Director Wilson bids farewell to MA
These last six years have changed my life in so many ways
Bittersweet, but it's time.
For the last six years, I have poured my blood, sweat, and tears into Marshall Academy. I have seen firsthand what a wonderful community this is and what an excellent school we have become. We have changed student’s lives and made families of our community happy to have us as a choice.
· We have recently secured a seven-year reauthorization with Ferris State University, which is our longest in history.
· We have extended our programming from Preschool through Early Middle College taking children from childcare through college.
· We have a full, active and outstanding Board of Directors.
· We have adopted new curriculums, at each level, in math and reading, focused on closing the achievement gaps and have made small, but incremental, strides on our continuous improvement plan since its inception two years ago.
· MA has a leadership team with defined roles and responsibilities, and they have the background in each area to make sure they are effective in their positions.
· We have a full staff of certified teachers who have grown into their positions whether they were recruited, or we developed them from within.
In this current state, I see, and feel, that my drive and determination is no longer needed at Marshall Academy.
My life’s objective has always remained the same; to change the world by improving our schools and our children. I believe, in some small way, I have made steps in accomplishing that here with this community.
Which means it is time for me to start taking steps to move on to the next phase in my career.
But not until after graduation! We still have work to do this year.
My most proud moments at MA
Falling in love with seniors all over again.
By the time they walk across the stage each year I am overjoyed with their accomplishments and their ability to be great humans. Having a graduating class has reconfirmed my love for kids and education.
There has been no "favorite" class. They have all made me grow as a person. I want to personally thank the classes of 2019-2024. You have all made me a better human. It is my sincerest hope that I have returned the favor.
Gentlemen of Quality
Mr. Shubert and I founded the Gentlemen of Quality group, because we felt like young men these days can be better. We formed a totally voluntary group of young leaders. They have put up with a lot of our shenanigans, but these boys give me hope for the future of our world.
All boys will grow to be men, but these boys will grow to be GENTLEMEN, and that I am certain of. Thank you boys for every fun field trip, wacky hands-on lesson, video shared and Little Debbie treat together.
I am proud of each and every one of you.
We serve more of our community than ever before.
In 2000 MA started as a K-8th grade school. In 2009 we grew to add High School. As our community had more demands for education we have grown and adapted to meet their needs.
In 2022 we added a Preschool with 8 brave families. The space was a work in progress but it is ours and it is some of the biggest smiles I see daily.
In 2023 we added an Early Middle College program. If a student agrees to go to school for a 13th year, they will walk across the stage with their peers and then graduate with an Associate degree the following year.
I am so proud to be able to now serve students from pre-reading to ready for the workforce.
We are on the cutting edge of technology
Being a small school in the middle of a cornfield is great, but holding students back because we do not have the latest technology is not. In the last six years we have continued to develop our access to technology to surpass rival schools.
We have created a newer more up to date website, a school app, a virtual tour to walk the building online, smartboards for teachers, digital clocks, effective radios and phone systems, Chromebook in each classroom and the fiber cable network to be able to keep up with the internet demands.
I am proud to say that students can still go to school in the middle of a corn field, but now they will receive a state of the art degree.
I got to be an advocate for choice.
I never saw myself in a role where I work for the charter schools organization. I went to a traditional public school, then a large university, and then an even larger traditional public a school system.
When I came to MA I found out what it was like to have a choice. Every single student and parent made the choice to leave their resident district and to come to a place where their needs are being met. Families come here for an assortment of different reasons. However, they all made a choice and it was made because it is what is best for their kids.
That makes me proud and that makes me more now than ever, an advocate for the charter school movement. I have worked with the Michigan Association for Public School Academies (MAPSA) advocating that families should have a choice in their education. I have been to our state capital and met with our local officials to make sure that schools like MA will continue being funded 100%.
My time at Marshall Academy has made me a charter schools advocate forever.
MA Character is strong.
Good moral character is one of MA's founding pillars.
In my tenure, we have defined what our role is in teaching moral character. We have defined and marketed what character means to us. We have created a morning meeting in each classroom every morning. MA has implemented a new social emotional curriculum. We have a calendar of when we focus on our universal virtues. Opening ceremony recognizes individuals for grades and their character each week. Our kids know we care for them. They know we want them to grow up and not just be intelligent, but also BE GOOD.
Our staff, students and parents know our 7 universal virtues and all believe that these virtues make us better humans. I could not be more proud of the work we have done in this area.
Most of all I am proud of MY TEAM.
In the last six years we have grown a bit and added some new positions to support students, but one thing that I can say across the board is that every single staff member here has stepped up and grown in their educational ability to serve students.
- Staff members have attended conferences,
- Earned new certifications,
- Started and Finished degrees,
- Grown into new positions
- Become trainers
- Piloted programs for our ISD
- and many more new adventures in the works.
I have witnessed so many leaders step up and build their own potential to lead for what is right for kids that I know I am leaving this school in good hands.