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Council Highlights

MASA Council Highlights
April 16, 2008

The MASA Executive Board and Council met on Wednesday, April 16, 2008 at the University Club in East Lansing , Michigan . Here are some of the highlights of those meetings.

• Guest speakers Walter Burt and Patricia Reeves presented a new principal support and evaluation tool around the use of data: Michigan Educational Leadership Project on data-Informed Decision Making. This collaborative effort engaged MASA, MASB, MASSP, MEMSPA, the MDE and Western Michigan University around the task of helping principals use data-informed decision-making. Underwritten by the Wallace Foundation, the project involved working alongside 16 principals over 3 years to develop a model of support and evaluation. Two tools resulted: A Guidebook for data points and analyses in the context of Michigan School Improvement Framework; and a measurement tool for school principals.
  The group’s findings:

1. Principals are ready for and aware of the need to use data
2. Principals are woefully lacking in tools to do so
3. Principals face fear and resistance at the teacher level
4. Principals are inundated with data, but they lack a framework to screen and use it.
5. Principals feel driven by data; they don’t know how to use data in the context of an inquiry-based process

The tools are available online at www.michiganedusource.org/SchoolImprovement.htm

• Executive Director William Mayes made an impassioned plea for members to unite around common issues in our roles as superintendents of very diverse districts.

“As I visit districts and listen to the voices around the state, I hear the angst from everyone; I recognize the frustration with the current situation in which we find ourselves,” Mayes said. “The needs are different, but the pain is the same…. I know we can’t agree on every issue. But I also know that we need to remain united…We can’t endanger other people’s children in our fight to get what our district needs from the legislature.”

Mayes pointed out:

• MASA must honor its commitments—to close funding gaps; protect 20J districts.
• Our members must find ways to protect their colleagues and respect each district’s unique set of needs.
• We have bigger issues to fight than the “crisis of the day”: adequate funding for 21 st century learning; infrastructure weakening; significant transfers of expenditures from the general fund to the school aid fund; long-term systemic plan for flexibility; and more.
• Legislative leaders want to see us split.
• We can’t afford to give away power to the enemies of public education.

The counsel approved the following action item as recommended by the Legislative Committee: to support HR 5912, which would require the registration of home school students.

• Pat Reeves announced plans to set aside time during the May Council meeting for facilitated roundtable discussions to plan for future substantive conversations around issues of importance for member districts. This discussion is being planned in response to the interest expressed by Council members at their March meeting to take up critical issues and questions, examine ideas, and create a consensus report. At the May conversation, Council members will design a plan for dialogue that would:

1. Help chart the course for the future of Michigan ’s K-12 public school system.
2. Allow Council representatives to get to know one another and to better understand their issues.
3. Raise the impact of the Association on state and federal policy making.