K12 Tutoring for Schools · Michigan Section 35p

Michigan 35p Campaign Plan

Under 35p, K12 Tutoring for Schools files the application. This campaign exists to secure two things before we file in NexSys: signed district letters of support, and one district or ISD to act as fiscal agent.

Chris Caputo · Updated Sep 27, 2026 · For the Sep 28 10:30 sync

$50MUp to this amount, FY 2026-27 only, awarded competitively

Nov 1NexSys application opens; we file as the applicant

Nov 13Signed support letters in hand (assumed until MDE sets a close date)Our target

Jan 15Awards announced no later than this date

How we compete

Catapult has a six-week head start, and in-person is the statute's default. We lead with the part of the law they never mention.

Catapult's pitch

Implementation support, in person

Landing page, three-part webinar series, funding snapshot PDF
Proof leans on tenure; outcome numbers are unsourced and not from Michigan
Silent on the virtual waiver, cost, launch speed and outcomes-based contracts

Our pitch

Virtual through the 35p(5) waiver, paid on results

The waiver is written for "innovative ways to reach students at a lower cost" 35p(5)
Launch within weeks of March funding, with no local tutor hiring
An outcomes-based contract, which we've done in Arkansas
We do the application work, as the statute intends 35p(6)

Where we stand

From the Sep 25 calls with Kerrie, Nate and Tony, and Chris's answers on Sep 26.

Decided Sep 25

Page on the WordPress site from reused sections, not HubSpot
Awards block, embedded Michigan form, QR code to the page
FAQ video instead of a webinar; it doesn't hold up the page launch
One-pager: Kerrie copy, Tricia design
Plain-text emails after the page, starting from Arkansas
Brandy attends MDE's Oct 8 session

Decided Sep 26

Video as solo clips by topic, cut into one full video plus short clips
Application walkthrough and OBC term sheet after Oct 8, live before Nov 1
Main CTA is a named Michigan contact; one-pager downloads without a form
The virtual waiver is the lead selling point
Wireframe done (Chris); ready for Sam's build

Open Needs a call

Who the named contact is
Michigan price per student
OBC terms
Fiscal agent strategy

Campaign components

The landing page is the hub. Email, sales outreach, the QR code and the MDE sessions send people to it. The named contact and the support letter template turn interest into a signature.

Component	What it's for	Audience	When
Landing page	Explains 35p, positions the waiver as our advantage, routes to the named contact	Superintendents; curriculum, federal programs, literacy and MTSS directors	v1 Sep 30 v2 Oct 9–14
One-page explainer PDF	Printable, forwardable version of the page	Same, plus cabinet members and business managers	Sep 30–Oct 2
FAQ video	Practitioner voice: Jen on the grant, Gila on instruction, Debbie on implementation	Leaders deciding whether to trust us with the program	By Oct 9
Email Track A	Cold outreach to the need-gated target list, four emails over two weeks	3–4 roles per top-ranked district	Page launch
Email Track B	Moves engaged districts to a signed letter, triggered by events	Anyone who replied, filled the form or met with us	From Oct 9
Sales outreach kit	Talk track, discovery questions, objection answers, "don't say" list	Tony's sales team, Brandy	Sep 28
Support letter templateAdded	The conversion document: review and sign instead of writing from scratch	Superintendents and their business or legal office	Oct 9–14
Walkthrough + OBC term sheetAdded	Shows what we file and what the outcomes contract means	Superintendents, business managers	Oct 14–23
ISD fiscal agent outreachAdded	A separate ask: act as fiscal agent for a group of districts	ISDs covering top-ranked districts	From Oct 9
TrackingAdded	One HubSpot campaign, UTMs per channel, weekly count of letters signed	Internal	Before launch

Left out on purpose: a webinar, paid media, an AI rebuild of Catapult's deck, and HubSpot landing pages. The audience is a known list of 50 to 80 districts, and a webinar spends Debbie and Gila time we don't have.

