Issuu

The

Administrator

March 2020 Volume 45, No. 8

VIEWPOINT, PAGE 1

SPOTLIGHT

ASKED

A-MUSINGS

PERSPECTIVE

The

Voice

for School Administrators

The AAEA Administrator is a monthly publication of the Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators (AAEA) for members of the AAEA.

ngs Center

EDITORIAL

Managing Editor: Amy Manning-McNabb Editor In Chief: Michelle Briggs Address: 219 South Victory Little Rock, AR 72201

Board Elections

Phone: 501.372.1691 Web Site: www.theaaea.org

Page 9

In this Issue

Instagram: @aaea_littlerock Please contact us if we may provide assistance to you in any way.

Executive Viewpoint - Dr. Richard Abernathy

President’s Perspective - Scott Spainhour

Dr. Richard Abernathy, Executive Director r.abernathy@theaaea.org

Administrator Spotlight - Dr. Steven Weber

Mike Mertens, Assistant Executive Director m.mertens@theaaea.org

Benefits Corner

Asked and Answered

“A-Musings”

AAEA Board Elections

Marty Smith, Member Relations Manager m.smith@theaaea.org

2020 AASBO Administrator of the Year

Karen Dean, Business Manager k.dean@theaaea.org

AAEA Scholarships

Amy Manning-McNabb, Communications Manager a.mcnabb@theaaea.org

Professional Development Opportunities

Administrator Job Openings

STAFF

Michelle Briggs, Director of Events & Operations m.briggs@theaaea.org Robyn Keene, School Finance Consultant r.keene@theaaea.org

Christy Dodds, Business Development Manager c.dodds@theaaea.org Madison Greene, Administrative Specialist m.greene@theaaea.org

Your Association Staff i

Administrator March 2020

Read Across America Day Monday, March 2

2019-2020 AAEA CORPORATE SPONSORS PRESTIGIOUS

2019-2020 AAEA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

American Fidelity Assurance Co. Educational Benefits, Inc. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Lifetouch National School Studios, Inc. Pro Benefits Group, Inc. Renaissance Learning, Inc. Scholastic Education

Scott Spainhour AAEA President

Debbie Atkinson AAEA Secretary/Treasurer

Superintendent, Greenbrier

Principal, Bergman

Roger Ried AAEA President-Elect

Shawn Higginbotham AAEA Past President

DISTINGUISHED

Principal, Southside

Superintendent, Lake Hamilton

Benny Weston AASA President Superintendent, Mena

Pharis Smith AAESP President Jackson County

Robert Poole AASA President-Elect

Stacey DeFoor AAESP President-Elect

Imagine Learning

DIAMOND Apple Apptegy Arkansas PBS ClassWallet Edgenuity Energy Systems Group ESS Excel Energy Group, Inc. First Security Beardsley Forecast5 Analytics PowerSchool Smart Data Dashboard Stephens, Inc. Strategos Winsor Learning

Principal, Conway

Superintendent, Prescott Jon Collins AASA Secretary

Lori Griffin AAESP Past President

Superintendent, West Memphis

Principal, Fort Smith

Chad Jordan AASSP President

David Maxwell AASSP President-Elect

Assistant Principal, Green County Tech

Principal, Mena

Brad Ray, AASSP Past President

Barbara Garner ArkASPA President

Assistant Principal, Fort Smith

Assistant Superintendent, Crossett

Dr. Joe Rollins AACTEA President

Paul Jenkins AAFC President

Principal, Springdale

District Test Coordinator & ASCIP Coordinator, Blytheville

Charles Warren AASBO President

Dr. Sherrie Bayles AASEA President

Chief Financial Officer, Fort Smith

Special Education Supervisor, Springdale

Classworks Cognia Crow Construction Generation Ready, Inc. Kinco Constructors, LLC Middleton, Inc. Red Comet TIPS

Aaron Randolph AAGEA President

Dr. Stephanie Nehus AACIA President

Director of Gifted Programs/ Federal Programs, Cabot

Superintendent, Hot Springs

Jeff Wasem AAMLA President

Bill Tietz ASPMA President

SILVER

Principal, Bentonville

Assistant Superintendent Watson Chapel

ACE Sports Architecture Plus, Inc. French Architects, PA Got Zoom Hight-Jackson Associates, PA SEAS Virco, Inc.

