Dr. Barry Martin, who in his nearly 44 years of public education has been a classroom teacher, a school principal, a central office administrator and school district superintendent, has informed the Monroe Public Schools Board of Education that he intends to retire as superintendent of Monroe Pubic Schools on December 31, 2016. Dr. Martin has been superintendent of Monroe Public Schools since July 1, 2013.
The school board accepted Dr. Martin’s retirement at its meeting Tuesday, August 23.
Under Dr. Martin’s guidance, the nearly 6,000-student district has greatly expanded education offerings at various levels. For instance, when it appeared the Learning Bank of Monroe County may have to close due to lack of funding, Dr. Martin developed a funding plan and helped the Learning become an MPS facility. It remains a viable education alternative for adults. In fact, it just recently started offering the Monroe Adult Diploma, the only place in Monroe County offering such an opportunity for adults.
Since Dr. Martin became superintendent, Monroe Public Schools assumed sole operation and direction of Orchard Center High School. School counseling services in Monroe Schools were modified and greatly improved to provide more social and emotional supports for enhanced student learning. This year, all 1,900 students in grades 5 through 8 will receive a Chromebook for use in school and home, to enhance their learning opportunities. In addition, the district is moving into a total digital curriculum for science studies at the k-9 level.
Other improvements which have come under Dr. Martin are increased security at all school buildings and the administration building, including a new building access control system at each school. Improved state-of-the-art bus security for all 58 of the district’s fleet of buses will be in place when school starts. In addition, the district greatly improved its communications with the district families and staff by installing a new call-out system that is used for such things as school closings and delays.
Dr. Martin has been with Monroe Public Schools since 1986. He began with the district as elementary school principal at the former Christiancy Elementary School. For 13 years, he served as Director of State and Federal Programs, annually securing more than $4 million in state and federal grant programs.
He also developed the first district-wide school improvement plan before becoming superintendent which continues to be the focus for instruction in Monroe Public Schools today.
During his years with Monroe Public Schools, he wrote the district’s anti-bully policy and established Monroe Virtual High School, the first institution of its kind in Monroe County. He also directed the district’s summer school program and worked closely with homeless families in the district to ensure their children receive an education. In addition, he coordinated the McKinney Vento Education for Homeless Grant Program for Monroe County for many years.
At Monroe Public Schools, Dr. Martin established the program for English Language Learner students, lead development of the first written art curriculum for the district and introduced Outdoor Education for Elementary students.
Prior to joining Monroe Public Schools 30 years ago, Dr. Martin spent 11 years as a classroom teacher and three years as an assistant principal in the Washington Local Schools in Toledo. He holds three degrees from Bowling Green State University – a bachelors degree in Elementary Education, a masters degree in School Administration and a Doctorate of Philosophy degree in Educational Administration.
Getting ready for the kids to go back to school? You will not want to do it without reading our Monroe Public Schools "back-to-school" newsletter which is attached to this posting. School start times, a list of what is new, upcoming events -- it is all listed here. Click on the link head to read the newsletter.
For the first time ever, the Monroe High School Expressions and Generations of Sound will be going to “choir camp.” The camp takes place each afternoon Monday through Thursday of this week, Aug. 22-25, at Monroe High. Each day, different guests are scheduled to come in and work with the students.
While bands have gone to camps for years before school starts, choir camp is new at MHS.
“I am so excited about the very first Monroe High School Choir Camp!,” said Choir Director Cate Windelborn. “The camp will focus on team building, balance, blend and tone. For many of these students this year will be the first time they have sung in a small choir. It is much different to sing in a group when there are only 4-5 people on a part. They really have to learn to listen as loudly as they sing.
The students who will be singing in Expressions and Generations of Sound for the 2016-2017 school year will be meeting in the choir room at Monroe High School from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. daily this week.
“The 35-40 MHS students will spend some of their last precious hours of summer vacation singing, learning and bonding though singing. It is my hope that this time will help them to bond as a group and get a head start on their music for the year,” Miss Windelborn said.
Here is the full schedule for this week’s activities:
Monday, August 22 - Elise Dinwoody, Monroe Middle School choir teacher, will participate in a day full of team-building activities. Students will begin working on the song they will sing at the MPS kick-off meeting August 31. The finale for the day will be a BreakoutEDU adventure that will be facilitated by Kerry Guiliano from the MCISD. Students will be divided into teams and will have 45 minutes to solve a mystery using clues hidden in the room and their own technology.
