To Our Readers

Ron Williams, ACSA President | September | October 2020

The new school year has begun and I want to thank all of you for the commitment you’ve made to your students, teachers, staff and entire school community. Saying that working within the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic has been tough would be an understatement.  With a new school year comes new opportunities and a fresh look at how we educate our students. As a superintendent, I’m stepping up to the challenge and leading during times of crisis. As ACSA president, I’m looking forward to the continued effort all of us have to support our students and each other. As the pandemic forced districts to pivot into distance learning, Leadership magazine also had to pivot. Our theme was originally focused on student health and wellness. However, we learned that the pandemic has impacted the social and emotional wellness of students, families and educators. Thus, we felt that it was important to talk about health and wellness for all and I think the content in this edition of Leadership is better for it. This issue kicks off with an article on why a fully-staffed school is a happy school. Ayinde Rudolph brings us that information. Then Oscar Macias discusses social-emotional competence, emotional intelligence and the prosocial school leader.  As racial injustice remains in the headlines, Tonia Causey-Bush takes a deep dive into the unique opportunity educators have in impacting the health, safety, and well-being of our state and nation’s most valuable resources.  Chloe Arias reflects on balance and happiness and Jamie Millan provides his analysis on the role of California educators as the beacons of hope. Ruzanna Hernandez considers student volunteerism and Lewis Bonney focuses on mindfulness for school leader well-being, which I think is greatly important right now. I truly hope you enjoy what your colleagues have provided for this issue. One more note for you. As ACSA looks for new ways to connect with members, we’re going with an all-digital format for the November/December edition of Leadership magazine. This will be an expanded benefit for you and the rest of our readers because you’ll have access to more content from more colleagues and experts in the field. Think of it as an opportunity to learn more without being in a Zoom meeting! My best to all of you on this incredible journey.