Best of the Blogs
School Administrator, August 2020


“As you would expect, I have received many emails from parents since District schools closed. … I began to feel like the only common thread in parents’ reactions was an exclamation point at the end!”

From “Reflections as a Superintendent and a Parent” by Julie A. Schmidt, superintendent, Kildeer Countryside Consolidated School District 96, Buffalo Grove, Ill., on her Superintendent Blog

“In the words of a very wise senior, if we focus on the things that we can control during this crisis, then we can develop the positive outlook that will help us get through it. Resilience!”

From “Dealing with the Pandemic: Find the Silver Lining” by Theresa Alban, superintendent, Frederick County Public Schools, Frederick, Md., on her blog Off the Cuff with Dr. Theresa Alban

“[T]he WHAT we communicate is only 50% of the equation; the HOW is equally important and likely to have a greater emotional impact.”

From “Communicating About Next School Year,” by Howard C. Carlson, superintendent, Wickenburg Unified School District, Wickenburg, Ariz., on his blog Accelerated Leadership Wisdom

“Every time I read the results of the anonymous surveys we send, there are many of you I wish I could respond to individually. There’s a theme that often emerges for some staff about feeling like they are not enough; they aren’t appreciated for the effort they put forth and the person they are.”

From “Change” by Jeff Snell, superintendent, Camas School District, Camas, Wash., on his blog Hope & Joy

FLASHBACK August 2015

The unique place of scholastic sports takes center court with a full lineup, with such accounts as “Feeding and Fertilizing School Athletics,” “Is There a Future in School Sports?” and “Concussion Schooling for Students.” … The Ethical Educator involves an incoming teacher lured away in early summer by another school district. … The Board-Savvy Superintendent shares advice on dealing with a bully at a public board meeting. … A California-based superintendent details what she got out of a weeklong training with the Marine Corps. … The State of the Superintendency infographic measures how commonly superintendents are evaluated against established outcomes. … In his debut President’s Corner as AASA’s elected head, David Schuler promotes physical and mental fitness.

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