Dr. Christine Johns

We read a lot about the power of social influence these days, but I am struck by the power of community partnerships. A key educational reality is that strong schools are linked to powerful and positive community partnerships.

At UCS, I see the passion and power of these partnerships daily. An example is Tommy Haji and the new Vision Empowerment Academy. The Academy is a partnership between Wireless Vision, The Chaldean Community Foundation and Stevenson High School.

Though he is a busy and successful entrepreneur, Mr. Haji has been willing to share both his time and expertise with our students. As part of the Vision Empowerment Academy mentoring program, Mr. Haji, along with other mentors, are paired with high school juniors from Stevenson High School to help guide them toward achieving their goals.

Mr. Haji challenges students to use their education to both dream and achieve in their future. “Education is the foundation of everything,” he notes. “Once you are educated you are able to find your passions in life and pursue them. You should never limit yourself to one thing.”

Both the foundation and company, through owner Saber Ammori, invested not only their time, but also awarded $20,000 in student scholarships.

This type of partnership reflects the Utica Community Schools educational mission – preparing students for successful post-secondary experiences. It also reflects the powerful difference that community partners make as students discern their future.

As a UCS partner, the academy’s mentors are not alone. Parents, grandparents, community members, business and industry leaders model and share the values of our community.

These partnerships also provide strong financial support for our students. Some examples include:

• Partners such as Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars, the UCS Foundation for Educational Excellence, the United Shore Professional Baseball League, local community foundations and service clubs all invest in our graduates and their academic future through scholarships.

• Business mentors give their time and resources to support classroom innovation. Most recently, an anonymous business leader provided more than $1 million in a private grant for a new Career and Technical Education academy. Local business leaders – including the Sterling Heights Regional Chamber of Commerce and the cybersecurity initiative at the Velocity Center – also play an important role in working with teachers to promote the skills needed for the future workforce.

• Our community approved a $155 million bond issue that will affect every school and every student over the next five years. We appreciate the trust and support of the community to use these funds toward our educational mission. Several projects are now under way and the pace will only accelerate as classes end for the summer. For progress updates on bond improvement projects visit: http://www.uticak12.org/2018bond/updates.

• Parent and community members invest literally thousands of hours in our classrooms and serve on booster clubs, parent volunteer organizations and advisory boards. By directly sharing their time and talents, our schools truly represent the very fabric of our community. As a whole, our students gain generational knowledge and witness first-hand the importance of community involvement.

These strong partnerships are producing great results. We know that a student’s academic success is strengthened through involvement with other adults. Through community partnerships, students excel both within Utica Community Schools and after they graduate and become citizens and leaders across the state and the world.

Thank you for your continued support. As always, please do not hesitate to contact me, or your building leadership, with questions, suggestions, or affirming stories of the good work that our teachers and students are doing.

As 2018 nears its end, we look forward to the upcoming holidays and special gatherings with family and friends. Traditionally many of us reflect back on the year in review and give thanks for the gifts we have received, including gifts of support, from those around us.

With this in mind, I would like to share the appreciation of the entire district to our residents for the care and concern that underlined the successful passage of our recent safety and security bond proposal.

Community was at the heart of the bond proposal from the start. Parents and residents alike came forward with their concerns for the safety and security of our children. Our Board of Education’s swift and unanimous action placed the matter before voters this fall.

And so the community-led bond proposal, approved by voters on November 6, will not only address safety and security, but it will also support infrastructure projects identified as part of the district’s long-range improvement program, and provide technology for our classrooms.

Already our district is moving forward on the projects identified. We are currently developing timelines, specifications and bid documents to make these projects a reality. We anticipate issuing bonds after the first of the year.  Shortly, we will be sharing additional information on the specific improvements so that taxpayers can see that our district will continue to be a strong fiscal steward of the investment they make in their schools. We will be making available a dedicated bond project website, as well as listing school projects on their individual websites.

Our community’s support reflects a long legacy of residents working together to build stronger schools and neighborhoods. It is this commitment to service, and to each other, that we continue to nurture every day in our classrooms.

This season alone, there are nearly 200 community service projects happening at schools throughout the district to support those in need. From canned food drives, to a community-wide partnership for coat donations, mitten and hat trees, to Marine Corp Toys for Tots collection sites, the array of drives being held at our schools mirrors the diversity within them.

