A challenge faced by anyone who attends AASA’s national conference is figuring out how to be in two or three places at the same time in the vast convention center. The wealth of rich program content is a selling point for an alluring conference program, but it’s also a raison d’etre for Conference Daily Online.
The association’s ambitious multimedia newsletter surfaces every year around this time to document an array of the significant and the seemingly trivial taking place during AASA conference week.
It’s a major undertaking that few professional associations dare to tackle. For two years running, AASA’s e-newsletter was named the gold medalist in the daily convention publication category of the EXCEL Awards, a prestigious competition involving hundreds of trade groups and professional associations in all fields.
Over four days, the 2024 edition of Conference Daily Online has generated dozens of short news stories about principal speakers and topical sessions, coverage of the annual awards announcements, brief videos of distinctive speakers and conference activities, a galore of photos and daily blog postings from four veteran AASA members.
A new facet of substance this year was the addition of two half-hour podcast interviews each day with some of the leading thinkers and doers on the program, including Joe Sanfelippo, Jill Baker and Bill Daggett.
The publication’s website and early morning e-newsletter basically allow someone to experience the AASA conference in total, even when they’ve been precluded from sitting in on desired topics running concurrently or were unable to attend the conference.
The editor of Conference Daily Online, Jay P. Goldman, says he’s humbled each year by how a staff of individuals, some as young as high schoolers and others with a full professional life in daily journalism, can come together in tight quarters to generate the quantity and quality of coverage that they are able to do.
Joining Goldman, who otherwise serves as editor of School Administrator magazine, on the 2024 Conference Daily Online staff were the following:
- Managing editor: Jacqueline Hyman, senior editorial assistant, School Administrator magazine
- Digital editor: Bella Ross, community engagement editor, The San Diego Union-Tribune
- Videography coordinator: Michael Ellson, media arts teacher, Christ Presbyterian Academy, Nashville, Tenn.
- Senior editors: Jimmy Minichello, director of communication, AASA; and Liz Griffin (off-site), managing editor, School Administrator magazine
- Reporters: Bradley Beggs, graduate student, UC San Diego; Eugenie Budnik, senior, San Diego State University; Michael Klitzing, freelance writer, San Diego; Luis Monteagudo, freelance writer, San Diego; Peter Rowe, freelance writer, San Diego; Rebecca Salon, consultant, Silver Spring, Md.
- Videographers: Silas Bryant, senior, Christ Presbyterian Academy, Nashville, Tenn.; Lyla Kelley, junior, Christ Presbyterian Academy, Nashville, Tenn.; AB Ross, senior, Coronado High School, San Diego; Emercyn Randolph, junior, Christ Presbyterian Academy, Nashville, Tenn.; Bennett Songer, freshman, Christ Presbyterian Academy, Nashville, Tenn.
- Photographers: Howard Lipin, freelance photographer, San Diego; and Sandy Huffaker, freelance photographer, San Diego
- Bloggers: Dave Eberwein, superintendent/CEO, School District 63, Saanichton, British Columbia; Amy Illingworth, assistant superintendent of educational services in the Encinitas Union School District, Encinitas, Calif.; Kristine K. Morris, superintendent, Union Elementary School District 62, Tolleson, Ariz.; Allan Mucerino, superintendent, Alvord Unified School District, Corona, Calif.
- Podcasters: Joseph Jones, superintendent, New Castle Country Vocational-Technical School District, Wilmington, Del.; and T.J. Vari (off-site), deputy superintendent, Appoquinimink School District, Odessa, Del.