At this year’s MASA Distinguished Administrators’ Luncheon, 13 new MASA members were inducted into the Winners’ Circle. These members were honored by the Membership Services Committee for initiating a unique, successful program or implementing an innovative idea that has had a significant, positive impact on their school districts that can be used by other districts across the state. This year’s inductees include:

Mary Gehrig, Calhoun Intermediate School District, Region 7

Superintendents in the Classroom

The Superintendents in the Classroom program consists of about 15 superintendents from Calhoun, Branch, and Barry counties. These superintendents study best practices for mathematics instruction with the assistance of the PROM/SE coordinator Mary Bouk from MSU. They also visit classrooms in districts of participating superintendents with an eye on helping that superintendent find answers to a problem statement developed by the guest district. Superintendents visit classrooms and then meet to discuss what they saw that might be contributing to the identified problem, which could include low MEAP scores, freshmen failure, or some other problem. Superintendents debrief after seeing the classrooms and then come back two more times to the district to try to help solve the issues.

As a result of this program, superintendents are starting to view themselves more as educational leaders and less as managers. Superintendents are starting to understand what good instruction in mathematics (and other subjects) looks like and what some of the common reasons are that Michigan school districts (and also districts across the U.S.) are struggling to show improvement in mathematics and other subjects. Mary Gerhig has worked very hard to facilitate this work and to give superintendents the skills needed to do this work and to improve instruction in their own districts. Participants say with confidence that this professional learning group is having a substantial impact on teaching expectations for the participating superintendents' districts.

Contact Mary Gehrig at 269.789.2471 or gehrigm@calhounisd.org