Speaking of Leading:
“I love the unique challenges as superintendent, like working with a budget in tight times, not being tied to one office or a building, getting out into the community and different schools."
–Dennis Furton, superintendent of new Spring Lake Public Schools, in the Grand Haven

The Michigan eLibrary (MeL) has just what Michigan educators need!

Fall Conference Preview
Join us at the 2008 MASA Fall Conference on September 25 for a session on how the Michigan Online Resources for Educators in MeL will Wow! your teachers.

We all love Google™, but Michigan educators and their students don’t have to depend on that tool or any Web browser exclusively when lesson planning and doing research. There is an excellent alternative: the Michigan eLibrary (MeL). MeL is Michigan ’s 24/7 Library—available anytime, anywhere—with Internet access. Part of the Library of Michigan, MeL officially began in 1996 with a collection of subject specialist selected Internet resources reflecting diverse topic areas.

The following year, as part of the AccessMichigan project, licensed commercial databases were added along with training for Michigan 's libraries. 2002 saw a historical digital collection—The Making of Modern Michigan—added to MeL and then in 2005 MeL lept forward with the addition of MeLCat, the statewide patron-initiated interlibrary loan service with now over 250 participating libraries—school, public, academic and special—throughout the State of Michigan.

Michigan School Administrators need to know about MeL. Using it yourselves and promoting MeL to your teachers will only enhance learning by providing authoritative information for professional and curricular needs, lesson planning, and student assignments. In September (2008) we will be debuting a new component in MeL, the Michigan Online Resources for Educators (MORE).

This portal, which is a joint project of the Library of Michigan, the Michigan Department of Education and Wayne State University, will point to thousands of free resources such as lesson plans, videos, podcasts, interactive Web sites and educational games. Even more exciting than this is that these resources are aligned to and searchable by Michigan 's Grade Level Content Expectations (GLCEs) as well as the High School Content Expectations (HSCEs). MORE users can also submit, rate and review resources and check employment opportunities in education all in one convenient place.

Students and their parents can also benefit when using MeL. The Michigan eLibrary contains vetted materials such as practice tests and tutorials (college entrance exams, K-12 skills improvement, vocational tests, etc.), full-text articles from magazines, professional journals and newspapers, maps, art images and much, much more, allfree and accessible by teachers, students, and parents to enhance teaching and learning.

Celebrate Educator Appreciation Weekend at Borders

Borders is rewarding educators during Educator Appreciation Weekend October 3rd-5th. Current and retired educators, school administrators and staff receive 25% off list price of books, CDs, DVDs, gifts and more during this celebration. Both personal and classroom purchases are both eligible. Bring in proof of educator status. More...>

Weclome, new superintendents!

The following administrators are new to the role of superintendent in Michigan:

in case you missed it:

'Diploma Mill' issue roils pay debate in New Jersey

High salaries and generous benefits for New Jersey superintendents and other administrators have drawn sharp criticism and calls to action from state lawmakers, including a backlash against compensation driven by degrees from so-called “diploma mills.”

In the highest-profile case, the superintendent and two other administrators in the 12,000-student, six-school Freehold Regional High School District received $2,900 in tuition reimbursement and $2,500 in annual salary raises after obtaining doctoral degrees from an unaccredited online school.

That institution, Breyer State University, is now prohibited from doing business in Alabama and Idaho for not meeting state accreditation standards. The Alabama Department of Postsecondary Education accused Breyer State and 17 other schools that it barred of “operating apparent diploma mills and taking shameful advantage of hundreds of unsuspecting students.”

The issue of suspect credentials for both teachers and administrators has cropped up in several states.

“[It’s] clearly a misuse of public funds. Using public funds to acquire a diploma mill degree—certainly the taxpayers had something else in mind,” said Alan L. Contreras, the top administrator of the Oregon Office of Degree Authorization and a national expert on diploma mills.

In New Jersey, the controversy has resulted in lawsuits, embarrassment, and tightened state regulations.

School administrators’ compensation already was a touchy issue, after it was revealed earlier this year that one small-town superintendent would receive a payout worth more than $700,000 upon retirement.

In new regulations to be issued later this month, the (NJ) state education department will require that in future contracts, reimbursement or salary increases be given only for work done at higher education institutions approved under the state’s accrediting standards.

