CEO Message

Back Together Again at Joint Winter Conference

After having to cancel our Fall Conference last month due to Hurricane Milton, it sure will be nice to see all of our superintendents at the Joint Conference in Tampa. This meeting will be particularly special as it will be the first FADSS meeting for our newly elected and recently appointed superintendents!

The collegiality and camaraderie of our membership is central to the continued success of our association. Likewise, the high degree of respect that our association holds in the education realm directly correlates to the caliber of our members. I firmly believe that every superintendent is committed to ensuring that all students have access to exceptional educational opportunities, and I look forward to working with each and every one of you!

Additionally, I am excited about our agenda, and I look forward to welcoming two former colleagues of mine from the Florida Senate. Incoming Senate President Ben Albritton will be on hand to share his insight on K-12 Education and his priorities for the 2025 Legislative Session, and Senator Lauren Book will join us once again to provide an update on her non-profit Lauren’s Kids.

We have a packed agenda with timely and pertinent issues, and of course a key benefit of any FADSS conference is learning from each other through table talk and discussions with your colleagues.

I look forward to seeing everyone in Tampa in December!

Joint Conference

After having to cancel our Fall Conference it seems an age since we were all together, so we are very much looking forward to seeing all our superintendents (both old and brand new) in Tampa!    

We are delighted that Senator Ben Albritton, who was going to be our opening speaker at Fall Conference, will be able to join us Wednesday morning. The Senator from the 27^th District, Senator Albritton is the incoming President of the Senate. Having served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2010 through 2018, Senator Albritton was elected to the Florida Senate in 2018 and has been a staunch supporter of child welfare. We look forward to hearing his thoughts on K-12 education in Florida.

As if one senator wasn’t enough, we will also have the pleasure of hearing from Lauren Book, Senator from the 35^th District. In 2007, Lauren founded the nonprofit organization Lauren’s Kids, to fight against childhood sexual abuse and to help survivors heal. She will talk to us about the free curriculum and resource materials, used in 40 states, that her organization provides to schools to educate adults and children about sexual abuse prevention.   

Safety and security continue to be of paramount importance, so some of the presentations we had lined up for Fall in this area have been moved to this conference. We will be hearing from John Hunkiar who will provide an FS3 update, along with a presentation by Tom Czyz of Armoured One, who will debrief on the school shooting in Nashville in March last year, focusing on the importance of training for all stakeholders around active shooter events.

A highlight as always, will be presentations from 2 of our current superintendents on their CEO Leadership Development Program projects, along with sessions with our friends at the Florida Department of Education, and a variety of other educational program providers. There will also be time to discuss current issues, and to get to know our new superintendents.

If you have any questions regarding conference programming, please contact Katrina Figgett at kfiggett@fadss.org or 703-576-7556.

New Superintendents

It’s election season and so, as always, FADSS is ready to welcome new superintendents to the fold. In just over a week, the results will be in, and we will know how many people will be joining us in Tallahassee for New Superintendent Orientation, and then in Tampa, less than 3 weeks later, for follow-up.

The importance of New Superintendent Orientation can’t be overstated, not only do new superintendents hear from those with expertise in school finance, school law, school safety, collective bargaining, and communications and crisis management, (among other critical topics), they also are introduced to a variety of educational groups, both academic and non-profit. Most importantly though, they get to meet and spend quality time with their mentor, a currently serving, or recently retired superintendent, who is contracted by FADSS to provide them assistance and counseling for the first year of their superintendency. FADSS espouses mentoring as a reciprocal relationship where the benefits to the mentee are matched by the mentor’s opportunity for growth through service, the highest form of leadership. Though these mentorships are for a year they often lead to lifelong friendships and help to cement the fabric of the family that is FADSS. 

New American School District Panel Reports

All five reports based on findings from the spring 2024 survey of 190 American School District Panel (ASDP) member districts have been published and are available on the ASDP Publications page. They are also linked directly below.

The first, Districts’ Pandemic Recovery Efforts as COVID-Relief Aid Expires, summarizes the approaches being used by school districts as of the 2023–2024 school year to assist with students’ learning recovery from COVID-19 pandemic-related setbacks. The report also investigates districts’ expected revenues in future school years and what cuts to services, if any, they anticipate due to the expiration of federal stimulus funds.

The second, Districts Try with Limited Success to Reduce Chronic Absenteeism, examines the ongoing problem of chronic absenteeism that was seen following the pandemic related school closures. Despite modestly improving rates in the 2022-23 school year there remain persistently high rates of chronic absenteeism across the United States. The findings provide prevalence estimates for the approaches that districts are using to address this problem, along with perspectives of district leaders on why a greater share of students are missing school now than in the past. The report provides recommendations to improve student attendance.

Some of the report’s key findings are:

• About one in ten districts reported chronic absenteeism levels of 30 percent or more and another two in ten districts reported rates between 20 and 30 percent in the 2023–2024 school year. Although high, these rates were lower than the pandemic peak.
• In the 2023–2024 school year, nearly all districts (93 percent) tried at least one approach to combat chronic absenteeism. The most common approach was the adoption of an early warning system to flag students who are at risk of being chronically absent.
• One-quarter of districts reported that none of the approaches they have tried to reduce chronic absenteeism have been particularly effective.
• In interviews, 11 of 12 district leaders with whom the authors spoke speculated that a cultural shift has occurred, whereby more students and families see school as optional and of less importance.

