Elizabeth “Liz” Nelson, the associate principal of Pilgrim Park Middle School in Elm Grove, WI, was recently named NASSP’s 2025 Middle Level National Assistant Principal of the Year. We asked her about the honor and what it means to her and her school.
(more…)School of Thought Blog
Meet NASSP Middle Level National Assistant Principal of the Year Liz Nelson
Four Tips to Make Middle School Graduation a Success
At Butler Middle School in Waukesha, WI, where Laura Jennaro is the principal, more than 250 eighth graders will gather in June for the last event of their middle school years: graduation. The school calls it a recognition ceremony to keep the focus on recognizing students’ varied achievements and to help them celebrate a milestone in their school careers. Here, Jennaro, an NASSP ambassador, shares four tips for ensuring the ceremony is a success at her school and what other principals might consider when planning their ceremonies, which will be here very soon.
(more…)Get Ready to Lead: What’s Next at UNITED 2025
Let’s be honest: Engaging in professional development opportunities—let alone attending a national conference—might feel like the last thing on your list right now. But if you’re carrying the weight of leading through burnout, political pressures, and constant change, UNITED 2025 is your lifeline.
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Sharing My Real Mental Health Journey
Mental health advocacy is my passion. This past year I’ve put everything I can into it by sharing my story. For a long time though, when I tried to speak about my mental health, I tended to filter my words. I would always spin what I was saying into a more positive story and ignore the truly sad and dark parts of my mental health journey. In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, I would like to share my real story more widely and hopefully encourage others to do the same.
(more…)Celebrating National Student Leadership Week in Puerto Rico
The student council at TASIS Dorado, a private school in Dorado, Puerto Rico, has a tradition of celebrating National Student Leadership Week (NSLW) to honor students who might not get the recognition they deserve as student leaders. This week, TASIS Dorado students and their adviser are looking at ways to make their celebration even larger and more inclusive. Adviser Karen Miranda and student Tobias Luksemberg, the council secretary, share how their school celebrates NSLW.
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Combating Spring Absenteeism
Spring in a beach town is beautiful and a bit of a nightmare for school attendance. At Keansburg High School in Keansburg, NJ, where chronic absenteeism peaked at 40% post-pandemic, the warming weather often signals a drop in engagement. With its beach, boardwalk, and amusement park, our town is known as the gateway to the Jersey Shore. But rather than accept the spring slide, we’ve developed a multi-tiered approach to keep our students showing up, learning, and feeling like they matter.
(more…)The UNITED 2025 Agenda Is Live: Find Your Path Forward
Navigate 200+ Sessions With Guides Focused on What You’re Facing
The full UNITED 2025 agenda is live, featuring more than 200 sessions designed to support principals and assistant principals leading in a rapidly shifting landscape. NASSP’s annual conference will bring together over 4,000 school leaders for two days of learning and connection.
(more…)Your 2025 UNITED Agenda: Mental Health
Lead With Compassion: Mental Health at UNITED 2025
Leadership today demands more than vision—it requires heart. With student needs intensifying and staff exhaustion growing, mental health support has never been more critical. These UNITED 2025 sessions are designed to help leaders foster safe, inclusive, and emotionally responsive school environments.
(more…)Your 2025 UNITED Agenda: AI Preparedness
Confidently Navigate AI in Schools
AI is changing education fast. UNITED 2025 offers leaders space to ask the right questions, build practical strategies, and learn from peers who are navigating AI responsibly and ethically.
(more…)Your 2025 UNITED Agenda: Equity
Equity in Action: Strategies That Lead
Supporting all students takes more than good intentions—it takes courageous, informed action. These sessions help you navigate political pushback, cultural tension, and legal restrictions with clarity and care.
(more…)Your 2025 UNITED Agenda: Staff Well-Being
Support Your People, Sustain Your School
When educators thrive, schools succeed. These sessions will help you invest in your staff through recognition, retention, and relationship-centered leadership.
(more…)Your 2025 UNITED Agenda: Student Agency
Make Student Voice the Centerpiece of School Culture
Students don’t just want to be heard—they want to lead. These sessions highlight the practices and mindsets that let students own their learning and help shape their communities.
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How Student Ambassadors Bring Fresh Ideas to Our Middle School
I’ve spent most of my career as an educator at Rogers Park Middle School in Danbury, CT, including the last seven years as principal. A big thing I’ve always believed in, as a teacher and an administrator, is student voice. One way to incorporate student voice into how we teach and learn is to seek regular feedback from them.
(more…)Five Tips for Assistant Principals From a Longtime AP
Tom Lenarz has been the assistant principal of Cloquet Middle School in Cloquet, MN, for more than 20 years, all but one of them alongside principal and NASSP Board Member Tom Brenner. During years in the role, Lenarz has gained a lot of wisdom about the assistant principalship. To kick off National Assistant Principals Week, we asked him to share his top five tips for new and aspiring assistant principals.
(more…)Celebrating the 2025 Advocacy Champion Finalists
In schools across America, the most effective change often begins with a principal willing to bridge the gap between policy and practice. This year’s NASSP Advocacy Champion of the Year finalists exemplify this crucial connection, demonstrating how school leaders can amplify both educator and student voices in ways that transform education policy. The winner will be announced at the National Education Leadership Awards gala in Washington, D.C., on April 11.
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What Inclusion Means to Me
For some people, inclusivity is just a buzzword. For my family, it means so much more. My younger brother Patrick was diagnosed with autism at the age of three. I was five at the time and didn’t realize that Patrick would eventually have relationships that would look different than mine. As we got older, I started making friends, but Patrick’s limited verbal nature made forming deep relationships with peers very difficult.
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The ASVAB CEP and the Power of Career Planning
The ASVAB Career Exploration Program (CEP) is a no-cost career exploration program available to all students in 10th grade and above. It leverages the predictive power of the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) exam, allowing students to reveal their skills and vocational strengths. Following the assessment, participating students have access to a suite of career readiness and planning tools that help them understand their work-related values and interests, explore various career options and pathways, and make meaningful plans for life after high school.
(more…)NASC Scholarship Winners Making a Difference
The National Association of Student Councils (NASC) is proud to recognize this year’s inaugural NASC Scholarship recipients. These exceptional high school juniors and seniors have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to student leadership, service, voice, and engagement. Let’s meet our five national winners who have been recognized for making a lasting impact in their schools and communities.
(more…)Celebrating Excellence: Meet the 2025 National Assistant Principals of the Year Finalists
Assistant principals of every successful school often work behind the scenes, creating the systems and support structures that allow students and teachers to thrive. Today, we shine a spotlight on six exceptional educational leaders who represent the best of what it means to be an assistant principal in America’s schools.
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NHS and a School-Based Charity Feed Students in Need
Every Friday morning during the school year, almost 100 students gather at Lambert High School in Suwanee, GA, to fill backpacks full of food for students throughout the county who need food assistance. National Honor Society (NHS) officers arrive at 7 a.m. to prepare for more than 100 volunteers who pack 530 individual bags of food for families experiencing food insecurity. Volunteers start packing at 7:30 and finish by 8:15.
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