Thanks to a great relationship between the National Association of Secondary School Principals and the Learning Policy Institute (LPI), we are the benefactors of frontline research about what it is like to be a principal or assistant principal. LPI just released its latest wave of research highlighting what we've been saying for years...school leadership matters, but it is one of the most demanding jobs in the professional world. So demanding that, according to their research findings, 42% of school leaders surveyed indicated a desire to leave the profession.

I know I'm a broken record, but I should probably say it again. Every time a principal or assistant principal leaves a building it is bad for the entire school community. It's bad for kids. Bad for the staffulty. Bad for relationships. Bad for consistency. Bad for progress. Bad for dismantling historically entrenched inequitable systems. Just plain bad. There, I said it. Now, I know there are times when a leadership change is necessary, but that's the small percentage of the big picture.

Prior to COVID19, the pressure building in the system landing on the shoulders of school leaders was growing exponentially and near a breaking point. Thanks to our own research at AWSP through member surveys and focus groups, we were seeing alarming rates of stress, job dissatisfaction, negative health impacts, work-family imbalance, and a decrease in both interested and qualified candidates for open positions. That was all before the world shut down.

What does it look and feel like to be a school leader now? Thanks to our constant connection to principals via various platforms, I can personally report I'm very worried about our school leaders. Besides the dark circles under their eyes, the looks of stress, fatigue, and anxiety, I also see a constant state of mourning. Mourning the loss of daily in-person interactions with students and staffulty. Mourning the loss of events, activities, and simple things like counting smiles in the hallways. Mourning the loss of knowing it is even harder to dig deep into the hearts of kids who are hurting. Mourning that relationships take time and trust and are best built by many, many daily interactions in a brick and mortar setting.

Principals spend most of their days now zooming (literally) from one virtual meeting or classroom to another. From morning to night, principals are doing their best to be everywhere for everyone even though they recognize it is not enough. It's not enough because there are only so many hours in the day one can be scheduled virtually for meetings. So how does the day end for principals? 200+ emails and/or voicemails waiting for their immediate attention.

Got a question about what's happening in your child's class? Email the principal. Have a question about your grade? Email the principal. Wondering about the schedule next week? Email the principal. Will there be a kindergarten graduation ceremony? Email the principal. Can the soccer team use the fields tonight? Email the principal. How will we get student belongings out of the school and back to families? Email the principal. Do you have any idea what school will look like in the fall? Email the principal. The teachers are assigning too much work. Email the principal. The teachers aren't assigning enough work. Email the principal. Why haven't you responded to my other emails? Email the principal.

To quote a high school principal this week, "I have never worked harder in my life than what I'm doing every day right now." For those of you in education, you understand the power and context of that statement. His comment can be concurred by K-12 principals across the state and country. The job was beyond demanding before and even more exhausting now. So why do you do it?

You do it because it's also the best job in the world. Seeing the impact of leadership on an entire school system is invaluable. Changing the course of a student's life through unconditional love and sacrifice is priceless. Creating a positive hope-filled school culture and systems to support to culture is what drives school leaders. You can't put a price on that kind of impact. However, I fear principals are paying the price (physically, emotionally, and physiologically) and potentially losing that loving feeling. 

Which brings me right back to the research. If we kill the will of our principals by not addressing the workload, stress, and increasing demands, then our kids and schools will suffer the consequences through a constant turnover of school leaders. LPI's research highlights the obvious, principals are fighting to survive. But their research also recommends some action we can all take to breathe hope into the system for one of our most precious resources - principals and assistant principals.

At AWSP, you can count on us to keep fighting for you. Our mission has long been to support principals and the principalship in the education of all kids. We won't rest unless you are supported fully to be your best. Keep fighting, because you matter.

We are coming to the close of what will go down as perhaps the most challenging school year in history. Part of the ongoing challenge, as well, is uncertainty about the coming school year. Where we will be, and how and when we will move forward all remain to be seen. We have guidance. We can predict measures we will have to take. We can anticipate that, as we proceed, the future will look and feel different. Let’s take a look at some safety-related actions we can take now to carry us into that future. These suggestions are made with district, school, classroom and home activities in mind.

Comprehensive Safety Plans

We know that districts and schools are required to have comprehensive safety plans, aka emergency operations plans or EOPs. Comprehensive plans consider prevention, mitigation, protection, response and recovery from all threats and hazards, natural, biological, technological or manmade. Remember, each district or school EOP plan is designed for that particular location. Remember, too, that many of the topics which we often approach as separate (things like behavioral threat assessment, suicide prevention, and student health and well-being) should actually to be included as part of the overarching comprehensive plan. In addition, from our current COVID experience, we now know, first-hand, why continuity of operations planning (COOP) is also an important component of an EOP/safety plan. Planning is process. Now is a good time to review, revise, and in some cases, develop your EOP with the future in mind.

