Understanding GLPS' Mission and Policies

Please view my message here if you need translation services.

January 31, 2025

GLPS Families,

Each week, I share a message about what is happening in our district, important information that I think is useful to families and the community, and/or messages that help folks understand the work we are doing here at Grand Ledge Public Schools. I believe it is important for our families and the community to understand that I became a public educator because I fundamentally believe in the power of education to change people’s lives, and the power of educators to positively impact their communities. I believe that only occurs when all students, regardless of who they are, have access to educational opportunities in a safe and affirming environment, and I also believe that regular, ongoing communication is central to creating that environment.  Here at Grand Ledge Public Schools, we are committed to ensuring that every student who walks through our doors has the support they need to learn and grow, and that they know they belong in our classrooms. We collectively enact that commitment every day at every level of our organization, and we will use everything in our power, in alignment with our strategic plan and board policies, to continue to maintain it.

Over the last couple of weeks, I have been asked by numerous staff, students, families, and community members about what national discussions – particularly around immigration status and attitudes toward historically marginalized groups – mean for our school district and the students and families we serve every day. As I always try to do when complex questions arise, I reviewed our strategic plan and our board policies, because these sets of information reveal our focus areas and belief statements, what we are accountable to do locally, and how that accountability aligns with state law.

Our strategic plan outlines the following mission, vision, and belief statements. We are in the third year of this plan, and it was co-created with community members, school family members, students, school personnel, and board members. As a reminder, those foundational statements can be found here on our website and were adopted into board policies. Here they are:

MISSION STATEMENT:
Growing Learners, Preparing Students (GLPS)

VISION STATEMENT:
Grand Ledge Public Schools will provide every student a high-quality education, critical thinking skills, and social development to reach their highest potential in a safe and inclusive environment.

 BELIEFS:

As you know, I share them frequently, both internally and externally. They are not just statements that get put on a poster or magnet and stuck on walls around the district. They form the backbone of our work, guide our decision-making, and serve as a guidepost when we need to make difficult decisions. We are committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for our students and families, and we have a living strategic plan that outlines a mission, vision, and beliefs that drive that commitment and hold us accountable to it.

Next, as I have communicated numerous times over the past year, the GLPS Board of Education passed a new set of board policies last February, and continues to update them as new rules and laws become requirements of school districts. You will notice that if you follow the mission, vision, and beliefs link above and then scroll down, just under the belief statements, there is a link called Board Policies. If you click on that link, or click here, you can read our entire collection of policies. As you review the policies, please note that many of them contain a heading entitled Legal, under which all of the laws, rules, and government guidance that drive the policy are listed. The power of these policies is that they hold us accountable to following the enacted laws that they reference.

For our purposes here, however, I want to call your attention to two policies. The first deals with how any governmental law enforcement agency can interact with students in our school, and the second deals with how we protect students against discrimination.

Policy 5540 - This policy dictates that, with a few specific listed exceptions, students should not interact with any enforcement agency during the school day, including during drop off and pick up times or while on the bus, without parent notification, and that investigations should occur outside of school. Therefore, if any agency shows up that does not meet the listed exceptions, our school staff will cite this policy and let them know they need to conduct their investigation outside of school. It also dictates that identifiable student information cannot be released without a warrant or subpoena, except in a few listed exceptions. These exceptions are specifically listed in the policy, so please click on the link for more information. Overall, this policy prevents anyone from any local, state, or federal agency from simply entering a school and interacting with a child.

Policy 2260 - This policy states that, “the Board of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation or gender identity), disability, age (except as authorized by law), religion, military status, ancestry, or genetic information (collectively, "Protected Classes") in its educational programs or activities” and the Superintendent shall “review current and proposed programs, activities, facilities, and practices to ensure that all students have equal access thereto and are not segregated on the basis of the Protected Classes in any duty, work, play, classroom, or school practice, except as may be permitted under State regulations. This means that our district will work specifically with students, families, and staff to ensure that regardless of status or identity, each individual child's right to learn in a safe environment will be protected against discriminatory actions and behaviors.

Again, these policies, and the laws that form their foundation, are in place to ensure that we are creating a safe learning environment for our students and staff, and that our families can send their children to school without worrying about the people with whom they will interact or how they will be treated, regardless of who they are. I hope my communication today helps you better understand how our strategic plan and policies interact with our daily operations. Grand Ledge Public Schools’ mission of Growing Learners and Preparing Students is fundamental to the work we do, and our entire staff works tirelessly, day in and day out, to ensure that we adhere to the rules, practices, and procedures necessary to allow kids to grow and succeed, both while they are here with us and after they graduate. For that reason, among so many others, as always, I am #proudtobeacomet.

Dr. Bill Barnes
Superintendent of Schools