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THE OFFICIAL PUB LICATION OF THE FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL ADMINISTR ATORS

Spring 2021

FASALeader FASA

Adapting Education

How the COVID-19 Pandemic is Changing School Itself

Esports Isn’t Coming—It’s Already Here Leadership Perspectives: Six Questions for Jen Halter From the Superintendent’s Desk with Dr. Asplen

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contents 6

features

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dapting Education: How the COVID-19 A Pandemic is Changing School Itself Administrators and leaders from across Florida share their challenges and successes in teaching during an education paradigm shift. By Cody Smith

President’s Message Overcoming Challenges Together By Seth Daub

xecutive Director’s Message E Forward Focused By Michele L. White, CAE

Esports Isn’t Coming—It’s Already Here With 211% season-over-season growth, Florida esports with PlayVS experienced unprecedented popularity. By Aaron Castellan, Content Lead, PlayVS

18 From the Superintendent’s Desk Fun insights from Dr. Brennan W. Asplen III, EdD, Superintendent, School Board of Sarasota County.

12 Leadership Perspectives:

Six Questions for Jen Halter

FASA Leader spoke to Jen Halter, Principal of Green Cove Springs Junior High School and Clay County’s 2021 Principal of the Year, about her success, the future of education, how principals can support each other, and more.

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FASA’S MISSION: To support administrators in providing high-quality education to the students of Florida.

FASA’S BELIEF STATEMENTS: We protect public education and its fundamental role in our society. We provide transformational opportunities to foster highly effective leaders. We prepare Florida students for global success

COVER IMAGE: MAKSYM YEMELYANOV

FASA Staff Executive Director Michele White, CAE mwhite@fasa.net Florida Association of School Administrators 206B S. Monroe St. Tallahassee, FL 32301 (850) 224-3626 www.fasa.net

FASA Executive Officers President Seth Daub Catalina Elementary Orange County

President-Elect Eric Basilo Sanford Middle School Seminole County Past President Brent Brummet Warrington Middle School Escambia County

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Advertising Inquiries Heather McMillen hmcmillen@ thewymancompany.com (352) 900-3011

S P R I N G 2021

pr e s id e nt ’s m e s s a g e

Overcoming Challenges Together

s this unprecedented year draws to a close, I find myself feeling optimistic for what 2021 holds in store. Are the challenges over? Certainly not. That said, as educational leaders, we are quite skilled at coming up with new and creative ways to overcome challenges. 2020 has most definitely proven that! I count myself fortunate to be among such a strong group of dedicated administrators and cannot even begin to thank you all enough for the hard work that you have done this year on behalf of your schools and your students. I’m sure that when we went to school for educational leadership, there wasn’t a single course that could’ve adequately prepared us for leading our schools during a global pandemic. Yet, here we are doing the best that we can and figuring it out as we go! Looking forward to 2021, I am excited for the goals of FASA, and it is my hope that you share in my excitement and will support our efforts. We will continue to focus on increasing and maintaining membership, as a strong membership base is the foundation for any successful organization. We will also remain focused on offering meaningful and relevant professional development opportunities to ensure that members have ongoing possibilities for growth and learning. With regard to those professional development opportunities, particular attention will be given to the topics of equity and equality, two important areas that can never receive enough effort and awareness. This upcoming year will undoubtedly have its own unique challenges, just as every year does. That said, through the ongoing actions of FASA, together we will face these challenges head on and continue moving forward towards our ultimate goal: educating students! I hope you and your families had a relaxing, enjoyable, and healthy holiday season!

Seth being interviewed by News 6 WKMG.

FASA LEADER

SETH DAUB Catalina Elementary Orange County

“I’m sure that when we went to school for educational leadership, there wasn’t a single course that could’ve adequately prepared us for leading our schools during a global pandemic. Yet, here we are doing the best that we can and figuring it out as we go!”

e x e c ut i v e d i r e c t or ’s m e s s a g e

Forward Focused

here is no doubt that this school year did not start off the way any of us expected, and who knows what the next three months will bring. What I know after one year into this pandemic is grace, compassion, and hard-working administrators have led the way. You have continued to show students and parents that learning can and will be accomplished when you keep the right focus. FASA is focused on three main goals this year and we are successfully moving them forward. First, we want to increase full-service members. Our goal is to have at least 180 new full-service members; as of this writing, we are more than 75% of the way to the goal. As you know, this level of membership adds benefits like additional publications to keep you updated and legal defense assistance. Our second area of focus is on professional development. This will be centered around developing future leaders, addressing diversity and equity, and the communicating the B.E.S.T. Standards. The professional development offered will also support two other goals: supporting the well-being of administrators to increase retention and focusing on diversity and equity in the profession and across organizations. On that note, we have hosted a day of professional development last October with the Addressing Diversity in Our Schools virtual conference. This spring, our Diversity Committee is leading an interactive, four-month book study on Rac(e)ing to Class: Confronting Poverty and Race in Schools. The final area of focus is to share the voice of FASA at the state level. My goal is to ensure what is happening in Tallahassee with the Legislature or the Florida Department of Education is closer to home. I want you to know what is happening and how it is impacting you at the district and school level. We are continuing regular membership Chancellor Chats with Chancellor Jacob Oliva and Deputy Chancellor Paul Burns to address member concerns. Our Legislative Team is also monitoring hundreds of bills to ensure the voice of administrators is well known at the Capitol. As we finish this year, I hope you will reflect on the successes you have made and how you will support students returning in the fall. Stay well!

