Executive Viewpoint

Here Comes the Sun!

Dr. Mike Hernandez, AAEA Executive Director

Spring is in the air! Of course, we had some unexpected bouts of snow and ice. Hopefully, that cold weather is all behind us now. Spring is often associated with growth. A sign of strength in any membership organization is when it is growing. Growth shows that members value being part of something that keeps them informed and gives them a voice in their professional development and policy. Your organization has been growing in membership, and we thank you for your trust in us. AAEA is excited to be expanding our administrator reach as well. The AAEA Board approved adding a constituent group to the AAEA umbrella. The new group is Technology Educational Leaders of Arkansas and will be officially part of AAEA on July 1.

Technology Educational Leaders of Arkansas (TEL-AR) seeks to provide multiple growth opportunities for school technology leaders to create and grow engaging learning environments. TEL-AR creates a community of learning leaders through collaboration and mentorships. They are a local affiliate of the national organization Consortium for School Networking (CoSN). The group supports leaders seeking the Certified Educational Technology Leader (CETL) Program through CoSN, which provides a robust framework that guides growth for all school leaders. Lastly, TEL-AR seeks to increase the representation of technology leaders in both the district administrative cabinet and at the state level. I am excited to bring this new group on board to help ensure strong collaboration between the technology leaders and other school leaders in the district. We have known for quite some time that technology is a critical part of the school environment, but the pandemic emphasized this notion.

Jarod Morrison from Farmington School District currently serves as the chair of Tel-AR. You can find additional information about the board here. We will be working to integrate them into our organization over the next several months. I would encourage you to have your technology leader become part of this group and reach out to Jarod or other board members to find out more information about Tel-AR. They will have sessions scheduled at the AAEA Summer Conference on July 25-26. Please join me in welcoming Tel-AR into the AAEA family.

As you know, education is undoubtedly on the menu at every legislative session. Across the nation, it has become a political centerpiece for many campaigns, from the governorship to the school board races. Many candidates try to portray educators and the public school system as something that is hurting kids. I do not accept this depiction of our schools. My travels around this state and interactions with many of you reveal a true passion for helping kids. I see the fantastic things you are doing every day, no matter the circumstances. AAEA and your legislative committees will do everything we can to advocate for sound policies that support students and districts across the state. However, there are some things that you can do now to help.

The primary elections for this year are coming up on May 24. Many candidates are running for the legislature to form the 94th General Assembly. One thing you can do is work with your local school community to hold informational forums to meet the candidates and ascertain where they stand on important issues. You should note how they view public education and their plans to continue supporting this precious local resource. I believe you will find that hosting this type of event will educate your local voters and help build a relationship with your future legislator. You will not always agree with 100% of their positions on critical issues. Still, the conversation and respect can go a long way into being able to educate and influence them in other matters. Another area that can help is to identify candidates that will support public education and contribute to them financially. There are many out there who support public education and will need financial support and help at the ballot box.

Spring is indeed upon us, and I am optimistic. As the Beatles once sang, "Here comes the sun, And I say, It's all right."