Mindful Practices

03/27/2026

If you are planning professional development for 2026–27, this is a meaningful moment to reflect.

How much of your investment supports instructional practice?
How much supports the sustainability of the role itself?

Both matter.

When districts invest in educator well-being alongside instructional excellence, they support not only stronger teaching, but also stronger retention.

We have seen measurable improvements, not by adding more, but by supporting the whole person.

As you plan ahead, consider how well-being can be part of your professional learning strategy.

Learn more:
https://ow.ly/gBi750YzqTP

03/26/2026

✨ In 3 weeks! ✨

📅 April 14 — Perimenopause in Leadership
📅 April 15 — Women as Breadwinners

This admin academy is designed to educate all and champion women’s health in the education world! Leaders of all genders are welcome! Come learn, share, and support colleagues navigating these important paths. 💛

Reserve your spot today! 👉 https://ow.ly/uezS50YzjY8

03/23/2026

What does it really mean when more teachers stay in the district?

A 10% increase in teacher retention is a big deal. And what it means for students is even bigger! ✨

When teachers stay, relationships grow stronger, classrooms feel more stable, and students get the consistency they need to feel safe and supported. The adults who know them best get to keep showing up for them.

This is why educator wellbeing matters so much. When we care for the adults in our schools, we are directly caring for students too.

Let’s continue to take care of the people who take care of our kids! 🦋

03/20/2026

Perimenopause in Leadership
April 14 | Women’s Health Convening

Many women in leadership are navigating changes that are rarely talked about in professional spaces around shifts in energy, focus, sleep, and emotional regulation.

These experiences often begin during the same years women are leading schools and districts at a high level.

This space is an opportunity to name that reality.
To share openly.
And to explore what support can look like in the context of leadership.

Grounded. Practical. Rooted in real experience.

Register here:
https://ow.ly/ohbe50YwUj8

This restorative retreat experience is designed with the busy schedules of administrators, leaders, and district team members in mind.

03/19/2026

Being the Breadwinner
April 15th | Women’s Health Convening

There is a conversation many women leaders are having quietly:

I am the primary earner.
I cannot afford to burn out.
I cannot afford to step back.

For many women in educational leadership, this is part of the reality they carry while leading schools and districts every day.

This is why “just take care of yourself” can feel incomplete.
The stakes are real. The expectations are constant.

This space is not about fixing.
It is about naming.
Sharing.
And exploring what support can actually look like.

This session centers women’s experiences and welcomes all who want to better understand and support this reality in leadership.

Register: https://ow.ly/hP3r50YwxL8

This restorative retreat experience is designed with the busy schedules of administrators, leaders, and district team members in mind.

03/18/2026

Something we have been creating with care…

Women’s Health Convening
🗓 April 14: Being the Breadwinner
🗓 April 15: Perimenopause in Leadership

Two days. Two conversations that women in educational leadership rarely get to have in professional spaces, yet impact entire teams.

✨ Being the Breadwinner
Exploring the financial and emotional weight of being the primary earner while leading a school or district.

✨ Perimenopause in Leadership
Naming a health transition that can impact energy, focus, and emotional regulation—while carrying the responsibilities of leadership.

These are not side conversations.
They are part of what makes leadership sustainable.

Our sessions always have been and remain for everyone, women and men, who want to better understand, support, and lead well together are all invited to join us!

Registration is open! https://ow.ly/caST50YvWUq

This restorative retreat experience is designed with the busy schedules of administrators, leaders, and district team members in mind.

03/12/2026

Teachers, we know this time of year brings extra pressure, long hours, and stress for students and you too. Your impact is measured in far more than numbers: in the curiosity you spark, the support you provide, the resilience you model, and the lives you touch daily.

Test prep and assessments are part of the rhythm of the school year, but your care, creativity, and dedication extend far beyond any test. We invite you to enjoy a moment for yourself to pause, breathe, and reset.

Even a three-minute check-in can help you show up calmer, more present, and ready for those who depend on you.

Your work matters beyond the test.

Life and learning continues beyond any testing window.

03/11/2026

A 45% increase in administrator retention.

That is not a projection. It is what districts are seeing when they invest in leadership development grounded in the Collective Well-Being Framework.

For superintendents doing the math: every principal who leaves can cost a district between $50,000 and $150,000 in recruiting, onboarding, and lost institutional knowledge. The disruption to school culture is even harder to measure, but often more significant.

When districts invest in leadership sustainability, not just skill-building, but real well-being support for the adults leading schools, the return shows up in retention.

That 45% represents something meaningful.
It represents principals who chose to stay because someone invested in them as people, not only as positions.

Taking care of the adults who take care of students is not an extra initiative. It is a leadership strategy.

How is your district supporting the well-being of the leaders in your schools?

03/10/2026

Principals need love too! Here a a few ways to show them some love this month:

1. Ask how they are doing as a person, not about a project. Then take a moment to truly listen.

2. Remove someone thing from their plate. The signal of support matters as much as the task itself.

3. Celebrate their energy and name what they are doing well. Be specific. Share it publicly if it feels appropriate.

The districts with the strongest principal retention tend to share one thing in common: a leadership team that helps administrators feel seen, valued, and human, not just accountable.

Small moments of support can make a real difference during this stretch of the year.

What would you add to the list?

03/09/2026

March is when many educators begin quietly deciding whether they will return next year.

Not May. March.

There are no big announcements. Just quiet reflection. Conversations at home. A moment spent exploring what other opportunities might exist.

By the time a resignation letter appears, the decision often began forming months earlier.

For school leaders, retention is not a May problem. It is a March investment in supporting and caring for the adults who make schools possible.

Learn more:
https://ow.ly/zZJQ50Yryr3

02/12/2026

📣 Being together in person with educators who care deeply about students' systems and one another is energizing and grounding.

We are so grateful for the conversations, connections, and shared learning happening here at AASA and for this incredible community of leaders. ✨

If you are here, we would love to connect. Let us get a coffee and take a moment together. Send us a DM to take a coffee break with Carla! ☕

02/10/2026

📣 We are really looking forward to this powerful session at AASA!

✨ From Burnout to Balance: Superintendent Journeys and Strategies for Well Being
📅 February 13 | 2:30 to 3:30 PM CT

Carla will be moderating this engaging session with three superintendents at different stages of their careers as they share honest reflections on burnout resilience and renewal.

This session will be full of real stories, practical strategies, and an important reminder that modeling well-being is a vital part of leadership. We cannot wait to be in the room together for this conversation. 💛

If you will be at AASA, let us get a coffee and connect. Send us a DM to enjoy a coffee break with Carla! ☕