Thank you for a year of privilege - President's Corner - American Association of School Administrators - Brief Article

School Administrator, June, 2002 by Don W. Hooper

You have given me a tremendous privilege this past year to serve you as your AASA president. It is an experience that I wish each of you could have. I will try to give you a report card of my official activities, or at least a glimpse of what was done.

Last summer I joined many of you at the association's Rural and Small Schools Conference and the Suburban Schools Conference. These conferences are so important for your personal and your district's well being. At these conferences you and I make new friends, connect with old acquaintances, gather insight, acquire energy for the future and hopefully return home refreshed, renewed and resolved to serve well.

Also last summer I met with the British Society of Education Officers and the Canadian Association of School Administrators, enabling AASA to tighten its relationship with both groups. Canada already is a chartered affiliate of AASA, but now the affiliation is formalized and strengthened. Both the British Society and the Canadian Association executive directors and officers attended AASA's national conference in San Diego and our Executive Committee will be working to strengthen internationalization as a segment of our future conventions and to encourage more of you to become involved in international study programs.

Last fall I was privileged to join our international contingency to study schools abroad. What I and others discovered is that our systems here in America are indeed doing well and that the issues we face are also global issues. These include student success, safety, discipline and accountability. The United States with the passage of the "No Child Left Behind" Act has taken a global lead in designing a system to ensure student achievement by asking each state to hold all stakeholders accountable for learning.

Many of you attended our national convention in San Diego. We thank you for coming and hope you are all making plans to attend next February in New Orleans.

Over the year I was privileged to attend meetings with the Learning First Alliance, Council of Chief State School Officers, the state executives and the AASA advisory committees. U. S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige invited the AASA Executive Committee to meet with him during our legislative meeting in January. As your president I was invited to attend the White House Conference on Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers, the White House Summit on Early Childhood Cognitive Development and the president's rally celebrating the enactment of the "No Child Left Behind" Act.

AASA will remain a strong organization if you continue your membership and participate in as many of our meetings as you can. We are working on a strategic plan for AASA and we need your input to know that we are on the right track to serve you better and to strengthen the organization. The elected leadership and executive director and staff of AASA cannot, nor should they be allowed to, do it alone. This association belongs to each of us. I hope you continue your support and involvement. Our l37-year history would not be possible absent that.

As I reflect back on this past year of privileged service, I appreciate the letters, e-mails and conversations many of you have shared with me, I enjoyed this exacting and busy year. It has been a career highlight. Thank you for giving it to me.

Best of luck to each of you and may God continue to bless this great nation and particularly its educators and educational leaders.