HeadlinesA News Report for Michigan Education Leaders

MASB is excited to help school districts across the state start

off the year with a celebration of suc-cess. MASB named nine recipients of the 2011 Michigan’s Best Award. The eight local and one ISD winner will receive $1,500 to help further the program as well as the distinguished honor of being one of Michigan’s best school programs. The districts will be honored Oct. 29 for excellence in developing innovative programs to address critical education issues. The Michigan’s Best Awards are made pos-sible by the exclusive sponsorship of SET SEG School Insurance Specialists.

The 2011 winners are:Teacher LeadershipMacomb ISDCategory: ISD-Staff Development

The concept of teacher leadership isn’t new, but has garnered a wider audience due to the accountability requirements of No Child Left Behind. Schools must transform their iden-tity by developing new competencies

and commitments that lead to a new school culture. Macomb ISD did just that with their Teacher Leader Pro-gram that addresses student achieve-ment, effective instruction and school improvement initiatives. This was achieved by developing a professional community of learners, creating a school environment conducive to high-level learning, mediating adult behaviors to increase collaboration and bridging the gap between stan-dards, accountability and instruction. All Pro Dads BreakfastNew Haven ElementaryNew Haven Community SchoolsCategory: Before and After School

Research indicates that children do better in school when their dads are involved. All Pro Dads is a program that brings dads into the school on a regular basis and gives them a short activity in which to engage with their child. New Haven Elementary added several new twists to All Pro Dads to make it unique and meet the needs

of the local community. For example, at every meeting dads stand up and say something they’re proud of about their child. Just knowing that their dads care positively impacts student self-esteem and achievement. Family NightNorman ElementaryReed City Area Public SchoolsCategory: Community Relations

The Reed City Area Public Schools serves a number of families that live at

September 26, 2011

During the past 35 years, the Legal Trust Fund has granted assistance of both financial support and amicus curiae briefs to more than 300 school boards

in cases of taxation, student rights, collective bargaining agreements, sex discrimination, special education, open meetings, athletics and other issues. In total, the Legal Trust Fund has made financial contributions of more than $906,000 in support of school districts throughout Michigan. Currently 454 local and intermediate boards of education are members.

MASB Service DashboardLegal Trust Fund

MEMBERSHIP

Senate prepared to make quick work of charter expansion. . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Personal property tax bills could cost schools $448 million . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Charter schools: similarities and differences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

New, incumbent members elected to Board of Directors . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Educator evaluation webinars . . . . . 9

inside this issue:

Volume 2, Issue 18Michigan Association of School Boards1001 Centennial Way, Suite 400Lansing, MI 48917

Education excellence abounds across the state of Michigan2011 Michigan’s Best Award winners and Board Visionary Leadership Award honorees

Excellence, continued on page 8

www.masb.org • MASB Headlines • Sept. 26, 20112

Date LOCatION

OCtOber 11 Kent ISD

OCtOber 19 Midland

County eSa

OCtOber 24 Oakland Schools

NOveMber 1 University Center

at Gaylord

NOveMber 7 Ingham ISD

NOveMber 11 tuscola ISD

LEARN LEAD

Additional details to follow. For questions, or to register, contact Moranda Stephens at stephe_m@setseg.org or 800.292.5421, ext. 626.

This seminar is FREE OF CHARGE. For a $25 processing fee, 0.3 State Board Continuing Education Units (SB-CEU’s) are available.

reGIStratION

SPONSOreD bY:

S E M i n A R S E R i E SEMplOyEE BEnEFiTS: RECEnTly EnACTEd lAwS And nEGOTiATiOn STRATEGiES

SeMINar tOPICS

• Legal overview and interpretation of recently enacted laws

• Collective bargaining strategies

• Insurance options

• Case studies from local districts that negotiated changes

FeatUrING attOrNeYS FrOM thrUN Law

FIrM aND CLarK hILL PLC, aS weLL aS

rePreSeNtatIveS FrOM MaSb aND Set SeG.

www.masb.org • MASB Headlines • Sept. 26, 2011 3

A package of bills was introduced in the Senate that’s already

considered very controversial in com-munities across Michigan. Senate Bills 618-624 would expand charter schools in the state. While there are a few components of the legislation that MASB could support independently; packaged together they necessitate a position of opposition.

