Transformative Principal

In this episode, live at ISTE, Jethro D. Jones talks with Kip Glazer, principal at Mountain View High School, about her book "Ready to Lead with AI: A Practical Guide for School Leaders." They dive into the emotional weight of school leadership — managing competing stakeholder demands, setting…

Jethro D. Jones interviews Kevin Donohue, a Catholic school leader turned FACTS Education Solutions consultant, at ISTE 2026. Kevin shares his path from teacher to principal through a residency model in the LA Archdiocese, then dives deep into practical ways AI can support Professional Learning…

Jethro D. Jones sits down with Evin Schwarz (co-founder of Thinkering) at ISTE/ASCD 2026 to discuss the partnership between Thinkering and the BE Podcast Network. They dig into why teacher voice matters more than ever, how podcasting helps educators clarify their thinking and build community, and…

In this episode, Jethro sits down with Dr. Erin Bailey, VP of Literacy Programs and Research at Reading Is Fundamental, to explore two exciting 2026 developments. Erin shares the growth of Skybrary, RIF's e-book app offering 1,000 read-to-me picture books, now with a free tier providing 100 books…

Kate O'Connell, an international education consultant and leadership coach based in Cambodia, joins the podcast to discuss her journey from classroom teacher to headship across four countries. She unpacks the difference between coaching and mentoring, and how she blends both to help school leaders…

Jethro D. Jones sits down with Simon and Jill from ClassVR at ISTE 2026 to talk about the company's newest VR innovations in education. They dive into Thrive, a sensory regulation product designed to support students who struggle with dysregulation, and preview ClassVR's new STEM library, which…

Jethro D. Jones interviews Jamie Candee (CEO of Edmentum) about bridging the gap between K-12 education and career readiness. They discuss how AI is reshaping the job market, why "durable skills" matter more than ever, and how schools can expose students to career paths early through career…

At ISTE 2026, Jethro Jones sits down with Mike Anderson to discuss his new book, Hugging Porcupines: Practical Strategies for Supporting Kids Who Struggle with Behavior in School . They explore why some students disengage, resist connection, and act out — and how teachers can respond with…

Pete Hall joins Jethro Jones live at ISTE 2026 to discuss his new book, Reaching and Teaching Kids Who Don't Fit in the Box . They dig into the five core reasons students disengage from school (not fitting in, academic gaps, boredom, lack of support, and emotional struggles), and share practical…

In this episode, Mike Caldwell interviews Mike Huguelet, Executive Director of the Iowa Coalition of Public Charter Schools, about building Iowa's charter school movement from the ground up. Huguelet shares his path from teaching in Chicago (co-founding Noble Schools) to leading counseling programs…

In this episode, host Mike Caldwell sits down with Jo Lane, an educator support and instructional coach with 16 years of experience, who is currently a principal coach based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Jo shares insights from her new book, Burn the Script: How Great Coaches Disrupt Thinking and Transform…

In this episode of the Transformative Principal podcast, host Mike Caldwell talks with Jason Leshowitz, a New Jersey arts administrator and founder of Rejection Proof Career, about his upcoming book The Rejection Proof Educator . Jason shares how educators and school leaders can translate their…

In this vault episode of Transformative Principle, host Jethro Jones interviews Glenn Robbins, principal of Northfield Community School in New Jersey and NASSP Digital Principal of 2016. Glenn shares how he builds a culture of innovation by prioritizing autonomy, transparency, and authentic…

In this vault episode of Transformative Principal, Jethro Jones revisits an interview with Amy Fast, then assistant principal at McMinnville High School in Oregon, originally recorded for the Transformative Leadership Summit. Amy shares how a tragic college shooting in nearby Roseburg prompted her…

In this episode, Rachael Thrash — educator, author, and Senior Director at Big Bad Boo Studios — joins Mike Caldwell to challenge the gap between student voice and student ownership. With 25+ years in education, Rachel argues that GPA-gated student councils and empty surveys exclude the students…

Mike Caldwell sits down with Scott Bess, President of the Indiana Charter Innovation Center and a member of the Indiana State Board of Education, for a wide-ranging conversation about what's broken in K-12 education — and what's actually being done to fix it. Scott shares his winding path from…

In this episode of Transformative Principle, Jethro Jones sits down with Jonathan Wennstrom, principal of Rosedale Elementary in Livonia, Michigan, to discuss the power of school-wide weekly meetings. Jonathan shares how he launched "Celebrate Monday" assemblies — 20-minute, student-centered…

Mike Caldwell sits down with Bill Knous, Senior Director of Quality and Growth at the Colorado League of Charter Schools and co-founder of Gran Via, a micro school in the Denver area. Bill shares his winding path into education — from a history degree and living abroad in Australia and Spain, to…

In this episode, host Jethro interviews Robert Dillon, author and director of Bright Bytes, about the transformative power of learning spaces. Robert argues that reimagining physical classroom environments is one of the few true "big levers" of disruption in education — alongside grades and…

In this episode of the Transformative Leadership Summit, Jethro sits down with Kyle Palmer, principal of Lewis and Clark Elementary, to explore how school leaders can develop teacher leaders and build a culture of trust and innovation. Kyle shares the story of how his school evolved from a single…

In this episode from the Transformative Leadership Summit, Jethro Jones sits down with Daniel Bauer, host of the Better Leaders, Better Schools podcast, to explore why relationships are the cornerstone of transformative leadership. Daniel shares a candid, real-time example: his principal's…

In this 'From the Vault' episode of the Transformative Leadership Summit, Jethro sits down with Kimberly Miles, principal of East Gresham Elementary School, to explore her remarkable approach to reading as a leadership practice. Kimberly shares how she strategically selects books — only picking…

In this episode, Mike sits down with Alisha DeLorenzo, educator and consultant from New Jersey, to explore her powerful framework of "Unleash Aliveness." Alisha shares how a deeply personal encounter with loss sparked her mission to help schools move from feeling like a "zombie apocalypse" to…

Derek Cantrell, principal of Allegheny High School in Virginia, shares how he led the consolidation of two rival high schools after 40+ years of failed merger attempts. As the final principal of Covington High School, Derek navigated the emotional journey of closing one school while building…

Dr. Chris Culver, founder of Orange Sparrow, shares his journey from being bullied as a student to becoming an advocate for the science of kindness in education. After working in toxic school environments that led him to call an employee assistance helpline, Chris left traditional K-12 education to…

Gene Kerns, Vice President and Chief Academic Officer at Renaissance Learning, joins the show to discuss instructional coherence—a trending concept in education that asks whether all the programs, assessments, and interventions schools purchase actually work together as a system. Notes: -…

In this episode, first grade teacher Sarah Oberle and Organized Binder creator Mitch Weathers discuss their new book, Executive Functions for Every K-3 Classroom . They explain how core executive functions—working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility—develop between ages 4-8 and can't be…

In this episode, Mike Caldwell sits down with Dr. Kristilynn Turney, an educational consultant, speaker, and former school principal with 27 years in education. Kristilynn shares her journey from being labeled a "problem child" for talking too much to becoming the first Black principal of two…

In this episode, host Mike Caldwell sits down with Dr. Marie Bordeleau, a veteran Catholic and public school leader with over 25 years of experience, to discuss the realities of school leadership. Marie shares insights from her upcoming book, The Dust and the Glory , exploring how principals can…

In this episode, Nick Pretasky draws on his experience as an Alaskan backcountry guide to share three essentials for leadership: Bond , Mastery , and Belief . He explains why leaders fail when they forget they're leading humans—and why every leader needs a coach. The episode closes with a powerful…

In this episode from the Transformative Leadership Summit vault, host Jethro Jones interviews Brad Gustafson, about becoming an innovative leader in education. Brad emphasizes that innovation starts with identifying your "why" - his is creating a relevant, connected learning environment where…

In this special episode, Jethro Jones defends his doctoral dissertation on how school principals can use AI for innovation rather than just efficiency. The research challenges the common "save time" narrative around AI in education and introduces the concept of "cognitive equity" - using AI to…

In this special handoff episode of Transformative Principal, host Jethro Jones announces he's passing the podcast to Mike Caldwell, founder of LinkedLeaders, as Jethro transitions to his new role as Director of Operations at Life Lab, a character education company creating video curriculum for…

In this vault episode from the Transformative Leadership Summit, host Jethro Jones interviews Will Parker, a high school principal from northeastern Oklahoma, about implementing KRAs (Key Responsibility Areas) in schools. Will shares how he adapted Dave Ramsey's organizational management concept to…

15:19.5 In this episode of Transformative Principal, host Jethro Jones interviews Benny, a 16-year-old sophomore at Alpha School in Austin. Benny discusses his Alpha X project—a YouTube channel explaining how video games are educational. The conversation explores Alpha School's innovative model,…

In this episode of Transformative Principal, host Jethro Jones speaks with Stan Koterba, an Ohio principal working on his doctorate in educational leadership. Stan shares his powerful personal journey of battling leukemia during his doctoral program and how that experience shaped his dissertation…

In this episode of Reject the Premise, Jethro and Danny challenge three common misconceptions in educational leadership. They argue that leadership development isn't a luxury but a necessity, emphasizing that top performers in every field invest in coaching and that having a coach demonstrates…

In this episode, Jethro Jones interviews Mike Goldstein, co-founder of Reset Teen Coaching and author of "I'll Do It Later." They discuss the challenges teens face with executive function, especially those with ADHD, and the trial-and-error nature of finding strategies that work. The conversation…

In this special "reverse interview" episode of Transformative Principal, host Jethro Jones is interviewed by Mike Caldwell. Jethro reflects on his journey as a podcaster, the evolution of his career, and his philosophy on education, innovation, and personal growth. The conversation covers the…

In this episode, Jethro Jones sits down with Rich Czyz, principal of Yardville Elementary and author of "Autopilot: Practical Productivity for School Leaders." They dive into actionable strategies for school leaders to reclaim their time—starting with time audits, the art of elimination, and the…

In this episode, Jethro Jones and Danny Bauer continue their "Reject the Premise" series, challenging common assumptions in education. They discuss the importance of schools partnering with parents, emphasizing that parents are the primary educators and schools should serve as supportive partners.…

Jethro Jones interviews Ben Downey, founder of Big Nest, about the vital role and challenges of parent teacher groups (PTAs/PTGs) in schools. They discuss how these groups are essential for building strong school communities but often face issues with organization, communication, and fundraising.…

Host Jethro Jones talks with Mike Caldwell, founder of LinkedLeaders , about building a platform that connects school leaders with mentors and peers for real-time support. They discuss the challenges of school leadership, the value of personalized coaching, and how technology and community can help…

Welcome to Transformative Principal! In this thought-provoking solo episode, host Jethro Jones explores how artificial intelligence has revealed the weaknesses in our current education system—and why it’s time to refocus on real learning. Episode Highlights: Jethro shares candid reflections from…

The great importance of redesigning Tier 1 instruction that ensures deeper learning for all students. The research shows huge benefits to students and their teachers including higher achievement, closure of gaps among all reporting categories of students, increased attendance, lower misbehavior,…

In this episode of Transformative Principal, host Jethro Jones interviews Adrian Ireland, an international educator, systems thinker, and author of "Designing Different." Together, they explore the challenges and opportunities in reimagining the architecture of learning within schools. The…

In this episode of Transformative Principal, host Jethro Jones interviews Joel Lavin, an equity and inclusion administrator in Eugene, Oregon, with 25 years of experience in public education. Joel shares insights into his work supporting high school students with disabilities, focusing on…

In this episode of Transformative Principal, host Jethro Jones interviews Tyler Lafferty, executive director and founder of Slingshot. Tyler shares his mission to help young people discover purposeful career paths by aligning their unique skills and personalities with fulfilling jobs. The…

In this episode of Transformative Principal , Brandon Cardet-Hernandez shares his journey from being a principal to advising the NYC Mayor, and now serving as President of Mrs. Wordsmith, a company dedicated to improving children's literacy through innovative tools like books and video games.…

Host Jethro D. Jones talks with teacher Hilda Guerrero about her "Peacefully Productive Kids" program, which helps students develop emotional regulation, empathy, and conflict resolution skills. Hilda shares practical strategies and resources she created after working with a challenging student,…

Nearly a year ago, Dr. Kelly Hastings interviewed Jethro on this show to talk about Saboteurs . It’s high time we get her on the show to talk about her work. SCALE Framework: Set the vision and team with clarity and purpose Create the script that drives aligned, actionable change Act and…

Naphtali Hoff is an executive coach, organizational consultant, trainer, writer & speaker. How to come back from making a mistake. Think big picture. If you don’t create the right foundation, then you will spend far less time helping kids than When elephants fight, it’s the grass that gets…

In this episode, Jethro and Danny continue their "Reject the Premise" series, a collaborative book-writing and podcast project. They discuss challenging traditional assumptions in education, focusing on reimagining school leadership, student development, and the real purpose of education. Links to…

In this episode of Transformative Principal, Jethro Jones welcomes three inspiring guests to discuss the origins and impact of the Test Kitchen Education Foundation in Fort Madison, Iowa. Brent Zirkel shares how the foundation was created to blend culinary arts with education, providing students…

In this episode, Jethro interviews Derek "DC" Crager, a passionate advocate for making artificial intelligence accessible, especially for the neurodiverse community. DC shares his personal experiences as an autistic individual and discusses how AI can empower people with autism, ADHD, and dyslexia…

In this episode of Transformative Principle, host Jethro Jones welcomes back Dr. Chad Dumas, international consultant and author of "The Teacher Team Leader Handbook." Together, they explore the crucial distinction between who you are and what you do as a leader, emphasizing the importance of…

In this episode of Transformative Principal, host Jethro Jones sits down with K.C. Knudson, MTSS Coordinator at the Northwest Educational Service District, to explore the critical distinction between coaching and evaluation in education. Drawing on research and real-world experience, K.C. shares…

In this episode of Transformative Principal, host Jethro Jones interviews Kristian Golick, founder of EduCreative, about how schools can stand out by uncovering and communicating their unique culture and emotional truth. They discuss the importance of storytelling in school marketing, the process…

In this episode, Jethro Jones welcomes Patrick Mongrain, a middle school teacher, instructional coach, and restorative justice specialist, to discuss building sustainable systems in education. Patrick shares his “Moneyball” approach—leveraging data and analytics to improve classroom instruction and…

In this episode, host Jethro Jones welcomes Derek Mitchell, CEO of Partners in School Innovation, to discuss the evolving role of schools post-pandemic, the importance of community partnerships, and innovative solutions to chronic challenges like truancy. Derek shares insights on leadership, the…

In this episode, host Jethro Jones discusses the crucial topic of AI and cybersecurity with Sam Bourgeois, an experienced IT director with a background in private industry and education. The conversation covers the importance of AI standards, the ethical implications of AI use, and the need for…