The next generation of givers are embracing these drives and demonstrating the same level of care and commitment they see modeled in the adults in our community every day. It is another important way that we continue to build upon the legacy of excellence that defines Utica Community Schools.

Thank you again for your continued support of our students. We look forward to the New Year ahead and building upon the heritage and legacy that is Utica Community Schools.  Best wishes to you and yours for a safe and healthy holiday season.

The success of Utica Community Schools is due in no small part to a caring community committed to quality education. When we identify a need, our community responds. Whether it is donating backpacks filled with new school supplies, contacting the Marine Toys for Tots program for drop boxes, sponsoring student scholarships, holding spaghetti dinner fundraisers and canned food drives for those in need, this is a community that cares deeply. Friends helping friends, and families helping neighbors. As I have witnessed time and time again, UCS residents put a high priority on our children.

This year, we heard parents and residents who told us that student safety and security was a priority. Upon hearing those concerns the UCS Board of Education acted, unanimously placing a $155 million bond proposal on the November 6 ballot. This bond proposal is designed to address student safety and security, infrastructure and technology improvements. If approved by voters, every UCS student and every UCS school will be affected.

For years, UCS has strived to be on the forefront of providing career and technical education (CTE) programs that give our students a competitive advantage in career and college pursuits. Our goal is to incorporate specific tools, machinery and workspaces in classrooms to support specialized training in areas such as health care, automation and manufacturing. If approved, this bond proposal would provide school building renovations giving students and teachers technology improvements to develop skills for the jobs of the future.

Our residents have long supported bond issues that have allowed our school district to meet our capital needs and protect the investment the community has made in its school buildings. By law, bond revenue may only be used for capital improvements and not used for operating expenses such as salaries or utilities. This bond has been structured with no change in the tax rate residents are now paying.

We understand that being sound financial stewards is very important to our residents and the district continues to work hard to maintain that trust. For 15 years, UCS has proudly received the highest level of assurance on the district’s financial statements with a rating of “excellent” according to independent auditors Plante Moran. In addition, the district has earned a Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting award for its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) from the Association of School Business Officials International for six years running.

Since the beginning of our republic and over the course of U.S. history, scholars have noted a connection between our democracy and public schooling. As citizens, voters are the cornerstone in shaping our communities and their futures. In this issue, we have included candidate-provided profiles for those seeking re-election or a seat on the Board of Education, ballot language for the safety and security bond proposal, as well as a bond proposal quick link.

As friends, families and neighbors, I thank you for your continued commitment to this community and particularly to its youth, who are truly our most important asset.

The 2018-2019 school year is now officially under way with a renewed sense of energy and commitment. Utica Community Schools remains a destination district focused on success, thanks to an involved community, dedicated staff and a commitment to making sure our students have a competitive advantage for college and career.  We create that advantage through four key strategies: providing academic excellence, promoting student innovation, preparing positive digital citizens and ensuring accountability.

This year, two Career and Technical Education programs are being introduced that are a direct response to fields in demand by industry leaders.  A new cybersecurity course for high school students will give students access to the careers and fields that will help drive this region’s economy.

In addition, we have worked closely with area business leaders to create the Stevenson Center for Manufacturing, Automation, Design and Engineering (MADE).  This four-year program will give students rigorous academic content blended with practical experiences in fabrication, automation and design engineering.  Specialized courses and advanced manufacturing principles will be integrated into all core academic courses of English, social studies, math and science.

At the junior high school level, a Computer Science Discoveries course is now offered at all seven schools to give students concentrated experiences in coding and programming. The course also promotes computer science as a medium for creativity, communication and problem solving.

For elementary students, a new mathematics series – Math Expressions – addresses the rigor of all Michigan Academic Standards and eight key mathematical practices, such as understanding the meaning of a problem and being persistent in solving it or how to use tools (computers, devices, paper and pencil, etc.) effectively.   This new series blends the traditional instructional approach to mathematics instruction with newer, research-based best practices.

School safety and security remains a top priority for our entire community. This year we are continuing to partner with local law enforcement by providing all UCS sixth graders prevention programs that promote positive decision making.  The Sterling Heights Police Department will introduce the SMART Moves program, which will serve as a complement to D.A.R.E. offered in Shelby Township, Utica and Macomb Township. These important programs give our students strategies to address critical issues such as bullying, digital citizenship and substance abuse.  D.A.R.E. and SMART Moves also provide students the opportunity to have a positive interaction with local law enforcement officers.

