News

On Monday, January 30, Scott Westenberg, Automotive Technology Instructor, and Lindy Daman, College and Career Preparation and Assessment Coordinator, were recognized at the Michigan Career Education Conference by the Michigan Association for Career and Technical Education (MI ACTE). Westenberg received the 2023 MI ACTE Lifetime Achievement Award and Daman received the 2023 MI ACTE Counseling and Career Preparation Professional of the Year Award. Both Westenberg and Daman are on staff at the Wilson Talent Center.

Michigan Department of Education Press Release LANSING – In celebration of Black History Month, the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) and Library of Michigan (LM) are showcasing Black literature throughout February for K-12 educators and students with a calendar offering important works by Black authors.

Check out the new January 2023 issue of Ingham Insights. This monthly newsletter has been created to share stories with our community. In this issue, read about CTE Month, Capital Improvement Project status, Preschool Openings for 2023-24 and the Wilson Talent center Wall-of-Fame Nominees.

Michigan Department of Education Press Release LANSING – State Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice praised the education proposals outlined by Governor Gretchen Whitmer in yesterday’s 2023 State of the State address. 

 Please read this message in its entirety as we have some program closures due to inclement weather, while other programs will remain open.             

The following locations/programs will close due to inclement weather:  

• All Mason campus student programs including SAIL, Heartwood School, Secondary Learning Center, Evergreen and Wilson Talent Center.     
• The Thorburn Education Center Administration Building in Mason.  
• Project SEARCH
• ASD Programs in Stockbridge and East Lansing
• Malcolm Williams

As of the time of this message, the following districts in our service area are still open:    

Haslett, Holt, Lansing, Okemos and Waverly  

Therefore, the following programs will remain open: Ingham Academy  

 If the district in which a staff member is scheduled to work is open, including providing services or professional development, etc., please report as planned.   

LANSING, Mich – Governor Gretchen Whitmer, in accordance with a proclamation issued by President Biden, has ordered U.S. and Michigan flags within the State Capitol Complex and upon all public buildings and grounds across the state of Michigan to be lowered to half-staff immediately on Monday, January 23 through sunset on Thursday, January 26 to honor and remember the victims of the shooting in Monterey Park, California.

Ingham Intermediate School District Board of Education held a board meeting on January 17, 2023.

Michigan Department of Education Press Release LANSING – The rich stories and culture of our state continue to be shared with this year’s list of Michigan Notable Books, the Library of Michigan shared today.

Twenty-nine students from various healthcare programs at the Wilson Talent Center recently placed in the Top 8 of their respective categories at HOSA-Future Health Professionals regional competition held December 16, 2022. By placing in the Top 8, they secure a spot to attend and compete at the HOSA State Leadership Conference on April 27-28, 2023, at Grand Traverse Resort & Spa. Students who placed in the top three at regionals also received a medal for their performance.

Michigan Department of Education Press Release LANSING – The next series of webinars offering educators greater depth of knowledge for social studies instruction in a variety of important historical movements begins next week, noted the Michigan Department of Education (MDE).

Michigan Department of Education Press Release LANSING—State Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice welcomes the appointment today by Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Mr. Marshall Bullock II to the State Board of Education (SBE). Bullock was appointed to fill the seat of Mr. Jason Strayhorn, who resigned from the board in July when he moved out of the state for family reasons.

Michigan Department of Education Press Release LANSING—Child care programs in Michigan were able to respond to the needs of working families, and over 2,100 infants and toddlers gained access to child care, allowing working parents to find and maintain employment through the pandemic, according to findings released today by the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) and the Early Childhood Investment Corporation (ECIC).

Michigan Department of Education Press Release LANSING – Efforts are expanding for local school districts in Michigan to cultivate new educators from within their own schools with significant investments by the State of Michigan, the Michigan Department of Education said today. 

A consortium of 39 Intermediate School Districts (ISDs) has formed an innovative partnership to address the teacher shortage crisis in Michigan. Dubbed “Talent Together,” the partnership includes districts spanning 63 counties—from the Upper Peninsula to Southeast Michigan—that collectively serve over 1,019,000 students. To date, this is the largest education collaboration of its kind in state history.

Michigan Department of Education Press Release LANSING – A series of webinars offering educators greater depth of knowledge for social studies instruction in a variety of important historical movements was announced today by the Michigan Department of Education (MDE).