Dr. Richard Abernathy

PLATINUM AAMSCO Baldwin & Shell Construction Caddell Construction Co. (DE), LLC C.R. Crawford Construction, LLC Entegrity Energy Partners, LLC Legacy Construction Management Nabholz Northwest Evaluation Association - NWEA Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects TRANE US, Inc. University of Arkansas: Department of Curriculum & Instruction

GOLD

Executive Director, AAEA

Administrator March 2020

EXECUTIVE

Viewpoint A Big Change For the “Best Job in Education” The AAEA Board has been very busy this year and it is only March! As a school administrator, you know the importance of having a board who supports your districts, kids and staff. When a board member gets elected who has a personal agenda it makes for very interesting and frustrating times. I have been blessed over the past ten years at AAEA to have a board who wants what is best for our kids, districts and administrators. This year the board had the extra duty to hire the future leader of AAEA, and I think they did an excellent job.

Dr. Richard Abernathy AAEA Executive Director

The AAEA Board hired Dr. Mike Hernandez as the Executive DirectorElect and he will be the Executive Director starting January 1, 2021. Dr. Hernandez is excited to accept this great job. I have always said that this is the best job in education and I still believe it! Dr. Hernandez will bring a variety of experience with him including coach, teacher, principal, athletic director, superintendent, Deputy Commissioner of ADE, and current State Superintendent of DESE.

I can talk about his experience, but when it comes down to it, it’s about what he brings to the table. I will tell you what I see in Dr. Hernandez. I see someone who has a passion for giving kids a better educational opportunity to systemically move Arkansas forward. I see someone who listens very carefully and brings people together. I see someone who is not afraid to try new things and programs but also knows that it is the people who will make or break a school. I see someone who has a vision for leadership training and policy development. Ultimately, I see someone who will be able to move AAEA to the next level. There are opportunities here to make some significant changes to better serve our administrators. I am really proud to be able to work with Dr. Hernandez for a few months, but I am really looking forward to see what he is able to do over the next several years. I am proud of where we are now as an association, but like everything else, you have to keep moving forward and getting better. I know you will congratulate Dr. Hernandez and give him the same support you have shown me over the past decade. But, keep your hat on because we have a lot of work to do before then.

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1 Administrator March 2020

Distributed Leadership - Another Look

PRESIDENT’S

While effective principals are driven to strengthen distributed leadership within their schools, to make it a common practice of their school culture, and to open doors for teachers to use their strengths for the good of the group, are we modeling such strategies at the district level as well? What are the communication and collaboration strategies used at the district level to reach educators across the district? Throughout the summer of 2018, I reflected on the high expectations and endless dedication of our Greenbrier educators and began brainstorming how to bring a select group of staff members together on a regular basis to make sure our work for students was effective yet as efficient as possible. Somewhat mimicking the make-up of a school leadership team, we began sketching out a plan for teachers representing a wide variety of grade levels, content areas, and departments, to join building and district leaders on a regular basis, to simply “work on the work” of improving our systems. The

Scott Spainhour AAEA Board President Superintendent Greenbrier School District

Greenbrier School District Task Force on Effectiveness and Efficiency was soon born and had its inaugural meeting in August 2018. I shared the goals of this task force with the newly formed team:

• • •

To increase cohesiveness and collaboration district wide To improve efficiency in the use of our educators’ time and resources To streamline the most impactful processes and systems that have led to student success across the district

The first meeting of each fall semester gives our Task Force an opportunity to determine the focus areas for the next several months. These discussions are filtered through two criteria: 1. 2.

What pieces of our work make the biggest impact on our students? What pieces of our work (that have an impact on students) take the most time and energy of our educators?

