AASCA Principals Conference

Last week, I attended the AASCA Principals Conference in El Salvador. It was, as always, one of the highlights of my year.

The conference itself is unique. Opportunities for professional development that are specifically designed for secondary principals are relatively rare, and the AASCA Principals Conference consistently creates space for us to focus on the realities of the role. We talk about leadership, instruction, systems, and the day-to-day challenges that come with leading a school. This year was no different. There were thoughtful sessions, practical takeaways, and opportunities to reflect on our work in ways that are not always possible during the pace of a typical school week.

This year’s professional development sessions were facilitated by Lindsay Prendergast, one of the editors of The International Education Leadership Companion. We were also joined by several of the book’s authors, who led sessions on visionary leadership, leading cultures of dignity, navigating board politics, and other topics directly connected to the work we do as secondary leaders and aspiring heads. The sessions were engaging, thoughtful, and deeply aligned to the realities of our work.

For me, the conference has also come to include a small tradition. During my time serving back-to-back terms as AASCA President, I began leading a few team-building activities as part of our time together. We continued that again this year, and as always, it was a chance to step out of our formal roles for a moment, laugh, collaborate, and reconnect with one another in a different way. This year, those activities were “gutterball” on day one and “the hula hoop challenge” on day two. We laughed and learned together, and I was impressed, once again, by how creative, collaborative, and engaged everyone was. Those moments have become one of the things I look forward to most each year.

But if I’m honest, the most meaningful part of the conference has never been the sessions or even the activities. It has been the people. Over the past ten years, this group of school leaders has become more than a professional network. They have become colleagues in the truest sense of the word, and for many of us, friends. There is a level of trust that has developed over time that allows for honest conversation. We can speak openly about the challenges of the role, the decisions that weigh on us, and the moments that matter most, without concern for judgment. That kind of space is rare in leadership, and it is something I have come to value deeply.

As I sat with the group this year, I was aware that this would be my last AASCA conference. At the end of this school year, I will be leaving the region, and with that comes the reality that I will no longer be a part of this annual gathering. There was no single moment that marked that realization. It was more a collection of small ones. Conversations over coffee. Laughter during an activity. The quiet moments between sessions. Each one carried a sense of appreciation, and, if I’m honest, a bit of sadness as well.

At the same time, I find myself feeling mostly grateful. Grateful for the opportunity to learn alongside such thoughtful and committed leaders. Grateful for the friendships that have developed over time. Grateful for the chance to be part of a group that understands both the challenges and the purpose of this work. Leadership can often feel isolating. Conferences like AASCA remind me that it doesn’t have to be.

As I look ahead to what comes next, I know I will carry the lessons, the conversations, and the relationships from these past ten years with me. And while this chapter is coming to a close, the impact of this community will continue in the way I lead and the way I think about this work.

I will miss these gatherings, and I will miss the people most of all.