Best of the Blogs
School Administrator, March 2020


“There is the subliminal message that we send when we discount others’ ideas only to amplify our own or our child’s or when we criticize a referee or teacher because they made ‘a call’ or shared information that we don’t like or when we take to social media and blast another family because our child didn’t get what they wanted and the other family’s child did.”

From “The Message We Send” by Michelle Saylor, superintendent, Bellefonte Area School District, Bellefonte, Pa., on her blog For the Love of Learning


“We decided that exit interviews with employees leaving isn’t as helpful as listening to our employees while they are here so they will stay.”

From “Strategic Planning for the Betterment of All” by Cindy Zahrte, superintendent, Tomah Area School District, Tomah, Wis., on her Superintendent’s Blog


“[M]y wife Amy and I created a program called the PLCS Family Fund … specifically to help PLCS employees who may be experiencing hardship in their lives. Our School District has over 2,000 employees and every day, unforeseen tragedies impact our school family. It may be a serious medical issue, a costly auto repair, or the loss of a family member.”

From “PLCS Family Fund Helps Staff Experiencing Hardship” by Andrew Rikli, superintendent, Papillion-Lavista School District 27, Papillion, Neb., on his blog Be Known


“The operating budget can look like a collection of numbers. … But when I look at it from another direction, it can also look like a rich painting of who we are and what we do; or a detailed road map showing where we are and where we are going.”

From “An Investment to Prepare Our Students for Their Futures” by Jack R. Smith, superintendent, Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, Md., on his blog All In: The Superintendent’s Blog



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