May 20th Edition

AWSA Update

Schools Must Act By July 1 to Adopt Policy Prohibiting Cell Phone Use During Instructional Time

This year, Wisconsin joined 35 other states in enacting legislation designed to limit the use of cell phones and other electronic devices in school. 2025 Wisconsin Act 42 (Act 42)* was signed by Governor Evers in October, which mandates that all school districts adopt a policy by July 1, 2026, prohibiting students from using wireless communication devices, other than a school district-issued device, during instructional time. Read more here.

Register a Team for the Creating a Culture of Excellence Conference

This conference highlights the schools that have demonstrated significant and regular growth for kids. Not lucky schools, but leading and learning ones. The presentations are all done by these schools; not by vendors or presenters that have cool or flashy things to share that aren’t backed by results. We hope you can join us! Please review the schedule and register today!

AWSA Affiliating with the National Principal Association July 1st

AWSA has always operated as a single, unified PK–12 association. At the national level, however, school leader support has long been split between two organizations: the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).  Beginning July 1, 2026, AWSA will transition from these two separate national partners to the single unified National Principals Association (NPA). Read more here.

Beyond Compliance: Why 3 Rural Schools are Redefining Student Capacity for a Global Economy

The year 2026 has brought clarity to something many of us in education have felt building for years: the industry 2.0 and 3.0 model of school isn’t just outdated—it’s actively restricting the learning of our children. In the Whitehall, Eleva-Strum and Alma School Districts, we’ve come to a simple but urgent realization: if we want to prepare students for a globally competitive, rapidly evolving future, we have to stop asking for compliance and start genuinely maximizing capacity. Read more here.

Strategies to Support Rightful Presence of Each and Every Learner in Your School

What would it look like if every student, regardless of ability, background, or learning need, was truly welcomed, valued, and supported to learn alongside their peers? Across Wisconsin, several school districts are working to make this vision a reality. Read more here.