Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals

Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals
Name	Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals
Abbreviation	MASSP
Formation	1920s
Type	Professional association
Headquarters	Lansing, Michigan
Region served	Michigan
Membership	Principals, assistant principals, administrators

Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals is a professional association serving secondary school leaders across Michigan, linking practitioners from Lansing, Michigan, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Flint, Michigan with state and national bodies such as National Association of Secondary School Principals, Michigan Department of Education, Michigan State University, University of Michigan, and Wayne State University. The association collaborates with organizations including Michigan Association of School Boards, Michigan Education Association, Council of Great City Schools, Education Trust, and American Association of School Administrators to support school leadership, student achievement, equity initiatives, and school safety in districts like Grand Rapids Public Schools, Detroit Public Schools Community District, Kalamazoo Public Schools, Ann Arbor Public Schools, and Westland Public Schools.

History

Founded in the early twentieth century amid reform movements associated with figures such as John Dewey, Horace Mann, Progressive Era, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, National Education Association, and American Federation of Teachers, the association developed alongside state reforms like the Michigan School Code and collaborations with institutions such as Michigan State Normal School, Western Michigan University, Eastern Michigan University, Central Michigan University, and Northern Michigan University. Over decades the group responded to crises and milestones linked to Brown v. Board of Education, Civil Rights Movement, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, No Child Left Behind Act, Every Student Succeeds Act, and statewide budget debates involving the Michigan Legislature and governors including Gretchen Whitmer, Rick Snyder, and Jennifer Granholm.

Organization and Governance

The association is governed by an executive board featuring representatives from regions and districts similar to structures in National Association of Secondary School Principals, Michigan Association of School Administrators, Michigan Elementary and Middle School Principals Association, School Administrators Association of New York State, American Institutes for Research, and RAND Corporation. Leadership roles mirror titles used by superintendents and school principals and work through committees modeled on those of Council of Chief State School Officers, Education Commission of the States, NASSP Board of Directors, State Board of Education (Michigan), and Michigan School Boards Association. Financial oversight aligns with best practices from Governmental Accounting Standards Board and audit processes used by Michigan Treasury Department and Legislative Auditor General.

Membership and Chapters

Membership comprises principals, assistant principals, deans, and academic leaders from districts such as Pontiac School District, Dearborn Public Schools, Saginaw Public Schools, Bay City Public Schools, and Battle Creek Public Schools, with chapter structures mirroring those of Michigan Association of School Boards and regional affiliates like Kent Intermediate School District, Oakland Schools, Macomb Intermediate School District, Washtenaw Intermediate School District, and Northwest Educational Services. Members interact with networks and partner organizations including National Association for the Education of Young Children, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Council for Exceptional Children, Michigan Alliance for Families, and Michigan Association of School Psychologists.

Programs and Services

The association offers programs addressing leadership, school improvement, student supports, and operational management informed by research from Educational Testing Service, Peabody College, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Teachers College, Columbia University, and Stanford Graduate School of Education. Services include mentorship modeled after initiatives by ASCD, data-driven decision-making aligned to metrics used by National Center for Education Statistics, school safety planning informed by Department of Homeland Security guidance, and equity work tied to standards from U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, Michigan Civil Rights Commission, NAACP, and Southern Poverty Law Center.

Professional Development and Conferences

Annual conferences and workshops draw speakers and exhibitors linked to institutions and entities like Harvard University, University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Princeton University, Columbia University, Council of the Great City Schools, National Association of Secondary School Principals, ASCD, and American Educational Research Association. Sessions cover topics related to curriculum, instruction, assessment, leadership, technology integration from vendors such as Google for Education, Microsoft Education, Apple Inc., Clever (company), and Instructure and include collaborations with research centers like Learning Policy Institute, Brookings Institution, Urban Institute, and Annenberg Institute.

Advocacy and Policy Initiatives

The association advocates on K–12 policy before the Michigan Legislature, engages with the Governor of Michigan's office, coordinates with the Michigan Department of Education, and testifies to committees such as those in the Michigan House of Representatives and Michigan Senate. Policy priorities intersect with federal acts like Every Student Succeeds Act, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, and state-level funding and accountability debates involving groups such as Michigan Association of School Boards, Michigan Education Association, Great Lakes Education Project, and policy organizations such as Progress Michigan.

Awards and Recognition

The association administers awards and recognition programs comparable to national honors like the National Distinguished Principal, NASSP National Principal of the Year, State Teacher of the Year, and collaborates with foundations such as the Kellogg Foundation, Ford Foundation, Kresge Foundation, Skillman Foundation, and McGregor Fund to recognize leadership in achievements including school turnaround, equity, instructional innovation, and community engagement in districts such as Detroit Public Schools Community District and Grand Rapids Public Schools.

Category:Organizations based in Michigan Category:School administrators