In this episode, Jethro Jones talks with Dr. Jayne Lammers, a dissertation coach, about the importance of having systems and support to complete a dissertation. They discuss Dr. Lammers' experience, the role of a dissertation coach, and various strategies such as weekly accountability check-ins,…

In this episode, Jethro Jones and Damon Hargraves discuss innovative software solutions tailored for educational purposes. They share insights on the impact of AI and other emerging technologies on school environments, the conception of customized applications, and the future of software…

In this episode, Jethro Jones hosts Erin Bailey, Vice President of Literacy Programs and Research at Reading is Fundamental, to discuss the importance of reading in children's development. They delve into how reading fosters connections, the impact of screen time on reading habits, and effective…

In this episode, host Jethro Jones interviews Barb Solish, the National Director of Innovation for the National Alliance on Mental Illness. They discuss the importance of mental health awareness, early intervention, and the impact of literacy in shaping children's futures. Barb shares insights into…

In this episode, Jethro Jones introduces a special conversation between Dr. Erin Bailey, Vice President of Literacy Programs and Research at Reading is Fundamental, and Barb Solish, the NAMI National Director of Innovation. They discuss the partnership between Reading is Fundamental (RIF) and the…

In this episode, Jethro Jones speaks with Bobby Canosa-Carr, a leadership coach, author, and former principal. They discuss various educational topics, including the power dynamics in schools, the importance of permission-seeking culture, and strategies for creating dialogue and addressing systemic…

In this episode, Jethro Jones interviews Samantha Hamilton, an award-winning principal, national education consultant, speaker, and author. Samantha shares insights from her career, discusses her book 'Brave On Purpose,' and emphasizes the importance of courageous, empathetic leadership in…

In this episode, Dr. Sarah Ranney shares her journey from instructional coach to executive director of Lafayette Preparatory Academy. She and Jethro dive into the powerful—and sometimes delicate—dynamics of instructional coaches evaluating teachers. Dr. Ranney discusses how LPA has built a culture…

In this episode, Jethro Jones and guest Danny Bauer delve into the evolution of their collaboration on the 'Reject the Premise' book idea, discussing its transformation into a podcast series and the subsequent book writing process. They share valuable leadership lessons on knowing when to push…

In this episode, Jethro D. Jones welcomes back Craig Randall to discuss the evolution of trust-based observations and its impact on improving teaching and learning. Craig shares insights from his podcast '20 Minutes of Teaching Brilliance (On the Road with Trust-Based Observations)' and delves into…

In this episode of Transformative Principal, Jethro Jones interviews Linda Berberich, a behavioral scientist, about her extensive experience in machine learning before it became a buzzword. They discuss the practical applications of artificial intelligence in education, the pros and cons of using…

In this episode, Jethro Jones discusses the nuances of education journalism with Charles Sosnik. Together, they explore the differences between news reporting and education journalism, the impact of political agendas on education, the role of blogs and podcasts in the industry, and the importance…

In this episode, host Jethro Jones welcomes Shenita Perry, an assistant principal from Montgomery Public Schools, Alabama. They discuss the unique challenges of educating gifted students, Shenita's experience with the SchoolX book study, and valuable insights on empathy and perspective in…

In this episode of Transformative Principal, host Jethro Jones welcomes Dr. Melinda Bier, the Theresa M. Fisher Endowed Professor for citizenship education at the University of Missouri St. Louis. They discuss the character education program, the impact of a national cohort, and faculty changes…

Are your teachers overwhelmed with busywork and disconnected mandates? In this episode of Transformative Principal, Jethro Jones sits down with Emily Makelky, Vice President of the Curriculum Leadership Institute, to tackle the real problem facing schools: how to create a meaningful,…

In this episode, Jethro Jones interviews Brent Zirkel, the elementary principal at Mary Welsh Elementary in Williamsburg, Iowa. They discuss how Brent is utilizing artificial intelligence to create curriculum tailored for his students. The conversation covers a range of topics including the…

In this episode, Jethro Jones interviews Dr. Valerie Dehombreux, an experienced educator and school principal who recently completed her doctorate in leadership and innovation. They discuss her dissertation on the trust-based observation protocol and its application, providing valuable insights for…

In this episode, Jethro Jones interviews Dr. Kate Anderson Foley, founder and CEO of the Education Policy and Practice Group. They discuss the integral role of special education in school improvement, the double helix approach to support systems, and the importance of tailoring instruction to…

In this episode, Jethro Jones interviews Will Richardson, a veteran in the educational field for over 30 years. The discussion covers Will's new educational cohort initiatives, his manifesto addressing the need for educational reform in chaotic times, the role of politics in education, and the…

In this episode, host Jethro Jones interviews Mike Cronley, founder and CEO of Class Composer, about how his software helps create equitable classrooms. They discuss the challenges faced by educators in balancing class compositions and how Class Composer addresses these issues. Getting the right…

In this episode, Jethro Jones welcomes back Adam Geller, the founder and CEO of Edthena. They discuss the new Observation Copilot tool, designed to streamline principals' feedback processes for teachers, and delve into the challenges and solutions regarding teacher observations. Adam shares…

In this episode, Jethro Jones introduces the Big Impact Mixer, where innovative minds gather to share and implement impactful ideas. Jethro discusses his approach of small, manageable experiments aimed at making significant changes and provides insights into some of his personal experiments,…

This episode is a special From the Vault. In this episode, we talk with Dr. Robert Feirsen and Dr. Seth Weitzman about their new book From Conflict to Collaboration: A School Leader’s Guide to Unleashing Conflict’s Problem-Solving Power. We talk about how to avoid conflict, the three A’s to…

In this episode of the Transformative Principal podcast, we introduce you to Dr. Trish Stoll, a transformative leader who played a pivotal role in the Mississippi Miracle—a remarkable effort to improve child literacy rates in the state. Dr. Stoll will share her insights on how to empower teachers,…

School is becoming more hyper-localized. Parents’ choice is expanding, and public schools are already having to court new families to choose them, and this is going to become even more important as time goes on. John Mihalyo joins me to discuss how to improve your school’s branding. Your identity…

🎯 What’s in This Episode? I’m on the lookout for 10 beta testers to join me in shaping the future of the SchoolX Book Study . This isn’t just another course—I’m transforming the live book study into an asynchronous, self-paced experience , and I’d love for you to be part of the process. 💡 Why…

In this episode, host Jethro Jones chats with Mike Caldwell, the founder of LinkEd Leaders. They discuss the importance of on-demand mentorship for school leaders, the benefits of having an outside perspective, and the significance of creating a brave space for vulnerability and growth. Mike shares…

In this episode, Jethro Jones interviews Dr. Nason Lollar, author of 'The Five Principles of Educator Professionalism'. They discuss the erosion of trust in the education system, the impact of educational fads, and the importance of professional development and teacher morale in rebuilding trust.…

In this episode, Jethro Jones interviews Dr. Layne Dillard, an educational leader with over 27 years of experience in transforming schools and empowering leaders. Dr. Dillard shares insights on achieving 100% reading proficiency among third graders, the importance of teaching at grade level, and…

In this podcast episode, Joel Lavin and Jethro Jones discuss transition services for students with disabilities as they mature out of the K-12 schooling program. We talk about combining CTE and Transition Services to make sure students are prepared for life, independence, self determination,…

In this episode, Jethro Jones interviews Dr. Sandy Breece, founder and superintendent of Telesis Center for Learning Incorporated. They discuss Dr. Breece's journey starting a school before the concept of charter schools existed, her commitment to small class sizes and individualized instruction,…

In this episode, Jethro Jones interviews Meira Koponen, a learning designer at Kahoot. They discuss the importance of game-based learning, the integration of AI to enhance classroom experiences, and innovative approaches to make learning more inclusive and engaging. Meira shares her experiences…

Public Benefit Corporations Benefit of school leaders School is nestled within a community Being authentic in who they are so they can show up authentically. Things happen for a reason. Breaking inappropriate rules Truth vs. truth Theory of Development Bronfenbrenner, U. (1977). Toward an…

Kevin would bring a deep passion and eagerness to discuss the impact of our latest project, the docuseries "What We Show Them" with the goal to engage your audience in a vital conversation about the future of learning, inspiring positive change in education through the power of media. DO I feel…

The Power of ICU - focuses on giving kids what they need when they need it. Bringing it all back to Tier 1. ICU Menu Changing language - how can I help you, what can I do for you? Lifeguards - 7 Lifeguards ICU time (Advisory/WIN/RTI time) 9 departments - every subject is involved and every subject…

In this episode of Transformative Principal, host Jethro Jones interviews Erik Francis, an expert in educational leadership and the creator of Maverik Education AI. Francis discusses the role of AI in education, emphasizing the importance of authenticity and critical thinking. Key points include:…

Dr. David Lipman joins Jethro to talk about critical aspects of health optimization and its impact on our well-being in a modern world filled with physical and environmental stressors. Dr. Lipman discusses how everyday stress activates our fight-or-flight response, depleting energy at a cellular…

This episode with Eric Sheninger and Nicki Slaugh discusses their book "Personalize: Meeting the Needs of All Learners" and their insights on transformative education practices, particularly at Quest Academy. Quest Academy's approach emphasizes student engagement and personalized learning. They…

In this episode, Mike Duncan, president and CEO of Battelle for Kids, explores the concept of a portrait of a graduate and its importance in shaping education. He discusses the need to include all voices in creating a portrait that reflects the competencies most important to students' success.…

In this episode, David Schipper, director of the Strategic Learning Clinic, discusses the challenges that students face in reaching their full potential. He highlights the prevalence of SAD (Stubborn Adult Disorder) as a major obstacle and emphasizes the need to address the soft bigotry of low…

In this podcast interview, Julie Ulstrup discusses the concept of the "Zone of Brilliance," where individuals can create a vision and achieve their dreams. She emphasizes the importance of having a definite chief aim and aligning one's actions, time, and money with that aim. Ulstrup highlights the…

On June 10, 2024, Passion Driven Leadership celebrated two schools in the Orange Township School District with the designation of being Passion Driven Schools. (see links below) PDL - Orange Recap June 2024.mp4 Passion Driven Schools - Dr. Fitzhugh Interview .mov This means that they have decided…

Welcome to our National Literacy Month series of podcasts , presented in partnership between the Be Podcast Network and Reading Is Fundamental (RIF). In this episode of Transformative Principal, Jodi Rubin, Senior Vice President of Marketing & Partnerships at Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), discusses…

Dr. Daris McInnis joins Jethro to explore the complex nature of the reading process and the pivotal role that parents play in building literacy foundations at home. Dr. McInnis emphasizes the expertise that parents bring to the table, urging schools to honor and tap into that knowledge. He…

Welcome to our National Literacy Month series of podcasts , presented in partnership between the Be Podcast Network and Reading Is Fundamental (RIF). How schools have turned off millions of kids from loving reading. “We escaped a train wreck because of my son” Balanced Literacy 3-cueing. Explicit…

Welcome to our National Literacy Month series of podcasts , presented in partnership between the Be Podcast Network and Reading Is Fundamental (RIF). Dr. Jocelyn Washburn , an associate director of the Center for Research on Learning at the University of Kansas, discusses the Strategic Instruction…

Welcome to our National Literacy Month series of podcasts , presented in partnership between the Be Podcast Network and Reading Is Fundamental (RIF). In this interview, Tanya Sheckley and Brittany Botta from Up Academy discussed their Rebel Project Literacy Curriculum. They explained that…

This episode is a special episode from UDL-Con, powered by CAST. CAST just released the Guidelines for (Universal Design for Learning) UDL 3.0, which you can find here . If you don't know what UDL is, it's a way to make learning accessible for everyone! You can check out more about the webinars…

Welcome to our National Literacy Month series of podcasts , presented in partnership between the Be Podcast Network and Reading Is Fundamental (RIF). The podcast will discuss RIF's approach to partnerships, emphasizing the importance of both national reach and localized collaboration. It will…

This episode is a special episode from UDL-Con, powered by CAST. CAST just released the Guidelines for (Universal Design for Learning) UDL 3.0, which you can find here . If you don't know what UDL is, it's a way to make learning accessible for everyone! You can check out more about the webinars…

This episode is a special episode from UDL-Con, powered by CAST. CAST just released the Guidelines for (Universal Design for Learning) UDL 3.0, which you can find here . If you don't know what UDL is, it's a way to make learning accessible for everyone! You can check out more about the webinars…

In this episode of the Transformative Principal podcast, Gina Davenport, a seasoned educator with over 30 years of experience, shares her insights on creating a student-centered learning environment. Davenport emphasizes the importance of building strong relationships between teachers and students,…

This episode is a special episode from UDL-Con, powered by CAST. CAST just released the Guidelines for (Universal Design for Learning) UDL 3.0, which you can find here . If you don't know what UDL is, it's a way to make learning accessible for everyone! You can check out more about the webinars…

This episode is a special episode from UDL-Con, powered by CAST. CAST just released the Guidelines for (Universal Design for Learning) UDL 3.0, which you can find here . If you don't know what UDL is, it's a way to make learning accessible for everyone! You can check out more about the webinars…

Learn how to get the guaranteed highest pension payout. Jethro Jones discusses the "Pension Maximization" strategy for school principals with John "Hutch" Hutchinson. Rather than protecting your spouse by choosing a reduced monthly benefit payment from your pension, you can instead calibrate a life…

This episode is a special episode from UDL-Con, powered by CAST. CAST just released the Guidelines for (Universal Design for Learning) UDL 3.0, which you can find here . If you don't know what UDL is, it's a way to make learning accessible for everyone! You can check out more about the webinars…

This episode is a special episode from UDL-Con, powered by CAST. CAST just released the Guidelines for (Universal Design for Learning) UDL 3.0, which you can find here . If you don't know what UDL is, it's a way to make learning accessible for everyone! You can check out more about the webinars…

Everyone should have a coach There are people who are viewed as the real pros The difference between having a coach and “just getting better” The biggest mistake coaches make. How to mix the coach’s agenda with what the teacher is doing Personal relationship vs. professional relationship Focus is…

This episode is a special episode from UDL-Con, powered by CAST. CAST just released the Guidelines for (Universal Design for Learning) UDL 3.0, which you can find here . If you don't know what UDL is, it's a way to make learning accessible for everyone! You can check out more about the webinars…

This episode is a special episode from UDL-Con, powered by CAST. CAST just released the Guidelines for (Universal Design for Learning) UDL 3.0, which you can find here . If you don't know what UDL is, it's a way to make learning accessible for everyone! You can check out more about the webinars…

Teaching distance before COVID English as a foreign language virtually and in person. How COVID remote learning laid the groundwork for virtual wellness Student Wellness for the internet Developing a personal relationship with AI that is based on curiosity and skepticism. Mindful adoption of…

This episode is a special episode from UDL-Con, powered by CAST. CAST just released the Guidelines for (Universal Design for Learning) UDL 3.0, which you can find here . If you don't know what UDL is, it's a way to make learning accessible for everyone! You can check out more about the webinars…

This episode is a special episode from UDL-Con, powered by CAST. CAST just released the Guidelines for (Universal Design for Learning) UDL 3.0, which you can find here . If you don't know what UDL is, it's a way to make learning accessible for everyone! You can check out more about the webinars…

Vital in an education setting to experience what life is like without a phone How you develop character through whether you’re using a phone or not. How to help teachers not be phone police. Support throughout the whole process Common complaints about schools Resetting expectations about structures…

Giving UDL away for free Building products through grants People think UDL is static, but it isn’t. Identity is important. UDL is human centric, not student centric. How UDL invites students to take ownership of their learning experiences. Do you feel behind? “What if I could have gone through…

ShouldStorm - Culture of perfectionism and criticism We as parents want to do what is best for our kids, but we are bombarded by everyone telling us what we should and should not do. Finding the “right” answer. Defining “expert” How the ShouldStorm impacts our kids We like to blame social media,…

Dr. Joshua Barnett is an educational thought leader who has spent his career working to improve the effectiveness of teacher leaders. In an interview, he discussed how teacher leaders can establish trust, develop deep instructional knowledge, and build credibility with their colleagues. He also…

In this informative interview, Jennifer Jennings, a school communication specialist, discusses the crucial role of effective communication in schools. She emphasizes the significance of building trust and engaging parents and the community through transparent and informative communication. Jennings…

Welcome to Transformative Principal. Today, we are joined by Dr. Kenny Rodrequez, Superintendent of Grandview C-4 School District in Missouri. With over two decades of educational leadership experience, Dr. Rodrequez has been a pivotal figure in driving innovative strategies to enhance school…

This comprehensive discussion explores the intricate distinctions between leadership, leadership development, and leader development, emphasizing their intertwined nature and the importance of understanding the context in which they exist. The conversation delves into the dynamic roles of leaders…

In this podcast episode, hosts and guest Curtis discuss the concept of collaborative response, an educational framework designed to replace traditional multi-tiered systems of supports (MTSS) and response to intervention (RTI) models. The collaborative response model is outlined as consisting of…

In the podcast episode with Barb Flowers on Transformative Principal with Jethro Jones, the discussion centered around self-efficacy and its relation to leadership. Self-efficacy is distinct from confidence and involves an individual's perception of their strengths and weaknesses. Building…

Today, Damon Hargraves , host of the WorkflowED podcast turned the mic on me and interviewed me for the 100th episode of the Transformative Principal Podcast. I can’t believe I have done 100 episodes of this podcast. Thank you so much for listening to this and helping me make it better. RTI idea…

This is a special episode of another show on the BE Podcast Network. I recently had John Milhalyo as a guest on Transformative Principal and to I'm sharing one of his best episodes yet on why your fundraiser flopped. In this episode, John Mihalyo discusses effective strategies for Catholic school…

The difference between a catholic school and a public school. System of Schools rather than a school system. Creating a culture of giving in the school community. What’s the cost to educate? How to be clear on what you’re doing as the advancement progresses. Friendraising vs. Fundraising The…

Michael Fullan, the internationally known authority on educational leadership and proponent of whole system reform, joins us for this episode. No doubt, many of you listeners have been influenced by Michael’s work over the years. The former Dean of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education and…

Dr. Thomas R. Guskey is Professor Emeritus in the College of Education at the University of Kentucky. He is known throughout the world for his work on student assessment, grading and reporting, professional learning, and educational research. Guskey is author/editor of thirty books, including his…

This is a continuation of our coaching calls with Eric Makelky. Please check our previous episodes 532 , 527 , 523 519 514 , 510 , 506 , and 501 In this episode, we talk about onboarding new staff. What Eric has done that has been helpful. District duties and Principal duties. How do we make people…

Do you ever doubt your decisions as a principal. As a principal myself, I understand the constant second-guessing and the toll it can take on confidence. Discover the symptoms of self-doubt, from questioning every decision to hesitancy in sharing innovative ideas. Understand the root cause of…

In this episode of Transformative Principal, Jethro Jones engages in a profound discussion with Sean Slade, co-head of North America at BTS Spark, about reevaluating traditional perceptions of leadership, particularly around the management of emotions. Sean challenges the archetype of the stoic,…

In this episode, Jethro is joined by Danny Bauer and Glenn Robbins, author of the book Calm In The Chaos: Ancient Stoic Wisdom for Successful School Leadership . We talk about how to be stoic as a leader in schools and apply that wisdom to your daily. Plus, you won’t believe the sign we saw in a…

Aspirational Model Shifting Mindset Emotional Connection - Research in MESSY started at the beginning of the pandemic. There will always be the next crisis. Expectation of leaders - what’s important? Professional veneer - leave our personal outside our workplace. Establishing themselves as larger…

Worthwhile Links: Range by David Epstein Drip7 Readwise About Ryan Palmbaum Ryan Palmbaum is the founder and CEO of Dabbl Discovery , an educational, bite-sized video learning platform designed to help people discover and follow new interests and career paths through short videos created…

In this episode, we explore the power of purposeful play in education. Join us as we discuss the importance of play in the learning process, the Connecticut legislation about play in elementary grades, and the benefits of purposeful play for students. We also delve into LEGO Education that…

In this episode, Jethro talks with James Anderson, who has been on the show three previous times: The Learner Agency Model with James Anderson Transformative Principal 351 Learnership with James Anderson Transformative Principal 455 Learnership: The Skill of Learning with James Anderson…

Jethro welcomes Dr. Jayne Lammers to Transformative Principal. Although we're talking about AI tools, we didn't spend a lot of time talking about the mundanity and what other sources are talking about: the how to, which tool does what thing. Really, we give guidance for school leaders about how to…

Topaz Adizes is an Emmy-award winning creator who helps build the space between two people through deep and meaningful conversations. We have one of those for you today. Jethro and Topaz share how to listen better, ask better questions, and have intention in the conversations we have. {The AND} and…

In this podcast conversation, Tiffany Caouette discusses the role and importance of play-based learning in education. Tiffany Caouette, currently working with the Connecticut Association of Schools, shares her insights on Connecticut being one of the first US states to acknowledge the significance…

In this episode, Jethro is joined by Paul Thiessen and we talk about a broad range of topics from Podcasting for the school community to AI and Personalized Learning. The Daily - One topic, condensed in a short amount of time. Talking about events or different topics in our school (purple up and…

Today's episode is super fascinating. Rick Meyer shared his dashboard, and you might want to check out the YouTube video for this episode because it is incredible what he’s doing with teacher data. The power of the data hub Very reactive in MTSS to start Didn’t know how to do formulas to start Data…

How she stays at the same place for so long. Relationships Street cred and reputation exist, but they don’t know me personally. Each family is a new relationship Honesty and transparency People don’t always love the news I give them, but they do appreciate the honesty and directness Don’t need to…

In this episode, Dr. Erin Bailey joins Jethro Jones to talk about how to engage families in inspiring the joy of reading in children. Making reading backed by research, powered by joy Concerns in children’s reading - not teaching it correctly Teaching teachers to be culturally responsive Train…

In this episode, Matthew Ebert joins Jethro to discuss how to actively and intentionally create the space for educators to be their authentic selves at work and how that impacts a greater school community. Ongoing, authentic, and messy 1:1 meetings with all the staff. Slack as a schoolwide…

Jethro sits down with David Bryan to talk about how to make school more worthwhile. The difference between public and private schools More freedom in a private school to address issues in their schools. How to manage high tuition. All students paid tuition. Why he started New Roads to connect…

How to converse with Chatbots using other tools Background in ELA teaching Thinking of the tool as a reading assistant What is a reading assistant? Getting an executive summary Get an idea if I should really dive into this idea. Process - find the text, ask what it is, then zoom in, Zoom out as…

This is a trailer for a new show I just started called A Vision for Learning . In it, we focus on the Apple Vision Pro, AR, VR, XR, AI, and the future of learning. I've already released some great episodes, including two interviews with people who have been using AR in schools for years already!…

What we teach and how we teach PK-8th grade over a quarter million devoted to students Small class sizes, 2 teachers in a class of 20. Started at 85 students Incredible amount of individual support Transportation is 7% of the budget. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day Wraparound services…

In this show we talk about creating a personal operating system, the core four needed to make yourself an amazing human being. You’re going to love this interview. You can’t lead others to do something you’re not willing to do yourself. Self-leadership in four core areas. Gap in what Leader who has…

Linking Leaders Podcast - subscribe and listen in your podcast player of choice. Small little seeds of ideas Administrator hacks - How they interact Building pathways for administrator prep and their early days. Content and process of what we provide. Connector for administrators Mentoring aspiring…

How the coaching call worked well for Hillary. Female, like-minded folks Trying PQ reps has been new Working on one saboteur - physically embody that saboteur. Constantly on technology and value time away from technology Listening to my team and giving them space. Teams focusing on helping her with…

Family Engagement - Daily practice employing executive functioning skills If parents are informed they can help in a more powerful way Bringing parents into the process matters How do I hone this down into a daily task? Alexis Reid Podcast on Resilient Schools How to keep from fighting with your…

We also talk about Jethro's six week coaching program that is incredibly powerful. Taylor shares her 1-session experience that made her want to go all in for the six week program. If you want a free coaching session like that for yourself, schedule a time here . Want to do more to level up and help…

In this episode, we talk about self-identifying the challenges we face and asking for help when we need it. We also talk about Jethro's six-week coaching program which is incredibly powerful. Sam shares the 1-session experience that made her want to do the six weeks. If you want a free coaching…

In this episodes, Kelly interviews Jethro about his Coaching Practice. If you want a free coaching session like that for yourself, schedule a time here . The power of mental fitness - starts with self, judgment, and relationships jethrojones.com/coach 10 saboteurs and how they show up. Sage powers…

In this episode, Jethro is joined by JC Pohl, of TeenTruth.net to discuss his new book Rising Above: A Story of Positive School Conflict Resolution Background is in film and Rising Above is told in a narrative format Monica is modeling the behaviors she’s experiencing Conflict is such a negative…

In today’s episode, we discuss the topic of conflict. Rob and Seth describe how it keeps principals up at night, but can be harnessed for good when we address conflict instead of avoiding it or getting angry about it. About Dr. Robert Feirsen Dr. Robert Feirsen is currently associate professor and…

Maxwell Roach is the founder of JonAyves Learning Club. He’s toured the world as a musician sharing stages with artists such as Beyoncé and the Rolling Stones, directed operations for a multi-million dollar tech company, created and sold health products into grocery stores, and was the CEO of a…

Dr. John Schembari is an Improvement Coach through which he supports teachers and school leaders by performing on site evaluations, identifying data informed trends, reviewing curriculum/assessment materials, creating improvement plans, coaching individuals one-on-one, developing and delivering…

Matt Chaussee is the CEO of Be More Colorful, a Midwest-based immersive media production studio whose platform, CareerViewXR, is rapidly gaining national attention. Matt, along with his wife (and company owner) Katie, lead an innovative team of creatives who are laser focused on making career…

James Anderson is an Australian-based international speaker, author, and educator who is passionate about helping us become better learners. His Mindset Continuum builds on Carol Dweck's work on Growth Mindsets to give us practical tools to nurture a deeper understanding of ourselves as learners.…

Andrea Gribble is the master of all things social media for schools. Her first book recently launched: Social Media for Schools: Proven Storytelling Strategies & Ideas to Celebrate Your Students & Staff - Without Losing Your Sanity and she is the host of a podcast called Mastering Social Media for…

Darrin Peppard is a school district superintendent, speaker, author, publisher, and consultant focused on what matters most in leadership. Darrin’s an expert in school culture and climate as well as coaching and growing emerging leaders. He is known for his keen insight, culture-first leadership…

Scrible is about the writing process. - Impact of AI on writing. - What does “embrace it” actually mean? - It’s important to define it appropriately. - We talk about teaching and learning together, but they diverge a little bit here. - How does embracing it mean that students are using cognitive…

What is journey modeling? Take a look at what decisions people make and what it means for your potential people to look for you What brings true value to your School/District? Where are you bringing value to your employee and where are they bringing value to you? What skill sets are you looking for…

Generative AI in k12 education and it's impact on teacher prep and planning, assessments, writing instruction, and other subjects. Ethical use of generative AI and importance of transparency and demystifying it. Also, contrast generative AI tools with instructional AI, and how high can be leveraged…

Welcome to another episode of Transformative Principal! In today’s episode, we have the privilege of speaking with Dr. Brett Jacobsen, the CEO of The Mount Vernon School, Mount Vernon Ventures, and Mount Vernon Online – The Global Online Campus. With over 15 years of experience leading Mount Vernon…

Perhaps large language models could solve some challenges in schools. Teacher attrition - how can you build excellence if you can’t keep teachers? Time is not enough to do deep work, which is required for effective planning. The AI can’t do everything (nor should it). Source it, shape it, share it.…

Priten Shah is the CEO of Pedagogy. Cloud, which provides innovative technology solutions to help educators navigate global challenges in a rapidly evolving world, as well as founder of the civics education nonprofit United 4 Social Change. His book is AI and The Future of Education: Teaching in…

Teens can use artificial intelligence to help them rock their homework. AI shouldn't be something parents and teachers are afraid of, and I had a great conversation with Transformative Principal Jethro Jones on how teens can use AI to TERMINATE their homework! And by terminate, I mean complete it.…

Generative AI offers many advantages for educators, for use in and out of the classroom. When I prompt for images of "a focused student," the first three are boys, two are white, the third is an Asian boy, and the fourth is an apparent high school female. If my anecdotal examples haven't convinced…

Mary Howard is a Nationally Board Certified Teacher and teaches 6th grade ELA and Science in Grand Island, New York. She has found success using digital tools that not only make learning fun for her students, but encourage critical thinking, collaboration, and create a life-long passion for…

Episode adapted from this article The use of AI chat tools has rapidly increased this year. AI chat tools have a difficult time with voice since they lack the emotional context that humans can interpret through the nuances of tone, pitch, expression, and most of all, uniqueness. More significantly,…

AI Edcamp for faculty Schools are opening and AI looms as a BIG question mark. How will teachers and administrators use it? What about students? How can we start to understand the complexity of AI in schools? This brief, chock-full episode offers a prescription for busy administrators and teachers.…

Vriti Saraf is the CEO & founder of k20 Educators where she builds metaverse spaces for learning. She is also a co-founder of the first community organization on blockchain for educators, by educators, called Ed3 DAO. Both organizations aim to reimagine learning. Vriti has served as a teacher, a…

Jethro Jones is interviewing Kiran Athota, CEO of FocalPoint Education, and Dr. Wendy Oliver, Chief Learning Officer at FocalPoint,K12, Inc. The discussion centered around the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education and its impact on student engagement and personalized…

