Principal Navigator Winter 2022

principal

Vol. 17 No. 2 • Winter 2022 • $9.95

navigator the magazine of the Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators

maintaining the

MOMENTUM

You Say Goodbye...

Leaving a Legacy from Dr. Julie Davis upon her retirement

Dear Colleagues, It’s the end of December and I am writing my final message to you as I head into retirement after spending 14 years as the OAESA Executive Director, and nearly 16 years as the SAIL Executive Director. It has been my privilege and honor to lead OAESA and SAIL, serving our members while leading with excellent boards of directors. One of my favorite aspects of the role has been advocating for, connecting with, and learning alongside members from around the state and the nation. The roles of building and district administration are demanding but so rewarding and impactful.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to support you in this important work.

I love the people and the work of OAESA and SAIL, and it is very hard to leave. However, Bill and I are fortunate that all five of our children have relocated back to the Columbus area, and we have eight grandkids all less than 15 minutes away from us. The tug of wanting more time to be mom, grandma, and wife is strong.

So, what do I want to say in this, my very last, Principal Navigator message to you? I know exactly what I want to say, and I have known it since 2008 when I wrote my first article to OAESA members for the fall 2008 issue of the magazine. My vision then was that you and I would collaboratively make an impact on the educational leaders of Ohio and the students they serve. And I envisioned that when I wrote my very last message to you, I would refer to my very first one and celebrate the amazing progress and impact we made together.

So, I kept that article, and have included excerpts below in italics while including my current comments in the regular font.

Leaving a Legacy- J. Davis Principal Navigator article FALL 2008 The theme for this edition of the Principal Navigator, the “legacy of the profession,” is of particular interest to me as I begin my tenure with you as the Executive Director of OAESA. The dictionary’s definition of legacy is “something that is handed down or remains from a previous generation or time.” A legacy remains,

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or sustains, through the years. Fullan (2005) writes, “Sustainability is the capacity of a system to engage in the complexities of continuous improvement consistent with deep values of human purpose” (p.ix). The root of sustain is “to hold up; bear the weight of; be able to bear (strain, suffering, and the like) without collapse.” Which are the deep values of human and moral purpose that bind us together as we help principals serving school communities throughout Ohio? What does the legacy and sustainability of OAESA mean to you and to me as we begin this journey together?

Several years ago, I had the privilege of attending a weekend professional development session conducted by Dr. Andy Hargreaves, the Thomas More Brennan Chair in Education in the Lynch School of Education at Boston College and Dr. Dean Fink, Consultant. One of the key concepts Hargreaves and Fink posited was the idea of sustainability. Their comments expanded my understanding of sustainability and leaving a legacy when they proposed that on the first day at a new assignment, one should be thinking about how to leave the organization better than one found it.

They challenged us not to be “heroic or charismatic” leaders whose gains and organizational improvements often disappear once the leader leaves. Rather, they challenged us to embrace a collaborative, distributed, and sustainable model of leadership. Their book, aptly entitled Sustainable Leadership (2006), clearly describes principles of sustainability. These principles are providing a framework for me as I begin my journey with you. Hargreaves and Fink propose that in the midst of the turmoil of change, sustainable leadership remembers the past, learns from the past, honors the past, and then gleans the best of the past to inform an even better future.

Just as you have done in your positions, the OAESA Board of Directors and I have begun this process of learning from our past to plan for the future. We will continue to hold meetings of stakeholders so we can become an organization even more focused on providing products and services designed and dedicated to meeting members’ needs.

What does sustainable leadership look like, sound like, feel like? I turn again to Hargreaves and Fink (2006) whose research points to five descriptors: 1) Sustainable leadership is activist. OAESA leadership will accomplish this by engaging in the community, forming alliances and networks, advocating, and influencing law and policy.

OAESA has enhanced our impact and influence greatly in the last continued on pg. 14

...And I Say Hello!

Welcome to OAESA’s new Executive Director, Dr. Rebecca Hornberger OAESA exists to serve and support Ohio’s administrators throughout their careers and I am humbled and honored to have the opportunity to serve each of you as OAESA executive director. I would like to take this opportunity to share with you more about me and my core leadership beliefs, as well as how I will live out those beliefs in service to OAESA. A lifelong educator, I have served as a teacher, principal and most recently as chair of the OAESA-CUC partnership and, as part of that role, I have also served as an associate professor and assistant dean of the College of Education at CUC. My full professional bio can be found on our staff page on the OAESA website, but what I want to share with you in this publication is what will guide me as I lead this association to serve your needs in the field. I am very close to and spend much of my time with my extended family, many of whom also live in the Central Ohio area and serve as educators as well. In fact, my relationship with my family, coupled with my beliefs about the power of developing deep and trusting relationships with those whom I serve, form the basis of family as a one of my primary leadership beliefs.

Core beliefs are our fundamental values that serve as connectors between the heart of the association and the heart of the educational community at large. Each of the following core beliefs will guide me as I begin my service to the association and Ohio’s pre-k, elementary, and middle level administrators.

FAMILY I view my colleagues, our OAESA members, my students, their families, and fellow educators throughout the state as our educational family, and these stakeholders are deeply connected to the heart of my leadership practice. You go to bat for family, you show up with authenticity for family, and you make extraordinary sacrifices for the common good of family. As OAESA executive director, this deep commitment to each of you will serve as a guiding tenet of my leadership now and in the future.

SERVICE Working alongside and learning from many amazing educators as they served their students for the last 24 years has solidified my core belief of service to others. Servant leadership is about elevating others so that they can achieve more than they ever thought possible. This is what each of you does in your classrooms and buildings throughout the state on a daily basis. Education is a calling, and answering that call requires an extraordinary commitment that penetrates every fiber of our being as we accomplish our work. As OAESA executive director, I would like to explore how our service to each of you can be more nurturing and supportive than ever before. With the OAESA team and boards, I know that we can answer that question in new and creative ways, ensuring that we maintain a laser-like focus of service to the field.

CONNECTION Connection as a core belief speaks to the power of the collective.

Once that foundational relationship is in place, we can accomplish any goal that we set for ourselves. As a classroom teacher, I learned that a connected relationship with each of my students was foundational to their intellectual growth. As a principal, I learned that connecting teams of educators is a powerful change agent. Connecting with others is a primary motivator for getting work done, as connections bring energy and excitement to accomplishing our goals. As OAESA executive director, I will deepen connections with our members, the OAESA team, boards, other associations, and educators throughout Ohio and beyond in order to build a strong network of support for our work as an association.

ADVOCATE Our students deserve the best that we have to offer; advocating on our students’ and members’ behalf means showing up with our values intact even when it is difficult to do so. Our power lies in telling their stories and making our voices heard. As OAESA executive director, I commit to engaging with decision makers throughout Ohio and beyond to advance our association platform, ensuring enhanced outcomes for our students and the profession.

TRUST While serving as a principal, I learned about the importance of trust and support between my colleagues and from my association. Trust is foundational to our success as leaders and as an association. I recognize that, in service to OAESA, it is my primary responsibility to instill trust amongst the OAESA team, the board, our members, and external stakeholders.

One of my favorite quotes by Lisa Haisha states, “Great leaders don’t set out to be leaders. They set out to make a difference. It’s never about the role. It’s always about the goal.” Since I first became an educator, my goal has been to impact the students of Ohio in a positive way. At each career decision I have made along the way, I have pictured the faces of my fifth grade students and that mental image of those smiling children has guided me. As executive director of OAESA, my goal remains to impact those young learners by serving and advocating for the administrators and educators who lead their schools.

I look forward to deepening my relationships with each of you and discovering new ways to serve you in the future. As OAESA executive director, I will place members’ needs and the growth of our association at the heart of my leadership practice in order to ensure that OAESA realizes our goal to become the most utilized and valued administrator association in Ohio.

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maintaining the

MOMENTUM In this issue Heartfelt Non-Negotiables Tiffany Selm

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Momentum and Imaginary Bowling Balls 20 Eve Miller, PhD

An Empty Wagon

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Maintaining Your Momentum

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Julie Kenney

Paul G. Young, PhD

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Look for to de these sym note bols th b that t e aspect o y each ar he ar t f ticle r our miss icle einfo ion rces.

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In every issue table of contents 2

Executive Director’s Exchange

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OAESA Board of Directors

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Highlighting an OAESA Hero

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SAIL for Education

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Leaving a Legacy

You say goodbye...And I say hello Dr. Julie Davis and Dr. Becky Hornberger

Our 2021-2022 Board

Alexandra Nannicola, Zone 7 Director

Lessons from COVID: Crafting a Community of Inquiry Dr. Tamara Wallace

Continuation of Farewell Message Dr. Julie Davis

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Central Office Connector

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The Chalkboard

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32

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Central Services. How may we connect you?

Audrey Staton-Thompson

News from the Association

Health Matters

Maintaining the Momentum Through Lifelong Learning Ann Connelly and Janice Walsh

Legal Report

New Year’s Resolutions for Principals Dennis Pergram

Legislative Update

Wrapping Up Legislation in 2021 Barbara Shaner

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We’re Booked

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Welcome New OAESA Members!

Members’ reviews of the latest, greatest books

ABOUT THE PRINCIPAL NAVIGATOR EDITORIAL SERVICE TEAM & READERS Matt Bradley, Highland Local Schools Natalie Buchanan, Franklin Local Schools Tammy Elchert, EdD, Carey Ex. Village Schools Alexandra Nannicola, Champion Local Schools Nick Neiderhouse, EdD, Maumee City Schools Katie Nowak, New Albany Plain Local Schools Cathryn Rice, Xenia Community Schools Dan Sebring, Bay Village City Schools Paul Young, PhD, retired Stephen Zinser, retired OAESA/SAIL STAFF Becky Hornberger, PhD, Executive Director Mark Jones, Associate Executive Director Nancy Abrams, Business & Office Manager Patty Cooper, Executive Administrative Specialist Melissa Butsko, Graduate Program Specialist Mary Mitton-Sanchez, Director of Communications 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. Advertising inquiries should be directed to OAESA by phone at 614.547.8087 or by emailing info@oaesa.org.

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.

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

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

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OAESA’s 2021-2022

Board of Directors Executive Committee

PRESIDENT

PRESIDENT ELECT

PAST PRESIDENT

NAESP REP

Kesh Boodheshwar

Carrie Sanchez

Abbey Bolton

Cathryn Rice

Berea-Midpark High Berea City Schools

boodheshwar@gmail.com

ZONE 1 DIRECTOR

Ryan McGraw

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

ZONE 2 DIRECTOR

Chad Hinton

ZONE 4 DIRECTOR

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

ZONE 5 DIRECTOR

Colleen Mudore

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

Knollwood Elementary Sheffield-Sheffield Lake City Schools cmudore@sheffieldschools.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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ZONE 3 DIRECTOR

Katie Nowak

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

Wayne Trail Elementary Maumee City Schools nneiderhouse@maumeek12.org

Maude Marshall Elementary Talawanda Schools hintonc@talawanda.org

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Zone Directors

Tecumseh Elementary Xenia Community Schools cpettic@gmail.com

Office of Curriculum & Instruction

Minford Elementary Minford Local Schools rmcgraw@minfordfalcons.net

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

Davey Elementary Kent City Schools abolton@kentschools.net

FEDERAL RELATIONS

Central Elementary Champion Local Schools

alexandra.nannicola@championlocal.org

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.