It’s anticipated that these bills will see fast action in the Senate. At this time, testimony on these bills have been pre-arranged and there hasn’t been an opportunity for public testi-mony. It’s assumed that hearings in the coming weeks will allow for input from parents, voters and groups such as MASB.

SB 618 - Charter Expansion • Removes the cap on university au-

thorized charter schools (PSAs).• Permits authorizers to allow PSAs

to operate at more than one location (single site).

• Removes the cap on Urban High School Academies, along with en-rollment and placement restrictions.

• Removes the restrictions on where Schools of Excellence PSAs can locate.

• Allows charter school autho-rizers to enter into agree-ments with each other to authorize jointly.

• Allows school districts to authorize PSAs outside of cur-rent collective

bargaining agreements (MASB does support this piece of the legislation).

• Exempts properties in which PSAs are housed from paying property taxes.

• Allows PSAs to develop matricula-tion agreements with local districts.

• Adds additional transparency and accountability language for all PSAs.

• Allows school districts to contract for instructional services.

Legislative Update

Highlights• MASB opposes charter expansion

package.• Package would also expand dual

enrollment and schools of choice.

Senate prepared to make quick work of charter expansion

Senate Bills 34 and 142 were introduced earlier this year,

but are getting more attention as Gov. Snyder and the legislature have made passage of personal property tax (PPT) cuts a priority this fall. The legislature and governor both support the elimination of the PPT, however,

there are varying solutions related to how much of the lost revenue, if any, would be replaced.

The PPT is a tax on all items that a business owns beyond the actual real prop-erty of the land and buildings. This includes manufacturing equipment, desks, computers and similar items. These items depreciate over time so

the businesses are only taxed on what their current value is in a given year. The PPT can make up a significant portion of a municipality or school’s funding stream.

The U.S. House of Representatives voted to sup-port H.R. 2218, the Empowering Parents through

Quality Charter Schools Act, which would provide $300 million in additional federal funds for charter schools. The National School Boards Association urged members of Congress to vote no on this legislation and MASB advocated against its passage.

A press release from NSBA states, “Only 17 percent of charters outperform traditional public schools, where the majority of our American school children attend, the cost benefit of investing $300 million into this ef-fort rather than into programs within traditional public schools isn’t justifiable. Instead, Congress must focus on investing in and improving traditional public schools that are currently facing budget shortfalls, laying off teachers and cutting programs that advance student achievement." Michigan’s Congressional Delegation voted in favor of the legislation, however, three members voted against it. It’s unclear at this point whether the Senate will take up charter legislation.

Go to bit.ly/chartervote to see how members voted.

Charters gain federal traction

Personal property tax bills could cost schools $448 million

PPT, continued on page 7

Highlights• Education community advocating

for revenue replacement.• Could result in layoffs and

program cuts.

Charters, continued on page 6

www.masb.org • MASB Headlines • Sept. 26, 20114

Ways Charter Schools are Similar to and Different from Traditional Districts in State Law

Similarities DifferencesOperations: Subject to the leadership and general supervision of

the state board of education.Can limit the number of seats available to students, but must select students by lottery with preferences only for siblings of currently enrolled students if have more applicants than seats available (similar to the admission rule for the schools of choice program).

May provide preschool-12th grade, adult basic educa-tion, adult high school completion and general educa-tion development testing preparation programs.May not charge tuition.May not discriminate in pupil admissions on the basis of intellectual or athletic ability, measures of achieve-ment or aptitude, status as a student with a disability, or any other basis that would be illegal if used by a traditional school district.Must be open to all students residing within the geographic boundaries of the authorizer.Must allow students to re-enroll in the following year unless the appropriate grade isn’t offered.Must comply with the state and federal requirements related to health and safety, staffing, management and accountability.

Governing Boards

Charter school (public school academies) board mem-bers are public officials and are subject to all applicable laws pertaining to public officials.