Michigan Department of Education Press Release LANSING – Fifty-four Michigan school districts, each with one or more low-achieving schools, have been identified for the need to enter into partnership agreements with the state to help improve academic outcomes for their students—in part a fallout from the pandemic. 

LANSING, Mich. – Governor Gretchen Whitmer orders U.S. and Michigan flags to be lowered to half-staff within the State Capitol Complex and upon all public buildings and grounds across the State of Michigan tomorrow, Wednesday, November 30, 2022, to honor the victims of the shooting at Oxford High School in Oakland County one year ago.  

Michigan Department of Education Press Release LANSING – Thousands of parents in Michigan with high school students will be receiving a letter in the mail soon explaining that their student has the potential to be successful in a rigorous Advanced Placement course and to earn college credit while in high school. 

Michigan Department of Education Press Release LANSING – Many encouraging trends in Michigan’s educational progress were reported today by State Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice at the monthly meeting of the State Board of Education.  

Ingham Intermediate School District Board of Education held a board meeting on November 15, 2022.

Michigan Department of Education Press Release LANSING – The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) today joined the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO), nine school districts in Saginaw County, Saginaw Valley State University, and the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) to establish a registered apprenticeship program to develop highly skilled educators in Michigan.

LANSING, Mich. – Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer launched a new webpage to help the graduating class of 2023 apply for the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and lower their cost of college by thousands of dollars a year. Students should talk to their parents or guardian, gather documents, and fill out their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as possible to save up to $8,250 over three years as they earn their associate degree at a community college, up to $20,000 over five years at a private college, or up to $27,500 over five years at a public university. 

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that on November 15, 2022, at 6:00 o’clock pm at Thorburn Education Center, 2630 West Howell Road, Mason, Michigan, the Board of Education of Ingham Intermediate School District, at their next regular meeting, will consider a resolution imposing a summer tax levy for 2023 of one hundred percent (100%) of school property taxes, in parallel with its constituent local districts, upon property located within the intermediate school district, continuing from year-to-year until specifically revoked by the Board. Questions can be directed to the Office of the Superintendent during normal business hours, located at the Thorburn Education Center, Ingham Intermediate School District, 2630 West Howell Road, Mason, Michigan, 517.244.1214.

LANSING, Mich. – Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer launched a new webpage to help the graduating class of 2023 apply for the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and lower their cost of college by thousands of dollars a year. Students should talk to their parents or guardian, gather documents, and fill out their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as possible to save up to $8,250 over three years as they earn their associate degree at a community college, up to $20,000 over five years at a private college, or up to $27,500 over five years at a public university. 

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently announced that applications for $10,000 scholarships for up to 2,500 future Michigan educators and $9,600 payments for student teachers will open on Oct. 31. By lowering the cost of higher education, the state can hire and train more qualified teachers. Getting this done will help bring down class sizes and provide individualized attention to support students and get our students on track for long-term success. The scholarships were created and funded in the bipartisan education budget the governor signed earlier this year which also included the highest state per-student investment in Michigan history and record investments in school infrastructure, mental health, and school safety.  

Michigan Department of Education Press Release LANSING – Michigan test scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reflect declines seen nationally during the pandemic, and state and local education officials are focusing attention on academic recovery strategies, needed legislative action, and continued effort to address the teacher shortage, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Michigan Department of Education Press Release LANSING – Superior customer service to its community was recognized in the selection of the 2022 State Excellence Award by the Library of Michigan Foundation and the Library of Michigan. 

Ingham Intermediate School District Board of Education held a board meeting on October 18, 2022.

Michigan Department of Education Press Release LANSING – The week of October 10-14, 2022 is National School Lunch Week and Governor Gretchen Whitmer has declared it National School Lunch Week in Michigan, as well. The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) asks school districts, educators, and students statewide to join in celebrating the importance of healthy meals for students.

LANSING, Mich. – Today, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Director Elizabeth Hertel and State Deputy Superintendent Kyle Guerrant discussed the importance of providing students the on-campus mental health support they need with Northwest Education Services (North Ed; formerly TBAISD) students, parents and educators. They also celebrated the inclusion of more than $558 million in the FY2023 bipartisan educational budget that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed in July to support the health, safety and wellness of all students across the state. 

