It’s been nearly two years now since the COVID-19 virus knocked education—and our lives—out of balance. As a school leader, you’ve made tough calls about closing schools, spearheaded the shift to online learning, fielded questions about masks and vaccines, and stood up to demoralizing criticism.
But your job has always been difficult, and the same challenges you faced before still exist. You’re still working to keep up staff morale, boost your community’s perception of your schools, and ensure academic excellence—tasks only made more challenging by the pandemic. What’s more, we know you have a life outside of school. On top of your responsibilities at work, you may be juggling parenthood, elder care, and even your own mental health.
Since March 2020, so many of us have been in survival mode, just trying to make it to the other side. But unfortunately, what we thought was a sprint is turning out to be a marathon. It’s clear that it will be quite some time before COVID stops affecting our schools. Knowing we’re in it for the long haul, we need to find ways of working that are more sustainable, that allow for balance.
This issue is all about that balance between the professional and the personal. We’ll introduce you to school leaders who have navigated that tension, from Dr. Bob Hunt, whose experience as the father of a cancer survivor impacted his response to the pandemic, to Dr. Jill Siler, who literally wrote the book on thriving through difficult times. We’ll also examine the complexities of blending family life with school leadership and envision a more accessible superintendency.
Of course, this balance isn’t something you can find alone. In good times and bad, you need to share the load with a trusted team. But just as you depend on your staff, they must be able to depend on you. The pandemic has highlighted the importance of one team member in particular: the communications director. That’s why we asked comms directors across the country a simple question: How can your school administrators better support you?
Though it may still be a while before our next “normal” school year, there’s hope on the horizon. Pfizer estimates that as early as this month, vaccines may become available to kids under 12, a huge development for schools. Slowly but surely, we’re making progress—and the balance that helps you thrive through this season will serve you well on the other side.
It’s been nearly two years now since the COVID-19 virus knocked education—and our lives—out of balance. As a school leader, you’ve made tough calls about closing schools, spearheaded the shift to online learning, fielded questions about masks and vaccines, and stood up to demoralizing criticism.
But your job has always been difficult, and the same challenges you faced before still exist. You’re still working to keep up staff morale, boost your community’s perception of your schools, and ensure academic excellence—tasks only made more challenging by the pandemic. What’s more, we know you have a life outside of school. On top of your responsibilities at work, you may be juggling parenthood, elder care, and even your own mental health.
Since March 2020, so many of us have been in survival mode, just trying to make it to the other side. But unfortunately, what we thought was a sprint is turning out to be a marathon. It’s clear that it will be quite some time before COVID stops affecting our schools. Knowing we’re in it for the long haul, we need to find ways of working that are more sustainable, that allow for balance.
This issue is all about that balance between the professional and the personal. We’ll introduce you to school leaders who have navigated that tension, from Dr. Bob Hunt, whose experience as the father of a cancer survivor impacted his response to the pandemic, to Dr. Jill Siler, who literally wrote the book on thriving through difficult times. We’ll also examine the complexities of blending family life with school leadership and envision a more accessible superintendency.
Of course, this balance isn’t something you can find alone. In good times and bad, you need to share the load with a trusted team. But just as you depend on your staff, they must be able to depend on you. The pandemic has highlighted the importance of one team member in particular: the communications director. That’s why we asked comms directors across the country a simple question: How can your school administrators better support you?
Though it may still be a while before our next “normal” school year, there’s hope on the horizon. Pfizer estimates that as early as this month, vaccines may become available to kids under 12, a huge development for schools. Slowly but surely, we’re making progress—and the balance that helps you thrive through this season will serve you well on the other side.