Principal Navigator Spring 2021

Vol. 16 No. 3 • Spring 2021 • $9.95

principal

Navigator the magazine of the Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators

IN THIS ISSUE:

OAESA VIRTUAL PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCE PREVIEW HAMISH BREWER ON THE RELENTLESS SPIRIT OF EDUCATORS INSPIRATION AT THE END OF AN UNIMAGINABLE YEAR BOOKS TO PREP YOU FOR THE CONFERENCE OAESA SURVEY RESULTS ON RACISM AND EQUITY

Celebrate

YOU’RE UNSTOPPABLE!

CELEBRATE!

you’re unstoppable!

2021 Virtual Professional Conference June 17-18, 2021

FEATURING KEYNOTE SPEAKERS HAMISH BREWER

The tattooed, skateboarding principal and author of Relentless

SAYANTANI DASGUPTA

Pediatrician and award-winning author of The Serpent’s Secret

W

hen we chose this conference theme in 2019, little did we know how relevant it would become.

If there has ever been a time to celebrate all we’ve been through and all that we’ve learned, 2021 is that year.

You were up to the challenge, and now, it’s time to take a deep breath, reflect on all of your experiences, and celebrate the fact that

we’ve survived,

JIMMY WAYNE

Award-winning country music artist, foster care advocate, and author of A Walk to Beautiful

WILLIAM BLACKFORD

Senior consultant for FranklinCovey and Leader in Me, transformational leadership development expert

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PLUS!

Attendees receive access to over 35 professional learning clinics by colleagues and community organizations

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we’ve thrived, WE’RE UNSTOPPABLE. DON’T MISS IT! JUNE 17-18, 2021 REGISTER NOW! Online at OAESA.org or by phone 614-547-8087 MEMBERS/STAFF of MEMBERS: $249 ONE-DAY RATE: $149 RETIREE RATE: $199

Executive Director’s Exchange CELEBRATE: You’re Unstoppable!

Dear Colleagues, I hope you can join us on June 17-18, 2021 for our virtual OAESA Professional Conference Celebrate: You’re Unstoppable! When the Professional Conference Service Team chose this theme in 2019, little did we know how relevant it would become. If there has ever been a time to celebrate all we’ve been through and all that we’ve learned, 2021 is that year. You were up to the challenge, and now, it’s time to pause, reflect on the good of this past year, and celebrate that we’ve survived, we’ve thrived, WE’RE UNSTOPPABLE! But, how do you do this: believe, act and be unstoppable? I suggest that it is a discipline and practice of one’s mindset. The dictionary defines mindset as a set of assumptions, methods or notions held by one or more people, and unstoppable is defined as unbeatable, indestructible, undefeated. Our contributing authors in this issue are being just that when they share the many ways their school communities adopted a mindset of being unstoppable for kids!

from our students, their parents, families, caregivers, educators, teachers and all of the players within the educational system.

Unstoppable leaders recognize that we have all learned so much this year and they are being deliberate and judicious while answering the question of whether we really want to totally go back to “normal.” They are taking the time to decide what to return to, what to purposefully abandon, and what lessons learned during the closure to bring into the present.

Our colleagues have told me that the closure forced enhanced collaboration and communication with multiple stakeholders in multiple formats. They also said that this past year allowed for more innovation and permission to think outside the box. Educators were permitted to think of student success in a broader manner. They will be keeping all of those practices and many more, while purposefully abandoning some. And, of course, celebrating the ability to safely return to many of our “normal” traditions, practices, and events.

“Educators said that this past year allowed for What are some other ways Ohio’s more innovation educators are being unstoppable right In one of our recent Leaders now? Well, I have had the chance and permission AdvantEDGE Podcasts, “Meet Me in to engage with even more of our the Middle,” we heard from veteran members than normal this year due to Matt Bradley (Highland to think outside principals the convenience and equal access of Local Schools) and Carrie Sanchez zoom and this is what I have learned.

(Port Clinton City Schools) about the box.”

Unstoppable leaders do not have a finding that middle ground between singular focus on learning loss. Yes, they recognize and grieve the fact that many students did not, could not, grow the way we would have expected them to if it had not been for COVID. And they recognize that the school closures did, indeed, compound racial and economic disparities in learning and achievement.

But, they have stopped admiring those problems and moved on to critical conversations with faculty, families, and students around what evidence-based acceleration approaches can help in addressing those disparities. They are doing something about it! And, they are also prioritizing the social-emotional needs of their students, staff, and selves. Additionally, they are purposeful in recognizing and celebrating the amazing efforts this past year

embracing new ideas that were brought about by the pandemic and abandoning what no longer serves our school communities.

Listen in and check it out on Apple, Amazon Music, Audible, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.

Just as I bet you will see yourself in many of the ideas and concepts Matt and Carrie share on the podcast, I know you will see yourself in some of my examples above and in the articles in this issue’s magazine. And, I am sure you have many additional ones to add. Thank you for all of your efforts this past year and I hope to see you at our virtual conference June 17-18.

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We invite you to join us for OAESA’s 64th Annual Professional Conference

Celebrate

YOU’RE UNSTOPPABLE! In this issue

Let the Children March Felecia Evans

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Beallsville School Works to Instill Hope and Purpose 20 Casey Tolzda

The Vincent Way 22 Lynne Stark

Slaying Our Vampires 24 Paul G. Young, Ph.D.

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Empower Your Staff to Feel Unstoppable 27 with Round Table Meetings Max Lallathin

Kindness Counts...All Day, Every Day! 28 Todd Carmer

Feeling Unstoppable or Stopped in Your Tracks? 29 Tamar Campbell

A Missing Link 30 Nick Neiderhouse, Ed.D.

How to Build an Unstoppable Education in a Virtual World 32

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James A. Millett, Ed.D.

Not Just Surviving...Thriving! 34 Dorothy Lambert

Feeding Hungry Minds: A COSI Case Study 36 Stephen White, Esq. and Allie Greiwe

You’re Unstoppable When a PLC is Teacher-Led 38 John Hill

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In every issue table of contents 3

Executive Director’s Exchange

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OAESA Board of Directors

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Highlighting an OAESA Hero

ABOUT THE PRINCIPAL NAVIGATOR EDITORIAL SERVICE TEAM & READERS Natalie Buchanan, Franklin Local Schools Tammy Elchert, Ed.D., Carey Ex. Village Schools Alexandra Nannicola, Champion Local Schools Nick Neiderhouse, Ed.D., Maumee City Schools Katie Nowak, New Albany Plain Local Schools Cathryn Rice, Xenia Community Schools Dan Sebring, Bay Village City Schools Jeromey Sheets, Ed.D., Lancaster City Schools Paul Young, Ph.D., retired Stephen Zinser, retired

CELEBRATE: You’re Unstoppable Dr. Julie Davis Our 2020-2021 Board

Kesh Boodheshwar, OAESA President-Elect

OAESA/SAIL STAFF Julie Davis, Ed.D., Executive Director Mark Jones, Associate Executive Director Nancy Abrams, Business & Office Manager Patty Cooper, Executive Administrative Specialist Melissa Butsko, Graduate Program Specialist Rebecca Hornberger, Ph.D., Associate Dean, Concordia University Chicago Mary Mitton-Sanchez, Director of Communications

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SAIL for Education

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From the Desk of our Associate Executive Director

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OAESA Event Preview: Hamish Brewer

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Health Matters

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Legal Report

EDITORIAL POLICY Unless otherwise noted, all articles published in the Principal Navigator become the property of OAESA and may not be reprinted without permission from OAESA. The articles published in the Principal Navigator represent the ideas and/or beliefs of the authors and do not necessarily express the views of OAESA.

Legislative Update

Advertising inquiries should be directed to OAESA by phone at 614.547.8087 or by emailing info@oaesa.org.

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Staff Spotlight: Melissa Butsko, Graduate Programs Specialist

Leading with courage: our members respond Mark Jones

A conversation with the opening keynote of OAESA’s 2021 professional conference Supporting students’ and educators’ behavioral health as the pandemic winds down Anna Miller, MPH Administrators’ Frequently Asked Legal Questions Dennis Pergram Advocacy = Persistence Barbara Shaner

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The Chalkboard

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We’re Booked

The Principal Navigator (ISSN 1088-078X) is published three times per school year by OAESA, 445 Hutchinson Ave., Suite 700, Columbus, Ohio, 43235. Subscriptions are available only as part of membership. Periodical postage paid at Columbus, Ohio, and additional mailing offices.

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Thank You to OAESA’s Service Team Members!

OAESA is affiliated with the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP).

News from the Association

Members’ reviews of the latest, greatest books for principals and students

INTENTIONALLY C

NNECT

EFFECTIVELY DEVEL PASSIONATELY

POSTMASTER Send address changes to: Principal Navigator 445 Hutchinson Ave., Suite 700 Columbus, Ohio 43235

P

DVOCATE

Look for these symbols by each article to denote the aspect of our mission that the article reinforces.

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OAESA’s 2020-2021

Board of Directors PRESIDENT

PRESIDENT ELECT

Abbey Bolton

Kesh Boodheshwar

Davey Elementary Kent City Schools abolton@kentschools.net

ZONE 1 DIRECTOR

Ryan McGraw

Huntington Elementary Brunswick City Schools

kboodheshwar@bcsoh.org

ZONE 2 DIRECTOR

Chad Hinton

Gretchen Liggens, Ph.D.

Cathryn Rice

Walton Pre-K–8 School Cleveland Metropolitan Schools gretchen.liggens@clevelandmetroschools.org

Zone Directors ZONE 3 DIRECTOR

Tecumseh Elementary Xenia Community Schools cpettic@gmail.com

ZONE 4 DIRECTOR

Sue Brackenhoff, Ph.D. Nick Neiderhouse, Ed.D.

FEDERAL RELATIONS

Katie Nowak

New Albany Intermediate School New Albany-Plain Local Schools nowak.3@napls.us

ZONE 5 DIRECTOR

Tammy Elchert, Ed.D.

Carey Elementary Carey Exempted Village Schools telchert@careyevs.org

ZONE 7 DIRECTOR

ZONE 8 DIRECTOR

ZONE 9 DIRECTOR

ZONE 10 DIRECTOR

Alexandra Nannicola

Susanne Waltman

Natalie Buchanan

ZONE 6 DIRECTOR

T.J. Ebert

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NAESP REP

Fairborn City Schools sbrackenhoff@fairborn.k12.oh.us

Maude Marshall Elementary Talawanda Schools hintonc@talawanda.org

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PAST PRESIDENT

Wayne Trail Elementary Maumee City Schools nneiderhouse@maumeek12.org

Minford Elementary Minford Local Schools rmcgraw@minfordfalcons.net

Independence Primary School Independence Local Schools tebert@independence.k12.oh.us

Executive Board

Central Elementary Champion Local Schools

alexandra.nannicola@championlocal.org

Office of Curriculum & Instruction

Strausser Elementary Jackson Local Schools sew2jc@jackson.sparcc.org

Little Bolts Preschool Franklin Local Schools

natalie.buchanan@franklinlocalschools.org

Jessica Rardon

Hilliard Tharp Sixth Grade School

Hilliard City Schools jessica_rardon@hboe.org

OAESA needs county representatives and district liaisons. Is your district represented?

Zone Map

Contact your zone director or email info@oaesa.org to find out more information about this opportunity.

Sign up to be a district liaison online: oaesa.org. membership/ district-liaison

Board Representatives CENTRAL OFFICE

ASST. PRINCIPAL

MINORITY

Bob Buck

Joy O’Brien

Felecia Evans

Office of Teaching and Learning Forest Hills Schools bobbuck@foresthills.edu

Ayer Elementary Forest Hills Schools joyobrien@foresthills.edu

Lander Elementary Mayfield City Schools fevans@mayfieldschools.org

MIDDLE SCHOOL

CLEVELAND DIST.

COLUMBUS DIST.

Carrie Sanchez

Audrey Staton-Thompson

Andrew Smith

Port Clinton Middle School Port Clinton City Schools csanchez@pccsd-k12.net

Office of Contract Implementation Cleveland Metropolitan Schools audrey.staton-thompson@ clevelandmetroschools.org

Valley Forge Elementary Columbus City Schools ansmith@columbus.k12.oh.us

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AM ERICAN DREAM JOB a conversation with OAESA’s President-Elect

Kesh Boodheshwar Tell us about your background and current position.

I was born in Guyana, South America and immigrated to the US with my family. I grew up in Cleveland and Brook Park while attending Cleveland Public Schools and Berea High School. I began my teaching career in Strongsville as a kindergarten and first grade teacher.

After eight years in the classroom, I transitioned to administration as an assistant principal. The following year, I accepted the position as Principal of Surrarrer Elementary School. After eight years, I took a position in Brunswick City Schools where my three daughters attend school. I’ve been the principal of Huntington Elementary School for the past eight years.

What is the culture/climate like in your school?

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I feel very fortunate to work staff and teachers. We are here at Huntington. And like we work together to provide

with my a family a family, the best

learning environment for our kids. We collectively strive each day to maintain a positive, caring, and supportive culture for our students and families.

What do you view as your most important contribution to the day-today operations of your school?

Being present and visible is very important to me. I enjoy visiting classrooms, playing with students at recess, and helping out during lunch whenever I can. This helps me build relationships with our students and staff.

If we interviewed your staff, what are three words they’d use to describe you? Why? I would have to say that my staff would describe me as positive. I always try to maintain a positive attitude because I firmly believe that positivity breeds positivity…and that’s my goal! I’m also supportive of my students’ and staffs’ academic and social-emotional needs, both inside and outside of the classroom. Finally, I would hope they

would say that I am caring. I am positive and supportive because I truly care about all our students and staff. There is nothing more important to me than helping each of our students be successful.

What are some challenges and some silver linings of the societal changes that we have encountered in 2020-2021, specifically when it comes to education and students?

Congratulations on serving on the OAESA Board as our President-Elect.

How long have you been on the board?

Why did you join?

The obvious challenge has been trying to maintain the continuity of education for our students, especially in the online environment. However, everyone stepped up to the challenge. Teachers were teaching from home, students were logging in from their homes, daycares, or even from their parents’ work environment because they had to go to work with their parents. I was filled with PRIDE as everyone persevered through this difficult time.

I have served on the Board of Directors since 2017. Our former Zone 6 Director, Erin Simpson, brought me into the fray.

I’ve always been about making a difference.

That is why I became a teacher, to make a difference in the lives of children. Being a member of the board gave me the opportunity to make a difference on a much larger scale!

This issue focuses on celebrating our successes in education in the face of challenges posed by COVID-19 and the racial justice movement of 2020. How has your school community persevered in the face of this unprecedented school year?

Like everyone else, we were concerned about the well-being of our students and families. That being said, each building in Brunswick developed Engagement Teams with the primary goal of fostering positive relationships with our families, providing timely responses to any questions or concerns, and supporting our teachers, students, and parents during this unprecedented time. This paved the way to having a successful school year.

Could you share any advice or words of wisdom for those who might be considering an administrative role? Why should they make this professional leap?

If you are considering an administrative role, I strongly encourage you to take the leap. To prepare for this, start by taking on leadership roles in your building and at the district level. Get involved and be present at building and district events.

Students, teachers, and staff need leaders that will support, encourage and care for them. As a classroom teacher, you have the power to affect the lives of the students in your classroom. Taking on a principalship gives you the opportunity to affect the lives of everyone in your building and school community.

