Better Schools Magazine December 2021 by CCOSA

CLXXVI | DECEMBER 2021

Fundamental Resources and Editorials for School Administrators

Self-Care for Educators 12

MAINTENANCE OF EQUITY

SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS

WHAT'S YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE

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CONTENTS CCOSA Executive Committee Melisa Kifer CCOSA Chairperson ODSS Past-President Special Services Director Stillwater Public Schools Kyle Reynolds OASA President Superintendent Woodward Public Schools Dr. Matt Posey OASA President-Elect Superintendent Bethel Public Schools David Beiler OASSP President Jenks High School Jenks Public Schools Randy Biggs OASSP President-Elect Principal, Frederick HS Frederick Public Schools Robb Mills OMLEA President Principal, Dewitt Waller MS Enid Public Schools Kate Creekmore OMLEA President-Elect Activities/Athletic Director Bixby Public Schools Teresa Golden ODSS President Special Services Director Kingston Public Schools Rachelle English ODSS President-Elect Special Services Director Stilwell Public Schools

7 Words From the Director

By Dr. Pam Deering, CCOSA/OASA Executive Director

10 Shifting Gears

By Richard Collins, Financial Advisor, Horizon Financial

12 New Fiscal Test Required in the American Rescue Plan ESSER III: Maintenance of Equity (MOEquity) By Kathy Dunn, CCOSA Director of Professional Learning for State and Federal Programs

15 Self-Care: Wellness for Educators and School Staff

By Amanda Sellers, School Climate Specialist, OSDE

18 Impact Aid in Oklahoma

By Billie Jordan, OASIS Executive Director and Steven Crawford, OASIS Associate Director

21 Who is the Oklahoma Education Coalition (OEC)?

By Dr. Pam Deering, CCOSA/OASA Executive Director

22 Upcoming Conferences 38 CCOSA District Level Services

Ashley Hoggatt OAESP President Principal, Kirkland ES Putnam City Public Schools Janalyn Taylor OAESP President-Elect Principal, Nance ES Clinton Public Schools Dr. Gregg Garn Higher Education Liaison Sr. Associate Vice Provost of Digital Learning University of Oklahoma

ASSOCIATION UPDATES 41 OASA 45 OAESP 43 OASSP/OMLEA 47 ODSS

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25 School Board Member Elections Around the Corner By Julie Miller, OSSBA Deputy Executive Director & General Counsel

29 So Little Time

APs must prioritize their many tasks to provide effective instructional support. By Ian P. Murphy, Senior Editor, Principal Magazine

34 What’s Your Leadership Style? How well you collaborate can have an effect on student performance and school success. By Ian P. Murphy, Senior Editor, Principal Magazine

CCOSA Staff Dr. Pam Deering CCOSA/OASA Executive Director Derald Glover OASA Assistant Executive Director William D. Parker OASSP/OMLEA Executive Director Glen Abshere OAESP Executive Director Andrea Kunkel CCOSA General Counsel ODSS Executive Director

Dr. Jeanene Barnett Education Policy & Research Analyst & TLE Coordinator

Charlotte Murphy OASSP/OMLEA/CEC Executive Assistant

Elyse Maxwell Director of Marketing and Communications

Lynne White OAESP Executive Assistant & Assistant to the TLE Coordinator

Kathy Dunn Director of Professional Learning, State and Federal Programs

Laura Crabtree Membership Coordinator ODSS Executive Assistant

Cynda Kolar Business Manager

Holliann Burnett Marketing & Communications Executive Assistant

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

Offense or Defense? Which would you rather play—offense or defense? As a basketball player, I always preferred to play offense. In these times, it seems like schools are continually on the defense due to political divisiveness. School districts are continually trying to respond to criticisms that arise from miscommunication, a lack of knowledge or false/misguided perceptions.

On a personal note, as I listened to the claims and criticism against our district, I was greatly distressed. These negative and sometimes false comments of a few are causing administrators and teachers to feel unsupported by a community that is known for its support of education. I felt it was important for our community to hear the facts.”

I believe that it is time to take back the narrative and go on the offense. A recent excellent example of doing just that comes from Dr. Angela Grunewald, Superintendent of Edmond Schools. After several school board meetings with public comments that inflamed the community, Dr. Grunewald set the record straight with her response to the comments. Following is a portion of her response to the Edmond Community:

We all know that we like someone to listen to us when we have concerns. With her response (read the full text here), she addresses the concerns of her district’s parents in a thoughtful, but direct way. Her responsiveness has eased the tensions that many have felt. Her concern, if these unfounded negative attacks continued, is that Edmond Schools would be portrayed in a negative light, and a community that traditionally has been so supportive of the schools would be divided.

“During public participation at the Edmond Public School Board meeting last night, many claims and accusations were made. At that time, I promised a response to those claims. That is the purpose of this document.

None of us would want this kind of publicity based on false information to continue. As school leaders, we hold a very important role in ensuring that we listen and deal with issues as they arise and remain steadfast in our decision-making that is focused on the betterment of students. continues on next page

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ASSOCIATION UPDATES

Words from the Director, continued

While this is one situation, other districts may be facing similar issues that might not be so public, but could be just as harmful to a school district, its students and community. In this past legislative session, we learned a valuable lesson when many of our own legislators did not listen to us on legislation that had negative impacts on public education. These are some of the questions legislators are asking around public education. ■■ What

are specific strategies for helping students with learning loss? How do you get them caught up?

■■ Is

the learning loss greater in one area? Is there a way to measure the learning loss?

■■ How

long will it take us to catch back up? How far behind are our kids?

■■ How

are we addressing social emotional learning?

■■ How

are districts going to show parents, the state, that they are focused on high quality efforts?

Could you answer these questions on short notice? Let’s be prepared to be on the offense for kids, share positive stories, and help stop the negative narrative. School leaders should be concerned. We need our parents and our communities to be positive messengers to our legislators in support of public education and the Oklahoma students we serve.

One way we can help is for our members to give to the CCOSA PAC. The 2022 elections will be critical in making your concerns known with your support and vote. Give to the PAC and support candidates who work for our public education students at home AND at the Capitol. Be aware that the National rhetoric will be heating up around parents’ rights in education. We have to address this head on by taking back the narrative with facts, listening to our parents, helping them understand what the district is doing around the current issues AND what we are doing academically for their children. It is a district-by-district effort, not one that can be resolved just by visiting the Capitol during the session. We have our work cut out for us. Let’s get ready to take the offense with positivity, showcasing with pride what students are learning.

Sincerely, Dr. Pam Deering CCOSA/OASA Executive Director ■

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Shifting Gears

By Richard Collins, Financial Advisor, Horizon Financial Should we be using the word “retirement”? It’s a question I’ve been asking myself lately. The word itself implies some distant dream of faraway destinations, or finally retiring to the family farm to chase our true ambitions. It also signals the end of a passion, the influence, and sense of belonging we’ve enjoyed for many decades. Let’s be honest, the word itself is intimidating and can be very confusing. I prefer to describe retirement as “shifting gears.” As my 15 year old daughter’s driving coach, I often remind her that it’s all about timing. “You’ll know when it’s the right time,” is some of the wisdom I’ve been handed from retired clients. For more than two decades we’ve been devoted to giving specialized financial advice to Oklahoma Educators in their journey to and beyond retirement.

These are the top 3 things we teach in our retirement education:

Are you eligible to retire?

The basic FORMULA for your future pension is 2% x Years x Final Average Salary = Pension Amount. You’re eligibility to retire and draw your formula UNREDUCED depends on the Rule of 80, Rule of 90, or Rule of 90+; however, you can also qualify based on the age of 62 for rule of 80 and 90, or age 65 for rule of 90+. Knowing when you are

eligible is critical because we begin calculating that as lost income while you continue working. If you continue to work, deferring your pension, you have to ask yourself if the larger future value of the pension is enough to overcome what you gave up in benefits continuing to work. It’s all about life expectancy. Register for the OTRS Portal and start the exercise of calculating your pension value over life expectancy. Do this annually to see if it makes sense to shift gears and draw your pension.

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Can you afford to retire?

