Mr. DeCou ensures that the school continues to thrive, positioning UMOS as one of, if not, the best online schools for students in Michigan.
KALAMAZOO, MI, March 22, 2023 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Jon DeCou has been included in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
After more than a decade in education and administration, Mr. DeCou serves as the K-12 school principal at the Uplift Michigan Online School (UMOS). Leveraging his former expertise as an online instructor, he has been instrumental in creating a supportive and loving environment and individualized educational experiences that focus on student development and academic achievement. In addition to promoting high-quality virtual education, Mr. DeCou ensures that the school continues to thrive, positioning UMOS as one of, if not, the best online schools for students in Michigan.
UMOS was established in Stephenson, Michigan as an online, tuition-free school for Michigan residents. Recognized as a publicly funded, entirely virtual charter school by the Michigan Department of Education, all grades are taught by experienced and certified teachers.
An accomplished teacher, Mr. DeCou began his career at Vincennes Lincoln High School in 2009 before returning to Michigan in 2010. After several years in the classroom, he taught history for K12 (now Stride Inc.), an online learning organization, from 2012 to 2018. He served as an online history instructor for the Michigan Virtual Charter School between 2014 and 2018. While working for the charter school, Mr. DeCou was the coordinator for school and district improvement, chaired the cultural proficiency and awareness committee, and was a team member for a Title I, Title II, and 34A funding audit by the Michigan Department of Education. Uplift Michigan Online School subsequently hired Mr. DeCou as the director of accreditation and school improvement from 2018 to 2019 before joining Youth Advancement Academy (YAA), a strict-discipline academy, in 2019. While at YAA, Mr. DeCou oversaw the transition in management companies, developed a system that allowed students to thrive and be successful academically and emotionally, and oversaw the over quadruple expansion of enrollment by 2022.
Mr. DeCou received a Bachelor of Arts in History and Health Education at Albion College in 2008, a Master of Arts in Teaching in Secondary History Education and Teaching at Earlham College in 2009, a Master of Arts in School Principalship with administration certification at Central Michigan University in 2016, and is expected to complete Specialist in Education in Administrative Leadership at Central Michigan University in Fall 2023. Additionally, Mr. DeCou possesses a professional teaching certificate and school administrator certificate from the Michigan Department of Education. Looking toward the future, he aims to acquire an Educational Doctorate and pursue roles in district leadership and collegiate level instruction.
Supported by several industry-related organizations, Mr. DeCou is a member of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies, the Society of Collegiate Leadership and Achievement, and the International Association of Computer Online Learners. He is also a member of Golden Key International and Phi Epsilon Kappa.
In light of his accomplishments, Mr. DeCou received a Distinguished Service Award in 2019 and was nominated as an Administrator of the Year in 2022.
About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Marquis celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2023, and Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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