When the mornings suddenly hold a pleasant chill, and pumpkin-spiced everything is showing up on the menu, it can only mean one thing: it’s Back-to-School season! At Wallace, we’re excited to see what the new school year brings, and we’re cheering on our partners as they head back into the classroom.
To get a glimpse of what’s top of mind for educators this September, we spoke to leaders and practitioners across the country. Read on to hear what they’re excited about and learn about related resources:
Heading into the new school year, I’m focused on doing the right work—ensuring every student has access to high-quality, rigorous instruction and every teacher feels supported in delivering it.
— Shay Lewis, Assistant Principal at CREC Academy of Aerospace and Engineering Elementary School in Windsor, Connecticut
Access, Rigor, and Wellness
As expected, many school leaders we spoke to are focused on safety and success for every student, as well as supporting the well-being of their staff and teachers. This underscores what we’ve learned from two decades of research on just how big of an impact principals can have on students, teacher retention, and school culture.
“Heading into the new school year, I’m focused on doing the right work—ensuring every student has access to high-quality, rigorous instruction and every teacher feels supported in delivering it. Equity remains at the heart of our mission, and I’m excited to deepen our collaborative practices that elevate learning for all. This work is challenging and deeply personal, so I’m also prioritizing self-care and creating space for staff to recharge and reconnect—because sustaining impact starts with sustaining ourselves.”
— Shay Lewis
Assistant Principal at CREC Academy of Aerospace
and Engineering Elementary School
in Windsor, Connecticut
“Safety continues to be top of mind for me as I head into this school year. I am working to be extremely transparent to our families and surrounding community about how we are ensuring safety and how we are educating children about keeping themselves safe too. Therefore, my priorities are maintaining and enhancing security of our building, training our staff and students, and maintaining positive, productive relationships with our emergency responders and mental health providers.”
— Delaney Rosenberg
Principal at Ellis School
in Fremont, New Hampshire
“In St. Louis Public Schools, we are excited about our ‘Portrait of a Graduate’ as it serves as our TRUE North.”
— Dr. Millicent Borishade
Superintendent for St. Louis Public Schools
Read the landmark report on how principals affect students, teachers and schools.
Innovation and Integrating AI
As instructional leaders, principals often look for ways to bring innovative strategies into the classroom. We know generative artificial intelligence continues to be a hot topic in schools, particularly how to use it effectively and responsibly.
“Top of my mind for this school year is closing the achievement gaps for students, particularly the special education students. I am looking forward to and prioritizing supporting teachers in any way that I can. If teachers feel supported, they are more empowered to try new teaching strategies that can positively impact our students. I am also exploring ways to integrate AI into the classroom more effectively for both students and staff. I am hoping to make the 25/26 school year one of our best!”
— Frank Aleman, Ed.D.
Assistant Principal at Flour Bluff Elementary School
in Corpus Christi, Texas
Check out our article about how school leaders are thinking about AI in the classroom and some guidance from AI experts from Digital Promise.
Student Voice and Enrichment
A new school year means a new year of afterschool and enrichment programming too. The leaders we spoke to aren’t shying away from using hand-on learning and technology to engage students. Elevating youth voice is one way to get students not only attending afterschool programs, but leading them.
“We are looking forward to staying the course with our focus on teacher clarity and student ownership for learning across our school district. An exciting development at our Innovation Center for Grades 7-12 is our new career pathway for STEM Aerospace. In a partnership with CubCrafters, our students will be building a plane over the next two years. Now, we can’t say ‘the sky is the limit’ in the West Valley School District!”
— Dr. Peter Finch
Superintendent at West Valley School District #208
in Yakima, Washington
“At Tuscaloosa City Schools in Alabama, 21st Century Community Learning Centers are gearing up for another year of afterschool programming with a focus on elevating student voice. We know our secondary students have a lot of options for how they spend their time after school, so we’ve been listening to their ideas for programming, which include everything from robotics to sewing and cooking. We’re particularly excited to have provided podcasting equipment to our secondary schools, with one high school already having published their first episode! Our goal is to provide enriching programs that cater to our young people’s interests and needs so they become places they want to go after the school day is over.”
— Lindsey Blevins
Extended Learning Coach for 21st CCLC Programs and Summer Learning
at Tuscaloosa City Schools
Read about a youth-led research project focused on designing out-of-school-time programs.
We can’t wait to see what the new school year brings!
