HeadlinesA News Report for Michigan Education Leaders

Just as school employees are now subject to annual evaluations,

so too is Gov. Snyder. On an annual basis, the governor addresses a joint session of the legislature to discuss accomplishments and talk about goals for the years ahead. In years past, Michigan governors have dedicated a significant amount of time to K-12 education. That wasn’t the case for Gov. Snyder’s second State of the State

on Jan. 18. The

governor mentioned successful K-12 legislative endeavors such as tenure reform, the establishment of the Office of Great Start

to deal with early childhood, and his administration’s goal of lifting the charter cap. However, Snyder stopped short of providing any details on what might be expected in policy or budget for public schools in the year ahead. He did provide a follow-up in media interviews on Thursday to why this subject was left out of the State of the State: he stated that he was hoping to use the speech as a report card of accomplishments and will use special messages and the Feb. 9 budget address to detail priorities in K-12 spending. It sounds as if best practice carrot and stick methods will be proposed again, alongside performance based funding grants, rather than increases in the foundation allowance. However, this is merely speculative and all of Lansing is eagerly awaiting the release of the governor’s budget proposal.

What was mentioned about education was the expansion of the Educational Achievement Authority (EAA), which currently operates only in Detroit Public Schools. It’s not yet clear what types of changes will be made to current laws to allow this authority to operate statewide, but

January 24, 2012

Let the budget battles begin . . . . . . 3

Legislators need to consider data before reaching conclusions . . . . . . . 3

Quality Counts looks at education in a competitive world . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Alternative K-12 certification prepares leaders while meeting requirements of the law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Planning key for consistent, strategic communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

inside this issue:

Download a Smartphone app to scan the QR code and learn more about MASB.

Gov. Snyder gets his annual evaluation in State of the State

Evaluation, continued on page 5(Click here to continue reading)

Inspired America interviews MASB members, executive director about role of school boards

Gov. Snyder

Executive Director Kathy Hayes goes on air on Inspired America to thank members for their dedication, committment, long hours and efforts in

acknowledgment of January’s School Board Recognition Month. Kathy and members of the Gaylord Community Schools Board of Education Ron Skoglund and Bill O’Neill talked about the role of the school board. Share this video podcast with members of your community to help them better understand the important role of elected school boards.

Inspired America, hosted by Scott Chelsey, shares positive news, heroic stories and people making things happen through blogs, podcasts, quotes and his on the air show. Click on Kathy’s picture to listen to the podcast.

www.masb.org • MASB Headlines • Jan. 24, 20122

it’s your healthbe absolutely sure

415 W. Kalamazoo street lansing, MI 48933 | 1-800-292-5421 | www.setseg.org

“I can’t imagine why anyone wouldn’t use them.

When my son was faced with intensive surgery, we called Best Doctors for a second opinion and they put him on

the path to healing. you should seek out the physicians that are the best at what they do and Best Doctors

was the resource that helped us find them.”

Gene PIercesuPerIntendent

tuscola Isd

Receive advanced medical expertise from a renowned and impartial doctor, without travel, deductibles, co-pays or long waiting periods for consultations. This value-added benefit starts with one simple

phone call, at no cost to you. When you want to be sure call Best Doctors at 1-866-904-0910.

www.masb.org • MASB Headlines • Jan. 24, 2012 3

Legislative Update

The debate over the Parent Empowerment Package reached

a fever pitch just before the holiday break with the passage of SB 618 (PA 277) – the bill that expands the number of university authorized charter schools in Michigan. To the occasional Capitol observer, it might appear that the conversation is over, but this is far from true.

SBs 619-24 and 709-10 are still very much on the agenda and need to be watched. All of the bills except SB 620 have a hearing in the House Education Committee at 9 a.m. on Jan. 25. MASB opposes all of these bills because the legislation and reforms aren’t based on research and best practices. MASB supports quality education reforms that are evidence-based in research and best practices.

