萝卜AV视频

EXECUTIVE PERSPECTIVE

Public schools are among our nation鈥檚 most important institutions. They are places where students discover who they are, who they want to become and how they will contribute to their communities. Yet too often, the story of public education is shaped by politics, misconceptions or narrow measures of success.

At AASA, we believe it is time to focus on what really matters: the promise of public education to prepare every child, in every community, for real life in the real world. That is the heart of our Public Education Promise. Built with input from district leaders, business partners and community stakeholders, this framework calls us to ensure schools are places of belonging and possibility 鈥� where curiosity is nurtured, resilience is built and life skills are developed alongside academic knowledge.

This is not just another initiative. It is a generational commitment. The Public Education Promise is our charge to create school systems that will stand the test of time, systems that meet students where they are today and equip them for the challenges of tomorrow. When we frame the conversation this way, we remind our communities that public schools are not broken institutions needing rescue. They are engines of hope, progress and opportunity, worthy of investment and belief.

A Promise in Action

This month鈥檚 issue of School Administrator includes a compelling example of what it looks like when a district leads alongside its community. Highline Public Schools in Washington launched its strategic plan not as a top-down document but as an act of community-building. The result was the Highline Promise: Every student in Highline Public Schools is known by name, strength and need and graduates prepared for the future they choose.

What makes this so powerful is that it was co-created with the community. Families, students and educators did not just review a plan. They authored a promise that reflected their hopes and values. Over time, that promise became embedded in the school district鈥檚 culture, guiding decisions and holding leaders accountable. It is a vivid reminder that when we ask families, 鈥淲hat do you want for your children?鈥� the answers can reshape not just our plans, but our entire story.

Districts across the country are doing similar work, and each story underscores the same truth. The future of public education is strongest when it grows from the voices and values of the communities we serve. And that work, at its core, comes down to people.

Investing in Our People

Of course, no framework or promise 鈥� no matter how visionary 鈥� matters without people. Public education always has been about the individuals who show up every day with purpose: teachers, paraprofessionals, bus drivers, nurses, administrators and more. It is people who breathe life into public education.

As I wrote in last month鈥檚 Executive Perspective, principals are the people at the heart of public education. Two decades of research from the Wallace Foundation reinforce that truth: School leadership is second only to classroom instruction in school-based factors that influence student learning. Strong principals create the conditions for teaching to thrive, students to excel and communities to flourish. Their impact on attendance, climate and teacher retention compounds over time, shaping the trajectory of entire schools.

That is why developing talent cannot be left to chance. Innovative districts across the country are showing what it looks like to create intentional, strategic pipelines that 鈥済row their own.鈥� The lesson is clear: When districts invest in their people 鈥� when they identify talent, provide coaching and create pathways for growth 鈥� they build a stronger bench of leaders and sustain momentum for student success. Investing in people multiplies impact, rippling outward to every student, every classroom and every community.

Moving the Promise Forward

Reframing the narrative of public schools is not a communications challenge. It is a leadership opportunity. Each of us has the chance to model what it looks like when public schools deliver on their promise. That means keeping students at the center, lifting up the stories of educators and leaders who make a difference, and building authentic partnerships with families and communities.

The Public Education Promise gives us a shared vision, but its power lies in how we bring it to life locally. Imagine the national narrative if every district could say with confidence: Our students are prepared for the future they choose. Our schools are places of belonging and possibility. Our educators are valued and supported.

That is a story worth telling and worth living. Let鈥檚 carry the promise forward together, one student, one school and one community at a time.

Be well, my colleagues and friends.

David Schuler is 萝卜AV视频executive director. Twitter: