Blog Submission Guidelines

Have an idea for a blog post or series of posts? Looking to contribute on a regular basis?

The AASA Schools of Thought blog is dedicated to sharing practical resources, innovative ideas and effective practices in public education leadership.

With a focus on positive stories highlighting learner-centered and future-driven approaches, the Schools of Thought blog is seeking posts that offer district leaders inspiration and actionable strategies to foster impactful change.

Writing Considerations & Guidelines

AASA is committed to highlighting the amazing work happening in public schools around the country every day.

We are looking for timely and topical pieces related to AASA’s mission and initiatives, innovative approaches to problems of practice in educational leadership, and hot topics affecting public education today.

 Broad Considerations Include:
  • Experiences or lessons learned from an AASA program, event or conference
  • Reflections on successful initiatives you’ve implemented within your school district or community
  • Pieces highlighting or commenting on recent developments in the field of education
  • Leadership development tips, ideas, or do’s and don’ts
  • Personal stories of challenges or successes Innovative approaches or strategies to fostering student success
  • Effective practices in leading teams and inspiring excellence
  • Future-driven approaches in educational leadership
 Tips for Effective Posts:
  • Write in a conversational, non-academic tone
  • Focus on a specific idea to keep the blog post brief
  • Consider utilizing lists and/or bullet points to improve readability
  • Add subheadings to improve scannability
  • Include practical and actionable takeaways
  • Include images and captions to add visual interest
  • Write with these primary audiences in mind: public school system leaders and aspiring leaders
     Submission Guidelines & Requirements
    • Each post should be around 500-800 words
    • Include author headshot(s) of at least 300dpi
    • Include short author bio(s) of about 75 words or less
       What We WON'T Publish:
      • Book reviews
      • Advertisements for products or services
      • Any post that goes against AASA’s mission, vision, values

      Submitting Your Post for Consideration

      Submissions may fall under one of three categories:

      Single Blog Post Submission

      Submit a single post for consideration around one topic, event or initiative in compliance with the guidelines listed above.

      Submit Now

      Blog Series Submission

      Submit a proposed series of posts (typically 2-4 posts) around an overarching topic.

      Series submissions should include:

      • A proposal outlining the intent of the series
      • The completed first post in compliance with the guidelines listed above
      • The proposed focus of subsequent posts.

      Submit Now

      Regular AASA Blogger Submission

      Apply to be a regular contributor to the AASA Schools of Thought blog! Applications open annually in February and close on April 30.

      Regular bloggers, if accepted, commit to providing a minimum of 6 topical blog posts, every other month, for one year (July - June), according to a predetermined schedule.

      Learn More

      Copyright & Permissions

      General Copyright Permissions
      Ownership of Copyright
      By submitting a blog post to AASA for publication, contributors acknowledge and agree that AASA will retain full copyright ownership of the content upon its publication. This includes all rights to reproduce, distribute, adapt, display and otherwise use the content in any medium or format, now known or hereafter developed, for promotional, educational, or any other purposes aligned with AASA's mission.
      Contributor Acknowledgement
      While AASA retains copyright, contributors will be credited as the author of their respective blog posts. AASA encourages contributors to share links to their published posts to enhance visibility and engagement.
      Submission Agreement

      Submission of a blog post to AASA constitutes acceptance of this copyright policy. Contributors must ensure that submitted content is original and does not infringe upon the intellectual property rights of others.

      This policy ensures the protection of AASA’s intellectual property while providing a platform for thought leadership in public education.

      Blog Image Rights Policy
      Certification of Rights
      By submitting images to accompany a blog post, contributors certify that they hold the necessary rights to use these images or have obtained proper authorization to use them. This includes ensuring the images do not infringe on the intellectual property or privacy rights of others.
      Permission for Use
      Contributors grant AASA a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual license to use the submitted images across all AASA communication channels, both digital and print.
      Compliance with Privacy Laws
      Contributors are responsible for ensuring that submitted images comply with all applicable privacy laws and that any individuals depicted in the images have granted necessary permissions for their likeness to be used in this context.
      Acknowledgment of Policy

      Submission of images to AASA constitutes acceptance of this Image Rights Policy.

      AASA reserves the right to decline the use of any image that does not meet these standards. This policy protects both AASA and its contributors while maintaining ethical and legal use of visual content.

      Content Editing Policy
      Editorial Discretion
      AASA reserves the right to edit and modify blog posts as necessary prior to publication. Edits may include adjustments for clarity, grammar, tone, length, or alignment with AASA's style guide and mission.
      Contributor Pre-Approval

      To ensure collaboration and maintain the integrity of the contributor's voice, AASA will share any substantive changes with the contributor for pre-approval before final publication. Contributors are expected to respond promptly to facilitate the publishing process.

      This policy ensures the quality and consistency of AASA’s blog content while respecting contributors' perspectives and expertise.