Empowering Public Education Leaders THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC EDUCATION With ever-evolving technologies and processes, what will classrooms look like in the next decade? VOL. 6, ISSUE 1 | WINTER 2020 TAKING CARE OF YOU SO YOU CAN TAKE CARE OF THEM THAT’S THE DIFFERENCE EMPLOYEE BENEFIT SERVICES | PROPERTY/CASUALTY | WORKERS’ COMPENSATION www.setseg.org @setseg 2019–2020 Board of Directors Matthew Showalter, President Region 4, Shepherd Public Schools & Gratiot-Isabella RESD Jill Fennessy, President-Elect Region 3, Tri County Area Schools TABLE OF CONTENTS Stephen J. Hyer, Vice President Group V, Clarkston Community Schools 14 |WHAT’S YOUR 13 |DISTRICT SPOTLIGHT Donald Hubler, Past President Laker Schools Region 8, L’Anse Creuse Public Schools & PERSPECTIVE? Macomb ISD Brad Baltensperger Region 1, Houghton-Portage Township Schools Susan Baskett Member At-Large, Ann Arbor Public Schools Ruth Coppens Region 4, Saginaw ISD Janice Holz Region 5, Huron ISD 22-24|DESIGNING A SUCCESSFUL K-12 Deborah Hunter-Harvill 18|WHAT RESEARCH Group VII, Detroit Public Schools Community District SAYS ABOUT COLLABORATION CENTER Mary Jason Region 2, Charlevoix-Emmet lSD THE IMPACT OF James Johnson TECHNOLOGY 26-28|BUILDING TALENT IN MICHIGAN Region 5, Carman Ainsworth Community Schools ON STUDENT Dawn Kaiser Region 2, Iosco RESA ENGAGEMENT AND 30-32|QUALITY MANAGEMENT: A Guillermo Lopez LEARNING Region 7, Lansing School District DISCIPLINED APPROACH Kathleen Moore Region 6, Lakeview School District Donald Myers 34-35|DEFYING STEREOTYPES Region 6, Harper Creek Community Schools Darlene Pomponio Region 8, Southgate Community Schools 36–37|A NEW AND BETTER WAY TO FUND Paula Saari Region 1, Marquette-Alger RESA OUR SCHOOLS. .BUT WILL WE John Siemion ADOPT IT? Region 3, Grand Haven Area Public Schools & Ottawa Area ISD 10–11 |POINT/COUNTERPOINT Term Limits Shawna Walker Group VI, Wayne-Westland Community School 38-39|EVERYONE COUNTS: THE COST OF District MISSING A CHILD Dale Wingerd Region 7, Clinton Community Schools LeaderBoard (ISSN 2376-3930) is published three times a year by the Michigan Association of School Boards, 1001 Centennial Way, Ste. 400, Lansing, MI 48917, 517.327.5900,masb.org, [email protected]. The publication is mailed to MASB member school boards and superintendents as part of the district’s membership. The subscription rate for each MASB nonmember is 5| EXECUTIVE NOTE 41| EVENT CALENDAR $21/year. Periodicals postage paid at Lansing, Mich., and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER send address changes to: Michigan Association of School Boards 7| PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 42| MASB WORD SEARCH 1001 Centennial Way, Ste. 400 Lansing, MI 48917 Articles submitted to LeaderBoard are edited for style, content and 9| ASK BRAD: SCHOOL LAW Q/A space prior to publication. Views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent MASB policies or positions. Articles may not be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. Endorsement by MASB of products and services advertised in LeaderBoard is not implied or expressed. Acknowledgements To learn more about MASB’s advertising and sponsorship MASB would like to thank Superintendent John B. Deiter, Ph.D. and Rob Bush from DeWitt Public Schools for allowing us to opportunities, please contact Shelley Davis Boyd at 517.327.5908 utilize their 3-D printing lab to create this issue’s cover photo. or [email protected] MICHIGAN ASSOCIATION of SCHOOL BOARDS | LEADERBOARD WINTER 2020 3 EXECUTIVE NOTE THE FUTURE OF MICHIGAN STUDENTS STARTS WITH YOU By Don Wotruba, CAE I have two kids in Michigan pub- hear from many humble board that allow your teachers and and you are likely the first lic schools and am constantly members who state they are not administrators to do their jobs, exposure they may have to in awe of the people they are responsible for the success of and thus, create successful elected officials. You can be becoming. As most of you are or the students in their districts, students. their teacher in how to serve a have all experienced, our kids and while there may not be community, how to disagree but grow up too fast and then move a direct connection, I would Your work is no small feat in not be disagreeable, how to be along into adulthood. While I ask each of you to think about today’s environment of polariza- inclusive of diverse thoughts have a few years before my kids how you feel when those same tion, self-interest and negativity. and ideas, and how important it hit that space in their lives, I do students walk across the stage As we enter into another elec- is to understand there are many feel a profound gratitude to the at graduation in your school tion year (and a new decade!), times where simple decisions public school teachers