TEST NEWSLETTER SEPT

The Administrator Newsletter 

 

SEPTEMBER 2017 

Volume 43, No. 3 

SPOTLIGHT: 

Doug Harris, 

Superintendent, 

East End Schools 

Executive Viewpoint 

with Dr. Richard 

Abernathy 

A Note from the AAEA 

Board President 

“A contagious educator has passion, 

leads change, and seeks to add value to 

others.”

Sponsors & Board Members 

Please consider doing business with AAEA 

Corporate Sponsors when appropriate for 

your school/district. Their support of the 

AAEA is vital for us to serve you in your work. 

AAEA Prestigious Sponsors 

American Fidelity 

BloomBoard 

Discovery Education 

Educational Benefits, Inc. 

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 

Lifetouch National Studios, Inc. 

Pro Benefits Group 

Renaissance Learning, Inc. 

Scholastic, Inc. 

AAEA Diamond Sponsors 

ACT Aspire 

AdvancED Arkansas 

Apple 

Classworks 

Clear Energy 

Edgenuity 

Entegrity Energy Partners 

Excel Energy Group, Inc. 

First Security Beardsley Public Finance 

Forecast5 Analytics 

Kelly Services 

McGraw Hill Education 

PeopleAdmin 

Stephens Inc. 

AAEA Platinum Sponsors 

AAMSCO 

Baldwin & Shell Construction 

C.R. Crawford Construction, LLC 

Herff Jones, Inc. 

Nabholz Construction Corp. 

Northwest Evaluation Association 

University of Arkansas College of Education & Health Professions 

AAEA Gold Sponsors 

ClassLink 

Curriculum Associates 

Generation Ready 

Kinco Constructors 

SubTeach USA 

ULockit Security Company 

AAEA Silver Sponsors 

Architecture Plus 

French Architects, PA 

Hight-Jackson Associates PA 

SEAS 

Virco, Inc. 

2017-2018 AAEA Board 

Maribel Childress, AAEA 

President 

Principal, Springdale 

Shawn Higginbotham, AAEA 

President-Elect 

Asst. Supt. Lake Hamilton 

Dr. Tony Thurman, AASA 

President 

Superintendent, Cabot 

Daryl Blaxton, AASA 


Superintendent, Pocahontas 

Benny Weston, AASA 

Secretary 

Superintendent, Mena 

Dr. Lance Arbuckle, AASSP 

President 

Principal, Rogers 

Brian Kirkendoll, AASSP Past 

President 

Asst. Principal, Alma 

Arkansas Association 

of Educational Administrators 

Scott Spainhour, AAEA 

Secretary/Treasurer 

Superintendent, Greenbrier 

Dr. Danny Brackett, AAEA 

Past President 


Pharis Smith, AAESP 

President 

Principal, Tuckerman 

Lori Griffin, AAESP 


Principal, Fort Smith 

Debbie Atkinson, AAESP 

Past President 

Principal, Bergman 

Brad Ray, AASSP President- 

Elect 

Asst. Principal, Fort Smith 

Lora Hendrix, ArkASPA 

President 

Asst. Supt., South Conway 

County 

Joe Rolins, AACTEA President Christie Jay, AAFC 

President 


Director of Federal Programs, 

Bentonville 

Zinnia Clanton, AASBO 

President 

Business Manager, Conway 

Janet Calloway, AAGEA 

President 

Director of Gifted Programs, 

Lake Hamilton 

Dion Stevens, AAMLA 

President 

Principal, Southside 

Dr. Richard Abernathy 

Executive Director, AAEA 

aa 

ea 

Sherrie Bayles, AASEA 

President 

Special Ed. Supervisor, 

Springdale 

Tammy Woosley, AACIA 

President 

Principal, Conway 

Dr. Doug Harris, ASPMA 

President 

Superintendent, East End

The “AAEA Administrator” is a 

monthly publication of the Arkansas 

Association of Educational Administrators 

(AAEA) for members of the AAEA. 

Managing Editor: Miranda Gibson 

Editor In Chief: Michelle Briggs 

Arkansas Association of Educational 

Administrators 

Address: 219 South Victory 

Little Rock, AR 72201 

Phone: 501.372.1691 

Web Site: www.theaaea.org 

Follow us on: 

Facebook: Arkansas Association of 

Educational Administrators 

Twitter: @The_AAEA 

Administrator 

IN THIS ISSUE 

Executive Viewpoint 2-3 

President’s View 4-5 

SPOTLIGHT: Doug Harris 6-7 

Administrator Job Openings 9 

Professional Development Opportunities 10-14 

Please contact us if we may provide 

assistance to you in any way. 

