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February 27, 2026
GLPS Families,
As it has been a bit of a wild winter, we finally had a five-day week! Between snow days and scheduled days off, those have been few and far between. Last week, I missed highlighting the fact that Ramadan started on February 17th and Lent started on February 18th, so I wanted to make sure to take a moment to highlight and acknowledge those celebrations this week. In addition, March is Women’s History Month, so I want to make sure to honor and celebrate the contributions of all of the women who do so much for our schools, district, and community.
For my update this week, I thought this would be a good time to discuss career preparation opportunities in our district. I am currently on a statewide work group that is looking at graduation requirements across the state, and the conversation around graduation often turns to preparation for life after high school. Here at GLPS, we understand that students’ goals and aspirations for their futures vary, and we do our best to create opportunities that allow them to pursue the post-secondary option that will allow them to live out those dreams. Whether it is a four-year degree, a two-year degree, a trade school, an apprenticeship, or the military, we know that the 21st-century job market requires some level of training after high school, and we strive to ensure that students have the skills they need, regardless of their path.
Starting in the elementary schools, we partner with Eaton RESA for career exploration through their mobile Fab Labs, which give kids hands-on experiences with a variety of career pathways. Through our curriculum, including our new STEM special, we give kids access to content and materials that help them understand what careers exist and the skills they need to pursue them.
At Hayes, we have a number of enrichment opportunities that are career-focused, and like the elementary schools, we embed conversations about potential pathways in our curriculum. In addition, on next Friday’s half day, Hayes is hosting their annual career day, where local professionals come in and speak to students about the jobs they do and the credentials needed to get there.
At Beagle, expanded elective offerings in STEM and other career-related areas allow students to further explore potential pathways, and we further our partnership with Eaton RESA as students are able to experience career and technical education options through LCC, Davenport, and local industry partners to begin thinking about pathways they can pursue once they get to the high school. Today, students had the opportunity to attend a Women in STEM career fair in Lansing, and there are additional career-related presentations and field trips throughout the year. Middle school is also the time when students begin to develop their Educational Development Plan (EDP), which matches their skills, interests, and aptitudes with potential post-secondary options and training.
Finally, once students get to high school, we offer a number of career and technical education pathways, including engineering, business, marketing, and education. Through our partnership with Eaton RESA, students have access to a wide variety of offerings, from welding to medical and everything in between that come with technical certificates, career credentials, and college credits. We also have an apprenticeship wall, which provides information for students who are interested in getting into skilled trades through an apprenticeship, and we host our annual college and career fair every fall. As you have read over the past couple of weeks, we are looking at expanding programming as well, as both the original Wacousta (culinary arts) and the Morris building will contain programming geared toward post-secondary opportunities. Students continue to update their EDP’s, further honing in on their interests and skills, and we cap all of it with a decision day celebration in May, during which seniors identify their post-secondary plans and post them in the hallway outside of the main office.
In our strategic plan, one of our belief statements is that We believe in a safe, inclusive environment where students can explore their interests and learn the skills they need to thrive in their communities. As these examples show, we take this belief seriously and strive to ensure that all students have the skills they need to follow their post-secondary pathway, no matter what it is. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to do this work with you and your students every day. As always, I am #proudtobeacomet!
Dr. Bill Barnes
Superintendent of Schools
