A leading voice for education leadership, namely principals, the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) focuses on transforming educational leadership positively impact students. The NASSP offers research-based and peer-tested tools and resources to its members and the academic community. At the same time, it supports student excellence through its National Honor Society, the National Junior Honor Society, National Student Council, and the National Elementary Honor Society. The NASSP spent the latter half of 2021 advocating for both educators and students. In September 2021, administrators around the country faced backlash after instituting regulations regarding wearing masks, quarantines, vaccines, and other health-related protections. In addition to dealing with non-compliant students and their parents, school administrators dealt with threats related to their safety and school and out-and-out hostility from the community. School administrators are in a hard place because they have not created these rules, but these were directives by the Centers for Disease Control and state and local health departments. Even so, they are being treated as if they did. The NASSP immediately activated and called on federal officials to provide these educators with some protection in response to these threats. In early October 2021, the federal government answered the NASSP’s call. The Justice Department announced the Federal Bureau of Investigation's intention to work with federal attorneys and state and local leaders to devise strategies for addressing threats against educators. The NASSP was grateful for the government intervention, noting that being faced with threats and hostility from the community changes the tone of education, making the environment not conducive for learning.

1. NASSP Advocates for Students and
Educators
Daryl Roselle

2. Introduction
A leading voice for education leadership, namely principals, the National Association of
Secondary School Principals (NASSP) focuses on transforming educational leadership
positively impact students. The NASSP offers research-based and peer-tested tools and
resources to its members and the academic community. At the same time, it supports
student excellence through its National Honor Society, the National Junior Honor Society,
National Student Council, and the National Elementary Honor Society.

3. The NASSP spent the latter half of 2021 advocating for both educators and students. In
September 2021, administrators around the country faced backlash after instituting
regulations regarding wearing masks, quarantines, vaccines, and other health-related
protections. In addition to dealing with non-compliant students and their parents,
school administrators dealt with threats related to their safety and school and out-and-
out hostility from the community.

4. School administrators are in a hard place because they have not created these rules,
but these were directives by the Centers for Disease Control and state and local health
departments. Even so, they are being treated as if they did. The NASSP immediately
activated and called on federal officials to provide these educators with some
protection in response to these threats.

5. In early October 2021, the federal government answered the NASSP’s call. The Justice
Department announced the Federal Bureau of Investigation's intention to work with
federal attorneys and state and local leaders to devise strategies for addressing threats
against educators. The NASSP was grateful for the government intervention, noting that
being faced with threats and hostility from the community changes the tone of
education, making the environment not conducive for learning.

6. A December 2021 survey revealed that some principals have considered leaving
education. The survey results reported that principal retention has become fractured as
the stresses of political tensions, the pandemic, and lack of resources put pressure on
administrators.

7. The survey specifically stated that, if matters continue on this course, four out of ten
principals are forecasted to leave the profession in what the NASSP calls a mass
exodus. The survey also found that one of the reasons for principal dissatisfaction is
the teacher shortage. Then, politics around COVID is another reason many principals
are considering leaving the profession, many of these concerns focusing on teacher,
staff, or student safety.

8. Finally, 37 percent of principals will choose to leave in the next three years because of
the heavy workload. Other reasons include meeting state accountability (31 percent)
measures and the amount of time they have to spend meeting compliance
requirements (30 percent).

9. On a lighter note, though, the NASSP announced that it had awarded $2 million in
scholarships through the National Honor Society (NHS) program. A parent organization
to the NHS, NASSP announced in October that 600 high school students received
awards for the 2021-2022 year.

10. These scholarships are designed to celebrate students who have achieved the four
pillars of NHS membership: leadership, service, character, and scholarship. The $2
million will be divided three ways, with the national winner receiving $25,000, 24 finalists
receiving $5,625, and 575 semifinalists receiving $3,200.

11. To qualify for consideration, NHS members must have applied before December 1,
2021. They had to be active members of NHS, high school seniors in good standing,
enrolled in an NHS-affiliated program, and planning to attend a post-secondary
institution in the fall of 2022.