MICHELE L. WHITE, CAE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

“What I know after one year into this pandemic is grace, compassion, and hard-working administrators have led the way. You have continued to show students and parents that learning can and will be accomplished when you keep the right focus.”

Michele and Seth.

S P R I N G 2021

ELENABSL

Adapting Education

How the COVID-19 Pandemic is Changing School Itself BY CODY SMITH

arch 2020. Business as usual for public schools in Florida. Administrators around the state readied for spring break, a time for teachers, staff, students, and themselves to take a well-deserved break. Sunny days were to come. Until they weren’t. While Florida’s literal sunny weather was unchanged, a different type of dark cloud circled not just the schools, but the state, the country, and even the world: the COVID-19 pandemic. Business as usual quickly turned into government shutdowns, mask mandates, social distancing, overwhelmed hospitals, and deaths of people all ages. Yet, public education pulled through. More than a year after COVID-19 threatened to bring school to its knees, public education itself has transformed with improved technology, communication, and organization. FASA Leader spoke with the following

FASA LEADER

administrators to learn how their schools and counties adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond: • K irstie Gabaldon, Principal, Sebastian Middle School, St. Johns County (KG) • S teve Frazier, Principal, Silver Trail Middle School, Broward County (SF) • D r. Michael A. Grego, Superintendent, Pinellas County (Dr. G) • C ristina Mrozek, Assistant Principal, Lake Gem Elementary School, Orange County (CM) This is how they and their schools adapted and succeeded.

THE SHUTDOWN RESPONSE SF: “I’ll never forget the day: Friday, March 13, 2020. I just finished chaperoning our school dance and dismissed the students when I got word from the district that schools would be closed indefinitely. We never imagined such a sudden

systemic shutdown. Now, we were charged with reinventing the way we would provide instruction to our students—and we had to figure it out within a two-week window. “Beginning the following Monday, we had many online meetings with Broward Superintendent Robert Runcie and leaders of the various central office divisions. I’m in my 17th year as a principal, and never have I faced such a daunting challenge! Nonetheless, we were determined to remotely engage with our students as soon as possible.” KG: “We were challenged to brainstorm continually and move into uncharted waters. Not only did we have to think about changing our entire way of schooling, but also had to consider social and emotional learning. How do you do that safely?” DR. G: “Our entire leadership team acted swiftly prior to spring break. Our students left for break, and we did not know if

they or we would physically return to our schools. We created online lessons and tutorials for teachers to train them on new technology and virtual learning. We developed cleaning protocols, such as outfitting schools and buses with masks, hand sanitizer, and other cleaning supplies. All of this happened in the last nine weeks of our school year.” CM: “The shutdown happened around spring break, and I ended up working throughout the whole week. Our school had not completely transitioned to 1:1, so we had to move quickly.”

DISTRIBUTING DEVICES AND PREPARING NEW TECHNOLOGY KG: “We worked hard to figure out how to efficiently and safely give students laptops. We asked questions like, ‘How do we distribute laptops safely?’ and, ‘What’s the best way to deliver instructions on computer and in-person?’ “St. Johns County’s Schoology platform helped us a lot. Because our school piloted it, our teachers and students were already used to it. But, there’s a difference between familiarizing and fully integrating, so that was the learning curve. We used platforms such as Zoom for instruction, and students were learning how to use conference platforms from the beginning.” SF: “There was a lot of fear about catching COVID-19 from in-person interactions. So, we spent a lot of time trying to decide how we’d get laptops into the hands of students safely for everyone involved: students, staff, and parents. We invented processes that afforded us the ability to safely distribute student laptops from the front doors of our campus into the hands of parents and students—all while strictly adhering to the CDC guidelines for masks, physical distancing, and sanitizer. It was truly a remarkable sight.” CM: “With Orange County being the ninth largest school district in the nation and the fourth largest in the state with more than 200,000 students, our school faced big challenges. One challenge was getting us to a 1:1 school. We received laptops from another school who was already 1:1 and distributed those laptops to our grade 3-5 students. Since Cohort 8 was next behind us to become 1:1, the district approved funding so all those schools would receive devices and distribute them equally.