Matt Bradley

Audrey Staton-Thompson

Andrew Smith

Highland Middle Highland Local Schools matt_b@hlsd.us

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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Mindful Moments Matter a conversation with OAESA’s Zone 7 Director

Alexandra Nannicola Tell us about your background and current position.

I am a proud graduate of Youngstown State University with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and a Master of Educational Administration along with a Principal and Superintendent license. I began my career as a K-5 science lab teacher, Success for All reading facilitator, assistant principal, and principal in the East Palestine School District before joining Champion Schools in 2012 as the K-4 building principal.

What is the culture/climate like in your school?

The first words that come to mind are collaborative, forward thinking, and community-minded. There has been renewed energy in fall of 2021.

Students, staff and families are hungry for a new start and have come together in a different way than before. I feel that everyone is grateful for the chance to finally be together again, and there is a sense of appreciation for each other that

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has never existed before.

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

My personal commitment to our students is to ensure that they thrive academically and feel safe and secure.

Their emotional health is extremely important to me. I want them to feel loved and a sense of calm when they enter our space.

If we interviewed your staff, what are three words they’d use to describe you? Why? Passionate, innovative, and driven. If someone approaches me with a new and exciting idea or project, I will do my best to make it happen in order to have a positive impact on all students. It is not at all shocking if I begin jumping up and down!

Congratulations on serving on the OAESA Board as Zone 7 Director.

How long have you been on the

board? Why did you join?

I was voted onto the OAESA Board of Directors in the fall of 2019. I have always worked under leadership that encouraged membership in our state and national organizations for legal support, professional development, and networking.

I have found that I have gained so much from meeting colleagues throughout the state. I also enjoy contributing to and advocating for elementary and middle school principals’ needs at the state level. I highly recommend all aspiring administrators to join the administrative organization at their level!

This issue focuses on maintaining the momentum of all the positive changes and strides that have taken place since March 2020. What are some positive changes that your school community has made in the face of the pandemic and/or racial justice movement?

Certainly, there has been much more of a focus on the social-emotional wellbeing of students and their families. Our district has been completely transparent in communicating by utilizing social media in ways we never have before and hosting regular town hall meetings.

The community outreach has been so powerful in developing relationships and forming new bonds with families and local businesses. We have incorporated substantial food drives and provided technology and Wi-Fi hotspots to those in need. We have also made home visits and wellness checks like never before.

How are you, your staff, and your leadership team working to keep growth mindset a priority?

Since the spring of 2020, our staff has made a concerted effort to grow in literacy and social emotional learning. Our staff has been in-serviced in the Science of Reading and our literacy committee is in the process of developing a new literacy plan to restructure and realign our literacy block building-wide. We also received the PBIS Bronze Award in 2021 through the Ohio Department of Education and our SST Region 5, for our implementation of positive behavior intervention support and incorporating social-emotional learning into our daily and weekly schedule. I am very proud of our staff that, in the midst of a pandemic, they still push forward to implement what is needed for our students.

What are some of your non-negotiables (educational and/or personal) in the new normal that you will never give up after this?

Spending more time in nature; setting boundaries for personal space; daily meditation and mindfulness practice.

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?

As school administrators, we are able to influence more students because we can influence teachers. Also, we have the ability to follow students and their growth for years, which in turn, helps to develop and foster strong personal relationships.

We get to know family units in a deeper capacity and can make more of an impact academically, behaviorally, and emotionally.

“Students, staff and families are hungry for a new start and have come together in a different way than before.”

Highlighting an OAESA Hero!

THE BASICS PETS? I have a cat who is 16 and a dog who is 15.

YEARS IN THE CLASSROOM? YEARS IN ADMINISTRATION? 8 years in the classroom and 13 years as an administrator FAVORITE FOOD/DRINK? A good charcuterie board EMERGENCY DESK FOOD? Dark chocolate mint patties with honey FAVORITE MEMORY OF BEING IN THE CLASSROOM? Building an outdoor science lab PERSONAL MANTRA? When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.

FAVORITE DOWNTIME ACTIVITIES? Yoga, Cooking, Traveling, Hiking, Biking, Roller Skating UP NEXT ON YOUR BUCKET LIST? A trip to Sedona, Arizona!

WHAT WERE YOU LIKE AS A STUDENT? Always aiming to please FAVORITE OAESA EVENT? The OAESA Professional Conference of course! (Oh, and my first OAESA Board Retreat...getting stuck in an elevator with fellow board members!)

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Lessons from Covid Crafting a Community of Inquiry

BY DR. TAMARA WALLACE, OAESA/SAIL GRADUATE

A

t 2:50 pm on March 12, 2020, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced that Ohio school children would continue learning for the next three weeks from their homes. The state-wide order to transition to remote learning, the first of its kind in the United States, became the defining moment in our educational careers. The abrupt stay-at-home order sent educators, parents and children into a tail-spin that has not yet concluded. As the state, nation and world began to combat the grip of the growing viral pandemic and health crisis, Ohio educators literally faced the overnight challenge to educate 2 million school children from a distance (Camera, 2020).

As we embraced the unprecedented challenge of making remote learning work for our students, staff and families, experts in our field started to define our efforts as emergency remote teaching or crisis learning (Hodges et al., 2020; Rebora, 2020). The disruption to formal learning due to Covid-19 reaches far beyond any other event in modern history, even considering closures caused by weather, natural disasters, facility damage, teacher strikes and prior pandemics. Reflecting on the important work that we have completed over the past 18 months will help us face future crises and will help us to prepare for the demands that our communities may have regarding remote and blended learning options moving forward. The recovery of our profession will be well supported by documenting this collective experience and evaluating how well we were able to find continuity in our instruction (Hodges et al., 2020).

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Collegial conversations where insights, questions and feedback are shared will help to determine what steps can be taken to ensure the best possible educational experiences for all learners (Honigsfeld & Nordmeyer, 2020). Qualitative research allowed the opportunity to gather teacher-generated perceptions about their transformation to remote crisis learning. Practitioners are regularly challenged to continuously improve their delivery of instruction. This period of uncertainty makes continuous improvement and adjustment even more crucial. The rich, in-depth discussions spurred by self-reflection through one-to-one interviews and a focus group provided invaluable insights into how effective online teaching can be constructed and shaped to support elementary learners.

To organize such an endeavor, my research drew on the application of a framework that “…provides the means to study and understand thinking and learning collaboratively in a community of inquiry” (Garrison, 2017, p. 33). “The Community of Inquiry (CoI) theoretical framework is a generic and coherent structure of a transactional educational experience whose core function is to manage and monitor the dynamic for thinking and learning collaboratively” (Garrison, 2017, p. 24). This theoretical framework was first presented by Garrison, Anderson and Archer (2000) to examine text-based computer conferencing being used to deliver post-secondary courses. It includes the development of three primary elements: the social presence, the cognitive presence and the teaching presence. Tucker (2020) summarized the possibility of applying the CoI theory to this unique time in history. “Given the

concerns many teachers have about the isolating nature of online courses, I appreciate the focus that the CoI places on creating a community of learners who can make meaning while interacting online. This framework provides a structure for teachers to design and facilitate an online course to effectively engage students in active learning” (Tucker, 2020).

The first element of the CoI framework is the development of a social presence. The focus of the social presence is the nurturing of affective learning interactions (Richardson et al., 2012). Garrison (2009, 2017) identified the social presence in online learning environments by detecting belonging, a trusting climate, open communication, group cohesion and the development of interpersonal relationships.

This study probed participants about their specific strategies and intentional actions for creating belonging, fostering relationships, encouraging collegial interactions, facilitating communication and sustaining community with their elementary remote learners. The anecdotal evidence collected clearly showed that teachers were most confident in this element. They were intentional about connecting with their students during crisis remote learning using any means possible including cell phone, social media, email and video conferencing. Given the substantial stressors on families during the economic recession and required school building shutdowns caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, it is not surprising that study participants primarily focused their initial efforts on social-emotional learning and providing social glue. They wanted to be sure that students were safe and had some type of normalcy. The teacher voices,

heard through the interviews and focus group, clearly echoed their frustration and fatigue. They described continuous improvement efforts, as well as their intentional efforts to collaborate with peers.

They felt they worked harder during crisis remote learning than when they worked with their students in a face-to-face environment.

Many unique applications of new technologies were used to enhance social interactions and relationships and to build a sense of belonging to the online environment. The interactive activities included virtual scavenger hunts, digital choice boards, Minute to Win It challenges, virtual field day activities and other game-based scenarios that made use of tech tools such as Flipgrid, EdPuzzle, Quizlet or Kahoot. These activities allowed students to project their personal characteristics and express emotions in the virtual learning environment (Garrison et at., 2000).

The second element of the CoI is creating and maintaining a cognitive presence. The cognitive presence serves to move learners through collaborative and reflective inquiry processes (Garrison, 2007). The cognitive presence combines the notions of thinking progressively through a problem, using academic discourse and constructing meaning through sustained communication (Garrison et al., 2000; Richardson et al., 2012). Study participants were clear about their frustrations after attempting to have elementary students work on tasks or projects requiring higher level thinking skills.

Teachers expressed that students would simply refuse to participate or would turn in work that was incomplete when they were asked

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to undertake complex tasks and multi-step problems independently and remotely.

The teachers in this study did utilize videos and real-world events to create triggering events to focus learning, but they were additionally successful in using creative writing prompts, science experiments and group projects to develop interest and springboard learning to continue through the steps of inquiry-based learning. Teachers heavily utilized collaborative tools included in the Google productivity suite where students and teachers could leave comments for one another, respond to feedback, track edits and add cumulative content to shared works and files.

Problem solving during this period of crisis remote learning took on a different connotation by both teachers and students. One with a more practical connotation, which allowed members of the learning community to become problem solvers in regards to technology tools rather than becoming content-receptors (Garrison, 2017). Due to the timing and length of the school closure, students and teachers were ill-prepared to build effective CoI’s in the cognitive presence.

The skills needed for students and teachers to effectively navigate learning in an online environment were being developed in real-time.

Both students and teachers stepped up to the challenge and assisted each other in the use of communication, productivity, curriculumbased and learning management tools.

The final element of the CoI Framework is the teaching presence.

The teaching presence includes the heavy work of course design, organization and presentation, direct instruction, and the facilitation of content-focused discourse (Garrison, 2017; Garrison et al., 2000; Swan et al., 2009). For this study, the interview and focus group questions that helped to identify the teaching presence involved the design and organization of learning events, the frequency and types of feedback given, the communication of goals and activities, productive dialogue about content, how meaningful outcomes were developed and what adjustments were made to teaching as the remote learning period lingered.

