AWSP Blog

Emotional Agility is probably one of the trickiest skill sets to learn as you are busy juggling the demands of an intense school year. As we think about all that has happened over the past three years and ALL of the things we are working to handle effectively, the importance of emotional agility cannot be overlooked. Susan David, author, TedTX speaker, and co-founder of the Institute of Coaching (Harvard Medical School), is a leader in this field. Those of you participating as mentors/mentees in our AWSP Mentoring Program have been exposed to the School Leader Paradigm and how our personal and social intelligence positively/negatively impacts our ability to lead in the schoolhouse.

These resources are sent out weekly to leaders in special education and Section 504. Each post contains tips and resources on a variety of topics that are meant to keep you informed and up-to-date.

For an outsider looking in, it is extremely frustrating that much of the action that fine tunes/amends bills occur behind closed doors, out of sight of the general public. This is particularly true of the development of the budget, but as one can observe, amendments often crop up on bills the day of their final hearing or on the floor once brought forward for debate. The net effect is that the public often has little time to read and understand any proposed change(s). This is particularly galling when the budget proposal itself is often released in the morning with a same-day public hearing. But this is the system. So be it.

As today comes to a close, so does another cutoff date. All bills with a price tag must be passed out of a fiscal committee (either House Appropriations or Senate Ways and Means) by Friday, February 24. This means the list of bills moving through the Legislature is getting smaller.

Thanks to all of you who attended our Winter Forum. Over 150 of you joined some crucial conversations with your colleagues around the current legislative session, recess, attendance policies, supporting marginalized populations, high school graduation requirements, and other hot topics. Register now for our Spring Forum, coming up May 8, 2023.

For 51 years, AWSP has supported principals and assistant principals (the individuals) and the principalship (the profession) in the education of each and every student. We exist to support principals as a means to the same goal we all have in K-12 education: for all of our students to have hope. Today, we find ourselves in one of the most challenging spots in the history of our association, specifically regarding the two “principal bills,” Senate Bills 5085 and 5175.

We're hosting a webinar on Wednesday, March 8, from 4:30-5:30 p.m. to walk members through an AWSP benefit called The Main Idea from Jenn David-Lang that just might change your life! (In fact, we're sure it will.) Join this interactive session to learn ways to develop your own habit of professional reading and use that reading to improve your school! You will also walk away with two great tools to conduct PD with your own teachers. Learn more and register today!

Happy March Friends. There are so many lovely things that March brings to education. However, it is also one of the toughest months for our staff. I encourage you to simply choose 1 or 2 days to celebrate with your staff this month. Another great idea is to have "Secret Leprechauns"--think secret Santas--staff volunteer to be each others secret Leprechaun and surprise them with treats throughout the St. Patrick's Day Week. This is the month we all need a little inspiration so use this month's newsletter to inspire you to encourage and celebrate your team. Peace and Love, Cindy.

The first cutoff of this year’s legislative session is today, February 17, where policy bills must pass out of their committee of origin. The deadline for bills to move out of fiscal committees (House Appropriations and Senate Ways and Means) is next Friday, February 24. My bill tracking list will thankfully get shorter tomorrow, and we’ll be able to focus on the significant bills that remain in play.

The focus is and will remain so for this week and next on moving bills through committee Executive Sessions to their respective Rules’ Committees. The few that advance will be placed on floor calendars for possible passage. (March 8th is the deadline for bills to have cleared their house of origin.)