Governed by appointed boards of directors rather than popularly elected local school boards.

Primary board responsibilities include setting policies and operating procedures, directing operational and academic performance and ensuring fiscal stability.

Teaching Staff Must hire certified teachers (exception: charters autho-rized by public universities and community colleges using full-time, tenure-track college faculty).

Not bound by the collective bargaining agree-ments of the local districts (unless the school is chartered by the local district and the employ-ees are employed through the local district).

Must meet highly qualified teacher provisions of NCLB if accepting Title I funds.

May contract with private education service providers.

Employees may, but aren’t required to, unionize to engage in collective bargaining .

Charter school teachers who are private em-ployees can’t participate in the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System, and don’t have public sector collective bargaining rights.

Funding andTaxing Authority

Provided with a per pupil foundation grant, which is linked to a charter’s host district’s foundation grant and then capped.

Can’t levy any taxes.

May access state and federal grants like traditional districts.

All of the foundation grant comes from the State since charters have no access to local tax dollars.

www.masb.org • MASB Headlines • Sept. 26, 2011 5

Similarities DifferencesFunding and Taxing Authority (continued)

May access the Michigan Public Educational Facilities Authority for low cost financing and technical assis-tance through its bonding and loan programs.

Capital expenses must be absorbed by the char-ter’s foundation grant or met with independent money.

Exempt from all taxation on earnings and property. Eligible for competitive federal grants for pro-gram planning and design, implementation and dissemination.May issue bonds, but may not pledge the full faith and credit or taxing authority of the state or authorizing body for payment.

Content and Curriculum

Must provide the Michigan Merit Curriculum and meet Michigan merit standards.

Testing and Accountability

Must administer the MEAP and MME exams. Held accountable by authorizer, which can im-pose additional accountability requirements in a charter’s contract.

Must submit data and statistical reports to the state on enrollment, programs, student performance and finances.Must comply with all NCLB requirements and sanc-tions, including participation in student assessments, planning, teacher and administrator qualifications and sanctions for schools not making adequate yearly progress.Must follow a common fiscal calendar. Must follow generally accepted accounting principles for a governmental entity.Can’t operate under a deficit budget.Must adopt budget prior to the start of the fiscal year.Must undergo audits of financial records.

Special Education

Must comply with all federal and state requirements regarding special education.Must be included in their ISD’s operational plan for special education programs and services throughout the ISD and all its constituent districts.Qualify for state school aid and ISD special education funding.

Transportation Optional service for both charters and traditional districts.Must meet safety and equity requirements if provide transportation.Must provide transportation to special education students if it’s required to accommodate students’ educational needs.

School Lunch Not required by state law to operate a school lunch program.

Source: CRC Report, Public Education Governance in Michigan, January 2010

www.masb.org • MASB Headlines • Sept. 26, 20116

Have you registered for the Annual Fall Conference and

Exhibit Show? This year’s registration is already exceeding last year, so if you haven’t yet registered, follow what your colleagues already know and register today!

There’s a lot to offer at your associa-tion’s premier development opportu-nity. In addition to nationally recog-nized speakers who will help you apply their experience and knowledge at the local level, there are more than 40 CBA courses from which to choose. This presents an excellent opportunity for you to join your colleagues who have collectively spent 7,000 hours attending board training courses. Be

one of the more than 900 active board members to earn CBA certification. Classes are filling fast so be sure to develop your schedule soon to ensure you get the courses you need.

The Annual Fall Conference is so much more than just speakers and information. It’s an experience that helps rejuvenate board members and gets you excited for the challenging work before you. Attendees repeat-edly note their new-found energy and inspiration following the conference.

“The annual conference educates, informs and inspires me to do my very best for the students in my district. You can’t help but leave recharged, invigorated and ready to dive in when

you get home,” said one 2010 at-tendee.

The collec-tive group of school board members and administrators who assemble each year are proud to be a part of developing solutions to our educational challenges—and celebrat-ing achievements and successes. Expe-rience the power of your membership and register today.

To register or learn more, visit www.masb.org/conference.

