In Doris Kearns Goodwin’s book Team of Rivals, President Abraham Lincoln is described as being the master of setting aside political and personal differences and including opposing voices in his cabinet. In an era of political chaos, that model of leadership is lacking in many arenas of policymaking and discourse, and as public school leaders, we often wonder why policymakers make decisions that may seem counter to what we believe is the correct course of action on issues such as school funding, mental health, racial equality, and more.
(more…)School of Thought Blog
Building Relationships With Candidates and Elected Officials
advocacyEducation Policyeducational policyelected officialspolicymakersschool visitsshadowing visits
Moving the Needle: Strategies to Increase Academic Achievement in Rural Schools
Six years ago, our middle level/high school in rural Idaho was facing the same problems as many rural schools throughout the United States. Shifts in the local economy and an increase in the number of transient students attending schools in neighboring districts had dropped our high school enrollment to below 50 students, raising concerns about its future viability. We knew that our district had many positive attributes that it could build on.
(more…)academic achievementacademic rigorcelebrating successcommunitygoal settingPartnershipsschool communityschool cultureschool visionVision
Introducing the 2021 Assistant Principal of the Year Finalists
Every year, the NASSP National Assistant Principal of the Year (APOY) program recognizes outstanding middle level and high school assistant principals from across the country who provide high-quality learning opportunities for their students. Each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity, and the U.S. Department of State Office of Overseas Schools selects one assistant principal to represent them, and from these, three finalists are chosen. These assistant principals have been selected for their exemplary contributions to the profession.
(more…)
Access and Accommodations: Reimagining Places and Spaces for Students and Staff
Imagine, as an educational leader, that you could create your own school from the ground up. Reimagine space to create places of learning, accepting, and understanding. Form environments that are driven by stakeholder needs and wants. In 2009, one person had a vision for a new, state-of-the-art comprehensive K–12 nontraditional school. The vision became embraced by many and was adopted in 2014 by Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS). In 2016, groundbreaking occurred and, with the first shovel planted, set a course in motion that would change the direction of service provision for the most in-need and vulnerable students in the division.
(more…)individualized educationlearninglearning spacesnontraditional schoolingvirtual learningvirtual tourvirtual tour series
Staying Thirsty Even When Your Cup Is Overflowing With Chaos
Leaders are thirsty. Thirsty for personal and professional growth, achievement, and success for themselves and those they lead. Leaders are just born that way. That is what makes them who they are.
(more…)
Leveling Up: Ways to Increase Remote Student Engagement
Shifting back to (or continuing in) distance learning during the 2020–21 school year provided opportunities to continue to look at how we can build relationships with students, even with only seeing them on a computer screen. Instead of focusing on what students are not doing, taking time to dig deeper and ask others what is working can be the first brave step of trying something innovative to support our students in this new way of doing school.
(more…)
In the Middle of Difficulty Lies Opportunity
On Tuesday, August 6, 2013, my family, my parents, my sister, and her family spent a wonderful day together at the Wisconsin State Fair in Milwaukee. It was a beautiful day, sunny and warm. That night we got home around 8:00 p.m. Our children (ages 1 and 4) had fallen asleep on the way home. We put them in their beds, and my wife and I went to bed soon after—all tired from a long day. That night, around 1:00 a.m., our house was hit by a tornado.
(more…)
Letter to a Discouraged Student
You’re discouraged. I know you are. Your heart sank when you saw the grades. But those letter grades don’t define you.
Last spring didn’t go like it was supposed to go. You missed out on activities. You missed seeing your friends at school every day. And this year isn’t normal either. It’s uncomfortable to wear a mask at school. Remaining “socially distanced” isn’t much fun either!
(more…)
Taking Care of Yourself and Your Staff
Educators rarely leave the profession because they don’t love teaching. As a leader, that was one of my lightbulb moments. They leave because they don’t feel loved, they don’t feel balanced, and everything becomes too much. These are feelings every educator can relate to, and these are the feelings that I have been trying to overcome for a large portion of my 20 years in the field.
(more…)
Personalized Learning in a Comprehensive High School
What does it mean to personalize instruction for all students? Personalization seems like a daunting task, and some educators may say that it is impossible. But let’s face it—personalization is everywhere. Netflix allows each member to view movies and shows with an algorithm that adapts to their interests, doctors can now make virtual visits 24 hours a day, DoorDash will deliver food to your door within minutes, the Mirror personalizes each member’s exercise plan, and you can find transportation at your fingertips by using Uber or Lyft. The issue with education is that our world is entirely personalized, but education has stayed industrialized for more than 100 years.
(more…)
Long Live Cheese! Lessons on Inclusivity From the Fishbowl
Just about two weeks ago, our very large family grew just a little larger with the addition of our youngest family member, a betta fish named Cheese. Who knew this tiny addition had much to teach our family and my school?