Planning with students in a virtual classroom, teachers might ask students where they feel most comfortable and safe at home. They might ask who they would call in case of an emergency. They could discuss who they can talk to if they feel threatened, bullied, or sick. As an assignment, they might suggest developing a family emergency contact list and posting it on the refrigerator, or discussing everyday safety precautions such as wearing a bike helmet, not sharing passwords or talking to strangers, or wearing a mask and social distancing when going out.

Assessments 

Assessments are a key component in safety planning. Assessing physical surroundings (sites), the climate and culture, and the capacity to respond will help determine current and future needs. As we approach the hot dry months of summer, a CPTED-walk around now might identify overgrown brush and help deter fires in July. It might uncover previously unknown broken windows or other danger warning signs. Surveying staff to assess their specific skill sets, and identifying those useful resources which remain inside buildings will be useful in assessing needs for the future.

For “assessing” at home, scavenger hunts can be both fun and educational. They can also help families find both those things they may want to do to keep their homes safer; they might even uncover hidden treasures families want to keep and use! Students and families can also build their own home “Go Kits”.

Drills

Schools are required to do drills every month that students are in the building. Although students are not in school now, this is a good time to plan drills for the coming year. It is also a good opportunity to virtually discuss those drills with staff. Take some time during virtual staff meetings to talk about why drills are required, how they are carried out, and what changes may be needed. Use scenarios and tabletop exercises (TTX) to simulate actual situations to prepare for.

This can also be done at home. Teachers can share discussion ideas and age appropriate scenarios with families and with their students.  Simple starters like, “What would you do if….?” Or “Who would you call if….?” will help. Students might enjoy mapping their house, their yard and even their neighborhood.

Digital Safety

As a final safety thought for this month, consider digital safety. Zoom, Skype and other platforms are filling in for in-person gatherings and meetings; they are becoming our new best ways of connecting with staff and friends. Within that context, the many reports of hacking and other cybercrimes, make ensuring the safety and security of your district and school networks all the more critical.  The Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity page provides information and guidance. 

Specifically with educators, parents and students in mind, the Cyberbullying Research Center  and StaySafeOnline provide a wide array of resources to help keep kids safe.

For home, links and pages from these sites can be shared with student and families. It is important to keep in mind that most young people are safe and productive online most of the time. However, given the amount of time and number of activities students are online, it is also important for all the adults to be well aware of students’ time and activities, and to be prepared to step in to keep them safe.

New Stuff

Finally, as one last note, there are some changes and some new requirements for the coming school year. Visit the WSSDA Featured Policies page to see the updated HIB, the new Gender Inclusive, and Threat Assessment policies and procedures. Visit our SRO Program page for information on requirements, policy and MOAs. 

For more on safety planning and the topics discussed here, email me or visit the School Safety Center web site.

I vividly remember my first year as an elementary school administrator. It was comparable to my first year as a teacher. No it wasn’t. It was worse. My first formal meeting with the Superintendent began with a “welcome aboard” handshake and smile, immediately followed by a long list of tasks I was required to accomplish. Overwhelming? Just a little. This list included implementing systems for student safety, closing achievement gaps, aligning curriculum and instruction, and strengthening student behavior support systems, to name a few. I was expected to do this work while still finding time to actually get to know my staff, and you know, build relationships.

Self-doubt immediately kicked in, and I began questioning my ability to lead a school.

After a week of allowing sleep deprivation and a diet of unhealthy food to get the best of me, I was desperate for help and I knew I needed it fast. I turned to the AWSP for guidance; because, after all, they’re the experts. I learned about their mentor program, a program designed specifically to support principals in their initial years of leadership. I was connected with Gary Culbertson, a former elementary school principal, who agreed to serve as my mentor. I’m not sure Gary knew what he was getting into at the time, but three years later, he continues to answer my phone calls, even when he knows there’s a 50/50 chance I’ll be crying.

Principal certification programs don’t offer courses on how to respond to a hostile parent who corners you in a tiny office space or how to tell employees that they no longer have a job due to a levy loss. Nor do they offer a course about the power of mentorship. But they should. Gary provided me tools for, what had felt like, a pretty empty toolbox. He talked me through some tough situations; situations that left me wanting to throw in the towel. While I still have much to learn, I’m confident I’m a successful principal because of the mentors in my life. Mentors. Plural. I have four. Why? Because you can only learn what you don’t know by connecting with people who do know; people who experienced things you haven’t and can lead you in the right direction. I have the deepest gratitude for the expertise, guidance, and friendships my mentors have offered me.

I’ve experienced more rewards as a principal than I ever did during my years as a classroom teacher, and I know for a fact my passion for being a lead learner is because of the ongoing support of my mentors. I’ve learned skills that have allowed me to leave work at a decent hour every day, increase my time with family, and fit in time at the gym. My most recent accomplishment – ready for your mind to be blown – I gave up my office so I can spend my school days with kids and staff. Thank you, mentors, for being game-changers in the life of an elementary school principal.