Experience the power of your membershipAnnual Fall Conference & Exhibit Show • Grand Traverse Resort • Oct. 27-30

SB 619- Cyber Charter Expansion • Amends the School Code to expand

opportunities for cyber charter schools.

• Cyber schools will no longer be lim-ited to just two contracts statewide.

• Eliminates the enrollment cap for cyber charters.

SB 620 - Conversion Schools • Creates Michigan conversion

schools, similar to "parent trigger" laws in other states. (Previously called neighborhood schools under bills of the past legislative session.)

• Allows 51 percent of parents or teachers at a school to petition their district to convert the school into a conversion school.

• The local district can convert the existing school or another authorizer may create a conversion school.

• Sets up rules for managing the build-ing once under district control if the district authorizes the building as a conversion school.

SB 621 - Shared Time Expansion • Allows non-public school students

to obtain part-time services from a school district in the same or con-tiguous intermediate school district (rather than just the resident or contiguous local district).

SB 622 - Dual Enrollment Expansion • Eliminates current grade and age re-

quirements for high school students seeking dual enrollment.

• Allows non-public school students to participate in dual enrollment with state aid.

• Removes requirements for profi-ciency before entering into a dual enrollment class.

• It’s assumed that an appropriation will follow this legislation, resulting in fewer dollars for school aid, and more dollars for community colleges and non-public school students.

SB 623 - Career and Technical Preparation Modifications • Allows non-public school students

to dual enroll in career/technology education programs under the same guidelines spelled out in SB 622.

SB 624 - Schools of Choice Expansion • Amends the School Aid Act to ex-

pand current schools of choice pro-grams to any student to any district regardless of ISD contiguity.

• Requires a district to admit from its waiting list in the second semester or trimester if space becomes available.

• Availability of space would be deter-mined by each local school district.

• Uses current practice for special education students in non-resident ISDs. (E.g., a cooperative agreement must be reached for added costs of special education students if being educated as a non-resident student of an ISD).

Please contact Don Wotruba, dwotruba@masb.org, 517.327.5913 or Peter Spadafore, pspadafore@masb.org, 517.327.5912 with any questions.

Charters, continued from page 3

www.masb.org • MASB Headlines • Sept. 26, 2011 7

MASB welcomes Mark McKul-sky, Hale Area Schools, to the

Board of Directors. Mark will repre-sent Region 2 for a three-year term ending in 2014. Mark has earned the Award of Distinction in MASB’s cer-tification program and is a committed participant in professional develop-

ment. He served as the president of his local board for two years and as president of Iosco CASBA for one year. Mark has also served on many commit-

tees, including Negotiations, Finance, Personnel and Technology. “School districts have to be creative and ap-ply innovative ideas to educate our children,” said Mark. “I look forward to applying my knowledge and experi-ence to serve the districts of Region 2.”

MASB also congratulates several in-cumbent directors who will continue to serve you:

• Region 1: Brad Baltensperger, Houghton-Portage

• Region 5: Jan Holz, Huron ISD• Region 7: Lillian Fields, Western

School District• Region 8: Donald Hubler, L’Anse

Creuse Public Schools

• Group V: Darryle Buchanan, Southfield Public Schools

“We have an exceptional gover-nance team at MASB and the staff and myself look forward to working with them on behalf of public education across the state,” said Executive Direc-tor Kathy Hayes.

MASB would also like to thank Re-nee Bird, Tawas Area Schools, for her service to public education and the association.

For a complete list of MASB Board of Directors, visit www.masb.org under About Us.

New, incumbent members elected to Board of Directors

Mark McKulsky

MASB along with the Michigan Municipal League, Michigan Associa-tion of Counties, Michigan Library Association, Michigan Association of School Administrators, Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police and the Michigan Professional Fire Fight-ers Union joined together to fight the elimination of revenue.

The group isn’t arguing about whether the PPT is a good tax or not, but rather that any reduction in the tax should have constitutionally guar-anteed replacement revenue. Schools and municipalities have seen the legislature break promises as it relates to revenue replacement and it’s time these agreements are put in the con-stitution. PPT revenue for schools has already been reduced by more than $600 million; this was made up by an earmarking in the Michigan Business tax (which the legislature eliminated this spring).