Anderson et al. (2001) described the components of the teaching presence to be more extensive for planning for online rather than face-to-face instruction. The participants in this study would concur with this statement as several articulated the difficulty they had in transitioning between the two realms. They highlighted the massive amounts of time it took at first to plan, organize and deliver content digitally. Locating resources that fit the learning goals, were ageappropriate and that were engaging was time consuming, as was transferring these resources in ways that made them accessible to all students. Study participants did share how this became easier as they learned more technology skills and as they had more practice in preparing and presenting online lessons.

The teachers in this case study were asked specifically what adjustments they made to instruction during the course of remote learning or over the summer to start the 2020-2021 school year. They overwhelmingly spoke about learning to use the technology tools and learning management systems more efficiently and then teaching those discrete skills to students and parents. The participants openly discussed their reflections and vulnerabilities. They shared how they employed the assistance of students and peers to gain skills and ideas

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about organizing and teaching content. Other common strategies used to adjust the teaching presence included presenting smaller amounts of content, assigning fewer assignments, shifting to projectbased learning and gathering resources that were more interactive, more engaging and better suited for online learning.

The Covid-19 pandemic presented educators world-wide with immeasurable challenges while forcing millions of classrooms to engage in remote crisis learning. We have yet to understand all of the far-reaching effects of this hurried transition and the continued disruption of instruction over the past 18 months. However, we need to continue to mobilize to inform our practices, leverage resources, learn how to coach our teachers and students, and to plan for an uncertain future (Reich, 2020). An effort to discretely teach staff about how to build a balanced Community of Inquiry model that embraces the social presence, cognitive presence and the teaching presence using technology would leave us better prepared for future disruption or reengagement in online learning.

About the author: Dr. Tamara Wallace has been an educator for thirty years serving in various roles in teaching and administration for PreK through adult learners. Tamara has a keen interest in teaching with technology. She completed her doctorate through the SAIL Program and Concordia University-Chicago in January of 2021. Dr. Wallace currently serves as the Director of Student Services for Bucyrus City Schools. She can be contacted via email at twallace@ bucyrusschools.org References: Camera, L. (2020, March 12). Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine orders all k-12 schools closed.

U.S. News and World Report.

Garrison, D.R. (2009). Communities of inquiry in online learning. In P.L. Rogers (Ed.), Encyclopedia of distance learning (2nd ed., pp. 352-355). IGI Global.

Garrison, D.R. (2017). E-learning in the 21st century: a community of inquiry framework for research and practice (3rd ed.). Routledge.

Garrison, D.R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2010). The first decade of the community of inquiry framework: A retrospective. The Internet and Higher Education, 13(1-2), 5-9.

Hodges, C., Moore, S., Lockee, B., Torrey, T., & Bond, A. (2020, March 27). The difference between emergency remote teaching and online learning. EduCause Review.

Honigsfeld, A. & Nordmeyer, J. (2020). Teacher collaboration during a global pandemic.

Educational Leadership, 77(10), 47-50.

Reich, J. (2020). Keep it simple schools. Educational Leadership, 77(10), 2-5.

Richardson, J.C., Arbaugh, J.B., Cleveland-Innes, M., Ice, P., Swan, K.P. & Garrison, D.R. (2012). Using the Community of Inquiry Framework to inform effective instructional design. In Moller, L. & Huett, J. (Eds.), The Next Generation of Distance Education. Springer.

Swan, K., Garrison, D.R., & Richardson, J.C. (2009). A constructivist approach to online learning: The community of inquiry framework. In C.R. Payne (Ed.), Information technology and constructivism in higher education: Progressive learning frameworks (pp.

43-57). Information Science Reference.

Remote Learning in the Time of Crisis: The Perceptions of Elementary Teachers in Developing Social Presence, Cognitive Presence and Teaching Presence is published online

by ProQuest LLC (2021) using ProQuest Number 28315786

NATIONWIDE HOTEL AND CONFERENCE CENTER • JUNE 15-17, 2022 Join forces with educators across Ohio as we continue the work to create schools that are more equitable for all. As educators navigate the path toward fair and impartial educational opportunities for all students, we must dig deep to acknowledge and challenge problematic issues, seek education, take risks, try to be better, and work actively on improving the world for the historically marginalized students in our schools. This work is introspective and challenging, and ultimately, best done together. Don’t miss OAESA’s 65th Annual Professional Conference, With Liberty and Justice For All, June 15-17, 2022 at the Nationwide Hotel and Conference Center in Columbus, Ohio.

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Leaving a Legacy Dr. Julie Davis Continued from page 2

[continued from p. 2] several years. We have lived out part of our mission statement- to passionately advocate for members throughout their careers- by advocating at the local, state, and national level.

We have employed Barbara Shaner as our advocacy specialist and have an active Advocacy Service Team focused on prioritizing legislative policies and laws which impact pre-k to middle level students and their educators. We have adopted OAESA’s statement on Racism and Equity and incorporate the statement into the work of all six of OAESA’s service teams. Since 2016, I have organized and help lead monthly meetings with Ohio’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, ODE’s Senior Staff, and leaders of ten education associations. OAESA members and Mark Jones served on each of the committees to develop Ohio’s new plan for education- Each Child, Our Future- while I was honored to serve on the steering committee for that collaborative work. We are collectively making an impact.

2) Sustainable leadership is vigilant.

OAESA leadership will accomplish this by collecting, analyzing, and utilizing multiple sources of data to inform our progress toward continuous improvement or inform us of a needed change of course and action.

Our whole educational system has become more data informed as have both OAESA and SAIL. One of the most impactful sources of data for us was the information collected through our Storyforge Initiative, a two-year process we embarked upon in 2016 to re-discover OAESA’s vision, purpose, and mission. We focused on getting feedback about OAESA and the role of Ohio’s administrators through surveys, focus groups, interviews, and casual conversations. We literally received thousands of responses, learning why people join us and, just as importantly, why they don’t.

Our board and staff used this data to develop our vision: that there is an effective, empowered administrator leading every school. Our purpose is to champion and engage administrators throughout their careers. Our mission, our HOW, is to intentionally connect, effectively develop and passionately advocate for and with you.

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In 2015, the Board and I made the strategic decision to collapse 18 discreet committees into our six Service Teams. That decision, with a strategic name change, has been very impactful. Our Professional Learning, Professional Conference and our SAIL Teams use multiple sources of data while planning and evaluating our learning offerings. I believe these teams deliver some of the best professional development, conferences, and degree and licensure programs in the nation.

The Communications Service Team’s decisions are informed by a review of analytics and member feedback which informs our magazine themes, podcast topics and how, when and where you want to be contacted and communicated with. During our Storyforge work, we discovered that members believe that the Principal Navigator is one of the top resources and benefits of OAESA membership. Our Membership Service Team is data-driven as they analyze membership trends and the impact of various membership initiatives. Our Recognition Service Team has recently reviewed, revised and expanded our award program to be more closely aligned to Ohio’s new Standards for Principals and to reflect OAESA’s statement on Racism and Equity.

3) Sustainable leadership is patient.

OAESA leadership will accomplish this by insisting on organizational growth and improvement while allowing a reasonable timeframe and resources to accomplish the goals.

Members, boards, staff and I have tried not to respond to the tyranny of the urgent, but to be thoughtful and patient. As educators, we often just keep piling more on the plate, without removing something. So, we have also implemented the Baldrige practice of purposefully abandoning that which is no longer as useful.

4) Sustainable leadership is transparent. OAESA leadership will accomplish this by being open to scrutiny, inspection, questions, and dialogue. OAESA leadership will work diligently to maintain, and gain, the shared trust of

members, funders, vendors, and other stakeholders as we move forward in an era of openness and transparency.

This has been a priority of every OAESA Board of Directors I have served.

We have collectively worked to have OAESA be member led driven by member needs. And, we have gained and maintained the shared trust of members, funders, corporate partners, and association colleagues as we work collectively for Ohio’s educational leaders.

5) Sustainable leadership is designer-made. OAESA leadership will accomplish this by listening to members’ needs to customize products and services which will assist them as they lead 21st century schools.

I believe OAESA members, staff, boards and I have always tried to customize and personalize our offerings, but that customization took on a whole new meaning on March 13, 2020 when we, like you, learned to pivot, pivot, pivot.

We learned how to maximize zoom to connect you with us, one another, and resources and information which are critical for you during this challenging time. We will keep some of those new learnings, while purposefully abandoning others.

The concept of sustainable leadership applies to all stakeholders and members of our organization. I am honored that your Board of Directors chose me to serve you in the role of Executive Director and look forward to meeting each one of you. When the time comes, I intend to leave OAESA in a better place than when I officially began on June 26, 2008 and know that the upcoming work we will do together will enhance the significant legacy of the Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators.

So, this is where I leave you, my friends, and colleagues. But I will carry you in my memories, but mostly in my heart. It is time for Dr. Rebecca Hornberger to build upon our legacy and create her own with you. I know you are in good hands, as I have had the privilege of working with Becky for almost six years.

Thank you to all the OAESA and SAIL board members and staff members I have worked with through the years. And a very special thank you to both Dr. Lucy Ozvat and Mr. Mark Jones for each being amazing, supportive, knowledgeable, and fun “seconds in command.” And members, thank you for the opportunity to serve and support you. I hope to see you at OAESA Professional Conference in Columbus in June 2022.

References: Hargreaves, A. & Fink, D. (2006) Sustainable leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

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CENTRAL SERVICES

connector

FROM ASPIRATON TO EXECUTION

BY AUDREY STATON-THOMAS

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n 1968, Shirley Chisholm declared to be remembered not as the first black woman to be elected to Congress or nominated for the presidency of the United States, but as “a black woman who lived in the 20th century and dared to be herself.” We often encounter people who arouse something in us to aspire to reach greater heights throughout our lifetime. As a child, adults frequently asked me, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” My responses ranged from a female superhero to an athlete, a medical doctor or dentist to a law enforcement officer, depending on the day. As a frequent daydreamer, I also envisioned myself, as a teacher, motivating students to discover their passion by unleashing and exposing them to limitless potentials.

As I set off to fulfill those aspirations, I could not increase or avoid times of hope and hopelessness that often pierced my classroom and school experiences as a student. Throughout the highs and lows, I invariably seemed to have yearned for the possibilities of change.

Desperately, I wanted to secure more resources, help my seemingly overwhelmed teachers, and quiet my sometimes disruptive peers to improve my school’s environment. In my mind, I believed there had to be a place where educational experts resided that could swoop down to my classroom or school to rescue the educators, students, and me on command. However, when no one arrived, I rested on the influence of the great educators who inspired me to strive for excellence in light of the despair.

Having served for a little over 27 years, I continue to find joy in schools when engaging with students, parents, educators, and the community as I advanced from classroom teacher, administrator, and now a Central Office Executive Director. Subsequently, I’ve learned that becoming an educator was the right career choice.

Therefore, I’ve adopted the belief that overcoming hardship is not limited to the perspective of career choices during maturation.

In my Central Office role, I understand the value of creating the space for school-based leaders and teams to tackle problems, plans, and strategies for themselves. I have also realized I’ve become the

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educational expert another child may be waiting on, as I did, to change her school environment. Therefore, I lead with a sincere sense of urgency to serve.