(more…)
Sharing Your Highlight Reel: Ways to Share Your School’s Story—and Your Own
Have you ever found yourself scrolling through Twitter and getting the feeling that you aren’t doing enough? Do you ask yourself how others find time to do what they do? Having an online professional learning network (PLN) is extremely important and beneficial; however, if I am being honest, I have found myself comparing where I am and what I am doing with others.
(more…)
The Power of Acknowledgement: Supporting Social and Emotional Needs to Build Culture
In times of crisis and challenge, we are told to be optimistic and keep our heads up. We see memes of positive messaging coming across our social media streams and words like, “Do the human work and the rest will take care of itself.” As people who have chosen the profession of education and as leaders in that profession, we strive to share these worthwhile messages, to find magical words to motivate, and to keep our buildings student-centered. Here are several strategies that can help support social and emotional needs and strengthen school culture.
(more…)
From Staff to Team: 5 Practices That Encourage Collaboration to Improve Student Performance
It’s a fact—secondary teachers are by nature more individualistic than lower-grade teachers. In most schools, they are singleton teachers who are specialists in their content area. Although this specificity is critical at the secondary level, it can often prevent collaboration and collegiality from becoming part of your school culture. The question for secondary school leaders is, how do you encourage content-area teachers to work together for the benefit of all students? Essentially, how do you transition from a staff to a team?
(more…)Congratulations
Congratulations to President Biden and Vice President Harris on their historic inauguration. NASSP stands ready to work with them toward fulfilling the potential of each student in our schools.
Creativity Labs: Empowering Students Through Problem-Solving and Agency
As school leaders, we set a vision for our school and have a philosophy for learning that guides our leadership. Sometimes our visions grow, change, and merge into new ones; sometimes they are rooted in long-held beliefs. Sometimes our master plans blast off quickly, and sometimes they require a meticulous process that grinds along a windy road. It is magical when our vision for learning in our school becomes a reality! It energizes us, gives us reason to celebrate, and helps us set our next course. Our brand new Creativity Lab at Cedar Crest Middle School is the focus of our NASSP Virtual Tour, and it encapsulates our vision, philosophy, and passion for student agency, engagement, learning, and growth.
(more…)creativityproblem solvingstudent agencystudent choicestudent empowermentvirtual tourvirtual tour series
How Core Values Shape Our School Culture and Ultimately Influence Student Success
This school year has presented more challenges than ever before. As leaders, we are charged with keeping it all together at the schoolhouse—while at the same time, as individuals, we are in need of support and self-care due to the uncertainty and unrest that surround us. How, with all that we have going on this school year, do we have time to think about our core values? I sincerely believe that we must make time to reflect on and challenge our core values to understand how they shape our school culture and student success.
(more…)
Lead Like a Conductor: Lessons Learned as a Middle Level Band Director
Beginning band was an exciting time for my middle level students. For many, it was the first time receiving musical instruction, playing an instrument, reading music, and working collaboratively to create art. This experience led students through a journey of learning, challenges, excitement, frustration, determination, and euphoria. A conductor depends upon those they lead—if they are able to become self-aware, recognize individual strengths, develop a collaborative atmosphere, and celebrate success, they will be successful in preparing those they serve for the performance. This post will dive into these critical lessons learned and how they influence my leadership philosophy as an educational leader.
(more…)celebrationscoachingCollaborative Leadershipmiddle level educationpeer coachingRelationshipsself-awareness
Now Is the Time for Unity
Yesterday’s events in the nation’s capital remind us just how severely our country is divided. At the same time, families, educators, and students in pre-K through higher education continue to fight our way through the pandemic’s interruption to education—itself a source of discord in many communities. Our leaders are calling for unity. We need a common cause to harness our pain, frustration, and suffering and convert them to hope and optimism.
Rebuilding our education system can be that common project through which we can all learn to work together again—and teach our students to do the same. Let’s recommit to unifying students across ideologies by giving them space to process hard realities together. Let’s recommit to amplifying their voices and teaching them how to build on common ground. And let’s recommit to fostering a community where each student can discover a constructive purpose.
In his final published words, civil rights icon John Lewis reminded us, “Democracy is not a state. It is an act, and each generation must do its part to help build what we called the Beloved Community, a nation and world society at peace with itself.” Let’s work together to transform our education system into one that prioritizes those ideals, so each student departs our schools with goodness in their hearts—healthy, safe, happy, and destined for success.
Ronn Nozoe, CEO
NASSP
Reframing the Middle Level Conversation on Postsecondary Readiness
We are firmly within the 21st century, yet we still use phrases such as “21st-century skills” and “college and career readiness.” As leaders, it is high time that we refocus our vernacular to reframe the conversation around how we prepare students for the world. We have seen many examples of professional learning and topics related to preparation for life after high school, but what about life after middle level education? There have been multiple programs designed to tackle this question, but here is a perspective that has been positively embraced by students, parents, and educators at Fountain Middle School.
(more…)