The Senate Fiscal Agency has esti-mated that schools in Michigan would lose $448 million in revenue if the PPT was eliminated, while municipali-ties would lose approximately $800

million ($1.3 billion total). The break down for schools is as follows:

• $103 million in the state education tax (school aid fund revenue).

• $117.7 million in the 18-mill collec-tion on non-homestead property.

• $110.4 million in debt millages for school buildings.

• $77.4 million in special ed and vocational ed millages at ISDs.

• $300,000 in ISD debt millage.• $39.7 million for community

colleges.These numbers are quite large on a

statewide basis, but can be even more devastating on the local level. For example, Ecorse Public School Dis-trict loses 42.8 percent of its property tax revenue with the elimination of the PPT. Memphis Schools and River Rouge would both lose 14.7 percent, Southfield Public Schools 11.9 per-cent, Midland RESA 10.4 percent, and the list goes on. This type of reduction will decimate programs and result in large layoffs. There’s also great concern among police and fire units that a reduction of this magnitude will significantly impact safety within

communities across the state.One point that will particularly res-

onate in your communities is that the $110 million in school debt mentioned above won’t directly result in lost revenue to schools, but rather a tax increase to homeowners. Due to the way that bonds are structured, most schools would be required to adjust their millages upward to account for any loss from the elimination in the PPT. Do you think your voters want another tax increase so that busi-nesses can get another tax cut? A $110 million tax increase on homeowners and major cuts in programming for schools, libraries, local governments and citizen safety isn’t something vot-ers would likely support.

You need to call your legislators and let them know that a cut in the PPT can’t happen without a constitutional amendment guaranteeing replace-ment revenue for the full $1.3 billion. We can’t stand idly by while the gover-nor and the legislature make another round of devastating cuts to schools!

PPT, continued from page 3

www.masb.org • MASB Headlines • Sept. 26, 20118

the poverty level and have little con-nection to, and sometimes little trust in, their schools. Family Night has allowed the district to create a sense of family and trust. This program addresses these needs by hosting a night each month where families can enjoy a hot, healthy meal and engage in educational family activities. Each month features a curriculum theme, like math, science, reading, social studies, fine arts, and health and fit-ness. When parents become involved in their child’s education in an active way, their academic performance improves, attendance is better and behavior problems decrease.

Ancient Greek Theatre One-Act FestivalStadium Drive Elementary School of the ArtsLake Orion Community SchoolsCategory: Creative and Media Arts

The Ancient Greek Theatre program at Lake Orion Community Schools is a student written, produced and directed one-act festival. Each fourth grade class produces six one-act plays consisting of comedies and tragedies. These one-acts are created based on knowledge gained from classroom study of ancient Greek theatre and myths. The students apply this knowl-edge to create their own spin on an-cient festivals, which requires collabo-ration and creativity. The program is presented to the school and the com-

munity, giving students the opportu-nity to practice the valuable life lesson of presenting in front of groups. As a result, students are confident, creative problem solvers that score high on national and state tests.SRSLYChelsea School DistrictCategory: Health and School Safety

SRSLY, which is text language for SERIOUSLY, is a community coalition of individuals who want to prevent destructive behavior in Chelsea youth. In Chelsea, alcohol and marijuana use was rising for younger teens, and was already too high for older teens. SRSLY addresses the accessibility of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs as well as parental and peer approval of youth substance abuse. SRSLY works to strengthen key protective factors like community and family involve-ment and school bonding. The results have been positive with a 50 percent reduction in high school student alco-hol use and a 42 percent reduction in marijuana use since 2008. Kreeger Café: Traveling Around the WorldKreeger ElementaryFowlerville Community SchoolsCategory: Improving Student Achievement for At-Risk and Special Education Students

