The uncertainty of recent years has presented difficult decision-making opportunities for school leaders. Teachers, students, parents, and the entire school community are frequently impacted by these decisions. How can I make the best decision in the most challenging of situations? It is normal to feel overwhelmed by this, but it is critical to remember your school’s mission and values in the face of decision-making. These 10 decision-making tips for school leaders can help tackle tough decisions this school year.

According to Turnbill et al. (2016), preparation programs and district professional development for principals should include specialized coaching and mentoring focused on developing leadership committed to educational equity. Principals should receive this type of strategic support to be successful in building their teams, decreasing the district’s turnover rate, and increasing all students’ achievement.

Simulations are real-world models of systems or processes that allow students to evaluate the effects of various activities on the model. The University of Pennsylvania created the SchoolSims software simulations as a professional development experience for K-12 in-service school leaders and ELPPs.

Over the years, we have taken valuable feedback from our clients and used it to tell others why simulations are the right choice for your organization’s professional development program. School leaders sift through past experiences when confronted with challenging situations, searching for relevant instances to draw knowledge. If learning from your mistakes is the best way to experience growth, how do we provide these learning experiences to current and aspiring leaders?

Over the last couple of centuries, technology in the classroom has transformed completely. In 1930, the overhead projector was introduced to the classroom to display images for the entire class to see. In 1972, handheld calculators made student’s lives easier to help quickly solve math problems, and in 1991, the first portable computer allowed users to have the world wide web at their fingertips. It is clear that technology plays a massive role in the way we navigate in and out of the classroom.

Back to school season is upon us, and with many teachers being back in the classroom for the first time in so long, educators may feel overwhelmed. However, this new school year brings opportunities to provide students with an education that supports each individual’s needs.

As new teachers enter the classroom, they will find themselves in a difficult environment where diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI), as well as antiracism and Critical Race Theory, are being questioned. This instills dread in our teacher candidates, limiting their ability to construct a culturally responsive and anti-racist curriculum.

If we have learned anything from the pandemic, it is that there is no script that we can follow on a daily basis, particularly in leading a school. As a result, the basic need to be able to ‘improvise’ effectively and thoughtfully is crucial.

If principals are proven to have the second-largest impact on student achievement, what can we do to set them up for success? The SchoolSims library of simulations for school leaders has been shown to assist in the development of diverse, successful principals who are knowledgeable about teaching, individuals, and organizations.

SchoolSims simulations provide an opportunity for current and aspiring school leaders to gain virtual experience dealing with situations before facing those same issues in real-life. School Leaders also have the opportunity to enhance their peer-to-peer and collaborative decision-making skills to help reduce the feelings of isolation and through shared simulated experiences increase communications.

The new era of, at a minimum, blended and hybrid learning requires visionary leadership more than ever. SchoolSims is equipped and ready to serve districts by providing personalized virtual professional development – and the stimulus funds & waivers provide both funding and flexibility for your district to participate in high-quality PD to truly prepare your educators for this new normal.