“I became a teacher to make a difference in the lives of children.

Being a member of the board gave me the opportunity to make a difference on a much larger scale!”

Highlighting an OAESA Hero!

THE BASICS FAMILY MEMBERS? I have three amazing daughters: Ava (16), Sophia (13), and Olivia (13).

YEARS IN THE CLASSROOM? YEARS IN ADMINISTRATION? 8 years in the classroom and 17 years as an administrator.

EMERGENCY DESK FOOD? Popcorn. I love Popcorn Fridays at school!

PERSONAL MANTRA? Everyone makes mistakes.

The key is to learn from your mistakes and never make the same mistake again.

BEST DECISION? Becoming a teacher. It led me to where I am today!

FAVORITE DOWNTIME ACTIVITIES? I enjoy working out, binge watching anything Marvel or D.C. related, and spending time with my girls!

UP NEXT ON YOUR BUCKET LIST? Travel to Scotland WHAT WERE YOU LIKE AS A STUDENT? I was that quiet kid that slid under the radar.

FAVORITE OAESA EVENT? I love attending our OAESA Professional Conference and being able to connect with colleagues from across the state.

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SAIL for Education Staff Spotlight

A Q&A WITH SAIL FOR EDUCATION GRADUATE PROGRAMS SPECIALIST, MELISSA BUTSKO What is your role with OAESA and SAIL for Education in conjunction with Concordia University Chicago?

I am a Graduate Program Specialist (GPS) responsible for providing comprehensive advising services to graduate students enrolled in Concordia University Chicago’s graduate programs. I work specifically with Ohio educators, monitoring student progress from enrollment to registration to program completion. I am in regular contact with students regarding admission, registration, financial aid, textbook purchasing, and IT services. I send reminders regarding critical deadlines, monitor student progress toward a degree, and assist students in obtaining transfer credits when necessary. I keep track of academic course requirements for each student, and I also work as a liaison between our students and their instructors, the registrar’s office, financial aid, and student services.

Tell us a little about yourself. What would you tell prospective students considering your program about yourself ? What’s something that students and colleagues should know about you?

I am a graduate of Ohio University and have been working with educators for over 20 years. I joined SAIL for Education and Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators (OAESA) in the fall of 2006. I believe I have a servant’s heart and take great satisfaction in helping our students successfully navigate their online learning experience. I value good customer service and am studentcentered. I am accessible to all of our students and will help answer questions no matter how big or small.

COVID-19 and the move to online/hybrid learning?

The OAESA and SAIL for Education in conjunction with Concordia University Chicago program was designed to be a remote learning program from its inception. We have been offering online coursework for over 10 years. I am here to support our students as they navigate their coursework while confronting professional and personal barriers. I check in through email with all students on a regular basis, but also provide support and encouragement with phone calls. The students get to know that I am easy to work with and will help them to set new course timelines if needed. I can give them options to consider for new schedules and reassure them of what they need for program completion.

What advice do you have for students interested in pursuing their graduate degree? How can people stand out in this field?

Before pursuing a graduate degree, educators should be clear on their future career goals. We offer several leadership programs that include endorsement or licensure. Knowing what future position you would like to attain will help determine which program to pursue.

Attaining a graduate degree, especially online, takes commitment.

Students who excel are the ones who dedicate their time to the readings, discussion boards, and regular online check-ins.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

I live in the Central Ohio area and two of my five children still attend high school in the South-Western City School district. While working at OAESA, I came to know many Ohio educators and am happy to assist them with their goal of attaining licensure or a graduate degree.

There are many universities with great graduate programs, however, what sets us apart is our customer service. I will stay committed and connected to my students from entrance to graduation. This is why an OAESA and SAIL for Education degree in conjunction with Concordia University Chicago program is the best. I would love to discuss any of our programs, and I can be reached at 614-557-9209 or through email at butsko@oaesa.org.

How will you assist your students as they better prepare/equip themselves for the current climate we are in, specifically with

Start your next educational journey and explore the available programs with us today!

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Ready for the next step in your career?

OAESA has you covered with our SAIL/CUC Graduate Programs

Apply now to reserve your seat!

EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP

-Principal Licensure: MA | Licensure | PhD/EdD -Teacher Leader: MA | Endorsement | PhD/EdD -Superintendent: Licensure | PhD/EdD

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

-100% of SAIL/CUC students successfully completed their internship in 2018-2019 -SAIL/CUC had the largest population of principal interns in the state in 2018-2019 -Simple, streamlined application process -Up to 50% transfer credits considered -MA degrees can be completed in 2 years -Approved by the Ohio Dept. of Higher Ed. -Aligned with standards for Ohio Educators & Principals

Contact us today to get started! info@sailforeducation.org 888.964.SAIL

in partnership with

fall 2019

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FROM THE DESK OF OAESA’S

Associate Executive Director Leading with Courage Our Members Respond

BY MARK JONES

A

s unstoppable educators, we are always searching for ways to address and solve the most difficult challenges facing our schools. The past year has certainly provided us a number of seemingly insurmountable obstacles, from struggling with the impact of a global pandemic, to addressing the social unrest triggered by decades, indeed centuries, of systemic racism and inequities faced by marginalized groups in our country.

But through it all, Ohio’s teachers and administrators have risen to the moment, learning new skills and applying creative solutions to meet these challenges.

In response to the blatant injustices and inequities revealed by the events which have gripped us all over the past twelve months, your OAESA Advocacy Service Team has worked to shine a spotlight on these issues so they can be correctly understood and effectively addressed.

At the end of January, we surveyed our membership in order to establish some baseline data that will be used to monitor our administrators’ perceptions of both existing inequities and the prevalence of racism in Ohio’s schools. As we work to address these issues, future surveys can be used to assess progress.

“Clearly, any attempt to resolve complex issues like systemic racism or other persistent inequities will be best served by first gaining a true understanding of scope of these inequities.”

The first item on the survey asked respondents to identify various types of inequities they feel exist in their schools from

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a short list provided, checking any that apply. By far the most common response, reported by nearly 90% of our members, was “economic inequities.” Without question, the shift to remote learning as a result of COVID-19 revealed this to most educators across the state. A second often-cited response was “racial inequities,” identified by almost half (48.5%) of our respondents.

Exploring the issue of racism more deeply, a second item on the survey asked respondents to quantify the severity of their school’s problem in dealing with racism, using a Likert scale from 1 to 5.

While slightly more than half of those surveyed (56%) felt that racism in their school was, at worst, only an occasional minor problem, almost 15% were at the other end of the spectrum by identifying racism as either a serious issue they deal with regularly, or the most significant concern which they face.

(See pie chart #1 on page 13)

In an effort to gauge the degree to which our school administrators feel prepared to address the inequities they have identified in their school, we offered them three choices, ranging from “Not at all” on the low end, to “Well prepared” on the high side. A significant majority, almost 70%, fell in the middle range of “Somewhat prepared,” indicating a need for additional professional development targeting the

concept of addressing these inequities. This information will be quite helpful to our Professional Learning Service Team, as they plan our conferences and institutes for next year. (See pie chart #2 on page 13) Recently, school districts across the state have initiated efforts to address concerns with various forms of systemic inequities by staffing someone at the central office in a role charged with the specific responsibility of resolving these issues. The position is often titled as a “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Director,” but other similar names are used as well. While this appears to be a growing trend, our survey revealed that most districts have yet to take this step. (See pie chart #3 on page 13) Clearly, any attempt to resolve complex issues like systemic racism or other persistent inequities will be best served by first gaining a true understanding of scope of these inequities. So, the next item on the survey asked participants if they and their staff ever considered any racial or socioeconomic factors when analyzing any assessment data from their students. This was an open-ended question in which respondents were free to write as much as they wanted. Reviewing these answers, it is clear that a significant majority, perhaps as high as 75%, report that they and their staff do, indeed, consider racial and/or socioeconomic inequities when analyzing the results of student assessments.

Most participants also included a short explanation of how they work to address these, as well, as characterized by the following: ”Yes, we do. We disaggregate our data by AYP subgroups and analyze this data. We then look for trends and plan intervention, enrichment strategies based on the trends. We also look at any disparity between the subgroups and plan strategies to address any identified.”

Finally, in an effort to align our future professional learning offerings with the needs expressed by members, we asked what type of PD opportunities our participants would find helpful. As one might assume, there was a broad range of suggestions, but most could be categorized under an umbrella of understanding and addressing implicit bias, and how that affects the teaching and learning in the classroom. Another common suggestion involved the challenge of sharing these efforts with the larger community, recognizing that long-term solutions will likely require the engagement of others beyond just the school walls.

Fortunately for those who assist in planning our PD programs, there is certainly no shortage of ideas provided by this survey!

Pie Chart #1: On a scale from 1 to 5, how serious do you believe is the problem of racism in your school?

Pie Chart #2: As a school leader, how prepared do you feel to address the inequities (racial, economic, or opportunity) in your school?

Pie Chart #3: Does your school district have anyone identified with the role of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Director or similar title??

Thanks to all who participated in this effort, and we encourage all members to look for and participate in follow-up surveys in the future.

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RELENTLESS A Conversation with Administrator and Author, Hamish Brewer

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Tell us about your background.

I’m originally from New Zealand, and once I got out of school I started backpacking around the world. I had a plan to teach, backpack, teach, backpack – and that’s what I did. I came to the US in 2003 after being in Thailand and ended up in the DC area.

I just ended up staying there. I worked in Northern Virginia as a teacher, and then I got into administration. I’ve spent most of my time in Title I schools working with at-risk students.

What were your formative educational experiences like?

I went to an all-boys school where I struggled academically, but I had a good time with friends and played sports. School was incredibly difficult for me, so much that I even failed my high school exams. My parents separated, and we didn’t have anything. Those struggles growing up gave me perspective and understanding of what it feels like to struggle and fail. It gave me insight into how to help those children and families.

What made you want to be an educator and a principal?

I’ve always been driven to be a servant leader and change agent, and I am driven to change outcomes in schools at different levels (Brewer has been in both elementary and middle school settings).

I’m in a middle school currently, and it was natural progression for me because I liked teaching, coaching, and being around kids.

Tell us something our readers would be surprised to know.

People might be surprised to know about my attention to detail to ensure everything is going in the right direction. Even though I promote school-wide ownership, I still monitor everything closely to make sure it is on track.

On a personal note, I had my first Thanksgiving in the US in Ohio in a little town outside of Youngstown called New Waterford–a one stoplight town–with a teacher who is still a colleague 16 years later. We started teaching together at the same school, and she is still in my school. She took me home for Thanksgiving so I wouldn’t be alone!

Tell me about your work as a disrupter of the status quo in education. How do you work to do this? How do you encourage this behavior amongst your staff and students?

If you focus on your work and processes each and every day, the end product will take care of itself. You create an environment for educators to take safe risks. Allow teachers the space to be creative, think critically, and solve problems. We work to rethink how we engage students to create real, authentic learning experiences. Our kids don’t have a moment to lose.

Tell us what’s different about your school? How would things look or feel different if we were there for a day?

You walk into the building and you see passion exuding from the walls and the stakeholders. Passionate learning is taking place. We work to protect the individuality and identity of our students– allowing them to express their exuberance and passions. We don’t suppress them; we look at them as opportunities.

What shifts have you seen in your school and school community since you started these initiatives?

We’ve seen seismic shifts in instructional practices, student and family engagement, student discipline, and staff participation in the work that they do each and every day. We’ve worked to unleash the power of our stakeholders, students, and teachers. We provide a platform for success. It’s not driven by exam results but by the behavior and culture of our school.

Why do you like working with middle school students?

Middle school is that one time in a student’s life where so much change and evolution happens at once. Middle school is a quantum leap in physical, social, and emotional growth, and it’s a unique opportunity to help mold and grow our students. It’s such a pivotal point in their lives for change, and it’s magical and crazy all at once.

Middle schoolers are high octane, moving at 100 MPH; there’s not a down moment in the day.

How do you balance your story going viral, being an author of Relentless with your day-to-day operations?

Being a principal is still my priority. I could’ve easily stopped doing that at this point, but my love of children is more important than any book I sell or speech I give. The opportunity to change lives and communities is more important than anything else I do. I’m humbled and love the opportunity to help others begin those conversations and change their stories. I’m happy to have those platforms to help people grow and change, and I also love being at school, working in the principalship, and impacting students and staff.

What are your upcoming goals for your school, the principalship, and yourself ?

To continue the trajectory of our school, to be a model for change, to be an example to help kids and create great things for kids, to provide hope for others, and to provide opportunities for others to learn and improve.

Personally, I need to get my doctorate finished! I’m working on my doctoral degree in Educational Leadership at Virginia Tech where I’m researching high-performing Title I schools. I’ll also be in a movie soon, with Tony Hawk, called Humanity Stoke. It’s a project that highlights many artists, athletes, and change makers that I’m very excited about.

What do you think are the biggest lessons that educators can learn from the pandemic?

The pandemic has very much reminded the public of the importance of educators, the role of educators and the opportunity we have to make a difference. We have seen how important it is to value time with our own families and friends–that its ok to not be perfect as we try to adjust to a new normal. We have had the opportunity to really envision new practices and processes for instruction, time, mental health and wellbeing. This time has shown us how important it is to have students in school, but it has also shown us how some students excel in a virtual environment which has broaden our conversations around the educational setting and even proactive responses to school discipline.

Is there anything else you want our readers to know?

I’m excited to speak to Ohio administrators and elevate the audience personally and professionally. This event has the power of a V8. It’s gonna be a monster! spring 2021

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editor’s note editor’s note If the last year has taught us anything, it’s that educators are truly unstoppable.

Celebrate

YOU’RE UNSTOPPABLE!

Challenging student situation? Check.

Legal issue need to be resolved? Check.

Global pandemic upend your school year? Check.

OAESA members know that being an educator, while being the most rewarding career, can sometimes be a bit tough. However, no one was ready for what 2020 and 2021 brought in regard to social distancing, forced school closures, remote learning and leading, hybrid learning, masks, air quality, testing, quarantining, contact tracing, and educators scrambling to provide top-notch care, structure, and learning for students and families from home. COVID-19, to put it frankly, upended our world.

As we all struggled to make sense of the chaos, stay healthy, and provide continuous support to our school communities, it became evident that this was unlike anything anyone had seen in our lifetime. In the worst of times, we saw the bright lights of educators shining through like beacons of hope. Providing materials to help families be successful at home, driving through neighborhoods waving to students who missed them, checking to ensure students had access to food, shelter, and remote learning materials, and personal calls to families and staff to make sure people were ok. We stand in awe of your efforts to make students, staff, and families feel the love in the midst of a crisis. As we reflect on how the year ended, we must give credit where credit is due: to the great educators across the state and country, we applaud all you did for the children in your care.

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Let the Children March

Lessons in Leading with Love and Purpose

BY FELECIA EVANS OAESA PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCE PRESENTER

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he month of February is always a busy one in schools, whether we are gearing up for state testing or starting to prepare already for next school year, it is important to intentionally incorporate Black History Month celebrations at a school and classroom level. This year, with the pandemic, white supremacist groups marching on our Nation’s capital, and coming off a summer of racial unrest, we find ourselves in the balance between the need to continue to teach our nation’s history while also trying to determine the path forward for our democracy.

