The Promise scholarship that principals supported so strongly is gone. Period. As a principal and parent you know how important this was, to so many. I hate to see it go.

Quick fixes to soften the cuts in school funding for 09-10? Not going to happen. The pain of the Michigan downsize has arrived for us all in the education community. We are left with doing nothing but cut, or, do what we do much more cost effective.

In the last nine years, Michigan has gone from one of the most prosperous states in the USA, to one of the poorest. Period.

The supposed quick fixes for school funding is the expansion of times for liquor sales, and add to tobacco taxes. Hey, I’m all for more money for schools. But, do we always have to do it by selling more products that if used by our students they'd get suspended? And, I wish schools had never gotten the lotto money! That money is used against us more than it helps.

Let corrections use the lotto and sin tax money. I’d look forward to a drive passing a billboard saying – Your MI lotto money at work helping support MI's convicts.

Hey, give schools the general fund monies they used to get. We’d probably not be cutting school funding so much. And I wouldn’t feel I’m cutting more staff every time I tell a student not to smoke.

With all the turmoil involving the collapse of the financial foundations of the Michigan public school system I asked our members, “Advise us, what do you want us to do?” Over three hundred members wrote back. Eight of ten responses contained the phrase, “thanks for asking.” You’re welcome. But, thank you for taking the time to write to let me know what you’re thinking. Your comments were insightful, thoughtful, and very helpful. They will be shared with the Board of Directors.

Monica Lee’s, from Waterford, comment spoke for many: “I think we need to remember this is really about whether or not we are going to fundamentally change how we structure and fund government in Michigan. If we don’t ride it out now it will be back in our faces again soon.”