AWSP is redesigning our Principal and Assistant Principal of the Year program. In the past, we selected a Principal of the Year (POY) for elementary, middle, and high schools. We would either select one Assistant Principal of the Year (APOY), or recently, one for elementary and one for secondary. We’d love to explain all the reasons why we’re changing our (A)POY, but it might be faster for you to read War and Peace. You think we’re kidding…

Our Roz Thompson sits down with Jill Patnode, Thriving Schools Program Manager for Kaiser Permanente of Washington, to talk about all the programs and resources KP provides to support schools and the people in them.

In this episode of AWSP News, we discuss the most trusted professional in all the country, our Facebook giveaway and this week's winners, your Principal’s Advisory Council, enrollment for the School Employee Benefits Board, our first-ever WELL Summit, a part-time position opening up at AWSP, our Washington Principal Magazine and nominating next year's Principal and Assistant Principal of the Year.

In this episode of AWSP News, we discuss National Principals Month, a special message from Governor Jay Inslee, our favorite contest of the year and the chance of winning a $25 Amazon gift card, using social media to tell the story of your school, our Principal and Assistant Principal of the Year Award, AWSP, WASA and ESD sponsored School Leader Paradigm and Leadership Framework trainings, and resources provided by OSPI’s Safety Center.

“It is the paramount duty of the state to make ample provision for the education of all children residing within its borders, without distinction or preference on account of race, color, caste, or sex.”

In the last couple of years, a number of policies and proposals have been implemented on a wide range of immigration enforcement issues such as border security, interior enforcement, tighter vetting on asylum hearings, exclusionary visas to certain groups of people, restricting temporary protected status/DACA, travel bans of certain countries, expansion of family separations, penalties for accessing public assistance, and most recently, proposed family detention centers without time limits. These policies can potentially impact 23 million non-citizens who live in the United States, as well as 12 million children who are predominantly U.S.-born.

Most of our school-aged children have parents that work. These schedules can make it challenging for parents to find quality before/after school care for their children. They often look to schools to provide quality programs. In the attached article by Dr. Helen Wang, read how some of our Washington State Elementary schools are providing unique experiences for their students.

Check out five great school safety tips courtesy of OSPI's Mike Donlin and their School Safety Center.

In this episode of AWSP News, we discuss our School Leaders Collaborative, AWSP-hosted WELL Summit, Kaiser Permanente, Washington State’s new Teacher of the Year for 2020, APLN, the 2020 legislative session, our Political Action Committee, and our tribute to the Mariners during this year's Summer Conference.

The Office of the Education Ombuds (OEO) and Rooted in Rights have partnered to create 6 student voice videos highlighting students with disabilities’ experiences in Washington’s public K-12 schools, as part of the One Out of Five: Disability History and Pride Project, an educational resource for teachers and students.

Q: Are elementaries required to have formal student councils? A: There is no legal requirement to create a formal student body organization for elementary. The WAC states that if you have 7th grade or above, then you must create a student council structure.

In this episode, Executive Director Scott Seaman is joined by Lindbergh High School's principal, "Q" Hollins, John Turner from Boeing, and Lindbergh student and national skills contest winner "MuMu" Chuol – all to talk about pathways and the opportunities Core Plus Aerospace can provide.

You’ve no doubt heard about the new School Employees Benefit Board in your districts but just in case you haven’t yet, here is the latest information about open enrollment in the SEBB. The SEBB Program’s open enrollment webpage is now live, with all the information school employees need to prepare for the first annual open enrollment (October 1–November 15, 2019).

In this episode of AWSP News, we discuss Principal Relationships, Chad Prewitt, one of the winners of this year’s Handy Award, another great year of professional learning events designed just for you, Principals of Literacy, Summer Conference 2020, our online resources and videos, our revised Networked Improvement Community Grants, a bill removing the personal and philosophical option to exempt children from the MMR vaccine, the Mental Health Initiative and The Main Idea.

In 2019, the Washington State Legislature passed a bill that removes the personal and philosophical option to exempt children from the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine required for school and child care entry. It also requires employees and volunteers at child care centers to provide immunization records indicating they have received the MMR vaccine, proof of immunity or a medical exemption. The bill was signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee on May 10, 2019, and goes into effect on July 28, 2019.

The new school year begins, and planning to ensure that each school is the safest possible continues! Here are OSPI's September Super Seven School Safety Starter Suggestions to help kick of the new year.

Through the magic of "Twitterverse", I stumbled across this blog post by Chris Lehman from a number of years ago. It is a letter to all young teachers thinking about leaving the profession. As I read the letter, I couldn't help but think what it would read like if I removed the word "teacher" and instead used "school leader". Applicable? Yes. Moving? Yes. Great read? Heck yes!

Summer camp is not extra

Do you view kids at risk or at hope? Is every adult in your building a treasure hunter? Do you have any idea what we're talking about? In this episode of AWSP TV, Scott Seaman sits down with Rick Miller, founder and CEO of Kids at Hope and Professor of Practice and Clinical Director at Arizona State University. Watch our show to learn more about Kids at Hope as a program and about the science of hope.

This blog’s title comes from a recent National Geographic article describing the magazine’s investigation into its historical arc-of-reporting on people of color in the U.S. and abroad. The patience and time dedicated by the editor-in-chief to curate and dissect how the magazine treated issues of race is a helpful model for school systems. In order to serve our students and facilitate honest and open dialogue, we too must examine and reconcile with our own long-standing cultural narratives and how certain students are adversely impacted by the educational systems we lead.