We set the goal to retire on 100% of your current take home pay. It’s typical for Oklahoma Educators to reach unreduced benefits in their early to mid 50’s, resulting in 60% of their average income for life. Can you afford a 40% pay cut to retire in your early to mid 50’s? For most, the answer is No. So now we are faced with a real life math word problem. Should we continue working in the same profession deferring your pension for a later date, or should we shift gears and go to another profession? This is a difficult decision given the circumstances described above. Many of our clients prefer to continue working because of the passion, the influence, and sense of

belonging. Others choose to turn on the pension income and shift gears. Consider increasing your retirement savings annually to artificially lower your take home pay and build a nest egg to combat future inflation. This simple exercise, over time, could help make the transition a little easier.

Has your salary stagnated?

Let’s assume you are eligible to retire and you can afford to retire. We should evaluate one other key factor, your FINAL AVERAGE SALARY (FAS). Your salary figures are normally posted to the OTRS Portal around November from the previous year’s salary. This means your estimate can lag behind a year until you have those numbers. Why

is this important? Your FAS is a key factor in your pension formula. A rising average salary gives you a multiple in your calculation over all your years. If you decide to retire before this figure has stagnated you could be leaving money on the table. Go to the OTRS Portal and download your Annual Member Statement to watch this FAS, and review your calculation annually.

These important concepts are different for every individual so we encourage you to take a close look at your individual situation, and evaluate when the appropriate time is to shift gears. Thank you to all the Educators out there! Your contributions will pay dividends for generations to come. ■

Richard J. Collins, Financial Professional. www.horizonok.net. Securities & Registered Investment Advisory Services offered through GWN Securities, Inc., 11440 N. Jog Road, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418 Member FINRA & SIPC. Horizon Financial Services, Inc., GWN Securities, Inc., and CCOSA are non-affiliated companies. Horizon Financial Services does not represent nor are they affiliated with OTRS. For the most up to date information please visit the OTRS website at https://oklahoma.gov/trs.html.

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New Fiscal Test Required in the American Rescue Plan ESSER III: MAINTENANCE OF EQUITY (MOEquity) By Kathy Dunn, CCOSA Director of Professional Learning for State and Federal Programs

Just when we begin to understand Maintenance of EFFORT, there’s a new MoEQ in town! Maintenance of Equity is a new fiscal test required of school districts based on guidance in the American Rescue Plan. Based on the stated exemptions for districts (below), only about 70 Oklahoma districts are required to complete the MOEquity report. Of those required to complete MOEquity, some may qualify for an additional one-time exemption given only for the FY22 school year.

Overview of MOEquity at the District Level

Districts who are Exempt from Calculating Maintenance of Equity

In FYs 2022 (SY 2021-2022) and 2023 (SY 2022-2023), LEAs may not reduce:

LEAs that are exempt from MOEquity are:

■■ Per-pupil

state and local funding to highpoverty schools more than the total reduction in per-pupil funding to all schools (ED calls this “funding equity”), AND

■■ Per-pupil

FTEs to high-poverty schools more than the total reduction in per-pupil FTEs in all schools (ED calls this “staffing equity”).

■■ LEAs

must satisfy both tests.

■■ LEAs

with a total enrollment of less than 1,000 students,

■■ LEAs

that operate only one school, and

■■ LEAs

that have only one school per grade span

■■ LEAs

that demonstrate an exceptional or uncontrollable circumstance, such as unpredictable changes in student enrollment or a precipitous decline in the financial resources of the LEA as determined by the Secretary

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Fewer Than 70 Oklahoma LEAs NOT Exempt from the MOEquity Requirement

■■ For

Staffing MOEquity, if an employee splits time between 2 or more buildings, then each site served would count only the portion of time spent serving that site.

The Oklahoma LEAs that do not qualify for one of the exemptions above are listed in the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) MOEquity Toolkit located on the OSDE webpage for COVID-19 Resources at:

What is Included in Calculating Fiscal MOEquity?

https://sde.ok.gov/newsblog/2020-03-12/ coronaviruscovid-19-faqs-oklahoma-publicschools

State and local funding includes all sources of state and local funds the LEA has available for “current expenditures for free public education.”

The listed schools are required to complete the MOEquity report pages found in the Toolkit; however, the US Department of Education has given a one-time exemption for FY22 for LEAs who meet certain conditions.

■■ This

One Time Exemption for FY22 Only An LEA is exempt from the MOEquity requirements for only FY 2022 by certifying to the Department that it did not and will not implement an aggregate reduction in combined State and local per-pupil funding in FY 2022 (i.e., is not facing overall budget reductions). The Certification of Exemption form for this one-time exemption is located in the Oklahoma State Department of Education MOEquity Toolkit on the last tab.

Key Points in the MOEquity Calculation ■■ For

MOEquity purposes, high-poverty schools are the poorest 25% of schools in the LEA, with the USED rounding up for any decimal. For example, a district with 9 schools would have to consider 3 schools in the top 25% (rounding up from 2.25).

■■ Districts

may identify “high-poverty” schools by district-wide basis or by grade span. If identifying schools by grade span, the LEA still must include 25% of the district’s total number of schools by taking the highest poverty schools in each grade span.

is a term defined by ESEA (Sec. 8101(12)).

■■ It

includes administration, instruction, attendance and health services, pupil transportation services, operation and maintenance, fixed charges, and net expenditures to cover deficits for food services.

■■ It

excludes community services, capital outlay, and debt services.

■■ It

does not include federal funds or charitable contributions.

■■ LEAs

can exclude one-time disbursements for a specific purpose, like a revenue surplus that was distributed only for one year. (New option as of 8/6/2021.)

■■ The

OSDE Toolkit clearly delineates which OCAS codes are included in the calculation and which codes are not included, as shown below.

What is Included in Calculating Staffing MOEquity? ■■ Includes

all employees and contracted staff who perform school-level services.

■■ Calculations

should be done once enrollment and staff decisions are “final for a specific school year.”

■■ LEAs

do not have to recalculate based on unpredictable changes in enrollment or staff assignments later in the school year. ■

Resources for Completing the MOEquity Requirement https://sde.ok.gov/newsblog/2020-03-12/coronaviruscovid-19-faqs-oklahoma-public-schools The OSDE COVID-19 Resources webpage contains the following resources which posted on November 12, 2021: ■■ The

MOEquity Webinar

■■ The

MOEquity Webinar Slides

■■ The

MOEquity Toolkit

■■ For

Questions and Guidance on MOEquity

■■ Michelle

Dunn and Thomas Kirk from the OSDE Office of Federal Programs will provide assistance for determining exemptions for MOEquity and for understanding and completing the MOEquity Toolkit.

Thomas Kirk Director of Compliance and Monitoring Thomas.Kirk@sde.ok.gov 405-521-4878 Michelle Dunn Executive Director of Professional Learning and School Success Michelle.Dunn@sde.ok.gov 405-522-6369

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SELF-CARE:

Wellness for Educators and School Staff By Amanda Sellers, School Climate Specialist, OSDE

Educator, you are essential! The work you are doing changes lives, shapes the future, and nourishes others' wellbeing. Take time to care for you. Is "self-care" a new buzz word or is it one more item to add on the "to do" list? Both are valid thoughts. I encourage you to pause and take time to unpack your feelings and thoughts around prioritizing your wellness. First, let's tackle a few myths attached to the term "self-care." ■■ Self-care

should not make a person feel guilty, selfish, or more overwhelmed.

■■ It's

neither selfish, greedy, nor indulgent to prioritize your mental, physical, social and emotional wellness.

■■ Don't

mistake unhealthy coping habits for self-care. True wellness and self-care are not harmful but positive actions towards wellness

■■ You

can access more details about self-care, including a list of ways to try to create balance here: Self-Care for Teachers and Educational Professionals, 2020.

Self-care is the practice of taking an active role in protecting your wellbeing and happiness, in particular, during periods of stress. Educator and school staff stress level and mental health can lead to negative interactions with students, resulting in more punitive responses, lower engagement, and lack of social-emotional support for students. Educator wellness directly correlates with student wellness and is a primary factor in creating a healthy school climate USDE, 2021. Research indicates “stress contagion” can occur in classrooms where teachers report feelings of exhaustion and burnout, which connects with students experiencing higher cortisol levels in these classes National Education Association, 2016. Elevated cortisol can lead to more fight, flight, and freeze responses among students.