Ingham Intermediate School District Board of Education held a board meeting on September 27, 2022.

The Wilson Talent Center, operated by Ingham Intermediate School District is celebrating its 50th anniversary with the start of the 2022-23 school year. Opening in the fall of 1972 as the Capital Area Career Center, the program offers 19 career & technical education programs for high school juniors and seniors in twelve career pathways.

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is urging Michiganders to get their flu vaccine as soon as possible to protect themselves and their communities from flu this season.

LANSING, Mich. – Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced the members of the Michigan Parents’ Council, an advisory group the governor established to more formally bring parents into the education budget process for the first time in Michigan history. The council will build on Governor Whitmer’s inclusion of the parent perspective in the most recent education budget she signed for the current 2022-2023 school year. The council represents parents from across Michigan, as well as parents of students with a variety of educational needs. The council will convene a series of regional parent roundtables to gather input.  

Michigan Department of Education Press Release LANSING – For over two decades, the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) has provided local school district-requested professional development to build the capacity of educators to provide safe, supportive, and inclusive school climates where all students can thrive—especially students who identify as LGBTQ+. 

Michigan Department of Education Press Release LANSING – Student attendance in Michigan schools dropped to just under 89% in the 2021-22 school year, down from 93% in the 2019-20 school year, the Michigan Department of Education announced today.

Michigan Department of Education Press Release LANSING – The State Board of Education today supported the passage of three bills in the state legislature that will help local school districts address their shortage of educators and counselors.

Ingham Intermediate School District recently launched a new mobile application for families, staff, and local district representatives. Available on both Google Play and the App Store, the free mobile application provides important on-the-go information and alerts in an easy-to-use format.

Michigan Department of Education Press Release LANSING – A majority of Michigan school districts showed improvement in their spring 2022 statewide test results over the previous year’s results, but continued improvement with the support of the fiscal year 2023 budget is required to address unfinished learning in the pandemic, the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) reported today.

Michigan Department of Education Press Release LANSING – Capitalizing on the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program is one way to retain Michigan educators, said State Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice.

Michigan Department of Education Press Release LANSING – The next in a series of webinars offering educators greater depth of knowledge for social studies instruction will cover the history and contributions of Asian Americans and provision of public resources for educators to teach comprehensive history, the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) announced.

Michigan Department of Education Press Release LANSING – A new resource guide will help Michigan educators improve the literacy skills of children and build more successful learners, the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) said today.

Ingham Intermediate School District Board of Education held a board meeting on August 16, 2022.

LANSING, MI – The pandemic forced most of us to be online, whether we liked it or not. Now, internet connectivity is a new standard for sharing information, resources, events, learning environments, etc. During the pandemic, schools were doing everything possible to support families as we moved to online learning. Students still needed to learn. Families received MiFi devices, districts allowed some families to come into school buildings or sit in the parking lot to gain access to district internet service because there wasn’t reliable or any service at home.

Ten students from the Wilson Talent Center’s (WTC) Culinary Arts & Hospitality program recently traveled to San Diego, California to attend the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) National Leadership Conference hosted by San Diego Mesa College. Students competed in a variety of categories including Baking & Pastries, Culinary Arts, Food Innovations and Sports Nutrition.

Ingham Intermediate School District Board of Education held a board meeting on July 19, 2022.

Phil Stoll, a recent graduate of LifeTech Academy and construction technology student at the Wilson Talent Center (WTC), placed 7th in the nation in the plumbing competition at the SkillsUSA National Leadership Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Stoll earned the trip to Atlanta by receiving the first-place gold medal at the SkillsUSA Michigan competition in the same category in April.

Michigan Department of Education Press Release LANSING – The Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) state school aid budget agreed to by Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the state legislature this week supports all eight goals of Michigan’s Top 10 Strategic Education Plan, the Michigan Department of Education said today.

Michigan Department of Education Press Release LANSING – State Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice applauded Michigan’s U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow for her diligent work on behalf of children in Michigan and across the nation as Congress enacted the Keep Kids Fed Act.

Michigan Department of Education Press Release LANSING – The next in a series of webinars offering educators greater depth of knowledge for social studies instruction will cover the history and contributions of indigenous peoples, the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) announced. The free online webinar for educators will be at 4 pm Wednesday, June 29, 2022.