The Kreeger Café addresses the challenge of providing a beneficial and appropriate education to a classroom of students with a large spectrum of behaviors, impairments and function-ing levels. The result is an innova-tive, hands-on program that teaches students the steps involved in the implementation of a fully function-ing café that serves lunch to staff, parents, school employees and com-munity members once a month. The following best represents the Kreeger Café’s innovation and relevance to achievement: “The best adjective I can think of to describe the Kreeger Café is ‘brilliant’. I’m reminded of the old

maxim: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. At Kreeger Café it reads: Teach a student to plan a menu, shop for supplies, decorate, set-up, cook, serve, and clean up and they will excel.”Boyne City Early Learners ProgramBoyne City ElementaryBoyne City Public SchoolsCategory: Improving Student Achievement in English Language Arts and Social Studies

Boyne City Elementary School has been on a long journey of change for the purpose of increasing student achievement. It was observed that stu-dents entering kindergarten weren’t prepared to be successful readers. The Boyne City Early Learners Program was born and is unique and innovative in that the program removes barriers to parents attaining a quality pre-school and child care environment for their children. By providing flexible scheduling, scholarships and a com-bined setting, success was the only op-tion left. The program began with 13 students and today serves more than 75 students with six employees.Amerman’s School Improvement for ScienceAmerman Elementary Northville Public SchoolsCategory: Improving Student Achievement in Math and Science

The Amerman School Improvement Team tackled a significant gender achievement gap in science, where boys were outperforming girls. By developing hands-on programs and materials and engaging the commu-nity to enrich its science activities, Amerman was able to improve science proficiency for girls from 52 percent to 100 percent. The program is unique in that it employed action research, engaged community groups, espe-cially those focused on women, and developed a 3-D model of curriculum. This one-of-a-kind approach led to

Excellence, continued from front page

www.masb.org • MASB Headlines • Sept. 26, 2011 9

several unexpected grant sources to supplement resources and materi-als. The program enjoys many parent volunteers, who, along with students and staff, also enjoy working with technology, electricity, solar energy and Legos, to name a few.Standards Based Grading and Formative AssessmentDansville High SchoolDansville SchoolsCategory: Professional Development

Dansville High School found that traditional grading and assessment practices like the use of zeros, late work reductions, no retakes and averaging all learning to calculate a final grade have a negative effect on student learning and motivation. Dansville realized they must consider a different approach to ensure mastery of learning targets and to improve student motivation. Dansville’s teach-ers applied the six principles of change

described by change agent and author Michael Fullan. One by one, with early adopters leading the way, teachers began taking risks and changing their grading and assessment practices. Now students take summative as-sessments in all cores classes that are worth 90 percent of their grade and are allowed to retake all summative assessments. Students self-assess their academic and behavioral progress using a common rubric. ACT scores have steadily increased in both math and science in just two years.

Complete details at www.masb.org.

Highest board honor goes to Allendale and Rochester

Two boards of education have met the rigorous requirements

to be named to the distinguished list of Board Visionary Leadership Award winners. Rochester Commu-nity Schools Board of Education and Allendale Public Schools Board of Education (both teams from 2010-11) are two of only 12 districts to earn the honor since the program’s incep-tion in 2004.

The Board Visionary Leadership Award was created to recognize boards of education/governance teams for their vision, leadership and success in raising student achieve-ment. Entries are evaluated for:• Leadership for achievement• Growth in student achievement• Board development/leadership

effectiveness• Board conduct/operations/ethics• Communications/community

relationsAn independent judge had this to

say about Allendale, “It’s very appar-ent that the board provides strong leadership and has used great com-munication practices to engage its community. This team shows evidence that they’re continuing to strive for furthering their district’s academic excellence through board development and clear policies that have direct emphasis on their com-mitment to student achievement.”

Rochester was recognized in a similar fashion. “It’s clear that Roch-ester Community Schools can move forward in difficult times with a strong commitment to their vision and goals.”

Learn more about the award at www.masb.org.