For centuries, there’s been a long-standing debate over who decides how schools improve learning and teaching. Some believe it is the duty of Central Office staff, and others insist it is the role of schoolbased administrators to establish, interpret, and implement District policies to meet the needs of schools. In the middle of the debate, a subset of believers contend it is less about the blame and more about the impact. As a result, districts have progressively chosen to decentralize services to shift the traditional role of Central Office staff into a more support service agency framework intended to extend the change efforts occurring in the schools.

Like a business plan, a decentralized framework provides school leaders and their teams the autonomy, support, and access to resources needed to advance their school’s specific needs.

Autonomy According to Webster, autonomy refers to the power of a group, organization, or individual to govern itself or independence. Through self-sufficiency, the role of the Central Office is empowering schools to apply strategies based on their own experiences. In 1935, Dorothy, the main character in the Wizard of Oz screenplay by Langley, Ryerson, and Woolf, believed her problems and the difficulties of her three friends would be solved if only they could meet the Wizard. Throughout the screenplay, the writers depicted the Wizard as hope, guidance, and relief for the characters, who did not realize those attributes were already within themselves. The Wizard of Oz experience messaged and guided viewers to seek the answers within themselves. Like Dorothy and her friends, school administrators are combating and seeking relief from the societal issues that have tiptoed into their schools. In addition, school administrators and their teams best understand and know themselves and their students to choose the path toward their ultimate success. Therefore, the Central Office staff reinforces those efforts by enabling school staff

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to work together to lift the value of internal collaboration.

Support Support is the sum or part of a thing or action used to uplift another thing or activity. Every day, Starbucks creates experiences in the cups of millions of coffee lovers worldwide. The Starbucks mission strives to “inspire and nurture the human spirit- one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time.” The remarkable Starbucks commitment to its new and repeat customers is visible in the long lines that wrap around neighborhood blocks. Starbucks connects with its customers by name to create a supporting opportunity to serve them again. School staff seeks to create and foster a positive relationship and sense of belonging for students through the value of embracing their students’ cultural diversity. Like Starbucks, schools also need the support of Central Office staff through collaboration to garner feedback to give personalized supports.

Access Access includes but is not limited to entry into a place. When Walt Disney created his iconic Disney parks and resorts, he fantasized they would serve as a unique experience for visitors in “The Most Magical Place on Earth.” Years after the inception, the Disney brand expanded and provided its magical experience through other media.

As a result, children of all ages continue to beam at the sight of a

Disney character in their homes, schools, communities, or wherever they are. The Disney experience cemented as a forever memory as a must-see destination in the minds and hearts of generations. Like Disney, from May to August, administrators and teachers collaborate to plan the most magical year for the scores of children entering schools each year. In addition, central office staff year-round secures resources in the form of talented people, processes compensation, and maintains compliance with employee files, benefits, and laws.

In sum, more efforts to model the shift in the Central Office staff role as an extension to the ideas of school-based leaders and educators is needed. However, with attention to access, support, and autonomy, Districts and Schools are at the very least initially positioned for success.

About the author: Audrey Staton-Thompson has over 26 years of career experience in education as a teacher, curriculum consultant, principal, head of school, and currently serves as the executive director of contract implementation for Cleveland Metropolitan School District. She has also served on various boards of directors advocating for educational equality for all children, including serving as Cleveland’s district representative for OAESA.

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Heartfelt Non-Negotiables

BY TIFFANY SELM

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t the start of this school year, I felt renewed and very focused on what my heartfelt non-negotiables are as an educator. I currently serve as an elementary school principal and my time in this role has not been “normal”. In my first year as a principal, the pandemic caused schools to pivot to remote learning in March 2020 and since then, we have still been navigating the “new normal”. I have been challenged by all stakeholders that I serve and as a result, I have grown to further find my voice (while learning to be more confident) and sincerely express what I believe is best for students and the educators that serve them daily. These nonnegotiables include:

be kind in the future. Giving tickets or trinkets when noticing kindness does not align with intrinsic motivation; instead, giving tickets or trinkets motivates children to earn more tickets or trinkets. If a child wants to eat lunch with me as a principal, or a staff member would like to talk with me, there is no amount of tickets or trinkets they need. I am free to all students and staff.

3. The world needs soft hearts who care deeply. The universe sent me this quote one day from Keanu Reeves, “I don’t want to be a part of a world where being kind is a weakness” and my empathic heart was so thankful to receive this quote. It helped me to articulate that my soft heart is needed in this world and that I am strong because of it. It takes a certain kind of strength to be soft in a hard world. One of my ongoing goals is to demonstrate what it looks and sounds like to provide kind and direct communication. It doesn’t have to be one or another. I’ve also received feedback that all of my problems would disappear if I “grew thicker skin” or “toughen up.” This simply is not true and I believe can be harmful to a softhearted soul to hear. I wonder about the impact of an opposite phrase such as, “If you only grew a softer heart.” The world needs soft hearts who care deeply. We can teach those softhearted souls that they can learn how to adapt and cope in a way that honors who they were made to be.

“I wholeheartedly believe that children and adults

1. Words matter. In our fast paced world, I often hear- “I’m just being honest… No offense but… With all due respect… I’m not gonna lie…” These phrases are not productive and really do not have a truthful intent. We must speak our truths, but speaking our truth is not an excuse for being rude in our delivery. It is possible to be direct with our feedback via a kind delivery that is focused on productive collaboration and problem solving. Because our words matter and words have a direct impact on relationships.

alike learn kindness through experiencing kindness.”

2. Developing intrinsic motivation is important. Oftentimes, I have been questioned for my beliefs of promoting intrinsic motivation for child development. For example, one of our PBIS expectations is “Be Kind.” I wholeheartedly believe that children ,and adults alike, learn kindness through experiencing kindness.

I believe that noticing a child for their kindness builds their awareness and increases the likelihood of them truly wanting to

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4. Intentional listening matters. Listening with our hearts, not just with our ears, is a skill that contributes to authentic relationships. When others feel heard, they feel valued. When they feel valued, they continue their legacy of making our world a

better place. I was born with hearing difficulties and the ability to hear is not only a challenge I had to overcome but it has allowed me to value what intentional listening involves. I recently read about the intervention called, “Prevention Interviews” via Jeffrey Benson. He shared in his recently published ASCD article, “What that teacher team realized...was how much these young people felt recognized, that they belonged to the team, when they had a chance to be heard. They felt worthy. There’s no magic here.

Students don’t suddenly change—they grow, and listening is a tool that helps children grow.” I completely agree with this intervention, except that I would argue that magic does exist in simply being heard.

5 Systems and developing cultures are important. As Dr. Edward Deming famously said, “A bad system will beat a good person every time.” More so than ever, it appears that our hard working and caring educators are being blamed and it is absolutely defeating. This is not okay. The problem is not our educators; our educators crave and deserve systems that allow them to be respected as professionals who serve the whole child.

Yet too often, our systems disappoint them which contributes to unproductive and unhealthy cultures and further broken systems. Our educators deserve better. Only when our educators are nourished, honored, and noticed for their hearts, minds, and voices that are doing the very important work of student growth, will our cultures improve and our systems be repaired.

In the end, as my dear friend, Meghan Lawson, has stated, “I’m not getting it right every day. But it matters too much to not continue caring deeply and trying.” Tomorrow is a new day and I will continue to care and try again knowing confidently what my heartfelt non-negotiables are.

About the author: Tiffany Selm is the principal at Pattison Elementary in Milford, Ohio Before that, she served as an assistant principal for seven years, district coordinator for one year, and 5th grade teacher for three years. As the leader at Pattison Elementary, she is committed to meeting the social, emotional, and academic needs of all students. You can contact the author via Twitter at @mrsselm.

References: Benson, Jeffery. “Prevention Interviews: Listening with Intention.” ASCD, Oct. 2021, https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/prevention-interviewslistening-with-intention.

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AM-C04613 (Oct. 21)

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MOMENTUM and

IMAGINARY BOWLING BALLS

BY DR. EVE MILLER

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hat does momentum have to do with imaginary bowling balls? As I reflected on the theme of this edition of the Navigator, “Maintaining the Momentum,” I thought about how momentum is calculated in physics. Put in oversimplified terms that would probably make Sir Issac Newton pitch an apple at my head, momentum is a measure of how much effort it takes to move an object and keep it in motion. As I look back at all that has occurred over the last two years, I am struck by how well that definition of momentum fits the many struggles and uncertainties faced by administrators, educators, students, and their families during the pandemic.Through physical location restrictions, virtual instruction, remote services, and all that has come with educating and learning during a pandemic, the name of the game has been how to get moving and keep moving – whatever it takes.

And now, as we begin to plan for a post-pandemic future, we are left to wrestle with a powerful nostalgia for what once was, and (I hope), a sense of innovation and excitement as we build together what is to come. There are two things that I would urge administrators at every level to keep top of mind as we navigate this liminal space - the first is the danger of old paradigms and old habits; the second is the transformative and research-backed power of hope.

As educators, we understand that a good narrative story can go a long way. So, if you will, please picture yourself back in your elementary school physical education uniform. I’m Coach Miller now, and this is my PE class for principals. Imagine that I set up an obstacle course and invited you and another principal to complete it. I tell both of you that for the last half of the course, I will hand you a ball and you will need to push that ball across a flat surface, down a slide, and eventually, for your last obstacle, you will need to push the ball up a steep ramp. You both signal that you understand and I blow a whistle that starts you moving. You are ahead of the other principal

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and you’re feeling pretty good about your chances of winning as you complete the first half of the course.

When you reach mid-point, I’m standing there ready with a 15 pound bowling ball. You grab the ball, surprised by how heavy it feels, and move across the flat surface to the slide. Once there, you find the mass of the ball increases its velocity and with only a couple pushes you quickly get the ball down the slide. When you get to the final obstacle, the steep ramp, you find it far more difficult. You try to give it a big push up to gain some ground and instead it comes bounding back down at you so fast that by the time you get ahold of it again, you are almost at the bottom again.

You realize this is going to be tougher than you hoped and you are going to have to take it pretty slow. As you start your slow climb up, you hear the other principal starting up their ramp. Anxious to stay ahead, you start pushing faster, and once again the ball comes tumbling back down. That’s when the other principal passes you and you see they are pushing a basketball – not a bowling ball like yours.

“That is so unfair!” you think. You were ahead. You deserve to still be ahead.

You decide to stop watching what the other principal is doing and focus on what you need to do to get to the top of the ramp. After 14 hours (okay, probably 5 minutes), you reach the top and see the other principal there. Before you can stop yourself, you let the other principal know that the course was rigged and they had it way easier than you did, only having to carry a basketball and everything. You examine the other principal’s face, searching for their agreement.

Instead they give you a kind smile and without a word, reach down, pull off their shoes, and hold them out for you to take. You realize right away that the combined weight of their shoes must be 30 pounds or more. While you were moving easily through the first half

of the obstacle course, the other principal was finding it hard to make progress right from the start. By the end, they had simply become accustomed to the weight. You were both running a different obstacle course the entire time.

