AASSP NEWS
June 2023
Summer Re-Charge
The other day I was sitting in church and our pastor was talking about making decisions. He stated, “the average human being makes 122 conscious decisions per day.”
A conscious decision was defined as something that was not routine and had at least two or more options. For example, brushing your teeth would not be a conscious decision since it should be routine, but deciding what to have for lunch would be since there are more than two options.
His topic prompted me to question how many decisions we as administrators make each day? According to my research it is estimated that up to 1500 decisions are made in the course of one day by an administrator. With this number in mind, a school administrator will make over twelve times the decisions of the average person. The number of decisions a school administrator makes is outnumbered by only a few occupations such as an air traffic controller. The number of people impacted by our decisions every day is astronomical. The effect is monumental and not well known to most people outside of the educational sector.
By this point in the year, the majority of administrators are suffering from decision fatigue which causes us to leave work each day and lacking desire to decide anything except when to go to the bed or when to watch our favorite mindless tv program. We don’t want to decide where to go for dinner, what to wear the next day or anything else. Like all other educators we give a great portion of ourselves to everyone else’s children and many times lack the energy from our own family by the time we arrive home to see them.
I say all of these things to remind you that even though summer is upon us and there will be a great deal of planning and many decisions to be made for next year, I encourage you to take some time to step away from the job and rediscover your favorite hobby, spend some time with your family, decompress, blow off some steam, and recharge the batteries. The summer passes quickly and before you know it the daily demands of a new school year will be upon you once again. As a leader you must take care of yourself in order to best lead and care for t. In the infamous words of the airline stewardess pre-flight speech, “You must put on your oxygen mask before you can help others put on theirs.”
I hope you have a great ending to the school year, a restful summer, and I hope to see each of you at the Mobile Convention Center for the CLAS summer convention on June 11-14, 2023.
CLAS Convention
You will not want to miss Alabama’s largest professional learning gathering for school and district administrators!
Sunday, Jun 11, 2023, 01:00 PM
Mobile Convention Center, South Water Street, Mobile, AL, USA
A Message from the AAMSP President
I cannot begin to express how much I have enjoyed being your Alabama Association of Middle Schools Principals (AAMSP) President this past year. From the time I assumed the role as President in June of 2022 until now, I have appreciated being a part of the greater CLAS family. And now that my tenure is coming to an end, I can say that working with Dr. Vic Wilson, Dr. Demica Sanders, Ms. Katrina Akers, and the entire staff at CLAS has been only pleasurable.
As you already know leadership is the key to any successful group, organization, or in our case your schools. Having worked closely with Dr. Wilson and his staff over the last year only strengthened what I already knew about our leadership at CLAS. Dr. Wilson without a doubt works very hard for the leaders in our schools and central offices. He is constantly working closely with those not only in the schools, who have the pulse of education, but with policymakers at the state, and national level as well. I could not do what he does, but he makes it look effortless and does so with results benefiting educators and students across the state of Alabama.
I can also tell you that our AAMSP leadership is strong – it has been and will continue for the future. Having worked with great principals like Tony Sanders, Tamala Maddox, Larry Haynes, Keith York, Danelle Peterman, Ashley Bowling, Cassandra Anderson, and Andy Carpenter for many years in the AAMSP has helped create a strong and growing organization. In the very near future, Caroline Obert will take the reigns as the AAMSP President, and I know she has great plans for next year.
The AAMSP is growing. Currently we have 458 members, which is the highest membership level the AAMSP has had. So much of that is due to the work of our District Presidents. My favorite action as being the AAMSP President was going to as many district meetings as I could this year. I made it to most, but to see our AAMSP District Presidents in action, coordinating, facilitating, and interacting with our members is an indicator that we will continue to grow.
I believe part of our growth is that we understand that working with middle school students, and faculties, presents a unique set of challenges. The professional development opportunities that CLAS has provided, multiple workshops around the state, and the networking opportunities have helped our growth. The AAMSP recognizes that, and we are working to grow professional development opportunities for those of us in the middle grades. From increasing PD opportunities to giving professional development scholarships to those in the AAMSP, I believe we will continue to grow and be a stronger organization. The leadership at CLAS and within the AAMSP is an example that our organization is strong and will continue to grow and support school leaders.
Relax, Recharge, and We'll See You at the CLAS Convention!
The 2022-2023 school year is in the books and we will soon start gearing up for the 2023-2024 school year. While you re-charge, I want to encourage you to participate in the CLAS Convention. The theme for this year's convention is "Meeting Challenges. Seizing Opportunities." and it could not be timelier given the challenges and opportunities that lie before us. Middle and high school educational leaders play a pivotal role in shaping the educational journey of our adolescent learners. It is through events such as the Convention that we can unite, share ideas, foster collaboration, and ignite a lifelong passion for learning among our students.
The past two years have presented numerous challenges for educators, students, and families. From adapting to remote learning to navigating the pandemic, we have had to be resilient and innovative to continue providing high-quality education to our students.
The CLAS Convention provides an excellent opportunity for us to come together as a community and share our experiences, learn from one another, and develop strategies for addressing the challenges we face. This year's convention will be held from June 11-14 in Mobile, Alabama, and I encourage all educational leaders to attend.
The convention will feature keynote speakers, breakout sessions, and networking opportunities that will provide valuable insights and resources to help us tackle the challenges we face. We will have the chance to hear from experts in the field, as well as our peers, who have successfully implemented innovative solutions in their own schools and districts.
As educators, we have a responsibility to ensure that all students have access to high-quality education, regardless of their background or circumstances. The convention will provide valuable resources and strategies for promoting high quality learning for everyone. We will have keynotes and breakouts to meet your learning needs.
The convention is also an opportunity for us to celebrate our successes and recognize the outstanding work being done in our schools and districts. The CLAS Awards Banquet will honor educators and administrators who have made significant contributions to their schools and communities.
I am confident that the 2023 CLAS Convention will be a valuable and rewarding experience for all who attend. I look forward to seeing you in Mobile, and to working together to meet the challenges and seize the opportunities that lie ahead. Thank you all for the work you do for those under your care.
Highlights from the National Leaders Advocacy Conference
ASCA Spring Conference
As members of the Alabama Student Council Association (ASCA) sponsored by AASSP, student leaders from across the state met on April 21-22 for their annual conference in Birmingham, Alabama. It began at the Vulcan Museum on Friday afternoon with a tour of the state park and an informational session on the historic statue. The following day was spent at Samford University listening to keynote speakers and participating in breakout sessions that will assist our students in becoming better leaders at their schools as well as helping them to prepare for leadership roles as adults.
As we come to a close of another school year and look forward to providing opportunities for our students, remember that all high school and middle school SGA’s and SCA’s will benefit from membership in our state association. If your school has not participated in ASCA, we encourage you to allow involvement in the 2023-2024 school year. Membership begins with each current school year, so please watch for more information at www.asca.hereweb.com as we continue to move forward!
Alabama Association of Secondary School Principals (AASSP)
Email: katrina@clasleaders.org
Website: www.clasleaders.org/aassp
Location: Council For Leaders in Alabama Schools, Pelham Street, Montgomery, AL, USA
Phone: 8002393616