This episode discusses the potential of artificial intelligence in education and how it can empower both students and teachers. Cahlan Sharp talks about his experience building the micro school platform Prenda and how it aims to empower learners. He discusses how AI tools like chatbots and pulse…

You have a long background in AI so you’ve seen the ups and downs of that field and the over-hype cycles of the past. Why are the warnings about AI credible now, and what do you see as the biggest dangers? AI as a tool to remove drudgery It’s just doing a repetitive task over and over. Behavior has…

Richard Gerver is a sought-after speaker, bestselling author, and world-renowned thinker on human leadership and human transformation. His career began in education, first as a teacher and then as a school principal, when he turned the fortunes of a failing school and its pupils around in just two…

What does it mean to maintain humanity? - To practice the forgotten art of being the ordinary. - We are ok as the messy, complex meat machines we were born with. Don’t have to be personal brands. Don’t have to elevate or project or photoshop. - Reverence for the base model. - Technology does train…

Janessa Fletcher, Content Director for Education to the Core, discusses the future of AI in primary education. She explores the potential of AI in teaching reading skills, the need for supplemental resources, and the impact of technology on reading habits. Fletcher emphasizes the importance of the…

Kevin Shindel, a high school social studies teacher, discusses the impact of technology and AI in classrooms. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the purpose and potential of AI before fully adopting it. Shindel raises concerns about trust, privacy, and the need for collaboration with AI.…

Sarah Rubenstein, principal of OCEAN School, shares her experience using ChatGPT to write grant proposals. She highlights the time-consuming nature of grant writing and how ChatGPT helped her generate drafts quickly. Rubenstein believes that using AI for certain writing tasks is acceptable and…

Today we are talking with Michael B. Horn about the impact of AI on K12 (and higher) education and it’s level of disruption. Are students more disengaged because of the pandemic or AI taking over jobs? Anxiety from high school students because it is just far enough away. In every field entry level…

In this podcast episode with Caleb Hicks, the focus is on creating learning experiences with AI. The discussion revolves around empowering teachers to move beyond traditional methods and become designers of engaging environments for students. The use of AI-powered apps and FERPA-compliant chat…

Dr. Paul Govani, an expert in human performance and coaching, emphasizes the importance of errorless learning and the role of AI in education. He believes that teachers need more practice and feedback to be effective, and that regular feedback for students is crucial for learning. Dr. Govani also…

In this podcast episode, primary educator and entrepreneur Emily Garcia discusses the science of reading and the role of teachers versus AI in teaching children to read. While there is systemic and explicit phonics-based instruction that is necessary for effective reading instruction, there are…

Dave Hurwitt is an innovator. Over the course of his career, he’s led the development and launch of new products and services – from toothpicks to wind turbines – that have generated well over $1 billion in sales. Having worked in admissions through grad school, he was amazed by how little…

In this episode, Jethro and Fred discuss chatbots and artificial intelligence. The episode covers the history of chatbots, including the Turing Test and the development of Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT, Bing, and Jasper. The potential uses and issues with chatbots are explored,…

Based in wonder and optimism, Nancy Giordano is an exponential strategist focused on building a safe, inclusive, thriving future. Believing we have a once in a generation opportunity to rethink, reimagine and reshape every industry and social construct we call life, she supports and champions those…

This episode is part of the Summer of AI series presented by AILeader.info. AILeader.info makes the abstract actionable by helping you stay on the cutting edge with 3-minute masterclasses that teach you what you need to know about AI in just 3 minutes or less. To join, go to AILeader.info Got key…

Dr. Tucker brings a unique perspective with a lifetime of learning experiences overseas and in the United States. Having grown up traveling back and forth between Africa and the United States he experienced a variety of learning environments. He credits his mom, his first homeschool teacher,…

In this episode, Jethro Jones introduces the Summer of AI Series on Transformative Principal. All summer, we’ve got some great interviews scheduled to come out with believers, skeptics, and everyone in between all about AI. See the APLUS framework here Join the conversation by joining our Facebook…

This is a continuation of our coaching calls with Eric Makelky. Please check our previous episodes 532 527 523 519 514 , 510 , 506 , and 501 In this episode, we talk about onboarding new staff. What Eric has done that has been helpful. District duties and Principal duties. How do we make people…

Danny Bauer is a Principal Development & Retention Expert Best Selling Author And Host of Two of the World’s Most Downloaded Podcasts As the Chief Ruckus Maker, he founded Better Leaders Better Schools in 2015. In this episode, we talk about his new book and other various and random things. Why an…

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Robert Feirsen and Dr. Seth Weitzman about their new book From Conflict to Collaboration: A School Leader’s Guide to Unleashing Conflict’s Problem-Solving Power. We talk about how to avoid conflict, the three A’s to approach conflict, and much more. About the…

Shelley Groves is an assistant superintendent of a Career Technical Education Planning District in Ohio. In this podcast, she shares her experiences with CTE, work-based learning experiences, how she keeps kids from failing, and how she has changed the curriculum to give students more choice while…

This is a continuation of our coaching calls with Eric Makelky. Please check in our previous episodes 527 , 523 , 519 , 514 , 510 , 506 , and 501 In this episode we talk about dealing with difficult parents. - Celebration - Just calling someone who applied. - Someone applying - Reaching out…

Jack Arend joined the AWSP team in July 2019. He has served in education since 1989 as an elementary, middle and high school music teacher. He began his building leadership career in the fall of 2006 as the principal of Peter G. Schmidt Elementary in the Tumwater School District. After eleven years…

Ryan Henton is the Assistant Principal at 450-student Castle Rock High School. He’s in his 15th year as an educator and his first year as an administrator. Previous to administration, he was an English teacher teaching everything from 6th grade to English AP, in California and now in Castle Rock.…

In this interview, Jethro talks with Lynn Hardin about the Move Up Workshop. We’re proud to be sponsored by IXL . IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by…

On this episode we talk about the Move Up Workshop , where you will learn how to show up, lead up and level up so you can move up. Are you ready to move up? Take the 2-minute assessment here and see for yourself. Shaun Cornwall is a seasoned educator and administrator dedicated to delivering…

Ben Ziegler started his teaching career in SW Washington back in 2009. For a decade now, he has been a part of the Battle Ground School District, and for the past four years, he has been serving as an administrator. Throughout his tenure, Ben has held various positions, including a Dean for…

Take our free quiz to see if you’re ready to become a principal! Get personalized feedback and actionable steps for improvement. Start your journey to educational leadership success today! In this episode, we are continuing our coaching conversations with Eric. Please check in our previous episodes…

In this episode, we’re bringing you a conversation from The Authority Podcast, part of the Be Podcast Network. Today’s guest is international best-selling author and business leader Mark Miller, Vice President of High Performance Leadership for Chick-Fil-A. Culture Rules: The Leader's Guide to…

This week on Transformative Principal, Jethro Jones shares a special episode where he was on a panel to discuss the current teacher shortage and what can be done. This was recorded for the Better Learning Podcast In this podcast, we discussed the following: - teachers that are leaving or doing…

Dr. Karen Dudek Brannan spent 14 years as a school speech-language pathologist (SLP) while working on her doctorate in special education and Director of Special Education credential. In 2015, she launched a business focused on helping IEP teams design services that support language, literacy, and…

How Eric Taught a student to write a better email. Write better emails How to prioritize problems. Keeping a focus What’s keeping you from focusing on your 1 thing in your school? 1 thing: getting into classrooms. Master schedule - Is this even in the top ten list? Got into his 1 thing within a…

Tina Curry, Ed.D is currently Lead Coach at Fernwood Elementary School in Chicago Public Schools and an adjunct professor at DePaul University and National-Louis University. She was one of the contributors to the book Teaching for Racial Equity, which was recently named an Excellence in Equity…

Johnathan Cranford is an in-school suspension teacher in Houston, TX and author of The Art of In-School Suspension: A Discipline Program that Benefits Staff and Students. On today’s episode we dive into Johnathan’s passion project, making ISS effective. He emphasizes the importance of having an…

Chad Lang is an assistant superintendent of HR and school improvement in Glenwood Iowa. He is passionate about grading, curriculum, and professional development. On today’s episode we discuss the importance of curriculum and grading when preparing students for the “real world”. He clarifies the…

Last time we talked about evaluation. What has changed? Put into practice - new frame of reference and mindset. Talking about blindspots that a teacher has is what makes the evaluation meeting meaningful. What are some things you want my perspective on in the classroom? In this episode we discuss:…

Darrin Peppard is a school district superintendent, speaker, author, publisher and consultant focused on what matters most in leadership. Darrin’s an expert in school culture and climate as well as coaching and growing emerging leaders. He is known for his keen insight, culture-first leadership…

PLCs in a Small School with Jeff Makelky Transformative Principal 516 Jeff Makelky has spent 41 years in public education and is currently the principal of Big Piney High School in Wyoming. He graduated from Dickinson State and Montana State, was recognized as the Wyoming Secondary Principal of the…

Opie Blackwell is the current principal of Ridgeview Charter Middle School in Atlanta, GA. Ridgeview Charter Middle School is an inaugural recipient of the Association of Middle Level Education's (AMLE) prestigious Schools to Watch designation, a nationally recognized 2022-2025 elite "Lighthouse…

In this episode, Jethro and Damon Hargraves talk about ChatGPT. This is from a Twitter Spaces that they did in early January. And this has led to some pretty interesting conversations. Jethro has been contracting with a startup to do user research interviews about how we could use AI in schools. If…

In this episode, we are continuing our coaching conversations with Eric. Please check in our previous episodes 510 , 506 , and 501 trying to make it a focus to be aware of people What’s on your mind? What’s the challenge you’re facing today. Today we focus on teacher evaluations. For New Teachers 5…

Ryan Mackey is the principal of Douglas High School and is beginning his ninth year as a school administrator. Wyoming Principal of the Year 2022–2023. He is also a certified McGrath Solutions TRUE-SPEAK trainer that allows him to work with other school administrators and frontline staff on…

Brad Gregorich is a proud alum of Rocky Mountain College in Billings, MT. He earned both his undergraduate and master’s degree in educational leadership as a Battlin’ Bear. He has been a classroom teacher, junior high assistant principal, and elementary principal. Brad is currently the principal of…

Eric Bransteter is a former 5th grade teacher, media specialist, and building-level administrator. Eric has always had a passion for technology integration in the classroom, which led to him co-founding the EdTech company iAspire. Eric now hosts The Employee Experience in Education podcast where he…

In this episode, we are continuing our coaching conversations with Eric. Please check in our previous episodes 506 and 501 This week we check in on what Eric has going on, and talk about how to be a people leader instead of an instructional leader. Checking back in on Eric: - Canned responses going…

Dr. Erika Garcia-Niles is a principal in MIssouri. Erika Garcia on Twitter we don't remember our impact but they sure do. behind the scenes at new district better than I could have imagined. Focus on people - It's all about the people. People by day, paperwork by night. It's about surrounding…

Dr. Henry J. Turner is an award-winning high school principal, author, and nationally renowned speaker. He is most proud of the collaborative community he works within to empower students to fight hate and bigotry in their school. Pointing to his unwavering commitment to equity and a…

Al Kingsley has spent the last 30 years in the EdTech space and 20 of those as a school trustee and governor. He is co-chair of Workstream 4 at the Foundation for Educational Development, an organization developing a framework for long-term vision and sustainable planning in England. Al is Group…

This week is our next installment of seeing how Eric is doing in his new school. As a refresher, here is last month’s update . Last time, we gave him three strategies: - Strategy 1: add 15–30 minutes to however long you think each meeting will be. - Strategy 2: You seem upset, what’s the best way…

Ami Shah is the Co-Founder and CEO of Peekapak , an award-winning social-emotional learning platform that engages elementary and middle school students to learn skills like self-regulation, empathy and teamwork and reaches over 450,000 educators and students. Peekapak does this using stories,…

Ryan Steuer launched the first Project Based Learning middle school in the country and is the founder of Magnify Learning , a PBL professional development organization that equips teachers, instructional coaches, and principals across the country to engage learners, tackle boredom, and transform…

Andrew Terry is in his 24th year in education. He graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Spanish degree and received his masters in Education in 1999. He began as a Spanish teacher at the middle and high school levels before moving into administration in 2006. In 2016 he became the…

Josh DeSmyter is the proud principal of Shrevewood Elementary in Falls Church, Virginia. He has worked in education for 15 years in Detroit, Washington D.C. and now in Virginia. Josh is currently in his eighth year as an administrator in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS). He leads with the three…

This week is our first “coaching” call with Principal Eric Makelky. We jump on a zoom call, and hit record. You get to hear it. In this episode, Eric shares how, a month into school, he’s getting pulled in all directions and can’t get focused on doing what needs to be done! Have you ever felt that…

Amelia Leighton Gamel shares her take on the real causes of educators burning out and leaving the classroom, as well as what solutions leaders need to be focused on to retain staff. Classroom management bootcamps, teacher mentorship programs, parent involvement, and administrator support are all…

Dr. Marcus Belin serves as the Principal of Huntley High School and President of the Illinois Principals Association. Dr. Belin, native of Chicago, Illinois. attended Bradley University, where he received his bachelor’s in elementary education (‘10) followed by a master’s in education…

James Moffett is a principal in Kansas and he loves kids. Pretty empathetic Relationships Teri Barilla Question things I did as an educator If you were doing these things before the pandemic, you were as ready as you could be for the pandemic If you wouldn’t accept it from your supervisor, don’t…

In this episode, there is a bit of passing of the baton, as we introduce the next Transformative Principal, Eric Makelky. Eric will be recording the majority of the podcast episodes you hear over the next few months as we try a little experiment. We don’t know how it will work out, but we are…

Nadine Levitt Twitter is a Swiss-born German, Kiwi, US transplant, and founder of the music technology company, Wurrly, LLC. She began her career as a lawyer but after 6 years of practice, she began to pursue a career in music as a professional opera singer and songwriter. She has performed…

Thomas R. Hoerr, PhD retired after leading the New City School in St. Louis, Missouri for 34 years and is now the Emeritus Head of School. He is currently a Scholar In Residence at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and teaches in the Educational Leadership program, preparing prospective…

Dr. Sadin has served as a special education teacher, a gifted education teacher, and a building administrator. Most recently she served as a director of special education. Dr. Sadin has been vice-president of her local School Board and is recognized as a Master School Board Member. She has…

Show notes In this episode, Ross Romano and I share our vision for the BE Podcast Network! We talk about: 1. Origins of the idea and formation 2. What to expect when we launch 3. Vision and values behind the network 4. Benefits to listeners 5. Benefits to creators 6. How to engage…

Ross Purdy Dean of Students at The Fay School in Houston. How can I best grab their hearts first? Want what’s best and care for them. 3rd year at Fay Being present asking questions, listening. Come in with a clean slate. I’m a goer and a a doer. Outdoor education program. With some students you…