I highly encourage you to have a mentor by your side. If you don’t have one, get in touch with Gina Yonts. She is ready to partner you with someone amazing to help guide you through your leadership adventure.

Want to chat? Let’s make it happen! Email me.

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AWSP thanks Kelli for sharing her mentor story with us, and sharing some of her practice with all of you. Check out her Morning Mindfulness video below.

 

In this episode of AWSP News, we discuss:

• our annual Summer Conference,
• Principal Kirsten Rue from Chinook Middle School,
• a survey initiated by the State Auditor’s Office,
• another AWSP survey about inclusionary practices within your school communities,
• graduation guidance from the Department of Health,
• planning a virtual ceremony with resources from Jostens,
• a report from NASSP and the Learning Policy Institute,
• and a conversation about hope and relationships with Kids at Hope.

Prefer to read the news? Check out the script.

In the spirit of learning at home, here’s a little art lesson for today. 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.

Contrary to what its name sounds like, negative space is not “bad” or “wasted” space. Negative space on a page or in a composition is just as important as the subject itself. It helps identify the focal point, directs our attention to important details, and gives the viewer’s eyes a place to relax.

Too little negative space makes a design feel crammed, cluttered, and difficult to understand. Too much negative space limits the amount of information an artist can communicate. It’s all about finding the right balance.

Sometimes, negative space can form a beautiful or clever image of its own, simply by existing on its artistic plane. You’ve probably seen those “is it a vase, or a face?” optical illusions. Here are a few more creative examples:

 

Did you ever notice the FedEx logo has an arrow hidden between the E and the X?	Is it a hand helping someone move, or the house being moved into? Both!
This Pittsburgh Zoo logo looks like a tree at first glance, but it’s also a gorilla and a lion facing each other.	See the cute little spoon inside the tip of the pen? A nod to the “food” in “food writers.”

So how do negative space and graphic design relate to the principalship? As we navigate through the pandemic, where our lives have essentially been turned inside out, we have an opportunity to see the “negative space” in our home lives, in our careers, and in our leadership. Suddenly, we see negative where we used to see normal, as our usual routines, thought processes, and expectations fall by the wayside.

Taking inventory of the past several weeks, it’s easy to look at the negative space with resentment and longing, wishing it was fuller or more colorful. Or, we can choose to embrace it for its inherent beauty, allowing it to guide our eyes toward what should be the focus of our work. We've watched school leaders across the state turn challenges into new, creative ways to reach students and community groups.

Negative space is not the absence of what’s important; rather, it is an arrow pointing towards it. What is the negative space of the past several weeks helping you to see more clearly? The pandemic forces us to change our perspective and see things differently – in the absence of what was, we have the opportunity to see what could be.

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.

Prefer to read the news? Check out the script.

Dear AWSP and WASA Members, 

We know Summer Conference is an annual highlight to all of our members. It has always been the perfect time to celebrate a successful school year with your team, learn with colleagues from around the state, and soak up the beautiful Spokane sunshine. 

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.

While we are all saddened we will not be together in Spokane, we are even more excited to BRING OUR SUMMER CONFERENCE 2020 TO YOU! This virtual conference will still offer amazing learning opportunities, quality keynote speakers, and a chance for you to connect with leaders from our state. We will also provide some informal social time and great prizes. 

With a virtual conference being our new reality, we are confident this online conference platform will be beneficial to school leadership teams in districts across the state. With the unexpected closure of our buildings, each one of us have been thrust into becoming digital learners AND digital leaders.  We are working with our Summer Conference Planning Committee and our breakout session presenters to bring the same exciting content we had programmed for Spokane including our incredible keynote presenters Hamish Brewer, Sean Goode, Kristin Soers, Pete Hall and Joe Sanfelippo. Now, our digital conference attendees will not be limited to only attending five concurrent sessions, but will have access to over 60 engaging sessions presented by colleagues from across the state.

We are hard at work refreshing the conference details including registration. We promise to bring this new information to you as quickly as possible. If you have already registered for the 2020 Summer Conference, you do not need to do anything, your registration will transfer to the digital conference platform,

We want to thank you for your ongoing understanding and dedication as AWSP and WASA pivots to support your professional learning in this new digital reality. We are looking forward to providing this online experience to all of you!  Thank you for all you are doing for your school communities during this unique time. We appreciate you!

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.

Equity Matters is a Seattle, Washington based consulting firm. They specialize in providing training, assessments, and consultation around racial equity and systemic change using research-based and tools developed through an extensive history of work. They focus our work on supporting non-profits, government, educators, and philanthropy. And they believe to make change we must use a Head, Heart, and Hands approach.