An essential part of a traumainformed school system is recognizing the signs of secondary traumatic stress (STS) and related conditions that show up in daily interactions amongst members of the school community. Recognizing your own signs of distress and assessing your level of selfwellness is the first step in caring for you and your students. SECONDARY TRAUMATIC STRESS (STS) is the psychological distress that occurs after hearing about the traumatic experiences of others, it can occur following the traumatic event, seeing images related to the trauma or having to retell a student’s story Secondary Stress and Self Care. ■■ Feeling

detached from students

■■ Feeling

powerless on how to help students

■■ Intrusive

thoughts about the traumatic event

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Prioritize you — you are worth it! COMPASSION FATIGUE Is the emotional and physical burden created in caring for others. It can result from secondary/vicarious traumatic stress, and it often results in the caregiver losing interest or having a reduced capacity of empathy for others (Figley, 1995) ■■ Hypervigilance ■■ Anger

or Minimizing

and Avoidance

■■ Addiction

and Poor Boundaries

PROFESSIONAL BURNOUT is an extreme form of chronic stress that can lead to physical and emotional exhaustion with behaviors that result in cynicism and detachment along with feelings of ineffectiveness. ■■ Constantly

overwhelmed or feeling numb

■■ Negative

attitude toward others

■■ Loss

of professional boundaries and ethics

Personal wellness is multidimensional and may include physical, mental, social, professional, and spiritual health. Each area functions in tandem, meaning these dimensions do not occur in isolation. Healthy educators benefit the school climate by increasing positive interactions among students, co-workers, families, and increasing employee attendance and workplace satisfaction. (Lever et al., 2017; USDE, 2021) ■

SELF-CARE AND WELLNESS BENEFITS ■■ Increased life satisfaction and happiness ■■ Ability to gain perspective and balance ■■ Modeling of healthy coping for children ■■ Fostering a sense of control ■■ Facilitating recovery Adapted from Goga & Olinger, 2020, Boogren & Kanold, and National Association of Social Workers, 2021.

STRATEGIES ■■ Engage in self-reflection ■■ Set boundaries with work, media, and family ■■ Stay connected with support systems. ■■ Practice good nutrition, sleep, and movement routines ■■ Be present and practice mindfulness ■■ Practice gratitude daily ■■ Feel proud of the work you are doing

References and Resources Boogren, T. & Kanold, T. (2021). Educator Wellness: A Guide for Sustaining Mental, Physical, Social and Emotional Wellbeing. Solution Tree. Figley, C.R. (1995). Compassion fatigue as secondary traumatic stress disorder: An overview. In C.R. Figley (Ed.), Compassion fatigue: Coping with secondary traumatic stress disorder in those who treat the traumatized (pp. 1–20). Brunner-Routledge. Goga, T. & Olinger, E. (2020). Self-Care for Teachers and Educational Professionals. Oklahoma State Department of Education, Student Support.

Lever, N ., Mathis, E., & Mayworm, A. (2017). School mental health is not just for students: Why teacher and school staff wellness matters. Report of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders in Youth, 17(1): 6–12. https:// www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ PMC6350815/ Sellers, A (2021) Self-Care for Teachers and Educators Training. Oklahoma State Department of Education, Student Support. National Association of Social Workers (2021). Self-Care for Social Workers.

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. (2021). Supporting Child and Student Social, Emotional, Behavioral, and Mental Health Needs. https://www2.ed.gov/ documents/students/supporting-childstudent-social-emotional-behavioralmental-health.pdf Walker, T. (2016). Is Stress in the Classroom Contagious? National Education Association. https://www.nea.org/advocating-forchange/new-from-nea/stress-classroomcontagious

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Impact Aid in Oklahoma

By Billie Jordan, OASIS Executive Director and Steven Crawford, OASIS Associate Director Impact Aid is a federal education program that reimburses school districts for a portion of lost revenue due to the presence of non-taxable Federal property within the district boundaries. Impact Aid funding is direct, locally controlled and flexible, allowing district leaders to target funds supporting all students, wherever the needs are greatest. Oklahoma has more school districts receiving Impact Aid than any state in the nation. Currently 33 Oklahoma districts receive approximately $1.8 million in Impact Aid 7002 funds and 264 districts receive approximately $35 million in Section 7003 funds, based on federal property in their district, the number of students who live on Federal property or whose parents work on Federal property. This includes military families, children residing in Indian homes or other Federal housing. The Oklahoma Association Serving Impacted Schools, OASIS, assists school districts with the application process, provides support and information, and advocates for Impact Aid. OASIS staff and board members travel to Washington DC twice a year to attend the National Association of Impacted Schools (NAFIS) Conference and visit the offices of all Oklahoma legislators to discuss Impact Aid legislation and funding, In late October, NAFIS reported that Senate Democrats released nine of their 12 appropriations bills, including the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHS) bill. This bill includes an almost $65 million increase for Impact Aid—a $1.968 million increase for Federal Property and a $62.758 million increase for Basic Support, with level funding for all other parts of the program. This is higher than the package the House passed in September—the House provided a $51 million increase for Impact Aid ($50 million for Basic Support and $1 million for Federal Property)—and is closer to the

NAFIS request of a $102 million increase. This is encouraging progress and will hopefully lead to a final bipartisan package that includes significant increases for Impact Aid. Unfortunately, the new compromise bill does not include any funding for K-12 school infrastructure, including the Impact Aid construction program. NAFIS and OASIS will continue to support expansion of the Impact Aid construction program so that more Oklahoma schools are eligible to apply.

The Supplemental Impact Aid Flexibility Act, which allows school districts to use the same student count they used on the previous year’s application again on the application they submit on January 31, is still pending. While this would allow an additional year to use FY19 child counts, it has not passed and currently districts are still required to use previously approved methods (student surveys and source checks) to complete their student count and application. If the legislation is approved and the guidelines change, OASIS and the Office of Impact Aid will notify districts. Another bill supported by NAFIS and OASIS is the Advancing Towards Impact Aid Full Funding Bill, which is gaining support in Washington. Oklahoma Representative Tom Cole, a longtime supporter of Impact Aid and recipient of the 2020 Friend of OASIS Award, has signed onto the bill and we hope that other Oklahoma representatives and senators will follow his lead in their support of the non-partisan bill to fully fund Impact Aid for the first time since 1969. Since districts currently receive less than 40% of the funding they would receive through property taxes if these federal properties remained on the tax rolls, fully funding the program would mean $48,561,733 million more dollars in Oklahoma! The work of OASIS is vital, and having a unified shared message to our elected officials in Washington keeps Impact Aid on their radar. OASIS corresponds regularly with those offices, coordinating with NAFIS to ensure that Oklahoma students attending federally impacted schools are represented. For more information about the work of OASIS or to become a member, go to www.oasisok.com, or call Billie Jordan at (918) 9312494 or Steven Crawford at (405) 301-5535. ■

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Who is the Oklahoma Education Coalition (OEC)? By Dr. Pam Deering, CCOSA/OASA Executive Director

If you haven’t heard of the Oklahoma Education Coalition, then you need to read this! You will recognize member organizations by their names, but they are also a part of a larger group or coalition of organizations dedicated to leading the effort to create, improve and support quality public education for all students, teachers and staff. Formed in the late 1990’s, the Coalition’s goal was to share information and for all of these groups to able to have one voice to advocate for Oklahoma public education students and issues. The shared vision for the Oklahoma Education Coalition is: ■■ To

promote policy that values all children and all levels of public education;

■■ To

enhance the image of public education as the successful foundation of Oklahoma and its economic prosperity;

■■ To

encourage innovation and advocate for an adequate funding structure that will support outstanding educators, students, schools and proposing ideas to improve quality education.

Purposes of the coalition are to: ■■ Demonstrate

Unity by encouraging the individual organizations to be active, unified Coalition members, to affect a more positive impact on public education.

