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Measuring Student Growth &
Reading by Grade 3:
It’s time to get your head out of the sand
Using student data to inform our instruction is not new to any of us, however what’s changed in the last 15 years is the increase in accountability and the massive amounts of data that we now must access as part of our job. Fifteen years ago the district curriculum department unpacked the boxes of MEAP results and sent them downstream to the buildings where the data was reviewed by the school improvement or PLT/PLC teams and sent downstream to the teachers.
So much data yet so little time!
If you are still operating the way you did when the MEAP data used to come to each school district in cardboard boxes, you are likely struggling with how to get useful data into the hands of teachers and use it to inform instruction. With the volume of today’s data and the connection between data and evaluation, districts need to re-examine the workflow. We have access to lots of terrific data tools that come via state grants or with commercially purchased tests, but most of us haven’t adjusted the district workflow to get the most benefit from the data in a reasonable amount of time. Here’s the problem: new products require people to change established processes and behaviors. This is because they create a ripple effect on their entire user ecosystem.
To adequately process the massive amounts of data that we now generate, and meet the needs of all the users, we must begin by truly understanding the users of the data. To me the most important users are building principals and teachers and if we are not including both groups in the planning, we may be missing the boat.
Working hand in hand with the creators of the data reports.
We need to work with our data and analytics folks to design the best system. The Metro Bureau has been setting up work group meetings where school districts send teams of users to meet with the report creators so that they can better understand your needs. Because most of you use either Munetrix or Eidex, we have had discussions with both companies. We hosted a successful session with Eidex earlier this month and are hosting a Munetrix learning breakfast on November 4th. My hope is that these user group meetings will occur a few times each year so that the report creators develop a deep understanding of their users and their needs so they can continue to improve the reports and assist districts with their workflow so that educators spend less time creating reports and more time analyzing their data.
Fall Superintendent Retreat on October 29th
If you are a member superintendent who is interested in learning by engaging with peers along with a few individuals from the business world to enhance their knowledge and skills as leaders, this retreat is for you. Participants will engage in meaningful case study discussions; explore solutions to problems we encounter as district leaders; learn from each other and experts from within and outside of our profession. For more information, please visit our website at www.metrobureau.org .
Whether you are new to your position or a veteran, Metro Bureau events provide a great way to learn along with your peers from other school districts. The Metro Bureau is the only organization to regularly convene school leaders from the Metro Detroit area for informational meetings and collaboration on a regular basis. Since the start of the 2019-20 school year, over 100 school and district leaders have attended Metro Bureau meetings and seminars including An Update from Michigan Department of Education on Teacher Certification; Superintendent and Administrator Evaluations; GASB 84 and Parent Support Organizations and Navigating Tenure, Employee Discipline and Disturbed Individuals in a School Environment of Potential Violence. And there are more seminars to come.
Our two councils; the Council of Academic Leadership (CAL) and the Council of Chief Negotiators (CCN) host monthly meetings that are open to all member curriculum and human resource leaders from Metro Bureau member districts.
For those of you who haven’t visited the Metro Bureau website in a while, I'd like to invite you to take a few minutes to visit us at www.metrobureau.org. You will find current information about upcoming Metro Bureau events and seminars, results from benchmarking surveys, HD video archives of recent Metro Bureau seminars and more. A calendar of upcoming Metro Bureau events, meetings and seminars is also on our website.
The Metro Bureau website is open to all, however there is a portion of the website that is only accessible to members with a login ID and password. If you are a member of the Metro Bureau but don’t have a login and password, please email or call us at (313) 577-1611 for assistance. Our staff is creating a terrific calendar of seminars, meetings and other events for 2019-20. Be sure to check the website regularly for updates and registration information.
Missed a Seminar or Have a Conflict With an Upcoming Seminar: View the Podcast!
Metro Bureau members can log into our website, download and view the video or listen to the podcast and receive continuing education credits (SCECHs). As always, there is no fee for viewing a past seminar from our website. If you want the SCECHs, all you need to do is complete and return an application form, pay a $25 fee and we will take care of the rest. And, you can pay online with your credit card.
Save the Date:
An Evening with the Metro Bureau Annual Holiday Dinner and New Superintendent Recognition
By December 1st, new superintendents will have completed their first four months on the job! Help us support them with a celebration on December 3rd. The Metro Bureau’s annual Holiday Dinner and Recognition of our New Superintendents will be held at the Red Run Golf Club in Royal Oak. We encourage you to bring your spouse, cabinet and board members for an evening of great food, wonderful entertainment and camaraderie. Remember, if you are a new superintendent in your district (appointed since December, 2017), you and a guest of your choice attend free of charge! Invitations will be coming soon!
Metro Bureau Business Partners are
A Great Resource for School Leaders
Metro Business Partners continue to support us by helping you. Whether you need assistance with legal services, data and analytics, employee benefits and risk management, learning or financial services Metro Bureau business partners are happy to share their experience and expertise with Metro Bureau members. See a complete list of Metro Bureau Business Partners with contact information below.
Metro Bureau Group Services Energy Consortium Partners with Siemens Energy Procurement
The main objective of MBGS is to save school districts and other educational institutions money by improving their bargaining power. I’m proud to announce that we have joined forces with Siemens Industries to increase our competitive edge for our energy customers. This partnership not only increases our purchasing power in negotiating the lowest possible natural gas and electricity prices for school districts, it also provides our customers with access to Siemens’ world class purchasing and consumption analysis software so that school districts can more closely monitor their energy costs.
Metro Bureau Group Services Guiding Principles:
- Facilitate the low cost purchase of secure energy supplies for consortium members on the most favorable contract terms.