“We offered a lot of professional development for technology and virtual learning. Teachers had challenges; some had never taught online.” DR. G: “We installed Microsoft Teams on every laptop. We built and executed distribution strategies to cover laptops, hotspots, and internet connections; everything students and parents needed to stay connected.”

VIRTUAL LEARNING, PLANNING, AND COMMUNICATION TAKES SHAPE CM: “We had weekly check-ins with staff and sent family surveys for feedback as we began virtual learning. We assembled a support staff such as our guidance counselor, dean, and behavior specialist to reach parents who our teachers couldn’t reach for any reason.” KG: “At the beginning, we had faculty meetings and “just-for-fun” meetings online. I would host conferences, ask fun Q&A questions, and call on people to share their favorite experiences. We conferenced between admin, teachers, and guidance each week to spot students who had not logged in so we could reach out to help. It was important to support teachers through the stress of converting online along with our students.” SF: “Right away, we knew the importance of supporting and reassuring our teachers and addressing the many varied questions and concerns of our parents. Our teachers needed new and different teaching resources; they needed to figure out how to set up remote online lesson plans because all of this was unchartered territory for them—for all of us. We encouraged all our instructors and administrators to show a lot of flexibility and grace when it came to student expectations. “There are so many challenges to sitting down and doing schoolwork on a computer screen. Moreover, there are so many unknown variables when it comes to our students’ ability and availability to learn remotely. In our effort to ensure equity among our student demographics, being flexible and understanding was paramount.” DR. G: “Statewide, we kept everyone employed. We organized virtual meetings with principals. Before, we would all meet monthly, but now we meet every week or even more frequently. We also had to rethink communication. We upgraded our website and our communication tools with parents.

Even to this day, it remains a major component of our success.” KG: “For parents, we used to send quarterly and monthly newsletters. But parents have concerns during a pandemic. They had a lot of questions. Circumstances and needs changed our communications and how we responded to parents. So, we moved to weekly updates and emails. The frequency of our communication helped allay fears and was important to the success of our instruction.” DR. G: “We supported students and parents as they transitioned to our 1:1 device program, PCS Connects. This helped eliminate the digital divide. We also utilized school psychologists to contact families in need. We are always ready to support the mental health of our students.” CM: “Creating weekly newsletters focusing on social-emotional health really helped us, our parents, and our students.” KG: “We made videos for new students like our upcoming sixth graders to see how the school looked virtually. We also posted tip videos for distance learning to make it more accessible.”

HEALTH, SAFETY, AND SERVING THE COMMUNITY SF: “Stress levels were through the roof! Everyone was feeling it because we all wanted to get it done and get it right. That takes a toll on the physical health and the mental wellbeing of everyone in our communities. Thank goodness here in Broward we had already been exercising wellness and mindfulness practices. Many teachers were already familiar with these tools and using them in the classroom. Our students—as well as our adult population—needed this kind of attention, so using these mindfulness exercises fit in naturally during this time.” DR. G: “We assembled and created a medical advisory team composed of BayCare, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, the Community Health Centers of Pinellas, and the Florida Department of Health. We meet at least once a month, sometimes more frequently. They have gone to our schools, gyms, cafeterias, classrooms, etc. to guide us. This group really helps us and has created clarity, trust, and credibility with parents, teachers, and staff. “We also created a COVID-19 team, composed of six registered nurses and HR professionals who guide and steer principals through the pandemic.” S P R I N G 2021

CM: “Orange County created the Health and Safety Manual. It’s used district-wide for procedures and protocol, making it a lot easier to communicate and cite it when needed.” DR. G: “Our schools also became a main food distribution center. We supplied half a million meals in the last nine weeks of the spring semester and during the summer. We became a stabilizer of our district.” CM: “We have been designated a Grab & Go site for meals since day one of the shutdown. We continue to package and distribute meals for all of our students at our school daily as well as continue to offer drive-up service on Monday evenings each week.” DR. G: “Our school district developed scheduling software to help our employees get vaccinated. We have already offered vaccines to every one of our employees 65 and over. With partnerships like those with Johns Hopkins, we’re quickly able to vaccinate all our employees.” ADAPTING, READAPTING, AND SUCCEEDING IN THE FALL KG: “We really looked at streamlining logistics so students could focus on content.

