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. Governor Whitmer Announces 6 Phase MI Safe Start Plan On Thursday, Governor Gretchen Whitmer detailed the six phases of her MI Safe Start Plan to re-engage Michigan’s economy and relax personal and social restrictions imposed by the pandemic. The governor also announced that Michigan is in phase three under this structure. The phases of the pandemic include:
Under this structure, Michigan would need to reach phase five before in-person instruction could resume. Read the full plan for details. Governor Extends Stay Home Order, Re-Opens Manufacturing On Thursday, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-77 to extend Michigan’s Stay Home, Stay Safe order to May 28. The governor’s order will allow manufacturing workers, including those at Michigan’s Big 3 auto companies, to resume work on Monday, May 11 as part of her MI Safe Start Plan. Fall 2020 PSAT/SAT Schedule Announced The Michigan Department of Education has announced dates for fall PSAT/SAT testing. The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) is providing a fall administration of the SAT with Essay for students entering the 12th grade in Fall 2020, PSAT/NMSQT for students entering the 11th and 10th grades, and PSAT 8/9 for students entering 9th grade. The results will not be used for any accountability reporting. The purpose of a fall administration is to offer the opportunity for students to take the assessments. The full article in the May 7 edition of MDE's Spotlight on Assessment and Accountability publication (beginning on page 4) is a must read for secondary principals. Important to also note: FALL TESTING PSAT 8/9 and PSAT/NMSQT (which will be for grades 10 and 11) will be released forms, and so the QAR will have the item level data. FALL TESTING SAT will not be a release form. For Spring 2021, PSAT 8/9 for grades 8 and 9, PSAT 10 will NOT be released forms, and the SPRING 2021 SAT will be a released form. Also, this year grades 8 and 9 will have different forms, and there will be a different form for make-ups. Art of Educational Leadership: Sunday night, fireside chat webinar series Leadership can often be lonely; coupled with "social distancing" guidelines and the sense of urgency required of school administrators right now, the feelings of isolation can expand exponentially. To support secondary administrators in navigating these uncertain times, MASSP has partnered with Dr. Greg Dale, Professor of Psychology and Director of Athletic Leadership Programs at Duke University, and Mark Thomas, Principal at Northview High School to facilitate a free five week seminar, "The Art of Education Leadership.” Round 7 of L2L: COVID-19 and the School Aid Budget for Principals This week in Leader2Leader, we learned that school districts are likely to have to make deep cuts to their budgets both this year and next year. While there is no clarity yet about the extent of deterioration in the state’s revenue base, the administration is expecting that the General and School Aid Funds could be short close to $3 billion this fiscal year and as much as $4 billion next fiscal year. While it is unclear what portion of these shortfalls will have to be absorbed by schools, we do know that a $500 million cut equates to about $345 per pupil, so schools absolutely need to start planning for deep cuts both this year and next. Missed previous Leader2Leader sessions? Click here to view all recap videos. Preparing for MICIP using the Readiness Checklist The Michigan Department of Education has released a Readiness Checklist to help schools prepare for the launch of the Michigan Integrated Continuous Improvement Process (MICIP) in January 2021. The checklist is organized by topic and is used to generate discussions and actions to help prepare for implementation. The Power of the Profession: Dr. Rice Reflects on the Power of Teachers On May 7, State Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice released a video reflecting the powerful effect teachers have on their students. The video was released in celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week and Month. News Items and Resources "Will schools be open in September? We asked several experts to weigh in" Principals Find Novel Ways to Honor Seniors During Shutdown Should the Virus Mean Straight A’s for Everyone? Rethinking ‘Senior Moments’ in a Time of Cancellations Teachers open their homes to classroom pets during shutdown Parking Lots Have Become a Digital Lifeline For Your Staff In this short video, Carol Ann Tomlinson offers advice for meeting the different interests and needs of students when teachers can’t be in the classroom with them every day. See the full video here. 7 Ways Educators Can Help Students Cope in a Pandemic Student & Staff Engagement In the Twitterverse |