Michael D. Toth is founder and CEO of Learning Sciences International and leads LSI’s Applied Research Center. He is also the author of the multi-award-winning book The Power of Student Teams with David Sousa; author of Who Moved My Standards; and co-author with Robert Marzano of The Essentials of…

Dr. Susie Wise is a design leader with experience in the education, tech, and the social sectors. She coaches leaders in equity design and innovation practices. She teaches at the d.school at Stanford. Previously she founded and directed the K12 Lab at the d.school and co-created Liberatory Design.…

Mark is the author of The Career Toolkit, Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You . Educated at MIT, Mark has spent his career launching and fixing new ventures at startups, Fortune 500s, and academia. He’s developed new software languages, online marketplaces, new authentication…

Social media: The Be Podcast Network: Shows that help you be the change you want to see! Summer of Super Cool Surprises! I’m so excited to be talking to you again today. So far, this summer has been full of surprises, but I have something else for you today! I’m super excited to announce the Be…

Dr Briony Scott is an Australian educator and columnist, and the Principal of Wenona in North Sydney, an independent K–12 girls school. Dr Scott has a Masters and Doctorate in Education from the University of Sydney; specialising in girls’ education, technology and pedagogy, motivational theory,…

In the world of education, no matter how confident, competent or experienced you are – pressure is a part of every process. How well you handle those challenges, changes, and problems will often determine how successful you are going be. Michael Licenblat is a resilience expert who teaches people…

Mr. Jorge Ruiz is the Head of School of the International School of Sosua. He has been in the field of education for 20+ years. Mr. Ruiz has been a teacher in the Primary, Secondary, and University levels; as well as an administrator for Primary and Secondary. Mr. Ruiz is an educational consultant,…

Last month I talked about the TBD framework for making career decisions, and as I teased at the end of that episode, I was evaluating a current opportunity for myself. Today, I’m going to walk you through my thought process using the TBD framework. First, a little review, because maybe you don’t…

Dr. Kyle Palmer is Author of the new book Parentships in a PLC He is an HR Administrator in Kansas City in Central school district. Kyle was on Episode 79 of Transformative Principal. Parents are so important Teachers who are afraid to reach out to If parents truly understood teachers roles.…

Melissa Sherman grew up in rural Virginia playing in the woods and streams. Taught PK–7th grade in public and independent school in VA, AL, TN for 17 years before becoming a principal Was a title I reaching coach/interventionist for much of this time Now am a principal of a small independent PK–5th…

Spike Cook, Ed.D., Principal, Lakeside Middle School , Millville, NJ. In addition to being a Principal, Dr. Cook published two books through Corwin Press ( Connected Leadership: It’s Just a Click Away ; Breaking Out of Isolation: Becoming a Connected School Leader ). He is the co-host of the…

Michelle Goldshlag is the Co-founder and CEO of Cultured Kids (CK) , a nonprofit organization that believes a student’s sense of belonging is the primary catalyst for their success. In her six years at the helm, Cultured Kids has partnered with schools and community organizations in Northern VA and…

I have several friends who are looking for new positions right now, and there is a lot that goes into making a decision like this. I’m dedicating this episode to my friends who are looking for something, so imagine that we are in a coffee shop and I’m having this conversation with you. If you do…

Sara Sonnenschein is a principal in New Jersey for the past 8 years, and taught in the writing classrooms the previous 19 years. She writes a curriculum to help kids learn to write at Curriculumhq.com A day in the life of principal Sunshine - LinkedIn posts inspired by Akbar Cook. Forcing myself to…

Dr. Chris Jones has been an educator in Massachusetts for 21 years. He has just finished his 13th year as a building administrator. True to his “why” of improving the educational experience for as many people as possible by being purposeful, acting with integrity, and building character, he is…

Take my listener survey here . Janna Cochrane is principal of North Greenville Elementary School (NGES), located in Greenville, Wisconsin, and part of the Hortonville Area School District. She has spent her career exclusively at the elementary level with 22 years’ experience as an elementary…

Take my listener survey here . In this episode, Tracey Ezard interviews me about How to be a Transformative Principal and I also weave in interviews with Rima Meechan, the principal of that Kindergarten Peptoc school and Jessica Martin, the creator of that hotline ((707) 998–8410). To donate to…

Matthew Moyer is a Nationally Distinguished Principal, and Pennsylvania Principal of the Year. He is an elementary school principal with over 17 years of experience in administration, and over 23 years of experience in education. In addition to his job as principal, he is an Author, National…

Not only is Dr. Joaquina Kankam an expert in youth protection compliance and risk management, but her practical experience has made her a leader in understanding the needs of youth serving organizations. In addition to being an educator (K–12 & Higher Education), Joaquina has presented at several…

Dr. Bill Ziegler is the principal of Pottsgrove High School in Pennsylvania. He’s been a mentor of mine for years. So excited for this conversation. Lead the Way EDU Podcast Staying strong in the storms Take care of yourself Take lunch every day! Use your vacation days! Don’t take it personally.…

Join the Launch Party!!! Jethrojones.com/how2be Episode 471! Attachment Trauma Network’s Trauma-Sensitive Schools Conference was this week in Houston. - I presented with Tessa - 2 sessions Social Media Exacerbates Trauma and Suicide Prevention - Dr. Bruce Perry’s Neurosequential model - The joy of…

Miriam Campbell (Skills for Connection) is a SLP, MSW and teacher. She developed a SEL RTI model that schools and therapists are loving! It is adaptable, supports teachers and is the only effective generalization model. School leaders are revolutionizing the way they support SEL development with…

Dr. Lorea Martínez is the award-winning Founder of HEART in Mind Consulting, a company dedicated to helping schools and organizations integrate social emotional learning in their practices, products, and learning communities. An educator who has worked with children and adults internationally, Dr.…

Tracey Ezard Twitter is known for her ‘Ferocious Warmth’ leadership approach and professional collaborative culture work via The Buzz Academy. Tracey’s collaborative framework The Buzz which creates an environment of learning, trust and innovation is used in education and organisational systems…

This month, we are talking about Culture. If you are not part of the How2be coaching, I would love to have you join us. We focus on one aspect of how to be a transformative principal each month through a newsletter, a podcast episode, a webinar, and a coaching session. For more information, check…

Dr. Michael Gaskell Web site is Principal at Hammarskjold Middle School in East Brunswick, NJ. following experience as a special educator and assistant principal in Paramus, NJ. He continues to model the pursuit of lifelong learning as he serves to mentor new principals through the New Jersey…

Becca Silver coaches school administrators in the leadership and communication skills needed to “close the adult knowledge gap”, we started to see school wide culture shifts, relationships strengthening and higher teacher satisfaction and resilience. Empower instructional coaches to impact…

layout: podcast title: Creating a school kids are dying to attend with Andrew Marotta Transformative Principal 464 comments: true date: 2022-01-16 categories: middle, student driven learning, mindset, permalink: https://jethrojones.com/podcast/episode464 Social Media: Do your teachers want the…

Kim Bearden is the cofounder and a language arts teacher at the highly acclaimed Ron Clark Academy, an innovative middle school and educator-training facility in Atlanta. Each year, over 15,000 educators from around the world visit Kim’s classroom and attend her workshops to learn better ways to…

To start out, a little review of highlights for the last year. We released 86 episodes on the podcast. Because I left being a principal, I had more time to produce content. And so I did 3 to four interviews per week! It’s been great. We also broke 1,000,000 downloads total with more than 200,000…

Nickie Bellini has been an educator for 19 years, five of those as a dual language principal. Loves Dual Language. Mastermind member for about a year. Loves the books we read in the mastermind. From Journalist to Principal Psychological Safety How to be a Transformative Principal? Get in…

Joe Wehbe, 26 years old (I’ll be 27 by the time of this interview) and from Sydney Australia. 2016-2019 - Co-Director of a nonprofit building schools and providing employment in Nepal, called From the Ground Up. Author of 18 & Lost? So Were We with seven other co-authors . Co-founded the Constant…

Michael Vargas is an international facilitator with nearly 10 years of experience. Utilizing his Master in Clinical Psychology, improv and design thinking background Michael facilitates workshops and speaks to organizations on developing collaborative and productive team cultures. Supporting teams…

Learning Executive and coach for 30 years. Fabulous Learning Nerds podcast Why everyone should have a blog, podcast, newsletter. Ego is at the root of all adult learning excuses. Here’s my idea, will you poke holes in it? Extreme Ownership Vulnerability podcast nerdiness How to be transformative…

Eric Makelky is the Pinedale Middle School principal in Pinedale, WY. He earned a Bachelors and Master’s degree from Rocky Mountain College in Billings, MT. Eric has worked as a middle school language arts and social studies teacher, football, wrestling, and track coach, 6–12 instructional…

Liz Wiseman is a researcher and executive advisor who teaches leadership to executives around the world. She is the author of New York Times bestseller Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter, The Multiplier Effect: Tapping the Genius Inside Our Schools, and Wall Street Journal…

James Anderson is a educator, author, and speaker and a master of mindset work. Today we are talking about Learnership - the skill of learning. Learnership are the skills kids need to learn. Habits of mind Information Effort There are different ways to get better at learning You’re not going to…

Kelly Hellams is an elementary school principal at Summit Drive Elementary in Greenville, South Carolina. She is leading her school on a new focus of Leadership and Entrepreneurial Design. Kelly has been a teacher and administrator for 23 years and has explicit background in creating lessons and…

Garett Cook is a young leader serving in education for the past 11 years in a variety of roles including science teacher, football and track coach, Assistant Principal, and Principal. Garett has worked in public and private schools in Kansas, Missouri, and Texas, and he is currently serving as the…

Laura Bechard is an experienced business, learning and change management professional with a unique background that combines finances and people. Getting the best out of your people, helping them develop their careers and unleashing their talent can be challenging for leaders. Learning plays a…

Dr. Joseph Jones is the Superintendent in the New Castle County Vocational-Technical School District. A passion to provide all students an incredible and valuable learning experience Dr. Jones started teaching World and US History in 1996. A few short years later he found himself within the ranks…

In this episode we talk about the launch of transformativeprincipal.com , what we’ve learned from 450 episodes, and more! How to get positive press We passed 1,000,000 downloads of the podcast! Thank you! Sponsors InControl SEL for Middle School In Control created an effortless social and…

Richard Shell is a global thought leader and senior faculty member at one of the world’s leading business schools, the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He serves as Chair of Wharton’s Legal Studies and Business Ethics Department, the largest department of its kind in the world. His…

Daniel Bauer is an unorthodox Ruckus Maker who has mentored thousands of school leaders through his Better Leaders Better Schools blog, books, podcasts, and powerful coaching experiences. His new book, The Mastermind: Unlocking the Talent Within Every School Leader introduces a proprietary process…

Danielle Nuhfer specializes in teaching mindfulness, stress reduction, self-care and habit formation to teachers and students. A high school English teacher, Mindful Schools Certified instructor and an ICF-credentialed teacher wellness coach, Danielle is the author of The Path of the Mindful…

Michael Skinner is an award-winning advocate, educator, writer and critically acclaimed singer, songwriter, guitarist, addressing the issues of trauma, abuse and mental health concerns through public speaking, writing and his music. He has spoken at the National Press Club, was a keynote presenter…

Judith Warner, author of the new book, And Then They Stopped Talking to Me: Making Sense of Middle School , has published eight previous works of non-fiction, including the New York Times best-sellers, Perfect Madness: Motherhood in the Age of Anxiety and Hillary Clinton: The Inside Story, plus the…

Suzanne DeMallie taught for seven years in the Baltimore County Public Schools system. Research into her own son’s learning difficulties led her to author the Classroom Auditory Learning Issues Resolution, adopted by the National PTA in July 2007. Her work has appeared in Our Children Magazine, THE…

Patricia Wilkinson is a science nerd and veteran teacher who has taught all grades, kindergarten through sixth, in both public and private schools. Trish is also the mom of two kids who had “challenges” they now use as strengths in healthy relationships and fulfilling careers. Founder of Brain…

Angie Busch Alston is a teacher in Brevig Mission, a small Inupiaq village on the Seward Peninsula. She came to Alaska in 2005 for a one year adventure and ended up staying. She prizes classroom and community connections and believes all teachers can open themselves to the richness and value around…

Alyssa Gallagher is Head of Education, North America for BTS Spark , a not-for profit practice focused on bringed executive level coaching to every school leader. She has extensive experience leading schools and districts to revolutionize learning for students. Under Alyssa’s guidance Los Altos…

Jared Cooney Horvath is a cognitive neuroscientist with expertise in human learning, memory, and brain stimulation. He earned his Master’s degree from Harvard University and his Doctorate from the University of Melbourne. In 2018, Dr. Horvath co-founded LME Global to bring his pioneering brain and…

Joe Erpelding is the Director of Education at Thrively . What if? Life ready, thought leaders who are ready to elevate humanity! Students creating impact. Create learning that is personal to you. Find a need, using design thinking. Hacking Language - “that’s an at risk kid” It’s our responsibility…

Gina Rodriguez-Nunez - Tippin Born and raised in El Paso, Texas. Proud graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso. Received my Bachelors of Interdisciplinary Studies, Bachelors of Liberals Arts. Masters of Education I was an assistant principal for 7 years. I was named principal of Tippin…

Dr. Temple is the Sealy and Smith Chair of Violence Prevention at the University of Texas Medical Branch, as well as a Licensed Psychologist and the Founding Director of the Center for Violence Prevention. His research focuses on the prevention of interpersonal, community, and structural violence,…

Regina Collins is the Principal of the Global School at the Florida Virtual School. Florida Virtual School is a national organization serving K - 12 students in online education for over 23 years. She has 20 years in education and 11 of them in virtual education. In her role as the Global School…

Rashard Curmon is a graduate of Elizabeth City State University and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, with a minor in Speech Pathology, a Master of Arts degree in Teaching from East Carolina University, and a Master in School Administration NC State University. Rashard is a former…

Jeff Carrus is an assistant principal in Katy Texas. 8th year being an assistant principal. Taught in New York for five years and then Surgarland and now in Katy. Young Men’s Group Mainly at-risk students. Meet once a month - shirts and ties. Goal setting & Accountability. The young men needed to…

Jeanne Collins is the Superintendent Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union. Vermont is very rural. Vermont Virtual Learning Cooperative Pivoting quickly in the spring - hindsight wasn’t effective. Spent summer identifying essential components of our curriculum Essential elements remote learning…

Lindsay Lyons is an educational justice coach who works with teachers and school leaders to inspire educational innovation for racial and gender justice, design curricula grounded in student voice, and build capacity for shared leadership. Lindsay taught in NYC public schools, holds a PhD in…

Dr. Gregory Gardner, Jr. began his educational career in 2007 in the Griffin-Spalding County school system at Carver Road Middle School. He spent seven years there as a Language Arts, Social Studies, and remedial reading teacher. Over the course of those seven years, he helped to pilot the Positive…

