Opportunity
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The #1 Job of a School Board is…
This post was originally published as a newsletter sent on March 20th, 2025. You can subscribe HERE. Happy (early) spring break to all those who celebrate. According to the Michigan Association of School Boards, the primary function of a board of education “is to oversee the education of students in the community.” Big thanks to…
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Please keep showing up for all of our kids
This was originally published in my once-in-awhile newsletter. Quick thanks to many of you for writing/speaking in support of school board candidates who stood for a more inclusive, equitable, and compassionate district. While the candidate I voted for wasn’t selected, it was heartwarming to read/listen to many who care about helping all of our kids…
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TCAPS Graduation Rates On The Rise
“In today’s world, if you don’t have a high school diploma, it’s just awfully hard to get ahead and not live in poverty,” Traverse City Area Public Schools Superintendent John VanWagoner said. Our recent graduation rates*: * 4-year graduation rates **Graduation rate for our economically disadvantaged students in 2022/23 = 68%. In 2023/24 = 74%…
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Escape the Rainforest: Long Lake Elementary Builds Community and Boosts Learning
Behind The Bell is a monthly storytelling series that takes readers beyond the classroom and into the heart of Traverse City Area Public Schools’ mission, values, vision and strategic goals. Through inspiring profiles, this series highlights the people, programs, and moments that shape our schools and connect our community. From unsung heroes to innovative initiatives, Behind The Bell offers an inside look…
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A Special Moral And Ethical Imperative
Originally published in the February Newsletter. At last month’s school board meeting, we approved our Standards of Practice which includes this line: “Understand that we have a special moral and ethical imperative to serve each student and that we will equitably allocate resources based on student need.” While this statement is second from the bottom on the document, I was…
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10 Years After Courtade Elementary Showed Us What’s Possible, Work Remains to Close Our Student Achievement Gap
It’s been 10 years since one of our schools has been recognized for closing the achievement gap between our economically challenged kids and our kids who are not. But a decade later, we’re still facing significant gaps in student achievement with too many economically disadvantaged kids struggling to keep up. In 2015, Courtade Elementary was…
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From at risk to opportunity: Reframing how we talk about our kids and educational equity
When it comes to educational equity, let’s start saying “opportunity” instead of “at risk.” – opportunity kids > at risk kids– opportunity funding > at risk funding– opportunity schools > at risk schools– opportunity reports > at risk reports– opportunity dashboards > at risk dashboards– opportunity youth > at risk youth Why? Because it puts…
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50% of Traverse City’s opportunity 3rd graders are not proficient in reading
50% (229)* of our at-risk opportunity 3rd graders (452)** are not proficient in reading. Are we doing everything we can to help our kids who are furthest from opportunity succeed? Solutions We (our community) can do a better job of helping all of our kids succeed by: - Leveraging best practice policies to close the…
TY FOR TCAPS 