The recipient of the award, Michael Palmer, is the principal of Port Huron High School. This school is part of the Port He Huron Regional School District.
The Michigan Lottery established the Excellence In Education Award in 2014 to recognize outstanding public school educators in the state during the school year.
The weekly award winner will receive a cash prize of $2,000. At the end of the school year, one of her weekly award winners will be selected as the Lottery's Educator of the Year and receive a $10,000 cash prize.
Each winner will also be featured in news segments on the Lottery's media partner stations: WXYZ-TV in Detroit, FOX 17 in Grand Rapids, FOX 47 in Lansing, WNEM-TV in Saginaw and WWTV-TV in Traverse City. A news segment featuring Palmer will air tonight.
Palmer said his supportive family and high school teachers encouraged him to pursue a career in education.
“I was fortunate to have great teachers and some relatives who encouraged me to pursue education as a career. Now, my students motivate me every day to push forward. I can.”
Building relationships with students is one of Palmer’s favorite things about her role.
“One of my favorite things is seeing my students outside of the classroom and building relationships with them. Those interactions are so meaningful to my students and it helps them feel like they have you in their corner.” Once students know this, they begin to thrive.”
Mr. Palmer was nominated for this award by the Superintendent.
“I have had the privilege of sitting in the principal's chair for 10 years and can honestly say that I have never agreed with Mr. Palmer's leadership. He not only knows every student's name, but their families and stories. Mike cares about every student in the building and will do whatever it takes to help them succeed. In fact, in all my years of education, there is no one who cares more about the success of each student than Mike Palmer. I have never met a more dedicated person. He is blessed with the ability to see through his students, understand the needs that are preventing them from succeeding, and create paths that are achievable. Within Mike's sphere of influence Mike's students will demonstrate that they recognize and care about Mike's concerns. In his passion to provide the best education, he never ignores standards or requirements. His clear expectations in a caring environment allow students to overcome personal challenges and thrive in their education. He emphasizes that finding the motivation to work hard will lead to a better future for them.Mike shows the same level of care and concern for his staff.Currently, Port Huron High School has the highest turnover in the district. It's one of the schools with the lowest rates. Simply put, the staff at Port Huron High School doesn't want to leave. Mike is just as dedicated to the success of his staff as he is to his students.”
Palmer earned a bachelor's degree from Central Michigan University and a master's degree from Marygrove College. He has been in the education industry for his 24 years, 10 of which have been in his current position.
Candidates for the Excellence in Education award will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Excellence – Their efforts consistently help students, schools, and districts advance to higher academic levels.
- Dedication – They consistently exceed expectations and help students succeed.
- Inspiration – Their work inspires those around them to go beyond academic or professional expectations.
- Leadership – Demonstrates demonstrable leadership skills in a position with a school or district.
- Effectiveness – The candidate's research has clear and positive consequences for the educational progress of students within the school or district.