This Week in National Principals Month
The last full week of National Principals Month (NPM) is loaded with activities and opportunities for school leaders!
October 23 webinar: State Efforts to Elevate Principals
- Join us for a special webinar hosted by the Council of Chief State School Officers as we examine what the next steps are for states implementing their ESSA plans. The webinar will also offer a unique look into different ways NASSP works to help all principals. You can register for the event here.
October 24 NPM Capitol Hill Day Event: Do State ESSA Plans Address Leadership? Reflections on Innovative Support for School Principals and Other Leaders
- After a year and a half of planning, each state has now submitted their Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan to the Department of Education (ED). One of the most important provisions in the new law is the unprecedented ability for states to support the role of principals and other school leaders. As ED begins to review the most recent state plan submission, one important question is: if states took the opportunity to support principals, how will they do it?
This briefing will explore the use of Title II dollars to support educator professional development as well as recruitment and preparation strategies that are key to addressing educator shortages across the country. You can watch the event live here.
October 25 Twitter chat: Supporting New Principals
- Connect with other colleagues and find practical solutions to the challenges of being a new school leader. Hone your leadership skills and build a new professional learning community that will help you succeed. If you are a veteran principal, join in and share your valuable insight. If you are a new principal, participate in the chat and grow your professional learning support network. Please use #NAESPChat to participate.
October 26 webinar: Effective Feedback that Improves Teacher Performance and Student Achievement
- This webinar will provide opportunities for administrators to reflect and improve on their practices. Participants will learn to identify strategies effective in urban and suburban districts based on data achieved when this protocol is implemented with fidelity. They will also gain research-based strategies for improving student achievement, providing effective feedback, and creating interactive and differentiated learning sessions. You can register here.
Each Advocacy Update will continue to bring you all of the exciting events planned for NPM. For additional information, please visit principalsmonth.org.
Inside the Beltway
What’s Happening in Washington?
The Department of Education (ED) officially announced that all state ESSA plans have been received and are under review. Also, the Senate passed a budget setting reconciliation rules for a future tax reform bill.
Why Should Principals Care?
With all the ESSA plans now submitted, ED faces the tall task of reviewing all the plans and either approving them or providing feedback that forces states to rewrite portions of their plans.
While the Senate budget that was passed last week does contain some cuts for education programs, these are mostly just symbolic. The point of passing the budget was to provide an avenue for reconciliation rules to help complete a tax reform package. Reconciliation is a tactic that can be used in the Senate to pass a bill with a simple majority rather than by reaching the typical 60-vote threshold. Republican leadership is planning on using this reconciliation vote to help pass tax reform. Many education organizations have voiced concern over this proposed tax plan due to its elimination of the state and local tax deduction (SALT). You can read more about SALT in past Advocacy Update posts. The House will take up the Senate budget this week and will most likely pass it. This will ensure that a tax reform package could then be approved in the Senate by 51 votes. NASSP will continue to monitor this situation, and will provide updates as they arise.
In the Press
A Breakdown of School Leadership Across State Lines, Education Commission of the States
A new report provides a breakdown of enacted or introduced state legislation that has a direct impact on school leaders. The report provides context and examples of legislation impacting preparation, certification, induction, professional development, evaluation, and compensation for school and district leaders.
Could ED Remove Another Civil Rights Protection?, EdWeek
Last week, it was announced that Secretary DeVos planned to hire Hans Bader for a position in the Office of the General Counsel at ED. This sparked some controversy as Bader has been an outspoken critic of a guidance, passed during the Obama administration, that protects civil rights by enacting investigations if it is found that a school’s discipline rates are disproportionally higher for students of one race. NASSP opposes any attempt to remove this guidance. You can find more information on the topic here.
Examining Leadership Development for Future Principals, National Center on Education and the Economy
Unfortunately, many states do not have comprehensive approaches to identifying and developing new school leaders. However, many other nations around the world have begun to develop such systems. A new report examines these and finds that many of the world’s best education systems are providing leaders with current and future leadership to prepare them for the challenges that they will face.