But while some have accused [State Commissioner of Education Lucille Davy] of not doing enough, others believe she has gone too far. The New Jersey Association of School Administrators and the New Jersey Association of School Business Officials have filed lawsuits arguing that Ms. Davy exceeded her authority in issuing new regulations that limit the type of benefits school districts can offer administrators.

Richard G. Bozza, the executive director of the 1,450-member school administrators’ association, said the group filed suit in August in the U.S. District Court in Trenton because it believes some of the rules are unconstitutional and others are too vague.

“None of us are opposed to looking at these issues,” he said. “I think a responsible measure would be to look at all workers in New Jersey who are on a public payroll if we are serious about this.”

Read the full article…

State Board adopts special education rules

A package of administrative rules (S.O.A.H.R. #2007-015, JCAR #08-34) that had drawn concerns from parents and teachers are now effective. The Department of Education officially filed the rules Thursday.

The package drew criticism because parents and teachers said it would allow districts to avoid providing extended school year services for special education students. The department maintained the rules would actually open the services to more students.

The changes were needed to comply with federal requirements that special education services be provided based on the student's needs, not on diagnoses or classifications. The old rules had required extended school years for certain classifications.

The department is currently working on a new set of rules that officials say will further clarify provision of extended school year services.

Flanagan declares Detroit Public Schools has serious financial problem

By declaring that Detroit Public Schools has a serious financial problem, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Mike Flanagan says he is confident the financially struggling district can be turned around.

In a letter to Governor Jennifer M. Granholm, Flanagan declared the state’s largest school district in a “serious financial problem.” The letter sets in motion a process that will establish a Review Team to examine the district’s finances under the state’s Local Government Fiscal Responsibility Act (Public Act 72 of 1990).

“This is an opportunity to help get the district on-track financially,” Flanagan said. “We see positive things being done in the classrooms that are focused on student achievement, and need to secure the financial stability of the district.

“I firmly believe that the actions being taken are going to make the Detroit Public Schools stronger for the children of Detroit ,” Flanagan said.

Flanagan’s announcement followed a meeting Tuesday with district officials, including Superintendent Dr. Connie Calloway, Board President Dr. Carla Scott, and members of the Detroit Board of Education who sit on key board committees. The meeting was held to obtain details clarifying the district’s Deficit Elimination Plan – a plan approved by the board in June to eliminate its $408 million budget deficit.

Flanagan said that during the course of the meeting it became clear to him that the district’s challenges in implementing the cuts outlined in the Deficit Elimination Plan, and systemic financial problems dating back several years, led him to conclude that an outside review is necessary.

“It was a constructive meeting, and it is evident that the district superintendent and board members are committed to the students of Detroit ,” Flanagan said. “But I believe we all came away recognizing and concluding that the district has a serious financial problem.”

The Governor will appoint the Review Team, which by law must consist of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, State Treasurer, State Budget Director, and nominees of the Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives and Senate Majority Leader.

By state law, the Review Team has 30 days in which to examine the financial condition of the district and report its findings to the Governor and State Superintendent as to whether a financial emergency exists in the district. 

To avoid a financial emergency being declared, the Review Team and the local board of education can enter into an agreement that outlines direct actions the district must take to resolve the problem.

If no agreement can be reached, the State Superintendent has the authority to determine that an emergency financial condition exists and submit to the Governor three names from which to appoint an Emergency Financial Manager. An Emergency Financial Manager would assume authority over all fiscal matters of the school district and makes all fiscal decisions for the district.

“This is a detailed and deliberate process that doesn’t automatically mean an Emergency Financial Manager will be appointed,” Flanagan explained. “That is a last resort.”

Flanagan was emphatic to state that this action is not a state takeover of the school district, but a fiscal review of the district at this point. If an Emergency Financial Manager is appointed, the local superintendent and board of education would continue to have roles in the operation of the schools.

It takes a Vantage village to raise a writer

by Wendy Correll

Vantage Learning’s MY Access! helped Ann Arbor School District students rev up their writing scores.

Helping students improve their writing skills is one of the greatest challenges teachers face today. It’s already difficult for teachers to properly evaluate different students’ writing. And large class sizes, lack of resources, and limited class time only compound the challenge.

Ann Arbor public school teachers were dealing with these problems every day. They struggled to keep students’ motivation for learning high. Frustrated students had difficulty grasping the subject matter without intense, personalized attention. And students’ writing test scores suffered. Educators knew something had to be done.