■■ Achieve

Goals by maintaining unity and strength as an organization.

■■ Improve

the Image of Public Education and the OEC by promoting quality public education, building a positive image for educators and spotlighting the OEC as

advocates for all students in public education. ■■ Maintain

the Structure of the Coalition by establishing a permanent Coalition with a common purpose for the good of quality public education.

■■ Resolve

Internal Coalition Issues through collaboration which creates greater potential for success of the Oklahoma Coalition.

How it works: An organization whose primary purpose is improving public education in Oklahoma with proven and demonstrated leadership and a recognized presence at the State Capitol may submit a letter to the OEC for membership. A unanimous vote of approval of the Board of Directors is required for membership. As an educator, you need to know that this coalition is out there fighting for public education! We are stronger together and this coalition is a powerful voice for public education! If you have questions about the Coalition, please contact Pam Deering at deering@ccosa.org. ■

Member Organizations: Oklahoma State School Boards Association Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration Oklahoma Education Association Oklahoma Association of Career and Technology Education United Suburban Schools Association Organization of Rural Oklahoma Schools Oklahoma Parents and Teachers Association Tulsa Classroom Teachers Association Oklahoma City Public Schools Tulsa Public Schools

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■ OASA LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE JANUARY 26, 2022 ■ OAESP MID-WINTER CONFERENCE FEBRUARY 10, 2022 ■ OASSP/OMLEA CONFERENCE FEBRUARY 23-24, 2022 ■ CCOSA SUMMER LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE JUNE 7-9, 2022

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Dec em ber 2021 | better sch o o ls

School Board Member Elections Around the Corner By Julie Miller, OSSBA Deputy Executive Director & General Counsel If your school district has a five member board, seat number 2 is up for election in 2022. If your board is a three, seven, or eight member board you will need to consult your records to determine which seat or seats is/are up for election in 2022. If your board of education appointed someone to a vacant seat in the first half of the term of office, the remainder of the unexpired term will also need to be placed on the ballot for election in 2022.

Frequent questions that arise with regard to school board elections are as follows: How can someone file for a school board seat Eligible candidates can file for office at their county election board during regular hours of business December 6-8, 2021. It is important to know when your county election board closes as some offices are open until 5 p.m. and others close at 4:30 p.m. The county election board will have candidacy filing paperwork that is signed by the interested candidate. This paperwork acknowledges that the person meets all lawful requirements for the position. The county election board does not verify this information but merely collects what is filed.

What requirements exist for candidates To be eligible to be a candidate for member of the board of education of a school district, a person must have resided in the district for at least six months preceding the first day of the filing period, and have been a registered voter registered with the county election board at an address located within the geographical boundaries of the district for six months preceding the first day of the filing period. In school districts that have been divided into election districts, a candidate must have resided in the district for six months preceding the first day of the filing period and have been a registered voter registered with the county election board at an address located within the geographical boundaries of the election district for six months preceding the first day of the filing period.

No person shall be eligible to be a candidate for or elected to be a member of the board of education of a school district unless the person has been awarded a high school diploma or certificate of high school equivalency. A person who has been convicted of a misdemeanor involving embezzlement or a felony under the laws of this state or of the United States or who has entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to such misdemeanor involving embezzlement or felony or who has been convicted of a crime in another state which would have been a misdemeanor involving embezzlement or a felony under the laws of this state or has entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to such crime shall not be eligible to be a candidate for or be elected to any school board office for a period of fifteen years following completion of his sentence or

b e t t e r s chools | D EC EM B ER 2 0 2 1

a contestee who does not appear to answer the petition is deemed to be in default and is considered to have admitted the allegations in the petition. If the allegations are sufficient to disqualify the contestee, the Board shall strike the candidacy and remove the candidate’s name from the ballot.

during the pendency of an appeal of such conviction or plea. Nepotism rules differ if a school has less than 400 students and has voted to eliminate nepotism restrictions via policy. However, in general no person shall be eligible to be a candidate for or serve on a board of education if he or she is currently employed by the school district governed by the board of education or is related within the second degree by affinity or consanguinity to any other member of the board of education or to any employee of the school district. The following are relatives within the second degree: A candidate’s spouse, child, parent, grandchild, grandparent, brother, sister, spouse’s child, spouse’s grandchild, spouse’s brother, spouse’s sister, spouse’s grandparent, grandchild’s spouse, parent’s spouse, and child’s spouse. The prohibitions in this paragraph shall not apply if the board member candidate is related within the second degree of affinity or consanguinity to an individual employed as a substitute teacher by the school district or as a temporary substitute support employee if the school district has an Average Daily Membership of less than five thousand (5,000). Candidates must affirm that upon being elected as a new member of the Board of Education, within fifteen (15) months of election, they will complete at least twelve (12) hours of instruction on education issues, including school finance, Oklahoma education laws, and ethics, duties and responsibilities of district board of education members. Three (3) of these twelve (12) credits must be earned as follows: one (1) credit in ethics, one (1) credit in open meeting act and open records act, and one (1) credit in school finance. Incumbents must affirm that they will complete six (6) hours of instruction within fifteen (15) months of election emphasizing changes in school law. Three (3) of these six (6) credits must be earned as follows: one (1) credit in ethics, one (1) credit in open meeting act and open records act, and one (1) credit in school finance.

When will the election occur What if someone files who is not eligible Any candidate may contest the candidacy of any other candidate for the same office by filing a written petition with the Secretary of the County Election Board who accepted the Declaration of Candidacy. In the event a candidate is unopposed, a petition contesting the candidacy may be filed by any registered voter who is eligible to vote for that office. A contest of candidacy petition must be filed no later than 5 p.m. on the second day following the close of the filing period. That deadline would be December 10, 2021. The petition must list the reasons alleged by the petitioner that the contestee is not qualified by law to become a candidate. The petition must be accompanied by a deposit in the form of a certified check or cashier’s check. Personal checks and cash will not be accepted. The check must be in the amount of Two Hundred Fifty Dollars ($250.00), and it must be made out to the “Secretary of the County Name County Election Board.” An optional Petition for Contest of Candidacy form is available from the County Election Board. The County Election Board Secretary will set a hearing date for the contest. Once the hearing is scheduled, it is the petitioner’s responsibility to have a copy of the petition and a copy of the notice served on the contestee. The petitioner must prove the allegations in the petition. However,

When the election will be held is contingent upon how many people file for office. A Board of Education Primary Election shall be held on February 8, 2022, only if three or more candidates file for the Board of Education position scheduled to be on the ballot or for a Board of Education position appearing on the ballot as an unexpired term. A Board of Education General Election shall be held on April 5, 2022 if only two candidates file for a position scheduled to be on the ballot or for a position on the ballot for an unexpired term or if no candidate in the Board of Education Primary Election receives more than 50% of the votes cast. The polling places shall be open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. If only one person files for the seat, the person will begin the next term of office at the first meeting held after April 5, 2022.

