LM May 2023

Message From the Executive Director Superintendents Experienced Peaks and Valleys in the 2022–23 School Year

Dr. Brent Clark

As the weather changed, and board elections got settled, superintendents emerged from that valley. I could feel it when IASA held our reception on May 3 to honor the 2023 Superintendents of Distinction. The churn subsided and spirits were much higher. One thing that was mentioned at the reception that deserves repeating is school leaders should not be adding fuel to the negative discourse around public education. Your words, even in casual conversations, carry weight and can cause a ripple effect. Public education has become a target. It’s in the news and in campaign speeches on a regular basis. I feel strongly that superintendents should be defending its value. After all, public education is the bedrock of our democracy. That is something worth fighting for. With that, we have a lot of quality content in this issue of Leadership Matters about ESSER funding, our new cohort for rural educators, a tornado recovery checklist, FY 2024 IASA Membership, Elevating Education and more. Be sure to check it out. Have a great spring and final stretch of the school year.

Everyone who has served in the role of superintendent understands the job has its peaks and valleys. There are the good times where you launch an innovative program, watch students overcome immense challenges or break ground on a new facility that will create a dynamic learning space for students for decades to come. Conversely, there are days where a relationship with a board member turns rocky, a crisis situation emerges or a situation goes much more poorly than expected. The 2022–23 school year epitomizes a peak and valley year. As I toured regions and gathered feedback from members, there was an undeniable feeling that the 2022–23 school year was off to a great start. School administrators were no longer dealing with the day-to-day challenges of COVID-19 and could focus much more of their attention on teaching and learning. Somewhere in the late fall or early winter, rough waters seeped in and there was discernible churn among our members. A few superintendents even told me they had hit a low point. COVID might have been in the rear-view mirror, but a new wave of challenges had hit them head on. The circumstances varied from district to district. Upcoming school board elections, negativity about public education, student mental health concerns, the teacher shortage, safety issues and declines in academic growth were all part of the mix.

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LM May 2023