August 15, 2008
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Speaking of Leading:
 ''I'm used to seeing children playing, cars in driveways and curtains in the windows. I'm seeing no curtains and no cars in the driveways. …We'll have to go back and analyze the budget and make some decisions, Nothing would be left off the table.''
–Desmon R. Daniel, superintendent of Bridgeport-Spaulding Community School District, in the Saginaw News 8.12.08 describing the district’s 10-year trend of dropping enrollment.

 

MASA to close during final stage of renovation

Closed: August 14-19

Re-open: August 20

The MASA office will close from Thursday, August 14 through Tuesday, August 19 in order to allow contractors, carpet layers, and cleaners to put the finishing touches on MASA’s ongoing renovation and expansion project.

After months of working through digging, pouring, pounding, scraping, sawing, drilling, grinding and more, MASA staff are excited to clear away the dust and move into expanded office space. The addition and renovations will give us additional conference seating, work areas, and storage capacity to serve MASA members better.

We look forward to welcoming visitors this fall to the “new and improved” MASA office and conference facility. Stop in for a tour whenever you’re in the Lansing area. We look forward to serving you.

MASA staff will be available to serve you for normal business starting Wednesday, August 20.

For critical issues that cannot wait, leave a message at 517.285.9633 and an appropriate director will call you back.

 

 

AASA offers 2008 Back-to-School Toolkit for school leaders

Get the new school year off to a strong start with the 2008 Back-to-School Toolkit! AASA has collaborated with the National School Public Relations Association to bring you powerful communication tools to use with key constituents both at the start of school and all year long.

The toolkit includes:

  • A short video on parental engagement featuring Dan Domenech, AASA’s new executive director, and Rich Bagin, executive director of NSPRA
  • Tips for effective communications and media relations outreach
  • Back-to-school talking points
  • A sample back-to-school news release
  • Simple tools for promoting AASA’s 2008 Legislative Agenda: All Children Will Learn

Use these resources in your back-to-school outreach to parents, school board members, staff, members of your local community, business leaders, the news media, lawmakers and other constituents important to you and your school system.

 

Improve prescription benefits and lower costs with a health plan through SET!

Looking for a way to lower health insurance premiums without reducing prescription benefits this school year? Consider implementing a cost-effective high-deductible health plan (HDHP), such as one with a $1,500 single-person/$2,500 family deductible, and pairing it with a Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA).

  • HRAs are an ideal option for districts enrolling in HDHPs after January. Districts contribute money to each employee’s HRA, and retain unused HRA funds at the end of the plan year!
  • Through SET, members have the option of choosing plans from several carriers, including:
  • Priority Health;
  • Aetna;
  • Health Plus; and
  • Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Cost savings

  • Post-deductible, all eligible in-network services are paid at 100 percent, including prescription drugs!
  • You save money without moving employees to a $10/$20 drug card that requires them to pay a higher co-payment as well as the difference between generic and name-brand drugs.

Partnering with SET is a win-win situation. Districts save on premiums and employees receive outstanding benefit coverage.

Learn more about cost-saving plans available through SET! Contact your SET SEG Account Executive today!

1-800-292-5421

 
MASA news:

Are you getting MASA’s Legislative Updates?

The most recent update was sent the week of August 3 and featured the following news items:

  • GOVERNORSIGNSSCHOOL AID BUDGET
  • LEGISLATION BUILDS ON PRIVATIZATION RIGHTS
  • ELECTION MATCH-UPS SET FOR FALL
Read all recent MASA Legislative Updates at your convenience on our website at www.gomasa.org. Click “Government Relations” and scroll down to “Legislative Updates.”

 

MASA Council retreat aims to shape vision and policy

The MASA 2008-09 Council will meet in Lansing on Friday, August 15 for an all-day retreat at the Sheraton Hotel.

At this retreat, Council members will take the first step in convening a series of in-depth engagements through which the MASA Council can shape a shared vision and policy agenda that articulates a compelling future for Michigan’s K-12 public education system. Following this discussion, the MASA Executive Board and Council will draft an agenda for Council engagements for the 2008-09 academic and fiscal year.

To learn more or to provide input to this process, contact your region’s council representative. You can find contact information at the “About Us” section at www.gomasa.org.

 

Retirees - Mark your calendars!
MASEL Luncheon – September 16, 2008

The 43rd annual luncheon of the Michigan Association of Senior Education Leaders (MASEL) will take place on Tuesday, September 16 2008 at the Kellogg Center, MSU, East Lansing.

Reservation information will be mailed to all retired members on the MASA mailing list in August.