Sequence and timing

MDE hasn't published an application close date. The plan assumes signed letters by Nov 13 and moves when MDE publishes one.

Sep 26–28
Wireframe handed to Sam; talk track; FAQ question listWireframe done. Monday 10:30 sync confirms the named contact. Chris, Kerrie, Brandy.
Sep 29–30
Landing page v1 liveForm and awards block in place. Ships without the video. Sam, Kerrie, Nate.
Sep 30–Oct 2
One-pager, QR code, Track A email 1Kerrie, Tricia, Brandy.
Oct 1–6
FAQ clips recorded at homeRing light and phone kit. Jen, Gila, Debbie.
Oct 5–9
Video cut and posted; Track A video emailCarl, Sam.
Oct 8
MDE overview sessionCapture anything that changes the copy. Repeat session Oct 13. Brandy.
Oct 9–14
Page v2, support letter template, Track B and ISD outreach beginKerrie, Brandy, Tony.
Oct 14–23
Application walkthrough and OBC term sheet on the pageBrandy, Janet. Jen or legal reviews.
Oct 26–Nov 13
Letter push; fiscal agent confirmed; NexSys opens Nov 1We file once letters are in. Tony, Brandy.
To Jan 15
"What happens next" email; launch readinessKeeps signed districts warm through the award wait. Debbie, Brandy.

Speed over polish

Page v1, the one-pager, the emails, the video and the sales kit. Reused sections, plain text, phone video and a Google doc are all fine. For video, audio quality matters more than picture.

Polish over speed

Every statutory fact, the OBC term sheet, the application walkthrough and the support letter template. A district's business or legal office reads these, and an error costs us the letter.

Decisions still open

Each with a recommendation, to settle at or soon after the Sep 28 sync.

Decision	Recommendation	By
Named Michigan contact	Brandy, with photo and title. She owns the MDE questions and sequences and has done OBCs. Tony is the escalation point and closer. If her title reads too junior, name Tony and route to Brandy.	Sep 28
Lead credential	The NSSA Tutoring Program Design Badge, which is verified and qualifies on its own. Use MiStrategyBank only after Kerrie confirms our listing is current.	Sep 28
Need gate on outreach	Track A goes only to districts below the median on grade 3 ELA. Above-median districts move to a later wave.	Sep 28
Literacy or math	Lead with literacy everywhere. Math gets one FAQ answer.	Sep 28
Michigan price per student	Set a Michigan-specific price built to score on cost-effectiveness, the first scoring criterion. Keep it off the page. 35p(3)(a)	Mid-Oct
OBC terms	Brandy drafts from the Arkansas contracts and Center for OBC templates: share of payment at risk, measure, benchmarks. Jen signs off. The page shows a term sheet only.	Oct 16
Fiscal agent strategy	Pursue one ISD as fiscal agent for a group of districts, with a willing top-10 district as fallback. Ask MDE whether one application can cover several fiscal agents.	Oct 23
Parent pilot ($5M)	One FAQ answer only. Revisit after MDE guidance.	After Oct 8

Rules for every asset

Where the Catapult messaging brief and the funding research disagree, the research wins. It is based on the statute itself.

Facts to use

Up to $50M, for FY 2026-27 only, awarded competitively 35p(1), (3)
The tutoring partner files in NexSys; districts sign letters of support; a district or ISD is fiscal agent 35p(2)
Vendors need any one of: ProvenTutoring, the NSSA badge, or MiStrategyBank 35p(11)(a)
Ratio no higher than 1:4, at least 2 sessions a week, no session length set 35p(11)(b)
Virtual is approved through the waiver, with evidence of impact and an outcomes-based contract 35p(5)
Awards no later than Jan 15, 2027; funds to fiscal agents no later than Mar 1 35p(8)

Never write

"3 sessions a week" or "20 to 30 minutes"
"Awards announced January 15"
"A continuation of last year's program"
"$15 million"
"We're an approved 35p provider"
Anything implying virtual is eligible by default
Close dates or award sizes before MDE publishes them
The old 23g dates from the March research