Hello Rural Educators By Barb Goodwin, PhD Executive Director, Arizona School Personnel Administrators Association I am honored to introduce myself to you as the new Executive Director of the Arizona School Personnel Administrators Association (ASPAA). We have been an established organization since the 1970’s and recently became a nonprofit. Our organization is comprised of individuals who serve in, or are connected with, the Human Resources, benefits, and payroll areas of PK-12 school systems throughout Arizona. Our 300+ members enjoy many benefits of annual membership including a 3-day Fall Conference, a 1-day Spring Conference, and Monthly Lunch and Learns. One of our current areas of focus is to increase our outreach to rural schools and districts throughout Arizona. We know that many of our rural friends have a very small staff or may be the only person handling HR, payroll, and benefits. Our goal is to provide outreach, support, and mentorship so these leaders don’t feel they are working in isolation. During our November Fall Conference, I was able to participate in our regional meetings which were filled with many rural district employees. It was apparent that many of our returning members rely heavily on the connections they have made through ASPAA from colleagues who offer guidance and feedback in the work they do. We had 42 new members join ASPAA is year and many voiced their delight at finding a group that will offer training and support. I was able to get some feedback on some very specific topics from some “Stronger Together!” Page 10 of our returning and new members. Becky Wilson, our Northern Regional Representative, leads the Cottonwood/ Oak Creek HR Department. Becky states that offering our Lunch and Learns via Zoom has been beneficial to our rural members. Due to distance, many of our members are unable to travel to Maricopa county once a month for a two-hour training. Now they attend via the internet and gather the same information without the burden of travel. Lindsay Bitterman, Director of Personnel in Lake Havasu City is one of our new members. Networking has not been easy for Lindsay who is new to her position. She states, “It has been challenging to find a similarly sized district with similar staffing challenges to exchange ideas with and share solutions to our challenges. ASPAA’s conference was a great first step in overcoming that feeling of isolation.” Lindsay appreciates the virtual opportunities to participate in the monthly luncheon. As we continue to expand our rural support she states, “They have been invaluable learning experiences. I think regional meetings, to dive deeper into the issues at the rural level, would add another layer of support in navigating my new role and finding strategic partners to brainstorm and collaborate with.” One avenue of support in place for our members is offered each Spring. The Personnel Academy targets those who are new to the field of HR or to working in a school district. Our Academy, which (continued on page 12)
11 Publizr Home