To Our Readers

Linda Kaminski, ACSA President | November | December 2019

Among the many challenges school leaders confront each day, the last thing many of us want to work through is a crisis. Because all crises are not the same, we can’t plan for everything. Yet our communities need leadership through a crisis, and it is our job to support students, parents and staff. We kick off this edition of Leadership magazine with an in-depth look at trauma-informed leadership. Matt Reddam and Sandra Azevedo reflect on how tragedy made a community rethink crisis response. Skyler Garrahy of Oceanside High School asks an important question, “How much is too much?” when it comes to crisis preparedness. Small steps can make a huge difference in the event of an emergency. ACSA’s Senior Director of Marketing and Communications Naj Alikhan says the two worst words you can say to a reporter is “no comment”. So, what do you do when a news van arrives at your school parking lot? He has five tips to win your next news conference. Labor actions and strikes in the name of contract negotiations have occurred recently.  Are these strikes legal? Bill Diedrich and Sara Young provide an understanding of strikes and how school leaders can ensure a minimal impact on our communities. Political activism  has increased in our communities. This political activism is putting additional pressure on school districts to respect the rights of employees and board members. From our ACSA Resource Hub, the legal team at Lozano Smith has a breakdown of freedom of speech rights in our school communities. Finally, Aaron Benton, as SELPA leader in Butte County, reflects on how leadership during crisis united a community ravaged by wildfire. ACSA is always looking for your best practices and experience on crisis matters, from bullying prevention to guidance on violence on campus and everything involving your school community. I want to invite you to submit your content to the ACSA Resource Hub for publication. Your experiences will help support fellow administrators as they chart the choppy waters of a crisis. Linda Kaminski, Ed.D. ACSA President