Our work comes to life through innovation, partnerships, and the experiences we create for scholars and families every day. From national collaborations to transformative programs and leadership recognition, this section highlights the stories behind the work, showcasing how Academy Management Company is actively expanding opportunity and driving meaningful change across our schools and communities.
Our work has earned national and regional attention from leading media outlets and education journalists. These stories spotlight the bold decisions, innovative programs, and visionary leaders who are redefining what is possible for scholars, families, and educators in Detroit and across Michigan.
A School That Serves Its Community: How Lawerence Hood is Rebuilding Opportunities at DAAS.
When MAPSA honored Lawrence Hood, CEO of Detroit Academy of Arts and Sciences (DAAS), as a MiCharter Hero, the recognition reflected more than one leader’s work. It highlighted a school community that is proving what is possible when innovation is driven by the needs of students and families.
Detroit Academy of Arts & Sciences to pay qualified teachers $100,000
(CBS DETROIT) - The Detroit Academy of Arts & Sciences (DAAS) has its eyes set on an ambitious goal. The goal is to hire 18 teachers at a higher pay rate for the next school year. This is a part of the charter school's Best-in-Class program.
Team Teaching Model Aims to Help Michigan Schools Retain Teachers
Running out of time to complete a learning unit on math fractions, Concord Elementary third grade teacher Brianne Sinden turned to her “team” of fellow second and third grade teachers.
Academy Management Company is at the forefront of reimagining how teaching and learning happen in schools. Through groundbreaking team-based teaching models and national partnerships, we are reshaping educator experience and student outcomes, bringing forward-thinking approaches to classrooms across Michigan and beyond.
See Teaming in Action at the Detroit Academy of Arts and Sciences
We wanted to create a model where students get what they need when they need it, not just when a single teacher can provide it.
‘A night-and-day difference:’ Educators share how teaming has changed their schools for the better
Educators from four schools shared how teaming shapes their day-to-day work in a session entitled “A Conversation With Educators Working in Next Education Workforce Models” during the 2026 Strategic School Staffing Summit, hosted by Arizona State University’s Next Education Workforce™ initiative.
Bringing team-based teaching to the Midwest with the Michigan Educator Workforce Initiative
While some students dread end-of-the-year finals, 9th graders at Concord High School won’t.
An idea came to Jen Couling, a 9th-grade English teacher at the small high school in Michigan, after attending a session at the Aurora Institute Symposium on how educators could use the popular fantasy tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons in classrooms.
Every student deserves access to excellent teaching. Yet too often, outdated staffing models leave schools understaffed and teachers overwhelmed. Across the country, many K-12 schools and districts are trying new staffing approaches, but few have the conditions needed to sustain and scale them.
Academy Management Company's work extends beyond individual schools, contributing to broader conversations about education reform and opportunity across Detroit. From pioneering new school models to engaging with citywide and statewide dialogue, we are committed to shaping an education landscape where every scholar can thrive.
Detroit’s First Early Middle College Launches
Detroit students now have a new public education pathway that could change what high school looks like for families across the city.
Detroit Early Middle College, announced Feb. 18, is being introduced as the city’s first standalone early middle college high school, a model designed to combine high school academics, career technical education, and college coursework into one track. School leaders say the goal is clear: help students graduate with more than a diploma and leave school with real momentum toward college, a career, or both.
Our State of Education is The Skillman Foundation’s monthly show featuring a variety of voices, together forming a new vision for Michigan’s K-12 schools.
Tune in to hear students, parents, teachers, business leaders, policymakers, and more, hashing out the most pressing needs and promising solutions in schools. Our State of Education lets you know what’s happening in education and what you can do to support it. Our State of Education airs on WJR radio (channel 760 AM) and is available to livestream online at WJR.com.
Every initiative, partnership, and programme we invest in is rooted in a single conviction: that Detroit's scholars deserve world-class educational opportunities. Academy Management Company remains steadfast in its mission to build schools and systems that reflect the promise and potential of every student and family we serve.
Recognised nationally for innovation in educator workforce development and scholar opportunity expansion.
Academy Management Company
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Disrupting generational poverty through education, community partnership, and connected systems of support, from birth through college and career.