Today, October 27, is National Mentoring Day! 🎉 AWSP would like to offer a well-deserved thank you to the amazing 230 AWSP trained mentors! These mentors offer their support, guidance, friendship, expertise to over 125 new and newly assigned school leaders every year. AWSP-trained mentors are truly “friends of AWSP” as they deeply understand and are committed to impacting the effects of the principal churn rate in the state of Washington.

In honor of those who give back to the profession I would like share this short but poignant article from Forbes magazine about the importance of being a mentee and being a mentor. There truly is something in it for each of the participants!

The AWSP Mentor Program would not be successful if it weren't for the many seated and retired school leaders who give back to our profession by ensuring our new and newly assigned school leaders know they have friends to call and ask for support. Given the global pandemic and that school leader burnout is at an unprecedented high, our mentors give selflessly to our school leaders as they learn the ropes of new systems, new buildings/districts, and new ways to deliver education and supports while supporting their staff, students, and families.

Thank you again for your support of Washington’s school leaders! You are truly partners in education through this work. The gift of time and energy you give to cultivating strong school leaders in our state is so very appreciated.

Happy National Mentoring Day!