Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators

09/23/2026

This week, we celebrated the launch of Peer Coaching at St. Joseph County Intermediate School District—an exciting opportunity for literacy coaches to learn with and from one another through observation, reflection, feedback, and meaningful professional dialogue.

The day was facilitated by Suzy Coffman of St. Joseph County Intermediate School District, who also serves as one of our Region 7 Regional Coaches, and Dr. Susan L’Allier, lead literacy coaching researcher supporting MAISA's Coaching Network.

This Launch Day marks the beginning of a year-long learning experience in which coaches will participate in peer coaching cycles designed to strengthen coaching practice, build a community of learners, and ultimately deepen their impact on teacher practice and student learning.

We’re grateful to St. Joseph County Intermediate School District, Lenawee Intermediate School District, and Calhoun Intermediate School District for partnering with us to pilot this work within their regions. We’re excited to learn alongside them throughout the year!

Literacy Essentials

09/22/2026

Sharing responsibility across your team is how real, lasting literacy success takes root.

In the Literacy Leaders Network’s latest “LLN Insights” Substack newsletter, “Literacy Leadership Is Not a Solo Act: Building Distributed Leadership That Lasts,” explore how a distributed leadership model can strengthen schoolwide instructional coherence and create shared ownership for literacy outcomes.

Read the article and subscribe to the Literacy Leaders Network Substack here: https://lln2026.substack.com/p/literacy-leadership-is-not-a-solo

09/18/2026

Two days. One shared focus: strengthening Michigan’s educator workforce.

The first-ever MI Talent Together Educator Workforce Conference begins October 21 with a Pre-Conference focused on practices that help educators thrive and remain in the profession—from mentoring and professional learning to collaboration and reflection.

On October 22, the Main Experience will bring education leaders and partners together for keynote speaker Vern Hazard, guest speaker Dr. Glenn Maleyko, and conversations exploring Michigan’s educator pipeline and the work needed to strengthen it.

Join colleagues from across the state for two days of learning, connection, and ideas that can inform the work ahead.

📅 October 21–22, 2026
📍Washtenaw Intermediate School District in Ann Arbor

Register: https://mitalenttogether.org/conference/

09/16/2026

Michigan’s educator workforce is stronger when we work together.

Dr. Glenn Maleyko, Michigan’s State Superintendent of Public Instruction, will join education leaders from across the state as a guest speaker at the inaugural MI Talent Together Educator Workforce Conference at Washtenaw Intermediate School District in Ann Arbor.

The two-day conference will bring together leaders and partners from across education and workforce development to share ideas, strengthen partnerships, and explore strategies to build and sustain Michigan’s educator workforce.

📅 October 21–22, 2026
📍Washtenaw Intermediate School District

Join MI Talent Together for important conversations about the future of Michigan’s educator workforce.

Register: https://mitalenttogether.org/conference/

09/14/2026

Michigan’s educator workforce is facing complex challenges—and there’s no single solution.

On October 21–22, education leaders, educators, policymakers, higher education partners, and workforce professionals will gather at Washtenaw Intermediate School District in Ann Arbor for the inaugural MI Talent Together Educator Workforce Conference, focused on strengthening Michigan’s educator workforce.

Join MI Talent Together, October 21–22, 2026, at Washtenaw Intermediate School District in Ann Arbor.

Learn more: https://mitalenttogether.org/conference/

08/07/2026

Thank you to the Michigan Reading Association (MRA) for being part of our 2026 Annual Early Literacy Leadership Institute and for your continued commitment to literacy across Michigan!

We’re grateful for the opportunity to learn alongside literacy leaders and educators, including Dr. Laura Tortorelli, Dr. Julia Lindsey, and Dr. Adrea Trunkenmiller, who shared current research and practical ideas to strengthen instruction and support student learning.

We appreciate MRA’s partnership and the work you do to keep literacy at the forefront across our state.

Together, we’re supporting every day, every child, every classroom.

Literacy Essentials

MRA Board members are committed to continuous professional learning to stay current on literacy research, priorities, and evidence-based practices across Michigan.
The literacy institute in partnership through MAISA GELN and MDE, deepened participants’ knowledge of critical literacy development aligned with Michigan’s literacy priorities under Public Act 146, including the science of reading and evidence-based practices. Researchers and presenters included Dr. Laura Tortorelli, Dr. Julia Lindsey, and Dr. Adrea Trunkenmiller, who shared current research and practical applications for literacy instruction. The learning also reinforced the powerful role literacy coaches play in strengthening instruction and increasing student achievement.
We are grateful for opportunities to learn alongside Michigan educators and bring new insights back to support literacy leadership across our state—every day, every child, every classroom. Michigan Department of Education Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators

08/04/2026

Preparations are underway at the Lansing Center as Literacy Essentials prepares to welcome literacy coaches from across Michigan for the 2026 Annual Early Literacy Coaching Institute.

Over the next two days, coaches will participate in professional learning, collaborate, and demonstrate a shared commitment to improving literacy outcomes for Michigan students.

We look forward to welcoming participants and kicking off an inspiring institute!

08/04/2026

Michigan literacy coaches will gather on Wednesday to kick off our Annual Early Literacy Coaching Institute, a two-day event focused on professional growth and collaboration.

Day one features keynote sessions and regional networking, providing practical strategies to enhance statewide literacy instruction.

Thanks to all leads, presenters, and participants for a successful start!

We look forward to continuing our work to improve student literacy outcomes.

Literacy Essentials

07/15/2026

Great day at the AESA Summer Leadership Institute in Riverside, California!

We were honored to present alongside Delta Schoolcraft ISD (DSISD) to share Michigan's statewide approach to building coherent literacy systems.

Together, we highlighted how we develop the enabling conditions to turn vision into action for successful implementation in every school.

We are proud to represent Michigan and our partners in this important work! 📚

Literacy Essentials

07/13/2026

Exciting news from the MiGDL team! 🚀

Our MiGreatDataLake (MiGDL) team spent two productive days at Ottawa Area ISD last week, collaborating with the MiCHDev team and our partners at Amazon Web Services (AWS), Pariveda, and Cloudwick to streamline the migration of historical data for over 240,000 students to MiGDL!

We're gearing up to support school districts this fall with our actionable data applications:
🚀 MiEWIMS
🚀 MiRead
🚀 MiSafeStudent
🚀 Community School Manager

Once local districts update their student information systems for the 2026-27 school year, we will begin loading current data to ensure everything is ready for a smooth start. This is a huge proof of concept in our mission as we build a robust, powerful data analytics system for all Michigan schools!