Since 1976, every American president has designated February as Black History Month. The celebration of Black History Month and the role that African Americans have played in our Nation’s history, is important to help strengthen and supplement the teaching of the complex and sometimes incomplete history of the American story.

principal seven years ago, I select a school book which teaches some aspect of African American history. I purchase a copy of the book for each classroom and then we design activities to go alongside the teaching of this book. Last year, I selected a Coretta Scott King Award-winning book titled, Let the Children March, by Monica ClarkRobinson. This book highlights the Birmingham Children’s Crusade, which occurred in 1963, when several thousand children took to the streets of Birmingham, Alabama to protest for civil rights. There is a memorial in Birmingham, near the 16th Street Baptist Church to teach about this historic day in our nation’s history. This Children’s Crusade is seen as a pivotal event in the civil rights movement and shows the power and importance of children’s voices.

“Our vision is to create classrooms that provide students with equitable access to high-quality learning opportunities, that are engaging and provide them with agency.”

Literature as a vehicle for teaching African American history can strengthen the complex analysis and critical thinking skills that are foundational to our students’ success in the future. Our students have access to unlimited amounts of information via the internet and it is important that we teach them to be critical consumers and knowledgeable about the history of our great nation as it provides the context for our current and ongoing struggles. According to the 2018-2019 Ohio Report Card, only 39.3% of African American students are proficient in language arts and only 32.5% of African American students are proficient in mathematics. These staggeringly low numbers are a symptom of the historic oppression of African Americans in this country. Whether it be the disproportionately negative health outcomes from the COVID-19 pandemic or the lack of access to in-person instruction, the effects of racism are still very much felt today. Without understanding this history, one may falsely lay blame to a different cause.

Every year at Lander Elementary School, since taking the lead as

The activities that we planned for February 2020 included a door decorating contest in which teachers and students decorated their classrooms doors to communicate and celebrate the theme of the book. Each Friday, our entire school community wore different colors to signify different important aspects of the civil rights movement. The first Friday, we all wore green (our school district colors are green and white) to signify the importance of unity and bringing people together. The second Friday, we all wore the color red as a way to signify the need to end racism. On the third Friday, we all wore blue to learn about the history and importance of voting rights in America. On the last Friday of the month, we all wore gold and learned about the importance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and how he was supportive of the Children’s Crusade.

February 5, 2020 was World Read Aloud Day. We used this as an opportunity to invite many local community members in to read books about kindness, books from African American authors, and even our school book. This was a great opportunity to share the importance of literacy and reading with our school community. We had our Superintendent, local politicians, our safety forces, and even our high school football team reading books aloud to our students. spring 2021

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Lastly, our Instructional Leadership Team organized a Lander Children’s March on February 21, 2020. Mrs. Russo, one of our amazing kindergarten teachers organized the event. In the days leading up to our school march, the older grade levels partnered up with the younger grade levels and did various activities together.

Unfortunately, the possibility of holding this event was threatened early on in the month. There were false rumors created and circulated on social media that our event was a Black Lives Matter march.

This was false; however, it created a situation that could have been unsafe for our children and school community. I ended up issuing a statement to my entire school community, clarifying these rumors and sharing that the purpose of our march was to show the sense of unity, kindness and acceptance that exists at our school. By sharing this message, the outpouring of positive support from our parents, school board, superintendent, and community, was overwhelming.

We knew that it was important to let our children march.

On a cold but sunny Friday in February 2020, our entire school, walked out of the building and around the block, with our little ones holding the hands of our older students. We showed our community how much kindness, love, and unity that exists in our school, and that our students, though their voices may be little, play an important role in making our society a better place.

With the tragic events of this past year and the disparate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Black Americans, we continue to see the need to teach Black history not only in February, but as a part of the larger American story. This year, the book we selected was fitting for the times. The Undefeated, written by Kwame Alexander and illustrated by Kadir Nelson, is described as “a love letter to black life in the United States. It highlights the unspeakable trauma of slavery, the faith and fire of the civil rights movement, and the grit, passion and perseverance of some of the world’s greatest heroes.” Just as in previous years, we implemented literacy-rich activities to help our students recognize the unbreakable spirit of African Americans and helped children make connections to their own strength and the reasons why they remain undefeated.

Over the past few years, my district, the Mayfield City School District

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had undergone an initiative towards personalized learning called “all-access.” Our vision is to create classrooms that provide students with equitable access to high quality learning opportunities, that are engaging and provide them with agency. We are designing learning activities that provide students with voice and choice in their learning, and we are monitoring outcomes to ensure that all students are growing. We are creating professional learning communities where teachers are empowered to develop relationships with students and co-create learning experiences that help them fully develop their potential. A foundation in using technology to personalize learning, had prepared us to pivot relatively well to remote and blended learning.

My teachers have worked tremendously hard and have found success in teaching and learning during this pandemic. The study of African American history is an opportunity to truly create all-access learning experiences. Through the activities during Black History month, I see students engage and think critically. I witness them thinking about their own experiences and developing an understanding that they have a voice in this world.

While I consider myself the primary instructional leader at Lander Elementary School, it is also important for people to see your love, passion, and purpose as a leader. As the first African American principal in the history of my school district, I also see my role as Black history in the making. It is important that we acknowledge and celebrate the diversity of our students, staff, and families. It is through the intersections of all-access learning, instructional leadership, love, and passion, that I find my purpose (or perhaps it is through purpose that I find my passion). While, African Americans and other marginalized groups continue to struggle across this nation, it is through the teaching of history that we can understand our current reality, and find hope for a better future for our youngest citizens.

Felecia Evans is the Principal at Lander Elementary School, in the Mayfield City School District. Evans currently serves as the Minority Representative on the OAESA Board of Directors and is a member of the National Association of Elementary School Principals. The author can be contacted via email fevans@ mayfieldschools.org and via Twitter at @EduLeadingLady. She will be hosting the “Mintority Administrator Connection” as a clinic session at OAESA’s Virtual Professional Conference on Friday, June 18 from 10:30am-11:15am.

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OAESA has agreements with Horace Mann and affiliates (Horace Mann) where Horace Mann pays OAESA to provide various services that are aimed at familiarizing OAESA members with the Horace Mann brand, products or services.

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Beallsville School Works to Instill Hope and Purpose

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BY CASEY TOLZDA

eallsville is a rural school in the Switzerland of Ohio Local School District. In 2015 the school was nearly closed due to low numbers, but it eventually remained open. I serve as the pre-K-12 principal of this public school in a unique area. I am sure not too many people are the principal of a pre-K-12 campus, but I find myself in that situation. Regardless of how small the size of the school is, juggling pre-K-12 responsibilities is never easy. The school is small and close-knit, housing only about 325 total students. As a student I attended Beallsville, taught here, then left to be a principal in various locations. When the opportunity to “come home” presented itself, I took it without hesitation. I am now in my second year as the pre-K-12 principal at the Beallsville campus.

The school and community have been through a lot. After the temporary closure, many students open enrolled in fear the school would close permanently. Many of those students never returned.

During that tenure, Beallsville went through various changes in leadership. Staff and student morale is naturally low after going through a long-term situation of uncertainty. My goal as a building principal has been to help bring stability, a positive culture, and provide opportunities for those students at Beallsville.

Despite being small in size, I commend the staff and students at Beallsville pre-K-12. With only 70 students projected to be in high school next year I am amazed at what they continue to accomplish.

However, the highlight is the fact that the elementary staff and students work so closely with the middle school and high school in every way imaginable. Often, teachers share responsibilities between students of all ages. We have taken advantage of our small size and decided to use it for our benefit.

The Beallsville community supports the school and students in everything. One example is our Relay for Life committee. The students partner every year with a community group to help raise money for local cancer patients. Last year, over $40,000 was raised.

Every class does a project to contribute to the cause. Each May, an assembly is held where students present checks to local cancer patients or those families impacted by cancer. All money stays local.

Projects such as this help the students learn to serve each other and their community. This type of learning is hands-on, project-based, and meaningful to real life.

After nearly closing a few years ago, we have now added programs, classes, and clubs, as well as places where the students can spend their time, such as a new fieldhouse. Additionally, we have tied community groups into school activities and worked on projects with the community. Recent projects include not only the Relay for Life, but partnering with the community on class picture projects, trophy projects, honoring veterans, volunteering with civic groups, etc.

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The community and the school are linked in every way imaginable.

Though we are rural, students are provided with great opportunities that they may not have at a larger school. In a world where many people measure success in many different ways, we have embraced our culture and have decided to use it to our advantage.

As I touched on earlier, high school students interact daily with our middle and elementary students. For example, we participate in the Second and 7 Foundation Reading program, where high school students read to second graders and distribute books. At the end of every grading period, we have implemented trips to the zoo, trampoline park, roller blading, and Kennywood Amusement Park for students who receive top of the class, honor roll, perfect attendance, etc. Each grade also takes educational trips to provide opportunities that are many times hard to come by due to our geographic area.

Obviously, this year we have had to put some of this “on hold” due to COVID-19.

Beallsville has taken advantage of the small classroom sizes to provide targeted instruction to small groups and individuals, which has helped improve academics. Many times we can look at our small size as a challenge. However, we have embraced it and used it to our benefit. All students, staff, and community members work together to provide opportunities in a small school setting. I’ve learned that success is not always shown on a state report card, but through seeing students succeed in their own way.

Students in rural areas seem to have challenges that few can understand. We are an hour from about anywhere, and that can be hard. Despite some landowners becoming millionaires overnight because of the gas and oil boom, the vast majority of students remain in poverty with great challenges of daily living. Before we can prepare students for anything, we must give them a positive culture, hope, and a sense of belonging. After that, the change will follow!

As instructional leaders, we all know data is important, but when you have low numbers and look at percentages, you can be deceived.

Instead, we have to look at each student and measure their growth against themselves. Success is not always measured the same way in every circumstance. There are many voices who will continue to tell us what success looks like, but sometimes we have to quiet those voices and instead instill hope, purpose, and opportunity in the students we serve. Without a sense of purpose and belonging, our labor is in vain!

Casey Tolzda is in his 7th year as a school principal and his second as the pre-K-12 Campus Principal at Beallsville School. He holds an Ed.S. from Muskingum University. The author can be contacted via email at casey.tolzda@ omeresa.net and via Twitter at @CTolzda.

A Partner, Not a Program Helping all students succeed depends on more than high-quality technology and instructional tools. It requires a proven partner who listens, responds, and takes action to make your goals a reality.

i-Ready.com/Empower For more information, contact your local educational consultant: Melissa Martinsen • N. Ohio • MMartinsen@cainc.com Morgan Bennett King • C. Ohio • MBennett@cainc.com Jennifer Denhard • S. and E. Ohio • JDenhard@cainc.com

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The Vincent Way

BY LYNNE STARK OAESA PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCE PRESENTER

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t was winter break of 2019, and I was gearing up for the new year. We were in a good place. We had an excellent school climate, processes established, and restorative practices in motion throughout the school. Then it happened. It happened to all of us everywhere. We said our goodbyes to students on March 13, 2020, and told them we would see them soon. During dismissal, one child asked, “Why can’t we come back?” I told him not to worry. It would just be a short time and we would be together again. Little did we know at the time…

My heart still aches that my words to him were incorrect. We work tirelessly to build relationships and trust, and I felt like I’d let him down.

We closed out the 2019-20 school year with empty hallways. No field day. No parties. The only thing we were thankful for was no spring testing, but it came at a steep emotional cost. Teachers came in to close up their classrooms, and we piped our theme song “Home” by Phillip Phillips over the speaker. The song is about belonging. As a staff, we had pledged to make our building a place where students could feel safe to take risks and make mistakes. When we delivered snacks to the staff as they packed up their rooms, we found them weeping. “This wasn’t how this year was supposed to end” is a phrase we heard several times that day. They were grieving. It is the price that comes with building strong relationships.

Although heartache can come when you have close relationships, it also builds strength. We put relationships first, and COVID-19 couldn’t change our focus. Because we knew our students and families so well, we knew what they needed. We started with their basic needs. Like many other districts, we began doing food distribution. But we didn’t just do it—we did it “The Vincent Way!” Staff cars lined both sides of the parking lot leading to the busses loaded with food. Staff held up “We miss you” signs and honked their horns. (We may have gotten in a bit of trouble for making so much noise that morning!) The staff immediately worked to build an online platform. Daily phone calls, Google Meets, and Dojo messages took place. Our teachers were tired. As part of Teacher Appreciation Week, my assistant principal and I had t-shirts made that said “Together we can make ANYTHING happen!” We also made yard signs that said, “An Awesome Educator Lives Here!” We located the addresses of each staff

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member—64 to be exact—and we spent two days driving to each of their homes to deliver them. It took us every bit of those two days, but they deserved it!

The end of the year came, and we were about to say goodbye to our fourth graders moving on to middle school. We held a parade for them to send them off in style and let them know that Vincent will always be their home.

The start of the 2020-21 school year was greeted with anxiety and stress. The unknown is always scary, but you plan the best you can and move forward. It was more important than ever that we were as transparent as possible. Masks, social distancing, and hand sanitizer became our new normal. Even though we are only in a hybrid model, having them physically back with us a few days a week filled the school with excitement. For our virtual students, we did whatever we could to connect with them. If they didn’t have a laptop, we issued one to them. If they didn’t have a webcam, we bought one for them. If they needed a pep talk, we held one on one meetings. If they weren’t responding, we visited their homes. When we were shut down around Christmas and just needed to connect with them, we took a bus around town with the Vincent Elves and passed out hot chocolate.

Things are different. We all long for the day that we can hug, high five, and sing and dance with our students. But one thing hasn’t changed: we are a family here. We support one another, and we would do anything for our kids. When we are faced with challenges, we do whatever is needed to remove barriers. We still laugh and have fun during this difficult time. Teachers still love jeans days, treats, notes on their doors, a basket full of candy, and team-building games. It keeps them going. It’s the Vincent Way! Lynne Stark is a third-year principal of Vincent Elementary for Clearview Local Schools in Lorain, Ohio. Intertwined with being a wife and mother of 3, she has been an elementary teacher, a university supervisor of student teachers, a Parents as Teachers early childhood program coordinator, an instructional coach and an assistant principal. She believes that building relationships is the key to making a difference as a leader. The author can be contacted via email at lynne.stark@clearviewschools.org and via Twitter at @LStark25. She will be presenting on the topic of “Overcoming Poverty and Trauma” as a clinic session at OAESA’s Virtual Professional Conference on Thursday, June 17 from 12:30pm-1:15pm.

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Slaying Our Vampires How removing barriers for one special student changed mindsets and shaped school practice

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BY PAUL G. YOUNG, PH.D. OAESA PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCE PRESENTER

hen inter-district transfers were announced in 1996, and I was involuntarily moved to West School in Lancaster, two teachers and my loyal secretary transferred with me.

One was a special education teacher, Mrs. Duffy (pseudonym used).

She was assigned to a class of multiple-handicapped students. Buffy (pseudonym used) was one of her 2nd grade students. She was rough and tough to handle. Keeping a teacher for an extended period in her classroom had been a challenge for my predecessor.

Veteran teachers told us about Buffy’s animalistic, vampire-like behaviors. She’d get under her desk, then grunt, bark, slobber, and act out in numerous, inappropriate, and distracting ways. But that was soon to change. Buffy hadn’t met Duffy.

One day after school, within a couple weeks of the start of the year, Mrs. Duffy told me, “I think there is more to Buffy than anyone knows. She understands more than she’s been given credit.” To support the teacher, and better get to know this student, I visited the classroom at every opportunity. Slowly, Buffy began to respond to me, and if I’d need to say a word to correct her, she’d cease her behavior. Somehow, we were slowly forming a bond.