In 2018-2019, the monthly collaboration of our District Task Force members led to many improvements to our student support systems. Assessment was a large focus area. The Task Force revised our administration of the Measures of Academic Progress as well as ACT Aspire Classroom Assessments. These changes protected more instructional time and gave teacher teams more choice in how many formative 2

Administrator March 2020

Continued on next page

President’s Perspective continued

assessments to use from ACT Aspire and when to use them. Also, the data reflection forms used by each school in our district were compared, contrasted, and revised so that the most important components of each tool were merged into one new district wide data reflection form. All teachers can use the same assessment reports to complete the same reflection tool for instructional improvements, regardless of what they teach. Protected time is scheduled during weekly team meetings for our educators to complete their data reflections and plan instruction based on their findings. Another large focus area for that year was our communication strategies for our Student Intervention Teams. Teachers needed a more efficient way to communicate student progress and needs to school SIT Teams, and they also needed to hear more about the SIT Teams’ actions and decisions made for individual students. Similar to the assessment and data reflection forms, SIT referral forms and files were improved digitally so multiple teachers could contribute and communicate with SIT even if not physically present at weekly meetings. Regular SIT reporting cycles were also established for schools to make this process more efficient as well. Fall of 2020 brought another opportunity for our Task Force to set annual goals on improving effectiveness and efficiency. The main areas of focus determined by this diverse group of educators were not surprising: Implementation of RISE & Science of Reading, Youth Mental Health, and all around character education for students related to accountability, responsibility, and becoming good citizens. Since our district is fortunate to have one of our own as a Youth Mental Health First Aid Trainer, our Task Force was quickly prioritized as the next cohort to be trained, and a district wide plan was established to train all staff members. We currently have trained well over 100 individuals, including some community members such as youth ministers, school based mental health providers, and more. Because the need for this support for teachers goes well beyond the task force, we have also prioritized training cohorts for our novice teachers and are making other training opportunities available in summer 2020 and beyond. Current work of the Task Force is introducing the members to The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) and DESE’s Guide for Life. A district map of our current practices is under construction, including which of the four suggested approaches by CASEL is in place, whether it be Explicit Instruction, Teacher Instructional Practices, Integration with Academic Curriculum Areas, or Organizational Culture/Climate Strategies & Systems. This SEL district map is already helping us see gaps in the social and emotional skills not being intentionally taught to all students as they progress through school. Next steps will obviously be collaboration on how to fill those gaps and therefore address the Task Force’s focus areas of both character education and youth mental health. As for the support in RISE implementation, specific and intentional training, use of protected team meeting time, expanding the new knowledge well into our secondary schools, and providing targeted, new resources will assist us in staying the course of the Science of Reading. Needless to say, as Greenbrier’s Task Force for Effectiveness and Efficiency has been established, the outcomes of its work has made a great impact on our school district. It has also allowed more streamlined communication about local and state level education topics. This core group of educators has evolved into an integral system for our district in setting the direction for improvements. My hope is that you can find some value in the task force work I have shared and possibly have some new ideas for distributed leadership across your own district and community.

3 Administrator March 2020

SP I

Light

nvolvement in sports seems to be a common inspiration for future educators. Oftentimes, time on the court leads to aspirations of working with kids. “When I was in high school, I started working at baseball and basketball camps. Working with youth sparked an interest in becoming a classroom teacher,” said Dr. Weber. “My work with children and youth led me to enroll in the the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. I earned a bachelor's degree in elementary education.”

“The most important part of our job is ensuring that every student is ready for the next level. ” Dr. Steven Weber, Associate Superintendent for Teaching and Lear ning, Fayetteville School District,

After graduation, he took a position as a long-term substitute teacher at Daisy Bates Elementary School in the Pulaski County Special School District before accepting his first job as an elementary teacher in the West Memphis School District. From there, Dr. Weber joined the faculty at Richland Elementary School in the West Memphis School District, and eventually served as assistant principal at Faulk Elementary School in the same district. He joined the ADE as the K-12 Social Coordinator. In 2004, he accepted a job with the North Carolina Department of Public Education which lead to other opportunities in education in his 12 years as a North Carolina resident. In 2016, Dr. Weber returned to Arkansas to take his current position as Associate Superintendent for Teaching and Learning in the Fayetteville School District. “It is rewarding to serve in Northwest and to be back home,” he stated.” Dr. Weber been recognized as an outstanding educator throughout his career and has served on several educational boards in both NC and Arkansas. In 2019, he was the Administrator of the Year for the Arkansas Association of Curriculum Instruction Administrators. “My goal is to continue serving as the Associate Superintendent for Teaching and Learning in Fayetteville,” Dr. Weber said. “I feel like I have found the dream job!”

