Hi Next Gen'ers,

February is a great month for games, with events like the Pro Bowl, the Super Bowl, the Phoenix Open, and the NBA heading into the All-Star break. The second season of the AEL games is also back, and it looks like downtown is going to let it play out all the way until the buzzer.

I have a plan to make the most of the AEL games this month. Over the last 40+ years, there have been so many loopholes in the AEL that it looks like Swiss cheese. I am going to walk through all of my favorites, and for every business day we have in February where they don't finish the vote, I will detail another AEL loophole. Certain loopholes will only work for certain districts, but by the end of the month, my hope is that you can each find something that works for you. I encourage second opinions from legal counsel and would appreciate any feedback if you come across a loophole that is contrary to what I have outlined.

There is a school of thought that if we can find a way to survive post-AEL execution, we will be at risk every year to follow. Some believe that a certain amount of pain needs to be felt first to drive real change. To anyone that feels that way, I have only one response: there are over 150 districts not in Next Gen.

My goal is to help us all find a way to reassure our employees that everything is going to be okay, keep our doors open, keep our staff employed, and continue to provide the best education we can to our students. All of the AEL loopholes I will be sending are meant to help achieve that goal. I understand that many of these loopholes will come under legal attack, possibly from a Democrat Attorney General who needs to defend the viewpoints of the Freedom Caucus. Let's see what February brings.

Jeremy