The Alaska Council of School Administrators (ACSA) recently secured a Teacher and School Leader Incentive Program grant from the U.S. Department of Education. For Alaskan educators, that means improved professional development, higher compensation, and a better chance of staying in the classroom. We talked with ACSA Grant Director Sam Jordan to discuss this achievement and […]
Category: Funding
Getting the Right Grant Begins With Early Groundwork
Urgent Call to Support Education: NASSP’s Letter to Congress
Today, NASSP and 45 state school leader associations sent a letter to Congress opposing the House of Representatives’ FY 2024 appropriations proposal that would cut education funding by 28%. Read the letter below and join your association in sending a pre-written message to your representatives urging them to fully fund vital K–12 programs.
Out-of-the-Box Solutions for Hiring During a Teacher Shortage
Twenty days before teachers return to our school this September, in the sweltering heat of the hottest summer in 120,000 years, at 5:01pm on the final day of the official deadline for teachers to notify principals of transfers, I received yet another teacher resignation. The Great Resignation continues, and education has turned into the Serengeti […]
An Eye-Opening Trip to the Nation’s Capital
When I came to Washington, DC, in March for the NASSP Advocacy Conference, I walked by the National Museum of the American Indian. I thought about what a great experience it would be for our Native students back in Lincoln County, OR, to have the opportunity to visit the museum as a way to wrap […]
Federal Funds Provide a Boost for Summer Enrichment
When you look at the budget for our entire school, $10,000 isn’t a lot of money. But at Reagan High School where I am principal, that money will allow us to help 80 students receive math and reading enrichment this summer so they’re more prepared academically when the new school year begins.
Listening and Learning Tour Features Stops Out West
As the end of the school year approaches, NASSP President Gregg Wieczorek is winding down Leading Forward: The Listening and Learning Tour. The latest tour stops, highlighted below, come from California, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah.
An Opportunity for Congress to Strengthen the Educator Workforce
In December 2021, NASSP released results from a nationally representative survey of principals that found job satisfaction is at an ultimate low with almost 4 out of 10 principals (38%) expecting to leave the profession in the next three years. The pandemic, political tensions, and limited guidance and resources were cited as major factors.
Why Principals Need a Say in Funding Decisions
When I read the results of NASSP’s recent survey and heard what principals around the country had to say, I was surprised so many of them reported that their districts haven’t consulted them enough about how state and federal COVID-19 relief funds are spent.
A Nurse in Every School: One School District’s Worthwhile Investment
At the onset of the pandemic, officials in the Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8 did something that turned out to be a great use of money: They hired a full-time registered nurse for all nine of our schools. Larger schools like mine—a middle school with 1,100 students—also have a certified nurse assistant.
Shadowing Visits: An Eye Opener for Elected Officials
The first time I ever visited my U.S. senator’s office on Capitol Hill, it really piqued my interest in advocacy on behalf of NASSP and principals throughout my state of Oklahoma. But I realized that while a visit to an office in Washington, D.C., is great, why not have elected officials and their staff come […]