Members,

Only me. Who else could have the fortune of being president of this great association in a year when I do not get the privilege of seeing as many of you as I would like? Even though this year has been a challenge, it has also been very successful. Our association is stronger than ever and membership is up.

As many of you know, I am now retired from public education. I miss the kids from time to time but no one has called me an A-Hole in months 😉 so there are some perks. As my time as president comes to an end, please know you are in the best of hands. The incoming president, Andrea Dennis, is the best principal I know and is a great advocate for public education and a GREAT friend ! I am confident she will lead this organization with class, dignity and grace. I wish you all a great summer and an awesome school full of kids next year.

Joe

Greetings everyone,

I hope you have had a productive semester, and I also hope you had a great finish for the school year. To say this has been a trying year, would be an understatement of immense proportions. However, based on the progress around our state, I know that you all have done a fantastic job under very difficult conditions.

As the leader goes, so go the followers, and I hope you can keep yourself in top shape mentally, physically, and emotionally. Great leaders lead great schools, so we need you to take care of yourself so that you can take care of others. A strong finish to the year required strong leadership and a smooth summer will be critical to catapult your school into a successful fall. You cannot lead properly if you do not take care of yourself, so I suggest you take time away from work to spend with family or friends. Some alone time would be beneficial too.

We watched the legislative session closely, and we have an ETF budget sitting on the governor’s desk. By the time you get this message, it is our hope that you will have seen the budget and know how it will impact your area. The budget includes additional funding for literacy, math, mental health, and more. It also includes a 2% raise for educators. In case you missed it, a new TEAMS bill has been signed by the governor and will create a new pay scale for qualified math and science teachers. The SDE has a document that answers some of the questions that principals may have about this law. Click here to see the document.

As you know, the most important factor in the legislative process is to have school leaders engage with legislators in your home district. Legislators work hard and are asked to make decisions on important topics on a regular basis. Every legislator is a professional in his or her chosen career, and the career is not usually that of education. So, when a legislator is asked to decide on educational matters, who better to help inform the decision than an educator. If we do not engage our legislators, someone else will. So, I encourage you to become familiar with the CLAS Legislative Platform and use it when possible. Also, I encourage you to reach out to CLAS or AASSP if you have any questions about legislative issues. Of course, you can always email, text, call, or yell at me if I can help in any way. Your voice is important!

Our 2020-2021 professional learning calendar was full of great events and learning opportunities, and we hope that you were able to take advantage of all we offered. Your professional learning is critical to the success of those under your care. Second only to a classroom teacher, the principal has a huge impact on the learning of the students in school. Please make sure that you are being proactive in your learning and let us know how we can help you with your journey. Please contact our office for assistance. Dr. Demica Sanders, Leslie Dennis, and Evelyn Roberson stand read to assist in the professional learning area, and everyone in the office stands ready to help with any other question you might have.

I hope you all have a GREAT summer as you get ready for the 2021-2022 school year! Thank you all for the job you do every day to help those under your care. You are all ROCK STARS in my book!

Sincerely,

Vic

On behalf of the AAMSP Board of Directors, I want to extend greetings and salutations to all middle-level instructional leaders. I also want to thank you for staying the course during this unprecedented school year. Your leadership and service will not only leave an indelible mark on your students but will also leave an indelible mark on the communities you serve. Now, more than ever before, the rest of the world knows that schools do more than provide a platform to educate children; we also provide an environment for nursing, social and emotional support, counseling, child nutrition, mentoring, physical activity, and cultural exposure. Yes! During this pandemic, you matter, your teachers matter, and your school matter. For that, I salute you.

I also want to provide you with an AAMSP status report. We currently have 425 active members. Your AAMSP Board has been working diligently reviewing the AAMSP Constitution and By-laws to see if there is a need to make amendments. It is also our goal to create an Executive Secretary’s position to help serve our membership. Because middle school is unique and vital, we have created a Professional Growth and Development Committee to explore the possibility of creating a professional learning day purely for middle-level instructional leaders. AAMSP will also present $3,000.00 in scholarship money at the CLAS Summer Convention during the AAMSP Affiliate Meeting. AAMSP gives out four scholarships annually; two for current instructional leaders and two for aspiring instructional leaders. The scholarships are for $750.00. I am pleased to announce the names of the 2021 AAMSP Scholarship Recipients:

Ashley Bowling of Florence Middle School (Current) $750.00

Tiffani Stewart of Bush Hills Steam Academy (Current) $750.00

Machiah Fuqua of Buckhorn Middle School (Emerging) $750.00

Dalton Watson of Auburn Jr. High School (Emerging) $750.00

In conclusion, I want to thank the members of AAMSP for allowing me to serve as your president. This year has been enriching and every minute spent conducting the business of AAMSP has been a labor of love. I want to thank Dr. Vic Wilson and the entire CLAS office for their support. Finally, I want to thank the most outstanding affiliate board, the AAMSP Board of Directors, for their dedication, leadership, loyalty, and support.

Remember, “You will either step forward into growth, or you will step backwards into safety.” Abraham Maslow

Onward!

Tony Sanders

AAMSP President

Email: katrina@clasleaders.org
Website: www.clasleaders.org/aassp
Location: Council For Leaders in Alabama Schools, Pelham Street, Montgomery, AL, USA
Phone: 8002393616