For NHS advisers, a new school year brings fresh opportunities to develop the next generation of student leaders. Here, Kathryn Kula, a chemistry teacher and NHS and student council adviser at Jefferson Township High School in Jefferson, NJ, shares how she helps students better understand and uphold the four pillars of NHS. 1. Scholarship The […] The post Another Chance to Teach the 4 NHS Pillars appeared first on NASSP.| NASSP
NASSP is proposing three new sessions for the 2026 SXSW EDU Conference & Festival. One of the largest and most influential education conferences in the country, SXSW EDU will choose new sessions to include based on three elements, one of which is public voting. The polls close August 24, 2025, so make your selection today! […] The post Which NASSP Sessions Do You Want to See at SXSW EDU? appeared first on NASSP.| NASSP
My guiding philosophy for professional development is that gaining even a single new idea constitutes a successful experience. Last month, I attended United: The National Conference on School Leadership in Seattle. I was profoundly impressed by the insights presented. Rather than just one idea, I returned with 21 pages of innovative strategies to implement at […] The post My 5 Favorite Things About the United Conference appeared first on NASSP.| NASSP
Rahsaan “Saani” Perry, the assistant principal of West Florence High School in Florence, SC, was recently named NASSP’s 2025 High School National Assistant Principal of the Year and the next principal of John W. Moore Middle School. We asked him about the honor and what it means to him and his school. Were you surprised […] The post Meet NASSP High School National Assistant Principal of the Year Saani Perry appeared first on NASSP.| NASSP
At NASSP, we know that great schools begin with great leaders. That’s why we’re thrilled to announce six exceptional school leaders as finalists for the 2025–26 Middle Level National Principal of the Year and High School National Principal of the Year awards. From combating chronic absenteeism to implementing no cell phone policies to retaining teachers […] The post Celebrating the 2025–26 National Principal of the Year Finalists appeared first on NASSP.| NASSP
Elizabeth “Liz” Nelson, the associate principal of Pilgrim Park Middle School in Elm Grove, WI, was recently named NASSP’s 2025 Middle Level National Assistant Principal of the Year. We asked her about the honor and what it means to her and her school. What was your reaction when you found out you had been selected? […] The post Meet NASSP Middle Level National Assistant Principal of the Year Liz Nelson appeared first on NASSP.| NASSP
At Butler Middle School in Waukesha, WI, where Laura Jennaro is the principal, more than 250 eighth graders will gather in June for the last event of their middle school years: graduation. The school calls it a recognition ceremony to keep the focus on recognizing students’ varied achievements and to help them celebrate a milestone […] The post Four Tips to Make Middle School Graduation a Success appeared first on NASSP.| NASSP
Let’s be honest: Engaging in professional development opportunities—let alone attending a national conference—might feel like the last thing on your list right now. But if you’re carrying the weight of leading through burnout, political pressures, and constant change, UNITED 2025 is your lifeline. School leaders at UNITED 2024 in Nashville. Photo courtesy of NASSP Five reasons you need to be there in Seattle, WA, July 11–13: 1. Real networking, real support Everyone say...| NASSP
Experts say there are steps schools can take to proactively address mental health concerns stemming from ramped-up immigration enforcement.| Education Week
It’s that time of year where many educators (myself included) are preparing to meet with their administrator for the glorious summative meeting. Throughout my career, I’ve experienced a wide variety of these that have been anything from a short five-minute conversation to an hour-long meeting where I was required to bring a binder of evidence … Continue reading What Is My Principal Really Looking for in my Summative?| Confessions of a Former Instructional Coach
A profile of WSP Faculty member and Co-Pedagogical Administrator (Grades 6-8) Dr. Lea Fredrickson, her trajectory from Waldorf student herself to Waldorf teacher and administrator, and her thoughts on Waldorf's approach to STEM. “To parents concerned about their children’s readiness for the tech world, she offers reassurance. "Wadof education prepares students with flexibility of thinking, resilience, and confidence to navigate an uncertain future. It’s less about specific tools and mor...| Waldorf School of the Peninsula