David Wood is a former consulting actuary to Fortune 100 companies. He built the world’s largest coaching business, becoming #1 on Google for life coaching and coaching thousands of hours in 12 countries around the globe. As well as helping others, David is no stranger to overcoming challenges…

Greg Doverspike is a superintendent of Durand-Arkansaw School District in Western Wisconsin. How principals get paid. Everything’s negotiable. Equal pay for admin team. What if high school principal does more evening supervision? Everyone knew the increase would be worth it for that person who got…

Brian Hyosaka is a Chicago native and has spent time around the world I’m originally from the Chicago area and am the son of career high school special educator. I grew up playing a multitude of sports and got into coaching alongside my sister who is also a teacher. For a few summers during…

Social Media Kids don’t know what makes their heart sing. Melissa Bernstein, along with her husband Doug, is the Co-Founder of the toy company Melissa & Doug, which has created over 5,000 children’s products and sold billions of dollars of toys since its inception. Raised by educators, Melissa and…

Paul Marble has served his entire career as a teacher and administrator in three Massachusetts high schools, including a private boarding school, large urban district school, and a charter public school. Paul taught IB English at Sturgis for six years; was Principal for six years; became Executive…

Dr. Chad Dumas Twitter is an educational consultant, international presenter and award-winning researcher whose primary focus is collaborating to develop capacity for continuous improvement. Having been a successful teacher, principal, central office administrator, professional developer and…

Dr. Kirk Wheeler has been the STS Head of Schoo l since July 2005 and has been in education for thirty years. Previously, he served as the Preschool – 12 Curriculum Coordinator and Lower School Principal at the American School of Rio de Janeiro, a classroom teacher at Vail Mountain School, and…

Robert E. Quinn has spent the last 40 years doing research, publishing, teaching, consulting, and speaking to more than half of the Fortune 500. He is the Margaret Elliot Tracy Professor Emeritus at the University of Michigan, Ross School of Business. His research and writing focuses on purpose,…

Dr. Stacey Gonzales is the director of curriculum and instruction at Consolidated High School District 230 in Illinois. Virtual Career day - This is an opportunity to connect kids For them it is a straight line. K–12 is a straight line. How to bring experiential learning into the classroom? Be…

Jennifer Sullivan, M.S. is an executive functioning coach and author based in southeastern CT. She is founder of Fast Forward College Coaching and offers customized college support for diverse learners and their parents as they prepare for the transition to (and through) college. She speaks…

Sam Sochet was celebrated as the 2019 New York City High School Principal of the Year by the NYC High School Principals Association, for his monumental work in transforming Martin Van Buren High School, a large comprehensive high school in Queens, New York. When Sam took over as principal in 2012,…

Dr. Sebrina A. Lindsay-Law serves as the Coordinator for Equity and Opportunity in the Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Virginia Beach City Public Schools. Prior to serving in this role, Dr. Lindsay-Law worked as a school improvement specialist, secondary social studies teacher, and…

Phil Dituri is Director of Education for Financial Life Cycle Education , also known as FiCycle. FiCycle is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring every student has access to knowledge of the financial concepts necessary to live a prosperous life and the math skills needed to grasp those…

Jim Knight has spent more than two decades studying professional learning, effective teaching, and instructional coaching. He is a founding senior partner of the Instructional Coaching Group and a research associate at the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning. His book Instructional…

Jay Posick is principal of Merton Intermediate school in Merton Wisconsin. He has been an educator since 1987, teaching 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. In his 31st year as a middle school educator, the first twelve as a classroom teacher and the last 19 as an administrator. I’m fortunate…

Meghan Raftery Twitter is a freelance educator and mom of two boys, ages 5 and 8. A former second and fourth grade teacher and central office administrator, Meghan left public education to pursue her professional passions on her own terms in 2018. Since that time, she has developed curriculum for…

Michael Lubelfeld, Ed.D., currently serves as the superintendent of schools in the North Shore School District 112 in Highland Park, Illinois, a northern suburb of Chicago. Mike earned his doctorate in curriculum and instruction from Loyola University of Chicago, where his published dissertation…

Own It with Deidre Roemer, Deontay Torres, and Dayzia Marek Transformative Principal Deidre Roemer is Leverage Points , @deidre_roemer , is the Director of Leadership and Learning in West Allis-West Milwaukee School District . We also talk to two students, Dayzia and Deontay about their experiences…

Dr. Roy Pope has served as a teacher, coach, college professor, and school administrator in the United States and the United Arab Emirates for more than two decades. When he and his wife moved to the UAE 8 years ago, they saw a global need for an efficient, effective, multilingual professional…

Dr. Eric Stephens helps people transition from education to industry. Go to https://www.changehighered.org During a pandemic we have an ethical obligation to help other people find work. Education does have a bottom line. There is a lack of communication between academia and industry. Industry:…

Brett Weiss is the author of Just Give Them a Hug … and the Rest Will Be Easy: How One Person Can Make the World a Better Place, One Child at a Time. He is also the founder of Weiss Scholarship Foundation , where he works to empower Kenyan children through education. 79 students sponsored overall.…

As a keynote speaker, best-selling author, and host of the top-rated podcast, The Next 24 Hours, Curtis Zimmerman has impacted over one million people around the globe with his life-changing message. People connect with Curtis through his high energy as he incorporates the skills he gained from…

Culture of Care with Jose Celis Transformative Principal 407 Jose Celis is a principal in Wayne Township in New Jersey. He believes that schools should promote wholeness, equity, and hope. In various administrative capacities, he has devoted his energies to ensuring students, families, and…

PrincipalED with Kate Barker and Kourtney Ferrua Transformative Principal 406 That data represents the faces of the kids that we care about. Via @Kate_s_barker and @kourtneyferrua The book PrincipalED: Navigating the Leadership Learning Curve by Rachael George, Kate Barker, and Kourtney Ferrua…

Getting to the Root of the Problem with Sarah Lavezzo Transformative Principal 405 Mastery learning allows them to feel confident with where they are in that moment. Via Sarah Lavezzo Sarah Lavezzo is the founder and director of Ascend Micro School in Colorado Springs. She is a gifted intervention…

Managing your Unmanaged Mind with Julia Barrow Transformative Principal 388 We have unmanaged minds. Students in a positive peer culture would change the way they were thinking. You’re coming at them from a label, but coming from specific behaviors will make your conversations more effective. Dr.…

Chloe Sutterfield is a student at Virginia Commonwealth University. Chloe is studying to become a journalist and wants to travel the world. She also really loves making music and playing sports. Her favorite type of music is rock’n’roll and pop. Her favorite sport is skiing. Chloe believes that…

Tom Sherrington ( Twitter) is a former principal and teacher and is now a writer and trainer. He is the author of Teaching WalkThrus: Visual Step-by-Step Guides to Essential Teaching Techniques by Tom Sherrington and Oliver Caviglioli Walkthrus professional learning package. Visual guide to key…

The Addiction Inoculation with Jessica Lahey Transformative Principal 401 Jessica Lahey is a teacher, writer, and mom. Over twenty years, she’s taught every grade from sixth to twelfth in both public and private schools. She writes about education, parenting, and child welfare for The Atlantic,…

Links I talk about: Join the Mastermind How to Be a Transformative Principal Cybertraps Podcast Webinar this month will be with Julia King Pool around communication Where I’m at now. Consulting - mastermind leadership team trainings, cybertraps. Talk about student driven learning academy Kids…

Janet Hale Twitter is passionate about supporting educators in making curriculum decisions that ensure, enhance, and enrich learning and teaching experiences. She specializes in curriculum mapping; curriculum design using various models and frameworks; standards literacy and alignment; and…

Kimberly Vaiana is a principal in San Francisco, Education is her second career and she has spent most of the 20 plus years in middle school. She’s been an administrator in both high school and middle school. Currently she has been serving her middle school community, as principal, for the last…

Ira Socol is a former Technology Director and special education teacher. He is also He is the author of Timeless Learning and The Drool Room. The driver of change is where we want our kids to get to vs. where they currently end up. We’re not accomplishing 99% of what we want our kids to accomplish.…

Formerly a high school English teacher and a new teacher coach in Palo Alto Unified School District (Palo Alto, CA), Jennifer Abrams is currently a communications consultant and author who works with educators and others on new teacher and employee support, being generationally savvy, effective…

Travis Lape is entering his fourth year as Innovative Programs Director for Harrisburg School District in Harrisburg, South Dakota. In this role Travis has helped shift the Harrisburg School District to a system of personalized learning. In 2015 Travis was recognized for his work with integrating…

Ryan Gottfredson, Ph.D. is a cutting-edge leadership development consultant, author, trainer, and researcher. Ryan is the Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-selling author of “Success Mindsets: The Key to Unlocking Greater Success in Your Life, Work, & Leadership.” He is also a leadership…

Breaking Down the Need for Control with Rebecca Muller Transformative Principal 393 My days were spent filling out charts. An engaged learner is someone who is doing. I’d rather have a noisy classroom with kids laughing and having a good time AND learning. Rebecca Muller is a special education…

I was recently a guest on the Mind The Gap podcast and we thought it would be fun to release it here as well. We’re proud to be sponsored by IXL . IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100…

Adam J. Stich (A.J.) is the founding principal of The Greater Dayton School . Prior to starting in this role, he spent nearly seven years as a principal in Chicago Public Schools, where he drove strong outcomes for students and teachers. Under A.J.’s leadership, Rufus M. Hitch Elementary achieved…

Mike Anderson has been an educator for more than 25 years. A public school teacher for 15 years, he has also taught preschool, coached school swim teams, and taught university graduate level classes. He now works as a consultant providing professional learning for teachers throughout the US and…

Dr. Justin Bathon is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership Studies at the University of Kentucky and serves as a Co-Director of the Center for Next Generation Leadership. He is the Director of Innovative School Models for the College of Education. He is a co-Director of…

Bill Clouse is a principal in Wisconsin. He’s a 31-year veteran with 26 years in administration. In this episode, we talk about using people in the right way, eliminating staff meetings, and how the mastermind kept him motivated and energized even though he could have retired. One agenda item on…

Troy Hutchings researches, writes, and speaks in the areas of professional ethics, educator misconduct, and frameworks for an ethical and legal teaching practice. He presents to various state and national policy and practitioner groups across the United States and Canada. Hutchings also provides…

Dr. Burton serves as a Turnaround Specialist for the Rensselaerville Institute based in Albany, New York. He was music teacher from 1983 to 1989, and then became a principal In August 2001 Dr. Burton was assigned as the Principal to Cherokee Park Elementary. At the time of his appointment the…

Craig Randall is developing relational trust between principals and teachers, leading to risk-taking and growth. Author of Trust-Based Observations Trust-Based Observations, my new book about a transformative method of doing teacher observations. In a nutshell the book and model are designed to…

Dr. Robinson is on a mission to ensure that all students and educational practitioners receive the best experience in educational technology that will ensure immediate and future success in the real world. He believes in forming long-lasting partnerships with school districts and educational…

“Too many of us clock out of life as we clock into work. Where we were once looking for fulfillment and meaning in our careers, we now just show up for a paycheck… But what if we could change all that? What if we could reignite that passion in ourselves… in our coworkers…in our employees? David…

Justin Thomas, Ed.D. , is an elementary school principal serving students, faculty, and community near Nashville, TN. Prior to his work in school administration, he enjoyed 8 years as a middle school and high school band director. During his 6-year tenure as principal, his school team has been…

Nicole Colter became an instant mom, when she married a single dad with three children aged 5, 6 and 7. If that wasn’t enough, over the next 12 years she also built three different businesses without any prior knowledge of, or training in, those industries. > These combined experiences taught her…

Joellen Killion is a senior advisor to Learning Forward and served for many years as the association’s deputy executive director. As senior advisor, she leads initiatives related to the link between professional development and student learning. She led the most recent revision of the Standards for…

Angela Mahoney is currently the principal at Eastland Elementary School, which is part of a high-achieving, small, rural school district in the Northwest corner of Illinois. Prior to working in education, she spent many years working in the private sector. As an educator, Angela taught…

Michelle Mann has been in higher education for over 20 years. She focuses her work on working with disadvantaged students, especially students who have dropped out of high school. She currently resides in St. Petersburg, Florida. She is also a former police officer. A problem at home becomes a…

It’s what my community Needed with Dr. Tiawan Giles Transformative Principal 378 Dr. Tiawana Giles is the proud principal of George W. Carver Elementary School!! She is also a contributing author the Women Who Lead Anthology. In the age of coronavirus. Lead by example. Setting a great example hat…

PJ Caposey is a dynamic speaker and a transformational leader and educator. PJ began his career as an award-winning teacher in the inner-city of Chicago and has subsequently led significant change in every administrative post he has held. PJ became a principal at 28 and within three years was able…

Marisa Thompson (M.A. Teacher Education) has fourteen years of experience teaching various levels of English including advanced and support classes. District’s first Innovation Support coach. She is a designated cooperating teacher for several credential programs and a Professional Development…

Professor Anthony Kimpson , or Mr. K as he is known by his students is on a mission to positively impact the lives of every young person he touches and to help them aspire to change the direction of their lives through the power of education. He is a dynamic coach, teacher, leader, and speaker with…

Matthew Moyer Website is an elementary school principal with over 17 years of experience in administration, and over 23 years of experience in education. In addition to his job as principal, he is a Nationally Distinguished Principal, Pennsylvania Principal of the Year, Author, National Speaker,…

Tracey Runeare taught high school social studies for 16 years before becoming a high school assistant principal. She has been the principal of Harbor High School in Santa Cruz, California for 5 years. Harbor High School - Santa Cruz - Beachside community. Small high school with 1100 students. Role…

At 22, Makaila Nichols is a model, speaker and best-selling author (at age 18) of “Blatantly Honest: Normal Teen, Abnormal Life.” In her book, she shares her personal struggles with issues such as: bullying, body image, sexual assault, peer pressure and more. Makaila was bullied unmercifully…

Maureen O’Shaughnessy, EdD , is a career school innovator with over 30 years of transforming learning in schools to better serve all students. She is the founding director of Leadership Preparatory Academy, a nonprofit progressive micro-school in Washington State. With a master’s degree in…

Trevor Goertzen –15th year in education Building Principal at Spring Hill Middle School, Spring Hill, Kansas –5yrs Teacher & Instructional Coach Blue Valley School, Overland Park, Kansas –10yrs National Board Certified Teacher Kansas Podcast - KPA Listen Up! Communication director of Kansas…

Tom Mahoney currently serves as the Superintendent of Oregon Community Unit School District located in Northern Illinois. As an educator, Tom has served as a secondary math teacher, coach, building administrator, and Assistant Superintendent. His experiences as a teacher, serving a diverse student…

Katharine Birbalsingh is the founder and head of Michaela Community School. She and her staff wrote the book, “Michaela: the Power of Culture” which you can find anywhere books are sold. Michaela is a different kind of school. High standards of discipline - silent corridors Knowledge is our goal in…

