Words from the Director

Dr. Pam Deering, CCOSA/OASA Executive Director deering@ccosa.org

In fall 2022, we knew we would have a tough legislative session coming up in the spring—the possibility of bad policy, school choice, and lots of money at the state level. But how would education fare? We believed that the conference theme this year, Courageous Leadership, would aptly fit the session, and it did!

So, you may ask, what is Courageous Leadership, and why talk about it now? You demonstrate it daily—the grit, determination, making tough calls in the best interests of kids, facing fears and challenges, not losing focus, feeling lonely, and always learning. Does that sound familiar?

Recently, a successful courageous leader said: “It is incredibly hard. I don’t know how to explain it. I just can tell you how I feel right now is free, because the expectation is overwhelming; the pressure is overwhelming. They (the players) have each other to laugh with. I’m standing here by myself. (You) begin to feel like you’re smothered a little bit because everyone wants something,” said Patty Gasso, OU softball coach and the winner of three straight national championships and many other awards.

How often have we felt the same way, but we keep on? It took a lot of courage this year to face the legislative session that started with the Governor’s State of the State and his agenda for school choice. With over 3,000 bills introduced, we tracked 500 ed-related bills, narrowing down to a few—mostly funding and a few policy bills. Legislators supported education funding with the largest appropriation of all time—$3.9 billion, with $786 million in new money! Please tell them thanks for the funding. Not only must we celebrate the new money, but we must also celebrate the teacher pay raises. We know we have to continue to advocate for staff pay and funding each year because we know other states are upping their game as well. On the side most do not see, many of the bad education policy bills did not get heard this year, thanks to the excellent work of our legislative advocacy team, our partner associations, and the education coalition.

With all of these celebrations, we have to remember that we now have tax credits, the school choice option supported by the majority of the Legislators and the Governor where your tax dollars now will benefit private school and homeschool families.

These tax credits have the potential to cost the state $300 million over time, but with an immediate impact projected for FY24 of $133 million (State Board of Equalization, June 2023) to the various funds that support public education.

Thank you for keeping your focus on kids. You didn’t let the rhetoric some state leaders use against public education distract you from our mission of educating students in public schools.

You are courageous leaders. Together, as CCOSA members, we will work to keep public education alive so ALL kids can succeed and thrive, not just a select few!

Remember: As a courageous and resilient school leader, YOU move through challenges and adversity while maintaining your own well-being and the well-being of your school district. Keep your courageous mindset optimistic with a focus on what you do best—educate children!

It’s great to be a team together for kids!

CCOSA is your team!

Respectfully,

Pam Deering, Ph.D.

CCOSA Executive Director ■

Be resilient, adaptable, and open-minded. Setbacks are a part of the journey, and it is important to bounce back from adversity and inspire others to do the same. Educational leadership is an ever-evolving field, and there will always be new challenges and opportunities to learn from. As administrators, it is important to remember that others look to us for guidance, and we must be ready to help members of our team navigate difficult or unfamiliar situations.

Danielle Patterson