When we came back, we looked at feedback. For example, parent feedback noted Schoology organization issues such as confusing folders for different classes and periods. We all sat down to figure out how to make our students’ and parents’ lives a little easier. “To solve this issue, we posted a new, weekly agenda at the top of the page, then organized schoolwork in folders by week. We colored the current week’s folder green to make it easy; that change was very well-received. Every class looked the same structurally when you logged in. By putting it all in the same place, students and parents could figure things out easier. A seemingly small thing makes a big impact.” CM: “Our district has three different classroom models: face-to-face, LaunchED@ Home—an innovative option approved by the state where our students learn online following a normal bell schedule with live lessons—and Orange County Virtual School. Parents can pick and choose which model they like and sometimes go back to a different model. I do a lot of schedule changes.” DR. G: “We had to evolve and have alternative plans, plan A, plan B, plan C, etc. We

could not just assume a plan would happen. We had to plan as if all our plans wouldn’t happen. That’s a lot of work.” KG: “Even things like school lunch required reworking. We went from one and a half rooms for lunch to five rooms and more outside eating areas. We had to make sure students were safely seated away from each other and supervised. “Every morning I walk around and talk to the teachers. The pandemic has taken a toll on teacher stress levels. Being available, having an open door, and fostering a culture built on honesty and openness between faculty and administration is key.” SF: “Look, we were flying the plane while building it! We met regularly with our principal colleagues to compare notes and share ideas. The central office also assisted the school leaders with new technology; they worked quickly to get the necessary hardware and software into our schools. Our Academic Division developed scores of eLearning remote lesson plans for most of the courses we offer and made them available to our teachers. This was especially helpful since most continued on page 17

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Esports Isn’t Coming—

PHOTO CREDITS: PLAYVS

It’s Already Here

Fall 2019 Georgia Rocket League Championships at Mount Vernon High School.

With 211% season-over-season growth, Florida esports with PlayVS experienced unprecedented popularity. And, it’s just scratching the surface of its potential as a scholastic sport. BY AARON CASTELLAN, CONTENT LEAD, PLAYVS

Leadership. Teamwork. Hard work and determination. These are the traits that come to mind when Maclay School esports coach Will Perry thinks about high school sports. However, the opportunity to grow these skills through traditional athletics is simply unavailable to the majority of students, whether due to financial constraints or medical condi-

tions. But Coach Perry is now successfully reaching students through a growing type of sport: esports. Experiences like those of the Tallahassee coach are becoming more common in Florida and across the country thanks to the wildfire growth of high school esports. Es-

ports —structured, competitive video gaming—opens up the benefits of athletic competition to any student at every school. “Esports gives us the ability to support the needs and wants of an exponentially growing population of students interested in the world of competitive video games,” S P R I N G 2021

the country also provide. The aforementioned survey also reflected as much, with 43% of players stating they chose esports to make friends and find a community. Without esports as an opportunity at their school, these are friends they’d never make and communities they’d never join. And with the current state of COVID-19, finding community and connection is more important than ever.

A SAFE HARBOR DURING COVID

Fall 2019 Alabama High School Championships at ePlex Arena in Birmingham, AL.

said Coach Perry. “[Students learn] the exact characteristics that we would want them to gain through traditional sporting activities.” Despite restrictions, uncertainty, and chaos created by COVID-19, Coach Perry just wrapped up Maclay’s Fall season and plans to continue adding teams in Spring 2021. How was all this possible? Two reasons: one, esports easily transitions into a remote activity without diminishing in quality and two, PlayVS. PlayVS is an esports competition platform operating leagues for high school and college, as well as open, unaffiliated youth leagues for anybody 13-18 years old. Through partnerships with the biggest publishers in gaming like Riot and Epic, they’re able to offer a seamless, unique experience unmatched by any other service. Throw in automated scheduling, a team of on-demand esports support specialists, robust statistics, and scouting tools, and it’s easy to see why big publishers, the National Federation of State High School Associations, and dozens of US states have chosen PlayVS as their exclusive esports provider. Simply put, it’s a turnkey esports solution for every school in the United States and Canada.

MEETING STUDENTS WHERE THEY ARE For a variety of reasons, many students struggle to find engagement as they go through their primary schooling years. Whether it’s a hobby, a mentorship, or something else that ignites a passion to drive them towards achievement, every student deserves 10

FASA LEADER

such an opportunity. Esports provides just such an opportunity: a coached, competitive experience in activity they already love. That competitive experience takes players through the intensity, highs, and lows of competition that teaches hard important lessons about adversity and communication. Video games are a passion for a large majority of students. The video game industry accounts for more revenue than movies, television, and music industries combined. Billions in money exchanging hands due to billions of gamers around the world means one thing: there is no bigger phenomenon right now than gaming. As educators, it’s incumbent on us to figure out how to best reach students. The easiest way to reach them is by meeting them where they already are: gaming. Take Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School. In a few short seasons, their esports program already has 100 students competing. That’s bigger than most football programs. That’s 100 students who likely weren’t previously engaged through extracurriculars aligned with their interests, if they were being engaged at all. A PlayVS survey of Fall 2020 players indicated this might be the case, with 45% saying esports was the first time they’d participated in a sport or activity at their school. Connecting with peers over a shared passion provides another crucial experience for any young person: finding “your people.” A group of peers who you feel like you can be yourself around; that’s what the thousands of new esports programs popping up all over

