While in the midst of high stakes testing, oftentimes students and educators report high stress, anxiety, sleep issues, and reduced morale. That is NOT what I experienced this morning (AASA WRITING DAY) as our students entered the front doors with a pep in their step and pride in their stride! While a few indicated they were nervous (mostly 3rd graders), several said they were EXCITED! Upon completion, the looks of accomplishment shined especially bright among the 3rd graders. They did something really hard! They worked really hard. This is a testament to the Marshall staff! Reassuring students that they are ready and to simply do their best is the continuous and collective message they are hearing. The pride is palpable and the testing environment is protected (working on the cafe noise)! Thank you ALL for your part in setting our Mustangs up for success this month and everyday that came before it! If you have time, enjoy this short article. It resonates with me as I look forward to all that is ahead in this celebratory 4th quarter while strategically planning the next school year to come. The work is never-ending. The cycle of growth is inspiring. The team I get to do it with and the students we get to do it all for is what keeps me motivated! You are all leaders! Perhaps you too might resonate with this article. May the 100 days of April bring you healthy soil to accomplish your personal and professional goals!
~ Reasor
Why school leadership after spring break looks different
Opinion Writing By:Quintin Shepherd
Date: March 26, 2026
There are a few lessons you learn early if you grow up on a farm. They are not always written down anywhere. They are learned through long days, quiet observation, and occasionally the hard way.
Two of those lessons have stayed with me throughout my life, including my work as a school leader. The first is simple: leave everything better than you found it.
On a farm, if you leave a gate broken, a tool out of place or equipment in worse condition than when you started, tomorrow becomes harder. The work compounds.
One small act of neglect turns into a larger problem. Left unchecked, that pattern creates a downward spiral.
But the opposite is also true. When you leave something better than you found it, the work compounds in a different direction.
The tools are ready. The field is prepared. The work of tomorrow becomes easier because of the care taken today. Schools work much the same way.
The second lesson is about soil. Farmers understand something deeply practical. The best seeds in the world cannot grow in poorly tended soil.
You can plant the most promising crop imaginable, but if the soil has not been prepared, nourished and cared for, those seeds will struggle. Healthy soil produces healthy growth. Poor soil produces frustration.
Final months are for harvesting
These lessons often come back to me when the school year reaches its final stretch. By the time we return from spring break, most of the planting will have already been done.
The culture has largely been set. The systems are in place. Students have formed relationships with their teachers. Classrooms have established rhythms. The year has taken shape.
In many ways, the final months of the school year are not about planting anything new. They are about harvest. This is where leadership changes posture.
Early in the year, leadership focuses on direction. We establish expectations. We launch initiatives. We set priorities. Those things matter deeply.
But as the year moves toward its close, the work of leadership becomes something slightly different. We begin to gather what the year has produced.
Farmers walk their fields during harvest season. They observe carefully. They notice where growth was strong and where it was uneven. They pay attention to the places that surprised them. School leaders should do the same.
This is the season for walking the halls with curiosity rather than urgency. Sitting at a lunch table with students. Accepting the invitation to the e-sports competition, the choir concert, the art show, or the athletic event, or visiting classrooms simply to observe the life unfolding there.
You cannot harvest what you never walk past.
Celebrate after spring break
This is also the season for gathering stories. Every school year produces them.
A student who discovered confidence. A teacher who tried something new. A team that quietly supported one another through challenges. A moment of belonging that changed how someone experienced school.
These stories matter because they remind us why the work exists in the first place.
Harvest season is also gratitude season. Schools move quickly. The calendar pushes forward. The next initiative always waits just around the corner.
But the final months of the year offer a chance to pause long enough to celebrate what has been accomplished:
The growth we see in students.
The persistence of educators.
The commitment of staff members whose work often goes unseen.
The partnership of families who trust us with their children.
These are the fruits of a school year. And there is one final lesson from the farm that may matter most during this season.
Richer every season
At harvest time, you do not get to change the crop. You simply learn from it.
Farmers do not stand in the field wishing they had planted something different months earlier. They gather what grew, study it carefully, and use those lessons to prepare for the next season.
School leaders can do the same. After spring break, we can ask ourselves what truly grew this year. Which practices strengthened our schools? Which relationships deepened? Which efforts produced meaningful growth for students?
Those insights become the seeds we save for the future, because even as harvest ends, another season quietly approaches. The soil must be tended. The lessons must be gathered. And the work must continue in a way that leaves the field better than we found it.
If we do that well, year after year, the upward spiral begins to take hold. And the harvest becomes richer with every season.
Contracts - don't forget to sign
Certified contracts will be issued electronically through Frontline as follows:
- Continuing Certified Employees: March 16, 2026
- Non-Continuing Certified Employees: April 10, 2026
- All Licensed Professionals: April 10, 2026
All contracts must be signed within fifteen (15) business days of receipt.
April 24th District Collaboration Day
Our April 24th District Collaboration Day (rescheduled from the original February date) K-5 Teachers will stay at Marshall for a virtual CKLA implementation presentation in the library from 1:00-2:00pm. All other certified staff, it is my understanding that you should plan to join your respective district collaboration teams at your assigned site. Please let me know if you hear differently.
STEM Celebration
The 2026 STEM Celebration will take place at Fort Tuthill again this year on Saturday, April 25th. Marshall will represent! . We would love to have a few more staff join for the fun event. If you have engaging and fun, hands on ideas for the event, please share them! Many hands makes light work!
Professional Development Opportunities Ahead! $$ & GROWTH!
CKLA Adoption Info - Training
You are invited to participate in three days of Summer ELA Curriculum Work on May 26–28, 2026, from 8:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. each day (with a 30-minute lunch on your own).
Location: Family Resource Center
Participation is optional; however, if you choose to attend, this is a three-day commitment. The learning is designed to build across all sessions, and full participation will ensure you feel fully prepared for the start of the school year.
Participants will be compensated at $40 per hour for 6.5 hours each day.
If you are unable to attend, another CKLA training option will be available during Back-to-School Week in August.
Technology, Learning & Innovation Department is excited to share a variety of professional learning opportunities available this spring. Whether you’re looking to explore new tools, strengthen your skills, or dive into AI, there’s something here for everyone!
Click the links below to register for the following courses on Frontline:
In-Person Professional Learning
Engaging Student Learning with Canvas April 8th 4-5:30pm
Join us for a hands-on professional learning session focused on building engaging learning environments in Canvas. We’ll explore assignment options, discussion strategies, and powerful integrations like Google and Nearpod to enrich student learning. This workshop includes collaborative exploration and built-in creation time so you can design, revise, and enhance your course with support from the facilitator.
Asynchronous Canvas Courses- Spring 2026
Northern Arizona Restorative Justice will be offering a Flagstaff Restorative Practice Training in Flagstaff on April 25th & 26th, 2026 (9am-5pm).
This two day training will cover facilitator training, implementation in education and criminal justice, roots of Restorative Justice, and an opportunity to participate in restorative practice programs.
Visit https://www.narj.org/ for more information and to register. Contact NARJ directly at 928-202-0446 with any questions or for support.
FUSD has updated its instructional minute guidelines. Please review the updated requirements below for your grade level and begin drafting how this might work in your grade level. After AASA testing, we will be composing classes and finalizing schedules!
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