Professional Development

This article in Sunday’s Washington Post caught my attention – both as an afterschool leader and also as a former classroom teacher. The author, a former public high school English teacher, gives a first-hand account of the decades of school reform initiatives he was expected to endure, year-after-year, as he attempted to engage, empower, and educate his students. For those of us who have been in education for even just a few years, I’m sure you’ll identify with his experiences.

If I were an afterschool program site director, I’d approach my responsibilities recognizing that my leadership would directly impact and influence the quality outcomes of the program. I’d work hard. I’d thrive on the challenges that appeared each day. I’d work from the contention that my position was just as important as any other educational leadership role because of the influence I’d have in the lives of children, youth, and their families.

Depending on your state and where your afterschool program is located, your program may need to have licensing in order to operate as an afterschool facility. In order to do that, you must know how to communicate effectively with the licensors you will be working with. Here are ten tips to help you do just that:

We know that without structure of some kind, things can go wrong. This notion would definitely be applied to meetings within our workplace as there is so much to talk about, not enough time, and staying on track is hard for some of us. And that is where a written agenda comes in.