With precautionary shutdowns around the country that continue to varying degrees, esports has provided a sort of touchstone for players and coaches alike. When the lows of isolation amid a global pandemic get to be difficult, players can easily check in with their team through third-party communication applications such as Discord. The University of Central Florida’s thriving esports program prides itself on supporting its players in such a capacity. Gaming Director Annabel Zinn makes sure each member of the program feels like they can come to their teammates for support. “I think normalizing mental health in esports is important, and it’s something people can forget about,” said Zinn. “As programs get larger, sometimes we push it aside. But we want to make sure students feel comfortable and are interacting socially, and make sure they’re not lonely and make it comfortable for them to reach out.” While keeping an open line of communication with players and setting the expectations for team scheduling is effective, coaches provide go-to resources ahead of any mental health crises. “Remember that you are not the expert on mental health, but there are people who are the experts on campus that you can call on,” said Callum Fletcher, Esports Director at Illinois Wesleyan University. “If a student and I discuss having a breakdown or struggling with a class, I’ll listen and help them as much as I can, but I’ll make sure they understand the resources they have like academic services, advising, tutoring, and counseling.” These support systems and attentive coaches showing an interest in the wellbeing of students are hardly unique to esports. However, with more than 40% of esports athletes not participating in anything before esports came along, they would have nowhere to go for this support without an esports program at their school.

SCHOLARSHIPS AND CAREERS With the growth of esports and the video game industry as a whole, colleges are offering more and more scholarship dollars to lure talented gamers to their campuses. Tens of millions of dollars of scholarship money will be distributed this coming scholastic year, which will go to the players with competitive experience. While player development might include upstart personal branding on social media with in-game highlights, broadcasts of seasonal esports championships will provide a quick reference database of footage for college scouts to recruit elite graduates from around the country. Livestreams of official league matches will also allow students a level playing field, allowing colleges to better evaluate individual performance. Recent broadcasts of PlayVS Fall 2020 Championships saw coaches and program directors from all over the country stop by to check out potential recruits. It’s just another way that amateur esports is beginning to reflect the transition of other athletes from high school to the NCAA to the professional leagues.

Ss Q u pi

vZz

B O Ei Aa O O

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Aaron Castellan is a former high school baseball coach and current Content Lead at PlayVS. He has also written for Ubisoft, Activision, Blizzard, and EA across a variety of media.

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meant a world of difference to the students who have participated in it,” said Perry. To learn more about starting an esports program at your school, go to www.playvs. com/florida-fasa.

Our Proof is Your Power

Fall 2019 Rhode Island Championships at Providence College.

i Mm

In fact, last year in an esports first, esports legend “Lupo” signed an endorsement deal with State Farm. Now, his highlights and Twitch streams are conveniently “Brought to you by State Farm.” While athletes like LeBron James have a clear career pathway from high school to the pros, that same pipeline to reach Lupo’s level needs further development in esports’ amateur ranks. That’s where high school esports can play a crucial role in empowering the next generation of athletes, stars, and members of the booming video game industry. Gaming companies need a generation of employees with a wide range of skills, and there’s no better way to show students that possibility than through esports. Through the PlayVS platform, high school esports in Florida is spreading from district to district from Dade County to Palm Beach to Pensacola. It’s thanks to dedicated coaches like Coach Perry who saw potential and whose students are already reaping the rewards. “Our program has grown steadily since its inception three years ago. I know it’s

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S P R I N G 2020 1

Leadership Perspectives:

Six Questions for

Jen Halter

PHOTO CREDIT: PHILIP STEURY.

Earning Principal Year in any year is a feat. But earning such an award when a global pandemic upended public education on every level? That’s an achievement showing leadership during a challenge of a lifetime. Jen Halter, Principal of Green Cove Springs Junior High School, was named Clay County’s 2021 Principal of the Year last October. FASA Leader spoke to Jen about her success, the future of education, how principals can support each other, and more.

IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU PLAN ON BUILDING UPON YOUR SUCCESS AFTER BECOMING CLAY COUNTY’S 2021 PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR? WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR 2021? Serving as principal of Green Cove Springs Junior High for six years, my focus has been on student achievement and high expectations for all students and staff. GCJ is an “A” rated school, a state-designated 12

FASA LEADER

School of Excellence, and a Best and Brightest school, and was also recently awarded the Gold Medal for PBIS. With a high retention rate in faculty and staff, GCJ remains a high-performing school because we work to learn all students’ stories, know where their strengths and areas of opportunities for achievement lie, and remove barriers that can hinder success. My goals in 2021 are to continue to work on increasing parental and community involvement, remove barriers to student success through equity audits, and making strategic moves that require all staff to focus on weekly remediation of specific skills that students need. Also, I will work to enhance accelerated programs that create choice within the building, and continue to raise student achievement through leading quality professional development that focuses on modeling highly effective instructional practices that can be quickly replicated in the classroom. I also look to provide opportunities for highly effective teacher leaders to lead their colleagues through coaching cycles to lift instructional practice.