Mrs. Duffy loved her students. Despite a history of congenital back problems, she liked to bend over and get on her knees when teaching to work on the child’s level. Her progress with this group of students, especially Buffy, was being noticed throughout the school. But prior to Thanksgiving, when Mrs. Duffy was on her knees, Buffy — always the predator — approached her from behind with a surprise bear hug. Mrs. Duffy’s threw her back out, and doctors suggested she stay home and apply for permanent disability leave.

Now, another in a series of teachers was needed. How would Buffy handle this change? Among her many disabilities, her expressive oral language skills were very limited.

The Playground Talk The next day, I saw Buffy sitting alone on the “friends’ bench” on the playground. A substitute had tried to explain Mrs. Duffy’s absence.

Despite her difficulties communicating emotions, I could tell Buffy was very upset and saddened by what had happened. So, I sat down beside her and tried to explain what the future would bring.

In three months, Buffy and I had formed a rather positive relationship.

I had learned to understand most of what she tried to say, despite her

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severe speech problems. It caught me off guard when she tried to tell me that she had hurt her teacher. I didn’t think she understood anything about cause and effect or consequences, and I was amazed at the depth of her comprehension. I tried to reassure her that Mrs. Duffy’s back issues had existed for a long time.

Buffy nearly cried when she tried saying, “Ma ‘eecher ‘eeving!”

Unsure how to respond, I heard these words come out of my mouth.

“Yes, Buffy, Mrs. Duffy has to leave our school. But I am not going anywhere! I am here for you!” She stood up, smiled at me, wiped the tear from her eye, and gave me one of the sloppiest kisses I have ever received.

That afternoon, I fell in love with Buffy. That moment slayed any doubts I’d held about her. Can you relate? Do you have a little Buffy in your school?

The Sweater As the next four years unfolded, Buffy and I shared many memorable moments. My favorite was eating lunch together. We’d engage in conversation with other students who would sit near us, and I encouraged her to use manners and make sure all her vegetables entered her mouth using a spoon rather than her hands and fingers.

If I was ever having a stressful day, she was certain to cheer me up.

Every lunch ended with a hug and my encouraging her to be a good girl.

By the time Buffy was a fourth grader, I had become a member of the OAESA Board of Directors. For our school’s evening Fall Festival, students were encouraged to attend in costume. I remember hurrying back to school from Columbus, proudly wearing my new white “OAESA” sweater I’d received at a board meeting. When I turned a corner into the main hallway, I noticed Buffy and her family entering the building. As soon as she spotted me, she started running down the hallway, arms excitedly spread wide, and before I could react, she buried her freshly-painted face into my chest.

Buffy’s painted face ruined that sweater, but my memories of her excitement in seeing me after I’d been away from school a couple of days erased any frustration I might have felt. The sweater became a celebrated, prized possession! We spent the rest of that evening selling cookies for the PTO — making more profit for the parent group than ever before!

Social Studies During Buffy’s 5th grade year, our school had moved toward becoming inclusive of all IEP kids in all regular classrooms, when appropriate. Including Buffy in social studies was met with resistance, and I recall surprising her teachers one afternoon, walking up behind them in the hallway during one of their impromptu gatherings during which they were expressing disagreement with my insistence that Buffy be included. I heard the regular classroom teacher say, “She doesn’t even know the name of the capital of Ohio. She’ll never be able to do anything other kids can, and she’ll disrupt every day!”

I was determined Buffy would be in that classroom, and I firmly stood my ground. I reminded the teachers of Buffy’s IEP goals. If she listened, did not disrupt, and verbally tried to answer any questions, she’d meet a goal. The teachers were unhappy and disagreed, but they eventually backed down. In time, little was said about Buffy’s inclusion in the social studies class.

Supervision There were days where Buffy tested us all. I found myself continuously slaying doubts about the appropriateness of our interventions. Despite Buffy having a one-on-one paraprofessional, there were still those terrifying times when she’d get away and hide. Like Mrs. Duffy had told me, I think she knew how to manipulate the adults in her life more than anyone had previously understood.

her in nearly a year. Typically, when Buffy was a student in my school, I reluctantly took her calls and listened to a litany of disappointment and frustration with my staff ’s ability to follow the IEP. Despite my attempts to mediate, I also felt the heat.

I picked up and heard her say, “Well, I just wanted you to know that I think I have about as normal of a teenager as I can expect!”

I immediately responded, “What do you mean? I don’t understand?

How is Buffy?”

“Well, Saturday morning my husband and I had taken Buffy and her brother (also with special needs) to the high school to watch a 7th grade girls’ basketball game. You may not know it, but Buffy has become sort of a quasi-cheerleader with the students on the squad from West School with whom she’d been in school. She sits behind them at the games, cheers with them, and they’ve sort of adopted her. When she acts out, they tell her to knock it off – and she does!

Attending games has become the most important thing in her life.

“Together, we broke down barriers, tamed beast-like behaviors, and overcame the continual challenges presented by a unique, and special student.”

IEP Meetings Buffy had numerous handicapping issues. She was born with missing chromosomes. She was placed for adoption as an infant. Her IQ was very low, and her motor skills and speech were severely limited.

Her wild, threatening behaviors were well-documented. Writing an appropriate IEP to adequately address her needs seemed to be a stab in the dark. My staff was often at odds with Buffy’s mother, who demanded the very best we could, and should, offer. Meetings were often long and tense negotiations, but slow progress was made.

Transition to Junior High When Buffy’s 6th grade year came to an end, I remember the hug I received when I awarded her certificates for perfect attendance and improvement in her classroom. Buffy had become one of my favorites, despite knowing the repercussions of showing favoritism. I cried the day she boarded the bus for the final time.

The Telephone Call The next year, on a Monday morning in February, my secretary informed me that Buffy’s mother was on the phone and wanted to speak with me. I couldn’t think of a reason why. I hadn’t spoken with

“So, as it would happen, during the first game, my husband became severely nauseous. We had to leave quickly and get him home. We literally had to pull Buffy out of that gym, and she was not happy.

After we arrived home, I sent Buffy and her brother to the backyard to play in the snow. After tending to my husband, I went back outside to get the kids, and Buffy was missing!”

My mind was flooded with memories of those days when we couldn’t let Buffy out of our sight! Then, she told me the rest of the story.

“Again, you remember it had snowed last Friday night. Because of that, I started tracking her steps in the snow. The tracks took me down our street, past another elementary school, up several other streets, across a busy intersection at the junior high, and along the bike path all the way back to the high school. We found her inside the gym cheering with the other girls.”

Buffy was a kid that I assumed had no sense of where she was, let alone any awareness of direction. I expressed my relief that she was safe! Then she went on.

“I was so mad and upset with her, yet so proud of her determination to be with the other normal kids doing what she likes to do. I thought back to those days in 5th grade when we started including her in regular classes. The other kids adopted her and took her under their wings. She has friends and an identity, and she likes school — not every teenager does! I just wanted you to know, and I wanted to say thank you.”

Our conversation ended with me swallowing a big lump in my throat while fighting back tears. spring 2021

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Wow. We had made it. Our insistence worked! Together we had slayed many vampire-like perceptions about what special needs kids could and could not do.

The years went by, and one Saturday morning at McDonalds, I felt from behind a set of hands wrap around my neck with a familiar voice saying, “Eye, Dokr …Ung.” It was Buffy, and she’d spotted me while working at her job. We chatted and had a wonderful time together, thanks to a patient and understanding restaurant manager.

One spring day, I received an invitation to Buffy’s graduation party. My wife and I went, but I’d misunderstood the time.

Rather than after graduation, Buffy’s party had been before. But when she and her family got home after the public ceremony, we had our own private party – one of the best I’ve ever attended!

WHILE SCHOOLS MAY LOOK DIFFERENT TODAY, OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU STAYS THE SAME.

Summary I share this story to shine a positive light on my staff ’s intentional, and unstoppable, efforts to make inclusion work. Together with Buffy’s parents, we broke down barriers, tamed beast-like behaviors, and overcame the continual challenges presented by a unique, but special student, as well as many others. Buffy helped me confirm my “why,” and she never failed to brighten my day. At first glance people assumed she possessed so little, but she proved to everyone she had much to give by slaying her doubters!

Paul G. Young, Ph.D., is retired from service as a teacher, Lancaster elementary school principal, afterschool program director, and an adjunct professor at Ohio University-Lancaster. He served as president of the Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators (OAESA), the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), and as President & CEO of the National AfterSchool Association (NAA). He is the author of numerous books and articles for principals, teachers, aspiring teachers, and afterschool professionals. He can be reached at paulyoungohio@gmail.com and on Twitter at @paulyoungohio. He will be presenting on the topic of “Building Better Principal-Parent Partnerships: How to Structure Conversations So Parents Will Listen and Listen So Parents Will Talk” as a clinic session at OAESA’s Virtual Professional Conference on Thursday, June 17 from 11:15am-12:00pm.

Green, Ross (2014). Lost at School: Why Our Kids with Behavioral Challenges Are Falling Through the Cracks and How We Can Help Them. New York: Scribner.

Heath, Chip & Heath, Dan (2017). The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact. New York: Simon & Shuster.

Sinek, Simon (2009). Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action. New York: Penguin Group.

Young, Paul (2008). Promoting Positive Behaviors: An Elementary Principal’s Guide to Structuring the Learning Environment. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Young, Paul (2004). You Have to Go to School - You′re the Principal! 101 Tips to Make It Better for Your Students, Your Staff, and Yourself.

Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

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Equitable is the brand name of the retirement and protection subsidiaries of Equitable Holdings, Inc., including Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company (NY, NY) and Equitable Distributors, LLC. Equitable Advisors, LLC (member FINRA, SIPC) (Equitable Financial Advisors in MI & TN). GE-3303570 (10/20) (Exp. 10/22)

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Empower Your Staff to Feel Unstoppable with Round Table Meetings

BY MAX LALLATHIN

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ver the last two years, Winchester Trail Elementary has made big changes to what we do in regard to our grade level team meetings. This has really changed the outlook on our building and how we support students and colleagues.

Winchester Trail Elementary serves students grades 3-5, as well as the district’s peer model preschool. We serve over 1000 students daily in a traditional sense. The administrative team consists of a dean of students, an assistant principal, and a principal. When the administrative team hosts our team meetings we call them “round tables,” and they take place at the very beginning of our day. They occur once a month by grade level team, related arts team, gifted team, and our online learning team. The grade level groups consist of the classroom teachers, intervention specialist(s), school counselor, and RTI support. The group is small, allowing us to share and focus on the accomplishments and the challenges of the students in that particular grade level. This close look helps us to meet all student needs, especially during this unusual year of both in-person and remote learning.

These meetings were first modeled to me two years ago when I was an assistant principal in Madison-Plains Local Schools in London, Ohio. Brad Miller, principal and fellow OAESA member, modeled this to the staff and to me. I then humbly brought the round table idea to Winchester Trail Elementary when I became the principal in 2019-2020. By putting my own spin on the meetings, we are able to focus on student’s informal and formal data and mine the data to find themes across classrooms. The results of these meetings have allowed us to discuss pacing, plan vertically, and align content. The move to virtual meetings has made meetings convenient and efficient!

What is extremely unique about this opportunity is we are able to focus on the Rocks and Drops at each grade level and then focus on these essential five questions: 1. How have we been showcasing what a positive learning environment looks like for your students?

2. How are we focusing on what is best for kids?

3. What instructional strategies are working for the student in your classroom?

4. How are you informing the students and parents about the learning opportunities that are taking place in our classroom?

5. How can Corey Fries (Assistant Principal) and I serve you?

These five questions allow us to refine what is taking place in our classes by reflecting on our everyday practices. This also has allowed staff to take down any professional barriers that had been up and build trust with a new administration.

A running Google Doc is used to take notes on the meeting for teachers to refer back to or catch up if they miss a meeting. This allows us to grow and be transparent together. The staff would agree that we are moving in the right direction to not only serve our students but to serve each other. I often get emails from teachers after a morning round table meeting. Here is a response from a teacher that demonstrates the positive effect our round tables can have on staff and students: “Thank you for an awesome meeting this morning! What a great way to start the day! My teaching partner and I were talking about the note challenge, and we are going to model it and do it with our students. We both felt very uncomfortable reading it to them, but the reaction was phenomenal! My student was so excited and proud! He smiled so big (which doesn’t happen often). I didn’t expect such a response! So thank you for the encouragement and pushing me out of my comfort zone.”

These type of emails are so encouraging for our administrative team!

The path we are taking and the changes we have made over the past two unique years is reflected in our everyday practice. #CWWAY Max Lallathin is in his second year as the Principal at Winchester Trail Elementary. He is serving in his 13th year as an administrator in the state of Ohio. He is a proud husband to Loriann and has 3 awesome kids: Carter, Hudson, and Finley. Most importantly he truly loves being a servant leader.

The author can be contacted via email at mlallathin@cwls.us and via Twitter at @m_lallathin.

spring 2021

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Kindness Counts...

All Day, Every Day!

How SEL is changing our school culture

BY TODD CARMER In the fall of 2018 my staff and I began studying the positive effects of using social-emotional learning (SEL) in schools. Our conversations revolved around the fact that the number of students who have either experienced some sort of trauma or have been diagnosed with anxiety or depression has increased dramatically over the past several years.

We decided that we had to start approaching how we instruct students in a different way.

My primary source for information gathering was the CASEL (The Collaborative for Social and Emotional Learning) website which has a wealth of research and information regarding the impact of SEL on student growth. One of the statistics that stood out to me was that research shows that students who are exposed to SEL at an early age show an 11% increase in academic achievement. I met with each of my K-2 grade level teams to start brainstorming what we do currently to support students in the area of social emotional health. We quickly discovered that several things that we had already implemented fit perfectly.

We were all trained in Calm Classroom breathing techniques and the Pax Good Behavior Game.

Most classes also use a Morning Meeting to reinforce skills and start the day on a positive note. We brainstormed a list of things we would like to add to our program. We decided to start a “Kindness Counts” initiative in the spring of 2018 to build the foundation that would kick start our SEL program.

We started doing video announcements in the morning, and started incorporating “Kindness Counts” in everything we do. Each Friday is known as “Kindness Day” where the staff wears kindness t-shirts and we sing our school song which I wrote called, “Choose to be Kind” that I play on my guitar. Students can earn “Kindness Coupons” each week by being kind to each other and two winners from each grade level are drawn on Friday mornings for a prize. The coupons are posted on a bulletin board each week and we keep track of how many the students have earned. Starting the kindness initiative has made a profound difference in how our students and staff interact.

The teachers have mentioned how the students are much more aware of how they treat each other and are always looking for ways to show kindness.

One of the things on our brainstorm list was to pursue adding a

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therapy dog to our staff. I did a lot of research and, with the support of our district, was able to make this a reality at the start of the 20192020 school year. We introduced Jarah (pictured center) to our parents and students at our open houses in the fall of 2019. She is actually owned by our school district and lives with one of my kindergarten teachers who is one of six certified handlers on our staff. Jarah has been a game changer for our building. She greets students every day when they enter the building and follows a daily schedule that includes classroom visits and being visible in the hallways and office. Our counselor, who is one of Jarah’s handlers, has incorporated her into all of her classroom guidance lessons which occur two to three times a year. She also is used for reluctant readers and is a great “listener” when students get a chance to read to her. Students have commented that they feel “safer” with Jarah here and that she always makes them smile. She has truly changed the climate of the building and has become an integral part of our SEL journey.