Matthew is a principal in Nashville, He was recently selected by FranklinCovey Education as a Leader in Me Community Champion in recognition of his outstanding work Trauma Informed Educators Network Facebook group “I’m an activator,” he says. “In education, everyone is waiting for someone else to…

Transformative Principal 366 Social Media: He threw a rock at the building and I thought we were done! Via Kevin Stinehart Kevin Stinehart is in his ninth year teaching in a South Carolina Title 1 Arts Magnet School. Last month he won Teacher of the Year for his district, and he is currently in the…

For 30 years, Frank Forte has led projects and programs around the world for clients such as the U.S. Navy, Air Force, and Army, NASA, CA, CSC, GTE, and Mylan Pharmaceutical. He has worked across many different industries, including Oil & Gas, Software, Healthcare, and Construction. Frank is the…

Wanting to Get Better with Dr. Vernita Glenn-White Transformative Principal 364 Social Media: You need to have a goal. Via @DrVglenn_white Dr. V. is a professor of empowerment and executive coaching and consulting. It’s ok to admit that you will make some mistakes. How to not judge people? There’s…

Janneke Ritchie is an entrepreneur, speaker, designer and digital transformation expert. A robot momma, she brings both passion and a healthy dose of realism to how robots, AI and future technologies can be used to transform how we work, live and age. After 20 years of envisioning, designing and…

Kat Howard is AP at the Duston School and founder of LitDrive, PD for English Teachers. She is also the author of the book “Stop Talking About Wellbeing” Came to teaching quite late after working in finance Felt lack of reward outside of education. How to help teachers take care of themselves.…

Lizzy Neiger is an elementary principal at an international school in Nepal. Previously, Lizzy was a special ed teacher and 2nd grade teacher. Geographically positioned between China and India. Only flights people could get were repatriation flights back to their home countries. Thought people…

Hannah Costello graduated in January 2020 after homeschooling her whole life. While co-founding the Learner Council and volunteering at virtual camps in her distributed learning high school, she discovered a passion for guiding and supporting other learners, and for creating systems that work. She…

Andrea Keith is the Vice President of School Programs at Let Grow . Let Grow non profit to bring back childhood independence. What changes have happened in the how parenting happens? Belief that it is the parents’ job to protect kids from any discomfort. Blue hands in the windows. Benefits of kids…

Barb Labotka is a principal of a Montessori School in Chicago, Illinois. And this podcast is a little different in that she is going to tell some stories about Maria Montessori! integrated her faith into her theory. Montessori was the first scientific method. Inspiration will come in moments when…

Nancy Conrad is the founder of the Conrad Challenge , a global competition to help kids learn without limitations. Global competition for teams of students 13–18. Students are invited to combine innovation, education, and entrepreneurship to create something new. Students form teams and ind a…

Amy Valentine , Leader at Future of School has been called a social rabble rouser, a turnaround strategist and a fighter of the status quo in K–12 education. She has served as a teacher, school leader and executive director. Gives scholarships to students and grants to teachers. National Non-profit…

JC Pohl is the co-founder and CEO of TeenTruth.net Resilience is about taking the hits and moving forward. Hear about bad things with kids. Bouncing back. It was really in the hard times in our life that we grew. 5 keys to mental health. Why is it harder for teenagers? This is developmentally…

Mariana Aguilar did some field research to determine what causes students to be engaged in online and hybrid learning environments. How to define student engagement in online and hybrid environments. Hard to define engagement, but we all say we can feel it! You can feel it. Emotionally connected…

Danielle Nuhfer is a teacher and you can find more information about her at TeachingWell.Life Bringing Awareness to the present moment without judgment. Taking a step back and trying to think about how to proceed. The benefits of mindfulness in self-care and resilient person in our students’ lives.…

Crystal Xu and Purvi Patel recently wrote a paper on how to Redesign School Level Systems For Equity. How systems work together. Started with redesign systems work. We actually have a lot more autonomy than we think. Expand our self-confidence around the structures we can control. How we define…

James Anderson is a educator, author, and speaker and a master of mindset work. Today we are talking about Learner Agency . Anders Ericson - purposeful practice. Agile Learner - capable of growth, but also knows how to go about achieving the growth. What it means to achieve the growth in life.…

Tiersa McQueen is an unschooling mom and has a great story to tell. Follow her insightful comments on Twitter . You can learn a lot of math through cooking. What about math? Math is everywhere. Homeschooling vs unschooling vs public school Many different styles. You can relax a little bit with…

Cory Henwood is the Innovation Coordinator for Iron County Schools, founder of Launch HS . What Launch HS is? How students demonstrate mastery. There are systemic barriers that prevent people from taking this leap. Lots of groundwork laid for this. Partnerships are really important. How is your…

Marti Sievek is Assistant Principal of East High School. Tania Lyon is the talent Talent Development Coordinator. Both are in Mankato Area Public Schools Mankato Area Public Schools. District from a GT program to a more inclusive program. Professional development coordinator interim director of…

Click the title or long-press the album art to get to the book. or go to http://schoolx.me We’re proud to be sponsored by IXL . IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school…

Derek Sivers is an entrepreneur who founded CDBaby, and is now writing and doing cool things in New Zealand. Check out his Now page for more information. This episode is about the importance of focus and how to not be distracted all the time. Moved to Oxford for the schools. He grew up outside and…

Karen Gross is an author and educator, as well as an advisor and consultant to nonprofit schools, organizations, and governments; instructor of continuing education at Rutgers Graduate School of Social Work; visiting professor at Bennington College; former president of Southern Vermont College;…

Dr. Bryan Brockett is a principal of the Lancers in Carlsbad, CA. Principal experience in middle and high school. Are high school kids completely indifferent or focused or somewhere in between? You see transformation take place. Expecting conversation The more we treat students like they’re equally…

Tamara Fyke is the founder of Love in a Big World , which provides SEL support for families all over the world. SEL is related to their emotional, mental, and physical health. Kids may have experienced more trauma at home during closures than they ever have. Maslow before Blooms. The need that kids…

Miguel Gonzalez is the founder of Embark education, a micro school embedded in two small businesses (pinwheel coffee and framework cycles) Brian Sense is the Executive Director Great Work, Inc Samara is a student at the Embark school. Microschools vs. traditional schools Blended grade levels. 16…

Lyn is a valued member of the mastermind. Tune in to hear her experiences for the last two years as a member. Join today at jethrojones.com/mastermind We’re proud to be sponsored by IXL . IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is…

Dr. Kulvarn Atwal has been a head teacher for 8 years, educator for 20. He is the Author of The Thinking School: Developing a Dynamic Learning Community Great variation in teachers who had good attitudes and wanted to improve. Interested in finding out how to help every teacher be excited to learn.…

Jeremiah Newell founded Alabama’s first charter school, Accel Day and Evening Academy is Alabama’s first charter school. It serves grades 9–12 and specializes in supporting youth who are disengaged in the traditional high school, have fallen behind, or dropped out all together. I’d like to discuss…

Emma Turner is the author of a new book called “ Be More Toddler ” Co head teacher in 2009. 5 babies in 5 years, multiple maternity leaves. Flip leadership and think about it differently. Chocolate buttons - What is it that means the most to you that you are going to hold on to no matter what? The…

Vijay Ravindran is the creator of Floreo, an app to help kids with Autism understand social interactions. Vijay’s son inspired the app. Combines iPhone with VR headset VR therapy. help in 2 ways. 1. Opportunities to create fun characters. Therapy can get patronizing and monotonous; we make it…

Amber Dembowski ( Twitter ) is a principal of two elementary buildings and founder of emBOSSed Leadership. Mindful leadership embedded within instructional leadership. Amber’s podcast Worked in many different facets of education - from para professional to teacher to instructional coach to…

Amber Dembowski ( Twitter ) is a principal of two elementary buildings and founder of emBOSSed Leadership. Mindful leadership embedded within instructional leadership. Amber’s podcast Worked in many different facets of education - from para professional to teacher to instructional coach to…

Sarah Levy and Mark Parmet are the co founders Einstein Academy in Colorado . K–5 and building out to 8th grade Four components of the school: for kids, family, community, today and the future. I got sick of hearing people say, “It’s school, kids shouldn’t have fun.” Setting an environment where…

Literacy nerds Beth Lawrence and Deena Seifert cofounders of infercabulary.com Infercabulary is a web-based k–12 interactive tool for helping kids improve vocabulary and skills. speed up learning by making learning vocabulary like Avidly reading. We tend to make words simpler with oral language…

Evidence-informed for Real Learning with Eric Kalenze Transformative Principal 334 Social Media: Evidence-informed means looking at what has worked. Eric Kalenze is the author of “What The Academy Taught Us: Improving Schools From The Bottom Up In A Top-Down Transformation Era.” How to teach…

How We Nearly Doubled Math Scores with Kevin Finnegan Transformative Principal 333 Social Media: When we saw Math could be a discussion, it totally changed everything. Kevin Finnegan is the principal of Prairie Hill School in Illinois. His students recently showed a 77% growth in Math, and we talk…

Jaime Casap is the Education Evangelist at Google. Jaime evangelizes the power and potential of technology and the web as enabling and supporting tools in pursuit of promoting inquiry-driven learning models. Jaime collaborates with school systems, educational organizations, and leaders focused on…

JC Pohl is the co-founder and CEO of TeenTruth.net/schoolculture Young filmmakers looked at coverage of Columbine, and we always saw adults telling the story of what happened. Look into teenage life. Giving students a voice. How to give kids voice? Control - told what to do, what classes to take,…

Dr. Wendy Oliver serves as Chief Learning Officer for EdisonLearning, a leading international educational services provider with nearly a generation of experience creating effective and sustainable solutions to raise student achievement. In this role, her experience in digital learning and…

Ryan Gottfredson, Ph.D. is a mental success coach and cutting-edge leadership consultant, author, trainer, and researcher. He helps improve organizations, leaders, teams, and employees by improving their mindsets. Ryan is currently a leadership and management professor at the Mihaylo College of…

Nhon Ma is the co-founder of numerade.com Mom was an educator in South Vietnam, Chinese immigrants who then moved to LA. Grew up in LAUSD system. Better Chance program in middle school. Placed me in a top private school. Shaped my thinking around education. Ride bus to school in a completely…

Ryan Gottfredson, Ph.D. is a mental success coach and cutting-edge leadership consultant, author, trainer, and researcher. He helps improve organizations, leaders, teams, and employees by improving their mindsets. Ryan is currently a leadership and management professor at the Mihaylo College of…

Ross Romano is Managing Director of Communications & Public Affairs for MindRocket Media Group, a strategic advisory firm providing a range of services to companies and institutions operating within the K–20 education and education technology sectors worldwide. In his current role, Ross oversees…

Thom Gibson is a middle school math and robotics teacher and high school YouTube teacher in Austin, Texas. Budgeting, saving and spending How we should teach kids about money. Rafe Esquith - Teach like your hair’s on fire. Are you still using classroom economy? Moved away from paper money to all…

Tom Murray and I did office hours to support schools during this closure. Here are the questions we answered. If you were on a leadership team, what would you be focusing on right now? High school, middle school, elementary school? People, equity, vision for your school…

Jethro Jones met up with Marlena Gross-Taylor at the Future of Educational Technology Conference earlier this year. Today’s Transformative Principal sponsor, John Catt Educational , has been publishing high quality guidebooks, magazines and educator-focused professional development books since…

Tom Murray and Jethro Jones hosted office hours for people to answer questions during these school closures. We’re proud to be sponsored by IXL . IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100…

Katie and Camille are the dynamic duo of Educational Technologists in Canyons District. I worked with them nearly a decade ago. This interview is from #FETC2020 Today’s Transformative Principal sponsor, John Catt Educational , has been publishing high quality guidebooks, magazines and…

An interview with Ed Tech Digest's Mark Gura and Victor Rivero from #FETC2020 Today’s Transformative Principal sponsor, John Catt Educational , has been publishing high quality guidebooks, magazines and educator-focused professional development books since 1959. John Catt’s mission is to support…

Adam Geller is the Founder of Edthena , a video coaching program. Enjoy this chat from #FETC2020 Today’s Transformative Principal sponsor, John Catt Educational , has been publishing high quality guidebooks, magazines and educator-focused professional development books since 1959. John Catt’s…

Join host Tamara Fyke and Jethro Jones of Transformative Principal for a conversation about how to keep yourself calm when you’re feeling stressed and nervous. We will talk about: Phrases to show empathy Phrases to give yourself some time to think! Phrases to calm fears How to control your voice.…

A great interview with Tom Murray at #FETC20 earlier this year. Today’s Transformative Principal sponsor, John Catt Educational , has been publishing high quality guidebooks, magazines and educator-focused professional development books since 1959. John Catt’s mission is to support high-quality…

At FETC2020, I had the privilege of interviewing Rebekah McPherson and Nikoski Darnell . Such a great conversation. I hope you enjoy it. Today’s Transformative Principal sponsor, John Catt Educational , has been publishing high quality guidebooks, magazines and educator-focused professional…

I had a 1:1 coaching call with Natalie Irons. She’s awesome. If you want to reach out for help, you can send me a text : 801–252–6368 We’re proud to be sponsored by IXL . IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating…

Matt Pavao is a principal in Burlingame, California. The following is a transcript of our conversation. I'd love to talk about my school will be a lot lots of things going great at the school in the district. I have a small district in in the Bay Area, like you said, We're right near the San…

Jeff Becker and I are hosting a webinar about how to implement SEL in your school. Register here ! Jeff is a former school counselor and current video production teacher in Florida. He also hosts the CanDoU SEL podcast and produces courses for high schools to use to support their students. Check…

Systematizing Our Professional Development For The Charter School with Amanda Huza Transformative Principal 320 Social Media: We’re not wasting the time of teachers who have already mastered that aspect of teaching. Amanda Huza is the principal of Equality charter school . Serve about 630 middle…

Kim Marshall is the founder of the Marshall Memo and Jenn David-Lang is the founder of the Main Idea . We talk about their new book, “The Best of the Marshall Memo,” As a principal I rarely had time to read in a thoughtful way. Why write a book about the Marshall Memo. Articles not organized.…

Phil Echols is an Administrator of Professional Learning supporting K-12 needs in the area of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and coaching in Wake County Public Schools in North Carolina. Psychology major and teacher in his home town. Counseling The power of Twitter. People often find a…

Cristina Garza is the director of social impact for the Mission Economic Development Corporation. She curates and leads all STEAM and entrepreneurship initiatives for this EDC, and through this work commits herself improving the financial mobility of area residents, and fostering progressive and…

Cristina Garza is the director of social impact for the Mission Economic Development Corporation. She curates and leads all STEAM and entrepreneurship initiatives for this EDC, and through this work commits herself improving the financial mobility of area residents, and fostering progressive and…