On that note, an analysis from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute finds that although online teaching and

learning could save money, choices, trade-offs, quality considerations and timelines need to be considered. What’s more, the costs vary widely for virtual and blended learning schools. Researchers found that virtual schools vary in cost from $5,100 to $7,700 per pupil, while blending learning costs $7,600 to $10,200 per pupil on average. They concluded that better data on costs and outcomes was

needed before policymakers make confident conclusions on productivity and efficiency—a recommendation MASB supports. Here are the key points of the package of bills:

• SB 619 – Expands the number of cyber charter schools.

• SB 620 – Allows for conversion

Legislators need to consider data before reaching conclusions

On Jan. 13 the House and Senate Fiscal Agencies joined with the

Department of Treasury to prepare the January Consensus Revenue Estimates. Twice annually (January and May) the state holds Consensus Revenue Estimating Conferences (CREC) where data is gathered on the economy, population, tax collections and state expenditures to produce the estimates on how much money the state will have to spend in the coming budget year. These estimates are then used by the governor and the legislature to craft their budget proposals and authorize spending.

This year’s estimates are a bit complicated but don’t entirely spell bad news. First, it appears that the school aid fund (SAF) will finish the 2011-12 year with a positive balance of $119.3 million, after spending a total of $13.1 billion on education this year. Remember back to the budget process in 2011, the administration and the legislature put forward two year budget proposals and it’s assumed that’s where we’ll start again this year.

The 2011-12 budget included more than $450 million in one-time money (MPSERS per pupil payment and the

best practices categorical) that might not be appropriated again. If those one-time expenses are continued, the SAF ends with a shortfall of $152.5 million. The moral of this part of the story is that those categoricals may be eliminated. If they are, each district that received them will have to budget accordingly.

The state general fund (GF) is actually doing quite well from a revenue and expenditure side. If spending from 2011-12 continues

Let the budget battles begin—revenue estimates

Budget, continued on page 7 (click here to continue reading)

Join the government relations department for the premier of a monthly, two-way webcast featuring issues facing Michigan’s public schools

and boards of education. Views from the Capitol will include commentary on public policy from Lansing and Washington and will allow viewers to actively participate in the conversation. The first webcast will be Jan. 27 from 1-2 p.m. You’ll receive an email with a link to this webcast on the morning of Jan. 27. Space is limited to the first 500 participants, so make sure you’ve cleared your schedule for this exciting opportunity. If you can’t make it, the webcast will be available on our website after Jan. 27.

Views from the Capitol premiers Friday

Empowerment, continued on page 9(click here to continue reading)

www.masb.org • MASB Headlines • Jan. 24, 20124

Quality Counts looks at education in a competitive world

Each year, Education Week examines issues and challenges

facing public schools. In its 16th Quality Counts report, researchers take a high level look at the nation’s standing in education and lessons that can be drawn from high performing countries. Quality Counts annually grades states on key education policy and achievement indicators.

Researchers found that 29 states, Michigan included, use international comparisons in crafting measures for improving student achievement. States most often cited a need to align student preparation with the demands of a global economy and to learn from best practices in high-achieving nations. Following are specific purposes for which states use international education data as a policy resource:

• Comparing student achievement.• Developing academic content

standards.• Improving assessments and

accountability systems.• Identifying support structures for

current and future teachers.• Establishing performance

standards for state assessments.Those states that use international

comparisons most often turned to

them for math and science rather than social studies or English language arts. Countries that states most often use as a model include: Canada, England, Finland, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand and Singapore.

States have also turned to international counterparts to import strategies and practices, including:

• Lesson study - Used frequently in Japan, this practice asks teachers to plan together, observe each other’s classes and work continually to test, refine and improve methods.

• Singapore math - This curriculum emphasizes extensive coverage of a relatively small number of concepts at early grades and incorporates algebra and geometry concepts in secondary grades.

• Reading recovery - An intensive one-to-one tutoring program that focuses on the lowest-achieving first-graders.

• Montessori schools - Traditionally a private school model, public schools have started adopting this concept, which groups students together by age rather than grade. It also shuns formal testing and encourages students to progress at their own pace.

• International Baccalaureate - A demanding, college-prep curriculum that places heavy emphasis on international language and culture.

• School inspections - Some U.S. districts have experimented with the use of formal school inspections to gauge academic quality. England, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Singapore have long used national inspection systems.

