June, 2008

Click here for the full list, be patient as it takes a while to load.

This list was updated 11.21.08, 11:00 AM.
If your name is not on this list and you would like to renew your membership, please visit our MEMBERSHIP page or call us at 517.327.5315.

It's time to change Michigan's education curriculum; State Representative Joel Sheltrown has a plan
by Joel Sheltrown | Flint Journal guest columnist
Monday June 30, 2008, 1:43 AM

Joel Sheltrown
• Flint Journal
guest columnist
Editor's note: This is a guest column by State Rep. Joel Sheltrown, D-West Branch. Under the name "If You Ask Me," each week The Flint Journal runs a guest column on a topic of interest. Read more by guest columnists.

Avery Doninger was disqualified by officials at Lewis
Mills High School ("LMHS"), in Burlington, Connecticut,
from running for senior class secretary after posting on her
weblog a "vulgar and misleading message about the supposed
cancellation" of a school event called "Jamfest".
Doninger and her mother sued to force LMHS to allow her
to run for secretary, which was denied by a U.S. district
court (See School Law Notes, November 21, 2007). They
appealed the decision, but the Second Circuit Court of

The Indiana Supreme Court has reversed a trial court's
decision that a middle school student was a "delinquent
child" for posting statements about her former principal on
the internet website myspace.com, A.B. v Indiana, Doc No.
67501-0709-JV-373 (Ind, May 13, 2008). The middle
school student, A.B., posted critical statements regarding her
former principal, Shawn Gobert, after transferring to another
school. The trial court ruled that A.B. was a delinquent
child because her statements, if made by an adult, would

Effective May 28, 2008, Public Act 141 (the "Act")
amended the Revised School Code to allow a student to be
absent up to one full day because his or her parent, legal
guardian, or sibling is a service member being deployed to
or returning from active duty. MCL 380.1138. The Act
also allows a student to be absent from school for up to two
full school days if the location of the deployment or return
is more than 300 miles from the student's home. Under
these circumstances, school officials must consider the

Those attending the MASSP Summer Retreat received the inside scoop as to the legislative directions the association is going. We put it right up front, it's not wise of an associaiton of school principals to support legislative attempts that will create a headline that reads - Principals Support Lower Academic Standards. We have made significant inroads within the Department of Education and Legislative and Policy leaders to redirect the benchmarks to essential skills creating a priority for teacher and giving them much needed direction.

Change system for sake of students
BY MIKE FLANAGAN • June 29, 2008
Narrow thinkers wanting to water down the new high school graduation requirements have wrongly bleated that the new Michigan Merit Curriculum is "cookie cutter," because it expects that all kids will learn the same rigorous academic content.
Well, it is not the curriculum that is cookie cutter; it's the current educational system, which wants all kids to fit in that box we call a classroom, when some just won't. We don't need to change the new requirements. We need to change the system.

Students can miss class but still pass
Attendance to affect grades less
BY LORI HIGGINS • FREE PRESS EDUCATION WRITER • JUNE 25, 2008
School districts across Michigan are increasingly altering long-standing rules that tie students' grades to how often they come to class.
The changes are prompted by a state policy that now allows students to test out of a class. But critics say the relaxed attendance policies risk sending the message to impressionable teens that getting to class isn't important.

Does anyone have a handbook for class advisors to give them some direction in their activities? If you do, I would love to see a copy of it. Thanks.

Mr. Zollie Stevenson, Jr.
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Room 3W230
Washington, DC 20202-6132

Re: Docket ID ED-2008-OESE-0003

June 20, 2008

Dear Mr. Stevenson,

On behalf of the 31,000 members of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), I would like to submit the attached comments regarding the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking issued April 23, 2008.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Amanda Karhuse, NASSP Director of Government Relations, at 703-860-7241 or karhusea@principals.org.

After hearing testimony Thursday from people supportive of the state's stricter high school graduation requirements and those who believe the curriculum should be changed so students have the option to take more career and technical training, it appears the House Education High School Alternatives Subcommittee will take its show on the road and gather more information over the summer on the topic.

Members of our association with active MyMASSP.com accounts can use a new feature to bookmark important articles and questions they come across. This will help you in the long-run by providing you with the content you need most often.

Please note that you MUST be logged in to the site to use this feature!

I feel that the behavior referral should be one of the last resorts when dealing with students.  Utilizing appropriate classroom management techniques and making parent contacts should preface any referral.  What steps do you expect your teachers to follow before sending the kid to the principal's office?

The videos are not threatening.  In addition to "tightening up" our cell phone/electronic devices policy and its enforcement, I'm looking for some policy guidelines or something similar to reduce the likelihood this happens again. 

• Small-Schools Push Tied to Graduation Rates (New Spin on Governor's Proposal)
• Michigan's Tougher Graduation Standards Causing Headaches
• Gutting New Curriculum Would Doom Our Children

They are making noises over in the House about changing the Algebra II requirement in the newly enacted high school graduation standards, but if such a measure gets into the hands of Sen. Wayne KUIPERS (R-Holland), he's inclined to do nothing about it.

"I don't think it would be wise to change it," the chair of the Senate Education Committee argued.

State Senator Gary Peters, while serving on the Senate Education Committee was a good friend of our association and educators in general. He listened to all sides, was thoughtful, and while following his caucus always was able to put in needed "course corrections" in legislation.

After leaving the Senate he ran for AG but was not successful. He went on to run the MI Lottery for a number of years. Now he running to represent the 9th Congressional District in Michigan. He is running against Joe Knollenberg.

Does anyone know where to find a copy of the Student Grade Appeal Law from 15-20 years ago?  Is it still valid??