Sam Brooks is honored to have worked for Putnam County Schools (TN) for the past 27 years. Brooks leads all student/teacher personalized learning opportunities in the district, which includes online, dual enrollment, dual credit, and industry certification options. Mr. Brooks is a Google Certified…

Zachary Hartzman is a high school Economics & English teacher in New York City. Taught many different social studies classes. International and transfer school. 100% immigrant & ELL students. Passionate about videos games. Getting kids to interact with games Florence - great app for relationships.…

I've got some exciting news to share with you.... But first, a little context. The last few months have been pretty exciting. I've started a student driven learning newsletter in partnership with ASCD. I spoke at the ReWire conference in New Jersey. I've been at FETC this week, and have some…

This is an amazing story of how Kimberly's district set them up for success so they could find time for the important things in life. What a cool and unique approach. Kimberly Dixon is principal in Toronto Took a year off to take some coursework. Mother had supported her at the beginning of her…

Turner is the principal of Tristate State Christian Academy in Elkton Maryland. Rewire conference - really powerful conference in New Jersey It’s easy to get the ideas of a person by reading their blogs or listening to a podcast Most recent fascination is Disney. Disney does this better than anyone…

Tessa works with teenagers, and has decided to take on parenting from a new perspective. While patiently waiting for her book’s completion "For the Sake of Our Youth: A Therapist's Perspective on Raising Kids in Today's Culture" (due to hit the shelves Spring 2020) Tessa coaches and presents to…

Rachel Brown is a Curriculum, Instruction, & Professional Growth Strategist for Douglas County School District. Power in the missed opportunities You have the power of leading culture in your building. Even the opportunity of saying hello to a kid is really powerful. Each teacher had to own making…

Adam Bellow is a dedicated educational technologist and father of two young boys. Adam is the co-founder of Breakout EDU, the immersive gaming platform that enables teachers and students to turn their classrooms into a place of discovery and inquiry based learning. Today we will be talking about…

Dwight Carter is an award-winning school leader from Central Ohio. He believes reflection is at the heart of our practice and encourages principals, teachers, and students to focus on personal skill development to create the optimal conditions for learning to take place. Because of his…

My Grandma’s Kitchen with Dr. A. Katrise Perera and Dr. Kimberly Miles Transformative Principal 307 Social Media: Learning should be joyful. - @afewthingsworth Dr. A. Katrise Perera peers acknowledge her commitment, her dedication, her courageous leadership and for being an “equity warriorette.” In…

Katie Novak, Ed.D. is an internationally renowned education consultant as well as a practicing leader in education as an Assistant Superintendent of Schools in Massachusetts. With 15 years of experience in teaching and administration, an earned doctorate in curriculum and teaching, and 3 books…

In this Jolt episode, Sarah Johnson shares about the transformative power of practicing gratitude for ourselves as well a those around us. She shares research alignment, stories, and illustrates points from stories features during the month of November on the In AWE Podcast. Check out the The In…

TJ Vari and Joe Jones are practicing Superintendents and coauthors of the book “ Candid and Compassionate Feedback “. Result of fear of offending people is that it becomes offensive anyway. Ask questions to get them to see what they need to improve. The lack of candor can be what people are…

Keara Mascareñaz Managing Partner, Organizational Design at Education Elements. She helps schools and districts focuses build and scale a culture of innovation through leadership development, team habits, and human-centered organizational design. Learning, meeting, projects How do you create the…

A Story about Fish with Danny Bauer and Dr. Kelly Crane Transformative Principal 302 Social media: All of us are better than any of us. Danny Bauer and Kelly Crane are co-conspirators of Better Leaders Better Schools What do principals need to know about being a superintendent. Legal, politics,…

Adam Fachler has a proven process for planning amazing lessons. Take the EMPOWER Method for planning amazing lessons. We are all searching! Little quality control Making inquiry method a little less messy. Envision - see the end in mind. Map - simplifies a complex process. Prime - prior knowledge,…

Here's some excitement: Episode 300! I give updates on my professional life, the podcast, and more! Tune in! Link to my speaking page We’re proud to be sponsored by IXL . IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating…

Dr. Grayson Maas is the Director of Communications for the Art of Problem Solving, a unique solution to teaching math anytime, anywhere. Talking about dissertation - how we create scientific knowledge as a society - who can become a scientist and who cannot. Scientific knowledge and how it gets…

I am super excited whenever I get to talk with Will Parker, and today is no different. Today we are tackling three questions that principal listeners have shared with us from our podcasts, covering these topics: What to do if or when your teachers give you the cold shoulder about learning something…

Akhil is the business development manager at ChargePoint, a fast-growing start-up in the San Francisco Bay Area that provides electric vehicle charging solutions to businesses. Prior to ChargePoint, he spent 5 years in the clean tech and consumer mobile app spaces. Akhil is an alumnus from the 2010…

Jayme Hull helps schools and churches make millennial friendly environments. She also mentors millennials so that they can be successful. Check out her free resource for principals at her web site . They want to be connected and work somewhere they can make an impact. They have heard their parents…

Michael Horn is the co-founder of the Clayton Christensen Institute and author of Blended and Disrupting Class , and the new book coming out this week called “Choosing College!” , which is the book we are talking about today! The book is about more than just choosing college, right? Tell me about…

Brad Barber is a former business owner who is now an educator who founded a school called the Tesla Academy. At the Tesla Academy, they coach students rather than teach them. We are an academy, not a school. Agnostic about the school kids attend, it just needs to be good. We can react very quickly…

Brad Barber is a former business owner who is now an educator who founded a school called the Tesla Academy. At the Tesla Academy, they coach students rather than teach them. * Business process outsourcing. * Went back to school as a teacher. * Started at a charter school. * Not the primary person…

Dr. Grayson Maas is the Director of Communications for the Art of Problem Solving, a unique solution to teaching math anytime, anywhere. Motivated students in grades 2–12. We are the place students come to to learn math that they aren’t going to learn in school. Instill motivation in kids to want…

Creating Better Learning Environments with Kevin Stoller Transformative Principal 291 Social Media: Every school has defined their vision, the space should reflect that. Over the past 10 years, Kevin has visited over 1,000 schools and spoke with educators and students to learn how student outcomes…

Communicating to Create Happy Families with Jennifer Larson Transformative Principal 290 Social media: If you have a good communication system and everyone is engaged, there’s a positive buzz to the school. Jennifer Larson is he co-founder and CEO of Hive Digital Minds , which provides…

Danielle Nuhfer is a teacher who helps other teachers focus on self-care and you can find more information about her at teachingwell.life Teacher for 16 years. Not sure she was going to go back to teaching. Second burnout at year 10. Sabbatical in 2015 and 2016. What led to the second burnout. Lots…

My wife told me she just couldn't do it anymore. "It's too hard," she said. "Every time I drop him off, the tears, the yelling, and the crying. I just can't take him to school anymore. We've got to figure something out." We had talked about different things, from counseling to medication to other…

Kip Motta is a principal in Rich Utah. You have to deal with people. Everything is about relationships. Doing what’s best for the team. Everyone is different, and you need to adapt your leadership to that person. A history of four-day school weeks. Change based on school district transportation…

Revolutions Start with Relationships with Darren Ellwein Transformative Principal 286 Social media: Tailor everything to the learner - via @dellwein Darren Ellwein is my dessert bro and principal at the middle level in South Dakota! Revolution is about a group of people. From a staff culture…

After a career in innovation, Ted Dintersmith is most well-known to educators as the executive producer of the movie, Most Likely to Succeed, coauthor of the book of the same, and the man who traveled all fifty states to see What Schools Could Be. How to change schools? Changing everything…

After a career in innovation, Ted Dintersmith is most well-known to educators as the executive producer of the movie, Most Likely to Succeed, coauthor of the book of the same, and the man who traveled all fifty states to see What Schools Could Be. Education is the only antidote Machines are taking…

Mia Pumo is a former teacher and math specialist and currently is the cofounder of Constructive Learning Design, which supports teachers and learners by making learning joyful. Partnering with community organizations. Schools often don’t know how to partner. Businesses don’t know how to join in the…

Mia Pumo is a former teacher and math specialist and currently is the cofounder of Constructive Learning Design, which supports teachers and learners by making learning joyful. Making learning joyful I was really starting to contemplate leaving the profession I love because the joy was not there.…

Brittni Schroeder is the founder of Compassion Clubs , dedicated to the memory of her late son who passed away tragically at the age of 14. Started with a scholarship fund for students. Received hundreds of cards and letters from people who cared about Gage. The “Can Man” People wanted to be with…

Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath , @jchorvath is an educator and researcher with expertise in the areas of cognitive neuroscience, biological psychology, brain simulation, the learning sciences, and effective teaching/learning practices There is 1 learning process! It is the same for everyone. You don’t…

Michael Reichert is an applied and research psychologist who has long been an advocate for children and families. From counseling youth involved in the juvenile justice system through experiences leading treatment teams in a psychiatric hospital, all the while managing an independent clinical…

Michael Reichert is an applied and research psychologist who has long been an advocate for children and families. From counseling youth involved in the juvenile justice system through experiences leading treatment teams in a psychiatric hospital, all the while managing an independent clinical…

Derek McCoy is a middle school principal in Georgia, and a fellow Digital Principal of the Year. He is also the coauthor of “The Revolution: It’s Time To Empower Change In Our Schools” We still sit in rows, we still deliver everything the same as we always. The time for shifting is over. Shift…

Christopher is a principal at Whitman Hansen Regional High School. Transitioning to a new high school. A new position gives you the opportunity to reflect on where you want to go and who you want to go. Sharing yourself first. I’m not a student-centered principal! I’m a staff-centered principal.…

Mike Fisher author of Hacking Instructional Design. Shoutout to @elizabethfisher All this stuff that is eating up teachers’ time to plan. Easier to just purchase a program or a plan. Shift focus to contemporary instructional design. Why is it so hard to move away from Decision paralysis. So many…

This is a keynote that I presented for the Alaska Society for Technology in Education Conference in February. Here is the link to the video of it. We’re proud to be sponsored by IXL . IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is…

Byron Darnall is the principal of Potter Gray Elementary School in Bowling Green Kentucky Long term sustainable change is slow. How do you improve something that is already successful? Examine the student experience. Who’s school is it? As educators we tend to operate from the center. Busyness is…

RTI process for Lyn Marsilio' s elementary school. Set a couple goals: know their letters, ICU. 4 rotations, 6 minute rotations Letter writing, letter sorts, tracing, sound sorts. After the first 20 days, graduated kids went back into the classroom. Did a round 2 to add rhyming and took out tactile…

Larry Villiard is the principal of a K-12 school in Bruce Wisconsin. Leadership team, started with 12 people, now we have up to 20 people come to the leadership team meeting each month. Follow up leadership team meeting after PD. Anybody who wants to be part of leadership team can join us.…

Larry Villiard is the principal of a K-12 school in Bruce Wisconsin. Larry has been there since 1995 Moved from a junior high school to a middle school. About 500 students 2 classes per grade Middle school has a separate schedule from everyone else. Extended core classes 80 minutes long. The staff…

Dr. Barbara is Executive Director of The Institute for Childhood Education, a professional development and consulting firm for those who live and work with children. Barbara started rocking abandoned babies when she was in high school in Washington, D.C. First year teaching was in the inner city.…

Jason Glass is the superintendent of Jeffco Public Schools 85,000 students on the west side of Denver, Colorado. Lots of great people in the district. Community is politically divided 1/3 democrats, 1/3 independent, 1/3 republican When it comes to our kids, it should be an area where everyone can…

Greg Goins is a former superintendent, principal, teacher and coach who is now the host of the Reimagine Schools Podcast In our Simulcast we talk about the K12 Magnet. Here is the 1 Pager and here is the infographic and here is the video . Sign up for updates about the K12 Magnet school here…

Jeremy Williams is the principal of Manor Hall International School in United Arab Emirates 600 students from 46 countries Bitcoin and blockchain Bitcoin made it speculation. At its core, it is a ledger. A record of transactions and accounts. Eliminate Higher ed from being the sole guarantor of…

Claude Charron is a Teacher in Miami Florida and director of STEM program in Gulliver Florida. Claude@conradawards.org Empowering students to make change Sports has it right in being able to expose kids at a young age to become an athlete. Things that will not work. Keeping kids safe doesn’t…

Jennifer Hogan is an assistant principal in Hoover, Alabama. Her web site is The Compelled Educator Rising Tide Radio Focused on women in ed leadership. Guide on the side for PD with her teachers School goals take the learning outside the classroom walls. First session wasn’t about the technology,…

Kelly Young is the Executive Director at Education Reimagined , where they seek to help educators create a learner-centered learning environment. What happens when kids don’t learn the same thing!? It is a myth that just because things are being taught that all students are all learning the same…

Kelly Young is the Executive Director at Education Reimagined , where they seek to help educators create a learner-centered learning environment. Non profit in Washington, D.C. that figures out how we can accelerate the transition from school-centered to student-centered All kids and outcomes that…

Jeff Kubiak is a principal in Davis, California. Didn’t really like school growing up. Pushed to be an administrator by his now-superintendent. One of the most diverse counties in the United States. MAP assessment closely related to state test. Much more small group instruction and intervention.…

Bridget Belcastro is the principal of Johnnsburg Elementary School. Principal of every grade level in K-12 Why Bridget joined the mastermind. I’m always just starting out, even in my 12th year. Makes me reflect on things that I have experienced. I can give recommendations or experiences that helped…

Social Media 259: Students choose a topic they want to study, and ask the teacher to help them understand that culture’s values. Joel Lavin is the principal of River Road / El Camino Del Rio Teachers that put up welcome signs that were edgy. Opinion piece following the vandalism. Discussing racism…

Joel Lavin is the principal of River Road / El Camino Del Rio Dual Language is much different. Studied science and Spanish in college. We as a nation are just starting to realize how important it is to speak another language. Broca’s area Families wanted to have their own language spoken in the…

Change school became a powerful space for people to have powerful conversations about school. Change school brings a level of transparency and honesty that is really powerful. Have an ongoing conversation with people who have similar ideas and understandings and have had experiences to make it…

0 We’re proud to be sponsored by IXL . IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University,…

0 We’re proud to be sponsored by IXL . IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University,…

0 We’re proud to be sponsored by IXL . IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University,…

0 We’re proud to be sponsored by IXL . IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University,…

0 We’re proud to be sponsored by IXL . IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University,…

0 We’re proud to be sponsored by IXL . IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University,…

0 We’re proud to be sponsored by IXL . IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University,…

Interviews about awesome synergy project: ed Videos We’re proud to be sponsored by IXL . IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by…

Rachael and John George Both principals in Oregon share their experiences of turning around schools. PreK involvement Trauma-informed practices Stronger voice for advocacy Building strong relationships. Can’t personalize learning unless you know about the kids! Different levels for leaders learning…