Rick Frens

Superintendent

In his 24th year of education, Rick Frens is currently serving as the superintendent of Schoolcraft Community Schools. He began his career as a special education teacher in the Wyoming Public Schools, MSAD #60 in Maine, and Grandville High School. He began his administration career at Kelloggsville Public Schools serving as Middle School Assistant Principal, High School Assistant Principal, and High School Principal. Most recently he was principal at Hamilton Middle School before moving into the superintendent role in Schoolcraft. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Hope College, a Master’s degree from Grand Valley, and a central office endorsement from MASA’s Horizons Academy. Professionally, he has served on the Ottawa Kent Conference Executive Leadership Board and was a middle-level representative with the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals. Rick has a passion for improving school culture and focusing on wellness for staff and students. He believes in putting people first, and focusing on their growth and development. He currently resides in Holland with his family.

Company Schoolcraft Community Schools

AllSessions

Day 2

January 19, 2023

10:30 am

Using Our "Why" to Improve School Culture

Glens II (Lower Level)

Matt Webster Rick Frens Stephanie Lemmer

19 January

Time: 10:30 am - 11:45 am

Location: Glens II (Lower Level)

Speaker: Matt Webster Rick Frens Stephanie Lemmer

Looking for a low-cost solution to provide regular staff recognition that has an instant impact on staff morale and district culture? Want to spread kindness and positivity with all staff members engaged?

This session will walk participants through how to engage their staff in defining their collective why and build a robust system for peer recognition around the exercise. Participants will have the opportunity to hear about three leaders' implementation of Golden Circle Awards and the positive impact it has had on staff morale and employees' sense of mission in our field. Participants will walk away with tools, resources, and a blueprint for success.

Day 1

January 18, 2023

3:00 pm

It Takes a Village: Creating a Culture of How WE Care About Student Engagement

Glens I (lower Level) 80

Rick Frens Stephanie Lemmer Sara Easter

18 January

Time: 3:00 pm - 4:15 pm

Location: Glens I (lower Level) 80

Speaker: Rick Frens Stephanie Lemmer Sara Easter

This session will give you an introduction to understand how you could use a framework to to engage building level administrators to improve their leadership and engagement at the building level, or teacher level, to improve engagement and instructional strategies in your district. Participants will leave with practical examples, evidenced based instructional practices, and resources about how to efficiently and practically increase our students sense of belonging and ownership for their own learning.

This session is rooted in the research of Fisher, Frey & Hattie; Pink; Tough; and Stuart.Areas of Focus: Student and staff wellness, School climate, Innovation in teaching & learning, Resiliency and effective self-care strategies.
Takeaways:
1. An introduction to the Engagement Framework.
2. An understanding of how two Superintendents have implemented the Engagement Framework in their districts.
3. Insight into how the framework applies to students, teachers, support staff, leadership, and the Board of Education.