- Reduce the amount you spend for natural gas and electricity.
- To avoid energy price spikes through carefully drafted contracts.
- Monitor all Metro Bureau Group Services utility invoices to check for billing errors and insure the rates are correct.
- Respond promptly to market changes by advising you when we believe it is in your best interest to extend your contract term to achieve even lower prices.
- To address and resolve supplier issues promptly.
- Create downloadable data reports to be used in sorting and analyzing energy usage (and thus cost) per meter, per square foot and/or per student.
Please contact us if you would like to know more about Metro Bureau Group Services or obtain a quote.
For more about our upcoming seminars or other upcoming Metro events, please check our website at www.metrobureau.org.
Council of Chief Negotiators
by Greg Baracy, Associate Executive Director
Brian Sumner, CCN Chair, Garden City Public Schools
New Requirements for Michigan School Districts
It’s that time of year again. The transition from summer to winter is well underway. Fall is really here! We have experienced our first frost of the season, Michigan colors are starting to unfold, fall activities are winding down, days are getting shorter, and we are getting ready to set our clocks back for the winter months.
Even the birds have started their migration patterns toward warmer climates and many animals are scurrying around collecting food to hold them over. Some are even growing thicker coats for the winter months and/or for their hibernation period. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a little lull or hibernation period in the life of the HR Professional? As the common saying goes, “no rest for the wicked.”
Now that you have almost completed staffing--excluding many specialty areas and the hectic days of opening another school year are over, it’s time to make sure we haven’t over looked anything. There are a couple items that can’t be overlooked:
- Districts must have adopted a policy prohibiting abortion referrals or advice by October 1, 2019.
Section 166 of the SAA requires a board policy and penalties for those school personnel that violate the policy. Penalties are extensive for both employees and school districts that are in violation.
- ICHAT checks. Districts are required to perform ICHAT checks on employees after receiving shared fingerprint results.
(c) If the results of the individual's criminal history check are received by the new school district, intermediate school district, public school academy, or nonpublic school under this subsection or otherwise, then that school district, intermediate school district, public school academy, or nonpublic school shall perform a criminal history check on that individual using the department of state police's internet criminal history access tool (ICHAT), ensuring that this criminal history check is based on the personal identifying information, including at least the individual's name, sex, and date of birth, that was associated with the results received from the previous school district, intermediate school district, public school academy, or nonpublic school.The website to perform an ICHAT is https://apps.michigan.gov/.
All District employees, especially new employees, must be trained in applicable district policies and protocols. Title IX training is imperative for all administrators. They should also be made aware that the Sixth Circuit recently reaffirmed the “Less Burdensome” standard for adverse action in retaliation claims against employers.
Our Metro Bureau Seminar Series is Well Underway
On Wednesday, October 23, 2019, the Collins-Blaha Team will be presenting “Navigating Tenure, Employee Discipline and Disturbed Individuals in a School Environment of Potential Violence.” Seminar participants will also hear from a distinguished panel of school district leaders who have dealt with potentially violent individuals. It will be held at the WSU – Jeffress Center Building, Room 310, 39201 W. Seven Mile Road, Livonia, MI (See http://metrobureau.org for map & parking instructions)
On November 4, 2019, The Metro Bureau presents a Breakfast and Learn entitled Data Collection- Let's Make It Easy For You featuring Sara Shriver, SLS Consulting and Buzz Brown, Munetrix Municipal Metrics. Attendees will gain a strong foundation and understanding related to the implications of the new Michigan Integrated Continuous Improvement Process (MICIP). It will be held at the VisTaTech Center, Room W210B Schoolcraft College, 18600 Haggerty Rd, Livonia, MI 48152. This seminar is free to attend however RSVP is required.
On Tuesday, November 12, 2019, Kevin Sutton, Managing Partner, Lusk and Albertson, and Mark Paliszewski, Director Consulting and Investigative Group, Recon Management, will be presenting “Big Brother is Watching…But Should He Be?” This seminar will focus on assessing the legal implications associated with technology aimed at keeping schools safe.
As always, we strive to schedule seminars that are meaningful and address your current interests and challenges. The strength of our organization is our membership. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with your suggestions and ideas regarding future seminars.
Council of Academic Leadership
by Nancy Campbell, Associate Executive Director
Beatrice Benjamin, CAL Chair, Redford Union Schools
Personal Curriculum
It has been a while since I dealt with the rules and regs of Personal Curriculum so I went online to the MDE website. I found an excellent Parent and Educator Guide that gave the nuts and bolts of the PC option. Then, I remembered all the questions I got from teachers, parents, principals, and students about their unique needs for wanting a PC. I remember the forms and adjustments. It makes me wonder how you are dealing with PCs now. This past summer, the small group who arrived at our topics for our monthly CAL meetings said they definitely wanted me to secure someone from MDE who would meet with us, give an update of how PCs have changed and the success that students have achieved with them, and answer our questions on process and implementation.
I am pleased to share that Rashell Bowerman, Instructional Intervention Consultant, Office of Educational Supports, MDE, will present on Personal Curriculum at our October 25 CAL Meeting at the Southfield Board Office, at 9:00 a.m.
Ms. Bowerman will be able to answer our questions and then, we will have an “All Share” about how PCs are used in our home districts. We learn so much from each other that I am sure this will be a morning of time well spent. Also, you may want to bring a teacher or administrator with you for this meeting and I hope you know your staff is always welcome.
We will have juice, coffee, and bagels ready and waiting for you on October 25th so please join us for refreshments, an enlightening presentation, and a great conversation.
From Our Business Partners
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