In an interconnected world, it’s

increasingly important for students to be able to compete not only with their neighbors down the road, but with students across the globe. Schools are responding by developing programs and strategies to ensure students can be successful in a competitive world. State of the States

This year’s assessment evaluates states on five of the six areas tracked by Quality Counts (transitions and alignment were updated in 2011). To get an overall grade, states were scored on the following indicators: Chance for Success Index; K-12 Achievement Index; standards, assessments and accountability; the teaching profession; and school finance. Together, these scores comprise the state’s overall policy and performance score.

Michigan’s score was unchanged from last year, a C+, which is slightly above the national average. According to an analysis performed by the Center for Public Education, the report card shows that states have been taking steps to improve their standards, assessments and accountability systems: 20 states have improved their grades in this indicator since it was last reported in 2010; Michigan has remained steady at an A- for the past three years. However, where other states have remained stagnant in their teacher policies, Michigan has improved slightly from a C- in 2010 and 2011 to a C in 2012. Here are the other results for Michigan’s report card:Chance for Success

The Chance for Success indicates what are the odds that an average

Review includes annual State of the States report card; Michigan stays steady at a C+

Quality, continued on page 5 (click here to continue reading)

www.masb.org • MASB Headlines • Jan. 24, 2012 5

child who grows up in a particular state will do as well as the average child in the top-ranked state at each stage of his or her educational life (early childhood years, participation and performance in formal education, educational attainment and workforce outcomes during adulthood)?

For the third year in a row, Michigan earned a C+; the same as the national average. Students in Massachusetts have the best chance of achieving positive life outcomes as it’s the only state to have earned an A. K-12 Achievement

The K-12 Achievement Index looks at how states compare on the academic achievement of their students in elementary through high school. Overall, the nation’s schools

improved from a D+ to a C–. This grade is based on the academic status and growth over time in math and reading scores, narrowing of poverty-based achievement gaps as well as high school graduation rates and the performance on the advanced placement test. Michigan has maintained a below-average D for the past three years on this indicator. In particular, Michigan has scored poorly on the current state performance and improvements over time. The state earned a B– in the area of equity, which measures poverty-based achievement gaps. School Finance

States are graded on how much they spend on their schools and if that spending is distributed equitably. No

state in the nation received an A in this area and Michigan earned a C. Michigan has actually gone backward on its grade for school finance, having earned a C+ in 2010. As you remember all too well, schools were cut by $470 this school year.

As the Center for Public Education notes in its analysis, the grades and rankings aren’t necessarily an accurate measure of the effectiveness of a state’s public schools. They provide a basis for comparison, but aren’t necessarily the best indicators of how well our schools are doing.

Read the Center for Public Education’s complete analysis. See the entire Quality Counts report.

we’ll continue to monitor the progress and participate in this discussion. Our goal at MASB is to ensure that districts have the resources they need to correct academic failures without moving toward a massive state takeover model.

Snyder also talked about his goal of further cutting taxes for businesses. More specifically, the governor mentioned his desire to continue the course on elimination of the Personal Property Tax (PPT). As you’re aware, MASB is involved in the Replace Don’t Erase coalition that advocates for responsible revenue changes that involve replacing all revenues eliminated as part of plans to update tax codes.

Besides the abovementioned topics, Snyder talked about government accountability, crime, health care (exchanges), autism coverage, energy and environment, taxes, transportation infrastructure, the new international trade crossing (the bridge in Detroit), global talent recruitment (immigration) and regional cooperation. Click here for a complete outline of Gov. Snyder’s second State of the State address.

“We’re being bold in reinventing Michigan but it requires setting high expectations.”

– Gov. Snyder

Evaluation, continued from front page (click to go back)

Quality, continued from page 4 (click to go back)

Get started on the road to being Michigan’s Best

Just three weeks remain to submit your applications for

the 2012 Education Excellence Awards. The awards honor innovative school programs that have contributed to student success. The top three programs in each of nine categories will be named winners of the Education Excellence Awards. Winning programs continue on to round two judging and the chance to be named Michigan’s Best and a cash prize of $1,500 to sustain the program.

