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Superintendent / Principal Manages Campus from a Mobile Standing Desk

Purchasing a high quality adjustable mobile standing desk has helped me take the show on the road. By show I mean work on a laptop, and by road I mean classrooms. In other words, I leave my office with the computer and some basic office supplies then move around the campus with my adjustable mobile rolling desk ready for anything.

There are so many tasks to complete as a principal. My position is superintendent and principal – so double the tasks. Most of the work takes place on a laptop to accomplish items before a deadline. However, while tasks need to be completed – there are many people on campus during the day. People oftentimes need help and students need to know that there is a figure of authority observing learning and productivity. Also, students are just far less likely to be off-task and behave poorly when the principal is close.

Taking a mobile standing desk out of the office and into classrooms allows the principal to observe learning, classroom behaviors, gauge productivity, and do other important tasks behind the scenes.

The rolling desk moves into the first classroom where I stand and observe. This would be the time where I might send a quick email to the teacher for some feedback or other quick walk-through observations. While the lesson is happening, I can accomplish part of a task with a deadline attached while listening and looking up from time-to-time. After all seems good in the classroom, it’s time to move to the next classroom. I attempt to do this until I see all of the classrooms or at least a good portion of them were observed during a window of time. I attempt this process at least three times per week and more during the beginning of the school year.

Mobile standing desks help administrators be in two places at once.

The whole campus knows which mobile standing desk is the superintendent / principal’s. From time-to-time, I like for students to know I’m VERY present. The principal’s presence helps the site run smoothly. I will wheel the desk – laptop and all – into the back of a classroom. I’ll stand at it for a few minutes but then leave. I’ll leave my laptop on top of my standing desk. Then, I’ll go to another classroom without the desk. I’ll stand or take a seat in the next classroom. When I’m gone from my adjustable desk, students in the first classroom think I’ll be right back. They won’t get off task or behave poorly because the principal won’t leave his desk / laptop and not return. He’s returning and soon. So the desk acts as a superintendent / principal stand-in.

Another way I like to do this is during recess. I’ll put my laptop and desk in a very visible spot, usually in-front of a school security camera. I stand at the rolling adjustable desk for a while, talk to the kids and staff, and then leave. People know that I’m coming right back. How could I not? My desk and laptop are right there. The principal must be just around the corner…

Small Rocks and Larger Concrete / Blacktop Cracks are the Enemy

I attempted to buy the best standing desk with bigger wheels. There are cheaper ones but the wheels are smaller. I thought they would be mostly good for inside a classroom without leaving. The desk I needed had to withstand campus obstacles and hazards.

Even though the wheels are bigger on the model I chose, small rocks do stop the desk in its path. Also, larger concrete or blacktop cracks will do the same.

Users MUST hold onto anything valuable while traversing campus or it will fly off. Items on top of the desk fell off time after time because I was not holding onto it while moving around then I hit a rock. The rock stops the desk in its tracks and the item continues forward onto the ground.

This image below shows cracks that are fine to cross without the wheels catching. You can see my webcam wrapped around the hook provided.

This image shows an example of a crack that catches the wheels of a mobile standing desk. Hold onto everything!

The Mobile Standing Desk Model I Use

Using a mobile standing desk has been a game changer when managing staff and students while there is a need to complete tasks on a laptop. I’m linking the desk that I purchased here. I bought it off amazon. Super easy to assemble and did buy one with durability for movement around the whole campus. This model has a version for tall people and shorter people. Please note that the link to this particular mobile standing desk is an affiliate link that supports this site. I’m partial to this desk because I use it every day with great results.

Superintendent Gives Email Marketing Tips to Businesses and Startups Targeting Administrators in Education

I’m very passionate about improving the educational experience for students and staff. Oftentimes startups and established businesses have great products and services that could potentially help meet a need but their message gets lost in a massive sea of email. From personal experience as a school district superintendent, I can give you a few pointers to help in your email marketing campaign.

Here are a few examples of a typical inbox of a school district superintendent.

