OAESP

Glen Abshere, OAESP Executive Director

OAESP membership continues to grow this year, with 852 members currently. Of those 852 members, 202 – or nearly one-fourth! – are new to OAESP this year. Thank you for being a member of OAESP!

The OAESP Principal of the Year program honors outstanding elementary and middlelevel principals who ensure that America’s children acquire a solid foundation for lifelong learning and achievement.

The OAESP Administrator of the Year/ National Distinguished Principal (NDP) application packet was sent to 19 principals nominated by their peers and/or supervisors. The NDP selection committee reviewed and scored the applications. Ashley Hoggatt, Principal of D.D. Kirkland Elementary School, Putnam City Schools, was named the OAESP Principal of the Year and the NAESP National Distinguished Principal. Margaret Saunders Simpson, Principal of Wilson Elementary Arts Integration School, Oklahoma City Public Schools, was named the OAESP Principal of Excellence. Jera Kierspert, Principal of Roosevelt Elementary School, Ponca City Public Schools, was named the James R. Burnett Principal of Distinction.

The Annual NAESP School Leaders Advocacy Conference was held March 10-13, 2024, in Washington, D.C. Attending this year was OAESP President Traci Newell, OAESP President-Elect Tara Burnett, State Representative and Federal Relations Officer Andrea Sifers, and Executive Director Glen Abshere. We had great visits promoting public education with Oklahoma senators and congressional representatives.

The OAESP Presidential election took place in March. Amy Estes, Principal of Sallie Gillentine Elementary School, Hollis Public Schools, was voted as the next OAESP President-Elect. She will begin her role in that office in July.

The OAESP Constitution and Bylaws were amended to update some language to current practice. Thank you to those who voted.

The second cohort of the Oklahoma Principal Leadership Institute (OPLI) just wrapped up its year. OPLI meets seven days through the school year and takes a deep dive into effectively leading schools. It is designed for those who are beyond their first year of principalship, or assistant principals beyond the first year. We tackle topics such as school culture, professional learning communities, leader self-care, having difficult conversations, using student data to drive instruction, advocacy, and retaining and recruiting top talent, to name just a few. Dates for the 20242025 cohort have been announced: July 23-25 and November 12-13, 2024, and March 3-4, 2025. Attendees are selected through an application process. The July experience includes boat rowing, a ropes course, and white-water rafting.

The CCOSA New Principals Academy is open to all principals and assistant principals in their first five years of service. The group meets four times in the fall semester. The dates of the Oklahoma City Academy are Sept. 24, Oct. 22, Nov. 19, and Dec. 11, 2024. The dates of the Tulsa Academy are Sept. 26, Oct. 23, Nov. 20, and Dec. 12, 2024. Registration will open in July.

The CCOSA Principal Mentoring and Coaching program meets three times in the fall semester. This program is designed for veteran principals who may mentor other principals or for superintendents or central office administrators who mentor and supervise building leaders. Upcoming dates for the program are Sept. 19, Oct. 29, and Dec. 3, 2024. Registration will open in June.

The NAESP National Conference will be held this summer in Nashville, Tennessee, on July 15-17, 2024. Some of the speakers include Jon Gordon, bestselling author, and Rehema Ellis, Chief Education Correspondent for NBC News. Registration is now open at www.theunitedconference.org. ■