Achievement & Assessment Institute at KU’s Post

I created the Leaders Plus Fellowship because I believe no one should have to choose between being a present parent and having a fulfilling, ambitious career. 🎯What is one thing you changed your mind about when you returned to work? I thought maternity leaves would damage my career and a long break would make me worse at my job. But to the contrary, Leaders Plus has grown its impact and size each time I went on maternity leave. This was because being away made me more strategic and made me sort the important stuff from the day to day noise. Plus, I took my baby to lots of grown up networking events! 🎯What would you do differently if you were to go on parental leave again? With my second baby , I tried to work with baby on my lap during mat leave which I had to do because Leaders Plus was still too small to hire a maternity cover for me. But, I should have definitely hired a baby sitter for the few hours when I had to work during maternity leave and prioritised my wellbeing. 🎯What, if any, doubts or insecurities did you have about being a senior leader while raising children? And how did you overcome that? I exposed myself to role models who had big careers with small children. I was lucky enough to have Geraldine Strathdee, Karen Blackett Funke Abimbola to convince them to a leaders with babies event in the House of Commons and share their stories. I found this very inspiring which was key trigger to me setting up Leaders Plus to give other parents the support of senior leaders who had combined big careers with young children My top practical tip If your child starts nursery when you return to work, have a back up plan! Mine all picked up a bug in the first few weeks, and having a plan for what to do when that happens in the first few weeks was key for me. In my case, my partner told his work that the baby was due to start nursery and he may need to take time out of work when the baby falls ill. A third of our Fellows are returning to work after maternity leave and have doubts, questions, and fears about how to plan and move forward in their career. We want to help bring clarity and restore confidence. Through peer support, expert workshops, and guidance from senior mentors, our Fellowship equips you with the tools and confidence needed as both a leader and a parent.  To find out how our award-winning Fellowship Programme can help you combine an executive career with present parenting, visit: https://lnkd.in/evHAciqK Want to stay updated on our latest events and resources? Sign up to our newsletter here: leadersplus.org/newsletter. Add a comment

Here are some thoughtful reflections from our CEO Verena. And advice for anyone returning to work after maternity leave.

School leadership matters - and it's getting harder to do. The struggle is real and principals need more meaningful support to lead well, be well and believe they should continue in the role. Find out how coaching might be the difference maker. Join us tomorrow, November 19 from 12-1pm, for this webinar learn more!

ECDAN's Executive Leadership Council is exploring innovative financing mechanisms for the early years. Despite what we know about the critical importance of early brain development, the data reveals a concerning reality: investment levels for younger children are significantly lower than for older children. It's time to prioritize and invest in the foundational years. 🌱 #ECDFinance #InvestInEarlyYears #BrainDevelopment #EarlyChildhood #Leadership #EarlyChildhoodDevelopment

Kickstart 2025 with purpose and impact! 💡 The Childcare Leadership Checklist is designed to help leaders in early education set clear goals, foster meaningful connections, and prioritize professional growth throughout the year. 🌟 Get your copy here: hopp.bio/iamlorirobins Which task in January are you going to do first? Share your thoughts below—I’d love to hear! #ChildcareLeadership #EarlyChildhoodEducation #LeadershipDevelopment #ProfessionalGrowth #ChildcareDirectorTips

📢 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗳𝗳 𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁-𝘄𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁? Our upcoming national report, 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲: 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟵–𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰, launching this Thursday, explores vital questions for trust leaders: ✅ How can clearer communication and a stronger sense of community enhance staff engagement? ✅ What does the disparity between leadership and teaching staff perspectives mean for your trust? ✅ How are trust vision and values evolving, and why does it matter? The report offers insights to help you strengthen relationships across your trust and ensure every staff member feels part of the mission. 💡 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘂𝗽 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲: 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟵–𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰: https://lnkd.in/dFzMdt-7 #EducationLeadership #StaffEngagement #TrustCommunity

Are education systems prepared to help all children and young people build skills that will enable them to thrive today and in the future? Together with colleagues from #CUE at The Brookings Institution and our #KnowingDoingNetwork Leadership Coalition, I'm sharing how we are thinking about this issue, and why we believe a network approach is a sensible way to begin the inquiry. Read our first piece here: https://lnkd.in/dnRJe7zv

Open for debate….I dont agree with everything in this article but post to open discussions. #humanresourcesmanagement #AthensState #theLaunchBox #ASU #careerdevelopment #professionaldevelopment #LearningCulture #leadership #humanperformancedevelopment #smallbusiness #YouthMentoring #FinancialLiteracy #FutureLeaders #AdultEducation #Legacy #Inspire #Dedication #leadership #motivation #success #business #entrepreneur #inspiration #mindset #careerpathways #careerreadiness #careerdevelopment #careercoach #careers #workforcedevelopment #workforcetraining #relationships #policy #collaboration #relationship #huntsvilleal #decatural #madisonal #hartselleal #athensal #arabal #cullmanal #florenceal #development #leadershipdevelopment

Attendance at industry conferences and leadership summits is seen within the business world as a necessary form of professional development #PD. So why are #superintendents being criticized for embracing these opportunities to acquire new knowledge, discover best practices, hear from renowned thought leaders, and network with their peers?   In this new Forbes Business Council op-ed, Doug Roberts emphasizes the importance of ongoing, tailored support for superintendents—whose average tenure has dropped to just one to three years—in addressing the unique challenges of their crucial role in #K12 #education. https://lnkd.in/e2KC57jj   As the founder and CEO of the Institute for Education Innovation, a superintendent think tank, Doug has a unique vantage point for witnessing both the unfortunate pushback and the deep and lasting benefits of in-person professional development. He also shares how local business leaders can buttress superintendents’ work through on-the-ground support, coaching, and advocacy.   #ProfessionalDevelopment #ThoughtLeadership #EdTech #Collaboration

When leadership education reaches the inexperienced, Extension addresses the rural leadership gap. https://lnkd.in/gts9Vgk7