who are districts. for both school board members are much bigger than oneself. helping to shape my children and many other elected of- into the adults they will inevita- You have a sense of pride for ficials, I ask you to set an exam- Thank you again for the work bly become. these students that likely rivals ple for the kids in your districts. you have done and for the work the pride you feel for your own While you are all a reflection of you will do on behalf of the Teachers are impacting children kids. This feeling is because you your community, please do not nearly 1.5 million students in in similar ways across this na- are responsible for their suc- be a reflection of the negativity Michigan. tion, but they would not be able cess and I extend my heartfelt we are seeing and sometimes to do this work in the same way appreciation to each and every acting out ourselves. We should if you, as boards of education, board member in this state for each aspire to be better ver- Don Wotruba, CAE, is MASB’s did not provide the support and the work you do, not just for my sions of ourselves as we know Executive Director, and can be guidance that is needed to suc- kids, but for every kid. You cre- these kids are watching. reached at [email protected] or 517.327.5900. cessfully govern your districts. I ate the vision and atmosphere If nonpartisan school boards cannot have civil discourse, how “If nonpartisan school boards cannot can we expect our partisanly have civil discourse, how can we elected officials to be any different? Those students who expect our partisanly elected officials walk across the stage each year in your districts are the to be any different?” future leaders of this country MICHIGAN ASSOCIATION of SCHOOL BOARDS | LEADERBOARD WINTER 2020 5 SAVES YOU MESSA has solutions for the benefits administration challenges school districts face every day. At no extra cost, MESSA provides: • An online one-stop shop for your benefit administration needs. • Everything you need to complete your annual open enrollment from start to finish. • COBRA administration and ACA reporting. • Convenient health savings account administration through HealthEquity. • Section 125 and flexible spending account support. More information is available by contacting MESSA Field Services at 800.292.4910. messa.org/saves PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE IT TAKES COURAGE By Matthew Showalter Shepherd Public Schools and Gratiot-Isabella RESD Our theme for this issue is the have unique characteristics To achieve a new funding I’m hopeful for the future of future of education. I am not that provide opportunities for system is going to take sub- public education in Michigan sure where the future will take all schools to educate their stu- stantial advocacy by us and the due, in part, to each of you. The us, but I am sure that it will dents. I do not propose change stakeholders within each of work of school boards is in- be a lot different from how we for the sake of change, but we our districts. We need to build strumental in moving our state deliver education today. My should also not continue to do networks in our communities forward and I appreciate each surety in this eventuality is something just because that is with parent organizations, staff of your contributions. Keep up because of the drastic change the way we have always done unions and groups, business the good work and share your in how education has been it. We should strive to provide leaders and the general com- successes and challenges so we delivered since I graduated 30 each of our students with the munity to advocate for public can collectively grow and learn years ago. education that they need to education. from each other. have a successful future. As board members, one of our The redesign of our educational jobs is to stay up on emerg- Unfortunately for most of us, funding system is a heavy lift Matthew Showalter is MASB’s 2019- ing trends in education so the major deterrent to innova- for our elected officials and 2020 President, and can be reached at that when our administrators tion is the lack of funding to will require courage from all [email protected]. or teachers propose changes, try new ideas. One of the major involved. I believe a significant we can appropriately evaluate changes that we need to ensure impediment to the Legislature whether those changes will an effective future is for Michi- fixing the funding system is work for our district. Board gan to change how we fund term limits (see pages 10-11 for members should prioritize education. Studies have shown more). Other articles in this innovation among our staff that we are not adequately issue look at additional factors by providing funding and funded to meet the needs of that are already or will impact institutional support.