ACSA’s Leadership magazine seeks article submissions for 2021-22 school year

Leadership is ACSA’s magazine that is published five times annually and distributed to all ACSA members. The themes and subtopics are released each spring.

“I’m always impressed by the submissions we receive for this magazine,” said Senior Director of Marketing and Communications Naj Alikhan. “The California public school educators who are willing to discuss their successes and challenges and the strategies they have used to serve students is truly inspirational.”

ACSA members and thought-leaders are encouraged to begin submitting written work on these themes and subtopics now. Submissions can be sent to Alikhan at nalikhan@acsa.org.

Submissions must be at least 750 words and include practical information written in an informal style. References in APA style must be included if the articles are quoting studies or content from other authors.

For the third straight year, Leadership magazine will focus the May/June 2021 edition on Student Voices. This entire edition will be written by California public school students, who share their experiences with academics, culture and identity, extra-curricular activities, mental health and more.

“A few years ago we came up with the idea of turning over an entire edition of the magazine to students because their words can shape the future of public education,” Alikhan said. “We expected to get a few dozen submissions but we’ve received nearly 300 over the two years we’ve put together this issue. It’s proof that our students want to have a voice in public education.”

September/October 2021: What’s Next for Schools How to welcome students back to campuses this fall; Social-emotional effects of pandemic; Addressing achievement gaps; Hybrid instruction models; Trauma-informed teaching; COVID Safety Plans; Sick child policy; COVID tracing; Opportunities to improve education; Applying distance learning strategies to in-person instruction. Submission Deadline: June 14, 2021

November/December 2021: Leading Through Change Teacher shortage; Budget processes; Board relations; School funding/local control/LCFF flexibility; Staff recruitment and retention; Preventing and addressing burnout; Newest management trends and studies. Submission Deadline: August 9, 2021

January/February 2022: Family Engagement Emerging and traditional communications solutions; School nutrition/meal plans; Supporting families; Crisis communications; Community/health partnerships; Virtual parent participation (PTA meetings, school board); Multilingual communication; How to apply feedback/surveys to solutions; Social media best practices. Submission Deadline: Oct. 4, 2021

March/April 2022: Social Justice in Education Student privacy; School discipline and policing; Moral obligation of educators; Anti-racism in schools; Equitable funding; Suspension/expulsion disparities; Addressing institutional and personal bias; LGBTQ+ rights; Inclusionary curriculum; Teaching social justice; Clubs supporting social justice. Submission Deadline: Nov. 29, 2021

May/June 2022: Student Voices After COVID (submissions by student authors) Experiences in distance learning; Mental health; Returning to campus/in-person instruction; Student athletics; Missing out and making it work; What the pandemic has taught you; Being at home/family dynamics. Submission Deadline: Jan. 31, 2022