Can an administrator take a position with regard to a candidate Yes, an administrator on their own time and not on school property can take a personal position on an individual’s candidacy for school board. However, if an administrator takes a position and the person that is elected is not the person that an administrator supported this could lead to some personality conflicts for the administrator and new board member. The most successful administrators do not actively support a candidate for school board and remain neutral at all times keeping quiet about who they actually vote for in an election. ■

Dec em ber 2021 | better sch o o ls

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characters stories and choose the settings evidence is affected by happens to the setting and provides characters in a story stories or that what is affected by evidence of both claims. the setting and provides characters in a story of evidence Ask children to write one sentence with an unabbreviated title and a second 2 or more examples of one of the claims. the setting and provides of authors • Identifiesusing details to reveal who, what, using authors sentence with a shortened title. to support the claim. • Identifies 1–2 examples ideas and details in a story, significant interesting of authors the key interesting andof GRADE 2 using details to reveal a clear understanding the setting. • Identifies 1 example interesting both setting information about demonstrate tosignificant information about of how an Write the following sentence and have children find and fix the errors. details to reveal and about • identify an example to revealChildrenusing will ask and answer questions characters. and characters. 2.1 details both setting and and significant information Standard examples of author uses Fiction characters. how. and examples of We will see governor g Smith and senator b Almeda in the parade. 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Connects to in text understanding of and art that add children’s exaggeration characters. examples of of of to evaluate • Provides multipleStory the rubric below Standards: or art that adds humor. to interpret • Provides 1–2 examples articulate an exampledescription or •Use story, using who, what, in aScore using story details and to interpret 1 example of using story details and RL.2.5, RI.2.1, exaggeration in text of the key ideas and details • Provides at least to interpret 4=Exceeding characters’afeelings understanding Unit clear Goals characters’ feelings 3=Meeting Name using story details and art that adds humor. RI.2.5, SL.2.2, relationships. 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Question • understand the Teacher’s will be solved. toTeacher’s but • Both problems accurate, use details • use a period with shortened titles and initials? the and Story how solved. the complete. story or text and About Teacher’s will be are missing or not Answer the problems Answer is missing or inaccurate. predict how and examples directly Question accurate. • Offers 3 or more or solved. based and discussion examples 1–2 is Answer based on reading complete and • Offers Answer unit focus • Teacher’s 1 example based and discussion in response to the on reading • Offers at least the final Teacher’s Question focus accurate,inbut and support to: question and completesevidence. response to the unit the 2 on reading and discussion 1 prompting Requires strong or inaccurate. unit focus is missing from reading unit project with Text question and completes in response to the • identify examples the final with consistent to the unit provides at least final unit project question and completesevidence. • Discusses and the Connections and discussion related of sociallimited complete the • All five questions use examplesuse evidence. the more unit project with orthe at the focus question and questions at least • Four3of The child: providesuse appropriate question word are learning skills, including provides at least the questions emotional of theand • Discusses final unit project. • Discusses and and question word atmaking • Two to three of appropriate of social-emotional social-emotional examples or at beginning, are complete, of theofquestions word courage, courage, problem-solving, two examples only 1one example question and are that • discuss and provide • None are complete, and goals, the appropriate including word courage, beginning, skills, learning skills, skills, including Child’s related to the story. and choices, empathy, learning the learningquestion complete, are social-emotional use the appropriate story. making choices,related the beginning, making choices, or her own life with to thehis problemconnect problem-solving, are complete, problem-solving, Questions including courage, the beginning, to the story. that connect atempathy, Connects to goals, that connect are related reading. empathy, and goals, the reading. empathy, story. to the and solving, making choices,and herrelated with with the reading. his orare Standards: his or her own life his or her own life and 5 that7connect 2) 3 goals, reading. points divided by RI.2.3, SL.2.5, own life with the (total number of

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Give in fiction them thing end inused before a person’s the correct form using alike? and contrasting of the word are used withthe meaningsentence Verbs that name. sentences. is Write the following sentences on the board or chart paper, and ask children to their different? illustrate • What more of the word nouns thatAname correct them by adding capital letters and periods. shortened titlemeaning always the notisend What the same? • do than one thing characters ends with a period. 1. You should go speak to mr Kahn in the library. (Mr.)a naming part ways are the with different? Name: in -s or -es. • In what a verb that goes that containing the characters 2. He a verb cana help you find a book about president Washington. (President) sentence An initialwhat is always written ways are sentence containing Ask children to write • In write themyou 3. HeThen can also findanother a book by e. b. White. (E. B. White) havehelp with a capital letter than one. that names one. more IN SCHOOL 4. You might wantnames to read about king Tut of ancient Egypt. (King) followed by a period. part that 1 • IT HAPPENED error. fix the goes with a naming GRADE 2 • UNIT find and • GRADE 2 children SUPPORT and have ONLINE Play “Nice sentence to Meet You.” Brainstorm a list of titles (e.g., King, Queen, Prince, characters through Children analyze the path.) Write the following along Final Unit Project: bear skips Princess, General, Officer, President, Coach, Mr., Mrs., Ms., Dr., Mayor, (Baby each about reading. skip along the path. school learn from drawing and writing. Baby bear listening, and writing Representative, Senator). Write each title on an index card and place cards in How do people in Unit Focus Question: in response to speaking, Child’s Name: literacy behaviors from each other? a bag. Have partners select one card. One child writes: I am (title) [name]. The about children’s new experience—and your observations Score other child writes: I met (title) [name]. Then reverse roles. For example: to help you record Use the rubric below GoalsDate: 4=Exceeding 3=Meeting Unit Did children: I am Queen Rosa Gomez. I am Senator Darius Young. carefully 2=Developing agreement? Behaviors to • Realizes that authorsfor their I metsubject/verb Queen Rosa Gomez. I met Senator Darius Young. carefully 1=Beginning • use correct Notice and choose the settings happens to • Realizes that authorsfor their carefully in subject/verb agreement? that what error settings authors and the the that stories choose Support by Realizes • to for their • correctly identify in a story is affected and support to: that what happens

√

THE ARTS

Colors and Shapes

√

Into the Woods

√

√ √ Unexpected Across the Heroes Savanna

Whirling and Spinning

√

Bright Ideas

HABITATS CLOSE UP

At the Pond

√

√ √ Community Heroes

√

Tallest, Smallest, Biggest

√

Great Migrations

WHAT IS A HERO?

Save the Earth

√ We Can Move

√

√ Teach Me!

√ Animals of the Sea

ON THE MOVE

Ways to Go

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All Kinds of Homes

√ Explorers

IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

The comprehensive early childhood program that uses authentic books and purposeful play to ensure all children develop the foundational skills they need for a lifelong love of learning!

El programa integral para la primera infancia que utiliza libros auténticos y juegos con propósito para garantizar que todos los niños desarrollen las habilidades básicas que necesitan para aprender y siempre quieran aprender más.

IMPLEMENTATION

sion Strategy: Comprehen

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UNIT 2

PEOPLE & PLACES

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Jobs Around Town

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√ √ Bugs! Bugs! Wild Bugs! Weather

What's the Problem? Cinderella Tales Amazing Animals Taking Responsibility The Artist's Eye Fantasy

Contrast Compare and

Getting Around Back in the Day

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On the Farm

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√ Seasons

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or stored in a retrieval in whole or in part, without written may be reproduced recording, or otherwise, 10012. Scholastic part of this publication TEST • 1 classroom use, no mechanical, photocopying, New York, NY parts intended for Inc., 557 Broadway, any means, electronic, this book those Excepting those write to Scholastic in any form or by to reproduce from Books permission system, or transmitted For information regarding permission, Readers: Take-Home of copyrighted materials. publisher. Scholastic Decodable copyright must appear on all copies permission of the who have purchased Notice of Inc. grants teachers use in their classrooms. Inc. pages intended for 2000 by Scholastic Inc. Copyright © 2002, Published by Scholastic All rights reserved.

STRATEGIES

IT'S MY JOB

Helping at Home

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It Happened in School

Grade 3

BLAST FROM THE PAST

Then and Now

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Wishes & Promises Search & Survive Like No One Else Animal Watch Realistic Fiction

Brothers & Sisters Trickster Tales Life Depends on Water Courage Sports Stars Mystery

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Day and Night

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Grade 2

GO ON ➜

GRADE 3 •

AMAZING ANIMALS

Cats and Kittens

Fantastic Feathers

My Family & Me Stories With a Moral Strong & Healthy What I Can Do It Happened to Me Animal Stories

I T QS onemic P hG a re n e s s Aw LVC O U P A ET N R S I D YA EB FK NOM PGH E COMPREHENSION

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feathers. at each other’s and stared to met one afternoon himself up Two birds and puffed He like a fan gray feathers. out his tail at Crane’s Peacock spread he laughed path, and legs. block Crane’s my tall, skinny of Crane’s “Notice how made fun said Peacock. Crane, are am, Crane,” rainbow. You, beautiful I color of the “Look how ash.” with every as gray as feathers sparkle feathers are dull. Your that peacocks common and words. “I agree with gentle is that?” to Peacock what good Crane spoke among birds, me, feathers. Yet sky. “Follow have lovely took to the wings and spread his value of feathers.” Then Crane fly! How enjoy the true Crane could Peacock, to know that He did not surprised. Peacock was be. soar on flying must watched Crane wonderful ground. He stuck on the out of sight. remained flew Peacock Crane wings until his powerful

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Peacock and

Read the passage.

