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Jenn David-Lang, Founder, The Main Idea
Mar 25, 2024
Are we truly tapping into each student’s fullest potential? We know that every single student has potential for growth and achievement, but it’s not always so clear how to unleash that potential in schools.
Adam Grant’s latest book, Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things, has some great ideas for us.
Adam is an organizational psychologist but I chose to summarize this book because his research and ideas have important implications for us in education.
What does Grant suggest we do to bring out the best in students? He has a multi-level approach (and I love that each starts with an S!)
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Cindy Sholtys-Cromwell, Principal, Loowit High School and Kelso Virtual Academy (K-12), Kelso School District
Mar 25, 2024
I love APRIL. Springtime brings crazy schedules for the Cromwell family. However, I am determined to enjoy these precious moments with my family along with the later sunsets, the blooming flowers, the birds chirping in the morning, and evenings on the back deck. All of these beautiful signs of spring make me smile. This month of April you need not to feel guilty about shutting down your phone for an evening or weekend. Go for a walk, turn the music up a bit louder on your drive to and from work, get a massage, AND treat yourself to some me time. April is when we are starting to see the finish line for this school year, so fill YOUR bucket. I know you will find this edition of the School Celebration Newsletter helpful to bring laughter, joy, and appreciation to your work
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Tamera Marcoe, Assistant Principal, Hunt Elementary School, Puyallup SD
Mar 19, 2024
Last week, I had the honor of representing our state and AWSP members at the NAESP National Advocacy Conference in Washington, D.C. While there, I was able to hear from both candidates running for NAESP Vice-President. Both candidates were able to answer the questions put before them, though Ann-Marie Gleason articulated her thoughts and personalized her stories. Whoever wins the election will be representing our voice through discussions with leaders and legislators across our states and in our country’s capital
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Lisa M. Upton, Principal, Kiona-Benton City Elementary School, Kiona-Benton School District
Mar 15, 2024
I’ve realized that in the world of leadership, the path less traveled is often paved with tough decisions and unwavering values. It's not about being everyone's favorite, and being kind doesn’t make you weak. Leadership is about making decisions that, while they may not please everyone, are in the best interest of students, staff, community, and the mission at hand.
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Dr. Scott Seaman, Executive Director, AWSP
Mar 14, 2024
I recently attended the second of three convenings at the Gates Foundation with educational partners from every sector you can imagine. From early learning to higher education, various perspectives, organizations, community partners, and agencies were in the room—including students.
Why are we meeting? To urgently address our state’s low FAFSA completion rates, decreasing number of students pursuing post-secondary educational opportunities, and how these trend data compare to our state’s current and future job market. We are not moving in the right direction as a system. Something must be done, and soon.
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Dr. Scott Seaman, Executive Director, AWSP
Mar 11, 2024
Principals carry this burden of school-wide hope, but if they are lucky, they are not alone. While principals set the tone for the entire school, there is another group who are quite often working on hope from a completely different angle—our assistant principals. These unsung heroes are a direct line of hope to some of our most hopeless students. Our assistant principals have the opportunity to reach many of our students who don’t feel loved (at school or at home), who don’t have any sense of belonging in their lives, and far too often lack any vision of life in the future, yet alone where they might get their next meal.
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Jack Arend, Deputy Director, AWSP
Mar 11, 2024
As we move from winter winds down and we can see spring just around the corner, we just want to remind principals and assistant principals that your own evaluation must be wrapped up on or before June 1 of each school year. This includes them having a summative conference, scoring, final eval, etc. This is the first year this date has been REQUIRED, per the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 392–191A–190(8) (see the WAC text below).
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Roz Thompson, Governmental Relations & Advocacy Director, AWSP
Mar 08, 2024
Yesterday, the Legislature adjourned “Sine Die”. Over the past few days, decisions were solidified about final supplemental budgets and final bill language. Here is my description about this year’s legislative session based on the book Fortunately that I used to read to my own kids.
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Patrick Vincent, Elementary Grade-Level Leadership Committee Chair and Principal, Union Gap School, Union Gap School District
Mar 07, 2024
Before working in education, I worked in the private sector as an HR manager for aerospace manufacturing firms in Los Angeles. My time on the other side of the wall (the office versus the shop) gave me plenty of time to evaluate the efficient operations of machines, people, and processes. It was the latter that I find most interesting now.
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Anna Marie Dufault, Student Engagement and Support Assistant Superintendent, OSPI
Mar 06, 2024
OSPI is seeking your feedback on model student handbook language that school districts will be required to use to notify students, families, and employees about important rights, complaint options, and contacts.