October 23, 2017
EDCAL 3
a publication of acsa’s member services and
member assistance and legal support team | volume 37
What we do as leaders
This article was written by Marc Ecker
and John Almond, co-directors of ACSA’s
Mentoring Program
Now entering its third full year, ACSA’s
Mentoring Program is having a positive
impact. More than 100 mentoring relation-
ships were established last year with the
expectation that the program will double in
2017-18. Rather than describe the dynam-
ics of the program, we would rather refer
you to our quarterly updates and the pro-
gram description on the ACSA website at
www.acsa.org/mentorprogram.
Let us pose a question to you: As an edu-
cational leader why would you not embrace
the spirit of this dynamic program by com-
ing to the assistance of any newly-placed
administrator with information about
ACSA’s mentoring program?
It doesn’t cost our members one cent and
yet it very well could prove to be the differ-
ence between a successful and an unsuccess-
ful experience for the new administrator. As
educational leaders, this goes to the heart of
what we do.
How often do we see brand new assis-
tant principals, principals and district office
administrators left alone to find their way
through the challenges of a very difficult
first or second year? This is not new. All we
have to do is reflect upon our own experi-
ences as new administrators. Who was there
for us? Today, ACSA is that person’s safety
net.
You know how important professional
relationships are to our own success and to
the success of those we lead. We have heard
countless stories of that first horrendous
year during our careers, new administrators
reluctant to seek help for fear that it would
reflect negatively on their performance. Yet
we are stronger together, and we know that
a professional and confidential relationship
with a skilled, experienced and trusting
colleague could very well be the difference
between a long and dynamic career and one
that is cut short due to mistakes caused by
inexperience.
Here is our challenge to you: Find an
administrator who is new to his or her
position. Ask them if they are a member
of ACSA, and if so, encourage them to
go to the association website and sign up
for the program. If they are not a member,
make sure they know the benefits of ACSA
membership and support that statement by
referencing the mentoring program.
This is what educational leaders do. We
support our colleagues, for we know that by
so doing, we truly advocate for the students
we serve.
ACSA Advocates Corner: How
members can access this benefit
Each year nearly 800 ACSA members
call the Member Assistance and Legal
Support Team for assistance on a variety of
matters, including demotion, reassignment,
CTC issues, contract assistance, responding
to a negative evaluation, settlement agree-
ments, administrative leave, complaints and
investigations.
This is a service available to all members.
Our seven Member Assistance Advocates
and nine panel attorneys are available to
assist ACSA members.
• Begin by calling (800) 608-2272 to ask
Leaders with Campbell
Union High School
District meet with
ACSA Ambassador
Barry Schimmel, far
right.
for legal assistance.
• Joanne Godfrey in the ACSA Ontario
office will assign you to an advocate.
• 77 percent of the calls received are
taken care of by the Advocates.
• If an attorney is required, the Advocate
will refer you to one of the ACSA panel
attorneys.
• You must have been a regular ACSA
member in good standing for six months at
the time the problem arose to receive direct
legal assistance.
There are three possible levels of legal
Ambassador Erma Cobb paid a visit to ACSA
members in San Francisco Unified.
Two ACSA Ambassadors, Linda Ursery Fleming
and Richard Martinez, back row, shared about
ACSA benefits with leaders in Pomona USD.
Back to school with bagels
ACSA Ambassadors make visits to school districts every year. This offers an opportunity to let members
know we care about them, and to establish relationships, so that members can place a face and name
with ACSA. It also allows members a cha