MACAE November 2009 Newsletter

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NOVEMBER 2009
		Portage Public Schools Going Green with Energy Program As the universal push for energy conservation continues to leave an impact, school districts are beginning to recognize strategies they can put into place to save the district money on utilities. This change, however, is far from easy. (more)
		Southgate’s Asher Golf & Fitness Program Takes Home 2009 Michigan’s Best Award Students at Southgate’s alternative education high school, Advantage Academy, would dread missing their Friday morning class. Instead of white cement walls and number two pencils, it is number three irons and dimpled golf balls set high on a tee. (more)
		2009 MACAE Annual Conference Draws Attendees’ Kudos MACAE would like to thank everyone who helped make this year’s Annual Conference such a great success! More than 200 educators, presenters and exhibitors joined us at Crystal Mountain Resort & Spa in Thompsonville, Mich., for our annual conference, full of educational sessions and the opportunity to network with colleagues across the state. We had nearly double the number of exhibitors this year and the Crystal Mountain staff noted it was the resort’s largest event so far this year. (more)
		Home Depot Teams Up With Okemos Community Education to Make a Difference Home Depot is the place to go when you’re looking to upgrade your kitchen cabinets, fix a broken washer or restore your garden to a peaceful place where the landscape becomes an imagination wonderland. Though the store may be your one-stop-shop for home repair, Home Depot understands the importance of giving back to the community, especially when it involves children. (more)
		Students Able to Experience Own Success with Alpha II Learning Program This month, COMMUNITY EDUCATION MATTERS features MACAE member John Clark and his company, Alpha II, an individualized learning system for classrooms that uses diagnostics to place students at appropriate learning levels to master skills. Born out of a consulting firm more than 40 years ago, Alpha II provides individualized lesson plans for students using material from publishers. The use of mastery tests helps make sure students are not only at the appropriate level, but understand the material. Students will periodically take criterion reference tests to make sure they are mastering skills needed for daily work, Clark said. The program has found that students are not intimidated once in the lesson plan, as compared to a traditional classroom. (more)
		Michigan LearnPort an Exciting New Resource for MACAE Members With school funding cuts, education professionals are looking for more-affordable options to provide better learning opportunities for their students, and Michigan LearnPort provides those resources. The web-based professional development delivery system, created in partnership with Michigan Virtual University and the Michigan Department of Education, provides online learning solutions for school employees, teachers, administrators and professional organizations that serve K-12 students. With the partnership between MACAE and MVU, MACAE members can now easily set up an account on Michigan LearnPort and have access to online courses, tools and resources. (more)
	MEET YOUR BOARD MEMBERS In the coming months, we will feature short biographies on all of MACAE’s Board Members.This month, Community Education Matters* highlights two of our newest members.*
		Marlana Krolicki Oakland County Community & Adult Education Oakland Schools Born and raised in Detroit, Marlana attended Michigan State University before receiving her bachelor’s degree at the University of Michigan and earning her Specialist and Doctorate in Education Leadership at Eastern Michigan University. She has spent almost 30 years working in community education, some of which had traditional K-12 and administrative responsibilities thrown in. Throughout her years in community education, Marlana has never had a hard time finding inspiration in “the people, promise of our approach, and the pressing needs presented by our students and community,” she said. (more)
		Jo Anne Hatto Genessee Area Community Education Association Goodrich Area Schools Born in Detroit and raised in Royal Oak, Jo Anne went on to receive her bachelor’s degree at Eastern Michigan University before earning her graduate degree at Oakland University. “I started out as a secondary teacher and left teaching to raise my family,” Jo Anne said. “I came back into education working in a Head Start program as a parent facilitator. Through all of that, all of this love of working with people, I had the opportunity to get into community education and I took it. It seemed right up my ally.”(more)

Questions, comments or suggestions can be sent to editor@macae.org

Upcoming Events

December 2
Michigan Community Schools Conference
AWOL: If They’re Absent, We’re Failing
Community Solutions to Chronic Absenteeism
8:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
(more)

Michigan Virtual University Symposium Connecting with Youth in the Media-Rich World
7:15 a.m. – 4 p.m.
(more)

December 4
Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI):
De-escalation Skills Training
8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
(more)

December 10
MACAE Focus Groups and Board of Directors meetings
8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
(more)