At the Michigan Leadership Summit on School Justice Partnership Summit, leaders from all 83 counties heard state and national experts speak about the importance of regular school attendance, successful strategies for reducing truancy, and how school discipline relates to students’ success and juvenile justice involvement. They were then asked to return to their individual counties and develop partnerships with other stakeholders and a local plan that makes sense for their own communities.
At this point, we received a plan from or are in communications with 81 of the 83 counties in Michigan! Overall, we are seeing local teams consisting of judiciary, court administrators, educators, law enforcement, Michigan Departments of Health and Human Services, Community Health, prosecutors, and other community resource groups.
The county team plans were evaluated by a Review Board to ensure the plans aligned with the objectives of the initiative and to identify gaps in resources and programs that would allow the teams to create a more comprehensive plan to bolster early intervention efforts to address the basic needs/safety, behavioral, emotional and mental health of at-risk children to ensure not only their graduation but lifelong success.
Since then, the teams have met regularly in their communities and once a year with other counties face-to-face to share ideas and collaborate with leaders and other county teams.
Timeline:
September 2013 – Leadership Summit in Ann Arbor
December 13, 2013 – County team plans due
February 3, 2014 – Feedback sent to the counties
March 28, 2014 – Updated plans due
May – June, 2014 – Regional meetings in Marquette, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, Gaylord and Frankenmuth
May 20 and 21, 2015 – Forum in Grand Traverse
November 1-3, 2016 – Forum in Bellaire, MI
September 25-27, 2017 – Forum in Grand Traverse
What stood out about the plans:
Common guidance provided to the counties:
Exciting news: