blog

Over a year ago I heard the Gates Foundation people tell of their switch of focus to get the message to the students. GetSchooled.com is it. The site states, “Get schooled is founded on the belief that our nation can be made stronger by strengthening the minds and improving the skills of every American….Everything is connected to education…We will work to connect and engage all those who care about education and are actively working toward change.”

On Monday I was with some association directors and the conversation was centered on lack of state dollars. A higher education person shared the Promise Scholarship for the Class of 2009 could be shifting to a needs based program thereby reducing the amount of available scholarship dollars and, the program would likely come to an end after this year.

So, today (Thurs., June 11th) I scheduled a meeting with the Chair of the House Higher Education appropriations committee so to get the facts on the demise of the Promise Award and share this news with our members in an article that is due.

Attached is the April 2009 installment of the NASSP Advocacy Update. This quarterly update includes information on legislative activities and updates in the following areas:
President Barack Obama
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (*please see my note below)
FY 2009 Appropriations
FY 2010 Budget
No Child Left Behind Act
Comprehensive Literacy Policy
Success in the Middle Act
SCHIP Reauthorization
Freshman Members of Congress
National Coalition for Public Education
NASSP Board Position Statements
NASSP Federal Grassroots Network
NASSP State Lobbyists Network

MASSP is in the doghouse with the Department of Education. Two reasons: Trying to shift the money spent on the 9th grade social studies exam to EXPLORE, and our public statement about the proposed MI-SAS accreditation program.

When polled, 97% of our membership doesn’t see value in the 9th grade social studies exam. Our governor in her state-of-the-state speech called on us to find ways to reduce wasted state costs without hurting its citizens. So we proposed legislation to shift this money to something 60% of schools do value. We feel it is a matter of equality.

Mid-January District's were sent a memo from the Treasury Department regarding a new requirement to earn MI Promise Scholarships. To see and and read the details which I'm talking about just do a site search - social studies. The memo and law will be before you.

Well, there was an oops. The Public Act also requires three credits in Social Studies to be eligible to receive the scholarship. Well, if a student "opted-up" in the personal curriculum they won't have three credits.

We've been in contact with Legislative Offices. They are aware of the problems. I'm confident a technical bill will be done to make the correction... in time.

I’m on a train passing through southwest Michigan. Returning home from meeting with six other state directors of state principal associations in Chicago. We spend a lot of time discussing developing on-line content for our members to use two ways. First, for professional development that is targeted to building administrators. And, second, develop on-line content a principal can use during a faculty meeting.The Minnesota association, at the suggestion of the board of directors developed a few on-line professional development programs. However, after putting them on-line, few members used them. The Illinois Association bought some programs from vendors to put on their website. They’re there but not used much.

I just returned to the office from a meeting in Adrian, Michigan. I drove to Adrian early this morning on snow-covered roads to meet with twelve secondary principals from Lenawee County. Some would sputter about having to make such an early morning drive, or not having a large crowd. I love these meetings. I really look forward to the opportunity to visit with real people, our members. Oh, some want to take me on for legislative positions the association has taken, but for the most part there is a great deal of respect that goes between them and myself.

Last week (September 11 -12) I was part of the Michigan Team that attended the American Diploma Project Network – Annual State Leadership Team Meeting. Thirty-Six states have now signed on with the ADP project. Each of the states agreed to develop academic standards that enable K-12 graduating seniors to be college ready and workforce ready. Everyone in the room agreed that to have a job that enables the person to earn an income that can sustain a family requires training past high school.

Avery Doninger was disqualified by officials at Lewis
Mills High School ("LMHS"), in Burlington, Connecticut,
from running for senior class secretary after posting on her
weblog a "vulgar and misleading message about the supposed
cancellation" of a school event called "Jamfest".
Doninger and her mother sued to force LMHS to allow her
to run for secretary, which was denied by a U.S. district
court (See School Law Notes, November 21, 2007). They
appealed the decision, but the Second Circuit Court of

It is fun to watch the pride a principal has when their secretary is selected as one of our four yearly winners in the MASSP/Horace Mann Secretary of the Year Program.

I've seen the pride each of the secretaries have when they are notified that their principal nominated them for the honor.

It's just plan cool.

So, it's nomination season. Take advantage of a opportunity to say to someone, good job!

For the form just search secretary nomination.