Letter from Mike Flanagan-State Superintendent
Dear Michigan Teachers,
You have probably heard about “Race to the Top,” the federal education reform initiative with an unprecedented $4.3 billion for competitive grants to be awarded to a small number of states. Through a partnership with the Governor’s Office, the Department of Education, and the State Board of Education, Michigan is writing a grant application to bring $400 million into the state to support education reform.
Because of the very short timeline (our grant application must be submitted January 14), we are reaching out via webinars to various education groups. For teachers, we are holding two sessions on December 17: one from 3pm to 4pm and another from 7pm to 8pm. During the webinar, you will hear an overview of Race to the Top and Michigan’s Integrated Education Reform Plan, the foundation for our grant application. Included in this overview is a description of each of the four required reform areas: adopting common standards and assessments, supporting effective teachers and leaders, developing and using data systems to inform instruction, and supporting struggling schools and districts. You will also have the opportunity to ask questions throughout the webinar.
To register, please send an e-mail to
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with TEACHERS in the subject headerand indicate the session you are interested in attending. If you are interested in attending the afternoon session, your e-mail subjectheader should read TEACHERS 3-4. If you are interested in the evening session, your e-mail should read TEACHERS 7-8.
Both webinars will be recorded and posted on the MDE website for viewing after the events are complete: http://www.michigan.gov/mde-recovery.
We look forward to your participation.
Mike Flanagan
State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Michigan Department of Education
Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/SuptFlanagan
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