You see, it turns out that my imaginary obstacle course was never about winning or losing. The obstacle course was really about compassion for yourself, compassion for those whose weight you may not know, and the trust we should all have in ourselves and our adaptability. But what does all this have to do with momentum and post-pandemic education? For most building leaders, this year probably feels like pushing a 100 pound bowling ball up Mount Kilimanjaro. Twice. As you think about how your school can build and maintain your momentum under these difficult circumstances, take a moment to consider a few important discoveries you may have made during your time in Coach Miller’s imaginary obstacle course.

First, momentum for your school this year cannot be measured according to benchmarks from years prior, just as it would be foolish to benchmark how long it would take to complete the obstacle course if only you could do it without the bowling ball. Second, your indicators of momentum – your progress markers, your lead and lag measures – may be different now, but it’s critical that you still see and celebrate them as the successes they are. In the end, you analyzed and adjusted to create a repeatable and scalable ramp strategy, and that is a big deal. And, maybe most importantly, it is distracting and momentum-killing to start comparing your progress to other schools or districts, because you have no idea what weight they are or are not carrying and how it compares to yours.

The operational question at the end of all of this learning and imaginary running is this: how do you establish and maintain momentum in these periods where just showing up is all you’ve got?

And what is the message that will be most helpful when you show up for your students and staff ? I suggest that the answer is a reminder not to look back, and a message that builds hope.

When Gallup Research asked 10,000 employees what they needed most from their leaders right now, the most common and powerful response was “hope.” Researchers have found that hopeful people have distinct core beliefs that:

members are more engaged and resilient. They are able to problem solve and flexibly adapt. Put simply, they are what you need to move yourself and your school community forward.

Now, to be clear, you won’t build hopeful team members by insisting that everyone must be happy or cheerful all the time, every day. Even the most hope-filled of us have tough days, and we all get cranky sometimes. Hopeful leaders are grounded in the realities of the challenges their team faces, but they can see past these difficulties to a better future that is realistic and attainable. They share this future with their team alongside the ways that they can reach it. This does not need to be a formal strategic plan for the future – it can be communicated through the way you talk with your team and remind them of their strengths. It can be as simple as a recognition to your team of the challenges they are facing and your commitment to be beside them as you all work toward the better days that are coming.

It can be celebrating little wins frequently to remind everyone to look for them, and that they still matter. It can be sharing something you’ve learned about the strength of your team or of a single team member in this most difficult time. Or, just like in the imaginary obstacle course, it could be modeling compassion for yourself, for members of your team, or for other schools you work alongside.

I believe the physics of growing hope in this way will lead to powerful momentum in the years to come for the team who believes the future will be better than the present, and who knows they have what it takes to help their school get there. And you, the imaginary obstacle course bowling ball ramp champion, are just the person to guide them through it.

Dr. Eve Miller is an experienced cognitive neuroscientist with fifteen years of applied work in the field of education as well as in genetics, healthcare, and military intelligence. She has served as the Director of Research for FranklinCovey Education for seven years, during which time she has worked with thousands of educators and led the development of measurement tools used by over a million students, educators, and school leaders. Dr. Miller believes that when a teacher is empowered with research-backed paradigms and practices they can be a catalytic force for good--it is this belief that drives her work. She can be reached by email at educate@franklincovey.com.

● “The future will be better than the present.” ● “I have the power to make it so.”

Though we often think of it as an ephemeral thing that we either have or we don’t, research tells us that hope is actually a set of cognitive skills that can be taught. Hope can also be lost. The loss of hope is a frequent and understandable trauma response to the stress and uncertainty of the pandemic.

I’m sure you have seen this in your teams over the course of your career. A person who has lost hope can feel cynical, or even apathetic. They can be disengaged from the work they are doing and the students they serve. In contrast, hopeful team winter 2022

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An Empty Wagon

BY JULIE E. KENNEY

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used to dabble in selling cosmetics in my spare time. Our director would encourage us to have a stockpile of make-up at the ready when we would visit clients or host a skin care class. Mary Kay Ash, the founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics used to say, “You can’t sell from an empty wagon.” Now, I no longer have time or energy to dabble in makeup sales, but these words strike me as very true in the fields of teaching and administration.

Our wagon may not be filled with lipsticks and eyeshadow, but in the line of education, our proverbial wagon must be filled with smiles, hopes, new ideas, comforting words, a creative slant on an old idea, and lots of social emotional learning practices. At the beginning of the year, I had filled my wagon with a new schedule, a new curriculum, and new ideas on how to progress-monitor all kinds of information. I was really looking forward to this school year; we were going to be getting back to normal. We were going to get normal work hours, not teach from living rooms, and substitute teachers would come back. We were going to have students eating in the cafeteria and not in the classrooms. We were planning to have regular recess times, locations, and expectations. We’d have plenty of time to fill our students’ heads with knowledge. I didn’t fully realize how many missed learning opportunities there were during these covid-impacted months. Instead of getting BACK to normal, we are having to create a NEW normal.

Our students have missed out, not only on academic content, but how to interact with each other appropriately. They’ve missed opportunities to practice respect and trust for others that care about them. They’ve become extremely reliant on their virtual networks and computers and have missed the chances to talk and discuss other people’s thoughts, feelings, and ideas. Our wagons need to be filled with different tools this

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year and it is up to us to keep the momentum going for our students, teachers, and families.

In order for us educators to keep the steady flow of momentum going forward, despite the abundant supply of challenges, it is important to first recognize the difference between engagement and motivation.

Engagement for teachers, principals, and even students is the act of knowing and applying the what, the how, and the commitment to education. Motivation is the drive to be successful and do great work.

The question that aligns with keeping the momentum is—how do we stay motivated and engaged when we are constantly being pulled in 20 different directions?

Burnout can happen easily in these conditions. Trying to sell from an empty wagon produces no profit for either side: student or teacher. The key to combating burnout, fatigue, and the empty wagon syndrome may come from external motivators. Here are some ideas: ● Professional development that is meaningful can re-ignite the passions and become a catalyst for us to revive ourselves. When we are reminded of our why and given an avenue on how to present this in a new way, it can be very motivating. Even just allowing teachers and principals to brainstorm ideas can be invigorating. Think of the ideas kids could come up with when given the green light to create. ● Communication has never been more important than it is today. I believe in open, honest, and transparent communication. I think this allows us to live on the same page with information and band our powers together, rather than some of us being on separate islands without all the information to make our best judgements.

“Keeping the momentum this year will require us to make sure our teams KNOW they are appreciated, respected, empowered, and valued.” ● Policies and procedures is another factor in keeping the momentum traveling in a forward direction. As administrators, allowing all staff to know what the expectations are for all can not only keep the peace, but provide assurance that we’re all on the same team. Students especially need to know that fairness is an action we partake in, but they also need to learn that fair is not always equal. ● Allowing technology into the classroom and school house is an obvious go-to nowadays. Permitting the technology to be fun, used for teambuilding and laughter, can put a new spin on what may be a tired activity since the onset of the pandemic. Ask a student to videotape you while you present a lesson or a meeting. Then review the video and look for or create a list ways to change things up. ● Finding time to listen to a podcast, go to the spa, shop for a new pair of shoes, and spend time with family are all important activities that we also must find time to do. Make a list of your top ten “things I want to do.” Then DO one of them!

There is a high quality book that I first bought when I started my administration career 18 years ago. It’s called, “If You Don’t Feed the Teachers, They Eat the Students!” by Neila A. Connors. This book has been a staple of mine for ideas on quick pick-me-ups for my staff. If you’re like me, and you think that teaching is the most important profession out there, you should read this book. It contains useful surveys to find out if your teachers are “hungry,” lists of ways to show your staff you appreciate them, and tips for communicating more successfully.

In conclusion, I will quote Mary Kay Ash once more with a quote that is truer than true. “There are two things people want more than sex and money… recognition and praise.” As educators, many of us have mantras like: find a way, make a way; fake it ‘til you make it; or keep turning the page. Keeping the momentum this year will require us to make sure our teams KNOW they are appreciated, respected, empowered, and valued.

Fellow administrators, we need to communicate, care, collaborate, and acknowledge the worth of our profession and our teachers.

Stay strong out there and make it a great day!

Julie Kenney is the principal at McKinley Elementary in Marion City Schools. She has been an educator for 25 years. She is a published author and currently working on her doctorate degree at Miami University. Connect with Julie on Twitter, @JulieKenneySmit, or email, jkenney@mcspresidents.org.

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Maintaining Your Momentum Actions and reactions that lead to success

BY PAUL G. YOUNG, PH.D.

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ne of my most embarrassing moments occurred at the end of my senior year of high school. Field day activities were being held on the football field to celebrate graduation and the end of the school year. I had been a member of the school’s cross-country team, so it seemed logical to enter the 880-yard run (2 laps around the football field track) and demonstrate what I thought would be an ability to run faster than many of my classmates. Unfortunately, I hadn’t trained during the months that had followed the cross-country season. When the 880-race started, I felt the usual burst of energy kick in, and I surged ahead of all the runners. While still in the lead, I heard cheers from my teachers and classmates as we finished the first half of the race. But then midway through the second lap, tightness in my legs and labored breathing started to slow me down. Other runners came from behind and passed me. I could see, hear, and feel the disappointment in my performance from those who were watching in the viewing stands. My self-confidence was shattered. I had allowed myself to think I could enter a race and win without the necessary training and preparation.

From my earliest memories, I have wanted to move fast. People would always tell me to slow down. My mother would often remind me that patience was a virtue (one that I often lacked). An abundance of energy could be a blessing as a youngster, but it could also be a curse. If I went too fast, I’d leave people behind. But when I went as fast as I could, which was too fast for many of my friends, they would abandon me.

I learned a valuable lesson about maintaining momentum on that high school track, one that I often reflected upon when serving as a principal. I could move fast with headstrong determination. But

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in the end, who wins the race – the hare or the tortoise? In the principalship, I learned I could be more successful moving slowly and steadily rather than acting quickly and carelessly.

We all have times in our lives when we feel stuck or just really tired of the battle. Without any doubt, coping with COVID-19 has forced everyone to slow down, deal with frustration, reset, and steadily determine how to maintain momentum to push through life’s race. Effective and successful principals always look for new strategies and tactics to move closer to their goals and build on their accomplishments. The key to their success is momentum.

The Laws of Motion In the first law of motion, as espoused by English mathematician and physicist Sir Issac Newton (1642-1727), we learn that objects tend to remain moving unless an external force is applied to it. But even more importantly, in his third law he states that when two bodies interact, they apply forces to one another that are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction. The third law is known as the law of action and reaction. I learned that during my high school race, but more importantly as a principal. The actions and reactions of teachers were constantly impacting the momentum of our school’s progress. The external forces that they brought to the workplace would accelerate our work or slow it down. This happens in every school. In order to have a positive impact on the momentum, it is imperative that principals understand the dynamics that different types of teachers have on a school’s progress.