Equity Matters has collected a vast collection of articles to help inform us as we move through COVID-19, all from various perspectives. It is an amazing place to start to learn. COVID-19: Journalists of Color* Racial Equity Focused Articles

The article groupings include:

• Native/Indigenous Communities/Tribal Nations
• Black Communities
• Asian Communities
• Latino/A/X Communities
• Race and Disability Justice
• Race and Economic Justice
• Race and . . . Environmental Justice, Immigration Justice, Restorative Justice, Educational Justice
• Racial Equity: Community Solutions, Healing, And Care
• General Articles 

 

This week is Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week! And while it is always important to recognize how much staff matter,  this year is especially significant. Many staff worked around the clock to move online and to support their students while schools are closed.

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.

• Writing notes and snail mail to the staff 

• Mailing thank you cards 

• Students send in pictures, poems, and decorations to create yard signs for staff 

• Porch deliveries 

• Notes for teachers (virtual postcards) 

• Flowers/Plants 

  • Support your local HS FFA/Horticulture Program if they holding a plant sale. Purchase a flat or two and drop off to staff members 

• E-cards with gift card 

• Virtual gift cards 

• Shout outs in the Weekly Bulletin to families

• Virtual 1:1 check-in meetings 

• Online meets with staff and students 

• You’ve Been Mugged with the coffee cups 

• Each morning sending a staff greeting, no weekly email 

• Virtual spirit weeks 

• Videos of staff 

• Virtual lunches and breakfast for Staff Appreciation Week (invite them to share a meal)

• Miss you pictures 

• Having students send in pictures showing signs to staff showing appreciation 

• Virtual awards 

• Videos of signs holding up pictures 

• Flipgrid for messages and shout outs 

• Parents to send in emails or letters to staff 

• Text your team uplifting messages 

• Collages 

• Video and Picture 

• Prizes and challenges 

• Calling staff to check on them with 2-3 phone calls a day to staff for shoutout 

• Check-in buddies for all staff 

• Self-care bingo 

• Staff happy hour (virtual) 

• Drop photos into online photo service with a nice thank you

Here are some other links for ideas too:

• Teacher Appreciation Week: Where Teachers Can Get Free Food and Discounts | USA Today
  
  
• PTA's Teacher Appreciation Week | PTA

• NEA Teacher Appreciation Week | NEA

• 31 Ways to Celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week While Social Distancing | Waterford.org
  

• Celebrating Teachers at a Distance | NASSP

And check out AWSL's 2020 resource page for other resources for schools.

I’ll never forget the day I found him sitting in my office with his head buried into his arms resting on my table. Even with his hood over his head, I knew exactly who the student who landed in my office was... again

Over the years, my office was frequently his sanctuary as angry outbursts would land him in conflict with both students and adults. He slowly learned violent outbursts, both verbally and physically, never really resulted in anything positive for him. So on this day, he proactively brought himself to the place where he knew he could vent, be transparent, cry without shame, and share the inner workings of the emotions racing through his mind.

“Hey man, what’s up?” I broke the silence to see if I could get his face to rise from the cradle of his arms, but he didn’t budge. Under the hood of his sweatshirt was long, unkempt hair that often covered his face. The hooded sweatshirt was another layer of protection from the world. It wasn’t days or months, but rather years of me slowly chipping away at the walls he’d placed around him to not let anyone near emotionally. Daily interactions over the course of months and years to get us to this point where he would actually open up with me. 

“I did it again. I could hear them making fun of me. So instead of losing my sh*t, I just came here,” he finally offered up. 

“Good work. You know you are always welcome in here whether I’m here or not,” was my only solace.

“I’m just f***ing sick and tired of dealing with their crap. Why are people so stupid? Why can’t they just leave me alone?” he continued. “I’m really trying to learn how to ignore them, but it is so hard.”

I pushed back into his thoughts, “Don’t you think by removing yourself and coming to my office is progress? It actually shows you are rising above their effort to bait you. You are winning the game by proving you won’t let them push your emotions like they’ve done before.” 

At this point in our conversation, his head was still buried into his arms and I’ve yet to see the whites of his eyes. This was how most of our relationship-building sessions progressed. And, his next comments were not out of the norm either.

“I just don’t know why I should even keep trying. I’ve got nothing to live for. I hate my life,” he finally offered.

“Dude, you know I don’t like that kind of talk because you know it’s not true. You’ve got incredible talents, are super smart, and have a huge life ahead of you,” I quickly tossed back into the top of his hood. “In fact, I can see you heading off to college, studying computer science, and becoming one of those tech geniuses the world depends on.”

As principals, we can all recall moments you’ll remember forever, which is probably why I’m writing about this now. This was one of those moments. His head popped straight up from the sanctuary of his ams and he looked right at me and asked, “What did you just say?”

