MASSP is dedicated to keeping our members informed as the situation with COVID-19 develops. This week you will receive the COVID-19 updates you have come to expect on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. As you begin to implement your Continuous Learning Plans and engage with teachers, students and parents we will honor your time and reduce the amount of communication we are sending.
If you have resources or information you think should be included in an upcoming update or on the MASSP COVID-19 resource center, please send them to Alicia Pilmore for consideration.
State Board of Education Urges State and Federal Legislators to Preserve Educational Services for Children
The State Board of Education adopted a resolution urging Michigan’s state legislature and the Michigan Congressional delegation to support – actively, individually, and collectively – any bill to preserve educational services to Michigan school children that have been threatened as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Learning Management Systems (LMS) Task Force Application
MASSP is looking for Middle and High School Principals who are excelling in their virtual/online format for a statewide task force. This task force would consist of 4-5 teachers and 2 Principals who will help gather templates and tips for schools across the state. Each task force will be formed around a Learning Management System (LMS) being used (Google Classroom, Schoology, Canvas, etc.) and grade level.
This task force is in partnership with the Michigan Education Association (MEA) to help more schools across the state be successful in this transition to remote learning. The application deadline is Friday, May 15, 2020. You will be notified the last week of May if you have been selected to be on this committee.
Leader2Leader Round 8
MASSP is hosting two concurrent panel discussions during Round 8 of Leader2Leader from 1-2 pm on May 14 - one for middle level and one for high school. Round 8 of L2L will feature a panel of counselors and teachers sharing reflections on their experience with remote learning and what they think should happen moving forward. Focus questions to guide the conversation include:
- What did you appreciate/value regarding your schools approach to remote learning?
- What challenges/obstacles did remote learning create for you and/or your dept/team? Students? Families?
- What do you believe needs further rethinking/reframing/refining?
- What would you appreciate or need moving forward?
Meet the Middle Level Panelists:
- Leslie Anderson, Counselor, Liberty Middle School (Plymouth-Canton)
- Todd Bloch, Science Teacher, Warren Woods Middle School
- Le Ann Brink, Social Worker, Escanaba Jr/Sr High School
- Emily Collier, Special Education Teacher, Hart Middle School (Rochester)
- Josh Delamater, Teacher, Grant Middle School
- Rachel Mainero, Media Specialist, Reuther Middle School (Rochester)
- Liz Schlenvogt, Counselor, Escanaba Jr/Sr High School
- Shantel VanderGalien, ELA Teacher, Wyoming Middle School
- Kim Floyd, World Language Teacher, MacDonald Middle School
- Bret Krabil, ELA Teacher, Grayling Middle School
Meet the High School Level Panelists:
- Owen Bondono, English Teacher, Oak Park Freshman Academy
- Erin Carlson, English Teacher, Sandusky Jr/Sr High School
- Kelly Cusmano, English Teacher, Rochester High School
- Nick Fotiu, Social Studies Teacher, Canton High School
- Sarah Gammins, Counselor, Northview High School
- Shanna Meyer, Math Teacher, West Ottawa High School
- Roselie Rubelman, Counselor, Sterling Heights High School
- Ben Tomlinson, Math/STEM Teacher, Paw Paw High School
Click here to register for the Middle Level: “In The Middle with You” panel discussion.
Click here to register for the High School: “Trusted Voices” panel discussion.
New EO Simplifies Youth Work Permit Applications
Executive Order 2020-79 has amended two key provisions of the Youth Employment Standards Act relative to youth work permits. The EO temporarily suspends the requirement that work permit applications be made in person, instead allowing school officials to accept work permit applications and any accompanying materials submitted by alternative means including mail, e-mail, fax, or a web-based form. The EO also removes the requirement that work permits be printed on any certain color of paper.
Senate Appropriations Passes $534M Supplemental
The Senate Appropriations Committee has passed SB 690, a $534 million supplemental that included a variety of pandemic relief programs including a child care rate relief program and pay enhancements for frontline workers. It also included some things more loosely tied to COVID-19 related expenses. From an education perspective, that included $10 million for districts to purchase one of five specific benchmark assessments (Acadience, AimsWeb, NWEA, iReady, or Star) if they agree to test students within 30 days of starting next school year and $20 million to support MAISA's device purchasing program. The bill included no money to backfill the massive school funding hole being projected and it faces an uncertain future since it currently seems to lack support in either the House or the Governor's office.
From Me to You: Weekly Learning Opportunities, Week of May 18
To connect building leaders with their students and families, advance learning through educational leadership, and assist students in maintaining a healthy routine during the extended school closure, MASSP has created a weekly learning opportunity roadmap that principals may choose to distribute to their students and families through established local communication systems (e.g., email, school messenger, blog, social media etc). Each week you will receive this ready to distribute resource to encourage students and families to stay sharp, collaborate and have fun. To view past editions, click here.
News Items and Resources
GOP leader: Up to 25 percent cuts to Michigan schools from coronavirus
A looming issue for schools: Teachers who can’t or won’t go back
How School Will Change When Kids Return to Classrooms
Fauci: School reopening likely to vary nationwide
Counseling kids during the coronavirus: A tough job made even tougher
For Teachers
If you never knew how much you could appreciate your kid's teacher, watch this
Teachers grapple with how to keep track of students during distance learning
For Parents
Parent Views on Distance Learning Survey - You may want to share this link with your parent community as an opportunity to provide feedback on remote learning.
The Education Trust-Midwest is surveying Michigan parents to better understand what is working, what is not working, and what parents and students need when it comes to distance and online learning. The information shared by parents will help inform Michigan educators and policymakers, and is critical to understanding how school closures are impacting student learning at home.
It takes 7 minutes to complete the survey and share with your network!
Student and Staff Engagement
Grand Blanc High School hosting graduation event at drive-in theater for Class of 2020
#graduaTedTalk
Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, millions of students won’t have the opportunity to be honored at an in-person graduation this year. However, billions of us can still celebrate these students online. TED invites all members of the class of 2020 to record and share a #graduaTEDtalk. Let's light up the internet with the hopes, dreams and ideas of the next generation
In the Twitterverse