Inc.

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Item #C17PR6-1297.

UNIT 2

Culturally Responsive Literacy

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is mostly about

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So Little Time APs must prioritize their many tasks to provide effective instructional support. By Ian P. Murphy, Senior Editor, Principal Magazine Like educational professionals at all levels, APs have a lot on their plates. Not only are they tasked with supporting the principal in running their buildings, but they also take on specific subsets of school responsibilities by grade level, subject matter, and administrative specialty.

Add the hundreds of variables they deal with in the form of students, families, teachers, and staff—not to mention the challenges of performing the job at a distance during the pandemic—and the AP’s role can get very complicated, very quickly. “The majority of APs find the work to be a challenge—particularly those new to the position,” says Kevin Thompson, principal of G. James Gholson Middle School, a Title I school located in Prince George’s County, Maryland, one of six large districts active in The Wallace Foundation’s Principal Pipeline

initiative. “Even veteran APs tend to struggle with everyday tasks,” he said. Participants in NAESP’s National Mentor Certification Program “almost always” put task and time management at the top of the list when asked what their principals and APs struggle with, says Alice Shull, a former principal who now works as a professional coach and mentor. “Many of us say that we come to school with a plan for the day,” she says. “But we know that as soon as the buses roll in, the students become our agenda.”

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“Make sure your mental health is taken care of, and tend to yourself and your family after work hours.” Stick to a Schedule APs’ move toward hands-on instructional leadership has made it necessary for them to be able to pivot quickly from administrative tasks to focus on the teaching going on in their buildings. “It is a shift that’s happening across the nation,” Thompson says. “An assistant principal is not just a manager. They often check those boxes, but they also have to focus on instruction.” To stay on top of instructional leadership, Thompson creates a master calendar that APs use to schedule class visits, teacher feedback, and other tasks. “Developing a system is the best way to coordinate your time,” he says. Thompson’s secretary synthesizes schedules to ensure that everyone is on the same page of that calendar, he says, and provides reminders. But APs need to track their to-dos, too. “We make lists,” he says. “The items on those lists may be disrupted by things that happen throughout the day, but it is one of the best guides you can have.”

Follow-through is a challenge. APs must provide teachers with instructional feedback and then circle back to ensure that their recommendations are implemented. “They can get caught up in other things,” he says. “We have a set cycle in which we provide feedback to our teachers, then we have a calendar that echoes the first calendar to ensure those strategies are implemented.”

distinct periods of the day, says Gregory S. Mitchell, AP at Club Boulevard Humanities Magnet Elementary School in Durham, North Carolina, and a 2019 NAESP National Outstanding Assistant Principal. If you have an urgent, complicated, or contentious communication, he adds, go analog instead: “A 10-minute phone call can sometimes save hours of drafting, editing, reading, and replying to emails.”

Dealing With Disruptions

APs should examine their practice to get schedules under control: What worked and what didn’t work when it came to time management? “At times, they seem to be so driven to get one thing accomplished that they don’t think about the other things that their tasks have an effect upon,” Thompson says. “I want them to reflect at times.”

With so many human variables under the APs’ watch, disruptions are the norm. Administrators must develop a sense of what needs an immediate response and what can wait. Not every parent email requires you to drop everything, in other words. “Students are our priority, so any issue involving a student can take [APs] away from their usual tasks,” Thompson says. “Or it may be something I hand them, or parents can be very demanding. Being able to look at those different factors and prioritize is the key.” When it comes to handling email, try “batching” or confining it to

Knowing when to step back is important for administrators driven to succeed. “That’s something we all struggle with, and we all have to learn,” Thompson says. “Make sure your mental health is taken care of, and tend to yourself and your family after work hours. I ask our APs to leave the building or close the laptop.”

Remote Learning’s Silver Lining PGCPS kept learning virtual through December to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, and while that has proved difficult for students and families, it has had an upside for administrators. “It takes away the disruptions that come throughout the school day,” Thompson says. “We get to chat and focus thoroughly on instruction. Virtual meetings and classroom visits indelibly reveal the areas in which APs need to grow as instructional leaders and managers. It has shown me their strengths and weaknesses.” If an AP starts to feel overwhelmed, Thompson encourages an open dialogue to find ways to take care

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“It goes back to prioritizing: Which is the most important task that needs to be dealt with first, and which can we sweep off the list?” An AP can also reach out for help. “Sometimes, this requires having a difficult conversation with your principal,” Shull says. “Perhaps script your concerns and questions. Deciding together how to share the tasks, better managing time and disruptions, will allow the AP to feel more in control of time and more empowered regarding decisions.”

of the logjam. He inherited a “toxic environment” when he assumed the principalship, he says, and he strives to build a culture of collaboration, transparency, and support. “We take a tiered approach,” Thompson says. “I want my APs to learn from me and take that learning to the employees they supervise. I observe them and provide feedback, then they model that same type of feedback to the teachers and use it for improvement.”

“It goes back to prioritizing: Which is the most important task that needs to be dealt with first, and which can we sweep off the list?” Thompson adds. “How can you facilitate—and maybe delegate—this to somebody else you supervise in order for it to get done?” ■

“A principal might put on their mentor/coach hat,” Shull says. “He or she might provide some tools such as a to-do chart and ask open-ended questions that encourage the assistant principal to reflect on the items. [If an] AP has high expectations and is driven to achieve, the principal might consider giving the AP ‘permission’ to delay some tasks.”

Ian P. Murphy is senior editor of Principal magazine. This article was originally published by the National Association of Elementary School Principals in the Jan/Feb 2021 issue of Principal magazine, as part of the APs Rising article series. Reprinted with permission. Copyright 2021, National Association of Elementary School Principals. All rights reserved.

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What’s Your Leadership Style? How well you collaborate can have an effect on student performance and school success. By Ian P. Murphy, Senior Editor, Principal Magazine

Over the course of a career in education, you’ll likely bear witness to—and exercise—different styles of leadership. APs and principals come into the profession with a variety of experiences, backgrounds, and temperaments, and how they accomplish the overarching goal of educating children effectively can differ from day to day. For example, men and women might approach the job differently due to longstanding societal expectations that influence their behavior as decision-makers or authorities. Or a former teacher who was used to a great deal of autonomy at his or her last school might struggle to collaborate as an AP asked to support a larger administrative team. The success or failure of an effort to improve school performance will likely depend upon the leadership styles exhibited on a team. Principals can encourage APs to build their competencies in collaboration and delegation, but they may also have to ask themselves what leadership style they’re using and whether it advances school goals.

Dec em ber 2021 | better sch o o ls

“I start with their strengths and try to build on them. Eventually, the weaknesses will work themselves out.” Defining Styles

Improved Integration

In 1994’s The Managerial Grid, authors Robert Rogers Blake and Jane Srygley Mouton sorted supervisory styles into eight categories:

Elementary APs are more likely to be asked to collaborate in today’s educational environment. “The elementary leadership mindset is more holistic, more child-centered, and more integrated,” says Alice Shull, a coach and mentor who served 32 years as a principal.

Collaborative leadership: A “collaborative” leadership style suggests that leaders involve their staff in decision-making. An administrator establishing a teacher academy would survey teachers on what they needed to improve student achievement, for example, deciding together what might be most practical and effective.

Cooperative leadership: Cooperative leaders help staff members move in the direction that the majority agrees to move. For example, a principal who employs this leadership style effectively might offer an approved list of instructional innovations for teachers to pick from, then encourage and support exploration of whichever the teachers choose to implement.

Participative leadership: Participative leaders work with staff to guide school programs by learning about a concept or strategy and directing its implementation. They then experiment with classroom implementation alongside teachers, parents, and students and solicit suggestions for continuous improvement.

Bureaucratic leadership: Bureaucrats prioritize according to established rules and regulations. Since a change effort often depends on making a departure from current practices, bureaucrats rarely offer more than gradual change.

