AWSP News for March 8, 2020

Hello and welcome to another jam-packed episode of AWSP News.

Let’s start with what is clearly on the minds of everyone, Coronavirus. We know your district is taking the lead on precautions and procedures. OSPI and many other health agencies have flooded the system with information about this virus. Either way, that probably doesn’t give you any peace of mind as hundreds of little germ carriers come to your school every day.

We’ve gathered a bunch of resources on our website, including information from the CDC specific to school administrators. We’ve got another great recommendation from your AWSP Board President, Cameron Grow, of Lincoln Middle School in Pullman. Cameron is working on maintaining his positive school culture, while at the same time reducing the amount of physical touch in his building. Great modeling Cameron! Consider launching an “elbows only” or “foot tap” interaction policy in your school. This approach helps kids feel safe, loved and somewhat normal during these uncertain times.

As long as we’re talking about health, we might as well talk about the new immunization rules going into effect at the beginning of the 2020-21 school year. Effective August 1, 2020, there are three changes for schools and districts in order to be in immunization compliance. See Principal Matters for those three changes, and see if you know the answer to our first Fact or Fiction video on the new immunization requirements.

You can find that video, this very newscast you’re watching, and literally hundreds of more videos on our YouTube channel. Did you also know we’ve added the audio from AWSP TV, our talk show for principals, to our podcast feed?

It’s Women’s History Month, and on our last episode of AWSP TV, David Morrill, our Communications Director, interviewed a woman who’s making a lot of history with all the awards she’s winning. That would be Highline Superintendent Dr. Susan Enfield, who just racked up another one after ASAA gave her their 2020 Women in School Leadership Award. Watch or listen to that interview to hear all the ways Highline goes above and beyond in supporting their principals and assistant principals.

With spring break coming right around the corner, it’s a good reminder that not all kids look forward to time away from school. For some kids, that means time away from food, friends, and fun. Omak High School Principal David Kirk saw his discipline rates increase around the winter break, and he partnered with his community to do something about it. Head over to our YouTube channel to watch our video on Omak’s 3F Club, where almost every day during winter break, students came to the high school for, you guessed it, food, friends, and fun. What a great way to engage the community, help create a great culture, and keep kids safe.

There are major professional learning opportunities sitting out there for your consideration and your precious resources. For starters, the annual Equity Conference is May 26 and is a great place to bring a team to explore what inequitable systems still exist in your school. Next, the AWSP/WASA Summer Conference is looking to be one of the best ever with great keynotes and breakout sessions. Consider coming with colleagues from your building or district.

If you are looking way out there and want to consider attending either the NASSP Conference in National Harbor, Maryland July 7-9, or the NAESP Conference in Louisville, Kentucky July 12-14, registration is open for both conferences. We always like to see our Washington principals at these big national events. Your national associations do great work and this is a perfect way to connect with principals from around the country.

Would you like to take a much-needed break and get rewarded with a $15 Amazon Gift Card? If so, we’ve been approached by some of our partners to solicit principal feedback in a study called the “Great Questions Project.” The survey is looking to identify the most pressing challenges in public schools, and in this case, the impact of these challenges for you as school leaders. Close your door, give yourself 5-10 minutes of peace, and consider providing some direct feedback. Survey info is...guess where?...That’s right...in Principal Matters.

Finally, we have been sharing with the world the important role principals play in our educational system. The work you do matters and carries a forever impact. We need your help in spreading this message forward by joining us in recognizing the great principals and assistant principals working diligently across our state. Please consider nominating a deserving colleague for the prestigious recognition of Principal of the Year or Assistant Principal of the Year. Act today and nominate a rock star school leader because the nomination window closes on March 13th. Check our website for more information.

Well that’s it for all of us here at AWSP. As always, keep up the great work for kids and we’ll see you next time!