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From the Executive Director Jim Ballard

The next ten weeks is the season for non-renewal for school administrator employment contracts. If your contract is at risk, please call us early in the process. Please, don’t wait. More than once I’ve had members call asking for help and telling me that the Board meeting was scheduled that afternoon!

The new MDE Secure Central Registry for housing all your SB-CEUs is open for business starting March 1, 2010. Now educators can go to one source to find their SB-CEU credits and download transcripts.  The new system is explained below.  Perhaps biggest changes for administrators will be that SB-CEUs must be claimed by filling out a common online evaluation with in 30 days of receiving the notice that SB-CEUs are available, or else you will lose the credit.  So, when you get your notification email--don't procrastinate!  We at MASSP (or any other provider) won't be able to help you if you don't apply within the 30-day window.

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

By Mark Palmer
MASSP President

By Diane McMillan
Associate Director

A  piece of legislation that is tucked into the RTTT bills could have real ramifications for secondary educators.  It is now Michigan law that, beginning with this year's 6th graders (the Class of 2016), the age for student compulsory attendance is 18.  This provision of the law closes the loop in educational policy that began with the college and career ready assessment, Michigan Merit Examination, the Michigan Merit Curruculum graduation requirements, and the high school content expectations.

By Jim Ballard
Executive Director

By Diane McMillan
Associate Director

With all the emphasis on budget cuts, it's often easy to temporarily lose sight of our primary mission--educating middle level students for the next levels. Now, with even more research that what happens at the middle level really matters, middle level educators are searching for cost effective ways to continue quality middle school programs that prepare college and career ready students.

By Jim Ballard
MASSP Executive Director

By Peter Silveri
MASB Labor Relations Consultant

By Mark Palmer
MASSP President

What a treat it was to have Todd Whitaker as one of our keynote speakers at the annual convention. He was a great person to send us off from the convention with a positive down to earth message.

Whitaker is one of those presenters who brings back the common sense to education. I found his message to be inspirational and practical. He reminded us of the simple basic things in education; schools are about people not programs. Any program will work if you have the right people, treat them well and groom them the right way. All it takes is a little common sense. We all need to be reminded of that on occasion.