Daring to Lead at the 2023 TASA Midwinter Conference
This week our team of former educators joined in-practice administrators from across the state of Texas at the TASA Midwinter Conference in Austin. Professional development and networking are crucial for K-12 public school administrators to stay up-to-date on best practices and to collaborate with their peers. Our team saw firsthand why these opportunities are so powerful for those leading the way in public education.
Research and Trends
First and foremost, professional development helps administrators stay informed about the latest research and trends in education. It allows them to learn new strategies and techniques for improving student outcomes and school performance. This is particularly important in today's rapidly changing education landscape, where new technologies and approaches are constantly emerging.
At this week’s TASA Midwinter Conference – when educators weren’t discussing the terrible Texas weather – they were talking about culture, self-care, accountability and school safety.
“One of the main hot topics is cultivating a positive culture post pandemic. Leaders need to model self-care for all employees and encourage a supportive environment as they “Dare to Lead” - Kim Tunnell
“There was a lot of discussion at Midwinter of TIA Teacher Incentive Allotment, the increased CCMR measures for accountability, and school safety.” Megan Riggins
Skills and Expertise
Professional development can also help administrators develop new skills and expertise. For example, they might learn how to use data to inform their decision-making, how to effectively communicate with parents and community members, or how to lead a team of educators. By constantly learning and growing, administrators can become more effective leaders and better serve their schools and students.
“TASA Midwinter provides a tremendous opportunity for school leaders to learn from others in honing their leadership skills and interact with vendors for resources to support their work given the ever-changing expectations of schools.” - Kim Tunnell
Connections and Networking
Networking is another important aspect of professional development for K-12 administrators. It allows them to connect with their peers and share ideas, resources, and support. This can be especially valuable for administrators who work in isolated or rural school districts, where access to professional development opportunities may be limited. Networking can also help administrators build relationships with education organizations, policy makers, and other stakeholders, which can be beneficial when advocating for their schools and students.
“What’s been great to see at midwinter this year is the willingness and eagerness of educators to share best practices and tools with their peers. Of course, it’s always great to connect with old and new friends, but it is really something special to see peers introduce each other and help others in the industry make a positive impact on students.” - Conlee Hunt
Impacting Schools and Students
In addition to the benefits for individual administrators, professional development and networking can also have a positive impact on schools and students. When administrators are well-informed and skilled, they are better equipped to lead their schools and make decisions that improve student outcomes. This, in turn, can have a ripple effect on the broader education system, as the knowledge and skills of individual administrators contribute to the overall quality of education in the community.
“As former educators, we're truly here to help other educators better serve students by providing tools for efficiency. As a former high school principal, I was always searching for ways to improve systems for my students and staff, either through new tools or better training. In the ever-changing world of education, we must evolve with the times. If we want better outcomes for students, we can’t keep doing things the same way we’ve always done them.” - Dawn Whidden
Thank you to those of you who stopped by our booth or attended our session, Operational Efficiency: How to do More with Less. We appreciate the opportunity to advance education with you and work together to improve student outcomes and build stronger schools.
If you’re interested in learning more about our operational efficiency and workflow solutions for k-12 schools, click here to schedule a call with one of our solutions experts.
You may also be interested in automating tasks and streamlining processes so that your teachers have more time to teach. Education Advanced offers a suite of tools that may be able to help. For example, four of our most popular and effective tools are:
- Cardonex, our master schedule software, helps schools save time on building master schedules. Many schools used to spend weeks using whiteboards to organize the right students, teachers, and classrooms in the right order so students could graduate on time and get their preferred classes. However, it can now be used to automate this task and, within a couple of days, deliver 90% of students' first-choice classes.
- Evaluation is a solution for documenting every step of the staff evaluation process, including walk-throughs, self-evaluations, supporting evidence, reporting and performance analytics.
- Pathways is a graduation tracking tool that allows administrators and counselors to create, track, and analyze graduation pathways to ensure secondary students are on track to graduate.
- Testhound, our test accommodation software, helps schools coordinate thousands of students across all state and local K-12 school assessments while taking into account dozens of accommodations (reading disabilities, physical disabilities, translations, etc.) for students.
