In the art and graphic design world, there is a concept known as negative space. Negative space is the area around an image or design – the edges, the background, the “white” of the paper. How does this relate to principals? As we navigate through these weeks where our lives have essentially been turned inside out, we have been given an opportunity to see the “negative space” in our home lives, in our careers, and in our leadership. Negative space that may not have been there previously is now suddenly there, as our usual routines, thought processes, and expectations have fallen by the wayside.

In this edition of AWSP News, we discuss Governor Inslee's 4 phase plan to slowly re-open our state, this year's Summer Conference and some new possibilities, grading issues, end of year celebrations, an Opening of School Year Task Force, and a question from AWSP President Cameron Grow.

AWSP and WASA can’t wait to gather together in person, but this year we need to prioritize the health and safety of our members and their loved ones. Therefore, both of our Associations, along with the 2020 Summer Conference Planning Committee, have made the difficult decision to convert to a virtual conference.

We can only know our own experiences and must be open to learning the stories of others. But learning from others as we are socially distant is difficult. We are always on a journey of learning and discovery. To better support our students and families, we need to hear (and hopefully understand) how this current reality is impacting them.

Social distancing can make it tough to show staff how much you care, but there are still plenty of options. From e-cards or thank-you videos to classroom goodies or decorations, we’ve compiled a list of many ways you can celebrate Staff Appreciation Week at a distance, plus some other links to help in the process.

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?

In our massive shift to remote learning, and in the spirit of being a continuous learner, I’ve been trying to learn more about online learning. What are effective ways to teach students online? How do we structure communication (including instruction and feedback) to students via computers or phones? And what are some strategies that AWSP can share with principals as they shift to becoming digital principals who are responsible for managing their culture, systems, and learning in their (now) remote buildings.

In this edition of AWSP News, we discuss a shoutout to the OSPI team, the incredible school leadership stories of connecting with students, staffulty, and your school community, making it a daily habit to check our website for updates, announcements, and resources, virtual graduation celebrations, the Washington Student Achievement Council and their fantastic resources, self-care and work-life balance with a new activity from our wellness partner, Kaiser Permanente, and the 2020 Census.

AWSL is constantly updating lists of resources and ideas for schools who are searching. Check out AWSLeaders.org/2020Resources for daily updates on senior activities and graduation ideas.

Here is another great activity called a Self-Care Wheel. Use it individually or with your whole staff. It’s brought to us by our fantastic wellness partners from Kaiser Permanente.

These are not normal times. This is not our new normal. We hear that expression used frequently these days about these days. However, rather than thinking of the current situation as ‘normal’, I prefer to see it as a challenge to the comfortable normal of not too long ago. Within that context, we need to remember that we did not plan for this. We should have, but we didn’t. However, we have been flexible and agile. We have been creative and adaptable. We cannot forget that this did really happen. (Just give it 6 months or so after schools reopen!) Because of COVID-19, we have experienced and learned much. So, as we approach the end of the current academic year, and as we look forward to what a new normal will hold, let’s begin reflecting on this experience and planning for the future.

How do you bridge the K-12 world with the world of higher education? Yokiko Hayashi-Saguil from the Washington Student Achievement Council joins Dr. Scott Seaman to discuss how WSAC programs, tools, and resources can get more students college-bound students and what their financial aid options are. A must watch for high school principals and counselors. And for a follow-up, WSAC Executive Director Michael Meotti joins our Scott Friedman to talk more about all the programs, tools, and resources the Student Achievement Council provides, as well as what college applications look like in the age of COVID-19.

Change is normal and while it's normal to question and wonder how the world will change, I believe the bigger and more important question to ask is, "How will I improve and grow from the change?"

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?"

I had always been appreciative of the love and support of other caring teaching mentors and leaders in my system. They looked out for me, mentored my blossoming teacher leadership skills, and encouraged me to pursue school leadership and my passion for supporting students and families in my community. This support and encouragement put me on a path to school leadership and eventually, an AWSP-trained principal mentor in my district.

In this episode of AWSP News, we discuss establishing some new boundaries around your time, accessibility, priorities, and work-life balance, some great icebreakers and team builders for virtual meetings from AWSL, planning and preparing for virtual senior year-end events, innovative ways to educate each and every student, guidance from OSPI about grading, subscribing to our blog, the 2020 NASSP Advocacy Champion of the Year, Ready WA’s hashtag PlanYourPathWa student voice video contest, and a feel-good story.

AWSP supports OSPI’s and their workgroup’s guidance for grading. The guidelines are the right thing at the right time. They give districts a clear framework while maintaining the flexibility for districts to find the right solution for their students and community. The guidance was developed with input from a huge array of stakeholders, including our own Associate Directors Kurt Hatch, Gina Yonts, and Scott Friedman. The key message from OSPI and the guiding workgroup: do no harm.

Seniors across the state of Washington have been left without the opportunity to participate in many traditional celebrations including graduation. Our time during this webinar will focus on how we can collectively create create celebrations that students and families will remember.

My daughter was a 4.0 high school student with an impressive resume of accomplishments during her high school career. She went on to the University of Washington where she graduated with a 3.9 and two degrees in three years. While in high school, she tore herself apart studying and preparing for the SAT. As the testing date approached and her anxiety grew exponentially, I had to continually remind her that it's just one test, one indicator, one factor that colleges use for admissions, but certainly not the only indicator. That didn't matter. To her, because of such strong social pressures among her peers, the test was either the beginning of or the end of the world. "I'm forever labeled because of that score," she once said.

Our educational system struggles to avoid layering privilege upon privilege, often measuring punctuality and compliance rather than discernment, critical analysis and habits of mind.