Happy Tuesday Everyone,

I hope this message finds you well. Our blast topic for this week is our ATC core value of Collective Responsibility. Generally, when I think of collective responsibility I think about what more I could be doing to be a “team player”. How can I better support the collective in question, whether that’s ATC, a community group I am a part of, or even my family.

At the end of a long semester that I know has challenged so many of you in different ways, however, I am thinking about Collective Responsibility in a new light. What is occurring to me is that the work we do is easier and more effective in community and that isolating ourselves from that community can have negative consequences for ourselves and our students. I’m thinking about the responsibilities we hold on our own that we should be sharing with the collective, the things that we say must be handled alone but should really be a team effort.

Even though you all work in different districts and contents and are held to the restriction of engaging with your cohorts virtually at the moment, I believe you have so much to offer one another and so many ways you can continue to support each other from afar. One of our program goals in the spring is to be more intentional about remaining connected with alumni and having them play an active role in the community as well. I hope that when that happens, you see ATC alumni as an extension of your collective and as more people to share the sometimes heavy burden of creating excellent, equitable, education for students with.

Over this winter break take some time to think about how you can lean more into this community and your other support groups in the new year. Let’s hold ourselves responsible not just for helping others when they ask but also for reaching out when we are the ones who could use community care. We are collectively responsible for our work and for one another, allow us to assume that responsibility and step up to the plate.

In solidarity and community,
Donnalie