Applications for the 2024 National Council of Excellence (NCOE) Awards—representing council activities and projects from January 1 to December 31, 2023—opened last month. To understand the benefits of applying for and receiving such recognition, we spoke with Shawn Freeman, a student council adviser at Ada High School in Ada, OK, and the executive director of the Oklahoma Association of Student Councils. In 2023, for the 11th year in a row, the student council at Ada was recognized as an ...| NASC
If you walk into our headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado, you will immediately see this Scripture on the wall: “We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done” (Psalm 78:4). This is a precious Scripture to ACSI as we recognize a key part of why we exist. Across the history of the Jewish people, God was very intentional about ensuring that His people remembered the key events that demonstrated His faithfulness and ...| ACSI Blog
I promise that I didn’t do it on purpose. I was not snooping around, but one early December day many years ago, in a moment of mindless meddling around the house, I found it. My big Christmas gift that my parents tried to keep hidden until Christmas morning: a full-sized Voltron action figure, the envy of any elementary aged boy in the 1980s. However, as much as I pleaded and begged, they would not let me play with it until Christmas morning. Continue reading On Waiting and Advent at ACSI B...| ACSI Blog
I will never forget the sight and experience of my husband leading our church in worship the week after we lost our baby. With hands lifted high in praise and open in surrender, he proclaimed the faithfulness and goodness of God to every soul listening and invited them to do the same. I will never forget the agony—and bliss—of that moment: our chance to bring a true sacrifice of praise. Hebrews 13:15 says, “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of...| ACSI Blog
In this blog post Clark McPhillips and Tracey Carlyon highlight the challenges related to the role of being a principal in Aotearoa New Zealand.| Ipu Kererū
Undeniably, schools emphasize academic success, measured by students’ achievement, test scores, graduation, or college going. While these outcomes are essential, Christian education is called for a purpose beyond that. In a world increasingly focused on academic achievement and standardized test scores, sometimes it is easy for Christian educators to lose sight of the true purpose of Christian education. Undeniably, Christian education has a distinctive purpose: not only is it called to...| ACSI Blog
How often, if we’re honest, have we re-gifted something given to us? The truth is that many of us have done it at some point. But what motivation lies beneath this act? Is it merely a desire to rid ourselves of an unwanted item, or is there a deeper motivation—a desire to bless someone else with something we ourselves found valuable? In the blog post, “Converge 2025: Faithfully Present, Courageously Good,” Lynn Swaner, Converge 2025 chairperson and president of Cardus, U.S., encoura...| ACSI Blog
Relationships, especially with other believers, are some of the most precious things we enjoy in this life. They give us a foretaste of heaven as they are the one thing we get to take from this life into the one to come. As John Fawcett writes in his beloved hymn, “Blest Be the Tie That Binds,” it is a blessing for believers’ hearts to be bound together in Christian love, for “perfect love and friendship reign through all eternity.” We should strive to promote and protect relationsh...| ACSI Blog
Much has changed since Converge 2022, when over 900 Christian school leaders gathered in San Diego for encouragement and refreshment after a trying three years of disruption. Since then, and as we look to Converge 2025 in Orlando, some things have improved: COVID has largely faded into the background, and interest and enrollments in Christian schools are significantly up. At the same time, challenges remain or have become amplified in the education sector—like educator stress and burno...| ACSI Blog
Leadership is challenging. I’m not sure if there is anyone who read that opening sentence and disagreed. I, however, am convinced that Christian leadership is even more challenging. The expectations that come with being a Christ-centered leader are often unfair and sometimes even unbiblical. Accountability can be seen as un-Christlike. Expectations can be seen as demanding. A firing can be the ultimate example of “lacking grace.” And you know what? Sometimes, as Christian leaders, we ar...| ACSI Blog
In today’s rapidly shifting educational landscape, schools face numerous challenges, such as increased anxiety, diminishing respect for teachers, and the devaluation of schools. Amid these challenges, Christian schools are called to embody hospitality in meaningful and transformative ways. One of the clearest expressions of this hospitality is how a school supports students with varying learning needs. Christ-centered schools should strive to reflect God’s heart by embracing and uplifting...| ACSI Blog