Outside of the school building, my goals are to grow my leadership skills in other capacities. I am fortunate and thankful that my principal supervisors and district leadership in Clay County have given me many opportunities to serve in districtwide decision-making committees, mentor new principals and aspiring principals, and most recently help facilitate projects with elementary principals in an effort to build my capacity to become a future district-level leader. I will work to continue to mentor other school leaders in the district by continuing to meet individually to share best practices and help encourage opportunities to serve in other capacities such as serving on a FASA Board or partner to present at a conference. Also, by providing professional opportunities for other school leaders to hone their leadership skills, I help to further this school district to continued excellence. I have recently begun a leadership book study where school and district leaders meet monthly to discuss a leadership book, best practices, and how we can apply those leadership lessons to our work. Also,

I would like to expand my opportunities to speak to future school leaders and teachers and provide shadowing opportunities to experience the work first-hand. As I continue to work towards my doctorate in Educational Leadership, I will apply current research to practice and share those findings with my colleagues. I am continuing to find ways to lead people in more effective ways and increase student achievement. I will also continue to network with leaders across the state, as I believe we are empowered and more successful when we can learn from each other. Some of these networks include Leadership Florida’s Education Class 6, FASA, and NASSP. I have the privilege of serving as the national representative for all secondary school administrators in Florida for NASSP. These opportunities have allowed me to connect with various leaders at school, district, state, and national levels and learn from them.

HOW DO YOU SEE THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION DEVELOPING THROUGH IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION AND TECHNOLOGY, VIRTUAL LEARNING, AT-HOME LEARNING, AND MORE? NOTABLY, HOW WILL GRADING CHANGE? We have observed educators expand their knowledge and use of technology with their instructional practice during this pandemic. I believe that we will find additional ways to connect and educate students through various techniques using technology. This instructional practice will require additional training and professional learning for educators to explore these new technological tools. Allowing parents and students to have a voice and choice in how they learn is essential. Students need to feel safe to learn, and for some families, that means learning remotely. Teachers have quickly adapted to that need and continue to adjust to provide quality instruction on various platforms. Regarding grading, with online learning and virtual learning from home, the accountability piece is challenging. It is diffi-

cult to monitor student learning at all times when they are not in a brick-and-mortar setting in front of our teachers. However, parents and guardians are our partners in helping students be accountable for their education. Teachers will continue to find ways to monitor student achievement and growth. Using the Florida standards to drive the grading practice helps show students what they need to know and be able to do to master a learning standard. One grading example that teachers of remote students can use is using a standards-based rubric to help students demonstrate their knowledge. Our teachers are the experts in this. As we move toward more online learning options, I would recommend listening to their recommendations and suggestions on grading practices and continuing to support them. We have seen teachers use flexibility and compassion during this pandemic to help students adjust to new learning platforms to ensure their students feel safe.

HOW CAN PRINCIPALS FROM OTHER SCHOOLS, COUNTIES, AND DISTRICTS SUPPORT EACH OTHER? Principals and all school and district leaders should be a part of a professional organization that can help them network and provide professional development to hone their leadership practices. FASA is an excellent organization that brings educational leaders of all levels together to connect, learn, and share best practices. It has helped me develop lifelong connections and friendships where I feel comfortable reaching out across schools, districts, and even state lines to find best practices to help problem-solve. Attending conferences such as FASA’s Discover 2021 or NASSP’s National Principals Conference is a great way to gain new leadership tools, find renewed inspiration, and connect with other school leaders across the state and nation. I continue to lean on the various connections I have made through FASA, NASSP, and Leadership Florida. I have found that is the num-

ber one thing that has helped my success as a leader; learning from other great leaders.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE WAYS YOUR SCHOOL HAS SUPPORTED ITS ADMINISTRATORS, TEACHERS, AND FACULTY? Everyone wants a voice. Leading an environment where everyone has a voice in the school-based decisions is vital to our success. Faculty and staff feel supported when they know they have had a say in the decision-making process. If there is a concern, they are heard, and you will handle the issue. Just as the faculty, staff, and administrators support students by removing barriers that can hinder success, so do I for our faculty and administration. I support teachers by doing the best to pull things off their plates that don’t need to be there. In protecting their time, listening to their needs and concerns, and working to support their work as best as possible, I can then help them focus more on the students. Support also comes in the form of voice and choice in professional development through the goals set by the entire staff as a whole. We use data-driven decision making in looking at how to meet our students’ needs, discuss ways to accomplish that, and then provide support where needed in the form of training, time, and communication. Teachers, staff, and our administrators feel heard and valued. Part of the culture here is to write handwritten notes to our students and each other. Each faculty and staff member receives a handwritten note from my assistant principals and me quarterly with specific praise. Also, everyone on staff writes postcards to our students and mails them home. Each student receives two cards a year. GCJ also has a Parent Volunteer Organization that supports our staff and students. They meet with me quarterly to discuss ways to help our students and staff and provide advice and a voice from parents to understand what the parents and students need from our school to feel more connected and supported. S P R I N G 2021

Jen Halter working with students.

