Executive Viewpoint Dr. Mike Hernandez, AAEA Executive Director
Marching On! March is here, and let the discussion begin of what everyone is doing for Spring Break. I hope you are getting some time away from the office; ski slopes, toes in the sand, or whatever you do to relax. This year, there has been a lot to digest concerning school, world events, health, finances, etc. Hopefully, the stress and anxiety will begin to dissipate, and you can enjoy some time with family and friends. AASA has led the Live Well/Lead Well campaign and has provided tremendous resources to administrators. One of the articles I read recently was about four administrators that identified what they do as stress management in their daily routines. One had an exercise regimen, and one made a point to read daily with their feet up. Another administrator used baking to unwind while another played a musical instrument. The bottom line is that we all need to find what we can do daily to keep our mental health during this prolonged period of professional isolation and unimagined demands. I know many of you are doing things like this already. Some of you are gym warriors, living the farm life, or even sharing your acting talent with the community. Whatever it is, keep doing it and if you are not, then get something started. The 2022 Fiscal Session is going on but should be over in the coming weeks. With the extension resolution, it can last until March 30. The EBD health insurance bills have made it through and will become law. A few things have passed through special language that affects schools as well. The legislature has seemed to stay focused on the business at hand and has not strayed too far. There are always forces pulling them in various directions, and I don't envy what they have to go through to make constituents happy back home. This session will possibly be the last whole group convening of the 93rd general assembly. There will be many committee meetings that take place until the 94th general assembly is elected, starting with the primary elections in May. It is essential that you reach out to candidates to better understand their stances on public education and other items you may be interested in discussing. We need to make sure we elect thoughtful leaders who will seek the best path forward for Arkansas and its students. We may not always agree with our local legislators, but I certainly appreciate the opportunity to share my opinion and be acknowledged. We must keep civil discourse as a part of how we interact with each other and our policymakers. The polarization of views, coupled with the speed and access of the digital age, has made it more challenging to keep our conversations civil in America today. We need to learn to play nice in the sandbox while having these crucial conversations. We are in that time of transition and planning for next year. Many of you have been rehired for next year and are looking at your staff intents to determine which jobs you will need to post. ArkASPA just held a great conference on recruitment and retention, which was very informative. One of my favorite parts of the meeting was hearing from the students. These students were in educator preparation programs in a few different Arkansas universities. I was fortunate to moderate a panel consisting of these students and their professors to discuss the development of the next generation of teachers. These students appeared excited about the role they were training to take on in a classroom. These students have been prepared to regularly take on the many challenges teachers face. One of the questions I asked the students was to ascertain what would keep them in a district for the next 5-10 years. Without hesitation, each spoke about support from fellow teachers, relationship building with their principal, and having a sense of belonging. This student response made sense to me. We often hear that compensation is not the critical factor in retaining staff. These students voiced what we already know. Educators want to belong, have great relationships, and have a sense of purpose as they serve students. I am delighted to have you all as administrators in Arkansas. I hope you feel a sense of belonging to our association and continue supporting your fellow administrators. Don't underestimate the power of a kind smile or spending a few minutes with a staff member visiting about life outside of the school building. Let us know how we can help you.
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