Charismatic leadership: Charismatic individuals may use their charisma to garner sufficient staff support to move the organization in a chosen direction, but the innovations they produce may fizzle after they leave the school or change jobs.

Laissez-faire: Laissez-faire leaders allow staffers to determine the direction they wish to move. Not many leaders embrace such a hands-off style, but if it encourages staff experimentation, it can produce improved performance.

7 8

Benevolent despot: While mandating the specifics of a strategy unilaterally, the benevolent despot rewards staff for participation in the plan.

Autocratic: People are often drawn to leaders who exercise power freely, but they can also inspire dissent and dissatisfaction. Success depends on the quality and efficacy of the directives that come from the top in this my-way-or-the-highway approach. While collaborative, cooperative, and participative leadership styles carry mostly positive connotations, other styles have sometimes proven effective in improving student performance, St. John’s University researchers Rita Dunn and Robert Brasco wrote in “Supervisory Styles of Instructional Leaders,” a 2006 article published in AASA’s The School Administrator. Examining programs that helped improve students’ standardized test scores successfully and interviewing the administrators behind them, the authors

uncovered a variety of leadership styles. Generally speaking, positive styles prevailed, they said, but leaders may employ different leadership styles at different times. Four out of 5 leaders interviewed chose a new instructional program autocratically, Dunn and Brasco found, but many also allowed staff considerable leeway in determining how to teach it. Others directed change as benevolent despots but rewarded teachers for their participation, and some worked side-by-side with staff in a participative style.

“APs are more able to collaborate because that is their mindset to begin with,” she says. “Maybe the AP does discipline or PBIS and SEL, but does these things collaboratively. The principal and the AP figure out how to support the program in the context of their school.” Shull started her career in the 1970s under a female principal who exhibited a collaborative style at a time when mostly male administrators managed schools autocratically. Since then, the emphasis on social-emotional learning has helped more leaders relate to children and to one another as humans and educational professionals first. “It depends on who it is, what role they are in, and how they define their leadership style,” Shull says. In mentoring APs, “I see their style— who they are and what they’re doing, and maybe what their issues are, as well.”

Gender Differences Subtle, observable differences are often evidenced between men and women when it comes to leadership style, says Carol Leveillee, who has worked with a dozen APs in her 23 years as a principal in Maryland and Delaware elementary schools. “I have had a lot of men and a lot of women, and they do the job differently,” she says. Male APs tend to be more matterof-fact and more comfortable with firm directives, indicating they may be more accepting of leadership styles on the autocratic end of the scale. “They want to follow the calendar; they want tasks. They

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“The advice I usually give aspiring leaders is to build relationships. That, I think, is crucial.” want to know what they need to do to get from point A to point B,” Leveillee says. “Women focus more on what it looks like, what it feels like, what the perception is, and the neatness of it.” APs also handle the task of building student relationships differently based on their own individual strengths. An AP who has a background in athletics might engage with students by participating in a pickup basketball game, for instance, while another might get to know kids by setting up a lunch bunch or a phone call home. “These are subtle differences,” Leveillee says. “How they build relationships with kids varies, and it’s based on what they are good at and want to share with the child.” She models proper relationshipbuilding behaviors to play to each AP’s strengths. “I start with their strengths and try to build on them. Eventually, the weaknesses will work themselves out.” Men and women also tend to communicate differently due to societal expectations. “Men in

leadership can speak their minds freely, whereas women [need] to be diplomatic in our leadership approach,” says Michelle Penn, principal and leadership development coach at the High School for Global Citizenship in the New York City Public Schools, a Wallace PPI district. “We are forced to really be thoughtful about how we communicate.” Men are often more curt or direct, she adds, and she has asked her AP to try to be more mindful of how he communicates. On the one hand, direct, honest feedback is to be applauded, but on the other, leaders have to maintain goodwill and working relationships. He can be stern but “also loving, like a dad,” Penn says. “He does that dance very well. My AP is my right-hand person—I can count on him. “The advice I usually give aspiring leaders is to build relationships,” Penn notes. “That, I think, is crucial. When you have the relationship first and it’s built on respect, you can say what you want to say without being put off.”

The Rare Mismatch On the rare occasions when an AP wasn’t successful, Leveillee says, gender hasn’t come into play— the person either didn’t have the drive to do the job or the desire to learn what it takes. “They thought they had learned everything they needed to learn as a teacher,” Leveillee says. “I will tell you as a veteran principal, you will learn new things every day if you want to.” Regardless of leadership style, leaders should know what they’re projecting. “In a broad sense, they need to reflect on their own style and be self-aware,” Shull says. “There are surveys they can take—self-assessments—to look at their own style and decide where they fall on the continuum from authoritarian to collaborative. Is it authoritarian or top-down, or is it collaborative or distributed?” Shull recommends using selfassessments to aid principals in examining their own leadership styles and those of the APs in their charge, discovering each person’s strengths and weaknesses, and adjusting tasks accordingly. “Studies show that people who work through their strengths are six times more impactful,” she says. “The way we can most effectively set up teams is to say, ‘You’re good at creative, and I’m best at organizing and scheduling.’ Put those two together on a team, and you can capitalize on everyone’s strengths. “Collaboration is the only way we will succeed in terms of educating our kids,” Shull says. “When the principal and an AP and whoever else is on the leadership team collaborate, you get a powerhouse product. You have a culture that is way more positive—way more empowered.” ■ Ian P. Murphy is senior editor of Principal magazine. This article was originally published by the National Association of Elementary School Principals in the March/April 2021 issue of Principal magazine, as part of the APs Rising article series. Reprinted with permission. Copyright 2021, National Association of Elementary School Principals. All rights reserved.

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ASSOCIATION UPDATES

Dec em berDec 2021 em ber | better 2021 |sch bet o otls er sch41 o o ls

OASA

Dr. Pam Deering, CCOSA/OASA Executive Director Derald Glover, OASA Assistant Executive Director OASA has always been the go-to organization for school superintendents and central office administrators. FY22 is proving how important our professional organization is to our members. Once again, OASA has stepped up to provide communication and up-to-the-minute information to its members as we go through another challenging year in public education leadership. ■■ The

OASA weekly zoom “Touch Base” meetings continued this year since our school leaders felt a need to share ideas on a regular basis. Besides providing this valuable forum for networking and sharing information, OASA has worked diligently through a legislative goal process that accurately reflects the direction that our members wish us to follow. Our communication network and defined goals may be more important than ever this year as we anticipate an intense battle against school choice scholarship and tax credit legislation.

■■ Three

years ago, after hearing concerns from our members, OASA began holding meetings to gather information on tax protests, TIFS, and assessment issues. As more schools are affected by tax protests, we finally saw momentum last legislative session to consider a legislative solution. OASA has been the hub of gathering all parties that regulate the tax protest process and we are gaining consensus on possible legislative remedies.

■■ Internally,

OASA is forming a Governance Committee to take a hard look at our governance processes and make recommendations. This process was completed three years ago, and positive changes were made in ensuring that OASA members were represented fairly. Taking a hard look at ourselves is just another

way that OASA stays current and listens to the needs of its members. ■■ In

order to maintain its strength, OASA is seeking 100% membership from its school superintendents. CCOSA added Kathy Dunn to begin providing much needed support and services to central office administrators. She has begun a network of federal program, Indian education, and student information administrators and staff. These meetings have been heavily attended and it is anticipated that many of these staff will join and make OASA even stronger in size and influence.

■■ Besides

advocacy, membership, and network communications, OASA has worked diligently to provide finance bootcamps and

state aid factor estimates. Sound financial advice is more vital than ever as schools are receiving unprecedented one-time federal dollars. ■■ OASA

is your professional organization, and our strength is through engaged members. We will continue to fight on behalf of public-school administrators by advocating on your behalf at the State Capitol. Through our Quality School Frameworks, our communications network, and our advocacy, we continue to show that schools are being led by true professionals. We hope you will continue to be an active part of this amazing organization and continue to ride with the OASA brand! ■

Join Us! OASA’s strength comes from its many members. We want to be sure that all of our superintendents, principals, special services directors and central office staff have the opportunity to become members of CCOSA/OASA and the other organizations under the CCOSA umbrella. We are so much stronger with advocacy efforts and professional learning when we are joined together as members. Thank you for renewing if you are already a member! Help us grow new members in your district! Please remember that school administrators must pay for their own dues, but can have that amount included in their contract. If you would like sample language to include your professional dues in your contract, please contact Dr. Deering at deering@ccosa.org or Derald Glover at glover@ccosa.org.