I quickly responded, “I said you will go off to college, study computer stuff, and be super important one day.”

“Why would you say I can go off to college? No one has ever said that to me before.” His heartbreaking words were forever etched into my memory banks.

What most of the students and adults didn’t know about this young man, beyond their perceptions of an angry, wayward, and volatile person, was the context of his life. He was born into poverty, dysfunction, addiction, and hopelessness. His view of the world was unlike most of his peers and certainly the adults. But yet, here he was, dropped into our K-12 system and the daily rat race of a six-period day. And adding more stress to his already fragile state, surrounded by other students where family dinner was normal and college wasn’t about if, but where.

We spent the rest of the conversation that day talking about what is possible in his life. From his interests in working on computers to getting a job at Best Buy, to continuing education options and how to find scholarships, we hit it all. This wasn’t a short conversation by any means, but was worth every minute of my time as principal of a large comprehensive high school.

I’m not writing this blog to say I saved his life that day, because that’s not the case. I’m writing this blog to highlight the important role relationships play in the system. Kids need caring adults who take the time to invest in their lives. Brick and mortar schools have always provided that space and countless opportunities. Relationships mattered then, and they matter even more now. What keeps me awake right now, is knowing that our kids, like the one in this story, are hurting because of the loss of face-to-face connections and relationships with the adults in the physical safety of their schools.

As I look to the future of our education system, I challenge all the thought leaders, policymakers, 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?

Until then, teachers, assistant principals, principals, counselors, and the army of other adults in the system are doing their best to connect virtually with kids. It’s not ideal, and certainly not good for everyone involved, but it is our reality. Relationships above all else should be the driving force in our efforts right now.

What happened to my student? A few years later, he happened to help me at Best Buy when I was shopping for a new printer. He was proudly wearing the standard blue “Best Buy” shirt, had a fresh haircut that unveiled hope-filled and prideful eyes, and couldn’t wait to tell me all about the classes he was taking at the local community college.

I wonder now, could I have had the same connection and relationship with him in this new virtual world?

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. 

Here are some initial thoughts from the principals at the Washington Virtual Academies (WAVA) about teaching in an online setting. And, guess what the very first thing they all say about teaching online is? You got it. It’s the same as teaching in an actual building or classroom. Building relationships with kids is the key to success. 

The Washington Virtual Academies (WAVA) uses the K12 online curriculum for Washington students in grades K-12. This program reaches thousands of Washington students and there are three principals (elementary, middle school, and high school) and one head of school. These leaders have all had experience leading brick and mortar buildings and last week they shared with us some of their advice about taking initial steps to leading in a digital environment. 

Principals should:

• Support teachers and make sure they are doing okay.

• Empower teachers to do the same things they did in buildings.

• Focus on staff meetings and PLC meetings.

• Lean on building leadership.

• Develop a communication plan with their staff--When and how will you communicate? Develop a schedule together with your building leadership.

• Categorize the emails and questions you receive and try to answer them at one time each day. 

• Develop a plan for parent communication--Choose one or two platforms, don’t try to do them all.

Jayme Evans, Principal at WAVA High School, also shared these additional resources:

• WAVA Student Enrollment Video

• WAVA Parent-Student Handbook

• WAVA High School Student Handbook

• WAVA Master Schedule for Second Semester

• WAVA List of Administrative Duties (includes information about assistant principals)

These four WAVA principals have a lot more information to share with all of us and we will be looking to them for more guidance in the months ahead. They know that online learning is not ideal for all students. And, unfortunately, we know that not all students have the ability to engage in learning online. Working to establish access to the internet and getting devices into kids’ hands is becoming an essential service and will be an important part of our work in the months ahead.

For even more information about teaching online, check out these Q and A’s with Jayme Evans:

What are some key learnings that building leaders should know related to leading online learning in schools? 
Different people require different levels of monitoring. If I do not hear from a teacher regularly, I reach out to them. There is a pyramid of responses--email, phone call with a follow-up email, then a meeting with me in Zoom.

How do you lead culture, systems, and learning in an online environment?
All schools have a building leadership team. We meet with the union representation monthly, we host weekly staff meetings (best practices & other trainings), student award assemblies, and teacher recognition by ASB and PLC groups.

If we begin the school year next fall in an online environment, what are some strategies for building a strong culture and getting to know students?
Spend time getting to know your students, play games, gather interest surveys, have kids introduce themselves to their homeroom classmates, create connections between the teacher and students as well as student to student connections.  Try to get every student to enroll in a club or commit to an activity.  Have a new student & freshman orientation day (meet staff and review general tips and tricks to being a successful online student), make connection calls to homeroom students, provide immediate follow-up when a student misses a live session (this takes about a month of training), and provide immediate follow-up to a lack of response to an email.