Tuesday, August 23 - The second day will focus on the vocal jazz genre. Composer and Director Jed Scott will lead the choirs through activities, warm ups and rehearsal to improve their performance abilities on a vocal jazz piece. Mr. Scott directs an extra curricular men's ensemble at Rockford High School in Rockford that has won many local, national and international awards. He is also a respected composer of a cappella and vocal jazz music.
Wednesday, August 24 - The third day will focus on tone, balance, blend and honors choir. The students will work on this year's honors choir audition piece with Michigan School Vocal Music Association (MSVMA) adjudicator and clinician Doug Armstead. Mr. Armstead has taught for 25 years and has twice been selected to direct an MSVMA honors choir. Students will be encouraged to audition to participate in this life changing program.
Thursday, August 25 – The week will wrap up with Dr. Joseph Daniel from Washtenaw Community College. Dr. Daniel teaches piano and voice at WCC in addition to directing the choirs. He is also a free-lance organist. He will work with the students on choral tone, balance and blend while rehearsing the music they will perform for the MPS staff on August 31.
MHS sing
Attention Monroe High School Juniors and Seniors --Mr. Brown and Mrs. Weaks will hold co-op information sessions for students who would like to go to work and get hands on training while earning high school credit and money! Both teachers will be in their classrooms (D222 or D224) Monday, August 22, through Friday, August 26, to sign students up who currently have jobs, and to talk with others about the possibility of finding them jobs. The sessions will be held every day at 10 a.m. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity! Enrollment is limited.
The Community Education program of Monroe Public Schools is offering flag football for 2nd and 3rd grade students. The six-week program covers the fundamentals of flag football and offers some scrimmages for players. For more information, either call the Community Education office at 734-265-3170, or check out the registration flyer which is attached to this posting.
Monroe Junior Cheer is offered for children in the 3rd through 6th grades and is sponsored by the Community Education office of Monroe Public Schools. The cheerleaders learn cheers that they can do at Monroe First Downers junior football games on Saturdays in September and October. If you have questions, call Community Education at 734-265-3170 or check out the attached flier.
The Mobile Food Pantry will return to Monroe County from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, September 10, at the Monroe County Intermediate School District, 1101 S. Raisinville Rd. A free food package will be available for the first 200 families and there is no need to pre-register for the event. Check out the attached flyer for more information about the event.
Monroe Middle School will hold a retreat so students can go forward confidently when school starts on September 7. MMS will host its first-ever retreat for all MMS students and their parents and guardians on August 22 and August 26. The retreat will be held at the school.
Please note that parents need to attend the retreat WITH students. There is important paperwork that parents need to fill out prior to the students receiving their schedules and locker assignments. Please do NOT just drop your student off. You do not need to stay the entire time with your student, only enough time to fill out all of the paperwork.
For more information, please check the document attached to this posting.
As the month of August rolls toward the beginning of the 2016-17 school year on September 7, parents should take note of the following open house dates.
The first open house is set for 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., on Wednesday, August 24, at Orchard Center High School.
All of Monroe’s elementary schools – Arborwood, Custer, Manor, Raisinville and Waterloo – will hold their open houses from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, August 31.
For Monroe Middle School, open house is set for 5:30 to 7 p.m., Thursday, September 1.
Monroe High School scheduled as a little different with activities starting August 23 and continuing through August 25. Click on this link to learn more about specifics in the schedule. http://www.monroe.k12.mi.us/District/News/4692-Tips-offered-for-MHS-registrations.html
The Monroe Public Schools and the Monroe Education Association (MCEA) the union which represents the district’s teachers, have reached agreement on a two-year contract covering the 2016-17 and 2017-18 school years.
The pact was ratified by the teachers this week and approved by the Monroe Public Schools Board of Education at its meeting Tuesday night (August 9.)
“We are pleased that we have a two-year agreement with our teachers. We thank them for their cooperative approach in contract negotiations during what are still uncertain financial times for public school districts,” said Dr. Barry Martin, superintendent, Monroe Public Schools. “The union leadership came into negotiations with some creative approaches to some challenging issues which allowed us to achieve this two-year deal.”
“The teachers at Monroe Public Schools have had to do some serious belt-tightening for more than 10 years in the wake of budget issues and political actions taken by the State of Michigan,” said Darren Pocs, MCEA president. “We are grateful to see some positive financial moves forward for our people in the contract, and also for a collaborative bargaining session between our union and central office.
“We hope this current contract opens the doors for continued improvements in the future for our teachers who have dedicated their careers to educating the children of our community,” Mr. Pocs said.
The two-year contract includes adjustments to the salary schedule as well as some fringe benefit language.
"Starting the school year with this contract in place is a significant accomplishment and one that bodes well for the upcoming school year,” Dr. Martin said.