We need your help in getting this information to building-level leaders and program coordinators. Please share this information with them in hopes of earning cash to continue a vital school program. Winning districts receive a trophy and street sign for display outside their school proclaiming them a Winner—Education Excellence Award.

Applications are due Feb. 15, 2012. Submit your application online today!

www.masb.org • MASB Headlines • Jan. 24, 20126

All school administrators (superintendents, principals

and many school directors) must hold an administrator certification to work in Michigan public schools. This certification typically comes from the university level—until now. The Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals (MASSP), under the new leadership of Wendy Zdeb-Roper, developed a Michigan Department of Education (MDE)-endorsed alternative certification program that’s rigorous yet flexible, affordable and valuable.

The program, Path to Leadership, incorporates high-quality coursework in an online format that includes mentoring, a working internship and the building of a professional portfolio. Another unique aspect of the program is the School Leaders Licensure Assessment (SLLA) exam requirement, which 29 states currently require for certification, that isn’t part of the university certification process.

Board members need to be aware of the requirement for administrator certification, available options and understand that administrators can be hired without an educational leadership degree (M. Ed, M.A., Ph.D., Ed.D.) if the candidate is the right fit for the district. That person then has three years to earn certification.

“This program has been a labor of love and MASSP is happy to offer such a high-quality program to Michigan’s public education community. Our goal is to provide candidates with an alternative route to earning a K-12 administrator certificate at an affordable cost and in a manageable timeframe,” said MASSP Executive Director Wendy Zdeb-Roper.

MASSP collaborated with Michigan Virtual University’s LearnPort to offer the online modules, which provide flexibility, but at the same time a rigorous curriculum that impacts effectiveness and student achievement. Modules include: creating an inclusive culture and environment for learning; visionary leadership; elements

and evaluation of highly effective instruction; improving instructional programs; learning for all students; creating a safe and orderly environment; principles of public school law; and using technology to drive change and improvement.

For more information, visit www.mymassp.com or email Chelsey Martinez, chelseym@michiganprincipals.org.

Alternative K-12 certification prepares leaders while meeting requirements of law

Just as teachers need evaluation to ensure success, the board and superintendent should be evaluated

regularly. Regular evaluation can help assess performance against goals, and can identify areas that need attention. Benefits include accountability, open communication, insight into decision making, clear understanding of roles and responsibilities, identification of strengths and weaknesses and effective goal setting, among others.

Boards and superintendents can perform self-assessments or choose to have MASB facilitate the process with professional, electronic evaluations, analysis of results and recommendations.

To learn more about self-assessment workshops, contact Karen Cross, kcross@masb.org, 517.327.5934.

Download the board self-assessment. Download the superintendent evaluation and addendum.

Stay on track with board and superintendent self-assessments

School quality committee gets to workThe bipartisan workgroup

created under PA 277, the law that lifts the charter cap, had its first meeting to develop recommendations to improve quality in education. The workgroup’s mission is to pass down “measures to be taken to improve educational quality in all public schools for all pupils,” which includes charter schools, or public school

academies as they’re also known. The workgroup consists of eight

legislators (six Republicans and two Democrats) appointed by Senate Majority Leader Richardville (R-Monroe) and House Speaker Bolger (R-Marshall).

After its first meeting, committee members were quoted as saying they were “encouraged” and that it went

“extremely well.” According to Rep. Rutledge (D-Ypsilanti), data will be a key part of what the workgroup focuses on, and that decisions made by the group will be data driven.

MASB asserted that the decision to lift the cap be based on data, but the legislature chose to study the issue after lifting the cap.

www.masb.org • MASB Headlines • Jan. 24, 2012 7

(and one-time expenditures are eliminated), the GF would end with a $656 million surplus that could be used to offset less than great revenue growth in the SAF, and could compensate for the university and community college transfer. Even if the state doesn’t remove one-time expenditures, the GF still will finish with a surplus of nearly $200 million. The point is, legislators have options this year outside of cutting education. There are of course extenuating circumstances, but we must continue to advocate for the restoration of unnecessary cuts to K-12 education.