How do you navigate pressure to getting a student caught up in their learning vs. meeting their social and emotional needs?
We are a Kids at Hope school.  All communications are focused on a strength-based model where teachers talk about student success and work towards an increase in each student’s success. We also have a team of student support professionals who focus on the non-academic needs of our students.  They will connect with students to support them in organization, navigation of the online platform, time management, and other needs.

We are hearing that students are having a hard time taking on assignments with multiple components on their own. How do you break down learning and individualize it for students? 
Well planned assignments are critical to student success as well as student interest.  Choice in assignment has always been a key to student success.  To get an A on an assignment you can complete 4 pieces, for a B complete 3 pieces, to get a C complete 2 etc … I have also seen web based projects where all the links are embedded on the website for ease of navigation but the student gets to choose the topic or subject matter. 

Do you provide instruction/learning that doesn’t require technology?
If so, what does this look like? Students may do some experiments or art at home.  The student still needs to report their findings or take photos of their project for submission to be graded. 

What does teacher evaluation look like in an online environment?
Very similar to in-person observations and walk-throughs.  We follow a master schedule just like a building and can enter any teacher’s classroom at any time.  We look for learning targets, impactful instruction where all students participate, and exit tickets to evaluate that learning occurred on behalf of the student.

Do you have any resources you can share with us?
I will send out an introductory video for WAVA students and our WAVA handbooks. The Zoom tutorial page is a great resource.  Having teachers build relationships with kids is the key to success in teaching in a building or online.

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.

Prefer to read the news? Check out the script.

We are working to collect ideas from across the nation of what schools and districts are considering and/or planning to celebrate our seniors. From AWSP collaboration with Jostens on a virtual graduation (AWSP/Jostens: The Show Will Go On!) to little things to make the senior's year a bit better, we are updating our 2020 Resources page daily.

Here are some of the ideas from our member schools, advisers, principals, and students:

• Recognizing student involvement in activities, arts, academics, and athletics via social media and yard signs.

  • Many communities have found a way for local sign makers to make signs of encouragement and congratulations to put in their yards. There are many folks in neighborhoods that are putting these up, even without a senior in the house.

• Have students submit their “Senior Stories” and thank yous to the school.

  • Buffalo State College (SUNY) is working on social media projects called “Senior stories” where students can send in a 30 second to 1-minute video of themselves reflecting on their time on campus or thanking individuals who helped them on their journey to graduation. The plan is for the communications and marketing team to put the clips together in an end of the year video to send to the whole class. 

• Using snail mail to send handwritten notes from staff to seniors (or all students).

  • Sometimes the power of a handwritten note is amazing. Schools have been doing this as part of the graduation event, but why not write/mail these notes to their students. Create an online list of graduates, have staff select a number of students (if the entire staff participates, this is usually 5-8 cards per staff member), develop (use) a school postcard, have staff write personal notes to their selected students, mail home (either by staff or bring back to school for addressing/mailing).

  • Gown up and Drop In!

    • Have students wear graduation regalia and join a virtual meeting (Google Meet, Zoom) where they can be recognized by school leaders and have their graduation conferred virtually.

    • Enlist student leaders to help with getting the word out to help make sure every senior and family is included in the celebration and has access to a video or computer to participate.

• Drive-Through Graduation/Parade

  • Have each graduate and their family participate in a graduation caravan from their home neighborhood to the school and back. Graduates can pick up their diploma and be greeted by school leaders at the school’s campus before returning home. Provide guidance for signs and decorations that can be used to celebrate the class of 2020. Work with activity advisers and student leaders—particularly underclassmen who want to celebrate their class of 2020 peers—to help plan for solutions to make the day go seamlessly.

• Virtual Prom Live

  • Students are invited to participate in Virtual Prom Live—a series of nationwide virtual proms based on time zones. Students can dress up and listen to top regional DJs play the best school-appropriate music. Encourage your students to register today. You can also coordinate with your school or district to create your own virtual prom event.

• Signing Day Celebrations

  • While this was originally designated for college signing, help celebrate the class of 2020 by creating a virtual signing day for post high school plans. Celebrate their next step of military, career, college or wherever their next steps in life. Really it doesn’t matter what school, pathway, job, or major students will choose. Signing Day is about the commitment to ongoing education and success!

    Of course you can also join schools across the country on June 1 with a virtual College Signing Day party! Check out the College Signing Day toolkit for more information about the celebration and ideas on how you can participate.

