President's Perspective

STARTING 2025 OFF RIGHT

Stacy DeFoor, AAEA Board President

I hope that 2025 has gotten off to a smooth start for you and your staff as we roll into the second semester of the school year. If you haven’t already taken a moment to share with a colleague or friend one of your favorite memories from this holiday season or from the recent snow day, I would encourage you to do so. These short conversations often take a little anxiety off of all of the big decisions that we face each week!

As we get back into the 2nd semester do you have a goal or initiative to revisit, alter, shift, or simply communicate with your faculty, staff, and stakeholders? Below are a few things on my to-do list along with a few other thoughts that might help you finish this school year strong and feel accomplished for the work that’s been done.

• Focus on people:

◦ Be sure to celebrate your teachers, staff, and students who have met goals or achieved success and growth over this past year. These can be professional, academic, or personal.

◦ Ensure you set aside some fun activities for your staff this spring to protect the culture and climate within your buildings.

• Review student and school data:

◦ Have you noticed any positive trends or areas of opportunity?

◦ Are you making positive strides toward your overall school goals?

◦ What steps still need to be taken toward accomplishing your school goals?

◦ Ensure you are celebrating successes no matter how big or small!

• Final allocations and budgets:

◦ Review expenditure reports as compared to your initial budget to determine if any changes or modifications need to be made.

◦ AR APP: Do you need to make any changes or modifications to your plan?

◦ Subscriptions: Look over renewals this spring for price increases. Does the subscription support what is now needed moving into the following year.

• Professional development:

◦ What support is needed for administrators and teachers to help them finish this year strong?

◦ Scheduling: Are you planning to have vendors in your district this summer to support HQIM initiatives? If so, it is important to reach out to them to ensure you can have them in your district when they are needed.

◦ Keynote speakers: If you are looking to bring a keynote speaker to your district for next year's back to school kick-off, plan early to book your most desired speaker.

• Legislative Session:

◦ With the legislative session underway I would encourage you to keep up with current bills that are being proposed and look for updates that AAEA will continue to provide.

I encourage you to review and communicate your expectations that will help your campus or district end with a feeling of accomplishment and pride. The work we do is not for everyone. I firmly believe that we are called to educational leadership. We have the opportunity every day to make a difference in the lives of our students and/or staff. What will you do today to connect with a colleague or student to let them know you care? Have a great February and Happy Valentine’s Day!