May 12, 2026

The AESA Executive Council has its annual spring meeting last week which centered on collaboration and a shared commitment to serving educational service agencies nationwide.

Ted Alejandre with Joan Wade

Jeremy Kovash with Joan Wade

We extend our sincere gratitude to Ted Alejandre, San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools, Jeremy Kovash, Lakes Country Service Cooperative, and Joshua Wenning, Region 8 ESC (not pictured) as they conclude their terms on the Council. We are grateful for their leadership and service.

Current Executive Council President Nancy Hutchinson with Past-President Dan Schnoes

President-Elect Armando Aguirre (center) with Past-Presidents Dan Schnoes and Jeremy Kovash

A special thank you to Dan Schnoes, ESU 3, for his outstanding leadership as Council President.

We are also pleased to welcome Nancy Hutchinson, Kentucky Educational Development Corporation (KEDC) as the new AESA Executive Council President and Armando Aguirre, Education Service Center Region 19, as President-Elect.

As we say thank you to outgoing members, we’re also excited to welcome three new leaders to the Executive Council:

Know someone who’s leading with vision and impact—or are you that leader? Nominate them (or yourself!) for AESA’s Excellence in Executive Leadership Award.

What we're looking for?

• Advancement of the goals and philosophies of educational service agencies.
• Outstanding accomplishments and implementation of innovative practices.
• Exceptional leadership within the ESA community.
• Dedicated service to educational service agencies.
• Could be past or present executive leader.

In 2025, Dr. Dale McCall was honored for his visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to advancing educational opportunities across Colorado.  

Picture: Dr. McCall (center) at the 2025 Annual Conference & Expo with some of his team members.

There’s still time to register for AESA’s Mindset Over Machines roundtable featuring Dr. Eric Solomon, former executive at Google, YouTube, Instagram, and Spotify.

This live virtual conversation will explore:

• Leadership in an AI-driven world
• Decision-making during rapid change
• How to lead with clarity and judgment as technology reshapes the work

This is not a technical training or product demo, it’s a practical conversation for leaders navigating what comes next.

The Roundtable is available as a standalone experience for $79 and is also included with registration for AESA’s new Ascend Academy.

Today, May 12

3:00-4:00 pm (ET)

Financial planning, retirement questions, and employee benefits can sometimes feel complicated (and easy to push down the "to-do" list). To help AESA members better understand the resources available to them, PlanMember representatives will host a live Q&A session on Thursday, May 21 at 2:00 pm ET.

The conversation will include topics like:

• Retirement planning and pension readiness
• 403(b) and 457(b) options
• Financial wellness resources
• Tools available through myPlanMember™
• Questions ESA employees commonly ask about planning for the future

One helpful resource available through myPlanMember™ is a pension estimate calculator that can help employees better understand their projected retirement income and preparedness. The platform also includes educational resources, planning tools, wellness information, and employee discounts designed to support staff at every career stage.

Whether you’re early in your career, thinking seriously about retirement, or simply curious about the resources available to you, this is a chance to learn more and ask questions without pressure.

Live PlanMember Q&A
Thursday, May 21
2:00 pm ET

The world needs leaders who can operate globally with confidence, clarity, and integrity. To support that vision, AESA is offering a series of “Ask Jason” live webinar discussions with Jason Hiruo, Chief Global Officer.

Join the conversation and learn how AESA Global Coordinator Training prepares leaders to build meaningful international partnerships and expand opportunities for students and educators.

Upcoming sessions:

• May 29, 2026 | 2:00 PM ET
• June 24, 2026 | 2:00 PM ET

School mobility is high nationwide, but for students with disabilities, a new zip code often means a "transfer gap" in essential services. For military families, this can be a 4-month wait. Without standard definitions, families often face grueling delays in getting their children the help they need. To address this, a panel of experts has established a new shared vocabulary for the field. This consensus acts as a powerful policy lever designed to safeguard educational rights and ensure seamless transitions for every student, no matter where they move.

Project Tomorrow is currently administering the 2026 K–12 Cybersecurity Survey, part of a five-year national research initiative in partnership with iboss. This study is tracking how school districts are experiencing and responding to evolving cyber threats—and AESA members have an opportunity to ensure their perspectives are represented in the national conversation.

What AESA members gain:

• AESA-specific data insights: Use our dedicated link to ensure your network’s participation is captured. AESA will receive an aggregated data brief with insights your ESAs can immediately apply.
  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CyberAESA
  
  
• Access to a national peer network: Participation includes entry into the Project Tomorrow K–12 Cybersecurity Working Group, sponsored by iboss—a complimentary peer exchange running through November 2026 for CTOs, CISOs, and technology directors. ESAs are encouraged to extend this opportunity to their districts.

The survey closes August 31, 2026. Broad participation from AESA members will help ensure ESAs and the districts they support are strongly represented in this important national research.

A new study by the National Bureau of Economic Research finds that while strict school cellphone bans requiring locked pouches reduce student phone use, they have not (yet) led to improvements in test scores or attendance on average and are associated with an increase in suspensions in the first year of implementation.

• Reclaiming Accountability. Argues that we must confront the faulty assumptions that undergird current accountability. Once we do that, we can move forward to imagine accountability not as a static system of measurement and labels, but a dynamic system that facilitates improvement.
• High School Badging: Program Implementation Guidance for State and District Leaders. Two guides – one for district leaders and one for state leaders – that help them plan, implement, monitor and improve badging systems used in place of conventional assessments.
• Assessment Options for States: Potential Designs With Increased Federal Flexibility. This paper explores the potential opportunities and risks of several assessment options that could be available with more federal flexibility.
• Designing a Communication Plan When an Assessment Changes. Whenever a statewide assessment changes, a variety of audiences need to understand what changed, why, and what it means for them.

A Fordham Institute survey of K-3 reading teachers finds a significant gap between teachers’ commitment to the science of reading and the degree of successful curriculum implementation, with outcomes varying based on state policies and quality of curriculum providers.

This article explores two promising afterschool tutoring programs and questions whether integration into the school day is a critical design feature of effective tutoring programs.