HOW DO YOU THINK ADMINISTRATORS COULD WORK TO ENACT CHANGE ON THE STATE AND LOCAL LEVELS? It is important to be part of a professional organization that provides networking opportunities and advocacy for students, faculty, and administrators across the state. Transformational change occurs when we share the stories of what is happening in our schools and communities.

Further, by connecting with local legislators and creating impactful relationships, educators and policymakers can discover the most robust ways to move student achievement. As a member of FASA, you can gain additional opportunities to lead by serving on a board and networking with other school leaders across the state. By being active in your state and national organizations, you become informed with quick legislative updates, professional development, and ways to reach out to legislators to share your thoughts, concerns, and real stories of how their decisions can impact their communities and schools. You are a leader in your community and school; continue to use your leadership to enact the change needed for our practice.

WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND FOR NEW ADMINISTRATORS TO BE SUCCESSFUL? In working with administrators across the state, here are some things we have learned along the way that have helped us to become successful leaders.

• N ever forget it’s about the people whom we serve. Students should be at the center of the decision-making, and we should strive to remove teachers’ barriers as often as possible. Take care of your teachers. Follow through on what they need from you to help make their lives more comfortable, focusing on student achievement. • Be reflective. Remember, we don’t have all the answers, and there will be days that you will get it wrong. Try to replicate the days that we get it right! • Build a support network. Surround yourself with strong leaders who you can call and discuss ideas and problem-solve together. Join FASA and stay connected with local and state policymakers, learn from them, understand the current issues and how it affects your job, and remain current in professional development. • Take time for yourself. Learn ways to unwind, unplug, and manage your stress levels. Thank your spouse/partner/best friend for their support. You can’t do this work alone.

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LEADERSHIP MATTERS WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN The Mid-Career Doctorate in Educational Leadership (Mid-Career) prepares school leaders to be strategic decision makers at their institutions and guiding voices in education policy and practice. • Top Ivy League faculty, leading national practitioners • Practitioner and inquiry based approach C O N N E C T W I T H U S AT mcprog@gse.upenn.edu • midcareer.gse.upenn.edu

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#WHYFASA

Each day, assistant principals across the state of Florida spend countless hours ensuring our schools are safe, our teachers have the resources they need to provide high quality, standards-based instruction, and students have the tools they need to ensure the best opportunity of achieving life-long success. FASA provides the support we need to provide for others. Through networking opportunities, professional development, legislative outreach and collaboration, and legal support, members of FASA can continue to have what they need to provide for all stakeholders daily. Early in my administrative career, I joined FASA at the request of my principal. I was fortunate she saw the value of active membership in such an important organization. Thanks to her efforts, I not only joined, but participated in events that have expanded my view of education. Since this early moment, I have built relationships with principals, directors, superintendents, and other key members of our schools from across the state. This has allowed me to become part of a network of success and has opened potential career-changing doors through statewide collaboration. Combine this with the benefits and direct connections to legislators, and FASA membership has paid enormous dividends both professionally and personally. I encourage you to invest in yourself and become active members of FASA. Not only would you join the approximately 6000 members already involved, but you would represent the largest subgroup of FASA—assistant principals.

Eric Basilo, EdD Assistant Principal Sanford Middle School

FASA puts students first. Be part of an organization that prioritizes helping you make the biggest impact.

Renew your membership or review your membership benefits at fasa.net.

FASA LEADER

continued from page 8

teachers had little to no idea on how to instruct students remotely.” DR. G: “We refused to give up on events such as awards ceremonies for Teacher of the Year, so we made them virtual. For Teacher of the Year, more than 40,000 people tuned in; the event would have normally taken place in a theater with 2,000 people. Yes, the virtual event was different, but finding the silver lining was huge. This brought the community together, as people rally around challenging times. That’s a hard success to measure, but it’s priceless.” CM: “As a high mobility school, we had outdated contact info for our parents. Now, our phone list is the most up-to-date it’s ever been. This allows us to connect with all families and ensure that our students are safe and getting all educational needs addressed.” KG: “Currently, we are able to have socially distant activities like basketball. A successful event for us was Red Ribbon Week, which we linked to our Social Emotional Learning goals. Students are also able to join our virtual STEM Advisory Board to demonstrate their work, such as building tiny houses or sharing potential, future careers they learned about.” CM: “We have no in-person field trips nor hands-on experiences. Students have to learn how to play and how to interact with friends while following the COVID-19 protocols. How do you play tag without touching? Social interaction has changed immensely.” KG: “St. Johns County is a very supportive district, and Mr. Forson is clear about focusing on what is best for students. We have a very tight faculty—basically a family. This cultivated a culture where we can focus on getting things right. We teach a lot about the inquiry process, which means we look for what works and what doesn’t and adapt—so we constantly adjust and adapt. It came in handy for developing systems about things like tracking attendance. When we see a student dropping grades or attendance, our guidance department reaches out to help. We knew 2020 would be ‘perfectly imperfect.’” CM: “Our mission has been to keep things as normal as possible. We communicate why we wear masks, what are germs, what the “new normal” means, etc. We’re still having awards, but virtually. We still want to celebrate everyone to make them feel loved and accomplished. I organized a “Room Service” event for teachers and came

around and delivered snacks and drinks to them. Little things like that are important. Teachers love feeling appreciated.”

