March 26th Edition

AWSA Update

State Superintendent Election: Vote On or Before April 1st

The Office of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction significantly influences Wisconsin education. Please vote on or before April 1st. Earlier this year, the School Administrators Alliance visited with the candidates and invited them to respond to a questionnaire. Dr. Underly’s responses can be found here. (Brittany Kinser did not provide written responses). Information on both candidates is available here.

Member Survey: Act 20 and Overcoming Assessment Overload/Managing Testing Windows

Combining new assessments under Act 20 with legacy tools has led to testing overload. Some school districts have begun to “weed the garden” to eliminate the least valuable assessments. In addition, districts are adjusting their testing windows. Please complete this brief survey so that we can learn from one another as we all strive to best meet our students' needs. Results will be shared in the next edition of the Update.

Raising the Bar, Extending the Bridge: Creating Pathways to Excellence at Mount Horeb High School

At Mount Horeb High School, we firmly believe every student can rise to meet challenging work, regardless of their background. But we recognize that "challenging" looks different for each student who walks through our doors. Our students arrive with diverse experiences and varying support systems. That's why we've committed to building bridges—with families, community leaders, and local businesses—to ensure all students can access the opportunities they deserve. Read more here.

Shared Leadership and Effective School Continuous Improvement

In the School District of Superior, we have been working to bring continuous improvement to life over the past 6 years and have begun to see our collective work translating to student success. This work was instrumental in increasing the district’s graduation rate from 85% in 2019 to 98% in 2024. Read more here.

April is the Month of the Military Child

Wisconsin School Districts are encouraged to celebrate military students and their families in April. Learn more here.

Automate to Elevate: Creating a Blueprint for AI Integration in Wisconsin Schools

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a powerful tool that has the potential to revolutionize how we approach our most important leadership responsibilities. Leaders can open new doors to success by leveraging AI tools and processes. Combining the goal of creating thriving school environments with leadership, and then adding in resources for efficiencies can form the foundation of effective leadership and automate the plate of leaders to focus on the highest priorities. Read more here.

Are You Retiring?

If you are retiring this year, please let us know by sending an email to [email protected]. We’d like to include you in our recognition announcement and also share with you information about retired membership with AWSA.

March 12th Edition

AWSA Update

2025-26 AWSA Professional Learning Catalog

The AWSA Professional Learning Catalog is now available online with all of the conferences, academies, and coaching resources available in 2025-26. Consider participating in one of AWSA's in-depth academies. We increasingly see leaders' investment in academy work translating into improved student outcomes.

Keep It Simple – Systems, People, and Planning

The New Glarus School District prioritizes incremental, collaborative improvement, with a focus on supporting all students. Instead of adding new initiatives, the district has centered its efforts on strengthening essential systems, implementing change incrementally and thoughtfully. This approach has led to positive outcomes, with all schools scoring above 80 on the state report cards and the district earning the 12th highest ranking for 4K-12 districts in Wisconsin. Read more here.

Meet the Moment: The Power of Process-Based Learning

As educational leaders, we know that every day brings new challenges—academic gaps, behavioral concerns, and shifting student needs. Success isn’t about reacting in the moment; it’s about being prepared for it. Consistently applying this approach has led to significant academic gains and overall growth at Elmwood School District. Read more here.

AWSA 2025 Election

The AWSA Board of Directors election will be held electronically from April 15-April 30, 2025. This year, Directors will be elected from Regions 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, and 9. Members of each of these regions will be emailed a notification on April 15th with a link to an online ballot listing the candidate(s) for that region. As part of its succession planning, the Board has recruited candidates in each region. See candidates here.