News Photo By Temi Fadayomi The Alpena-Montmorency-Alcona Education Service district main office building is seen in this picture taken on Jan. 1

ALPENA — With 2023 having come to an end, some of the superintendents in the Alpena-Montmorency-Alcona Educational Service District reflect on what they believe they did well throughout the year at their schools and what is in the works for 2024.

For Alpena Public School Superintendent David Rabbideau, 2023 was a good year that saw students and teachers alike finally settle back into the traditional routine of going to school after the pandemic.

“2023 was a good year, we got back into a lot of good practices and routines and things are going well,” said Rabbideau. “Students and staff feel more comfortable in the routines of attending school and being in the classroom as they have in the past. And so, by doing that, we’re able to have kids in class more often and in front of teachers more often.”

Another thing that Rabbideau expressed pride in was the progress of school renovations courtesy of the Safe, Warm, Dry bond.

“With the bond project, of course, we had a successful year, doing all that work in 2023,” said Rabbideau. “Besser, Lincoln, Sanborn, we touched many of our schools this summer.”

With the final two years of the bond on the horizon, Rabbideau aims to see the high school renovations be started and completed in the summer.

“We’ll be heading into the final two years of the bonds,” said Rabbideau.”So the high school is going to get all of the work this coming summer. So hopefully, that goes off successfully.”

Rabbideau expresses that APS will continue to address staffing issues that have been afflicting the education sector nationwide with an emphasis on obtaining additional bus drivers.

“Staffing in general is a concern,” said Rabbideau. “We are always trying to find new ways to attract and retain for all positions, but the bus driver position definitely impacts a lot of our families in a serious way.”

Another goal set for 2024 that Rabbideau expressed excitement for is the development of a strategic plan for the APS with the Board of Education.

Starting this month, Rabbideau and the board are hoping to reach out to the students, staff, parents, and other elements of the community to get input on where people believe the district is and where they would like to see it go. From there, Rabbideau and the board hope to put together a three to five-year plan that will move the district in an even better direction.

“The Board of Education and myself are looking at creating a strategic plan,” Rabbideau said. “We’ve had some conversations already. But that would really be going out to all the community from the students, staff, parents, business community. Beyond that, we’re just getting input as to where they think the district is, and where they’d like to see the district go. And then, doing that, builds our master plan, so to speak, for the next three to five years. And within that plan, you know, you’d have raised in academic achievement, career, college preparation, financial planning, all of those different aspects of the district.”

In a similar effort of building and fostering connections, Hillman Community Schools Superintendent Pamela Rader says that the schools spent most of its 2023 accepting feedback from students, staff, and stakeholders on changes they wanted to see.

Through this collaboration, Rader hopes to further develop Hillman into a space that fosters growth and opportunities for its students.

“In 2023, Hillman Community Schools spent time listening to our staff, students, and stakeholders about what they wanted to see changed at Hillman,” said Rader in a message. “Due to the Strategic Plan and the work being done to focus Hillman on the goals centered around culture, safety, and differentiated opportunities for students and staff, Hillman Community Schools looks forward to the great things that the students and staff will do in 2024!”

Speaking on behalf of Atlanta Community Schools Superintendent Tony Suszek, who was unavailable for comment, Atlanta Community Schools K-12 Principal Tawny Hisscock said that a large focus for Atlanta Community Schools in 2023 was safety.

Some of the new additions that Atlanta schools have made to improve student safety include:

* An emergency operating plan and staff training

* School Safety Team monthly meetings

* Joining the Northeast Michigan School Safety Collaborative

* A full-time school resource officer

* Completion of School Safety Assessment done of the district

Additionally, Hisscock says that another major focus for Atlanta Community Schools was the taking over of the preschool program from NEMCSA.

Despite being grateful for all the work NEMCSA has done with the program, Hisscock believes that taking ownership will better allow the school to help integrate the kids into the school’s culture.

“NEMCSA has done a great job with our preschool program over the past years, but with us taking on the program, we have some additional flexibility in integrating this program into our school culture,” said Hisscock in a message. “This is such an important program for preparing students for entering kindergarten, and having them become more of a part of our school helps to make that transition smoother.”

Moving into the new year, Hisscock says that Atlanta Community schools are looking to further support its students by strengthening their Multi-Tiered System of Support, which aims to support the needs of students in a variety of different ways.

“We will continue to strengthen our MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Support). This provides support to all students, at all levels, in the areas of attendance, behavior, mental health, and academics,” said Hisscock.”We will take a whole-child approach to meeting the needs of all students. We will work with the AMA ESD to help support the professional learning of our staff and continue to monitor our progress through the MiCIP (Michigan Continuous Improvement Process).

Alpena-Montmorency-Alcona Education Service District Superintendent Justin Gluesing also says that 2023 was a good year for the AMA ESD and Pied Piper schools.

For Pied Piper, Gluesing mentions that one notable highlight was the advancement of the Renewal and Modernization Project.

Coinciding with Pied Piper’s 50th anniversary, the Renewal and Modernization is the comprehensive renovation of the entire Pied Piper building, intending to optimize it for students and staff alike.

While discussions and planning for the project go as far back as 2022, according to Gluesing, 2023 saw tremendous strides being taken in the planning and review stages of the project as well as the approval of several bids.

“The past year has involved additional planning and design review, along with bid approvals late this fall, ” said Glusing in a message. ” We’re incredibly excited about this transformative project and can’t wait to see it come to life!”

Additionally, 2023 saw Pied Piper get a new principal, Lauren Grulke, who Gluesing expressed great enthusiasm about working with.

“We also welcomed a new principal to Pied Piper this year. Lauren Grulke took over this past August bringing more than a decade of special education experience to Pied Piper,” he said.

For the AMA ESD, according to Glusing, great strides have been made in a variety of areas with one particular bright spot being the efforts to secure educators in northeast Michigan.

This task is being accomplished using the Grow Your Own Grant program, which currently has 30 individuals participating in it, and the Talent Together, which offers no-cost pathways for those seeking a teachers license.

“The AMA ESD received $3.5 million as a part of the Grow Your Own Grant program to support local efforts to develop new and existing teachers,” said Gluesing. “Approximately 30 individuals from our local districts are participating in various no-cost pathways leading to either an initial teaching license or a new teaching endorsement in a different subject area.

“We were also able to partner with other Michigan ISDs to form Talent Together. Talent Together is supported by the Michigan Educator Workforce Initiative in collaboration with 13 Michigan Colleges and Universities to offer no-cost pathways for individuals seeking an initial teaching license.”

For 2024, Gluesing is looking primarily to execute a lot of what has been set up in 2023 as well as continue some of the practices and progress developed, such as the Pied Piper Renewal and Modernization Project which is looking to start renovations in June.

Another example would be the continued focus on bringing in more educators through a consortium supported by the $15 million Rural Educator Credentialing Hub grant and run through Central Michigan University.

“In the coming year, we will begin new work as a part of a smaller consortium supported by a Rural Educator Credentialing Hub grant,” said Gluesing “The purpose of this $15 million grant is to develop a pilot consortium of Michigan Educator Preparation Institutions (EPIs)and rural school districts to support prospective educators in rural areas at no cost to the educator.”

Gluesing is also hoping for 2024 to offer fun and exciting opportunities for students at Pied Piper in the form of an Esports team.

“Esports offer unique benefits and opportunities for students with disabilities and its potential to empower and uplift students with disabilities is undeniable,” said Gluesing “From creating a level playing field to fostering cognitive and social development, esports will provide more inclusive opportunities.”