Three Kinds of Teachers In Dealing with Difficult Teachers, Todd Whitaker cites the work of Dr. Al Burr, a former St. Louis area high school principal, when describing the typical performance of three kinds of teachers – superstars, backbones, and mediocres (see Figure 1). Backbone

teachers typically represent two-thirds or more of any teaching staff.

They are good, solid teachers – the heart of every school staff. They love kids and do what is best for them. They approach their work with the steady momentum of a well-trained professional. But it is the superstar teachers who create the best classrooms, produce impressive academic results, and become beloved by their students, parents, administrators, and even other teachers. They are a positive force and can rapidly accelerate the growth of those around them.

On the other hand, the negativity of mediocre teachers can slow a school’s progress. They often have pessimistic views about their students, resources, school culture, and many other aspects of their career. Their negativity is contagious and wears down other teachers, especially the backbones.

knows who to avoid. Placating the needs of your backbones does nothing to solve problems. Mediocres will change for the better – or otherwise retire or leave – when the principal creates the external forces that help them want to improve. Unleashing the positive powers of your superstars so that others will follow, and directing that momentum, is a strategy that works.

Momentum Tips If you want to move your professional career forward at a steady pace while dealing with the adversities and negative external forces that you will encounter, consider these tips:

Among a staff of 30, you could expect about two-thirds (20) to be backbones. The remaining ten would be superstars or mediocres. There may be only a handful of mediocre teachers, yet, quite often, they loudly make their demands known. Their fixed-mindset, negative influence can impact the development of an effective school culture and skew a school’s performance backwards rather than forward.

Every school staff, even those who are high performing, exhibits a bell-curve distribution of adult performance.

Among the most elite sports teams, everyone knows who to get the ball to in a clutch play. Likewise, everyone

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1. Connect with superstar principals. You’ll find them by becoming active in your state and national principals’ associations.

Working closely with them, you’ll discover the traits and skills that make them successful. Model peer-learning as you would want your teachers to do.

2. Teach the bell-curve adult performance distribution to your staff. They already know who the superstars, backbones, and mediocres are. But everyone needs cued in on your gameplan. By teaching the concept, you will enlighten everyone about the reasons you want others to follow the lead of the superstars. Understanding the concept will also help teachers envision how the distribution plays out in their classrooms with student management and learning.

3. Never cut corners with hiring processes. Patrick Lencioni, in The Ideal Team Player: How to Recognize and Cultivate The Three Essential Virtues lays out an approach for attacking the dangerous group behaviors and influences that mediocres love to impose upon hiring processes. They want new candidates that reflect their virtues, not more superstars. Reflecting on the fable he tells in this book will help principals identify, hire, and develop teachers that become invaluable team members.

4. Focus on developing solutions rather than celebrating problems. Mediocres love problems. They worship them. They know them well. Obviously, principals cannot dismiss significant problems, but once one has been identified, concentrate your energies with your staff on developing solutions. Dwelling on problems skews your momentum in the wrong direction.

5. Learn to shift the monkey. A wise superintendent once told me to always make sure teachers kept the monkey on their backs, not on mine, when seeking help for problems, most often their management of challenging students. In Shifting the Monkey, Todd Whitaker shows school leaders how to redirect and refocus problem people and their “monkeys” toward practices of excellence and autonomy.

Taking on everyone’s problems will wear you down. Supporting, protecting, and cultivating teacher self-efficacy and autonomy helps solve problems at the most appropriate level, most often the teachers’ classrooms.

6. Recognize the benefits from a change of scenery. Leaders become complacent when doing the same thing over and over. After 6-10 years in the same principalship, you will likely benefit from a position change. A reassignment may not seem appealing, but most often leaders acquire new levels of energy from starting afresh.

If you are committed to your career and taking care of yourself, momentum is about more than just moving. It is about maintaining a growth mindset and cultivating evolutionary forces that come with change. Your momentum will stall if you never leave your comfort zone and the routines of the status-quo.

7. Never stop training. There are always new skills to learn and strategies for you to adopt, and you should never stop learning.

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Model behaviors and practices you expect your teachers to embrace.

Be their superstar role model. Remember my most embarrassing moment from high school? I had stopped training. Lifelong learning will help you adapt to unexpected changes.

Maintaining Momentum Despite Workforce Shortages As you read this, it is unlikely that the teacher/substitute shortage problem has improved. The need for you to cover vacancies in classrooms can derail your momentum as a principal. Yet, superstars will develop solutions. Consider how these ideas might become workable in your setting: 1. To solve a sub shortage, imagine how you could utilize the professionals working in your before and afterschool programs as additional staff. Many of those individuals are working part-time jobs.

They already work closely with your students. Kids are comfortable with them. They could extend their hours and be assigned to work simultaneously with specific classrooms and grade levels. Then, when absences do occur, they could step into a lead role and maintain the learning momentum. Additionally, when absences occur among the before and afterschool staff, regular teachers could help fill those vacancies. Merging and overlapping staffs can solve many issues and create many benefits. Superstar principals will find solutions to the issues of credentials, compensation, and benefits. You don’t have a before or afterschool program? Start one!

2. To find the best new teachers, develop close partnerships with teacher preparation programs. The pipeline of new teachers (and potential substitutes) is not going to sufficiently fulfill needs of all schools for many years. Those principals who are successful in their efforts to hire good team players will have developed the most effective relationships with university preparation programs and marketed their school’s culture in attractive ways. Long-term thinkers (10-12 years into the future) will realize that “growing your own” starts by inspiring the students in your current classrooms to consider teaching as a career. Your encouragement will spark the momentum many need to envision themselves in their future classrooms.

3. Don’t allow stress to derail your momentum. Negative experiences are not always catastrophic. Sometimes they are beneficial. Focus on positive, realistic outcomes. The sky is not falling. Encourage others to control the negative talk in public about the teaching profession.

Otherwise, don’t be surprised when job shortages become even more problematic.

Summary According to the Oxford Dictionary, an autodidact is a self-taught person. It is formed from the English words auto (self) and the Greek didact (teach). Principals learn everywhere and from everyone.

Yet, some of life’s best lessons happen when we are not seeking help from others or working in any formal institutions. Mine happened on a cinder track in the spring of 1968. I’ve never forgotten that race. I’ve reflected upon it many times when people suggested I was moving too fast, or not fast enough.

Now in retirement, I focus on momentum more than ever. I strive to keep going. I refuse to allow the problems associated with age to slow me down. The most valuable lessons I continue to learn come from observing the choices made by those I respect the most – the elder superstars who influence my life.

You, too, can maintain the momentum in your personal and professional life by observing the choices and practices of superstar principals. Fortunately, in Ohio, we have many to emulate.

Never forget the wisdom within Newton’s third law – your actions and reactions will determine your momentum!

About the Author Paul G. Young, Ph.D., is retired from professional 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 is a frequent presenter at OAESA, NAESP, Ohio Music Education Association and Ohio Afterschool Network conferences. He can be reached at paulyoungohio@gmail.com and on Twitter at @paulyoungohio.

Recommended Reading: Dweck, C. (2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. New York: Random House.

Lencioni, P. (2016). The Ideal Team Player: How to Recognize and Cultivate The Three Essential Virtues. Hoboken, NJ: Jossey-Bass.

Whitaker, T. (1999). Dealing with Difficult Teachers. Larchmont, NY: Eye of Education.

Whitaker, T. (2012). Shifting the Monkey: The Art of Protecting Good People From Liars, Criers, and Other Slackers (A book on school leadership and teacher performance). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree.

Wildsmith, B., & La, F. J. (1966). The Hare and the Tortoise. London: Oxford University Press.

Young, P., Sheets, J., & Knight, D. (2005). Mentoring Principals: Frameworks, Agendas, Tips, and Case Stories for Mentors and Mentees. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Young, P, (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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halkboard news from the association

did you know?

CALL FOR ARTICLES Submit your article for our spring magazine, which will focus on the topic, With Liberty and Justice for All. Articles are due Mar. 1.

Please contact navigator@oaesa.org for more information on this opportunity!

GET INVOLVED

As a member-led organization, we rely on your input to keep the association moving forward. Take your seat at the table at the Representative Assembly on April 30th. Register online, oaesa.org/events

ODE Dyslexia Roundtable

Join OAESA and ODE on February 2nd at 9:30 am via Zoom, for the final roundtable session regarding legislation and literacy initiatives. This conversation will focus on the current professional learning opportunities from ODE that will help support the Dyslexia Laws.

Check recent OAESA emails for the link to register.

Advocacy Alert

Your OAESA leaders and executive committee will be representing you at NAESP’s National Leaders Conference in Washington DC February 27 - March 3. They will return ready to go to bat for you with updated knowledge around how federal policies and programs impact principals and schools and how to advocate on these issues.

BE A WINNER, REGISTER EARLY!

Register for the Professional Conference by Apr. 30th to get your name in the drawing for one of two $500 giveaways to fund a project at your school. Sponsored

by Horace Mann and DonorsChoose.org.

M O R A L E BOOSTER We’ve made it easy to celebrate your colleagues! Mark your calendar and celebrate wherever and whenever possible with recognition certificates found on the “Resources and Initiatives” tab in the member resources section of our website!

January

1 - School BOE Month 9 - School Resource Officer Day 17 - MLK Jr. Day

LEADERS

ADVANTEDGE ADVANT 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 five full-length episodes on a range of topics from Dyslexia to equity to our “new normal.” Hosted by the OAESA Executive Director, the podcast features speakers, experts, and OAESA members who have compelling stories to share. Tune in at your leisure, wherever you listen to podcasts!

February

1 - Black History Month 6 - School Counselor Week 21 - Presidents’ Day 22 - School Bus Driver Day

March

1 - Women’s History Month 4 - Maintenance Worker Day 6 - School Social Worker Week 13 - Daylight Savings Time

winter 2022

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H E A LT H

matters

Maintaining the Momentum Through Lifelong Learning

BY ANN M. CONNELLY AND JANICE L. WALSH

We expect educators of all types to participate in lifelong learning, meaning they participate in formal and informal learning opportunities to foster continuous knowledge development and improvement (Collins Dictionary). This is true for teachers and all professionals working in the school environment, including school nurses.

From suicide and drug prevention programs, asthma and allergy training, innovative technologies in diabetic care, to mental health supports, student care coordination, and school emergency preparedness, lifelong learning empowers school nurses by arming them with the knowledge and training they need to positively impact the health and educational outcomes of their students.

Since February 2020, school nurses have received a crash course in COVID-19, and witnessed its far-reaching impacts on student, staff, and community health and well-being. Professional literature highlights the importance of lifelong learning for nurses as it is critical for them to maintain nursing competencies, acquire new knowledge and skills, and translate evidence-based research into practice. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s (AACN) revised professional nursing education “essentials” cites lifelong learning and self-reflection as central in the journey towards nursing expertise and leadership (Yoder-Wise, 2021).

