To Our Readers

Linda Kaminski, ACSA President | May | June 2020

Each day I’m reminded that as educators, everything we do is for students and about students. Their growth is our growth, and their successes are our successes. That is the reason I’m very excited about this edition of Leadership magazine. For the first time in the 48-year history of this publication, we’re giving our students the platform to tell us about their lives and experiences. We’ve given our students the opportunity to provide their point of view on the successes and challenges they face and how classes, projects, and activities impact their lives. We had nearly 200 students submit an article for this edition, which is incredible. That speaks to how much our students care about what happens in our communities and how much they have to tell us. In this issue, our students will talk about bullying, mentorship, and time management. You’ll hear about technology in the classroom and an elementary school student’s PBIS success story. Student mental health is a prominent issue for school administrators to confront. Molly Gannon talks about her anxiety disorder and depression and what educators can do to support students. We’ve also reached a tipping point when it comes to on-campus crime and violence. Last November, three people lost their lives in a shooting at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita. It was the second school shooting in a California public school in less than a month. What is that like from the students’ point of view? Two Saugus High School students, Andrei Mojica and Marilyn Johnson, talk about the experience on campus and how the community is coping with the tragedy. Finally, it takes an incredible amount of dedication and hard work to achieve the dream of being a scholarship athlete in college. Emily Davis is one of the top soccer players in Northern California and was offered a scholarship to play Division I soccer. She tells her story about being recruited, how she managed grades, sports, and family, as well as the experience of turning down that scholarship and choosing a different school. This is a powerful edition of Leadership magazine, and I encourage you to read every article. We can learn so much from our students, and this is a chance for all of us to take our school administrator hats off and listen to what they have to say.