Executive Viewpoint

SUMMERTIME!

Dr. Mike Hernandez, AAEA Executive Director

Another school year has ended, and it felt like a normal year for the most part. I know there are many questions we are facing regarding new legislation, but I feel good about the summer and your ability to get some rest and begin planning for a great year in 2023-2024. We have new standards that seem to be more clear and easier to understand. We will have a new assessment system that should more accurately reflect what students are learning based on our standards. We have been given an opportunity to pay our teachers more and possibly attract more into the education profession. We have the leaders and talent to make this a success. Students will succeed academically because you and your staff will accept these new challenges and rise to the occasion. It will take tremendous work, but we are capable.

Recently, I had the opportunity to spend the day visiting with new superintendents and veteran superintendents as we learned from each other. Given all the recent changes, I asked for this meeting because I was worried about new superintendents coming into the role on July 1. After the first few minutes of hearing from them about strengths and needed support, I was inspired by the next generation of leaders entering this leadership role. My worry was quickly replaced with confidence. We each have our strengths and weaknesses. When we add our strengths to a network of shared expertise, the collective knowledge will lead to greater academic achievement and sound district operations. The same can be said for every position in the district. That is why networking and opportunities to learn together are so important. We cannot do this job effectively in isolation. I reflected on my time as a new superintendent and as a principal. I was privileged to follow administrators who left a great foundation to build on. I also realized the support that I had from my network of coworkers and mentors. In every position I have held, I would have five or so people to call for advice. I had so many because I did not want to contact one multiple times a day or week. I liked to spread my questions around so people didn't think I was totally inept. I still have people I call. I have new friends in other states who do the same job for other associations. I also call Dr. Abernathy and Dr. Kimbrell occasionally to ask questions. One of the best supports is in the office right next to me. His name is Mr. Mertens, and he is an encyclopedia of knowledge about the association and other areas of Arkansas school administration. The bottom line is this - we all need support and coaching to be successful. Be sure to continue building your network.

The next big things on the policy front horizon are rulemaking and the adequacy study. The rules groups for Act 237 have begun to meet for Career Readiness, Educator Workforce, and Parental Empowerment. There is a temporary delay in future meetings due to some legal challenges made to the emergency clause timeline. However, this work will have to continue, and we are excited about several AAEA members serving on the rules committees. In addition to the LEARNS Act, rules for other new education laws will need to be written. The adequacy study will begin in January 2024, but potential changes to the funding formula will be discussed in the September, October, and November Joint Education meetings. The plan is to hear from the Education Commission of the States (ECS) and Tennessee on various formulas from other states. ECS has a website that provides reports and comparisons for school funding formulas. You can also find information about the Tennessee formula on their website. It is exciting for some and terrifying for others when there are discussions of funding formula change. In almost every iteration, there tend to be winners and losers, or at least some that win more. Based on my conversations with school leaders, some things would be worth studying and changing. We will have to stay engaged over the next several months and, at some point, decide whether to advocate for change based on ideas from other states or maintain what we have. Your voice will be important in this discussion.

I hope you have a great month of June and get to take some time off. Thank you for your service to the students and families of Arkansas. Public education is a wonderful asset to our state, and we must continue to perform our duties with the utmost integrity, transparency, and focus on results. We are here to support you in these efforts.