In population news, Michigan lost 500 fewer pupils then expected in

2011-12, bringing total enrollment to 1.55 million. However, the estimates for 2012-13 predict a 6,000 pupil loss.

It’s too early in the budget process to know what will be done with these numbers. Gov. Snyder will be releasing his budget proposal on Feb. 9, and he’s indicated he wants to

spend money on education. It won’t, however, be without “measures, accountability and showing real results,” as he told AnnArbor.com. It’s expected the legislature will make quick work of the budgets since it’s an election year. Stay tuned for further updates.

What does the public think of America’s school boards?

We must be extra-determined to be civil and respectful, to not pander by making promises that can’t be kept, and to refrain from scoring cheap political points by savaging one another at the board table. The public would be much more supportive (and more easily resigned to not getting everything they want for their children) if we presented a more united front. We are all in this together, so we should act like it.

– Martha Toth, board member, Van Buren Public SchoolsReprinted from the American School Board Journal, January 2012

In your words

The Michigan Blues offer a wide range of health plans for school districts,

backed by the strongest state and national provider network.

Your options range from our PPO and HMO plans, to consumer-directed SM plans compatible with health savings accounts, to MyBlueSM

individual coverage. Our first-to-market group wellness product, Healthy Blue

LivingSM HMO, rewards you and your employees with lower costs for a greater

commitment to healthy behaviors.

And you have Blue DentalSM and vision coverage options, too. All from a

company that accepts everyone for coverage regardless of medical history,

with nearly 70 years of nonprofit heritage and an unrivaled commitment to the

future of Michigan.

For information on Blues plans available to MASB members, call 517-327-5900.

bcbsm.com

MiBCN.com

A variety of health plan solutions.A promise to cover everyone.

Flexible Blue

Budget, continued from page 3 (click to go back)

www.masb.org • MASB Headlines • Jan. 24, 20128

Ten steps for planning consistent, strategic communications

Communication is the lifeblood of a district. But without

planning, communication will be inconsistent and sporadic, muddling your message and making it difficult to build support for your schools. Following are 10 easy steps that will guide your administrative team in developing a communications plan. This can be adapted for various topics or issues within your district.

1. Identify a challenge, success or opportunity.

2. Determine the key audience(s). This may include parents, students, community members without children, business leaders, senior citizens, etc.

3. Find out what those audiences currently know or believe. On some topics you may be able to informally poll the audience, or you may need to employ a more formal survey. In some cases, focus groups or community forums may be in order.

4. Determine how each audience receives its information. Find out how they prefer to receive their information. Some may read the school newsletter while others get their information through word of mouth. Others may prefer an email or to visit the district website.

5. Establish measurable objectives. If you want to increase attendance at parent meetings, for example, set a goal of increasing attendance by 50 percent. Establish a baseline number before your implement your plan so you have something to compare.

6. Define message points. This will be based on what you determine to be the audiences’ perceptions and knowledge of the issue. What information will motivate them to act?

7. Determine the communication channels to deliver those messages. This goes back to your determination of their preferred method of communication. You may decide to make better use of existing channels (newsletters, websites or flyers) or create completely new ones, like using social media.

8. What will this cost? How much will you need for printing, postage, technology and other expenses, if any?

9. Determine who will be responsible for each facet of the plan and what are deadlines for implementation? Determine who will be involved and when you want to accomplish your objective. This could include teachers, staff, parents or others.

10. Evaluate whether you’ve reached your objectives. If not, why? What could be adjusted to improve your results?

Here are some other activities you can do to improve communications:

• Create a key communicator

network of staff, parents and community leaders to help enhance two-way communication.

• Revise/update your website to make it more user-friendly.

• Explain school safety as well as violence and bullying prevention programs.

• Keep parents well informed about assessments and what the results

mean for your schools.• Get the facts to your internal

communities first when budget or program changes may be considered.

Together these activities can become part of your long-term communications plan. If you need assistance on how to get started, surveying your community or setting up a key communicator network, contact Jennifer Rogers, jrogers@masb.org, 517.327.5908.

Adapted from the National School Public Relations Association.