“I see Twitter as a form of professional development. In a one hour Twitter Chat, I started finding state teacher of the year and principal of the year recipients. As my professional learning network continued to grow, I grew as an educator. The questions in the Twitter Chats require me to reflect on my own experiences in education.” Follow Dr. Weber on Twitter! @curriculumblog

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Administrator March 2020

With Dr. Steven Weber

What are some of the concerns you have about your job? “One thing that keeps me up at night is the high school graduation rate. When someone says, ‘You have a 92?% graduation rate,’ think about the 8% who did not earn a high school diploma. No one sends their child to kindergarten ‘hoping’ that they earn a high school diploma.’”

What is the most challenging part of your job? “Education is changing at a rapid pace. Meeting the needs of today’s learner, while providing relevant professional development to teachers and administrators is a challenge. We continue to find new ways to teach children, and we are encouraging teachers to take risks with new instructional strategies.” What major changes have you seen in education during your career? “Blended learning and 1:1 classrooms support student understanding. When I was a classroom teacher, we had only one computer, and it was located in the library. The addition of technology in every classroom has been a transformation in education. Also, early in my career, the goal was to teach the curriculum or teach the standards. Today’s teacher teams focus on student understanding, rather than coverage.” What might other administrators be surprised to know about you? “Early, in my career, I was a high school and college basketball umpire. I umpired baseball games at Arkansas, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, UNC, Duke, NC State, and several other schools across the South. One of my favorite memories was working ten games as a fill-in umpire at Ray Winder Field for Arkansas Travelers games.” What is the most daring thing you’ve done? “In 1998, I was participating in a Leadership Retreat with the Crittenden County Leadership Cohort. We were required to stand on top of a telephone pole and jump out to a trapeze bar.” What’s something that amazes you? “Sunrises amaze me. I am also amazed by teachers who have mastered the art and craft of teaching. They know how to reach students, build relationships, and build on the strengths of each student. The ongoing work of teachers and the way they connect with each learner is a gift.” What have you done that you are most proud of? “I am most proud of my family. I have a great wife who supports me as an educator. Our son recently graduated from the University of Arkansas and is employed with USA Truck. Our daughter is a senior at Fayetteville High School and will attend the University of Arkansas in the fall. We enjoy supporting our children and making memories together!” When people look back at your life, how do you want to be remembered? “One of my goals as a leader is to give other educators a leadership platform. I would like to be remembered for giving educators the chance to serve in leadership positions, speak at conferences, lead curriculum teams, and advance to higher levels.” 5

Administrator March 2020

Asked

CORNER

B Making the E Case for Cyber N Security E F I The need for Cyber Security is quickly moving to the top T of our priority list. With recent breaches into school systems across the United States, this must be prioritized. S Just weeks ago, a school district in Texas lost around $2.3 million in a phishing email scam. Something that could have easily been avoided. This summer, several Louisiana school districts were attacked, causing all to shut down their systems including phone lines and emails at central offices, schools and registration centers. Some of these schools are still rebuilding and picking up the pieces. So how can you protect your school district? Educational Benefits has partnered with the AAEA to protect school districts three different ways:

• Voluntary employee benefit that protects things such as identity theft and social media monitoring for your family (this can be offered to both employees and student’s parents.).

• Domain and IP address Monitoring System that identifies breaches outside of the school district’s firewall.

• Employee education on what the risks are and how data is being compromised within the school district (maybe the most important of all). If your school district includes these three legs of protection, you have a better chance of side stepping a cyber-attack. If you are interested in learning more about our partnership with AAEA, please contact Kylie Joseph at kjoseph@ebiteam.com . Column Provided by: Shane Pennington, Regional Sales Executive, Educational Benefits, Inc.

Mike Mertens, AAEA Assistant Executive Director

Answered

The call goes something like this, "Our school board is considering naming the new elementary school after a retired district employee. Are there any laws on this we need to be aware of?" The answer is "yes," there is a law that addresses the naming of public buildings. However, in most instances it would not prohibit a district from naming a building after a retired educator. ACA 25-1-121 (b)(1)(2) reads as follows: (b) A building, structure, or facility paid for in whole or in part with public funds shall not be named for an individual living at the time of completion of the building, structure, or facility who, in the ten (10) years preceding the construction of the public building, structure, or facility: 1. Was elected by the qualified electors to a federal, state, county, or municipal office or held a federal, state, county, or municipal office; and 2. Received a salary for his or her service in the federal, state, county, or municipal office. So, unless the retired educator being considered also was an elected paid official within the past 10 years, the district can proceed with naming the new school after him/her. If you have questions for Mike, email them to a.mcnabb@theaaea.org.