The third report, the State of the Superintendent 2024, is intended to provide a reliable, recuring snapshot of the U.S. public school superintendency. The survey revealed a divide between superintendents of small districts and large districts. For example, in spring 2024, district budgets topped small-district superintendents' list of stressors, but the intrusion of political issues and opinions into schooling was the most common stressor among large-district superintendents. Meanwhile, superintendents of large districts stated that their most time-consuming activities were external and internal communications, whereas those in small districts spent more time on budgets and on school facility maintenance and operations. The researchers conclude that the differences are so large as to suggest that the very job of the superintendent—and, therefore, likely the skills needed most to succeed in the job—are substantially different in large (urban) versus small (mostly rural) districts.



Survey analysis four looked at How School Districts Prepare and Develop School Principals and examined how activities across seven domains: leader standards, principal preparation, selective hiring and placement, on-the-job support and evaluation, principal supervision, leader tracking systems, and systems of support varied across the U.S.. Researchers specifically looked at district enrollment size to investigate the hypothesis that the infrastructure to support the principal pipeline is mostly confined to large districts. Amongst the key findings which support the hypothesis are:

• Assistant principalship is the main pathway to principalship in large districts (those serving 10,000 students or more) and medium districts (those serving 3,000 to 9,999 students) but not in small districts (those serving less than 3,000 students).
• A greater share of large districts than small (and often medium) districts invested in all seven domains of principal pipeline activities examined.

Lastly, the report Encouraging Deeper Learning in Middle and High School summarizes how district leaders believe middle and high schoolers' critical thinking skills are best developed in their schools, whether students' input about teaching and learning is collected, district leaders' examples of their schools' most effective forms of project-based learning, and districts' theories of action for teaching and learning.

ASDP survey data has now been made viewable in Bento, a free data visualization tool which allows for the easy analysis of data and enables the sharing of findings via user-friendly charts and visualizations. ASDP has provided this link should you wish to sign up for a free account and access the data.

2025 Impact Florida Summit Early Bird Registration Now Offered for Superintendents

The 2025 Impact Florida Education Summit theme is "Own Your Impact: Effective Instruction in a Changing World.” Now in its sixth year, the Summit is one of the most actionable and relevant events you will attend all year! Join us for an inspiring and transformative education conference that empowers educators to navigate the evolving teaching and learning landscape. This year’s theme, "Own Your Impact," emphasizes the importance of innovative instructional strategies and emerging technology that can support the needs of diverse learners in a rapidly changing world.

 At this Summit, participants will:

• Network with Peers: Build relationships with fellow leaders and educators who share your passion for student success.

• Learn from Experts: Attend keynote and breakout sessions led by renowned national experts who will provide insights on the latest trends, best practices, and research in education.

• Reignite Your Passion: Explore new strategies and approaches that will inspire you to make a meaningful impact in your community and beyond.

This year’s sessions explore thought-provoking topics in public education, such as emerging Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools and student agency, as well as academic sessions focused on ensuring access to effective, grade-level instruction for all students.

REGISTER HERE

Florida Dept of Agriculture Shares Two Initiatives

Florida Farm to School Essay Contest

This contest, open to Florida high schoolers, encourages students to reflect on the importance of local agriculture and healthy eating. Students can submit a 500- to 800-word essay now through November 15 for a chance to win up to $1,500 in college funding and meet Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson! Learn more at FarmToSchoolFL.com/Essay.

Lunch180 Cookbook & Training Videos

Designed for school nutrition professionals, our new Lunch180 cookbook features Florida’s top school meal recipes submitted by schools across the state, all using fresh Florida commodities. Recipes are student-approved and USDA-standardized. Plus, we’ve developed recipe demonstration and training videos in both English and Spanish to make it easier than ever for SNPs to get started. Learn more at FarmToSchoolFL.com/Lunch180.

24/7 Crisis Counseling with Gaggle’s ReachOut

In the wake of the recent hurricanes, prioritizing student mental health in Florida’s schools remains a key priority. We understand that increased stress levels are affecting students and their families, and your district may be facing challenges in providing the necessary support.

To assist during this critical time, Gaggle is offering ReachOut (at no cost) — a service that provides immediate, 24/7 access to trained crisis counselors. Students can connect via text, voice, or chat whenever they need support. Whether they’re dealing with anxiety, depression, or coping with traumatic events, help is available in the moment. 

How ReachOut Works:

• On-Demand Support: Students can reach out at any time using a local area code number, ensuring the service is easily accessible and directly supports their well-being and the community.

• Trained Crisis Counselors: Our professional team is specially trained to de-escalate crises, develop safety plans, and provide essential resources to students in immediate need.

Ready to Bring ReachOut to Your District?

Fill out this form today to start offering this valuable service to your students. Gaggle will assign a dedicated number for your district and will follow up with you promptly.