Without planning, communication will be inconsistent and sporadic.

www.masb.org • MASB Headlines • Jan. 24, 2012 9

schools—schools that are taken over by a majority of teachers or parents. This bill is on the Senate floor where its fate is uncertain.

• SB 621 – Allows for the expansion of shared time services. Allows non-public school students to participate in non-core subjects at

schools in the same or contiguous ISD. Current law restricts the services to the same or contiguous local district.

• SBs 622, 623, 709, 710 – Allow changes to dual enrollment to allow non-public school students to take classes at a community

college or university without first enrolling in a public school. These bills also create a mechanism for the Department of Treasury to directly pay the community college or university for the services provided.

See related article on page 11.

MASB understands that the role of a school board member

is complex and the learning curve is steep. To better serve first term board members, we’ll be featuring the First Term Board Member Corner, which will provide information and resources to help first term board members navigate the sea of school board service. To start, here are 10 tips for board members:

1. Go slow in the beginning. Especially if you’ve come to the board to “reform” it. The chances are, you’ll feel different about a lot of things after six months.

2. Remember that the only authority you have lies in the corporate action of the school board. You have no legal authority to act alone unless the board as a whole specifically delegates a task to you.

3. Don’t let your differences of opinion degenerate into personality conflicts. Nothing is more devastating to good board procedures than to have one member vote for a measure simply because another member votes against it.

4. Don’t talk too much. You may acquire a reputation for wisdom simply by not saying the wrong thing at the wrong moment. One thing is certain: you’re not learning when you’re talking,

you’re only hearing your ideas.5. Keep out of teacher/personnel

problems. The board has hired a superintendent and staff to take that responsibility.

6. Give the superintendent and staff your public support. Except in unusual and mitigating circumstances, the superintendent has a right to expect this. To undermine the superintendent subsequently is unethical. Use individual conferences with the superintendent and the official forum of legal board meetings to iron out differences of opinion.

7. Make an effort to be informed. School business is always important business—and big business—with budgets into the millions of dollars. To be informed requires time and effort. Ask for briefings from staff at board meetings. Ask community members what they think. Visit schools.

8. Welcome people who come to see you about school problems. Listen carefully, then refer them to the appropriate person according to board policy. If the problem is controversial, remember that you may be hearing only one side of the story. Don’t commit yourself to a course of action that you may

regret later. The board as a whole may not support your view, and you could find yourself in an embarrassing position of having committed yourself to a stand that the board rejects.

9. When a special interest group approaches, insist on your right to hear and review all the facts before you act. A vocal minority can force a school board to act before all the facts are known and evaluated. If you’re being pressed, tell them you need more time to make a fair decision.

10. Accept your job on the board as one of responsible leadership in the community. You’ll be expected to attend and participate intelligently in many public meetings on school affairs. This is more than an opportunity, it’s an obligation to interpret school affairs to an interested public. You may clear away doubts, misconceptions and misunderstandings. You can do more than merely inform the public; you can help form public opinion and create active, intelligent support for education in your communities.

10 tips for success in your first term

Empowerment, continued from page 3 (click to go back)

1st Term Members

www.masb.org • MASB Headlines • Jan. 24, 201210

Education NewsAround the State

Stockbridge students take foreign travel for robotics project

This spring, students in the underwater robotics course at Stockbridge High School will travel to the island nation of Palau to search for World War II artifacts. The project gives students the opportunity to use their skills in a real-world setting.

According to the Lansing State Journal, the students will search for wreckage from a downed aircraft as part of the BentProp Project, a volunteer organization that dives and discovers aircraft and crew remains from World War II. The robot can explore to depths of 125 feet in sea water and is equipped with a camera to relay back video.

Stockbridge was approached by a mission coordinator (a Michigan native) at the Bentprop Project after he saw an article about the program.

Students build the robots from scratch under the guidance of teacher Bob Richards and it provides them a practical application of math, science and technology. To make the trip a reality, students had to raise $40,000—they’ve raised $30,000 so far.

The robotics program at Stockbridge was started five years ago as a land-based robotics course. It was so popular that an underwater course was added, as well as a robotics section in the science curriculum for fourth-graders.

Source: Lansing State Journal, 1.6.12.