Non-AAEA Professional Development Opportunity

The Innovation Institute: Infusing Learning with Technology June 10-11, 2020 Springdale, AR

Click here to register. 6

Administrator March 2020

A-MUSINGS:

ach day that I am fortunate enough to get out of bed and go to work, I never think “I wonder how many mistakes I can make today?” or “How can I mess things up today?” I seriously doubt that teachers and students think those

things either. However, as the days and weeks go on, we make mistakes and sometimes our decisions aren’t always popular with everyone. So,

The One About Grace

when those things happen, what do we do? We fix it, right? We hope for grace and a little understanding from our supervisor. But do we treat our teachers and staff the same? This past week I had a teacher email me frantic and apologetic, because she was late on turning in a report I had asked for several weeks ago. Even though I didn’t make a big deal out of it and accepted her late work, she still felt the need to send me a couple of follow up emails apologizing for her lateness. Yesterday, she

Contributor: Keri Rathburn Principal, Northside High School Fort Smith School District If you have an amusing, insightful, or unusual story about your experience as an educator or administrator that you’d like to share for our “A-Musings” column, email Amy Manning-McNabb, Communications Manager, at a.mcnabb@theaaea.org.

and I were visiting between classes, and she again apologized to me for the late report and thanked me for being understanding. I said, “These things happen. I’ve turned in things late before too, and all I ask is that you give your students the same courtesy.” My hope is that by modeling grace to her, she, in turn will model grace to her students. Do you model the behavior that you want to see? As a building principal, I hope to model for my teachers and staff what I want to see in the classroom and throughout the building. Is your professional development

“sit and get,” or do you take the time to plan learning activities that you would want to see when you visit classrooms? Do you greet teachers and students with a friendly smile and tell them you’re glad they are here? Isn’t that how you want teachers to greet students? One of my favorite educators and speakers is Todd Whitaker. In chapter nine of his book Dealing with Difficult Teachers, he writes that as administrators, we should assume that people want to do the right thing. When we believe that people are trying to do the right thing, we should treat them with respect, grace, and kindness. Model what you want to see. After all, we’re all teachers.

NEW WEBSITE. NEW APP. STILL THE

Voice

FOR SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS.

Click here to take a tour of the AAEA App! 7

Administrator March 2020

Board Election Click here to vote! These members are running for an AAEA Board Officer position as part of the board member rotation. The winner will take office on July 1, 2020. Voting will take place through March 21, 2020, until 3:00 p.m. If necessary, a run-off will be held after this date. We’ll announce a winner on April 1, 2020. Dr. Stephanie Nehus, Superintendent, Hot Springs School District AACIA It has been an honor to serve on the AAEA Board this past year representing the AACIA constituent group. I would love to continue serving on this Board as an officer to impact the future for Arkansas administrators. AAEA is critical to the professional growth of our administrators across the state. It is important that all constituent groups have a voice and know that their voice matters at AAEA. In order to provide the best possible education, it takes collaboration. If selected, I will strive to serve all utilizing my knowledge and experiences as we forge forward in Arkansas to foster an understanding and support for our public schools and a quality education (part of the AAEA Vision). I have many, varied experiences over my 22 years in education. Having served as a teacher in the Benton School District and as an administrator in various roles in Stuttgart School District and Hot Springs School District, I have gained a pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade perspective from the classroom to the building level to the district level in every aspect of school and district management. I truly believe it all comes down to relationships. If selected, I look forward to building relationships with each of you through your constituent groups.

Aaron Randolph, Executive Director of K-12 Curriculum/ Instruction & Gifted/AP Programs, Cabot School District AAGEA I currently serve as the Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction for the Cabot School District in Cabot, Arkansas. In addition, I am in my first year of a two-year term as President of AAGEA. I have been an active member of AAEA and AAGEA as long as I have been in an administrative role. I've also been a member of AAFC and now as a member of AACIA. I regularly attend AAEA events and conferences and have facilitated various presentations to administrators, school-business officers, and other groups. It is my desire that AAEA would continue to grow as the premier resource for the promotion and improvement of Public School Administrators in Arkansas with the ultimate goal of making positive impacts on the students of our state. I would love to serve on the AAEA Board in order to help others grow students, grow staff, and grow leaders in their respective roles. Regardless of the results of this election, I look forward to working within our organization to support our colleagues.

