Join your colleagues virtually on March 8, 2021, from noon - 2:00 p.m. for the latest information on educational policy issues impacting non-public schools. The MANS staff will be setting up virtual appointments with your legislators on March 9-10, 2021, and will send meeting information a week prior.

The federal Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (CAA) was signed into law on December 27, 2020. The CAA provides appropriations for the federal government and includes COVID-19 relief funding to governors, state and local educational agencies, and institutions of higher education to address COVID-19-related expenses, via the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSA Act).

The Emergency Assistance to Non-Public Schools (EANS) Program was included in the CRRSA. Under the EANS Program, established as part of the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER II), the U.S. Department of Education awards grants to Governors to provide services or assistance to eligible non-public schools to address the impact that the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has had, and continues to have, on non-public school students and teachers in the State. 

MANS will monitor how the EANS program is rolled out and share the eligibility requirements when they are known.

 

Catapult Learning and Michelle Doyle Education Consulting will be hosting a webinar on Tuesday, January 12, 2021, at 3:00 p.m. This one-hour webinar titled will discuss the funding, how it works, and what opportunities your school should be considering.

The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) is consolidating systems and logins/passwords beginning in February and throughout the calendar year 2021. The Cash Management System (CMS) and Michigan Electronics Grants System Plus (MEGS+) will be integrated into NexSys. MDE will be providing technical support to assist with this change.

The Michigan Department of Education is currently accepting applications for the African American Student Initiative (AASI) Phase 1 spring group. Phase 1 of the AASI grounds participants in a common vocabulary and understanding of topics such as race, racism, microaggressions, privilege, implicit bias, equity, inclusion through dialogue, and self-reflective practices. Educators are provided space to examine and critique their existing individual and collective belief and value systems that reproduce inequities in the status quo.  

In celebration of African American History Month, the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) and the Library of Michigan are taking nominations from educators of outstanding African American authors to showcase during the month of February. Specifically, we are asking educators to nominate an outstanding African American author, a literary work of any genre from the author, and the way or ways that the educator has used the work with students.

 

This virtual workshop provides an immersive experience where teachers learn science by doing science. Participants will conduct science investigations utilizing the Van Andel Institute’s Instructional Model for Inquiry-Based Science, which integrates a process of scientific inquiry, a rich learning environment, and scientific habits of mind.

This complimentary program is brought to you by the Michigan Equitable Service Collaborative (MESC).

Click Here to Register

The College Board Opportunity Scholarships provide a simple guide to help students earn scholarship money for completing key actions in the college application process. Learn about program updates and best practices from counselors who have successfully implemented the program and have had scholarship winners at their schools. State Continuing Education Clock Hours are available.

If your school returned to virtual education or offered hybrid classes during the first semester of the 2020-21 school year, you are eligible to earn up to 25 SCECHs. Complete the application process by clicking here. Approval for your SCECH request is required from your school or system administrator and should be emailed to slong@m-a-n-s.org.

Questions? Call Shelley Long at 517-372-9315 or slong@m-a-n-s.org.

MANS and the Michigan Catholic Conference are co-sponsors of National School Choice Week, observed January 24-30, 2021.  Rather than a Capitol rally, the committee will be compiling short video segments that highlight the value of kids attending a school that their parents chose for them. Videos can be sent to Molly Koll at mkoll@m-a-n-s.org.

Learning Forward requests your input on a draft revised Standards for Professional Learning. Perspectives from practitioners, policymakers, and stakeholders are essential to ensuring revised Standards for Professional Learning support critical improvements to policy and practice.

Learning Forward requests that you provide feedback and input to the draft by January 15, 2021. The link to the PDF draft and a survey to guide review are both available here.

From our family to yours, we wish you a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2021! We look forward to working with you during the new year.

At a time when children’s mental health is paramount, schools now have an opportunity to utilize expanded online services and functionality building upon a free statewide social-emotional learning (SEL) program launched earlier this year. The new grant is made possible by Evolution Labs in partnership with Michigan Virtual.

It’s The Meemic Foundation’s monthly opportunity to quickly “click-in” to be considered for a valuable resource or tool that will enhance your school or classroom learning for your students! For the month of December, enter to win an Epson DC-07 Document Camera.