A series of webinars have been developed by the Education Alliance of Michigan to elaborate on its Toolkit for Developing an Educator Evalu-

ation System. The purpose of the webinars is to provide an outline of the ele-ments of an educator evaluation system that complies with Sec. 1249 of the Revised School Code and to describe a collaborative process for designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating an educator evaluation system that meets the requirements of the law. The six webinars cover the following topics:

Overview of the Educator Evaluation System: http://bit.ly/EvalOverview

Toolkit Guide for Developing Educator Evaluation System: http://bit.ly/DevelopingGuide

Measures of Student Growth: http://bit.ly/MeasureStudentGrowth

Standards of Professional Practice: http://bit.ly/ProfessionalStandards

Techniques for Solving Problems, Developing Plans and Reaching Agreement: http://bit.ly/TechniquesSolvingProblems

Decide, Implement and Monitor the Evaluation Plan: http://bit.ly/MonitorPlan

You’ll need to register with your name and email address to view the record-ings. For more resources and information on the Educator Evaluation Toolkit, visit www.gomasa.org.

Webinars provide assistance on new educator evaluation requirements

www.masb.org • MASB Headlines • Sept. 26, 201110

Education NewsAcross the State

Success, continued from back page

Zeeland High School studentsreceive iPads for instruction

An article in the Holland Sentinel reports that Zeeland Public Schools made a move that puts them on the cutting edge of a movement in edu-cation to use more digital methods and fewer paper products. All 1,800 students at Zeeland’s two high schools will receive iPads in order to allow teachers to teach in a way that uses a variety of media and encourages inter-action from students.

Students were given the iPads before the start of school, and attended a 45-minute introductory course on how to use the tablets so that they’d be prepared to use them on the first day of class. Although the iPads are insured by the district, parents will still have to pay a $250 deductible if the devices are lost, stolen or broken.

The district isn’t allowing parents to opt out of their children having the iPads, but can choose to not have their children take the devices home.

The use of technology isn’t limited to the high school. Middle school students will receive computers in January while students in grades three through five will receive computers next fall. Even students in kinder-garten through third grade will use computers while in the classroom.

Source: The Holland Sentinel, 8.30.11.

Leadership program providingresults for state’s elementary schools

A leadership program based on the book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey, is resulting in fewer discipline problems, higher student achievement and excitement among staff and parents in many schools across the state.

The Leader in Me program encour-ages students to be proactive, think about win-win situations and seek to understand before seeking to be understood. Although the program isn’t about academics, officials say

improved student achievement is a by-product of students not getting into trouble. It has been introduced in about 35 elementary schools around the state, but Waterford’s Beaumont Elementary is the only one in the state, and one of only 16 in the nation, to be designated a Lighthouse School. The designation means the school has completed the program’s rigorous training and review process.

According to a Novi Community Schools official, the program teaches the skills that business leaders have indicated they look for in employees: working in a team environment, ad-vocating for themselves and thinking “outside the box.”

Source: Jackson Citizen Patriot, 9.17.11.

Those programs should be targeted where they can do the most good. Gov. Snyder has rightly placed an emphasis on early childhood educa-tion. Money spent in the earliest years of a child’s life, during a crucial time of physical and social development, can have a lasting impact. Mr. Snyder has called for the creation of an office to coordinate more than 80 early child-hood programs in the state.

In addition, attention should focus on school districts that have coun-tered the weight of poverty and posted test scores that defy expectations. One example is Northview Public Schools. Northview, to its credit, has aggressively accepted youngsters from

neighboring communities, especially Grand Rapids, through the state’s schools of choice program.

In the past five years, Northview has seen the number of students who meet the federal definition of poverty grow from 20 percent to nearly half of the overall population. For that reason, the median income within the district—some $8,000 above the state median income—doesn’t fully reflect the incomes of families within the school system.

Still, Northview manages to score three percentage points above the state average on math. The district scores 10 points above the state aver-age in reading. Superintendent Mike

Paskewicz says teachers focus on reading in all subject areas, whether English literature or science. North-view administers tests that go beyond state exams to help teachers target their efforts at students who need the most help. In addition, the district has expanded the school day and the school year.

That’s no magic formula. There isn’t one. But Northview’s better-than-expected scores point other educators toward some practices that might be helpful.

Overcoming the disadvantages of poverty isn’t easy. But consigning chil-dren to poor test scores just because they are poor isn’t fair or just.