AAEA Staff Members 

Dr. Richard Abernathy, Executive Director 

r.abernathy@theaaea.org 

Mike Mertens, Assistant Executive Director 

m.mertens@theaaea.org 

Dr. Larry Smith, Program Director 

l.smith@theaaea.org 

Michelle Briggs, Director of Events & 

Operations 

m.briggs@theaaea.org 

Robyn Keene, School Finance Consultant 

r.keene@theaaea.org 

Marty Smith, Membership Coordinator 

m.smith@theaaea.org 

Karen Dean, Business Manager 

k.dean@theaaea.org 

Amy McNabb, Manager of Events & 

Operations 

a.mcnabb@theaaea.org 

Miranda Gibson, Communications Specialist 

m.gibson@theaaea.org 

Shaitalia Dixon, Administrative Specialist 

s.dixon@theaaea.org 

each day that you go 

to work, you are 

improving education in 

Arkansas! 

Follow us on 

• Twitter: @The_AAEA 

• Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheAAEA 

• Web: www.theaaea.org 

1 The Administrator Newsletter September 2017

EXECUTIVE 

Viewpoint 

Dr. Richard Abernathy 

Executive Director, AAEA 


EXECUTIVE 

Viewpoint Continued… 


President’s View 

Maribel Childress, President, AAEA Board 


President’s View 

Continued… 


2017 

Administrators of the Year 

AACIA 

Megan Slocum 

AACTEA 

Kelli Cypert 

6 

The Administrator Newsletter September 2017

2017 

Administrators of the Year 

ArkASPA 

Fred Lilly 

AAGEA 

Roy Wilson 

AASEA 

Courtney Eubank 

7 


Doug 

Harris 

Superintendent, East End Schools 

8 


Special thanks to you, Doug Harris, 

for allowing us to recognize your 

success as an administrator and for 

the information you shared that can 

inspire others in the same field! 

-AAEA 


AAEA Staff 

Shaitalia Dixon, Miranda Gibson, Robyn Keene, Karen Dean, Michelle Briggs, 

Dr. Richard Abernathy, Amy McNabb, Dr. Larry Smith, Mike Mertens, Marty Smith 

 

Proudly serving Arkansas 

Administrators for over 30 years! 

10 


2017 

 

Please don’t hesitate to call us 

for questions or assistance. 

501-372-1691 

11 


Administrator Job Openings 

The AAEA offers an online job site for our members to view open positions in the state 

(http://www.theaaea.org/?page=OnlineJobsiteService). Below is a list of current administrator 

job openings. Click the links below for additional details on the positions. 


Professional Development 

Upcoming 

AAEA 

Events 

September 2017 

• ArkASPA New Personnel Administrator 

Workshop (HR Boot Camp — September 13, 

2017, Wyndham Riverfront, North Little Rock 

• AAFC Fall Conference — September 20-22, 

2017, Hot Springs Convention Center 

• AAGEA Conference — September 28-29, 

2017, Harding University, Searcy 

October 2017 

• ASPMA Annual Conference — October 2-4, 

2017, Hot Springs Embassy Suites and 

Convention Center 

• AAESP/AAMLA/AASSP Joint Assistant 

Principals Conference — TBD 

• AAEA Fall Conference — October 24-25, 


November 2017 

• CASBO Classes — November 2-3, 2017, Four 

Point By Sheraton, Little Rock 

January 2018 

• AASA Superintendent Symposium — January 

10-11, 2018, DoubleTree Hotel, Little Rock 

February 2018 

• ArkASPA Conference — TBD 

• TICAL Conference — TBD 

• AACIA Conference — February 15, 2018, 

Embassy Suites, Little Rock 

• AASBO Conference — February 28-March 1, 


April 2018 

• CASBO Classes — TBD 

• ASPMA Certification Classes — TBD 

May 2018 

• AAFC Spring Conference — May 2-4, 2018, 

Hot Springs Convention Center 

• ASBA/AAEA Joint Conference — TBD 

June 2018 

• AACTEA Drive-In Innovation Conference — 

TBD 

• AASEA Special Ed Conference — TBD 

August 2018 

• AAEA Summer Conference — July 30 - 

August 1, 2018, Statehouse Convention 

Center, Little Rock 


Save The Date! 

ASPMA Conference 

October 2-4, Embassy Suites, Hot Springs 

The 46th annual conference of the Arkansas School Plant Management Association (ASPMA) is scheduled for 

October 2-4 at the Hot Springs Convention Center and Embassy Suites. The year’s conference theme is “Keys 

to Success.” This year’s agenda is packed with keynote speakers, special guests, breakout sessions, and a large 

trade show. This is an excellent opportunity for professional development, business contacts, and up-to-date 

information on a variety of topics and products relevant to school plant managers. ASPMA is excited to have as 

keynote speaker, Steve Morgan, a dynamic professional speaker, author, and consultant well-known nationally 

for helping others enhance their work performance, communication, and collaboration. The Association is also 

excited and pleased that Education Commissioner Johnny Key will be at the conference to address attendees. 

This year’s conference also includes a day of classes for the Certified Facilities Director (CFD) program. The 

conference starts Monday, October 2 with classes on Building Systems, Safety Planning and Emergency 

Preparedness, and Playground Safety/Security. 