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ASSOCIATION UPDATES

Dec em berDec 2021 em ber | better 2021 |sch bet o otls er sch43 o o ls

OASSP / OMLEA Will Parker, OASSP/OMLEA Executive Director

Association Business: OASSP Executive Committee members met in a hybrid in-person/ virtual meeting on Friday, September 17, where we discussed new legislative goals, planned outreach to members, and discussed steps for this year’s combined conference with OMLEA which will be held February 23-24, 2022. OASSP President David Beiler led the meeting as we welcomed 13 new regional representatives to the OASSP Executive Committee which represents a total of 22 regions across the state. OMLEA Executive Committee members met in a hybrid inperson/virtual meeting on Friday, September 17, where we heard updates from schools across each region of the state as well as discussed legislative goals and planned for this year’s combined conference with OASSP which will be held February 23-24, 2022. OMLEA President Robb Mills led the meeting as we welcomed regional directors from each quadrant of the state.

OASSP/OMLEA Leadership & Learning Conference The OASSP/OMLEA Leadership & Learning Conference will be held February 23-24, 2022 at the Hilton Garden Inn Conference Center in Edmond. ‘Mission Possible’ is the theme of this year’s conference and will feature keynote speakers/ authors Timothy Alexander and Joe Sanfelippo. Timothy Alexander is a bestselling writer, award-winning speaker, and life coach who thrives at the intersection of character development, counseling, and mentorship. After a life changing car accident in 2006, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down, Timothy has embodied a “never giving up” spirit that inspires educators to do the impossible in their schools and lives. Keynote speaker Joe Sanfelippo, Superintendent of the Fall Creek School District in Fall Creek, WI, will share on the topic “Leading with Hope and Confidence,” which includes strategies for educators who are committed to improving student outcomes by building positive school culture. The Fall Creek School District was named an Innovative District in 2016 and 2017 by the International Center for Leadership in Education. He has served as a principal in suburban and rural Wisconsin. Come join us!

Principals of the Year Recognized October was National Principals Month. Thank you for taking time to highlight the great work of principals in your districts. We received proclamations recognizing October as “Principals Month” from the offices of Governor Kevin Stitt and from State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister. On October 5, 2021, NASSP hosted a virtual awards ceremony to recognize state and national principal of the year winners, including Melissa Barlow, Principal of Yukon High School, Oklahoma’s 2020-2021 High School Principal of the Year.

Professional Development Opportunities: TeleLEAD: TeleLEAD is a partnership with OSU Tele ECHO to provide this professional development twice a month. TeleLEAD is held on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays at 9:30am virtually. Julie Bloss, Grove Public Schools and Kas Nelson, Vici Public Schools provide an elementary perspective. Eric Fox, Jenks Public Schools and Kristy VanDorn, Deer Creek Public Schools provide a secondary perspective. Participants are invited to share their thoughts. Each session will provide a case study in the life of a principal. Join us on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month for an insightful discussion on school topics.

New Principals Academy: The CCOSA's New Principals Academy is designed to promote an interactive discussion on topics essential for participants to develop understanding and knowledge of the leadership role at the school level. There are 59 new principals or fairly new principals that are participating this year.

Principal Mentoring Training The new Principal Mentoring and Coaching program has kicked off with a 23 participants. The purpose of this training is to provide training in the area of mentorship for those that either supervise principals or those that may be assigned as a mentor. This 3-day training is focused on improving the skills of leaders and to provide thoughtful feedback in how to mentor or coach a school leader. ■

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OAESP

Glen Abshere, OAESP Executive Director

Association Business: The OAESP Executive Committee met on September 23, 2021 and November 10, 2021. The Executive Committee has approved two sub-committees, one to review legislative goals and the other to review the rubric for the Oklahoma Principal of the Year selection. Each sub-committee met in early November to review the current goals and practices and made suggestions to present to the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee approved all changes at the November 10 meeting.

OAESP Elementary Principal of the Year/NAESP National Distinguished Principal The NAESP National Distinguished Principal (NDP) program honors outstanding elementary and middlelevel principals across the nation who ensures that America's children acquire a solid foundation for lifelong learning and achievement. 2022 nomination forms were sent out in mid-November. In order to be eligible for the NAESP NDP, the nominee must have been a member of NAESP for 3 years prior to their nomination. OAESP is committed to recognizing Oklahoma leaders. If a nominee is not a member of NAESP, they are still eligible for state recognition.

2022 OAESP Mid-Winter Conference: The OAESP Mid-Winter Conference will be held February 10, 2022 and will be held in-person conference at the Edmond Conference Center. We will welcome keynote speaker Dr. Andy Jacks, a principal in Virginia, NAESP Senior Fellow and the author of his newly released book, Discipline Win. His keynote will center around how school discipline can be a positive aspect of school rather than a negative aspect. Make plans to join us for the OAESP MidWinter Conference on February 10, 2022. Registration is now open.

2022 OAESP President-Elect Candidates The OAESP President-Elect candidates for 2022 are Lindy Risenhoover, Principal of Jenks Southeast Elementary School and Traci Newell, Principal of Elgin Elementary School. Voting will open on February 11, 2022.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES TeleLEAD:

New Principals Academy:

Principal Mentoring Training

TeleLEAD is a partnership with OSU Tele ECHO to provide this professional development twice a month. TeleLEAD is held on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays at 9:30am virtually. Julie Bloss, Grove Public Schools and Kas Nelson, Vici Public Schools provide an elementary perspective. Eric Fox, Jenks Public Schools and Kristy VanDorn, Deer Creek Public Schools provide a secondary perspective. Participants are invited to share their thoughts. Each session will provide a case study in the life of a principal. Join us on the first and third Wednesdays of the month for an insightful discussion on school topics.

The CCOSA's New Principals Academy is designed to promote an interactive discussion on topics essential for participants to develop understanding and knowledge of the leadership role at the school level. There are 59 new principals or fairly new principals that are participating this year.

The new Principal Mentoring and Coaching program has kicked off with 23 participants. The purpose of this training is to provide training in the area of mentorship for those that either supervise principals or those that may be assigned as a mentor. This three-day training is focused on improving the skills of leaders and to provide thoughtful feedback in how to mentor or coach a school leader. ■

National Principals Month: State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Joy Hofmeister and Governor Kevin Stitt presented a proclamation recognizing October as National Principals Month. They both recognize the hard work our principals are doing each and every day.

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ODSS

Andrea Kunkel, CCOSA General Counsel & ODSS Executive Director Although many national organizations are still holding virtual conferences, ODSS’ four officers were able to attend the Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE) Fall Conference in person on November 11-13. As safety precautions, CASE required participants to provide advance proof of COVID vaccination and to wear masks. President Teresa Golden and Legislative and Policy Liaison Kim Elkington-Baxter traveled to Little Rock a day early to represent ODSS at the CASE Board meeting. President-Elect Rachelle English and Past President Melisa Kifer joined them for the conference the next day. They all learned a lot and brought back many ideas for future ODSS Conferences. But attending in person also gave them the chance for adventure, to spend time getting to know one another and to interact with colleagues from across the U.S. We hope they have many more of those opportunities during their terms of office.

The 2021-22 school year is a big, big year for new special education directors! In a typical school year, ODSS has approximately 50 new director participants in the First-Year Special Education Directors Project. This year we have 62. We’re happy to say that every new director has been paired with an experienced director mentor to provide support and encouragement. ODSS appreciates every director willing to volunteer their time to help new colleagues. Finally, November 1 was a big day for ODSS. That’s the day we hit our highest member number ever, with 181 active members! Feel free to share contact information for Andrea at kunkel@ccosa.org or Laura Crabtree at laura@ccosa.org if other administrators in your district would like to learn more about ODSS or CCOSA! ■

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