 

Rose Memorial Service at Fall Conference, Sep 25

For more than three decades, MASA has honored those members who have passed with an annual memorial service. In an effort to continue the tradition, the Planning Committee has once again scheduled the service following the luncheon on Thursday, September 25, 2008 in Traverse City, Michigan. The presentation of roses to honor our deceased members will be included in the service, and the roses will be displayed at the general sessions through the rest of the conference.

Deceased MASA members who will be remembered at the memorial ceremony include:

Bruce Barrett, Wayne RESA
Dr. Kenneth J. Cooper, Laingsburg Community Schools
Clayton Lee Cory
Albert Deal, Kent ISD
Gerald DeGrow, Port Huron Schools
Ralph W. Grimes, Ypsilanti Public Schools
William Horie, Ed.D, Eau Claire Public Schools
Robert Irvin, Berrien Springs Public Schools
Walter Jenvey, Jr., Lincoln Schools
Dale Edwards Kaulitz, Van Buren Public Schools
R. William Kidder, Northwest Rural Agricultural Schools
Roger Oberg, Oxford Area Community Schools
Don Pobuda, Harper Creek Community Schools
William A. Poppink, Sault Ste Marie Schools
Eugene A. Randall, Fruitport Public Schools
John E. Savel, Clintondale Community Schools
Dr. Ronald S. Strolle, Menominee Area Public Schools

Please contact us if you know of any individuals who should be added, or if you identify an error in our listing. We would also like to hear from any MASA member who would be willing to participate in the ceremony by carrying a memorial rose. Please contact Kristy Warner at the MASA office at 517.327.9262 no later than September 12, 2008.

 
MDE news:

All Michigan schools to participate in the Growth Model pilot

With the announcement last month that the United States Department of Education (USED) approved Michigan’s application to participate in a Growth Model pilot, many local school districts have wondered how they can be part of the pilot.

In response, the Michigan Department of Education last week issued a notice that every local school district will automatically be included in the pilot. Moreover, MDE says there is no need for local school districts to “apply” to be part of the pilot program.

The Growth Model calculations will be used to determine this year’s AYP results. Final AYP results for the 2007-2008 school year will add the “on track” students into the AYP calculation system to create final AYP determinations. This will result in a modest number of schools that originally had not made AYP ultimately making AYP in the final determination. No schools will be affected negatively by considering student progress toward proficiency.

 Three key features of Michigan’s Growth Model include:

  • Using performance level change (first reported for fall 2007) to track students performance from year to year;
  • Measuring whether students who are not yet proficient are “on track” to becoming proficient within three years; and
  • Determining that if students are “on track” toward becoming proficient within three years, those students will count toward schools making AYP even if they are not yet proficient.
The MDE further clarified that identifying students who are “on track” toward proficiency within three years will apply only to grades 4-8 for the state’s English Language Arts (ELA) and math tests. Those are the only two subjects required by NCLB to be tested and used to determine AYP.Third graders will not be identified as being “on track” since that is the first time those students’ achievement is measured.

 

MDE releases food program public service announcement

The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) has released a public notice that can be used by public and private schools, public school academies, child care centers, family child care sponsoring organizations, and other organizations participating in the following U.S. Department of Agriculture programs:

  • National School Lunch Program
  • School Breakfast Program
  • Special Milk Program
  • Child and Adult Care Food Program

Federal regulations require that this information be provided annually to local media so that when possible, it may be printed at any time prior to the start of the school year, as a public service.

You can access the public notice text at www.MichiganEdusource.org.

 

Congratulations to Genesee County ’s Peggy Tortorice
Education leader receives Beardmore Service To Education Award

Peggy Tortorice, who has served on local and county-wide Boards of Education in Genesee County for 41 years, was presented August 12 with the State Board of Education’s Dorothy Beardmore Service To Education Award.

The Beardmore Service to Education Award is given to the person whose efforts on behalf of education and education reform are deemed to be of outstanding benefit to the quality of education for all Michigan students.

“Mrs. Tortorice exemplifies the dedication to service and commitment to improving public education that so defined Dorothy Beardmore,” Straus said.  “She has been a visionary leader on many educational forefronts, including the development of the Mott Middle College in Flint 16 years ago.”

Tortorice has been elected to the Genesee Intermediate School District ’s (GISD) Board of Education continuously since 1977, serving as that board’s president for eight terms.

A former school nurse and later a nursing instructor, Tortorice has taken a leadership role in driving health-related programs for both students and school staff. She serves on the county’s Wellness Committee and helped develop the GISD’s Health, Safety and Nutrition Services Department. She has served on local, state, and national committees focusing on the improvement of educational programs.

“I am grateful to my colleagues for these many years of working together to improve education and support our local school district,” Tortorice said. “Each one of them is committed and hard working, and it has been a pleasure to work with them.”

                                                                                               

Tortorice is a member of several professional associations, including: the National School Boards Association, National Education Association, Michigan Association of School Boards, Michigan Association of School Nurses; and the National Association of Female Executives.