As we created the “Kindness Counts” initiative and added our therapy dog Jarah we also conducted out 2nd annual SEL Day in our K-2 and 3-5 buildings. This was a non-academic day where each grade level planned activities around the themes of kindness, empathy, teamwork, and social skills. We had “buddy” lunches and recesses where we teamed up older grades and younger grades. This was a great opportunity for the older kids to interact with and “help” the younger students during lunch and recess. We also had special activities planned during their unified arts time: yoga, martial arts, music therapy, and art therapy during these times. The kids love this day and look forward to it every year.

We are in the second year of our SEL journey, and we are beginning to research Tier 1 evidence-based SEL curriculums to help us continue to build our culture of kindness. After being an educator for 27 years, I truly believe that focusing on SEL is the best thing we’ve ever done to address the learning needs of our students, and that teaching something as simple as “kindness counts” can help shape our students to become successful adults.

Todd Carmer has been an educator for 27 years for Licking Valley Local Schools.

He spent 11 years teaching at the middle school and the past 16 years as an elementary principal.

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Feeling Unstoppable or Stopped in Your Tracks?

BY TAMAR CAMPBELL OAESA PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCE PRESENTER

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e have the best job in the world...most days. You know those great days when all your hard work pays off ?

Staff are positive and excited to be at work. The kids are growing, learning, and behaving. Parents are engaged, and even complimentary. All your advanced planning resulted in success. You are unstoppable!

that I am doing the difficult work that needs to be done to help my students learn and grow. When I have to take actions that go against my values (told to do so by a superior, union contract, etc.), those are the ones that drain my resilience and make me question my choice of professions. Knowing our values and operating from them is key to being resilient.

And then there are those other days. The ones that make you question why you ever left the classroom. The ones that have you wondering if you will be able to keep doing this until retirement.

The ones that make you question if you will still be alive when it is time to retire. You know those days. The ones where an irate parent is waiting for you when you get to the office. The one where your phone light is blinking with new messages, and when you open your email to discover in the time you were at central office for a meeting, you received 86 messages! It is usually the same day that you do not have time to eat lunch, staff follow you even to the restroom, there is ‘Code-V’ on the walkie, and the student discipline referrals are stacking up. Yesterday was a good day, so what happened today?

Another important way to build resilience is to learn to set boundaries.

This is a challenge for many educators and administrators. We serve so many different clients—our students, our staff, our families, our community, and our district. We pride ourselves on returning that phone call within 24 hours, answering the onslaught of emails, keeping our office door open for anyone to drop by, visiting classrooms each day, and being visible during important times during the day. It is healthy and okay to schedule time to breathe, to eat, and to even use the restroom during the school day! We will never clear out the to-do list completely, but if we know ourselves and operate out of our values, we will learn to prioritize what is most important and let everything else go.

For over twenty years as a school principal, I know this reality all too well. The days ebb and flow. We have opportunities to create positive cultures focused on quality instruction. It is extremely rewarding work, but it is not easy work. It is not for the faint of heart.

Which gets to the most important way to build resilience: know how to refuel yourself and do it! Is it running with friends? Quiet time to journal? Cooking a homemade meal with your family? Cocktails and dinner with a loved one? Staying up late to watch Saturday Night Live? Traveling or being outside? Learn what you need to do for you to get re-energized and schedule it regularly into your life.

So what can we do? We must remember to take care of ourselves. The only way to stay healthy and effective is to build up our resilience— emotionally and physically. If we aren’t healthy, we will not be able to meet the demands of the job, and we will certainly not be able to take care of anyone else.

How do we take care of ourselves? How do we build our emotional and physical resilience? According to Elena Aguilar in her book Onward, it takes healthy habits and dispositions. We must know ourselves, understand our emotions, work to build community, and practice compassion towards others and ourselves.

For me, building resilience starts with knowing and operating out of my values. When I am able to lead from my values as I make decisions as a school principal, even if those decisions are difficult, they do not exhaust me and stop me in my tracks. I know at my core

In Onward, Aguilar writes: “Within you and outside you is a wellspring of life-giving energy that you can access and cultivate.” Let us cultivate our resilience so we can enjoy the best job in the world.

Tamar Campbell has served as a school principal for the past 14 years in Hilliard City Schools. Prior to that she was a principal and teacher in Columbus City Schools for 14 years. She is blessed to be the mother to three amazing children. She cultivates her own resilience by spending time with family, traveling, and running with friends. The author can be contacted via email at cbsdtc@hotmail.com and via Twitter at @tamarcampbell_1. She will be presenting on the topic of “Unstoppable or Stopped in Your Tracks? Building Resilience in Yourself and Your Staff ” as a clinic session at OAESA’s Virtual Professional Conference on Thursday, June 17 from 10:30am-11:15am. spring 2021

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A Missing Link

BY NICK NEIDERHOUSE, ED.D. OAESA PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCE PRESENTER

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rincipals across the country have seen our students’ mental health needs suffer during this pandemic. This has shifted some school, district, and state funding to be aimed at providing more social and emotional supports for students. Rightfully so, as students are struggling to develop connections, compassion, selfesteem, and peer relationships for reasons that are not their own.

The long-term impacts of these challenges are unknown, but there is hope if we can focus on linking two words, service and learning. You may have heard and seen the pedagogy, service learning, but those two words individually do not tell of the potential of linking them together with a hyphen. The hyphen in service-learning, “symbolizes the symbiotic relationship between service and learning” (Jacoby, 1996, p. 5). This is essential in meeting both an authentic human need and course content.

Since the beginning of my research on service-learning over a decade ago, I have been engaging in passion projects multiple times each year. Not because I need more to do as a principal during a pandemic year, but it is due to the impact that service-learning projects have on students and communities, both locally and globally.

The Progressive Web App called: We Teach: Learning through Serving is linking service and learning with the mission of enhancing students’ classroom learning experiences by partnering with organizations mainly outside of the school. The App’s four core beliefs of collaboration, character building, meaningful moments, and community connections, have proven to be effective even in the face of a pandemic.

In November of 2020, a second grade teacher stated, “This is exactly what my students needed right now” (Glowacki, 2020). What she was describing was a service-learning project that a second and a fourth grade class engaged in called, “Baskets of Sunshine.” Through this project, these classes learned about the five stages of service-learning as described by Lake and Jones (2012) as: ● Investigation ● Preparation ● Action ● Reflection ● Demonstration What they found is that there are some populations, such as those with disabilities, that have been significantly affected by the pandemic

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more than most people. Individuals with disabilities supported by a local organization called Sunshine: Creating Community are cared for because they cannot care for themselves. During the pandemic, this organization lost their nearly 3,000 volunteers who bring joy, relief, connections, and fun to their lives. The Sunshine staff had to work longer hours and most individuals with disabilities couldn’t even have family visitors due to health and safety concerns.

Students had a Zoom session with Sunshine’s Volunteer Manager, Lori Richard, to learn about the operations and purpose of Sunshine and how they support individuals with disabilities. The needs were recognized by the second and fourth grade classes and they jumped right in and began to prepare and take action to help. The students collected and brought food donations to help Sunshine families to be able to prepare meals for Thanksgiving. Two classes ended up donating enough to fill the bed of a truck!

The two teachers read stories and showed videos to students and discussed the meaning of kindness, supporting others with disabilities, and empathy. For some of the second grade students, this was the first they had learned and thought about supporting those with disabilities. The students reflected on their learning through writing prompts and they also made cards to show support to those who were struggling. One fourth grade student remarked, “The donations will give them hope. They may not be very hopeful right now due to the restrictions of COVID-19, but this gives them hope, knowing people are thinking about them and they still get to celebrate Thanksgiving.”

The last stage of demonstration, similar to reflection, was enacted as students shared about the needs they addressed and what they learned.

Another fourth grade student shared in his reflection, “Even though some people have disabilities, they are still people and should be treated as everyone else. It may be hard to work with those with disabilities, but watching others work with them, it makes me feel like I can, too!”

According to the National Youth Leadership Council (2021), the most successful and quality service-learning programs incorporate eight standards, with the last one being duration and intensity. While a one-time project can make a difference, if a service-learning program is able to be sustained over a period of time to address meaningful service, the students can better understand the link to learning and the partnership can be collaborative and mutually beneficial.

With this in mind, the second and fourth grade classes engaged in another meaningful moment of service with Sunshine with their “Boxes filled with Love” project. With the knowledge that many restrictions have not been lifted or improved with the slow rollout of the vaccine, family visits to residents are limited to appointments or Facetime. Students decided to fill boxes with Valentine’s Day trinkets, snacks, and cards of support, and send them directly to Sunshine sponsored respite houses all across the Northwest Ohio area. Students were able to continue to enrich their learning of those with disabilities and differences with books, such as “Bird Hugs” and “Just Ask: Be Different, Be Brave, Be You.” These titles helped students understand the meanings of diversity, differences, and being confident in who they are in all circumstances.

Once the boxes were packed with love and sent, the nurses assisting those living at these houses video recorded the residents opening their packed boxes overflowing with cards of encouragement and treats for the Valentine’s Day holiday.

Students smiled as they watched the videos that were sent back and the Sunshine Volunteer Manager, Richard, commented, “The boxes were a way to bring joy and happiness to everyone.

The residents and nurses smiled and laughed as they knew that someone was thinking of them and that they have not been forgotten during the pandemic.”

Second grade students were then asked five reflection questions after watching the videos. One student remarked, “I learned that some people move and smile to show emotions instead of talking.” She added, “I learned never to be mean because we don’t know what some people are going through.” As students reflected, it was evident that they continued to develop character traits of empathy and compassion.

These responses are exactly the outcomes we want to build students’ mental health. This is supported in research as qualitative findings (Astin, Vogelgesang, Ikeda, & Yee, 2000, p. 3) suggest service-learning is effective, in part, because it facilitates four types of outcomes: an increased sense of personal efficacy, an increased awareness of the world, an increased awareness of one’s personal values, and increased engagement in the classroom experience. If students and teachers can get this type of engagement and responses during a pandemic, then imagine the outcomes with less constraints and stress.

In education, we are in a “service” industry in the truest sense of the word. We know our students, staff, and parents, are at the top of our serve list each day we engage in our schools, either in-person or during online learning. However, when our service extends beyond our school and pours into underserved or more vulnerable populations in our communities, our outreach becomes unstoppable! This does give us reason to celebrate this year, not as a loss, but as hope. Even in the most challenging times, service and learning, are, in fact, not only possible, but critical. The pedagogy of service-learning is one method to address the mental health of our students. Many organizations, businesses, and schools, have closed doors to volunteers from the outside. However, others have been creative to still find ways to serve from the “inside out.” As you develop plans in your schools and districts in the coming months for the next school year, consider how finding the connection and link of service-learning can have for your students and community.

Nick Neiderhouse, Ed.D, has been an administrator for the past ten years at both the elementary and high school levels. Dr. Neiderhouse is the OAESA Zone 4 Director and he is also the founder of the We Teach: Learning through Serving App. If any principals or teachers are interested in learning more about these projects or want to partner with We Teach for a service-learning project, you can download or access the free app at weteachapp.com or email dr.house@weteachapp.com. He will be presenting on the topic of “When Schools and Communities Unite” as a clinic session at OAESA’s Virtual Professional Conference on Thursday, June 17 from 11:15am-12:00pm.

References Astin, A., Vogelgesang, L., Ikeda, E., & Yee, J. (2000). How service learning affects students. Higher Education. 1, 1-5.

Glowacki, A. (2020, November 15). Personal communication [Email].

Jacoby, B. (1996). Service-learning in today’s higher education. In B. Jacoby (Ed.), Service-learning in higher education. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

K-12 Service-Learning Standards. (2021, February 15). National Youth Leadership Council. Retrieved February 15, 2021, from https://www.nylc.org/page/standards Lake, Vickie, and Ithel Jones (2012). Service learning in the prek-3 classroom. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing Inc. Richard, L. (2021, February 12). Personal communication [Email]. winter spring 2021 2020

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How to Build an Unstoppable Education in a Virtual World

BY JAMES A. MILLET, ED.D.

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irtual education has been growing exponentially in the last ten years. Research and Markets forecasted the virtual education market as $350 billion by 2025 before the current pandemic. Throughout this school year, the majority of students across the United States have been engaged in virtual learning. Parents, educators and policymakers have expressed concern that students in virtual environments are not receiving a quality education. On February 9, Ohio Department of Education Superintendent Paolo DeMaria said, “Throughout this pandemic, academic performance drops happened everywhere in the state, but students in all-remote instruction experienced bigger losses than students receiving some in-person classes.” Despite tremendous technological, pedagogical and curricular advancements, schools are missing the mark with virtual education.

Building positive relationships with students is the most important component of an effective education. Unfortunately, it is often the most overlooked component. The science of learning and development reveals that we need to create learning environments (physical or virtual), which allow for strong, positive relationships for students to become invested, motivated and engaged in learning.

Positive relationships produce a release of the hormone oxytocin.

Critical to positive experiences, oxytocin opposes the effects of the stress hormone, cortisol, and opens the brain to authentic and lasting learning. Cognitive neuroscientists, like Caroline Leaf, explain that when you have a positive interaction with a student, their brain releases dopamine. This creates a cycle that is foundational to positive relationships. You provide positive feedback. The student’s brain releases dopamine. The student feels good and is motivated to feel that way again and continues the cycle. With this increased motivation, students spend more time and attention working on a skill. Furthermore, positive relationships help activate neural pathways to connect old and new information. This is seminal for learning along with the provided psychological safety which helps the amygdala function properly for optimal learning. All of this can

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be established in a virtual learning environment with three strategic practices.

Engage Individual Students in Active Discussions You must engage every student in active discussions. In a face-toface classroom, the most fruitful interactions come from personal interactions. The same is true in a virtual classroom. It doesn’t matter if your learning model is synchronous or asynchronous. You must seek out opportunities to talk face to face with students in a video format. You can do this throughout a class and privately with office hours. During a class, you can use breakout rooms and outside of class you have a wide variety of applications to interact with students.

When engaging in discussions, use a large dose of gratitude and appreciation so that your connections activate the heart as well as the brain. While online, use the “2 x 10 Theory” to intentionally build relationships. The 2 x 10 Theory was pioneered by Canadian principal Myron Dueck, who discovered the immense benefits of teachers spending 2 minutes a day for 10 days connecting with students. You will need to strategically plan this time with each of your students and actively demonstrate that you care. As you do this before, during and after class, it will yield great outcomes in building positive relationships with all of your students.

Make Collective Student Presence Important It is critical to demonstrate the value of your collective student body in a virtual environment. When every student is valued and brought together as a united community, it helps individuals advocate and support each other in the struggle to overcome learning obstacles.

Research shows that many virtual environments make students feel isolated and leads to hindered academic growth. It is important to show students their part in a larger picture. You can make your collective student presence felt by using the gallery view and providing opportunities for classmates to see everyone. Additionally, there is

power in community support. You can activate this support through interactive group tools. EdPuzzle is a tool that provides interactive video and formative assessments to engage a class in specific learning objectives. After developing individual results, you can also watch the videos together and answer the questions as a team. Poll Everywhere is another tool that builds student importance by allowing students to vote on custom, teacher-generated polls. Teachers can easily generate polls to be deployed individually or as a series of questions. The results should be shared with the whole class in order to bring value to individuals and reveal their part in the whole. These types of tools show students that their presence is important and adds value to a class community.