Tina Wiley, Executive Director of Finance, Cabot School District AASBO Hello! My name is Tina Wiley and I am currently the Executive Director of Finance for the Cabot School District. This is my 11th year in my position with the Cabot School District and I previously worked as the Business Manager for the Beebe School District for 16 years. I love my job working with finance in the educational setting. I have served on the AASBO Board since 2011 and was the AASBO President in 2015-16. The year I was AASBO President I also represented AASBO on the AAEA Board and have served a couple of years on the AAEA Legislative Committee on Finance. I currently serve as co-chair of the AASBO Mentoring Group to assist new School Business Officials in gaining knowledge and support in all areas of school finance. Service on the AASBO Board has been extremely rewarding and I have had the opportunity to work with some of the best School Business Officials in the state. AAEA is a great organization to be involved in and if elected, I would very much love the opportunity to serve as an AAEA Officer.

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Administrator March 2020

Board Election continued Tita De Vore, Special Education Coordinator, Rogers School District AASEA The Arkansas Association of Education Administrators Board is a service to the state of Arkansas. It is a privilege to be nominated to the board and would be an honor to serve. I believe that I could contribute to the overall membership with my background in special education. I feel that my experience in the field of special education over the last 28 years in various settings would be a valuable asset to an organization that I greatly respect. In addition, I have hands on experience serving on the Arkansas Association of Special Education Administrators Board, working with specialized transportation, due process hearings, various state department committees and acting as state and local liaison for other organizations. Over the last several years I have had the opportunity to work with many school district officials, AAEA members, parents, students and state representatives. Each and every experience has been humbling, exciting and fulfilling. I look forward to many more.

Barbara Garner, Assistant Superintendent, Crossett School District ArkASPA As a teacher and an administrator, the success of the students has always been my primary focus. For students to reach the high levels of achievement we expect and to improve the public school education in Arkansas, we must have administrators who are working toward these same goals. For education in Arkansas to continually improve, we as administrators must seek out the help of others. We cannot improve our schools and the education they offer without that help. Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators offers the many resources that school administrators need to be extraordinary leaders. Successful, professional administrators are needed to inspire that same professionalism and success in their teachers, staff and students. Education in Arkansas must continually improve and must continually create successful students who will become successful members of society. In serving as an officer on the Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators Board, I can be a part of the success I continue to strive for as an educator and administrator in the state of Arkansas. I believe I can be an asset to this organization, working collaboratively with the Board and all AAEA constituent groups toward the same goal of improvement in the quality of education and educational leadership in Arkansas. It would be an honor, through this position, to serve and support administrators in Arkansas as they endeavor to grow professionally as leaders.

Dusty Duncan, Assistant Superintendent, Marion School District ASPMA I am excited to receive this nomination from my colleagues in the ASPMA. We have several members who are certainly capable and at least as qualified. I know this because I nominated them myself. I will list a few of the services I have provided that others might consider qualifications to serve on the AAEA Board. This is difficult for me but apparently it is expected so I will do my best. I have 38 years’experience in Education. I have taught science classes, coached athletics, served as assistant principal, athletics director, facilities director and now as Assistant Superintendent of the Marion School District. Being assigned to each of these diverse positions has made for an interesting and rewarding career. I am or have been a member in the following organizations: the National Athletic Administrators Association, The National School Plant Management Association, The Arkansas School Plant Management Association, The Arkansas Association of School Business Officials. I have served on the board and taught certification classes for each. I have also served on the AAEA Board while president of ASPMA. A few years ago I was asked to represent Arkansas, along with Brad Montgomery, then Executive Director of the ADE Facilities Division, in a 21st Century School Project. This was a yearlong research project aimed at providing the U.S. Department of Education with a thorough multi-faceted assessment of the nation’s public school facilities. I am pleased with the credentials listed above. But I believe my most significant qualification is that I am a lifelong Educator. I believe that I was “called to” this role and therefore have a heart for the children. If honored to serve on the AAEA Board I will, in every instant, lobby for what I believe to be in the best interest of the students.