 
AASA news:

AASA National Conference on Education

The National Conference on Education, Feb. 19-21, 2009, in San Francisco, is the only national conference aimed at your unique role leading K-12 school systems. Discounted registration is offered to AASA members July 1-14 at www.aasa.org/nce. General registration is now available.

Please be advised that a dedicated room block is available for our members at the Westin St. Francis hotel. These rooms are available from July 1 – September 29, 2008. A valid user name and password is required to make any reservation in the state block. Please use the following when you register online:

State:               Michigan

User ID:            Mayes

Password         Gold09

In order to keep rooms accessible to Michigan members only, please do not share the user name and password with individuals outside of our state association.

Registration and Housing Information:

  • To make housing arrangements, you first must be registered to attend the 2009 National Conference on Education (NCE). Save Time and Secure Housing Immediately - Register online at www.aasa.org/nce. 

Once your online registration is complete, you will automatically be linked to the housing site. If you choose to secure housing at a later date, your registration confirmation letter will contain the necessary information to obtain housing for the NCE. L

  • AASA regrets that it is unable to accept requests for housing prior to receipt and verification of payment in full for registration fees or purchase order numbers. Registrations with P.O. payments must be mailed or faxed and registrations with check payments must be mailed. Use of the registration form will delay receipt of your National Conference on Education registration confirmation ID required to access online housing. We suggest you send both the registration and housing forms together to expedite the housing process. Forms can be found at www.aasa.org/nce.

Fax:
AASA Registration and Housing
301.694.5124

Mail:    
AASA Registration and Housing
P.O. Box 3918
Frederick, MD 21701

Note:  Mailing/faxing of forms (for purchase orders and checks) will take several days to process, and registration IDs will not be immediately available. A confirmation will be sent directly from the registration company with this information. If a confirmation is not sent within 20 days, please call 1-866-229-3691.

  • NCE Registrations and housing reservations cannot be taken over the phone.
  • If rooms are sold out or you have questions about the state’s block, please contact Mandy Diroff at 517.327.9262.

ONLINE REGISTRATION AND HOUSING RESERVATION INSTRUCTIONS

All state association hotel reservations must be made on-line. Please follow the directions below to register and make housing reservations:

1.       Have a credit card available for your registration and housing reservation(s) fees

2.       Go to www.aasa.org/nce and choose Register Now! from the left navigation bar.

3.       On the welcome page, click “State Association Registration and Housing” link (near bottom of the page)

4.       On the State Selection page, choose your state from the pull down menu

5.       On the State Association Registration page, enter your state’s user ID and password and click continue.

6.       Enter your AASA member ID number (found on your AASA membership card) and last name to begin your registration process.  Upon completion of your registration, the housing options will automatically appear.

7.       On the housing page, click “Search for Hotels”

8.       On the Room Search Page, use the pull-down menus to choose:

a. Hotel (only your state’s designated hotel will appear, however, you must still choose it from the pull down menu)
b. Arrival date
c. Departure date

NOTE:  Available hotels are indicated with a circle before the name below. A red W means that rooms are not available in that hotel / category and a waitlist is not allowed. If a hotel shows 'waitlist only', this indicates that one or more nights during your requested stay are not available at this time. You may view more waitlist details by clicking on the words 'waitlist only' on the hotel list, or you may choose to alter your arrival/departure dates and perform the hotel search again below. Waitlist requests and rooms will be monitored carefully until September 28, 2007.  Experient will clear waitlists as rooms become available. To continue with your waitlist reservation, click “Continue with State Block Housing Reservation”.

9. Click “Book Now”

10. Continue and complete each page to finalize your reservation.

Deposit Information: No hotel reservation will be processed or confirmed by AASA Housing without a credit card to guarantee the reservation. Hotel/AASA Housing will charge one night’s room & tax (per room reserved) immediately upon making reservations.

Deposits are non-refundable after January 19, 2009. Failure to abide by the January 19, 2009 cancellation policy will result in forfeiture of your room deposits charged to your credit card.

Changes and CancellationsAll Reservation changes and/or cancellations must be made in writing through AASA’s Housing Bureau (see contact information below). DO NOT contact the hotel directly. Changes must received by December 31, 2009.

Need Online Technical Assistance or Have Questions about State Block Housing?( To speak to an AASA Housing Service Consultant, call between 8:00a.m.-5:00p.m., CST. 800.974.9833 (US & Canada) or 847.282.2529 (International) or email Jennifer Moore at Jennifer.Moore@experient-inc.com or Brenda Howe at Brenda.Howe@experient-inc.com.

 
professional development:

 

Michigan Association of School AdministratorsMASA
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Lansing, MI 48917
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