Provide Peer to Peer Social Interactions Student social interactions are important for various attitudinal, well-being, and performance-related outcomes that build positive feelings and relationships. All too often, virtual classrooms do not provide opportunities for students to interact with each other. Even while doing independent practice, many students enjoy having a peer around for collaboration and as a support person for difficult questions. If possible, utilize breakout rooms and pre-assign students into appropriate groupings, changing up the groups every few weeks.

This gives students opportunities to interact and work with each other from a distance, building student-student relationships while enhancing their learning. Drawp for School is an effective tool that encourages collaboration and creative expression, and makes sharing assignments convenient for students and teachers. Another way to provide social interactions that develop positive relationships is to establish opportunities for peers to express gratitude. Expressing gratitude has been shown to improve your personal health as well as your relationship with others, and it has a greater impact on the entire classroom community. FlipGrid is a tool that empowers social learning. It is designed to allow students to speak to a group through videos and is the perfect format for students to express gratitude and positive feedback to classmates. Teachers can post gratitude topics and then prompt students to respond with rich, creative media within the application.

It is important to implement all three of these strategies together.

They work symbiotically to amplify their effectiveness in a virtual environment. The first strategy addresses the individual, the second establishes the whole unit and the third fuses them. Build each component with intentionality. Rarely, do virtual relationships form organically. It takes work but with these three strategies your power to build positive relationships will yield an unstoppable education in a virtual world.

Dr. James A. Millet is the superintendent of Garaway Local Schools in Sugarcreek, Ohio. His doctorate research focused on successful instructional practices in a virtual learning environment. He has used these practices in his teaching at Concordia University and shared extensive research on educational leadership and virtual learning for the past ten years. His focus on building positive relationships to maximize human potential is a focus every day. You can contact the author via email at JMillet@Garaway.org.

“The science of learning and development reveals that we need to create learning environments— physical or virtual— which allow for strong, positive relationships for students to become invested, motivated and engaged in learning.” spring 2021 2020

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Not Just Surviving...

Thriving!

BY DOROTHY LAMBERT

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hen schools were shut down in March of 2020, my entire PK-4 staff at Archbold Elementary School pulled together to deliver remote learning the best way we knew how given the circumstances. While it wasn’t perfect, we felt we were doing our best in those unprecedented times.

school on August 19, 2020. With this goal in place, every minute of every school day had to be analyzed to ensure the safety of our students and staff. So the journey began.

“Through all the bad, we have come to realize and appreciate all the good— something I hope we never forget!”

When the 2019-2020 school year finally came to an end, we all breathed a little sigh of relief; we had made it through the COVID pandemic, and we were looking forward to getting back to normal. Well, we all know that did not happen! As June and July 2020 passed and it became clear that the 2020-2021 school year was going to be anything but normal, my staff once again pulled together to figure out what it was going to take to “do school” during the continuing COVID pandemic.

Our district made the commitment in July to bring students back in person five days a week starting the first day of

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Through a lot of planning and Zoom meetings with my staff in July and August, the master schedule was revised, classrooms and other spaces were rearranged or redesigned to socially distance students, cafeteria seats were numbered and assigned to students, hallways were marked with 6-foot signs, arrival and dismissal procedures were revised, bell schedules were changed, sanitizing stations were created, and PPE was purchased.

New procedures were developed for just about everything: handwashing, mask wearing, breakfast and lunch, restroom use, playground use, handling of papers and library books, celebrating in classrooms, distributing birthday treats, sharing supplies, sanitizing desks and equipment. The list went on and on. We even had to create a building-wide

restroom schedule so all classes had a designated time to use the bathroom to avoid overcrowding and overlap.

At the same time, as we were preparing for students to return to school, we were also developing plans in case we were forced to go back to remote learning. Again, through a lot of planning and meetings, we developed a remote learning plan “just in case.” Oh, I almost forgot, we also had to arrange an online option for students who chose not to return to school in person. Did I mention, school hadn’t even started yet? As usual, at my opening day staff meeting on August 17, 2020, after reviewing the extensive “restart” plan, I shared my goal for the year. Most years I have two to three goals for our building, typically involving curriculum work, technology, or PBIS. This year, my only goal? SURVIVE. Finally, after many weeks of preparation, the 2020-2021 school year began as planned on August 19, 2020. All of our hard work and preparation paid off. Our new schedules and procedures were working. Our parents were supportive, our students adapted to all the changes, and we were just so glad to have the majority of our students back in person. But then, just when we thought we had it all figured out, the positive COVID tests, the contact tracing, the quarantines, and the isolations began!

My teachers cringed every time they saw me carrying

my 6-foot orange stick, because they knew that meant they were going to lose several members of their class to quarantine or isolation. My teachers were trying to serve our students in person and at the same time, they now had to do remote learning for those students who were stuck at home. We also had staff affected, and it was a challenge to find enough subs to fill the vacancies. There were days that we all had to chip in to cover classes, clean classrooms, serve lunch, or deliver materials to students. The going got tough many times this year, but we ALL just kept going— one day at a time! And now, here we are in early spring, still in person five days a week and starting to plan for next year.

We have discovered that there are some COVID-related changes that we really like and want to keep. We have also found that we are not only SURVIVING this year, we are THRIVING! The adults and the children are working hard to make up for lost time, and we all have a new appreciation for things we used to take for granted. Through all the bad, we have come to realize and appreciate all the good— something I hope we never forget!

Dorothy Lambert is the elementary principal at Archbold Elementary School in Archbold, Ohio. This is her twenty-eighth year in education and fourteenth year as principal at AES. Prior to becoming principal, Lambert was an elementary teacher and Curriculum Director. You can contact the author via email at dlambert@archboldschools.org.

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Feeding Hungry Minds: An Innovative Model to Deliver STEM Learning to Underserved Youth During the COVID-19 Era A COSI Case Study

BY STEPHEN WHITE AND ALLIE GREIWE OAESA PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCE PRESENTERS

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Feed hungry lives and feed hungry minds. This powerful phrase gave birth to an innovative program, called the COSI Connects Learning Lunchbox. Fueled by the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) and its partnership network, this program delivers critical distance learning to underserved youth during the COVID-19 crisis.

launched COSI Connects–a comprehensive digital doorway that provides free, accessible, and interactive STEM learning lessons to individuals and communities throughout Ohio and beyond.

The COSI Connects platform serves formal and non-formal educators by delivering tools to enhance their curricula during the new era of distance learning.

The COVID-19 pandemic created a paradigm shift in how we deliver education, and it continues to pose the threat of leaving the vulnerable and underserved community disproportionately behind. Inequitable access to the internet, food, and other services create significant barriers to remote learning for underserved communities (School-system priorities in the age of coronavirus, McKinsey & Company, 2020). There is a clear need for accessible, high-quality science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning to keep minds engaged, ensure educational needs are met (including those in rural and urban communities), and provide pathways to STEM careers. This need is exacerbated by the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have a prolonged impact on formal and non-formal learning.

The COSI Connects ecosystem offers daily and weekly digital activities, which include the following: • Daily lesson plans and activities for engaging, hands-on and minds-on content using readily available materials found at home; • Daily video resources from COSI experts, educators, and content partners; • Science challenges; • Citizen science projects; • Social media STEM assessments; • Virtual, 360-degree tours of select COSI exhibitions; and • A “teach back” initiative that enables youth to share what they have learned through social media.

COSI, which was recently selected as the number one science museum in the nation by USA Today, is a national institution that serves over 1.2 million individuals annually. COSI expanded its distance learning initiatives to address these COVID-19 challenges head on through an unprecedented, innovative, and partnership-driven solution. As a leading science center, COSI plays a critical and unique role in delivering much-needed indelible learning experiences. Less than one week after closing our physical doors because of the COVID-19 pandemic, COSI

In just over five months (beginning in March 2020) this bold new web portal saw over 75,000+ views and users from throughout the Midwest and beyond. As the need for the remote-learning offered through COSI Connects continued to grow, COSI scaled up programming to provide more accessible and impactful engagements. COSI developed a mobile application for COSI Connects that enabled the user to download content to their mobile devices. Students and families visited free Wi-Fi community hotspot locations to download COSI Connects content.

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COSI worked with organizations, such as the Ohio Afterschool Network and the Central Ohio Transit Authority, a public transit agency, to promote the COSI Connects platform as well as provide site locations for Wi-Fi hotspots. Families and youth would visit these hot-spot locations and access the COSI Connects platform through the offline mode of the COSI Connects App. This offline download enabled students to view COSI Connects content from their home, even without the internet. As low-income U.S. teenagers rely disproportionately on smart phones for internet access, the accessibility offered in the COSI mobile application is critical in reaching underserved populations (Teens, Social Media & Technology 2018, Pew Research Center).

Although the COSI Connects ecosystem offered a plethora of digital resources, COSI recognized that these digital tools were not enough to serve those youth who were struggling as a result of the digital divide. Thus, COSI created a new type of “physical” STEM learning kit called the COSI Connects Learning Lunchbox to serve those who did not have access to digital resources. The distribution of the COSI Learning Lunchbox focused on the concept of feeding hungry lives, and feeding hungry minds. To achieve this goal, COSI partnered with the Children’s Hunger Alliance to distribute these kits in a socially distant manner when families received their meals for the week. At each site, they would receive a box filled with food, and a box filled with science activities.

The Learning Lunchboxes were filled with five days of activities

that were tied directly to national Next Generation Science Standards as well as specific Ohio learning standards. This initiative served grades K-12. COSI distributed thousands of these Learning Lunchboxes throughout the state of Ohio, and the Learning Lunchbox had different themes – water, nature, space and more. With the support of key organizations, such as NASA, U.S. Department of Energy, VirginHyperloop, the State of Ohio, Franklin County, and the City of Columbus, COSI leveraged the power of partnerships to expand STEM education through its Learning Lunchboxes.

The partnership-driven collective collaboration enhanced and enabled distance learning, serving as an example for our communities to serve those in need during a pandemic, while also providing a framework for teachers and educators as they developed distance learning techniques. Through the power of partnerships, COSI demonstrated that science and education could serve as the great equalizer during this time of crisis and re-awakening of societal inequities. As thousands of Learning Lunchboxes were distributed across neighborhoods and communities, it inspired countless underserved youth. The COSI Connects Learning Lunchbox embodies the premise that we are all in this together, and together we can engage, inspire, and transform.

The authors will be presenting on the topic of “COSI-fy Your Classroom: Innovative Strategies to Bridge the COVID Canyon Educational Gap” as a clinic session at OAESA’s Virtual Professional Conference on Friday, June 18 from 12:30pm-1:15pm. spring 2021

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You’re Unstoppable When a PLC is Teacher-Led

BY JOHN HILL

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eachers will do well if they can! That means administrators and teachers need to think about what skills we can develop to ensure student success. Our teachers and students need the skills to win in the classroom. Before winning can take place, relationships are built. One way to develop these skills is to have a monthly book study with willing staff members.

This year at Meadowview Elementary we started a Professional Learning Community book study. These are not new, but it is new to Meadowview. This was a book study for the teachers led by the teachers. Our goal was to make a concerted effort to make a positive, genuine impact with each student at our school. We like to call these meaningful moments. This sounds like an easy task, but nothing is easy when changing fixed mindsets. Our society is wrapped up with technology and instant gratification. This takes intentional effort during arrival, walks in the hall, lunch, recess, and dismissal. Making meaningful moments takes discipline to retrain actions and have a growth mindset.

We picked the book Be the One for Kids by Ryan Sheehy. This is an easy read with common sense type ideas. The staff embraced this learning opportunity and even bought the books with their own money due to budget limitations at our school. We had 17 members participate each month. Each had a different theme: interactions with students, making magical moments, telling a story, and making an impact with a student. These were a few of the topics discussed.

The blueprint for the book study was addressed and agreed upon in our first meeting. Every member of the group was encouraged to participate and their thoughts were not judged or criticized. We were engaged, supportive members that encouraged diverse thinking to learn from one another. The key to these discussions was to make sure every member felt the trust in the group to share their true thoughts and feelings. If a participant felt like their thoughts had the potential for critical reactions, then the purpose of the study would not reach its full potential.

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Each monthly meeting comprised of a PowerPoint with thought provoking statements that guided the discussion. However, many times the discussion changed course and provided more enriching conversation. The meetings end by lining up in front of them and telling one learning they took from the meeting. This allowed the group members to practice and develop a meaningful moment with a staff member. This then spilled over into the classroom.

After our first meeting, an email was sent to each participant thanking them for their contribution to the group. Then a challenge was issued to encourage staff members to have an intentional, positive interaction with a student during the course of the day. We wanted our students to feel like they are a positive, valued member of our school community. At our next meeting, teachers discussed how difficult it was to focus on the positive. However, the positivity created an excitement and joy in the learning environment.

After each meeting, the participants were energized to implement items discussed in the meeting. We had an excellent discussion prior to parent teacher conferences. The participants planned intentional conversations to highlight the positives happening with their students.

Of course, some parents tried to turn the conversation to focus on the negatives (something we like to put a positive spin on and call them opportunity areas). The members of the PLC did an excellent job of focusing on the task at hand—making school positive and growth-oriented.

After parent teacher conferences were complete, we celebrated our accomplishments with coffee and donuts during our next gathering.

This was a time to celebrate the positive changes that were taking place. We wanted the group to know and feel that they were making a difference. The positivity of this group is contagious. We can see more and more positive interactions taking place at school, which is exciting for all involved.

We did not know the importance of this group until March. We were

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told on a Friday that we would start working remotely the following Tuesday. Teachers were frantically making lessons to send home with students. We did not know what the future had in store. After a week from working remotely, we met via Google Meet. The group was grateful for the collegial conversations. We began bouncing ideas off of one another about how to make the best out of this situation to continue the connection with our students remotely. Our conversation shifted to the fact that we are the ones for our kids. The book allowed us to communicate and what was best for our students during remote learning.

I made a habit out of connecting with each teacher weekly– not about what they needed for their students, but how they were doing. Was there anything they needed? Then we started to determine what the students needed–whether it was a hotspot, food, supplies, or something else. I was impressed and proud of every teacher. They were being the ones for our kids!

At the end of the year, the PLC thought it was a good idea to have a drive by parade. We hit every neighborhood in our district. This was a great reminder that we were the ones for our kids! The students loved seeing their teachers. The Miami Township Police Department even provided an escort for our 38-car parade. Families held up signs, and teachers’ families participated. This is the definition of a positive school community and culture. This happens over time, and is not forced, but genuine. I sent every staff member a personalized text thanking them for their participation. I was proud.

Pandemic or not, a successful, productive PLC must be run with a few guiding principles that were mentioned earlier. The faciliatator must remember that the most important principle is to make sure every member of the group feels safe. This will allow the true learning to take place because statements are coming from the heart with no fear of judgement.

We need to celebrate and bring more intentional positive communication between teachers and students. It is easy to lose perspective, but remember we might be the only positive in the child’s life. With that in mind, it is imperative that we focus on meaningful moments that make a difference in a child’s educational experience. We never realized how valuable a PLC was until the pandemic hit.

John Hill is a Building Coordinator at Meadowview Elementary School.

