Executive Viewpoint Dr. Mike Hernandez, AAEA Executive Director
Stay Cool and Take Care of Yourself Summer is in full swing, and the temperatures are indeed rising. I hope you have had the opportunity to enjoy the sun or the air conditioning with a good book and family. As leaders, you have worked tirelessly to ensure students were getting what they needed and stakeholders had access to information in a transparent and timely fashion. You had to make decisions in impossible situations, always keeping your students and staff in your thoughts. You have been Rock Stars! Effective administrators have a servant's heart and our students need you to continue as leaders. You must take care of yourself during this short break. Hopefully, we are past the pandemic, but there is always some issue that will pop up needing your full attention. This recent crisis has been like nothing we have seen before and hopefully will never see again. Yes, there are situations that happen locally, but nothing this far-reaching has happened before. It is ok to admit this took a toll on you physically and emotionally. Many have been questioned and verbally attacked in public and on social media. Some of you had to seek alternative employment due to untenable circumstances in your community. Remember that you are not alone and that your trusted friends are here for you to share your experiences and find solace. Summer is also when our facility leaders and maintenance staff are hard at work getting things cleaned up and ready for the next school year. We have some of the best facility leaders in the country as part of the Arkansas School Plant Management Association (ASPMA). School plant personnel are tremendous people, and schools could not function without them. ASPMA has worked over the years to develop an excellent program to help facilities personnel grow and become knowledgeable in all areas of school facilities. This program is open to school personnel that want to expand their understanding of school facilities. Evidence from countless studies has proven that good, well-maintained, and safe facilities play in the quality of a child's education. You can find more information about the Certified Facilities Director Program here. Many conversations are swirling around the state concerning special sessions, safety measures, facility costs, salaries, and tax cuts. When proposals are released into the public forum, each person has different opinions and emotions about the ideas. As administrators, we must remember that we are one large team in this great state. We have to ensure that professional and beneficial dialogue and discord lead to solutions. We must remind ourselves that there are no permanent foes or allies in the political process. As I have shared in previous communications, we need to be focused on getting support to help schools address the current staffing shortages and the long-term pipeline issues. DESE has done a great job in developing programs that hopefully support an increase in those going into the education field. Still, we must be mindful of other state salaries and in-state industries. In Little Rock, you can see a billboard encouraging educators to work in Dallas which has a salary range of $60,000-102,000. We cannot afford to keep losing our current or prospective teachers to bordering states. Please remember to let us know if you have a beginning administrator (BAs) in your district. BAs include assistant principals, principals, curriculum administrators, and special education supervisors. Click here to view the commissioner's memo. By completing the Google Form, first-year administrators will be registered to attend the AAEA Summer Conference along with other training sessions. We appreciate the opportunity to support your new administrators. Enjoy the rest of summer, and see you at the AAEA Summer Conference! 3