So in 2007, the Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation (AAPSEF) stepped in. AAPSEF is an independent, community-based, non-profit organization created to help Ann Arbor students achieve their highest potential. The group provides support for new educational opportunities that can’t be funded through the state’s education budget.

To respond to the growing writing problem, the AAPSEF established a community-wide initiative to boost students’ literacy and writing skills. They dubbed it the Village to Raise a Writer program. The program worked by bringing teachers and volunteers together to find and implement effective educational techniques and technologies.

One technology quickly appeared on their radar: Vantage Learning’s MY Access!. Some 2,000 Ann Arbor students had been using the critically acclaimed writing program since 2004, and the teachers involved lauded its ability to build better writers and raise test scores. They reported MY Access! was engaging students with immediate, accurate feedback on their work; and motivating them with human-like interactivity.

The Web-based program works by scoring students essays on focus and meaning, organization, content and development, language use and style, mechanics and conventions, and overall writing proficiency. Students’ writing is analyzed for over 350 semantic, syntactic, and discourse characteristics.

The essays are instantly scored using artificial intelligence, so students are engaged and motivated by immediate remedial instruction. In fact, teachers say MY Access! scores are more accurate than expert human scorers, giving educators the time and confidence to focus on one-on-one instruction instead of paper-grading.

Students can gauge their own progress through a rubric-scoring method, which lets teachers provide personalized instruction to the students who need it most. With multilingual support in five languages, MY Access! can also address the growing number of English as a Second Language (ESL) students. A translation feature lets ESL students write in English, but receive feedback and corrections in their native language.

Lastly, a broad selection of MY Access! prompts can be used in math, science, and social studies settings, an adapting program versatile across several classroom curricula.

The AAPSEF needed no further convincing. The members tapped MY Access! to become the heart of a Village to Raise a Writer. With $50,000 earmarked for the ambitious literacy campaign, the foundation secured some 5,000 MY Access! licenses for 33 schools to target students in grades 4 to 12.

The results across the board showed a trend of marked improvement. The following table below shows usage and holistic and domain scoring figures for eighth grade students for two periods; spring 2007 and fall 2007. The figures for eighth grade students best illustrate the positive impact of MY Access! because all other grades had significant population changes between fall and spring, thus skewing results. As you can see, there is strong growth in all domains.

The following table shows Fall 2008 MEAP Writing Test scores for grade levels 4 through 9. As you can see, average student scores were above proficient in the MEAP Test across the board. Next winter we will be able to see the full effectiveness of MY Access! as we compare the Fall 2008 MEAP Writing Test scores of students who have used MY Access! with those who have not and also factor in frequency of MY Access! usage.

Benefits are being seen beyond the hard numbers. Teachers report students who once struggled with writing are now vying for their turn at the computer each day. For the first time in anyone’s memory, there’s an enthusiasm for writing in the classroom. And the measurable uptick in students’ writing scores thrilled their parents.

The success of the AAPSEF’s program became a catalyst for the Ann Arbor school district, which doubled the number of students using MY Access! in 2007. In addition, Vantage Learning is training 15 teachers on the MY Access! program. The teachers will then train representatives from local learning centers, after-school groups, and other non-profit organizations. They’ll be providing students with free high-speed Internet access and after-school tutoring at their facilities.

MY Access! has united the Ann Arbor School District around a love for learning and language, and has quickly become the driving force behind this unprecedented community partnership. Teachers trust MY Access! to help them get the job done in fun and inspiring ways. It’s become an incredible way to engage Ann Arbor citizens in public education and endow students with critical communication skills.

Wendy Correll is the Executive Director of Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation.

Public School Montessori is alive and well in Traverse City

Opening in 2001 as a means to stem declining enrollment, Traverse City ’s elementary school Montessori program has grown every year since its inception. This fall, the program has moved to its own building for the first time, with enrollment projected to exceed 350.

When TCAPS first decided to see if Montessori would satisfy a need in the community, an ad was published in the local newspaper inviting parents to attend an information meeting at a local elementary school. We planned for about 30 parents and were pleasantly surprised when over 60 arrived. Less than five months later, TCAPS Montessori program opened its first two sections.