School nurses have always been masters of juggling and prioritizing many tasks, but with the additional overwhelming work of promoting student, staff, and community health and safety through contact tracing, quarantine assistance, infection control, vaccinations, advocacy, and student, staff, and caregiver pandemicrelated education, they have been forced to do this even more. As a result, many of their important traditional duties, such as vision and hearing screening and immunization record reviews, have fallen by the wayside during this unprecedented time.

The National Academy of Medicine’s Future of Nursing 2020–2030 report charges nurses with the role of lifelong learning to enhance cultural humility, reduce health disparities, and promote health equity (Yoder-Wise, 2021). Nationally recognized Relentless School Nurse, Robin Cogan, found over 110 specific references to school nurses or school nursing within the report, including: • the call for sustainable funding to ensure a school nurse in every school building, • the essential role school nurses play in advancing the physical and socio-emotional health and wellbeing of their student populations, and • promoting opportunities for all students to reach their full health and academic potential.

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School nurses have become far more proficient in contact tracing, quarantine, isolation, and methods of infection control than they imagined just three years ago. Now, however, to meet the urgent needs created by the profound and far-ranging emotional, academic, and physical impacts of the pandemic on our nation’s schoolaged children, school nurses must shift their focus to acquiring knowledge and resources in upstream methods to identify healthrelated barriers to learning and reduce health disparities to advance health and educational equity among their student populations.

So how best to arm your school nurses with the knowledge and training they need to succeed in this critical charge? The natural answer is professional development. However, school nurses must be given uninterrupted time to engage in learning opportunities.

Engaging in something new requires that the mind be free to learn,

and not hitherto engaged in other tasks or emotionally depleted.

School nurses have always been there to support their students’ bodies, hearts, and minds so that they are ready to learn. It is now time to provide the same encouragement and support to the school nurse.

Many people—including school nurses themselves—believe that school nurses are efficient multitaskers. However, research has shown that we as humans actually do not multitask at all, but rather switch rapidly between different tasks that we seem to be working on at the same time. When trying to multitask, we take more time to complete tasks than if we did them singly, are more error prone, and are overall less efficient. While this is less important when doing low risk tasks (e.g., listening to music and folding laundry), it is very concerning when the tasks being juggled are of high importance. For example, expecting a school nurse to provide expert healthcare to children AND take in new information during professional development; the school nurse cannot effectively do both at the same time.

Most people enjoy face-to-face professional development offered during conferences as they offer other benefits such as networking with colleagues, visiting exhibitors, and having direct interaction with presenters for questions and answers. However, during the pandemic, virtual professional development has blossomed. In addition to electronic independent study courses, many groups are

offering live virtual conferences. Some benefits to the live virtual conferences include no need for travel time or mileage, no overnight accommodations at the conference site, no meals, etc.

What has not changed, however, is the need for the conference participant to be able to give their full attention to the professional development activity. When your school nurse attends a live virtual conference, they should have the benefit of a substitute in their clinic just as if they had travelled offsite to a conference location. This will reduce the likelihood of errors in providing care to students and will allow the school nurse to engage fully in the learning experience.

The pandemic has been a stressful time for everyone, both personally and professionally. All of us have had to re-prioritize our work and learn new ways of doing things. As challenging as it may be during this period of heightened stress and emotion, one of the best ways to support all of our colleagues—including school nurses—is to ensure professional development. This includes seeking it out for ourselves and supporting others when they have identified a source of new information. Instead of adding onto the heavy burdens already carried while working, providing substitutes during the workday will allow you and your colleagues to reduce errors due to multitasking as well as increase the ability to learn critical new information. Thank you to you and all of your colleagues in all that you are doing!

About the authors: Ann M. Connelly, MSN, RN, LSN, NCSN, is a Public Health Nurse Supervisor for the School Nursing and Early Childhood Health Programs at the Ohio Department of Health. You can contact the author at Ann.connelly@ odh.ohio.gov.

Janice L. Walsh, MSN, RN, LSN, is a school nurse in Columbus, Ohio. You can contact her via email at janicelwalsh69@gmail.com.

References Burkus, D. (2018, Nov. 15). Why you can’t multi-task: And when you can. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/creative-leadership/201811/whyyou-can-t-multi-task .

Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials. (2021, March 10). Why multitasking doesn’t work: Studies show it makes us less efficient and more prone to errors. https://health. clevelandclinic.org/science-clear-multitasking-doesnt-work/ .

Literacy growth.

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Cogan, R. (2021, May 14). The relentless school nurse: The Future of Nursing 2030 report is here & it includes school nursing! The Relentless School Nurse. https://relentlessschoolnurse.com/2021/05/14/the-relentless-school-nurse-thefuture-of-nursing-2030-report-is-here-it-includes-school-nursing/ Collins Dictionary. Retrieved October 20, 2021. https://www.collinsdictionary. com/us/dictionary/english/lifelong-learning

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National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2021). The future of nursing 2020-2030: Charting a path to achieve health equity. The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/25982 Yoder-Wise, P. S. (2021). Lifelong learning: Part 1. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 52(7). https://doi.org/10.3928/0022012420210611-01

winter 2022

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LEGAL

report

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS FOR PRINCIPALS

BY DENNIS PERGRAM Resolution No. 1: I will not have a romantic relationship with a subordinate.

Many boards of education consider a principal having a romantic relationship with a subordinate to be problematic and it can lead to problems. Of course, you may be involved in a romantic relationship with a teacher and later become that teacher’s supervisor. In that circumstance, you would need to immediately notify the Superintendent so that you will not be the one to evaluate the teacher, make any employment recommendations or in any way impact the teacher’s terms and conditions of employment.

This is also an area about which ODE can become concerned. Even if you are not involved in a romantic relationship with a subordinate, you will also want to avoid any appearance that you are and also avoid text messages and emails which could be misinterpreted even if you and the subordinate reciprocate in those types of communications.

Resolution No. 2: I will avoid using district property for personal reasons.

District property is to be used only for school purposes. If it is the district’s property, everything that is communicated via the district property belongs to the district and even if the communications are not suggestive, if they are of a personal nature and are being transmitted during the workday, they can become problematic.

Resolution No. 3: I will make certain that if I am promised vacation leave or a sick leave severance policy, the vacation leave policy clearly spells out that the vacation leave may be cashed out, if that is the case.

You should not rely on the past practices of the district as to the

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cashing out of vacation leave and/ or sick leave and your entitlement to vacation leave and sick leave, as well as any right to cash out the same, should be set forth in your contract.

Resolution No. 4: I will make certain that if I am leaving employment as a teacher somewhere and I have been provided with a continuing contract of employment, I will keep a copy of it.

Under Ohio law, if a principal’s contract is non-renewed and the principal has served in the district for two years, the principal may be entitled to continued employment in the district if the principal has served two years in the district, has previously acquired a continuing contract elsewhere, and is certified or licensed in a teacher’s position within the district.

Of course, if you have been previously awarded a continuing contract in your current district and your administrator’s contract is non-renewed, you still have your continuing contract as a teacher within the district.

A situation sometimes arises whereby a teacher becomes eligible to be considered for a continuing contract in their district and the district votes to re-employ the teacher under a continuing contract but before that continuing contract is issued and signed, the teacher secures a position in another district as a principal. Consequently, the teacher does not have a written, signed continuing contract; however, because the prior district did not non-renew the teacher on or before June 1, the teacher has acquired a continuing contract by “operation of law.” Thus, if the teacher who becomes a principal in another district is non-renewed, that principal can still assert continuing

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contract rights as a teacher if they have served in the new district for at least two years.

for you to know what the state deadlines are and to confer with the superintendent to make certain that those deadlines can be met.

I have always taken the position that a year is 120 days in a school year and not the entire number of days in the school district.

Resolution No. 7: If I find myself in an employment situation that could lead to discipline, I will timely communicate to the OAESA so that I can secure legal assistance.

From an attorney’s viewpoint, I can be more helpful to a client in practicing preventive law as opposed to remedial law. Although some situations may seem to be dire, they may be able to be resolved without any discipline.

Resolution No. 5: I will always immediately report suspected child abuse or neglect.

Under Ohio Revised Code § 2151.421, principals as well as other school employees are mandatory reporters and most principals are aware of the fact that they are a mandatory reporter. You should not rely on another person (a teacher, a nurse, or someone else) to do the reporting as it is your duty to immediately report the suspected child abuse or neglect. If someone has informed you that they have done the immediate reporting, please make certain that you are provided with evidence of the same so that you can be assured that the required reporting has been done.

Resolution No. 6: I will make certain that my duties under OTES are timely completed and accurately completed.

It is not unusual for a principal to become “swamped” with all that they have to do. If you find yourself in that situation, let the superintendent know so that you may get assistance. You may have a situation whereby the district has certain deadlines that are tighter than the state law deadlines. You, of course, will want to meet the district deadlines and if it appears that you cannot, it will be helpful

Resolution No. 8: I shall document all student grade changes.

ODE is especially sensitive to reports that a principal has changed a student’s grade. If you find that changing a student’s grade is justifiable, you should make certain that you document why the change is being made. Further, it would be prudent to also let the superintendent know that you are changing a grade and why and to make certain that the superintendent concurs, especially if you have a situation where a teacher is opposed to the grade change. Also, of course, you should inform the teacher if you are going to make the grade change.

Dennis Pergram, legal counsel to OAESA, is a partner in the law form of Manos, Martin & Pergram Co, LPA/ He is a former chairperson of the Ohio State Bar Association School Law Committee and has practiced school law for over 30years. winter 2022

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LEGISLATIVE

update

WRAPPING UP LEGISLATION IN 2021

BY BARBARA SHANER As we get ready to close out the calendar year, there are a number of education-related issues being discussed at the statehouse.

Discussions on everything from private school vouchers to the Third Grade Reading Guarantee and other topics in between, will likely continue into the new year. Meanwhile, with the ongoing nature of the Coronavirus pandemic, the legislature has passed provisions to assist schools with moving forward successfully, thus “maintaining the momentum” for student achievement in the current challenging environment.

SB 1 This Financial Literacy bill passed in October is aimed at assuring that students graduate with a better understanding of things like student debt, credit card debt and household budgeting. Beginning with students entering their freshman year after July 1, 2022, a new one-half unit of financial literacy education will be required for graduation. This portion of SB 1 will not likely have a direct impact on primary education leaders, however, there is one provision included in the bill aimed at assisting schools with the challenge of finding substitute teachers, particularly during the current school year.

SB 1 allows districts to determine locally the education requirements for substitute teachers for the current school year. The prospective substitute must undergo the usual background check, etc., but the district may choose the education level required. There are no restrictions on how long (within the current school year) a substitute teacher may continue in one classroom. The Ohio Department of Education will issue a temporary substitute license, again, only for the 2021-2022 school year. This part of SB 1 became effective immediately upon Governor DeWine’s signature which occurred on October 28th.

This might be a good place to stop and provide a bit of information about the legislative process and how bills become law using SB 1 as the example.

• A bill gets introduced in one chamber of the Ohio General Assembly (either the House or the Senate). In the case of SB 1, the bill originated in the Senate.