Rogers Public Schools’ Chief Financial Oﬃcer Receives Administrator of the Year Award Cited for his outstanding work as a professional and commitment to his community, Jake Haak, Chief Financial Officer, Rogers Public Schools, received the 2020 Arkansas Association of School Business Officials (AASBO) Truett Goatcher Administrator of the Ye a r A w a r d . H a a k w a s presented the award by Dr. Richard Aber nathy, AAEA Executive Director, at the Rogers Public Schools’ monthly board meeting on February 18.

amazing team that manages the district's finances," Haak said. He served as the Business Manager for the Gravette School District from January 2009 until he accepted the CFO position at Rogers. "The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of Jake is he was fair, ethical, and always listened and was always willing to try new ideas," said Linda Compston, retired assistant treasurer for the Rogers Public Schools. "His leadership style is such that he is able to bring out the best in people."

The AASBO Administrator of the Year Award is named to Dr. Richard Abernathy (right), AAEA honor Truett Goatcher, a 22- Executive Director, presents Jake Haak year Arkansas Department of (left), with the 2020 AASBO Administrator of the Year Award. Haak has served on the boards Education employee who, of Kiwanis and the Benton upon retirement, was ADE's County Farm Bureau and has coached youth Associate Director for Finance. Upon his softball and baseball teams in the Northwest retirement from the ADE, Mr. Goatcher then Arkansas area. He is a former AASBO board joined the staff of the Arkansas Association of president and continues to teach financial classes Educational Administrators and served 17 years as to school business officials throughout the state. AAEA Director of Research. Truett Goatcher was a long-time member of and advocate for AASBO. Haak joined the Rogers Public Schools in 2014 as CFO. "I have the opportunity to work with an

March is Women’s History Month Click here for historical articles to share in your school district.

10 Administrator March 2020

AAEA Scholarships

Each year, several of AAEA’s constituent groups oﬀer scholarships to deserving students. Click on the links below for information and to download the 2020-2021 scholarship applications.

Arkansas Association of Gifted Education Administrators Are you currently working on your graduate degree in gifted education and administration? The Arkansas Association of Gifted Education Administrators is currently accepting scholarship applications for individuals pursuing their graduate degree in gifted education and administration or related fields. Two scholarship awards will be presented during the AAEA Summer Conference in Little Rock, AR. Click here to the AAEA Scholarship page. Deadline: March 6, 2020. Arkansas Association of Special Education Administrators AASEA Memorial Scholarships are awarded for undergraduate Junior, Senior, or graduate study in fields related to the delivery of services to children with special needs and/or to those who have a disability for which he or she has received services. Consideration will be given for the areas of K-12 Special Education, Early Childhood Special Education, Speech Pathology, Occupational Therapy, Special Education Supervision and Administration or other related fields at the AASEA scholarship committee’s discretion. Consideration will be given to persons employed or planning to be employed by school districts or educational cooperatives in Arkansas. Click here to go to the AAEA Scholarship page. Deadline: March 31, 2020 AASEA Legacy Scholarship is awarded to an undergraduate Junior, Senior, or graduate study in fields related to the delivery of services to children with special needs and/or to those who have a disability for which he or she has received services. Consideration will be given for the areas of K-12 Special Education, Early Childhood Special Education, Speech Pathology, Occupational Therapy, Special Education Supervision and Administration or other related fields at the AASEA scholarship committee’s discretion. Consideration will be given to persons employed or planning to be employed by school districts or educational cooperatives in Arkansas. Click here to go to the AAEA Scholarship page. Deadline: March 31, 2020 Arkansas School Plant Management Association The Arkansas School Plant Management Association (ASPMA) seeks to promote continued education by offering scholarships to deserving students in recognition of their leadership, scholastic achievement, and civic participation. Any graduating high school senior planning to attend a College/University, Vocational-Technical, or Trade School is eligible to apply. Click here to go the the AAEA Scholarship page. Deadline: April 1, 2020 Garrison Scholarship The selection will be based on academic excellence, leadership in school activities, work experiences and community service. Each applicant must print and complete the application. Upon completion the application form must be signed by the high school principal or an appropriate school official. Click here to go to the AAEA Scholarship page. Deadline: April 1, 2020 Arkansas Association of Career and Technical Education Administrators The Arkansas Association of Career and Technical Education Administrators (AACTEA) is offering two AACTEA Scholarship to high school seniors to supplement education costs beginning their freshman year. The scholarship awards are $500.00 each for the first academic year, and will be awarded to full-time or part-time students who enroll in an Arkansas college or university, including junior colleges, community colleges, and vocational or technical colleges. Click here to go to the AACTEA forms page to download the scholarship application form. Deadline: April 1, 2020. 11 Administrator March 2020

