The Year in Review - American Association of School Administrators

School Administrator, March, 1999 by Paul D. Houston

Advocacy Efforts

I increased my writing and speaking activities, placing AASA's views in front of national television and radio audiences; before newspaper and magazine readers; and at gatherings of informed educators, business people and the public at large. What the combined set of activities says to the nation's superintendents is that their association has strong views on matters affecting them and we want people to know it.

At the same time, on behalf of all superintendents, we became much more aggressive in our advocacy positions at the national level. We delivered our positions through a combination of legislative work on Capitol Hill, personal appearances before key groups and in my own writings in AASA publications as well as other media outlets. For example, we opposed the Clinton Administration's plans to create a national test unless it could satisfy reasonable criteria for successful application; we defended the public schools from the onslaught of new federal regulations that would severely limit their ability to remove children with disabilities from the classroom; we signed onto the constitutional amendment to provide children with greater legal rights; and we began championing federal legislation that would direct more dollars into rural, small schools. On top of it all, we successfully lobbied the Congress to appropriate more funds for public schools than it intended.

Professional Development

We also invited the nonmember superintendents to our conferences. At the annual Rural, Small Schools Conference we introduced participants to what superintendents are doing to ensure the survival of their communities and schools. Participants at the annual Suburban Schools Conference heard bluntspeaking authorities talk about changing demographics in suburbia and the impact on schools. And the 20 percent of the participants at The National Conference on Education [Copyright] who were nonmembers joined the regular members in a conference that showcased a wide range of new ideas and strategies.

In sum, during the year we went the extra mile to expose all superintendents and their district colleagues to national events and local trends affecting their districts. We represented all superintendents in our advocacy work. And when I write and talk about the needs of public education, I'm clearly speaking on behalf of all superintendents in the nation.

As we focus on superintendents, we are mindful that half of our members carry a different title. These members are trainers of superintendents, educational professionals who serve the profession and many aspiring superintendents. As we look toward the future, we intend to increase our focus on these latter individuals. This association is the only one at the national level that speaks on behalf of system leaders. That's a heavy responsibility, but a wonderful opportunity.

Poised for Change

Last year, the Executive Committee put into place a Strategic Vision Team. This team, half senior AASA staff and half AASA officers, is looking at the future of public education in this country and identifying the implications for the association. Two internal teams are backing up this planning initiative. One is looking at what AASA's competition is doing. The other is thinking about the changes we would have to make internally if we were to expand our membership, change our mission or expand our revenue base. These efforts will culminate in presentations to the Executive Committee at its annual planning meeting in June.