News and Advocacy

Principals are the backbone of Chicago’s public schools, the steady force ensuring that students and communities thrive despite the turmoil.

Right now, there’s a crucial struggle about to unfold in the Illinois Legislature that will impact every staff member, student, and family in Chicago’s schools.

Thank you to the principals and assistant principals who participated in the Elected School Board Forums last week. It was crucial for laying the groundwork for inclusion after the elections.

In the wake of the post-COVID-19 pandemic world, we are witnessing a surge in stress and anxiety among our students. It is imperative that we as school leaders are dedicated to implementing strategies that have been proven by research to enhance students' mental health, emotional well-being and academic success.

Central offices were set up more than a century ago to handle business and regulatory functions. Today’s schools require a fundamentally new approach.
AFSA has embarked on an official collaboration with the largest network of school leaders in Italy, Senza Zaino.

Lizzy Crispin headed the committee that led Leonardo da Vinci High School to become the first and only Blue Ribbon high school in Buffalo, New York. Currently assistant principal at the Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts, Lizzy recalls her days as AP at da Vinci: “It was a successful school, and I asked myself ‘What can I bring to the table?’” 

Overall, fatalities on the job rose 5.7%. The rise in fatal occupational injuries from 2021 to 2022 is “alarming and unacceptable” to the AFL-CIO.