Executive
Viewpoint
Congratulations! You have made it to the end of the school year. What a wild and crazy one it has been. I am sure that future education students will be studying “Pandemic Schooling” in classes for some time. Every summer, most administrators spend a tremendous amount of time planning for getting the rst days of school just right. The tone set during that rst week does more for campus culture and climate than any other week. It's suitable for us as administrators to be deliberate and particular about how we begin the year, but rarely do we hear much about ending the year well for all the kerfuf e about how we start. This year more than ever, we need to celebrate and end the year well. For most, this summer means hanging on to students and staff a little longer Dr. Mike Hernandez AAEA Executive Director to support learning loss and spending time strategically planning for next year. But, we need to mark the ending with some fanfare. Our students and staff are worth more than just the typical survival mode farewell that may happen after a challenging year. We need to signi cantly impact our students and staff in the last few days before turning our attention to summer and next fall School administrators face many decisions about the Summer of 2021. Should we do summer school? Should we offer virtual next year? Are my students and staff too tired to be productive this summer? How will I address mental health? How can we utilize federal aid dollars to have the greatest impact? How do I get community buy-in?... I could go on and on, but you get the picture. Before that train gets moving, stop and mark the end of the school year with something out of the ordinary that shows the students and staff that you appreciate them. Celebrate them and yourself. Maybe nd a community partner to host an end-of-year cookout or football eld movie. Or something as simple as a "thank you" video to students, staff, and parents. I think anything that celebrates the end of the year is time well spent. If no one has done it yet, then I will be the rst to give you a very hearty pat on the back and say, "Thank You!" “Outstanding” is the word that comes to my mind when I think about the work that you have done to make this year a success. Sure, there have been numerous challenges along the way, but you have risen to the occasion. I appreciate having the opportunity to lead your organization and be a voice on your behalf. I want to say that maybe the work will get easier and we have made it, but we must press on. Robert Frost said it best in one of his poems: The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep. Celebrate and rest for a bit, but then, put your boots back on and together let's continue doing great things for kids!
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