The best way for school districts to get through turbulent times is to remain focused on what is most important—teaching and caring for students—and keeping staff aligned with that focus.
That was the takeaway from school district leaders during a recent webinar hosted for superintendents by AASA, The School Superintendents Association.
Oftentimes, the things that threaten a district’s cohesion fall outside of the core responsibility of teaching students, such as factors that aren’t within a district’s control, like political clashes, policy debates, and funding allocations, said Jason Stricker, chief policy officer of K12 Coalition, an education company that provides products, services, and training to districts. K12 Coalition sponsored the webinar.
“There are threats to creating a cohesive system, and how we as leaders respond to these threats… is where the magic is going to be and where we’re going to see success,” Stricker said.
Some of the main sources of problems district leaders have shared with K12 Coalition in recent months include: declining enrollment due to dropping birth rates and more immigrant students staying home in fear; the expansion of private school choice programs; and funding uncertainty at the federal and state levels.
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