These are among the many ways we work to ensure UCS remains an educational leader in our region, state and nation.  We recognize the strong foundation of success that is a hallmark over many generations in UCS. We honor this legacy by ensuring a UCS diploma will always be a recognized symbol of high achievement that continues to open doors for our graduates.

The skills that our business community needs from its new employees have changed dramatically since the Great Recession.

Leading experts recognize that today’s graduates need post-secondary experiences to be successful in college and career. Employers hiring in today’s market seek out candidates who are innovative, flexible and have the ability to solve-problems.

One skill, however, has remained critical to business and industry leaders for new employees: the ability to effectively read, write and speak is essential in every career.

That is why literacy is at the center of teaching and learning in Utica Community Schools.

To succeed in social studies, students need to read critically and write in a clear manner.  Our Career and Technical Education program requires students to work collaboratively and communicate with each other to meet the project goal.  Mathematics requires students to not only have strong computation skills, but also be able to communicate effectively and apply concepts to real-world problems.

In Michigan, the importance of literacy has taken center stage with the passage of the Third Grade Reading Law, which requires districts to develop an individualized plan to ensure all students are proficient by the end of their third grade year.

In UCS, we continue to emphasize the importance of literacy and numeracy as a focus for post-secondary education.

A recent study by Georgetown University found that more than 95 percent of jobs created during the economic recovery have gone to workers with at least some college education – or 11.5 million of the 11.6 million jobs created since the Great Recession.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has expanded on this finding by projecting how manufacturing jobs are being restructured through automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI). It found that jobs being created in this field are now those that drive manufacturing – statisticians, mathematicians and software developers. Right in our back yard, automotive companies are leading the development of autonomous vehicles and the fundamental change that that will occur in mobility.

To ensure our students have a competitive advantage for these jobs, we are creating the skills necessary for post-secondary success – starting with a strong foundation in literacy.

UCS promotes not only the key literacy concepts – phonics, phonetic awareness, vocabulary, comprehension, writing and fluency – but also the type of literacy that will allow students to be successful in jobs that require highly skilled, high-tech employees.

As the first Michigan district to partner with Code.org and the College Board, UCS is creating a K-12 pathway for students to pursue computer-related careers.

Code.org and College Board partnerships, along with the virtual library card featured in this newsletter, illustrate how we continue to prepare students for the restructured job market in a technology driven world.

These partnerships are examples of how UCS continues to build a strong foundation that will open doors for our graduates and help them build success in a world of rapid change.

This year an important event in Utica Community Schools celebrated a milestone.
The Academic Blitz – a night where families and students explore options in Utica Community Schools and beyond – marked its tenth anniversary with one of the largest group of parents and students in its history.  Along with our Career Expo and College Fair, the Academic Blitz is a critical event that gives families and students information that will allow them to create a plan of success.

The program originated through discussions with a group of secondary students on the Superintendent’s Advisory Board.  Student advisory board members in 2007 felt that students and families needed more information about their high school choices long before registration to take advantage of everything UCS has to offer.  They also felt that a community event would reinforce the importance of students continuing their education past graduation – what we call our College Culture.

Ten years later, the driving forces behind this community event has made this culture even more critical. The economic recession and a changing national economy have shown the impact of successful post-secondary experiences – whether that is the military, college and university or vocational training.

Recently, the Detroit News reported that workers with advanced degrees earn 56 percent more than those with only high school diplomas. It also reported that these degrees lead to greater quality of life experiences, such as owning their own home or saving for retirement.

Like the forces that drove its creation, the Blitz has also evolved.  The information now shared targets all K-12 parents, showing the importance of how decisions made early in a student’s education will open future doors. The sessions and informational booths have also expanded, as more options are centered on our students’ individual needs and career interests.

The Blitz also sets the stage for two other community events that explore colleges and career options:
• The Career Expo from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m at Eisenhower High School on Thursday, March 16
• The College Fair on April 19 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at Henry Ford II High School

The students who initiated the Academic Blitz are now leaders in business, technology and medicine. The vision they helped create, however, remains – that creating a game plan today will ensure success well into their future.