MI School dashboard widget available

One of the requirements for school districts to earn incentives for meeting financial best practices is to provide school dashboard information. To

comply with this requirement, school districts can link to the MI School Data website.

With the support of Monroe County ISD, Foxbright—a Grand Rapids-based web communication firm—has created a MI School Data widget that districts can post on their website. The new “Budget Badge Widget” combines the previously required Budget Badge with the new MI School Dashboard link into a single badge which can be closed at any time by the site visitor. This new, combined approach has been approved by the Michigan Department of Education as satisfying both requirements.

Visit the Foxbright website to get started. You’ll find a full description of the badge and information on how to install it on your website. Share this information with your superintendent and/or technology person.

For questions, contact Kevin Wilson, kwilson@foxbright.com.

MASA celebrates Regional Superintendents of the Year

The Michigan Association of School Administrators (MASA) has recognized eight school leaders as the Regional Superintendents of the Year. Each year the award is presented to individuals from each of MASA’s regions who have shown tremendous effort and dedication to enriching the lives of children and the community as a whole. They’re recognized for strong leadership; creativity in successfully meeting the

needs of students; communication skills; professionalism; community involvement and the success of students in their district. 2012 Regional Superintendents of the Year

• Region 1 - Darryle Pierce, Calumet-Laurium-Keweenaw Public Schools

• Region 2 - Michael Murray, Suttons Bay Public Schools

• Region 3 - Dennis Patzer, Otsego Public Schools

• Region 4 - Michael Wallace, St. Charles Community Schools

• Region 5 - Storm Lairson, Reese Public Schools

• Region 6 - Charles Dumas II, Portland Public Schools

• Region 7 - Mark Bielang, Paw Paw Public Schools

• Region 8 - didn’t participate • Region 9 - William Pearson, South

Lyon Community SchoolsCongratulations! On behalf of

boards of education across the state, we salute you for your exceptional leadership!

www.masb.org • MASB Headlines • Jan. 24, 2012 11

A publication of the Michigan Association of School Boards

Contact MASB800 .968 .4627 • www .masb .org 517 .327 .5907 • sford@masb .org

MAsB dAteBook

Board Leadership deveLopment

Opinions and sponsorships expressed in Headlines do not necessarily reflect the position of MASB.

Mission StatementTo provide quality educational leadership ser-vices for all Michigan boards of education, and to advocate for student achievement and public education.

2011-12 MASB OfficersPresident: Burl Ghastin President Elect: Steve Zinger Vice President: Ruth Coppens Past President: Gregory Peoples

Executive Director:Kathy Hayes

Communications & PR Director:Jennifer Rogers, MPA

Communications Specialist:Sarah Ford, MPA

Production Coordinator:Deb Richardson

HeadlinesA News Report for Michigan Education Leaders

• Federal Relations Network Conference, Feb . 5-7, Washington, D .C .

• Negotiations: Starting and Ending on the Same Page, Feb . 23-24, Lansing

• MASB/MASA Legislative Conference, March 15, Lansing

• NSBA Annual Conference, April 21-23, Boston

• Urban Conference, May 3, Oakland Schools

For the most up-to-date details, go to www .masb .org or call 800 .968 .4627 .

News You Can Use

Spotlight Site

• Apple to enter the digital textbook market. How will Michigan handle implications with online learning? In its first major announcement since the passing of Steve Jobs, Apple announced plans for iBooks 2 and iBooks Author, a move it hopes will transform the digital textbook market, according to Education News. As Michigan’s legislature considers expanding cyber schools (see article on page 3), the announcement has school officials across the country grappling with how they would handle the fiscal implications of such a major change in purchasing textbooks. Currently schools purchase textbooks and they are reused year after year. According the Education News, there are more than 1.5 million iPads currently used in education. It’s expected that this announcement will increase that number drastically. According to Forrester Research, ebooks accounted for just 2.8 percent of the $8 billion U.S. textbook market in 2010. Databases integrated into iBooks 2 will create dynamic, interactive texts that allow students to combine information from many sources. High school textbooks are to be rolled out first and priced at $14.99 or less; hardback textbooks can cost around $100. In making the transition, Apple partnered with major educational publishers including Pearson, McGraw-Hill and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Furthermore, iTunes U has become its own app that better facilitates teachers posting syllabi, assignments and messages for students. It will be fully integrated with iBooks 2. Learn more about iBooks 2.