Professional Development

2020 C A L E N D A R 03/2020 AASBO Conference — March 3-5, 2020 Hot Springs Convention Center

04/2020 ASPMA Classes — April 2, 2019, AETN. Conway CASBO Classes — April 16-17, 2020, Crowne Plaza, Little Rock

05/2020

AAFC Spring Conference — May 6-8, 2020, Hot Springs Convention Center ASBA/AAEA Joint Conference — May 5, 2020, Embassy Suites, Little Rock

06/2020

Bill Daggett Cohort Conference — June 1, 2020, DoubleTree Hotel, Little Rock School Law Conference — June 2, 2020, DoubleTree Hotel, Little Rock AASEA Special Education Conference — June 8-9, 2020, Holiday Inn Airport, Little Rock

07/2020

CASBO Classes — July 7-8, 2020, AETN, Conway

08/2020 AAEA Summer Conference — August 3-5, 2020, Marriott Hotel and Statehouse Convention Center, Little Rock

09/2020

ArkASPA HR Bootcamp — September 8, 2020, Wyndham Riverfront, North Little Rock AAFC Fall Conference — September 23-25, 2020, Hot Springs Convention Center

10/2020

ASPMA Conference & Certification Classes — October 5-7, 2020, Hot Springs Convention Center AAGEA Conference — October 22-23, 2020, Benton Event Center AAEA Fall Conference — October 29, 2020, DoubleTree Hotel, Little Rock.

To see a schedule of more AAEA events, go to theaaea.org and click on “Calendar.”

Administrator March 2020

Conference Fees: $130 Member $155 Non-Member ONSITE REGISTRATION STILL AVAILABLE! Wednesday, March 4 8:00

Registration (Hallway 200)

9:00 - 11:00

Welcome and CASBO Elective Class (Part of Conference) - (Rooms 207-209) CASBO Elective Class SM402: Lead Your District’s Evolution Presenter: Judson Laipply Description:

Everything changes.

Not everyone evolves.

Learn how to communicate strategies and reasoning,

positioning and purpose, and most of all - how to effectively lead your district’s evolution. 11:00 - 12:00

Networking and Visit Exhibitors (Hall A)

12:00 - 1:40

Lunch Session (Hall A) Acknowledgements, SASBO Welcome, Update from Department of Elementary & Secondary Education Dr. Ivy Pfeffer, DESE Deputy Commissioner 2020 Truett Goatcher AASBO Administrator of the Year & Diamond Award Presentations Zinnia Clanton, 2019 AASBO Administrator of the Year & Diamond Award Presentations Guest Speaker: Judson Laipply

1:40 – 2:10

Visit with Exhibitors (Hall A)

2:10 - 4:10

Breakout Sessions (8 different sessions) (Rooms 205, 207, 208, 209) (The Breakout Sessions will not count as a CASBO certification course.) Workers Compensation Child Nutrition Programs

SASBO Expert Exchange on Phishing Fixed Assets - How to Fix Them!!

Chat Room-Come Ask the Experts!

Coding

Getting Ready For an Audit

Sales & Use Tax

Thursday, March 5 8:30 - 9:00

Registration (Hallway 200)

9:00 - 11:00

Legislative Update - Dr. Richard Abernathy, AAEA Executive Director AASBO Business Session (Rooms 207-209) CASBO Initial Certification Recognition - Robyn Keene, AAEA Director of School Finance Update by Arkansas Teacher Retirement Systems

11:00 - 11:30

Anita Murphree Scholarship & Door Prizes (Rooms 207-209)

11:30

Announcements and Adjourn conference

Post-Conference Session 12:00 - 2:00 CASBO Elective Class SF221: Special Education Finance (Rooms 207-209) Fee: $30 Members; $45 Non-Members Description: A course to provide updates on the guidance and procedures of special education finance, budgets and specialized reports.

Administrator March 2020

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: March 4, 2020

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER! 14 Administrator March 2020

$30 for members $45 for non-members