Meadowview is an elementary school in the Milford Exempted School District. He has taught first, third, and fifth grades over the past 16 years. John has degrees from Ferris State University, Mount St. Joseph University, and the University of Cincinnati. The author can be contacted via email at hill_j@milfordschools.org and via Twitter at @ MDV_Hill.

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spring 2020

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H E A LT H

matters

SUPPORTING STUDENTS’ AND EDUCATORS’ BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AS THE PANDEMIC WINDS DOWN

BY ANNA MILLER, MPH

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he COVID-19 pandemic brought rapid change for Ohio families. As students and employees switched to remote or hybrid working and learning, they adjusted over the past months. At this time, we are again faced with changes for which we may not be ready. It is important to recognize that educators, children and families may experience stress, confusion, fear, anger, sadness or anxiety during the return to school. As a result, students may display apathy, agitation or disruptive behaviors. For students to be successful, schools will need to address and support students’ safety, social-emotional health and wellness needs.

reconnected. Schools will need to re-assess the individual needs of children and assist in providing them with supports that meet universal and individual student’s needs.

Schools also must recognize stress and anxiety experienced by staff and determine healthy ways to support the adults who establish the school environment. Schools should engage with related services personnel such as school counselors, nurses, social workers and others regularly and on an ongoing basis. These regular interactions will help determine how best to provide a safe environment for all educators and what the school and district can do to promote a calm and safe workspace.

“It is important to recognize that educators, children and families may experience stress, confusion, fear, anger, sadness or anxiety during the return to school.

To help during this transition phase, we know that Ohio schools and districts are implementing Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), which includes a tiered model of prevention and intervention programs and practices.

Schools and districts need to adapt their PBIS framework to include common behavior expectations specific to student health guidelines.

For children who already receive mental health services, they may have adjusted to telehealth services, or they may have experienced a disruption to those services during COVID-19 and need to be

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Student supports are critical in a time of uncertainty and heightened anxiety.

Some of the unique challenges faced

by students include: • They may be fearful of getting sick if they go to school or get close to other people.

• Many older students may be required to hold jobs to help support their families.

• There may be a rise in abuse and neglect that teachers, school

counselors or other personnel will need to identify and report.

• There may be heightened concerns about where students and families have been in the evenings or weekends, then returning to school with the potential for “community spread.”

School counselors, nurses and social workers are instrumental in meeting emotional needs throughout the school day (one-onone, classroom guidance, group support) and finding community supports for students and their families. Effective partnerships with behavioral health providers and county Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health (ADAMH) boards can be a valuable addition to a comprehensive student support strategy.

Schools are encouraged to utilize school counselors and consider partnering with local ADAMH boards, educational service centers, community-based providers and hospitals to determine the community’s needs and identify best practices for assistance, including professional development for educators. Districts should develop and use a common language to build safety in the school, reduce fears and always assume positive intent. Schools and districts should work with local agencies to ensure employees’ social and emotional well-being as well.

Remote learning during school building closures has created new opportunities for families to increase engagement in their students’ education. Many teacher-family partnerships are stronger now

because of more frequent engagement between teachers and parents/guardians. Schools should consider ways to sustain this and leverage it for the benefit of students and families.

Some parents may want to keep their students out of school because of fears of illness. Schools and districts will need to consider the implications of this and policies to address it. At the same time, educators need to recognize that while all families want to support their children’s learning, not all families will have the same resources or opportunities to support remote learning in a consistent manner.

This includes families in which parents are returning to work, as well as families facing home situations that impact students’ abilities to learn. Teachers and families should build strong partnerships to support students.

Through the Governor’s K-12 Prevention Education Initiative, the Ohio Departments of Mental Health and Addiction Services and Education have partnered and made available strategies and resources that have strengthened school and community partnerships to support children and families. These resources include strategies, activities and messaging to ensure that educators, parents/caregivers and students have what they need to continue to move forward in living a health life. More information regarding these resources can be found in the Reset and Restart Education Planning Guide for Ohio Schools and Districts on the ODE website.

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LEGAL

report

ADMINISTRATORS’ FREQUENTLY ASKED LEGAL QUESTIONS

BY DENNIS PERGRAM

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f I want to give a verbal or written reprimand to a staff member, are they entitled to have a union representative with them?

Verbal or written reprimands are not addressed by Ohio school law or the due process clause of the Constitution. In other words, there are no policies or procedures set forth in Ohio school law or the Constitution primarily because verbal and written reprimands are not a deprivation of a property interest (money, employment or fringe benefits). Although verbal and written reprimands are not addressed under Ohio school law or the Constitution, the Board of Education’s policies may address verbal and written reprimands and, if so, Board policy must be followed. Secondly, and most importantly, verbal and written reprimands may be addressed in the collective bargaining agreement (master contract, negotiated agreement).

Therefore, the collective bargaining agreement would govern.

It is unlikely that a verbal reprimand would be covered under the collective bargaining agreement, mainly because the term verbal reprimand could be interpreted as being very broad. In other words, if a principal directs a teacher not do something again, that could be perceived be a verbal reprimand.

Once again, because verbal and written reprimands are not covered by Ohio school law or the Constitution, the issue of whether a subordinate may have a union representative present is also not covered. You will need to look to Board policy and the collective bargaining agreement to determine whether a subordinate is entitled to have a union representative present during a verbal or written reprimand.

If I feel like I am being harassed by an irate parent on social media, damaging my reputation in the community, what are my legal remedies?

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Principals are not “fair game” and false statements about a principal may bring into play the law concerning defamation.

Written defamation is called libel and verbal defamation is called slander. In general, the elements of defamation are as follows: • A false statement of fact • about the plaintiff • published without privilege to a third party • with fault of at least negligence on the part of the defendant and • that was either (a) defamatory per se or (b) caused special harm to the plaintiff For purposes of the above question, it is important to determine whether the statement on social media is false or untrue. Secondly, it is important to determine whether the false statement is a statement of fact or an opinion. For example, a statement such as “Principal Smith is the worst principal in our district” even if untrue would most likely be viewed as a statement of an opinion rather than a statement of an actual fact. On the other hand, a statement such as “Principal Smith has helped students cheat on their student achievement tests in order to improve the district’s rating” if untrue is a statement of fact and actionable.

Harm to one’s reputation is often difficult to prove. Therefore, the law does deem that a person’s reputation has been harmed if the defamation is what the law calls “defamation per se.”

In other words, damage to reputation is “presumed” if the defamatory statement: • claims that the person was involved in criminal activity • claims that the person has a “loathsome,” contagious or infectious disease • claims that the person engaged in sexual misconduct

DID YOU KNOW?

Your OAESA professional membership entitles you to one free hour of work-related legal consultation with OAESA legal counsel, Dennis Pergram, every year.

• claims that the person engaged in conduct incompatible with the proper conduct of his business, trade or profession (an accountant being a crook, a judge being corrupt, a doctor being a quack, a principal being a child molester) As a general rule and in the absence of a defamatory per se statement, a person will have to establish special damages.

Special damages are losses caused by the defamation - the loss of a job, a job opportunity, or other economic losses. A person prevailing in a defamation case can, under certain circumstances and based on certain facts, also recover punitive damages and attorney fees.

The area of defamation can be very complex and this article does not cover things such as when malice must be proven, the law concerning a person who is a public figure (as a matter of law, principals are not considered to be public figures unless there are special circumstances), a person who is, for limited purposes, a public figure and other factors that alter what must be proven in a defamation case.

Many times, a “cease and desist” letter to the defamer will stop the defamation and eliminate future damage but, of course, may not necessarily remedy the damage that has already been done. One of the most important things to remember is that the statute of limitations in Ohio for a defamation case is one year after the utterance or the printing of the defamation.

May my Superintendent or Board of Education place me on an administrative leave with pay?

In my opinion, a very troublesome circumstance that exists is a principal being placed on administrative leave with pay.

Ohio school law addresses reductions in force, suspensions

where an educator is charged with certain crimes, non-renewals and terminations. There is nothing under Ohio school law that addresses “administrative leave” with pay. This is sometimes referred to as working from home with pay or working outside of the offices with pay. Very frequently, when a school administration is investigating a matter they, as a matter of course, place the principal on administrative leave with pay.

Of course, that raises a great deal of unnecessary speculation and it appears to many that the principal has done something wrong and is being disciplined. Furthermore, the placing of a written notice placing the principal on administrative leave becomes a public record and can impact the principal’s chances of working elsewhere.

Unfortunately, the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution which, among other things, provides that a public employee must be provided due process of law before being deprived of a property interest, has been interpreted by the courts to not apply to a leave with pay. The primary reason given by the courts is that because the public employee is still being provided with pay and fringe benefits, they are not being deprived of a “property interest” as defined by law and, therefore, the due process protections are not invoked.

If at all possible, it is best to try to negotiate an informal agreement (not in writing) that the principal will, during an investigation, work outside the offices or school or at home with pay. This eliminates the unnecessary creation of a socalled “written notice of administrative leave with pay.” If you are forewarned or have an inkling or suspicion that you are going to be placed on so-called administrative leave, it is best for you to immediately contact legal counsel, who can then try to negotiate the unwritten informal agreement and avoid the stigmatizing written notice of administrative leave with pay.

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LEGISLATIVE

update

Advocacy = Persistence

BY BARBARA SHANER

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he Ohio General Assembly is in the process of developing its next state two-year operations budget which will take effect on July 1, 2021. The budget bill (House Bill (HB) 110) will include state funding for school districts for the school years 2021-2022 and 2022-2023. The Ohio House is considering using the provisions from what is known as the proposed Ohio Fair School Funding Plan (otherwise known as the Cupp/Patterson funding proposal), for the education funding portion of HB 110.

In addition to the funding provisions contained in the state budget bill, the governor and the legislature often include proposals to make changes to education policy as well as public policy changes on a range of topics unrelated to education. This time around, one of the changes proposed came from work in which some OAESA members were involved.

In 2018, the legislature passed SB 216 which included a requirement that the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) convene a workgroup to study the state’s Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA) and make recommendations.

That group consisted of many stakeholders, including OAESA representatives and building principals, Jim Nichols, Sara Roseberry, Michelle Unger, was convened and began meeting that same year. OAESA staff also attended the workgroup meetings. Over the course of several months, the group studied the various perspectives of all the stakeholders. They heard from experts on assessment construction and validity and other factors affecting the KRA. The group then developed a list of agreed-to recommendations released in May 2019.* The following is a summary of those recommendations: 1. Shorten the KRA by reducing the number of items within the assessment 2. Shorten the KRA timeframe for administration (the administration window) 3. Allow other education professionals beyond the

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kindergarten teacher of record to administer and score the KRA 4. Significantly invest in the rebranding of the KRA so that the public and users understand what its purpose is and how it should be used by schools.

Of these four recommendations, only one called for a legislative change; recommendation number two aimed at shortening the window for administering the KRA. ODE has since shortened the length of the KRA significantly, and it is now known as the KRA-R (Kindergarten Readiness Assessment – Revised). ODE is also allowing other education professionals in the district to administer and score the KRA. Efforts to rebrand and roll out the KRA-R have been delayed due to the Coronavirus pandemic, but information on the ODE website does describe the transition to the KRA-R. The timeframe when districts can administer the KRA (now the KRA-R) is governed by the Ohio Revised Code. Currently, the law permits the KRA to be administered up to two weeks prior to the start of the year (selected response and performance items only) through November 1. The group recognized that this range allows for assessing students after they have had time to adjust to “a new environment, new expectations, and new routines.” By contrast, some students may be assessed within the early days of their kindergarten experience. Because of these inconsistencies in timing, assessment results cannot truly be relied upon at the macro level.

Therefore, the workgroup recommended starting the assessment window any time after July 1, extending not more than twenty instructional days after the start of the school year. This would allow for a more accurate measure of whether or not a student has come to school “kindergarten ready,” the real purpose of the assessment.

Since the time the KRA workgroup report was released in May

of 2019, OAESA and ODE have attempted to gain support in the legislature for what was seen as a minor technical change to the statutes governing the KRA as the group had recommended. Fast forward to 2021, as part of his budget proposal to the legislature in February, Governor DeWine included the recommended change in the assessment window for the KRA. Persistence in our advocacy efforts has paid off; the recommended change is finally in print, and we are hopeful it will remain throughout the budget process.

This is a positive example of member input leading to improvements in the implementation of a state requirement for schools and students. Not just in the legislative change that is pending, the adjustments ODE has made to the KRA are improvements to the system. It also demonstrates that it can take a long time to make even incremental changes in education policy. The moral is that we should never give up when it comes to advocacy efforts for what is good for kids.

Sometimes we see policy changes proposed in budget bills that make us cringe. It often seems like we have to be “against” something. It is true that it’s necessary for the education community to “react” when a legislator has proposed what he/she thought was a good idea, but we believe there will be unintended consequences. Legislators may not have enough information or experience to fully understand what a new requirement might mean to schools and students.

Building principals have first-hand experience in how different policies might interact with one another and how the proposed new ones might turn out. That is why we are regularly asking OAESA members to build relationships with their own legislators, keeping them informed about the day-to-day challenges and successes in your buildings.

This KRA example is one that shows advocacy doesn’t have to start when a bill is introduced. Advocacy is the constant process of educating and informing state decision makers (and other stakeholders) about what is real in education. In this instance, we can proudly support the proposed KRA policy change in HB 110, and even urge our legislators to keep the language in the bill.

Our persistence has paid off so far and if it makes it across the finish line in June, we can again say we are “UNSTOPPABLE” when we set our minds to a goal. *To read the full report from the workgroup, scan the QR code below:

Building principals have first-hand experience in how different policies might interact with one another and how the proposed new ones might turn out.

That is why we are regularly asking OAESA members to build relationships with their own legislators; keeping them informed about the day to day challenges and successes in your buildings.

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didyouknow?

news from the association

CALLING ALL RETIREES! Retired members are a ma jor asset to our association. As a token of our appreciation, your first year of retired membership is FREE! Email membership@oaesa.org for more information.

Welcome to OAESA’s New Members ZONE 1 Abbey Chapman Matt Hines ZONE 2 Mary Ann Dillon Thaddeus Highbaugh Jordan Meehan Mary Sambuchino Amy Spegal ZONE 3 Heidi Earlywine Lisa Miller Mojgan Soleimanpour ZONE 4 Patricia Beebe Heidi Bell Tina Blanchong Sarah Burkholder Ashley Chapa Heather Crandall Victoria Hanson Kimberly Phipps Stacey Snyder Tonya Temple ZONE 5 Chris Clinger Ambrosia Gamble

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ZONE 6 Kyle Cohen Faith DeCesare Victor Puskas Katherine Tarka Jacquelyn Taylor ZONE 8 Katie Miller Sara Roach Talia St.Clair ZONE 10 Margaret Allen Angela Cover Cheniqau Drennen Elizabeth Ford Christine Gray Dana Humm Randa Hutcherson Stephen Lemieux Hannah Macko Lawrence Reichard Tom Smith Carey Wrigley OUT OF STATE Rodney Watkins

CALL FOR ARTICLES Submit your article for our fall magazine, which will focus on the topic, Addressing Inequities. Articles are due July 15. Email navigator@oaesa.org for more information on this opportunity!

A CENTURY OF LEADERSHIP Help our national affiliate, NAESP, celebrate 100 years at their National Conference this summer, July 8-10, in Chicago, Illinois. #NAESP21

NAESP VIRTUAL ADVOCACY DAY

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he OAESA Executive Board Members and Staff recently joined hundreds of elementary and middle-level educators and leaders from across the country to participate in the National Association of Elementary School Principals’ (NAESP) 2021 Virtual National Leaders Conference.