Specifics regarding registration for both the conference and the CFD certification classes will be posted on the 

AAEA/ASPMA website in the coming weeks. For room reservations, call the Embassy suites at 501-624-9200. 

Be sure and ask for the ASPMA conference room rate of $139 Single / $149 Double. 


ArkASPA 

HR 

2017 

Wyndham Riverfront Hotel, North Little Rock 

September 13, 2017 

Registration begins 

at 8:00 AM. 

Pre-registered $55 

Onsite $70 

Visit the AAEA web 

site for additional 

details and 

registration 

(www.theaaea.org). 

The Arkansas Association of School 

Personnel Administrators (ArkASPA) is 

sponsoring an HR Boot Camp on Wednesday, 

September 13, 2017 at the Wyndham 

Riverfront Hotel in North Little Rock for those 

individuals who will be serving as district-level 

personnel administrators for the first time this 

year. For districts that have a secretary or an 

administrative assistant new to human 

resources work, this would be the perfect 

orientation for them as well. 

As one of the constituent groups within AAEA 

that focuses on this important area of school 

operations, ArkASPA can provide 

administrators with important information that 

will enable them to more effectively deal with 

important day-to-day personnel decisions. 


Arkansas Association of 

25th Annual Fall Conference 

September 28-29, 2017 

Harding University, Searcy 

Gifted Education 


AAGEA Conference 

Thursday, September 28, 2017 

8:00-8:45 Registration 

8:45-10:00 General Session 

10:15-11:05 Breakout Session I 

11:30-12:30 Lunch 

12:40-1:30 Breakout Session II 

1:35-2:25 Breakout Session III 

2:35-2:45 Closing Message 

New Coordinators Workshop 

Friday, September 29, 2017 

9:00-12:00 – General Sessions 

Student Leadership Conference Friday, 

September 29, 2017 

8:00 – Registration 

9:00-2:30 – Conference 

This year’s conference features: 

· Keynote Address by: 

Patricia Hesse 

· Great Breakout Sessions 

· New Coordinators Workshop 

· Student Leadership 

Conference 

Registration Fees 

AAGEA Conference: $100/ 

Members; $125 Non-Members 

New Coordinator Workshop: 

No Charge 

Student Leadership 

Conference: $25 per Student 

Watch the AAEA web site for 

additional details and registration 

(www.theaaea.org). 


3 rd Annual Education Innovation Summit 

September 26 – 27, 2017 

Statehouse Marriott, Little Rock, AR 

Be a part of the conversation and transformation sweeping 

across Arkansas! Register now to avoid the wait list! 

http://innovativeed.org/summit/ 

Engage in the conversation with us again this year or join us for 

the first time! Over 45 sessions to help you explore, design and 

transform learning in your school or district. 

Travel to any region of the state and you will see educators engaged in 

conversations and actions to innovate student learning! It’s time to take it to the next 

level! 


The 2017 Innovation Summit program includes sessions for successful student-focused 

learning system design. We have school systems from across Arkansas and the nation who 

are implementing successful, innovative, and student-focused learning systems. These 

systems are transforming what it means to be a learner in school. Many of these leaders 

will offer mini-mentoring sessions throughout the conference that you will not 

want to miss! 

Come listen, learn, reflect, share, and network with these pioneers! In 

fact, we have no doubt you will leave with a new or expanded vision of 

learning. 

Highlights of the 2017 Summit 

Don’t miss John Spencer! He’ll share form his new book, Launch, 

how he uses design thinking to boost creativity to impact student 

learning. Walk away with practical steps to introduce your 

students to design thinking and unlock the genius in them. 

Jim Rickabaugh, author of Tapping the Power of 

Personalized Learning: A Roadmap for School 

Leaders and co-author of Five Levers to 

Improve Learning will share how to develop 

high capacity, flexible learners, not just good 

students who are capable of being taught! He’ll 

offer a special session on opportunities, skills, and 

strategies for introducing and growing personalized 

learning. 

Jonathan Vander Els from the New Hampshire Learning Initiative and Solution 

Tree Associate will share how he used PLCs to lead his school’s transformation to 

competency-based learning. He’ll offer a special session on designing performance tasks 

for 

assessment in a competency-based learning system. 

Darryl Adams, self-described Rock & Roll, Hip Hop & Soul 

Superintendent, thought leader and technology evangelist 

will share strategies for digital equity and access and the 

intentional use of technology to personalize learning. 


Buddy Berry, Ken Grover, Dr. George Philhower, Ryan Krohn, Dr. Don Siviski, and 

other national innovative teachers and leaders will be back. They’ll be joined by 

many of our own Arkansas innovators who will be there to stretch your vision of 

student-focused learning. 

Sessions will include team teaching approaches for personalized learning, socialemotional 

learning strategies and measures, developing personal competencies for 

college, career and life, designing learning spaces that matter, starting small for big 

results with blended learning, and many more! 

Sponsored by: 

Office of Innovation for Education and Arkansas Department of Education 


Publication Presented to 

you by Arkansas 

Association of Educational

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