Since the superintendent’s email address is public knowledge, it ends up on practically every list and sold over and over again. It’s almost impossible to stay on top of real email from staff members, vendors, contractors, etc… with this much unsolicited spam email making its way into the inbox. Some of this ends up in the junk folder, but a lot of it does make it through to the actual inbox. The problem is that after years of serving as a superintendent and wading through unsolicited spam, it takes something special to get the attention of your target audience.

Stop Spamming and Get Personal: Consider sending an unpolished personalized email.

Be casual – Write like a friend or neighbor – No “Superintendent Peete” – etc…

Scan through public documents to find the goals of the district and how we plan to achieve them.

Do a small amount of research to find the focus of the superintendent or district. If targeting California, go on any district website and click on the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP). There you will see how the school plans to meet the state’s 8 priorities. Also, you will see special call-outs for deficient areas. My district, for example, needs to work on our chronic absenteeism rates. Lastly, schools in California enter what is called CSI or Comprehensive Support and Improvement when they are very deficient in a goal. It could be academics, suspension rate, chronic absenteeism, etc… Attempt to tie your product or service to the actual need of the district.

See where this is going? Switch your mindset from blanketed mass email to administrators to taking the steps to become a partner.

Quick tip: Superintendents typically know the superintendents in the neighboring districts. If you can use this in an informal way, it may help. Adding a reputational resource to the email in a casual way has the possibility of improving your conversion rate.

Here’s a short sample after looking at the LCAP, finding neighboring district superintendent names, and getting contact information. Your call to action should be getting a phone call – Do not expect much else… Once on the phone, the rest is up to you.

Hi Josh,

I’m working on a project to help districts in XYZ county fix their chronic absenteeism rates. Though your chronic absenteeism rate was 39%, some of the neighboring districts had double digit rates as well. I know you are addressing this in your LCAP this year. Hoping to ping a few ideas off you that could help. I’ve reached out to Joe and Jerry to see if a few of your neighboring districts are interested in collaborating. Call me when you have a moment – 916.555.1212

Your name

Use a generic email address – like gmail or other service. If not, then a .org email address sounds more service oriented. If your company or service name has a .com, we will likely make a snap judgment that you are just trying to make money and your email is less likely to convert.

A few notes about the sample above:

Notice how it sounds like a regular email with someone trying to help. It doesn’t seem super professionally polished, like you could send this out 1,000s of times with the click of a button like the images above show. Also, it comes across as wanting to help meet a need with a partner-seeking feel.

There are only about 1,000 school district superintendents in California. Less in other states… If administration is your target then target slowly, personally, and thoughtfully – mass just smells of spam and will be ignored even if it makes it into the inbox.

Superintendent Explains Why Schools Start Before Labor Day

School calendars vary by region in the United States. There is an expectation from the community, parents, and some staff for school to start after Labor Day. This feels like an ingrained cultural norm that is broken year after year with stakeholders wishing schools would just stick to the script. Every year as superintendent, I’m asked “Why is school starting in August?” and every year new children enroll after Labor Day no matter how much communication the district puts out in the community.

To answer this question, it’s important to know briefly how school calendars are created. The creation and editing of the school calendar is in the teacher’s union contract. Teachers typically have influence on the calendar because it affects their working conditions. District negotiators and the teacher’s union will settle on the development of the calendar, which is then taken to the school board for approval.

Why Does School Start in August?

In both elementary school districts (TK-8) and unified districts (TK-12), the school calendar is generally synchronized with the high school calendar to ensure consistency and accommodate families with students in different grade levels, taking into account the importance of high school grades and sports in the community.

The simplest answer I have for anyone in an elementary school district (a TK-8 school district without high schools) is that we follow the high school. Yes, it’s simple. You can’t have parents with elementary kids and high school students in the same household having different breaks, drastic differences to the start and end of their year, etc… So typically, elementary school districts look at the high school calendar and shoot for a start date that is close to accommodate families.

