Best of the Blogs
School Administrator, March 2018


“Events like pep assemblies and football games are a part of the culture and climate of a building and district. While some may argue that such events can become too prevalent or simply distract from learning, I think we work to use them to help connect kids to peers and to staff and to school, and that connection is important.”

From “Early Dismissal on Friday!” by Chad Garber (superintendent, Williamsburg Community School District, Williamsburg, Iowa) on his blog The Raider Reader


“I told them that after being through three state education reforms, and three presidents with their reform agendas, the bottom line to raising expectations was making connections with students. Once a connection is made, they will rise to the level that WE set as the adults … .”

From “Mutual Respect is the Key to Success” by Christopher R. Brown (superintendent, West Genesee Central Schools, Camillus, N.Y.) on his blog Notes from the Superintendent 


“[N]obody wants to only hear about what is wrong with something. In our district, we refer to this behavior as ‘admiring the problem.’”

From “3 Ways Teachers Can Drive the Effectiveness of Their Evaluation” by P.J. Caposey (superintendent, Meridian School District, Stillman Valley, Ill.) on his blog Making Education Meaningful


“While attending a workshop on writing, a colleague shared that there’s never a time when her house is cleaner than when she has something to write; rather than initiating what she sees as a challenging task, she cleans. … It’s often the case that once begun, projects proceed quite nicely — paragraph by paragraph, inch by inch, present by present, or hour by hour.”

From “Procrastination” by Judy Paolucci (superintendent, Smithfield, R.I.) on her blog Super Scoop


Read the full postings of these and other members’ blogs at www.aasa.org/SAblogs.aspx.