WHAT’S TO COME CM: “We have really gained confidence when making tough decisions in tough situations. It has given me new experiences and the opportunity to learn new policies and procedures. Learning how to do different things makes me more prepared as an administrator.” KG: “Our perfectly imperfect” approach has been a saving grace; communication is key. You can’t say everything is fine all the time, so we always openly talk. But I’m concerned about the lack of learning equity throughout the state. We need to look at the state as a whole to make sure students have access to the internet, properly equipped teachers, and resources such as food and access to mental health services.” SF: “I absolutely believe there is always a silver lining to any crisis we face. We have learned the value of technology and remote learning, we’ve improved our understanding and ability to use technology for instruction, and, I believe moving forward, more students will choose some degree of remote learning as they progress through graduation and beyond. Also, because of this experience, teachers now have more confidence in teaching remotely and flexing their lessons to fit different situations.” DR. G: “I see positive change on the way. We will see far greater family connections, more virtual events, and a higher quality of virtual interaction. For example, we organized a virtual college fair. Normally attendance would be limited to 1,000 attendees due to the physical space, but we saw 2,000 attendees virtually. More universities attended and more students attended. There was more interaction overall. “We are also doing more Facebook Live events. We just organized an event for ESOL families to learn about FAFSA, and 400 parents attended. We’ve learned a lot. We are

not only expanding student learning, but we now see students practicing and enriching their learning outside the classroom. This is completely independent, and not extra work for our teachers.” CM: “A big challenge will be the loss of social skills for students. Not having interaction with other kids is an issue. We’ve changed how we walk, how we talk, and how we interact on a daily basis. It will change public education forever.”

FASA’S SUPPORT SF: “I’ve been a longtime member of FASA, and the association has really supported me in so many facets of my work and career. During the pandemic, we didn’t have all the answers, so it’s been very helpful to reach out to them and our colleagues both locally and around the state for support. Indeed, it brings social and emotional comfort to connect with peers.” CM: “The online meetings and professional development have helped immensely. More members have been able to attend FASA’s events virtually. It gives a lot more flexibility. Michele’s “listening tour” was very beneficial for members to be able to express their views, concerns, praises, and needs as administrators.” Thank you to everyone for sharing your stories.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Cody Smith is a Managing Editor for The Wyman Company, an outsource sales company with a primary goal of delivering sustainable non-dues revenue, resources, and information that associations need to build and accelerate their mission. He works with FASA to coordinate the FASA Leader magazine and other associations for their member communications. If you have story ideas or would like to submit content, please email him at csmith@thewymancompany.com.

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From the Superintendent’s Desk DR. BRENNAN W. ASPLEN III, EdD Superintendent School Board of Sarasota County

In each issue of FASA Leader, we feature a superintendent answering questions about his or her career and life. In this issue, we feature Dr. Brennan W. Asplen III, EdD, the superintendent of the School Board of Sarasota County. Dr. Asplen received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Florida, his master’s degree from Nova Southeastern University, and his doctorate in education from the University of Central Florida. He and his wife have two children and one grandson.

GOALS FOR THE 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR

• Create a thriving and positive culture

founded on trust throughout Sarasota County Schools. • Establish positive relationships within our school district. • Create a strategic plan. • Move Sarasota County Schools firmly into leading the state in areas of: • Closing achievement gaps. • Increasing learning gains for all students. • Cultivating college and career readiness.

WHAT I DO WHEN I’M NOT AT WORK

• Spend time with my family: my wife and I find our greatest joy being with our family. There is an incredible dynamic when your adult children are now your friends. • Being outdoors and enjoying sports with my family; I love to play golf when I find the time.

MY FAVORITE DESK ITEM

• Pictures of my family. • Notes from teachers or students about

how I or how schools have impacted their lives.

WHAT WOULD I DO IF I WASN’T A SUPERINTENDENT?

• I’d be a high school principal. I still miss being in hallways and entrenched in the vibrancy of student life and learning. Nothing can compare.

THE BIGGEST ISSUE FACING EDUCATION TODAY IS…

• Changes in instructional delivery caused by the COVID-19 virus. • Assuring that we are effectively and fully preparing every child for a future full of possibilities.

FASA LEADER

Dr. Brennan with his family.

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