For those in unified districts (TK-12th grades) the answer is similar. The teachers will build the unified calendar with the high school students and staff in mind. Since high school grades affect the future of students and high school sports are important in communities, the development process includes great consideration for these facts.

Why Do High Schools Start in August?

High schools often start in August for several practical reasons, including aligning the semester’s end with the December break, optimizing preparation time for college-related matters, addressing attendance issues in June, and accommodating annual state testing, with an additional unofficial benefit being the advantage it provides to athletic programs that can hold extra practices before competing against schools with later start dates.

There are multiple reasons high schools start in August. First, when you start in August the semester ends at the December break. Finals week would be after a two week gap during Christmas/New Year season if the school year started in September. As stated above, grades in high school affect college acceptance and multi-week long breaks before finals may not be a students’ first decision. In some districts, attendance in June is really bad. Some families do not send students to school after Memorial Day. The less days students are required to attend school in June, the better for some communities. Also, annual state testing is typically in May so starting in August gives you more time to prepare. These are some of the main reasons schools start in August, but I feel there is an unofficial reason as well.

Unofficially, football and other fall sports cannot hold official practices until school starts. If one school starts early and they are competing against another school that starts late, there is an advantage for programs that have 2-3 weeks of extra practice. Therefore, athletic departments will want more practices before games. Athletic departments include teachers and teachers are big players in calendar creation.

Why Did School Start in September?

The tradition of schools starting after Labor Day, common in the 1980s and earlier, shifted in the 1990s due to changing educational priorities, economic factors, and the desire to maximize instructional time and align with academic schedules and global competitiveness.

Adults that grew up in 1980’s or before remember school always starting after Labor Day. This is still the case in multiple states across the United States. The practice dates back to the early 20th century where urban and rural district calendars aligned. Most schools were required to have a 180 day calendar and the day after Labor Day was culturally accepted as the start of the school year. This changed in 1990’s.

In the 1990s, there was a significant shift in the school start date in many regions. This transformation was influenced by various factors, including changing educational priorities and economic considerations. As schools began to emphasize standardized testing and academic performance, educators and policymakers looked for ways to maximize instructional time and ensure that students had ample preparation for exams. Additionally, an extended school year became more appealing in the face of concerns about global competitiveness. Economic considerations also played a role, with an earlier school start providing more opportunities for tourism revenue during the summer months, as families could take vacations in August, before school began. These combined factors contributed to the shift away from the traditional post-Labor Day start, marking a significant change in the historical pattern of school calendars.

Is August the New September?

Starting school in August has become a trend due to several reasons, including aligning with standardized testing schedules, avoiding gaps during the December break, accommodating students attending college during the summer, and offering more flexibility in the school year, reflecting the evolving dynamics of modern education and the changing needs of students and families.

Some of the main reasons for making August the new September include providing teachers the most time possible before state testing in May, the first semester ending in December without a two week gap over Christmas break, and some families do not send their children to school after Memorial Day. Also, many students in high school now attend college in the summer and school needs to be out prior to summer session. Lastly, if schools start in June then they can take a “ski week” in February and/or a week off in October.

Moreover, the shift towards starting school in August reflects the evolving dynamics of modern education and the changing needs of students and families. As higher education institutions increasingly offer summer sessions and students pursue year-round learning opportunities, aligning the high school calendar with these trends becomes crucial. By starting school in August and concluding before the summer session begins, students can seamlessly transition from high school to college, ensuring a smoother academic journey. Additionally, the flexibility in scheduling, including the possibility of breaks in February or October, offers a balanced approach to the school year, catering to the diverse needs and interests of both students and educators. As education continues to adapt to the demands of the 21st century, the choice to make August the new September reflects a response to the evolving landscape of learning and the desire to provide students with the best possible educational experience.

Hopefully this helped with:

Does school start after Labor Day?
Why does school start before Labor Day?
When is school starting again?
Why are schools starting earlier in the year?

Josh Peete, M. Ed. Admin.