McNulty, Mushenheim get NHA Diamond Awards for teaching

By Rosemary K. Otzman
Independent Editor
Michelle McNulty, a fifth-grade teacher at Keystone Charter Academy, and Jackie Mushenheim, a fourth-grade teacher at Keystone, are recipients of National Heritage Academies’ new Diamond Award.
The Diamond Award recognizes teachers who are in the top quartile for student growth over a three-year period. Eighty-eight teachers out of 3,500 total teachers in 42 NHA schools received the award.
Todd McKee of NHA said in a memo, “We call it The Diamond Award because the Greek word for diamond means ‘unbreakable.’ Diamonds are formed under great pressure and heat. We understand the pressures of our 2020 Goal – that 90% of students that have been with us for three years or more will be on the path to college readiness in reading and math by the year 2020 – and know the work being done under that pressure will produce a beautiful result.”
In announcing the awards at the Keystone Academy School Board meeting on Jan. 15, Keystone Principal Keturah Godfrey said the two teachers now are nominated as finalists for the Teacher of Excellence awards. She said McNulty has received a Teacher of Excellence Award every year she has taught.
Principal Godfrey also said she is very impressed with the quality of the teachers at Keystone this year.
In other business in the Jan. 15 meeting, the board:
• Approved the reappointment of Carol Manley to serve an additional board term of three years to expire in June of 2018. This reappointment has to go through the NHA steps for approval. Manley was not present to officially accept the reappointment;
• Heard Board Member Amy Gusfa say there is a very good chance this year she will be moving out of state. Her husband has a good job officer in Cincinnati but he won’t accept it until she also has a good job offer there;
• Approved the reappointment of Plante Moran as the audit firm for the 2014-15 fiscal year;
• Approved the 2015-16 Offered Seats Schedule, which is the same as the present school year. Seven hundred and sixty-eight seats will be offered and include seats that will be filled by reenrolling students;
• Reviewed the board calendar set for the 2015-16 school year, with meetings at 6 p.m. on the second Thursday of the month;
• Tabled the Wellness Policy Update on the agenda for discussion because the board attorney wishes to look at changes;
• Heard a quarterly progress report for schools identified as Focus Schools, as required by the state. Keystone is among the schools identified by the state as having too great a gap between the lowest and highest ranking students;
• Heard Principal Godfrey say they set an English Language meeting for parents of students who need help with English or speak no English, but no parents showed up. She said Keystone has 31 Romanian students and most of the parents are not English-speaking and English is not spoken at home. She said a few students came to school this year speaking no English at all, but most come with some English. She said perhaps the parents are too embarrassed to come to a meeting and they are looking at several options to work with them;
• Heard NHA representative Chris Caulk say new NHA charter schools will be built in Novi near the corner of Wixom and Grand River and another in North Grand Rapids. He said they looked at building a charter school in Saline, but decided it was not viable. He said they are looking at building another school Downriver in 2016;
• Heard Godfrey report that Keystone no longer has students from Canton since now there are enough charter schools there. Caulk said there are 66% free and reduced lunch students at Keystone and the statewide average is 48%; and
• Reviewed a pie chart showing where the Keystone students originally come from: Van Buren Public Schools, 63%; Lincoln Consolidated School District, 21%; Romulus Community Schools, 4%; Airport Community School District, 3%; and School District of Ypsilanti, 2%.