We also have resources from our affiliates:

• NatStuCo (NASSP) Resource page

• Circleville City Schools Commencement and Senior Activity Guide

• Grown and Flown: Favorite High School Graduation Idea

• Saturday, May 2 (11am-Noon PST): Show Me Your Walk: Live Celebration for the Class of 2020 (online event)

• Check out the NAWD Zoom Meeting - April 28th: Senior Activities & Student Council Elections

  • Video of 4.28.2020 Zoom Conference

  • View the Chat from the 4.28.2020 Zoom Conference

  • Terry D’Imperio (NY) - SLIDES about Celebrating Seniors from the 4.28.2020 Zoom Conference

  • Robert Bittel’s (NY) - NOTES from the 4.28.2020 Zoom Conference

  • Kathy Coll (PA) - ADDITIONAL IDEAS from the 4.28.2020 Zoom Conference

 

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.

In the self-care wheel, there are six categories: physical, social, mental health & well-being, community, financial, and purpose. 

Read the brief description in each category. 

• Physical self-care: preventative care, exercise, nutrition, sleep

• Social self-care: spending time with family and friends, connecting with a friend at work

• Mental health & well-being self-care: dealing with feelings in a healthy way through journaling, friends, counseling

• Community self-care: contributing to the community you live in, volunteering, loving where you live

• Financial self-care: feeling financially secure, setting a budget, saving for retirement

• Purpose self-care: take time for lunch, set boundaries, leave work at work, take vacation, find value in what you do each day 

Next, color each area RED, YELLOW, or GREEN to indicate where you are succeeding in taking care of yourself and where you could do some work.

Then, if you’d like to do this with a partner or small group, share one thing that you learned or noticed about yourself. Only share what you are comfortable sharing.

Finally, identify one or two areas you would like to work on and create an action plan to improve.

Download PDF

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.

As we begin to look to a transition back into schools at some point, Adelman and Taylor at UCLA begin with the welfare of students and staff as a priority. They have provided some resources to consider. They can be found here: Addressing Barriers to Learning.

In the meantime, we continue to meet, teach and learn virtually. The Atlantic published a timely article to help teachers plan to teach in the coming days and weeks: What Teachers Need to Make Remote Schooling Work.

We are all well-aware of the personal stress these social, educational, and technological adaptations can have. The CDC has great suggestions for dealing with the new stresses here: Stress and Coping. In addition, as we Zoom with greater regularity, EdWeek provides guidance for Zooming safely: How To Keep Students and Staff Safe on Videoconferencing. On an additional, practical level, the FTC also provides good resources for avoiding new scams online: Federal Trade Commission Scam Prevention Resource. The advice may also apply to some vendors contacting schools with ‘the answer’ to all your safety needs.

Now, let’s look ahead. Earlier, I suggested that we did not plan for this pandemic although we should have.  Interestingly, School Safety and Security Alert has summarized What U.S. schools learned from the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. Although useful, the article does not begin to address other potential new learnings around safety planning. Lest we forget, here are some things to consider:

• Your district and your school’s comprehensive EOP safety plan. 
  • Think: Gaps in planning for all threats and hazards.
  • See the Safety Planning Toolkit.

• Assessments to determine needs and resources. 
  • Think: Site, Culture and Climate, and Capacity Assessments.
• Positive experiences on which to build: (This is a starter list to which you can definitely add.)
  • Families more fully engaged than ever before.
  • The better understanding of what education involves.
  • 21C technologies more broadly implemented.
  • New communications tools more widely used.
  • New community partnerships and collaborations.
  • Distance learning resources available and adaptable to new situations.
  • Greater creativity, flexibility, and agility across the K-12 world.
  • Resilience in ways we hadn’t considered before.
  • Adaptability as an integral role in the future.

Let’s not forget. Rather than waiting for these days to pass, let’s look proactively at our all our new learnings, build on them, and plan for an even better new normal for years to come.

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. 

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I received this email from someone I've been following. I think it's a great perspective, so I thought I'd share it with all our amazing members.  

As someone who walks on the beach a lot (they reopened ours the other day) I notice that it never looks the same.

Sometimes the change is gradual and other times a Nor'easter or hurricane hits and it completely changes the landscape.

 

Each time I approach the ocean I am reminded that there are forces beyond my control that shape the world I experience. Whether I like it or not, the wind, waves and tides create a different beach than I walked on the day before.

 

The beach is always changing... just like life.

 

Over the last ten years we've experienced a gradual change in the way we work, shop for groceries, buy online, travel, watch television and movies, date, educate and more.

 

But this spring a tsunami in the form of a virus has changed our world and lives dramatically.

 

Through all the uncertainty people have used phrases like "new normal" and "return to normal" to describe what life will be like when we are no longer locked down and able to go back to our offices, restaurants, stores, etc.

 

But I'm not a fan of phrases such as "new normal" or "returning to normal" because what we consider normal is always changing. Whether it's a gradual or sudden change, we will always experience a changing world.

 

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?" 

 

After all, it doesn't matter how the world changes if you don't change to thrive in it. The world is changing but are you changing? Change is inevitable but whether you change is a choice.

 

Will you change for the better?

 

Don't think of it as returning to normal or a new normal.

