September 23rd Edition 

AWSA Update

Creating a Culture of Consistency Through Tier 1 and Tier 2 Behavioral Systems and Supports

Milton Middle School has transformed from a school where students may be sent out for extended periods of time and expectations may be different from class to class and grade level to grade level, to a school where students thrive and staff feel supported. Office discipline referrals have been reduced by 50% each year over a three year period, and satisfaction has significantly increased for both staff and the community as measured by Qualtrics. Read more here.


Seclusion and Restraint Reports Due by October 1

It’s back-to-school time and each school in the district must complete the Seclusion and Restraint Report by October 1 of each year.  This report is one of those requirements that can easily get lost in the excitement that the fall brings. Read more here.


2026 Elementary Principals’ Convention

Register for the Elementary Principal's Convention at the beautiful Grand Geneva Resort & Spa from October 7-9, 2026. Learn and network with state and national thought leaders, including your colleagues from around the state.  In addition, there will be an optional dinner on Thursday night for members to celebrate Joe Schroeder’s career in education as he announced his plans to retire at the end of the 2026-27 school year. 


Distributive Leadership and a Systematic Approach to Impacting Student Achievement

When a school leader hears the words student achievement, some of the topics that come to mind are high quality instruction, relationships, assessments and data, skill attainment, and self efficacy to name a few. I’ve learned that in order for most of these topics to impact student achievement, a school leader needs to create a system where each priority exists with purpose and intersects with one another with intentionality. Read more here.


2027 Associate Principals’ Convention

Register for the Associate Principal's Convention at the La Crosse Center January 27-29, 2027. Learn and network with state and national thought leaders, including your colleagues from around the state.  In addition, there will be an optional dinner on Thursday night for members to celebrate Joe Schroeder’s career in education as he announced his plans to retire at the end of the 2026-27 school year.  


Registration is Open for SLATE 26: Empower, Connect, Protect

Register today for SLATE 26 (December 7-9, 2026 Kalahari Resort) featuring over eighty pre-conference and concurrent sessions on using technology to engage learning while maintaining important boundaries for our students. Learn more here.


Girls Flag Football: Expanding Opportunities, Strengthening Schools, Changing Lives

Middle and High School athletics remain one of the main conduits by which future college and professional athletes are made. Every school district strives to create opportunities that increase student engagement, improve school connectedness, and prepare students for future success. Girls flag football uniquely accomplishes all three. Read more here.


Nominations Open for Associate Principal and Principal of the Year Programs

Nominations are now open to recognize Wisconsin’s top school leaders. Nominations are accepted from teachers, parents, principals, and community members. Principal Leadership Awards – Nomination Deadline: Oct. 2, 2026 and Associate Principal of the Year Awards – Nomination Deadline: Oct. 9, 2026. If you have questions please contact the AWSA office.


AWSA Serving District Leaders

Please mark your calendars for the remaining three virtual meetings designed for district leaders to share insights on timely topics: October 14, December 9, and April 14. To help shape these upcoming sessions, please share your input on topics of interest by completing THIS survey. Our goal is to offer differentiated support that fosters instructional coherence at the district level—ultimately strengthening the work of our site leaders, teachers, and students. Read more here.


September 9th Edition 

AWSA Update

2026 Elementary Principals’ Convention

Register for the Elementary Principal's Convention at the beautiful Grand Geneva Resort & Spa from October 7-9, 2026. Learn and network with state and national thought leaders, including your colleagues from around the state.  In addition, there will be an optional dinner on Thursday night for members to celebrate Joe Schroeder’s career in education as he announced his plans to retire at the end of the 2026-27 school year. 


Cloning the Teacher: Using NotebookLM for Self-Paced Mastery through the LIFToFFS

Every educator who has implemented a self-paced and personalized classroom knows the central challenge: there is only one teacher, but twenty-five students are moving at completely different speeds, holding different questions, and needing tailored support at the exact same moment. Enter Google’s NotebookLM, an AI-powered research and note-taking assistant that acts as a customized companion for your students, allowing them to navigate unit content at their own pace while maintaining high academic rigor and grounded accuracy. Read more here.

Register Today for SLATE 2026: December 7-9, 2026, Kalahari Resort


Nominations Open for Associate Principal and Principal of the Year Programs

Nominations are now open to recognize Wisconsin’s top school leaders. Nominations are accepted from teachers, parents, principals, and community members. Principal Leadership Awards – Nomination Deadline: Oct. 2, 2026 and Associate Principal of the Year Awards – Nomination Deadline: Oct. 9, 2026. If you have questions please contact the AWSA office.


AWSA Serving District Leaders

Please mark your calendars for the remaining three virtual meetings designed for district leaders to share insights on timely topics: October 14, December 9, and April 14. To help shape these upcoming sessions, please share your input on topics of interest by completing THIS survey. Our goal is to offer differentiated support that fosters instructional coherence at the district level—ultimately strengthening the work of our site leaders, teachers, and students. Read more here.


Save the Date for Upcoming AWSA Conferences

  • Associate Principals Convention: January 27-29, 2027, La Crosse Center, La Crosse
  • Middle & High School Convention: February 10-12, 2027, KI Center, Green Bay
  • Registration will open for both conferences this fall.