Turnaround Talk

June 2025

Food for Thought

Important Dates

June

June 5-6...Alabama Conference on Grading and Assessment for Learning...Guntersville
June 8-11...CLAS Convention...Mobile
June 15-18...SSA Summer Conference...Orange Beach
June 17...Turnaround Principal Workday...TBD
June 18-20...AETC...Mobile
June 20-22...AASB Summer Conference...Gulf Shores
June 22-25...Model Schools Conference...Gaylord National DC
June 29-July 2...ASCD/ISTE...San Antonio
June 30 - July 3... The Gulf Coast Conference on the Teaching of Writing

July

July 14-18...MEGA Conference...Mobile
July 15-18...SREB Making Schools Work...New Orleans
July 23...NBCT Bootcamp - virtual (register HERE)
July 24-25...NBCT Bootcamp - Alabama State University (register HERE)

7 Reasons Your Leadership In a Priority School Matters

If you've ever questioned whether the long hours, tough calls, and emotional investment of leading a priority school are worth it, this article is for you. Written with honesty, heart, and a deep understanding of the real work happening every day in our schools, “7 Reasons Your Leadership in a Priority School Matters” reframes the narrative. It reminds us that we're not just fixing problems, we're building movements. This is a must-read for any turnaround leader looking to reconnect with purpose, reframe the challenges, and reignite the passion for leading with courage and clarity. Take five minutes, you’ll walk away inspired and recharged.

Leadership in Action: BTW K-8 Earns National STEM Certification & Statewide Recognition

Booker T. Washington K-8 has been awarded National STEM Certification by the National Institute for STEM Education—joining an elite group of only three schools in the district with this honor. The school was also named a 2025 CLAS School of Distinction, recognized statewide for its innovative STEM Fridays and student clubs. Out of more than 200 applicants, only 24 schools received this distinction.

Principal Dr. Antonia Ishman credits this success to focused leadership, empowered educators, and strong community partnerships. Key leadership actions included forming a STEM team, using staff input and data to drive progress, and aligning instructional practices with clear, ambitious goals.

Leadership Quote

“At Booker T. Washington K-8, students engage in innovative, real-world STEM experiences led by teachers continuously developing their own mastery of STEM practices.”

— Dr. Antonia Ishman, Principal

Congratulations to Dr. Ishman, the BTW K-8 team, and their community partners for leading the way with excellence, innovation, and impact.

ACIP Planning for 2025–2026

We will have an ACIP Planning meeting on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM on the AUM campus (Taylor Center, Room 221).

This session will be dedicated to developing your ACIP for the 2025–2026 school year. To make the most of our time together, please come prepared with the following school-level data:

Mid-Year and End-of-Year Benchmark Data
2024–2025 Attendance Data
2024–2025 Discipline Data
Preliminary ACAP Data
ELEOT/ATOT Data
Climate & Culture Survey Data

It is strongly recommended that you meet with your faculty to review the data and reflect on your current ACIP before June 10. Consider asking:

Did we meet our goals this year?
What goals should be removed, adjusted, or continued?
What supported or hindered our progress?
How can we better align goals with staff input?

Expectations:

Principals: Attendance is required. Please mark your calendars and make any necessary arrangements to attend.
District Leaders: Your presence is strongly encouraged, though not required. Your support is invaluable during the planning process.

As always, thank you for your unwavering commitment to improving student outcomes. The success of your school rests on your shoulders—an incredible responsibility, but also an extraordinary opportunity.

We look forward to a productive planning day. See you soon!

OSI Sessions - MEGA 2025

These sessions will be led by staff from the Office of School Improvement.

Regional Inservice Center Summer PD Calendar: Invest in Your Growth This Summer

Summer is the perfect time for educators to recharge, reflect, and grow. Our state’s Regional Inservice Centers are offering a wide range of professional learning opportunities designed to support your ongoing development and help you build the skills that lead to schoolwide success. Whether you're looking to deepen your instructional leadership, explore new strategies for student engagement, or strengthen your school’s climate and culture, there’s something for everyone.

We encourage all Turnaround Leaders to review the Summer Professional Learning calendars and share these opportunities with your teachers. Let’s continue moving forward—stronger, smarter, and more connected.

Power Planning Session - Recordings Now Available 📹

Over the past month, our Turnaround Specialists hosted seven virtual Power Planning Sessions tailored to the specific needs identified through recent audit results. These sessions focused on key areas for growth that are common across all Turnaround Schools, offering practical strategies and targeted support.

To ensure all leaders have access to this valuable information, we've recorded each session. Whether you’d like to revisit a session or share it with colleagues who were unable to attend, the full set of recordings is now available at the link below.

We encourage you to explore these resources as you continue to lead transformational change in your schools.

Recorded Power Planning Mini Session

Need Help Strengthening Your Pupil Support Team Process?

Wendy Arnold, Specialist with the Office of School Improvement, is available to support schools in strengthening their Pupil Support Team (PST) process. If your school does not currently have a functioning PST—or if your team could benefit from clearer structures or earlier data conversations—now is the time to connect with Wendy.

She is available to meet with schools over the summer to help establish or refine PST practices. Early planning is critical. Schools that wait until October or November to get started often struggle to catch up, and valuable intervention time for students can be lost—especially at the middle and high school levels.

If your school could benefit from this support, please reach out to Wendy directly at wendy.arnold@alsde.edu or let your specialist know, and they can help coordinate the connection.

Let’s work together to ensure no student falls through the cracks.

June - Principal Monthly Reminders

PREP (Preparing Relief Educators Program)

The PREP Program is designed to provide high-quality resources to emergency-certificate teachers, long-term substitutes, and early service teachers, empowering them to excel in their roles and make a positive, long-lasting difference in the lives of their students.

If you have any teachers that fall in one of these categories I encourage you to make this resource available to them. A list of topics and supporting resources can be found HERE.