Re David Younce’s “The Moment I Knew I Need Help” (January 2022):
What an articulate and thoughtful and reflective article. I have been sensing what the author shares about the mounting pressures on school district leadership, but he found the right words to express it.
I am certain his words will resonate strongly with many education leaders. He has captured the psyche of the current environment.
ARNOLD F. FEGE
FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT,
PUBLIC ADVOCACY FOR KIDS,
WASHINGTON, D.C.
It takes incredible courage to share your own struggles. While we all acknowledge that those in school leadership occasionally fall down, learn from the experience and find a way to pull ourselves back up, it is so hard to admit that it is happening to us. The last few years have been challenging in so many ways. Thank you to David Younce for his willingness to share.
CARIN L. REEVE
PRINCIPAL,
HASTINGS-MALLORY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL,
CENTRAL SQUARE, N.Y.
Being a bearded football coach doesn't make you tough but exposing your own vulnerability in the service of others does. David Younce passes the test.
ADAM ROSENBERG
SUPERINTENDENT,
ORLEANS SOUTHWEST SUPERVISORY UNION,
HARDWICK, VT.
Good for David Younce to have the courage to be vulnerable. I think the public has the perception that the leader must be a superhero who is impervious to any flaws.
Thank you to the author for speaking up for emotional health. His example will help to prioritize well-being for all.
ERIC B. HAMILTON
SENIOR INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER,
AVIVA EDUCATION,
BOULDER, COLO.
What an awesome article! I love how David Younce phrases the sessions as talk therapy and an impartial listener. It is powerful!
Self-care is a must.
TERESA K. ANDERSON
DIRECTOR OF EMPLOYEE RELATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS,
RICHMOND PUBLIC SCHOOLS,
RICHMOND, VA.
I faced something similar to David Younce, and this was before the pandemic. I was a new elementary school principal (having moved from a high school) and was just overwhelmed with the amount of serious, heart-wrenching student, staff and parent situations that confronted me, such as self-harm, abuse, homelessness, trauma and more.
I am thankful to him for sharing his story.
WILLIAM WONG
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE,
ABM INDUSTRIES,
LOS ANGELES, CALIF.
Student Journalists’ Rights
To follow up on the developments Scott Kizner described in his My View column,
“Why We Must Support Voice in Student Publications” (January 2022), the Stafford County, Va., school board voted unanimously and enthusiastically on Dec. 14 to adopt the updated student media policy recommended by the Student Press Advisory Board initiated by Kizner during his time as superintendent.
Board members expressed delight with the stakeholder involvement, particularly that of students, in updating the policy to better reflect the county’s mission to develop 21st century learners.
The updated publications policy isn’t a free rein to print whatever a student wants. Rather it clearly stipulates what is and what is not permitted by legal precedence. It creates an environment where instead of students asking, “Can I?”, they assess, analyze and evaluate the real world -- those advanced-thinking skills we strive for as educators.
Scholastic journalism programs give learners the chance to practice working as adults, with adult responsibilities, challenges and privileges. In the advisory process, students, teachers and principals met as peers, each a subject matter expert in the policies, procedures, practices, legal issues and community factors that they work with every day. It was a space for students and teachers to explain to administrators how stories get pitched, researched and ultimately approved for publication and the roles of the students and teachers at those different stages. Principals with decades of experience were able to gain a deeper understanding of the operations of their own schools, and students had a chance to work with adults as adults.
This experience strongly reinforced my belief that students, especially high school juniors and seniors, should be actively included in school policy and decision making, whether as part of advisory committees or as student journalists with the First Amendment protections to speak, write and publish as a free press, not a tool for public relations.
TIFFANY KOPCAK
PUBLICATION ADVISER,
COLONIAL FORGE HIGH SCHOOL,
STAFFORD, VA.
Letters should be addressed to: Editor, School Administrator, 1615 Duke St., Alexandria, VA 22314. Email: magazine@aasa.org