Creating Strong Schools and Communitieswww.educationnorthwest.org

Chartered in 1966 as Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, Education Northwest now works to transform teaching and learning by providing resources that help schools, districts and communities across the country find comprehensive, research-based solutions to the challenges they face. The rich resources available on this site were created by Education Northwest’s expert staff. You’ll find resources to help with assessment, development, evaluation, research and training as well as many topics within those focus areas. One of their projects includes the Common Core State Standards, which allows districts to purchase an introductory module to assist in the understanding of the Common Core State Standards for math.

www.masb.org • MASB Headlines • Jan. 24, 201212

Worth Repeating does not necessarily reflect the views or positions of MASB. It is intended to spark dialogue and inform readers about what is being said about public education around the nation.

Worth Repeating

There must be better and more varied ways to provide

education in Michigan. But that doesn't mean that an overreaching legislature should venture wildly and expensively into new ventures, an outcome that’s likely under a proposed bill that would lift limits on the number of virtual charter schools, also known as cyber schools.

Removing the cap on cyber schools this early in the game could lead to money grabs by out-of-state enterprises, loss of funds for traditional public schools and harmful experiences for Michigan students.

A state law enacted in 2010 allowed for two cyber schools in Michigan with a maximum of enrollment of 400 students. Before the experiment could meet its mandated two-year testing period, Sen. Colbeck (R-Canton) introduced a bill that would eliminate all limits on cyber schools. He said he wants to shake up the “status quo” mentality of the public education bureaucracy. He also wants to set the framework for expanding cyber schools, which he claims, have a statewide waiting list of 6,500 students.

He has a point. School districts are obviously concerned about losing state funding for every student who switches to a cyber school. But his efforts are premature. Virtual charter schools and online learning are options that hold great promise—but they aren’t silver bullets without

proper monitoring and evaluation. The National Education Policy Center, for example, claims that only about one in four for-profit companies operating virtual schools across the country met federal No Child Left Behind standards. That’s less than half the success rate of traditional, and often criticized, brick-and-mortar public schools.

“Large organizations, national companies, can potentially come to Michigan, open a school and there’s really—at least in language that exists now—no measures of accountability or transparency of where the money goes or expectations of the student,” said Jerry Johnson, spokesperson for Genesee Intermediate School District.

Alternative-learning scenarios should be actively pursued. There’s little logic in the assumption that all students learn the same way. Nor does it make sense that the best way to learn is in static hour-long (or shorter) classes with 25-30 students sitting in neat rows listening (or not) to a teacher.

Schools are looking at alternatives. All five of Livingston County's public school districts participate in GenNet, a Genesee County network that allows students to choose from about 2,000 online courses.

County educators warn that such classes aren’t for everyone and that student involvement and progress must be carefully monitored. Although Pollack said he will be the

first to mandate accountability for cyber schools, that hardly seems likely by immediately lifting all caps.

Rep. Rogers (R-Genoa Township) is taking a more measured approach. Rogers, who is one of Livingston County’s three legislators, was recently appointed to the new Workgroup on School Quality (see page 6), a mandated part of the review on the effectiveness on charter schools. He favors a similar rigorous look at cyber schools.

Rogers has been researching cyber schools, including the options offered by FlexTech High School, a Genoa Township charter school that offers online learning as part of its curriculum. He’s open to the concept suggesting that, among other things, it could provide more resources for home schooled children.

Online learning surely can increase opportunities for motivated students by providing choices beyond what’s offered in their traditional school.

But Rogers is skeptical about claims that cyber schools are an alternative for students who aren't succeeding in school.

“If it truly is for kids that can't fit into a certain system, I get that, but I'm not 100 percent sold,” he said.

Fair enough. This is an area that should be fully explored before unilaterally raising the cap on cyber schools.

Keep the lid on: Too early for push to uncap cyber schoolsViewpoint excerpted from the Livingston Daily Press and Argus, 1.15.12.