 

Return as someone who is changed for the better and ready to thrive in an ever-changing world.

~ Jon

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With all of the trauma and tragedy caused by the pandemic, it's easy to ignore some of the silver linings and opportunities it brings as well. There are many unintended consequences, both positive and negative, of shutting down an entire school system as we are all pushed into completely uncharted territory. I don't need to list all of the negatives, because we are reminded daily of those, but what about the positives?

Well for starters, I've had more conversations with stakeholders from preschool to higher education than I've ever had before in my role here at AWSP. We have collectively hit the brakes to step back and closely examine many of the systems that have just been "running" for decades. It is no secret that being in education is like running non-stop on a treadmill, but our current reality gives us a chance to step off of the treadmill and start asking some deep reflective questions.

I'm having weekly meetings with leaders from the entire education spectrum. That never happened before. I used to wonder why various stakeholder groups and organizations were never at the same table to talk about what is best for kids. It's scary to ponder the notion we were never in the same room together, yet "students" and "learning" were our common purposes.

In the last few weeks, we've engaged in powerful conversations about historically entrenched systems that seem to just perpetuate in the P-16 world. Now, we are talking about them. I've witnessed new relationships between the K-12 world and higher education. I've seen districts and regions come together to talk about best practices moving forward. I've seen the private sector and community partners jump into the fray to talk about how we can tackle education now, and improve it in the future. I've seen swords, shields, and armor put away as long-standing silos are torn down in the name of reframing what is possible for kids moving forward. This is all happening because a pandemic forced us to hit the pause button on what we've accepted as normal.

AWSP has been just as guilty of continuing to run on the treadmill. For years, we've relied on various systems to connect with our members. From typical communication channels to board and committee meetings, we've operated under the same give and take systems for years, until now. Guess what we started doing that we could and should have done years ago? Office hours. That's right. We hold weekly office hours for any and all of our members to jump in and meet 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 face 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?"

Well, pandemic or no pandemic, we will continue this new practice of bringing principals together in a virtual setting from here on out. The conversations are too rich and too rewarding for everyone involved. So just like I've found new relationships and connections happening for me at a state-level leadership role, I strongly encourage all of you to do the same. Miles, travel budgets, and time out of your building can no longer be an excuse not to engage with your colleagues. These new virtual networked improvement communities are just what you need for balance, self-care, and ongoing professional support.

It's not a matter of why, but rather why wouldn't you?

Join us for AWSP Office Hours or our Grade-Level Office Hours and tell us, "what's your silver lining?" 

 

AWSP introduced me to mentoring about five years ago after AWSP teamed up with OSPI in an effort to boost principal mentoring. I was a principal in a mid-size school district in Eastern Washington at the time. The opportunity to participate in a 2-day mentor training was a great professional opportunity. 

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. 

Flash forward to a few months beyond my training and the opportunity presented itself to mentor an elementary principal in a smaller, more rural school district 45 minutes from town. I wasn’t completely sure what I was getting myself into, but in retrospect, the assignment was one of the most rewarding and fun leadership experiences I have had in my leadership career. 

The chance to practice deep listening, with a new leader hearing about “other” systems and their unique opportunities and challenges was revitalizing…I could be a help and support to another new leader. Through mentoring, I could support, influence, and encourage a new school leader, breaking the cycle of “Principal Churn” we know exists. 

As an existing school leader, the training honed my listening skills through the use of Lipton & Wellman’s Learning Focused Supervision tools. It allowed me valuable time to collaborate and practice with colleagues in the training. Providing time to “pause” and “practice” skills to grow as a leader and mentor allowed me to hit the ground running supporting my new mentee.  

The mentor training framed my view of what it could look like to walk alongside a new leader and to be an active listener, colleague, collaborator, and collegial problem solver. I appreciated time to think about connecting with the cycle of inquiry,  the intensity of a leadership school year, and how to anticipate and support the mentee throughout their first years. 

Finding a professional bestie was the most special and unintended result of all! I certainly didn’t have an expectation this mentor/mentee pairing would be so mutually beneficial. When we talk about the challenges of school leadership, we support one another. Our formal mentoring relationship ends this spring, but I know we will be connected for years to come. The relationship is the beautiful benefit of walking alongside someone.  

We should ensure every new school leader has a mentor. It should be a given. Are you hiring a new leader? Are YOU the new leader? As the African proverb states: 

“If you want to go fast, go alone…want to go far? GO TOGETHER!”

Let’s work together to ensure our leaders are supported with mentoring. Let’s give them the kind of professional supports that will keep them in their school beyond the statistics. Only then can we truly move the needle and make the impact on student achievement principals train for. 

 AWSP is here to support ALL of you. Email me for more information.

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 #PlanYourPathWa student voice video contest, and
• a feel-good story.

Prefer to read the news? Check out the script.