OAESA was represented by Dr. Julie Davis, Executive Director; Mark Jones, Associate Executive Director; Abbey Bolton, President; Dr. Gretchen Liggens, Past President; Kesh Boodheshwar, President-Elect; Katie Nowak, Federal Relations Representative; and Cathryn Rice, NAESP Representative. The team advocated on behalf of principals, schools, and students to ensure that lawmakers support public education and advance key K-12 priorities.

The OAESA contingency took the needs of Ohio schools directly to congressional leaders to discuss pressing issues,

including federal coronavirus response funding for K-12 schools, resources to help students recover from learning loss, and support for school-based mental health services.

“Principals, as leaders of their school building, can provide critical insights on the issues that affect our nation’s schools, including responding to the coronavirus pandemic helping students recover from this crisis,” said NAESP’s executive director, Dr. L. Earl Franks, CAE. “By sharing their perspective with lawmakers, school leaders have significant power to shape the policies and funding for K-12 schools.”

OAESA’s contingency asked lawmakers to address a number of issues, including needed funding to help schools reopen and recover from the pandemic, addressing learning loss, and strengthening schoolbased mental health services.

LEADERS

ADVANTEDGE TUNE IN TO OAESA’S PODCAST

OAESA works to create professional learning opportunities for members that are relevant, engaging, and flexible. This has led us toward the world of podcasting!

OAESA’S Leaders AdvantEDGE podcast has dropped three full-length episodes on a range of topics. Hosted by the OAESA Executive Director, the podcast will feature speakers, experts, and OAESA members who have compelling stories to share.

Tune in at your leisure, wherever you listen to podcasts!

CAN’T STOP, WON’T STOP

M O RA L E BOOSTER Trying to think of ways to boost morale during this unique year?

Mark your calendar and be sure to celebrate wherever and whenever possible!

May 3-7: Teacher Appreciation Week 4: Teacher Appreciation Day 6: National Nurses Day 9: Mother’s Day 12: School Nurses Day 31: Memorial Day

June 1: LGBT Pride Month 14: Flag Day 19: Juneteenth 20: Father’s Day

OAESA VIRTUALLY RECOGNIZES 23 AWARD WINNERS THIS SPRING In an effort to celebrate our 2020 and 2021 award winners, OAESA is holding 23 virtual celebrations via Zoom during April and May. 17 Hall of Fame Schools, 2 Secretaries of the Year, 2 Ohio NAESP National Distinguished Principals, and 2 D. Richard Murray Award winners are being celebrated in personalized celebrations that are customized to each winner. While it is bittersweet that we aren’t able to celebrate these winners in person this summer, the silver lining for many was that they could include their families, teachers, staffs, students, and school communities like never before! To honor these winners at the OAESA Virtual Professional Conference this summer, we will play highlights from the spring celebrations.

Congratulations to all of our 2020 and 2021 winners, and please consider applying for our recognition program when nominations open this fall!

July 4: Independence Day

August/ September Back to School!

spring 2021

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e’re booked

RELENTLESS: Changing Lives by Disrupting the Educational Norm

BY Hamish Brewer REVIEW BY Chad Warnimont, Assistant Principal, Perrysburg Junior. High, Perrysburg Schools

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elentless, written by Hamish Brewer, is a must read for all educators. Throughout this book, Brewer shares over and over again the many ways that he is relentless in his work each day to help students and staff be the best that they can be. This book is important for educators to read because it emphasizes the following: the importance of relationships, being true to one’s self, and actionable steps that can be applied in various settings to achieve success.

Relationships are important in any career, but even more so in education as we work with students and families. Brewer boldly shares his love for students and staff each day through positive, meaningful interactions.

Four key concepts are highlighted: going one more round, giving our best each day,

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choosing our outlook, and surrounding ourselves with a network of quality people.

Being true to one’s self is another key takeaway from this book. We each have a unique path that has brought us to where we are today. However, each of us can ask ourselves if we were relentless each day for our students and those we work with.

Choosing the outlook that we bring to school each day is another way that we can be true to ourselves, and something that can have a major impact not only in the classroom but throughout the entire school as well. Finally, Brewer encourages teachers to pursue passion projects each year, allowing individual staff members to focus on personalized professional development that will have a lasting impact.

This book is special because of the many actionable steps outlined. Brewer does a great job describing unique ideas that have been successful in his schools, such as using a house system, turning the classroom into a city, and focusing on impactful instructional changes by allowing teachers to own their experiences. Additionally, Brewer describes specific instructional changes he has been a part of and the impact that each instructional change has had on transforming school culture as well as producing increased academic results.

If you are looking for a book with practical, applicable, and meaningful ideas, I would highly recommend Relentless. This book would be ideal for a book study or a summer read. Additionally, Hamish Brewer, will be one of the keynote speakers at the OAESA Virtual Professional Conference in June. I would encourage you to read this book if you are attending the conference because the ideas and thoughts shared in this book align perfectly with the conference theme, Celebrate: You’re Unstoppable!

TROUBLEMAKERS:

Lessons in Freedom from Young Children at School

BY Carla Shalaby REVIEW BY Cheryl Reichel, Ph.D., retired principal, Incarnation School, Dayton, Ohio; School Consultant at the University of Dayton Carla Shalaby, author of Troublemakers: Lessons in Freedom from Young Children at School, presents a book that takes the reader beyond a list of ten-steps toward helping school troublemakers. She introduces an omniscient focus that critiques the structure of the American educational system through the voices of four first and second grade children who have been identified as troublemakers in classroom settings. For Shalaby, the viewpoints of these four children expose the problems of rigid conformity and the social order of classrooms, schools and school systems.

Before reading Troublemakers, it helps to research the premise for Shalaby’s educational philosophy that guides her book. Her motivation and passion may be found within the referenced Education for Liberation Network

BOOK REVIEWS FOR THE ADMINISTRATOR & SCHOOL LIBRARY HAMISH BREWER, SAYANTANI DASGUPTA, AND JIMMY WAYNE WILL ALL DELIVER KEYNOTE ADDRESSES AT OAESA’S VIRTUAL PROFESSIONA CONFERENCE, JUNE 17-18!

(edliberation.org). Based on these tenets, the author has written a philosophical book that demands that students be treated as human beings with the “unalienable right to be free,” and this right extends to their refusal “to anything less than humane treatment.”

The inhumane treatments include the acts of punishment and rewards that involve “sorting, ranking, and competition” among students.

She writes that schools can be a starting point for change that can ultimately create a more democratic American society.

THE SERPENT’S SECRET: Kiranmala and the

RUBY THE FOSTER DOG

BY Jimmy Wayne

REVIEW BY Anita Eshleman, Principal, Nagel Middle School, Forest Hills Schools

Kingdom Beyond

BY Sayantani DasGupta

Shalaby passionately expresses how this can come about throughout her book, and the need for change becomes evident while reading the stories that are told within the four case studies. Are her calls for change possible? The author believes that this must happen, and she speaks directly to teachers in a chapter titled, “A Letter to Teachers: On Teaching Love and Learning Freedom.” In this chapter, she shares recommendations for accepting creativity from the children through better teacher-responses and a move away from the standard classroom management skills. For example, rather than posting the rules, she recommends that the school year begin with discussions about the meaning of freedom and the responsibilities. A teacher could then lead a discussion on the problems of freedom that are common in classroom life, and children can recommend and practice how to respond when they happen.

REVIEW BY Anita Eshleman, Principal, Nagel Middle School, Forest Hills Local Schools

Troublemakers is fascinating in that it projects the reader into a future where children are not catalogued and categorized, but are heard as individuals with the right to be respected and loved. This is not a book that provides lists of items that should be followed; rather, this is a book that expresses, from the minds of the children and the clear prose of Shalaby, just what educators could and should “be.”

Her means for helping these children and their classmates encompass a revolutionary change to teacher education, school systems, and ultimately, American society.

Along the way, Kiran uses what she learned from her parents stories of far off lands, princesses, and strange beasts in order to solve riddles, mysteries and win epic battles.

Without getting lost in the magic, Kiran uncovers a confidence and wit she didn’t know she had. She finds friends in talking animals and learns to trust the princes in this heroic quest.

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ou’ll be hooked into this story within the first page! Author Sayantani DasGupta wastes no time jumping into the adventure with humor and mystery as she introduces a rakkhosh demon and the intrigue of another dimension. Anyone can identify with 12-year-old Kiran, who thinks her parents are beyond weird and knows that she stands out from the crowd when they dress in saris and bangles and offer homemade syrupy cakes at Halloween. But Kiran’s life changes abruptly when her parents are captured, and she learns that she must follow two young princes on the back of a winged horse into another world to rescue them.

Creative, hilarious, and somewhat dangerous, the phenomenal example of girl power is one you won’t want to miss with your children or your students!

W

hen Mr. James enters the shelter with his walking sticks and ski goggles, and chooses Ruby, the little puppy with an underbite, you know you are ready for an interesting adventure. We join the two on a trip across America to raise awareness for children in foster care. Throughout the story we find that Ruby is much like those foster kids who Mr. James is looking to help. She never had a family who loved and cared for her and longs to feel safe with a companion who will never leave her side.

During their trek, Mr. James and Ruby get up-close experiences with history. Mr. James shares his wealth of knowledge with Ruby as they walk Route 66, pass through the village of Billy the Kid and the Orphan Train, and eat the best pie on earth in Pie Town. We see and feel it when Ruby shares, “This country is filled with beauty, and the people are the best part.” While they walk and talk, Ruby begins to understand how to trust Mr. James and what it means to be loyal. Mr. James often references biblical events to explain how he overcame his challenges in life to become successful and be able to give back to those who need it.

This inspirational story, based on the true life of country music artist Jimmy Wayne, will tug at readers’ heartstrings encouraging them to learn to give to others. My 8-year-old and I had a hard time finding a good place to stop each night always wanting to know what the next chapter would bring.

spring 2021

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Thank You Advocacy & Representation Lisa Sullivan, Dublin City SD Felecia Evans, Mayfield City SD Katie Nowak, New Albany-Plain Local SD Jim Alexandrou, North Olmsted City SD Jana Alig, Groveport Madison Local SD Joan Bucy, Columbus City SD Taylor Cox, Hamilton City SD Dennis Evans, Minford Local SD Aric Fiscus, Fayetteville-Perry Local Keith Helmlinger, Sidney City SD Brittani Irvin, Cleveland Municipal SD Michelle Unger, New Albany-Plain Local SD Kristi Molter, Swanton Local SD Jonathan Muro, Madison Local SD Cathryn Rice, Xenia Community City SD Sara Roseberry, Hardin-Houston Local SD Barbara Shaner, Advocacy Specialist Cassandre Smolen, Painesville Twp Local SD Brent Swartzmiller, Perrysburg Ex Vill SD Anitra Van Horn, Clear Fork Valley Local SD Stacy Barker, Lima City SD Mary Louit, Mount Healthy City SD Communications Natalie Buchanan, Franklin Local SD Tammy Elchert, Carey Ex Vill SD Alexandra Nannicola, Champion Local SD Nick Neiderhouse, Maumee City SD Matthew Bradley, Highland Local SD James Nichols, Indian Hill Ex Vill SD Jen Schwanke, Dublin City SD Dan Sebring, Bay Village City SD Jeromey Sheets, Lancaster City SD Nick Wilker, Marion Local SD Paul Young, Retired Stephen Zinser, Retired Membership Sue Brackenhoff, Fairborn City SD Chad Hinton, Talawanda City SD Ryan McGraw, Minford Local SD Andrew Smith, Columbus City SD Eric Turlo, Madison Local SD Jeri Earley, Blanchester Local SD Leah Filliater, Marion City SD Kevin Gale, Northwest Local SD Kevin Gehres, Retired

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Professional Conference Abbey Bolton, Kent City SD Kesh Boodheshwar, Brunswick City SD Gretchen Liggens, Cleveland Municipal SD Allison Aber, Lakewood City SD Bob Buck, Forest Hills Local SD Craig Caroff, Mayfield City SD Kara Jackson, Pickerington Local SD Stephanie Klingshirn, Sidney City SD Mark Lotycz, Fairbanks Local SD Melanie Pearn, Mentor Ex Vill SD Jodi Ranegar, Bloom-Carroll Local SD James Roe III, Retired Erin Simpson, Wadsworth City SD Heidi Kegley, Delaware City SD Professional Learning Ebone Johnson, Columbus City SD Joy O’Brien, Forest Hills Local SD Jessica Rardon, Hilliard City SD Carrie Sanchez, Port Clinton City SD Susanne Waltman, Jackson Local SD Colleen Mudore, Avon Local SD Blair Mallott, South-Western City SD Shannon Williamson, Huber Heights City SD Lori Green, Groveport Madison Local SD Jamie Hollinger, Anthony Wayne Local SD Eric James, Switzerland of Ohio SD Michael Janatovich, Cuyahoga Heights Local SD Nita Meyer, Lincolnview Local SD Stephen Rozeski, Bloom-Carroll Local SD Michael Sedlak, Hudson City SD Julie Willoughby, Urbana City SD Barry Ward, New Albany-Plain Local SD Kevin Wolf, New Philadelphia City SD John Hill, Milford Exempted Village SD Lynne Stark, Clearview Local SD Robyn Floyd, Columbus City SD Recognition Bob Buck, Forest Hills Local SD T.J. Ebert, Independence Local SD Audrey Staton, Cleveland Municipal SD April Knight, Columbus City SD

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Scott Astey, Twinsburg City SD Audrey Beining, Ottawa-Glandorf Local SD Kenneth Bernacki, Retired Kristin Bowles, Meigs Local SD Jake Campbell, Lancaster City SD Stephanie Churn, Akron City SD Cheri Copeland-Shull, Springfield Local SD Matthew Dansby, Pickerington Local SD Roben Frentzel, Gahanna-Jefferson City SD Corey Fries, Canal Winchester LSD Taryn Fuller, Jonathan Alder Local SD Kevin Gehres, Retired Patty Griest, Fairborn City SD Jeannette Henson, Retired Shari Hoskins, Princeton City SD Rachel Jones, Chagrin Falls Ex Vill SD Kori Kawczynski, Ottawa Hills Local SD Timothy Keller, Ashland City SD Bonnie Kubec, Brunswick City SD Brian Lyons, Forest Hills Local SD Chad Miller, Noble Local SD Jane Myers, Defiance CSD Susan Nolan, Buckeye Local SD Jason Orin, Louisville City SD Jay Parks, Retired Rhonda Peeples, Columbus City SD Jessica Rardon, Hilliard City SD Katharine Rateno, Mayfield City SD Dave Rogaliner, Kenston Local SD Mary Rykowski, Worthington City SD Paul Sallada Jr, Retired Katie Salyer, Hilliard City SD Patti Schlaegel, Worthington City SD Teresa Smith, New Albany-Plain Local SD Glen Stacho, Strongsville City Schools Michelle Unger, New Albany-Plain Local SD Steven Vrooman, Retired Chad Warnimont, Perrysburg Ex Vill SD Cynthia White, Retired Jennifer Woods, Lancaster City SD Stephen Zinser, Retired David Rogers, Minerva Local SD Kati Mann, Brunswick City SD Brian Orrenmaa, Buckeye Valley Local SD Colleen Mudore, Avon Local SD Melissa Moriarty, Retired

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