jim's blog

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.

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!

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.”

When you put the nouns "funding" and "public education" in the same sentence there’s little to be cheerful about. In your workplace when all those about you are venting about cutting or adding revenues it will still be the principal’s role to get the job done no matter what the discussion outcome.

You’re still going to be responsible to evaluate staff and make recommendations regarding their employment responsibility of getting all their students to rigorous expectations. And, you’re still going to be expected to recommend structural systems that aid the teaching staff to reach this goal with their students.

Your goal is to do the above with skill and with strategies that has less cost than the year before.

This is a blog by my good friend Bill Bushaw, Ex. Dir., Phi Delta Kappa International. I agree with his point!

Common Core State Standards

In 1997, Checker Finn, a former assistant secretary of education during the Reagan administration observed that Republicans don't like the word "national," and Democrats don't like the word "test," suggesting that national tests, from a political perspective, were dead on arrival.

Here in Lansing, the focus is on closing in on the budget. If I were a betting man I would bet that nothing is really going to be done and the legislature will adopt a continuation budget until the end of October. But before that there is going to be a lot of rumors, twists, and turns. It is coming more and more clear school districts will experience state funding cuts. The only discussion topic among school leaders is how much and how will it be applied.

September 22, 2009

The executive director of the Michigan Education Association once told me “if you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.” He is so correct. The building principal is on the menu regarding federal school improvement policy. Apparently improvement starts with replacing the principal.

It seems impossible to stop this "plan of improvement." But, our voice is being heardin Michigan. We’ve move the principal to being at the table to have a voice in such policies.