Director's View

How Time Flies

Dr. Vic Wilson, Executive Director, CLAS

Greetings everyone,

By the time you receive this, we will be starting the last nine-weeks and gearing up for the testing windows, proms, and graduations. Time flies, does it not? It is my hope that your second semester has been more consistent for you relative to attendance and virtual/ face-to-face learning. Quite simply, education works better for most stakeholders when we have consistent face-to-face interactions. Consistency is the key to learning at higher levels, so hopefully, your situation has included a clear return to consistency.

At CLAS, we have continued to provide the best possible professional learning, communication, advocacy, networking, legal advice, and recognition possible for our 4000 members. Yes, that is correct. For the second consecutive year, we have passed the 4,000-member threshold, and I attribute that to the great work on the part of the CLAS staff to provide the six pillars listed above. It is also because of the work of our members growing the organization by ensuring that your peers are aware of the benefits provided by membership in CLAS. Thank you all for that!

We have a detailed Legislative Update in this issue, and I encourage you to take the time to read about the session. As always, you are the key to effective legislation, and your attention to bills of importance serves education well. Continue to engage your elected officials in this important work. Craft your narrative or someone will craft it for you.

Even though we have reached the last quarter of the school year, we are still working to provide great opportunities for our members. Please take time to check our professional learning opportunities on our website and let us know if you cannot find what you need. Dr. Demica Sanders, Mrs. Leslie Dennis, and Ms. Evelyn Roberson do a great job in our professional learning department, and they are here to help where they can. We would not be able to provide professional learning opportunities without the hard work of Dr. Sanders and the PL staff.

I would be remiss if I did not say thank you to every member of CLAS. You all have done fabulous work this year and during the last two years of working during the pandemic. You have been the key to learning for everyone under your care, and without you I shudder to think where our schools would be. Certainly, we have all made mistakes during the pandemic, but never did we fail to learn from those mistakes and move forward. For your hard work and leadership, I say THANK YOU!

Good luck on a great finish to the 2021-2022 School year, and I look forward to seeing you at the CLAS Convention in Birmingham during the month of June.

Sincerely,