Becoming an Effective Leader Series (For leaders in years 3-5)
Effective leadership is not about having all the answers. It is about continually growing, adapting, and learning alongside others in service of students, staff, and school communities.
The first few years of school leadership are often spent learning how to navigate the demands of the role. But once you’ve built a foundation, a different challenge emerges: how do you continue growing as a leader while managing the complexity of leading a school every day?
AWSP’s Becoming an Effective Leader Series is designed for principals and assistant principals who are ready to move beyond day-to-day management and deepen their impact on school culture, systems, instruction, and student success.
Grounded in the AWSP Leadership Framework and guided by collaborative inquiry, this three-part series creates space to step back from the urgency of the work, reflect on your leadership practice, and focus on the long-term growth of your school community. Participants engage in meaningful dialogue, examine real leadership challenges, and develop practical strategies that can be implemented immediately.
One of the most valuable aspects of this experience is the opportunity to learn alongside other experienced school leaders from across Washington. Leadership can become isolating, especially as responsibilities increase. The Becoming an Effective Leader Series creates a professional learning community where principals and assistant principals can share ideas, challenge assumptions, problem-solve together, and learn from the experiences of colleagues facing similar complexities.
Throughout the series, participants will strengthen their understanding of culture, systems, and leadership practice while building a network of trusted peers who can serve as thought partners long after the sessions conclude.
15 leadership clock hours are included for the full series.
Why Register?
As school leaders gain experience, professional growth often becomes less about finding answers and more about asking better questions. This series helps leaders:
- Examine leadership challenges through multiple perspectives
- Strengthen school culture and systems for long-term success
- Collaborate with experienced principals and assistant principals from across the state
- Develop practical strategies grounded in the AWSP Leadership Framework
- Build a trusted professional network for ongoing support and reflection
- Reignite purpose, motivation, and innovation in leadership practice
What are Leaders Saying?
“BEL has been really helpful connecting me with colleagues from across the state who are experiencing the same things I experience. It helped me broaden my network to connect with people who might have other ideas around how to tackle the work.”
— Elementary Principal
“I would highly recommend BEL! I found it extremely helpful getting myself going during my first year at a new school. I’m happy to have had the opporutnity to participate now in my third year.”
— Middle Level Principal
Dates, Locations, and Topics
All sessions will take place at AWSP Headquarters: 1021 8th Ave SE, Olympia.
Stage 1 | Gearing Up
September 28, 2026 | 5 Clock Hours
9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
- Reframe leadership challenges through the lens of culture and context
- Explore “The Leadership Paradigm” – a framework for adaptive, intentional school leadership
- Elevate schoolwide culture with tools that center student and staff belonging
- Identify your problem of practice and develop a year-long leadership inquiry
Stage 2 | In Motion
November 16, 2026 | 5 clock hours
9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
- Analyze your school’s system and cultural signal
- Use the AWSP Framework to drive mid-year reflection and course correction
- Expand your leadership repertoire: coaching cycles, observation strategies, and equity-centered data
- Collaborate with other leaders to troubleshoot real-time challenges
Stage 3 | Fine-Tuning
February 1, 2027 | 5 clock hours
9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
- Strategies for finishing the year strong while building sustainable systems
- Reflect on your leadership inquiry
- Use culture and data to plan your re-launch for the following school year
- Create lasting staff engagement and student success
Pricing
Full Series
$399 for Members
$800 for Non-members
Single Session
$149 for Members
$300 for Non-members
Register Today
Registration includes lunch and clock hours for each day.
CANCELLATION/REFUND POLICY:
All refund requests must be made in writing. A 20% processing fee will be deducted from all refunds.
- Full Refund: Requests must be received 20 business days before the workshop. (Minus a 20% processing fee.)
- 50% Refund: Requests must be received 10-19 business days before the workshop. (Minus a 20% processing fee.)
- No Refund: No-shows or cancellation requests received within 10 business days of the workshop will not receive a refund.
Workshop Series Refund: Refund requests for workshop series packages must be received 20 business days before the first session in the package.
For any questions or assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to our Professional Learning Coordinator, Dameon Brown.
