I have been attending the AASA National Conference on Education (NCE) in Los Angeles this week and had the opportunity to talk to lots of people! Here is a bit of what I learned:
-“Go to your board members kids’ events as this builds relationships and enhances their view of your visibility” (Shawn Cook, 2019 Arkansas Superintendent of the Year, Lakeside School District, Arkansas)
-“Public education is the only profession in the world that influences the future everyday and AASA provides the network necessary to help leaders engage and collaborate to safely check their ideas.” (Kristi Sandvik, Superintendent, Buckeye Elementary School District, Arizona) Kristi is a candidate for AASA President!Remember to vote for Kristi at https://www.directvote.net/AASA/sendid.aspx?year=2019 She is a passionate leader who will represent your voice as superintendent.
-“Superintendents need to push back on privatization. The focus of public schools is to educate students, not to make money for those who desire to take away necessary resources.” (Brian Woods, 2019 Texas Superintendent of the Year, Northside ISD, Texas)
-“As the topic of equity moves to center stage in the ESSA era, superintendents should be prepared with multiple communication strategies. By analyzing building level expenditures prior to the reporting deadline, school leaders can better understand their situation, allowing them to prepare and communicate their story ahead of schedule.” (Mike English, President & CEO – Forecast5 Analytics)
-The new brand for school districts is their hashtag (Five Key Engagement Trends for School Districts in 2019 presentation)
-“As a school superintendent, I feel so fortunate to have the leadership network and professional development support I receive from AASA. In addition to the National Conference on Education (NCE), there are multiple leadership opportunities to collaborate with colleagues who understand and know the exhilaration and challenges of the role to ultimately offer the highest quality public education for ALL students!” (Lupita Ley Hightower, Superintendent, Tolleson Elementary District, Arizona)
“Ask your board each year how you can improve. It is better to ask than to wait to be told. It shows you are a proactive leader.” (Shawn Cook, 2019 Arkansas Superintendent of the Year, Lakeside School District, Arkansas)
-Always lead with your keys – In other words, it is better to turn in your keys than to compromise your values and character (Curt Finch, Deer Valley Unified, Arizona)
-Tell your story on social media or else others will do it for you (Five Key Engagement Trends for School Districts in 2019 presentation)
-“Tech is no longer about implementing, it is about using. If you aren’t using tech tools in education today you are way behind.” (Sean Rickert, Superintendent, Pima Unified School District, Arizona)
-Forward focused v. future focused. Are you focused on tomorrow’s temporal needs or what kids need for their future? (Bill Daggett, Ed. D., Re-envisioning Learning: Addressing the Critical Needs of our Students)
-We are working today with the students who will raise the leaders of the 22nd Century. (Bill Daggett. Ed. D., Re-envisioning Learning: Addressing the Critical Needs of our Students)
-Four Key Takeaways when designing a high school makerspace: 1. Don’t try to stuff the makerspace in the library, 2. Integrate makerspace into all classes don’t just make it an after school program, 3. Leverage your current staff – Rather than hiring dedicated makerspace teachers, 4. Let students solve real-life problems at hackathon-type events. (Nikil Ragav, CEO, nikil@inventorspace.xyz)
-Low SES parents and students check social media 5 to 10 times more than those in the middle class. (Denver Fowler, Author, The 21st Century School Leader: Leading Schools in Today’s World)
-Celebrate your students everyday through using your hashtag (Five Key Engagement Trends for School Districts in 2019)