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Nominate an Educator Today!!
Each year The Success Fund recognizes educators that go "above and beyond". Click the link below for the complete list.
Marsha Franke
A heartfelt tribute to the Success Fund founder, Marsha Franke. She was an inspiration to us all.
Projects and Fundraising Efforts
Previous Projects
Textbook Drive a Major Success! We exceeded our goal and raised $53,165!
In a time of shrinking school budgets and economic uncertainty, the Marshall community has rallied around a summer campaign to raise funds for the purchase of nearly 600 new American History textbooks for 5th, 8th and 11th grade social studies students. The Success Fund Committee’s “Help Make History…Year after Year after Year” initiative raised more than the $43,000 necessary to purchase both the new textbooks and the supplemental teaching and learning resources.
Most of the new textbooks have arrived and have been distributed to students, in some cases replacing texts that were over a decade old. As Marshall Middle School history teachers Truusje Edwards and Steve Swaton explain, the new books “will allow our students to learn in depth about our past in a way that fits the 21st century and will make learning about the past more exciting.” Edwards and Swaton also note that all of the new textbooks and accompanying assignments are tied to the Michigan Department of Education Grade Level Content Expectations.
Earlier this month, Success Fund Committee members and Marshall Public School students placed permanent labels inside the new textbooks listing the nearly 150 individuals, families, businesses, foundations and alumni who donated to the drive.
Additionally, the Success Fund Committee has begun discussions with school administrators to assist K-4th grade teachers in acquiring needed social studies resources for each elementary building in order to support the newly revised curriculum. “To honor the intentions of our very generous donors for the American History Textbook campaign, we are thrilled to expand this project to provide valuable social studies resources for our elementary students,” said Marsha Franke, chairperson of the Success Fund Committee.
Thank you to all of the people, companies and organizations who contributed to the Success of this campaign!
Please see this letter of appreciation from our 8th Grade American History teachers. Marshall truly is a great community!!!
All-Day Kindergarten
The FIRST project funded by the Success Fund was a 2008-09 All-Day Kindergarten section. Marshall Public Schools embarked upon change at the early elementary level by offering five sections of all-day kindergarten in addition to the traditional half-day kindergarten and half-day readiness kindergarten program. Responding to community input to help ensure Success for our early learners, the Success Fund Committee was pleased to partner with the former Betterment Committee to fund one section of all-day kindergarten.
After the first semester of the 2008-09 school year, reports from parents and teachers confirm that all-day kindergarten students are excelling in a developmentally-appropriate learning environment which combines academics with exploration. We look forward to watching the Success of these students and this program.
Future Projects
Working in tandem with Marshall Public Schools and the Marshall community to determine needed and desired programs, services, and equipment to help students be successful, the Success Fund has identified critical areas:
- Programs and services for high academic achievers / gifted and talented students
- Support for students who are not making grade-level progress
- Ways to ensure post-secondary education affordability and success for Marshall High School graduates
- Technology to promote student academic success and to provide students with the knowledge and tools for an information-age society
- Meaningful and sustaining professional development for teachers
Specific Next Projects and the cost for each will be noted on this website as soon as available.
Process for Determining Projects to Fund
The guidelines for the Success Fund Committee specify that we will work in tandem with the Marshall Public Schools’ strategic plan to determine programs, services, and equipment needed to improve our students’ success and to move Marshall Public Schools from a good to a great school district. Input from our community, parents of students, teachers, staff, students, administration and board members, as well as research on best instruction practices and programs, serve the Success Fund Committee in helping to determine funding projects.