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•

•

•

If the bill is passed by the original chamber, it is then sent to the other chamber. SB 1 was passed in the Senate and sent over to the House for consideration. Some bills never make it through the second chamber.

The second chamber (in this case the House) has the ability to make changes to the bill either by introducing a substitute version, or through amendments. The House made changes to SB 1, including the addition of the substitute teacher provision, before voting to adopt the bill.

Because the House made changes to a Senate bill (SB 1), the Senate had to approve those changes. The full Senate took a vote that was essentially a “thumbs up” on the House version of the bill (at this point, the Senate could not make amendments to the bill).

• Had the Senate voted “thumbs down”, it would have required a conference committee be appointed (a committee of House and Senate members) to iron out the differences between the two chambers and agree on a final version of the bill if possible. Then both chambers would have to approve the conference committee’s recommendation (or reject it). The appointment of a conference committee essentially always happens with a state budget bill, but less often with other miscellaneous bills.

• Once both chambers have approved a bill, it is sent to the governor for his/her signature.

• The governor has ten days (not including Sundays) to sign or veto the bill. If he/she fails to take one of these two actions, the bill becomes law automatically by default.

Emergency Clause vs. no Emergency Clause • Typically, bills that are passed by the legislature and signed by the governor (or become law by default) are effective 90 days after the governor’s signature (or lack of action).

• The 90-day window is meant to allow citizens to review the new law and determine whether there is opposition to the bill.

• Within that 90-day window, citizens have the opportunity to collect signatures in favor of a referendum on the bill.

•

•

•

If enough valid signatures are gathered, Ohio voters will have the opportunity to vote on whether to repeal the law (this happened several years ago with SB 5, a collective bargaining bill).

Bills that have a financial appropriation become effective immediately upon the governor’s signature. The budget bill is an example of this, however, if the budget bill has policy provisions not tied to an appropriation, those provisions become effective in 90 days.

Bills (or narrow provisions in a bill) that contain an emergency clause become effective immediately. An emergency clause is based on the determination that it is for the greater good that the bill (or provision) by-pass the 90-day waiting period. An emergency clause requires a super majority vote (two thirds) in both chambers.

SB 1’s financial literacy provisions become effective 90 days after the governor signed the bill on October 28th. As we have already stated, the substitute teacher provision had an emergency clause attached making it effective immediately.

It should be noted that school leaders were responsible for bringing the substitute teacher shortage issue to the attention of legislators.

While there may be some legislation OAESA and its members do not support, this is an example of when members can make a difference for positive changes to Ohio law, even if temporary.

Further, the discussion of the substitute teacher provision in SB 1 has also highlighted the shortage of substitutes and other staff districts are likely facing in the long run. We can expect continued discussions with legislators about these issues.

SB 229 The Senate passed SB 229 in late October. This bill was originally introduced to extend the deadline by which school districts could submit Blended Learning declarations for the current school year (from the current July 1st deadline to April 30, 2022). The blended learning option was needed for some school districts because of temporary school closings due to the pandemic. The remote learning options allowed in the previous school year were previously not extended to the 2021-2022 school year.

Before the Senate passed SB 229, a number of additional provisions were added to the bill, including: • A requirement that school districts submit a remediation plan to ODE. • Monthly and year-end reporting requirements on Blended Learning activities.

• Monthly reporting to ODE on the number of students quarantined.

• A provision requiring school districts to permit quarantined students to attend the district’s online school (if applicable).

• An exemption for the new online schools established under the recent budget bill authority in submitting an emergency management plan.

• A provision limiting school districts’ purchase of real property if a charter, private or STEM school is utilizing the property (the tenant would need to agree to the sale).

• The addition of one superintendent to the upcoming report

card review committee (established through HB 82 for the 2023-2024 school year).

As a result of input from statewide education organizations (including OAESA), the following changes were made to the bill during its deliberations in the House: • Local flexibility for this school year in determining whether a third grade student should be retained under the Third Grade Reading Guarantee (TGRG) (reading teachers and principals to decide), just as they have for the two previous school years.

However, school districts would need to share information with parents about how the district will address students’ underperformance in reading. Districts would also be required to consult parents on decisions around promoting or retaining third graders.

• This school year only, quarterly (rather than monthly as the Senate version required) reporting to the state regarding Blended Learning activities (the House substitute bill still requires a year-end report).

• Schools that have already submitted an extended learning plan (April, 2021) or a plan to deal with learning loss (August, 2021) will be considered to have fulfilled the bill’s requirement for districts to submit remediation plans for helping students that have fallen behind during the pandemic. Virtually all school districts have recently submitted one or both of these plans.

• Make permissive (rather than mandatory) the ability for school districts to allow quarantined students to temporarily participate in newly formed online schools.

• Adds an additional superintendent (for a total of two) and a principal to the upcoming report card review committee (established through HB 82 for the 2023-2024 school year), these three will represent a rural, an urban and a suburban school district.

• Removed a provision that would have put restrictions on school districts’ purchase of real property when a charter, private or STEM school is utilizing the building.

SB 229 passed in the House and because Representative Gayle Manning (R – North Ridgeville), chair of the House Primary and Secondary Education Committee, worked with the education leaders and bill sponsor in the Senate as the changes were discussed, the Senate concurred with the House changes. The bill contains an emergency clause and was sent to the governor for his signature in mid December.

This is yet another example where OAESA members made a difference. In particular, the flexibility on the TGRG came about as a result of elementary school principals sharing concerns about students unnecessarily being retained in third grade by state mandate. The House listened and the Senate agreed an exception should be made at least for the current school year. We expect ongoing discussions about this issue for future years as a result. Let’s all keep up these legislative efforts to help members maintain the momentum of success!

Stay tuned for more legislative activity in 2022 as some of the more controversial issues like statewide vouchers and Critical Race Theory continue to be debated at the statehouse. winter 2022

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e’re booked in this collegial text that is full of good advice that you likely didn’t learn in your graduate program or licensing coursework.

The list of school administrator expectations is lengthy and must be accomplished regardless of existing circumstances.

This book has four parts: Reflect, Focus, Connect and Care. One might question the possibility of finding time for reflection and the authors get that. They address just that in the first sentence of chapter one by sharing their own experiences and the necessity of making time to stop to reflect with purpose. Several useful formats are suggested to frame reflection. Each chapter ends with a section titled “Invitation to Implement,” which contains definitive and actionable possibilities for using what has been discussed in that chapter. Along with reflection and refinement, part one includes chapters about finding your people, including mentors, and receiving feedback.

PRINCIPALED, THE EDUCATOR’S SURVIVAL GUIDE: Navigating the Leadership Learning Curve

BY Kate Barker, Kourtney Ferrua and Rachael George REVIEW BY Traci Kosmach, Principal, Riverview Elementary, Stow Munroe Falls City Schools

T

he following quote from Glennon Doyle opens the introduction of this book, “These things will be hard to do, but you can do hard things.” Truth. School leadership is hard work and it matters every day. The authors know this first hand and share their collective knowledge and advice

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Part Two: Focus, leads one to clarify purpose, decide to go deep, and work through one’s strengths: all worthwhile endeavors as an administrator. “...Your clarity of purpose becomes the thread that weaves through everything you touch…” (p.40) rings true nearly a decade into school leadership. Each of the authors share their own thoughts or experiences pertaining to each chapter which continues the conversational tone in reading this book. It feels like talking to colleagues about things that matter in our work. An acronym using the word ‘strength’ guides chapter six and a “Focus Web” provides another tool for the work.

Part Three: Connect, suggests the value in knowing oneself well and examines relationships, hard conversations, networking, and committing to personal learning. Each chapter continues to provide

good thinking as well as applicable ideas and invitations. The following advice warranted bold print (p. 95) “Before you assume, learn the facts. Before you judge, understand why.

Before you hurt someone, feel. Before you speak, think.” Also included in this part are the following tools: suggestion for specific brainstorming, a trait analysis chart, a lengthy description of what various feelings look or sound like, reflection on how you learn, and guidance for creating a vision and path for your own learning.

The final part of Principaled is about care for yourself and those around you. The chapters include, Finding your Balance, Show Gratitude and Grace, and the concluding chapter is titled Lead with Love.

That chapter begins with a quote from Fred Rogers, “Love isn’t a state of perfect caring.

It is an active noun. To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now.” That sounds like a worthy goal for principals. As in each of the preceding parts, there are plenty of tools and invitations for implementing.

The book is an easy read full of solid advice for a new administrator and appreciated reminders and invitations for those of us with some time in leadership positions.

BOOK REVIEWS FOR THE ADMINISTRATOR & SCHOOL LIBRARY

THE LONGEST STORM WORDS AND PICTURES

BY Dan Yaccarino

REVIEW BY Roger Nott, Assistant Direcctor of Special Services, LoganHocking Schools

I

n Dan Yaccarino’s The Longest Storm, a family experiences a roller coaster of emotions as they are challenged with waiting for a storm, unlike any they had ever seen before, to roll out of town. A single dad, three children, and a dog hunker down together inside their home. This becomes overwhelming to all of them, as they struggle with being cooped up together and feel like they have nothing to do. After angry exchanges, each takes time to themselves until a particularly scary night of the storm in which the power goes out and reminds them how fortunate they are to have each other.

They find their harmony again as a family and are able to make the best out of the rest of their time inside their home. Finally, the storm makes its way out of town, and they

can go outside and work on cleaning up the yard as a family.

This beautifully illustrated book lends itself to many possibilities for the classroom. As soon as I began reading it, the connections between the never-before-experienced storm and the pandemic became clear. Teachers and counselors could easily use the story as a springboard into discussions about the challenges of the pandemic. Another discussion point could be directly tied to what the reader learns about the family from the illustrations alone. In studying the artwork, readers are provided with some insight into the family and why the dad is parenting alone. These illustrations make this book a perfect companion to classroom discussions about families, loss, and emotions, which we can never talk too much about with children. Well done, Mr. Yaccarino. I hope teachers everywhere are adding this book to their library.

OUTSIDE IN

WORDS BY Deborah Underwood PICTURES BY Cindy Derby REVIEW BY Roger Nott, Assistant Direcctor of Special Services, LoganHocking Schools

O

utside In, written by Deborah Underwood, is a charming picture book that reminds the reader how nature affects us all in many ways, several of which we are often unaware. As the little girl in the story progresses through her day, mostly indoors, the author points out how the outside and inside often collide with each other. From noises that we hear while indoors, to the running water as we turn on the faucet, the outside is near. The exceptional illustrations help bring the words to life and allow us to

feel the same emotions the girl is experiencing in the book. In a time when we can easily be consumed by technology and the pandemic, it is refreshing to read a book that playfully points out to us how much of the outside is with us throughout our day, no matter our location.

The story truly does make you pause and reflect just how often nature is with us indoors, which made me want to see teachers using it to explore the different ways students believe the outside comes inside to us. The book could easily fit in with the science curriculum, and art teachers everywhere should explore with their students the watercolor techniques by the wonderfully talented illustrator, Cindy Derby. The simplicity of Outside In, along with the beautiful illustrations, makes it a must-have for all school libraries.

winter 2022

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