AWSP Blog

As I look to the future of our education system, I challenge all the thought leaders, policy makers, and educational leaders to think differently as we redesign our new approach to serving kids. Whether we are still operating under a distance learning model, blended model, or back to some version of brick and mortar, can we prioritize relationships above all else? Can we build everything around creating time for students and adults to find, build, and sustain meaningful relationships that create hope for everyone involved?

One unforeseen consequence of a statewide closure has been the massive forced push for all of us to engage in the virtual meeting space. We might have dabbled before in Zoom, Skype, Google Hangouts, and Microsoft Teams, but now we are all exceeding standard. AWSP is offering weekly Office Hours for members to engage with with the AWSP Executive Team and K-12 principals from all over the state. This is a wide open session of give and take, but more importantly, to hear our members (principals, assistant principals and other school leaders) share challenges, successes, and barriers they are facing as newly assigned digital leaders. It is so incredible to watch these natural and organic conversations take off each week that I find myself thinking, "Why didn't we do this sooner?"

In this episode of AWSP News, Kurt Hatch fills in for Scott Seaman and we discuss the challenges and rewards of the principals job, National and State Principals Month, our Facebook contest to celebrate the month, how much the average principal is working, Principal of the Year and Assistant Principal of the Year nominations, Cameron Grow's Fast Five Video for Creating a Positive Staff Culture, proposals for presenting at the Pave the Way Conference put on by the Washington Student Achievement Council, two OSPI webinars related to student discipline, getting eligible students to vote, Prudentials 24th annual Spirit of Community Awards, and CSTPs 15th birthday.

In this edition of AWSP News, we discuss post-strike and post-bargaining focus on culture, the closing gap between teacher and principal pay and what we're doing about it, including our recent survey, participating with us and our #AskAWSP segment, Robert Hand, our new state Teacher of the Year, nominating a great colleague for Principal of the Year, Senator Wellman, our 2018 Torch of Leadership winner, great resources for you to communicate with parents on the GearUp website, taking the lead on learning in your building, and using student voice to keep students engaged and motivated.

Kids are more ready to learn on the first day of school than any other day of the year. In many cases, it is the day they learn the least. What would happen if we set aside the rules for a couple of days and energized our students around the fun of learning and being a part of a very exciting school? It would take some creativity on the part of the teaching staff, but it would pay dividends throughout the year.