Our initial intent was to reach out to students who were instead selecting private and parochial educational options. We quickly discovered that the Montessori philosophy had a strong following in our community. With a large middle to upper middle class population, Traverse City is similar to many other districts in the state. That being the case, it’s highly likely other districts seeking to maintain enrollment could also launch successful Montessori programs. (www.tcaps.net/Montessori)

Our experience has shown that 10% to 30% of the students who enroll in the program would not be with TCAPS if it weren’t for the unique qualities of a Montessori offering. The remaining group selects Montessori rather than other TCAPS options.

The challenges posed by the start-up of the program were relatively minor. The hardest part was finding qualified teachers who had both a Michigan Teaching Certificate and a Montessori credential. Fortunately, due to declining enrollment, a number of classroom teachers already on TCAPS’ staff were interested in pursuing Montessori endorsement. In addition, the promise of a job also prompted elementary teacher candidates to seek Montessori training.

Critical to the success of TCAPS Montessori has been a partnering with American Child-Care Consultants and Educational Specialists (ACCES) and the Michigan Montessori Teacher Education Center (MMTEC) in Rochester Hills , Michigan. ACCES has been instrumental in all aspects of the TCAPS program – developing a curriculum that integrates Montessori with state benchmarks, ordering Montessori and other materials and equipment, and designing and setting-up classroom environments. MMTEC has provided teacher-training for TCAPS early childhood and elementary level Montessori teachers and classroom assistants, and has facilitated professional development in-services and parent education seminars. (www.mmtec.org/)

The teacher training begins with a rigorous eight week summer commitment on the part of the teacher. The training takes place in Rochester Hills and is the first step toward Montessori certification. This is followed by a school-year-long internship, during which time consultants from MMTEC make periodic visits to observe the teacher in her/his own classroom. MMTEC remains in contact with the teacher for an additional two years, providing consulting and on-going training services.

The Montessori method differs in many ways from the structure of mainstream schools. Rather than a teacher whose primary role is to impart his/her knowledge to the children, the Montessori teacher serves more as the facilitator between a carefully constructed stimulating environment and the developing child. The teacher ensures that the child maintains an interest in the environment so that each pupil is able to explore, create and learn.

The Montessori philosophy clearly appeals to a segment of the population and aligns nicely with much of what we want for children in our more mainstream elementary schools. The pedagogy includes:

1. Treating children as competent beings, encouraged to make many of their own decisions
2. Observation of the child in the environment as the basis for ongoing curriculum decisions
3. Instruction of children organized around 3 year cycles, corresponding to sensitive periods of development

In simple terms, the philosophy embodies the notion that the instruction should “follow the child”.

We have seen high achievement from the youngsters in the program. This year’s MEAP results place the Montessori program in the top three of our 16 elementary schools. They are particularly strong readers and mathematicians. (http://oeaa.state.mi.us/oeaa/directory/meap.asp/Dcode=28010&Bcode=09381)

Prior to the recent assignment to a closed elementary site, the TCAPS Montessori program shared space with an already established elementary school in a large former secondary school facility. Because students attend the program from all over the district, TCAPS provides no transportation for Montessori students. Instead, we have tried to facilitate car pools and maintain safe pickup and drop-off areas.

We’re optimistic about another jump in student enrollment in the near future. We believe the new-found autonomy associated with the program having its own building will allow the program to soar to even greater heights. Montessori staff and parents have longed for this development.

Our beliefs about the Montessori program have evolved since its inception seven years ago. In addition to stimulating enrollment as we’d hoped, we’ve come to believe strongly in the quality of educational experience the child gains from the program. We also appreciate that the program holds a strong appeal for a number of parents and, in the process, allows TCAPS to better meet the needs of a diverse community.

Offering a Montessori program in the public school setting is a big success in Traverse City. Those Michigan communities possessing similar demographics to Traverse City would be well served to explore the same concept. In these times of tight budgets and increased public scrutiny, Montessori has proven to be a very positive new initiative.

• MDE offers virtual policy forum on Universal Design for Learning
  Starting October 6, 2008
• Michigan Dropout Prevention Leadership Summit
  October 20, 2008
  Lansing Center
• Data Driven Dialogue:
  Practical Strategies for Collaborative Inquiry
  November 6-7, 2008 (part 1 of 2)
  January 29-30, 2009 (part 2 of 2)
• International Bullying Prevention Association
  5th Annual Conference
  November 6-7
  Indianapolis, IN
• MSU Assessment Certification Program
• New online courses focus on the Michigan Merit Curriculum
• Online course targets integrating Internet resources

Michigan Association of School Administrators
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