May 21st Edition

AWSA Update

Save the Date for Upcoming AWSA Conferences

Associate Principals Convention: January 28-30, 2026, Grand Geneva Resort, Lake Geneva
Middle & High School Convention: February 11-13, 2026, KI Center, Green Bay

Registration will open for both conferences this fall.

New Reporting Requirement Guidance: Crime Statistics on School Property

Wisconsin 2023 Act 12 created a new annual legal reporting requirement for schools and districts, as outlined in Wis. Stat. §118.124.The purpose of this statute is to collect data on state and local law violations that occur on school property. Read more here.

Engaged Learning Communities

In today’s educational landscape, creating a sense of belonging in school is more critical than ever. Educators can move beyond compliance-based engagement by prioritizing relationship-building and genuine connections to deep, meaningful learning experiences that encourage student success. This article explores how character education can create learning environments where every student feels valued, heard, and connected. Read more here.

Intent vs. Impact

As school leaders, we have to get honest about this reality: intent does not equal impact. What we meant to do and what actually happened aren’t always the same, and sometimes the gap between those two is wide. That’s not a sign of failure, although it often feels like one. It’s a sign that we need to reexamine, reflect, refocus, and ‘re’lead with more purpose. It’s the same for our staff. If we examine all practices with this lens, we begin to look at what we do and its impact on our learning community. It helps us to step away and look at our practices in a way that focuses on steps to improvement, not steps to justification. Read more here.

Early Literacy and Act 20 Updates

As the end of the school year grows nearer, it is important to recognize all the efforts that happened this year to strengthen early literacy at the system and individual student levels. 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.

May 7th Edition

AWSA Update

2025 Elementary Principals’ Convention

AWSA Academies: Investing for Impact

School leaders and leadership teams are seeing a return on investment of time in one of AWSA’s in-depth academies in improved student outcomes. Use this table to identify the academy that best fits your needs. Read more here.

Joe Schroeder Receives WASDA's Outstanding Educator Award

On April 23, the Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators (WASDA) presented AWSA Associate Executive Director Joe Schroeder with their Outstanding Educator Award for promoting educational improvement. Read more here.

WIAA Approves NIL

On April 25, 2025, the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) approved a new rule allowing student-athletes to earn compensation from certain Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) opportunities. This rule is a significant change, so school officials, especially high school athletic directors and coaches, should be aware of the requirements of this rule and understand its impact. The rule goes into effect on the date of publication of the WIAA Bulletin, which will likely be at the end of May 2025. Read more here.

Empowering Wisconsin’s Future Workforce with Learning Blade

At a recent AWSA event we were surprised to learn that Learning Blade is made available to all Wisconsin schools through generous funding from the BlueForge Alliance and the Maritime Industrial Base. Read more here.

AWSA Election Results

The following members have been elected or re-elected to serve on the AWSA Board of Directors in 2025-26: See results here.