Utica Community Schools

Professional Development

In UCS, professional development is deeply embedded in our strategic planning process.  Our UCS Empowered Strategic Plan emphasizes giving staff the tools and resources to drive achievement, including meeting their needs when it comes to training and development, empowering them to make decisions that lead to positive change.

A recent survey demonstrates overall satisfaction from our staff on professional learning teams, but there is still work to be done.  Through our ongoing training, we will ensure that we remain a district where our graduates are competitive leaders who are empowered for their future.

Throughout the year and during the summer, our staff engages in professional development activities.  These activities allow staff to share information on new curriculum initiatives that give teachers an opportunity to collaborate, reflect and learn in discussion with their grade level colleagues.

Recent professional development has taken place for all major subject areas and departments. This includes such as new chemistry and physics courses, visual arts offerings, our continued educational leadership in elementary literacy, mathematics and future changes to our elementary report cards.

Professional development ensures that we have consistency across our 41 schools and specialty programs and that Utica Community Schools is an innovative leader when it comes to teaching and learning.

This type of learning is essential for every serious organization - whether you are in education, law enforcement, the health field, manufacturing, small businesses or Fortune 500 corporations. Organizations that are leaders in their fields invest in their employees, especially a large K-12 school district like ours that puts a priority on lifelong learning.

School to Work Profile - Olivia Haddad, Henry Ford II and CSI senior 

As a Sterling Heights Fire Department Intern in the Training Division, Olivia has embraced her new role as an outstanding employee, bringing enthusiasm, professionalism, and a strong work ethic to every task.

Whether assisting with community outreach or supporting training operations, Olivia approaches each opportunity with curiosity and dedication! Olivia plans to pursue a career in criminal justice.

Eight UCS seniors named among top one percent of 2026 graduates

Eight Utica Community Schools students are among only 16,000 U.S. seniors to be named 2026 National Merit semifinalists.

UCS National Merit Semi-finalists are: Daniel Buzdugan, Benjamin Edmunds, Nolan Gorlewski, Michael Oommen and Alexandria Philip, Gene L. Klida Utica Academy for International Studies; Jack Luckino and John Murphy, of Eisenhower High School; and, Marwan Hassan, of Utica High School.

Luckino, Murphy and Hassan are also part of the Utica Center for Mathematics, Science and Technology. MORE. 

Graduation 2026

We are pleased to share the graduation date and time for our Class of 2026. All ceremonies will be at Oakland University’s O’Rena using the following schedule: Saturday, June 6 - Eisenhower at 10 a.m., UALC at 1:30 p.m., and Henry Ford II at 4 p.m.; Sunday, June 7 - Stevenson at 10 a.m., GLK-UAIS at 1:30 p.m.; and UHS at 4 p.m. 

In addition, we have scheduled a back-up alternative time and date should there be a need for an adjustment. Our alternative commencement date and time would be Monday, June 1: GLK-UAIS at 5 p.m. and Eisenhower at 8 p.m.; Tuesday, June 2 - UHS at 5 p.m. and Henry Ford II at 8 p.m.;  Wednesday, June 3 - UALC at 5 p.m. and Stevenson at 8 p.m. We share this alternative date with you out of precaution as the FIFA World Cup tournament may utilize portions of Oakland University during our regularly scheduled graduation weekend. The change ensures that our celebration is free from anything that could disrupt the celebration of our seniors. We will know by late Winter if it is necessary to move to the back-up date.

Multilingual Learners explore aquatic and reptile creatures

It was a day of aquatic and reptilian adventure for Ms. Shakespeare’s Multilingual Learner students from Eppler Junior High. On Wednesday, September 10th, students traded their textbooks for a terrific trip to the LegaSea Aquarium and The Reptarium in Utica, embarking on a field trip that was both educational and wildly entertaining.

MORE. 

UCS Champions - Student Leaders

AP Art students go back to the beginning

AP Art History students went back in time - 15,000 years - to become cave painters/paleolithic artists. Students from Henry Ford II, Eisenhower and Stevenson participated in this time traveling event.

Schools across UCS marked Constitution day with lessons around the founding document of the United States. At Ebeling Elementary, local attorneys were on hand to talk to the students about the Constitution and what it means to our country.

Check out our most recent Class Clips.