Transformative Principal

  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. We need to judge our work by how many choices kids have when they are 30. We focus on all the wrong things. We focus on content acquisition, when that has always been secondary. We’re not teaching the wonder of intrinsic motivation. I watch kids learn all sorts of things not in school. School without walls. Judo principle of education - use what the student is passionate about to everyone’s advantage. There are different choices we can make. What should we be focusing on measuring? 50% of kids who go to college don’t go back for the second year. They can’t assess anything without a standardized assessment. We need to look for very specific evidence. Step 1: Are you understanding what our responsibilities are in

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 collaboration skills, having hard conversations and creating identity safe workplaces.   Jennifer’s publications include Having Hard Conversations, The Multigenerational Workplace: Communicate, Collaborate & Create Community, Hard Conversations Unpacked - the Whos, Whens and What Ifs, and Swimming in the Deep End: Four Foundational Skills for Leading Successful School Initiatives.  Her upcoming book on being our best selves in our workplaces will be out in 2021.   Jennifer has been invited to keynote, facilitate and coach at schools and conferences worldwide and is honored to have been named one of the “18 Women All K–12 Educators Should Know,” by Education Week’s ‘Finding Common Ground’’ blog.  More about Jennifer

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 technology into classrooms by being named TIE Technology Leader of the Year. Travis believes that by empowering learners to drive their learning we can start to create a new system that honors all learners and their cultures. Creating a virtual school for learners in Harrisburg - Face to face since august, but offering other options. Zoom sessions all day wouldn’t work well. Distance learning playbook. We really partnered with out parents. What does the model look like today? Math, reading, writing time, experiential flex time. 20–30 minutes small group instruction. New weekly schedule personalized for each child. Really careful with how we schedule families. How to make our schools nimble. Lots of fighting with kid

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 professor at the College of Business and Economics at California State University-Fullerton. Vertical development vs. horizontal development. Horizontal development is like adding an app onto an iPad - allows us to do more. 95% or more of all development is horizontal. Elevating who we are as a person. Vertical development is upgrading the operating system. At some point in time, we are relevant to the marketplace. 2 things that lead to vertical development - crisis or deep learning We have control over one of those factors. Necessary but not sufficient. There needs to be heat to lead to this happening. child development vs adult development. Child development is a function of their age. 3 main stages of adult devel

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 teacher in New Jersey, host of Exceptional Circumstances for Exceptional Learners on Learning Revolution. 12 years as a teacher, Masters in Education and Educational Leadership from University of Pennsylvania. Breaking down the need for control in classrooms- the who, what, when, where, and why. Kids aren’t successful, we test them to prove it, then put them in a box because it is easier for us. People have a view of what school should look like. 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. Do we want them to behave or want them to learn? How much control should we have on how they’re interacting with one another. We’ve spent so

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 so grateful to our sponsor AI Coach by Edthena. AI Coach enables your teachers to go through coaching cycles based on their own needs. The virtual coach guides teachers to reflect on their teaching, set a goal, and create an action plan… all based on gathering classroom evidence. It gives support between PD days  and other coaching cycles.Get a free trial for your teachers here.

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 the district’s highest school quality rating for five consecutive years (2014–19). Ultimately, A.J. is motivated by the opportunity to impact kids and change the trajectory of their academic careers.  He believes his leadership should be grounded in decency, humility, and high standards, and he strives to achieve this when serving his students, school and community. AJ and his wife Kendra (also a TFA alum) have three kids and a rescue dog.  In his free time, he enjoys spending time with family, running, reading, and cheering on the Green Bay Packers. How are they going to spend $30,000 per kid per year? Over $250,000 per student invested in the students’ k–8 career. Larry Connor - the founder Holistic focus on educ

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 beyond. In 2004, Mike was awarded a national Milken Educator Award, and in 2005 he was a finalist for NH Teacher of the Year. In 2020, he was awarded the Outstanding Educational Leader Award by NHASCD for his work as a consultant. A best-selling author, Mike has written eight books about great teaching and learning. When not working, Mike can be found hanging with his family, tending his perennial gardens, and searching for new running routes around his home in Durham, NH. New book on motivation - Moving from systems of extrinsic motivation to supporting students’ intrinsic motivations Extrinsic motivation is the default motivation in schools right now. Motivate from without. Impose on others. Punishments are also for

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 the Next Generation Leadership Academy at the College and a co-director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE). Justin works directly with schools and school leaders to reform the systems that support the learner experience in school. STEAM Academy High School Byproduct of Next Generation Leadership Academy. Original mission to smooth the transition to higher education. So many involved in creating what that high school should be. 4 separate dual credit partnerships. Paired relationship back to just Bluegrass community college. Designing a high school from scratch is awesome. Semester model, Canvas LMS Lots of iterations, and still evolving, Didn’

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 staff meetings: To complain about what is going on. Building Leadership Team - Leaders of PLCs. 4 months to create change. In a staff meeting, you get a lot of mob mentality. Using strengths Knowing staff well enough to be a successful team. How to get to know their strengths. Need to be in their classrooms If someone comes to me with their idea, they’re going to work to make sure it doesn’t fail. A great admin team - 5 people. We genuinely get along and like each other. Initially, I was a little skeptical about the mastermind. An outlet to talk through problems that we are having. I’m the only high school principal we have. The mastermind stoked the fire. If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all. Stroke y

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 expert witness testimony in judicial hearings; collaborates on policy initiatives with state, federal and provincial agencies; and has been the subject matter expert on a variety of national projects dealing with educator ethics including the Model Code of Ethics for Educators and the National Council for the Advancement of Educator Ethics. In this episode we talk about how to implement the MCEE in your school or district, or even state.  Check out the MCEE here. We're so grateful to our sponsor AI Coach by Edthena. AI Coach enables your teachers to go through coaching cycles based on their own needs. The virtual coach guides teachers to reflect on their teaching, set a goal, and create an action plan… all based on ga

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 school was in Corrective Action with a SPS of 44.4, and about to be taken over by the Department of Education. Dr. Burton retired from Caddo Parish Schools in 2017 as a Distinguished Principal and was hired by the Rensselaerville Institute where he currently serves as a Turnaround Specialist. He is also the CEO and founder of Passion Driven Leadership. These allow him to pursue his passion which is to help and support leaders in education. He and his wife Wanda have twin boys and three lovely grandchildren. He is the author of Reframing American Education. Academic Efficacy - If teachers trust principals and teachers and parents trust teachers, you create an environment of academic confidence. Asking teachers if they’re

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 help show administrators how to build trusting differentiated relationships with each of their teachers such that teachers are willing to work through uncomfortable feelings of vulnerability and embrace taking big risks to grow their practice. The model also directly connects the observation process to annual action research goals and schoolwide professional development through the creation of professional development communities tied directly to TBO areas of pedagogy.  What is wrong with our current observation protocols? Everything has been well-intended, it just hasn’t been effective. Gates Foundation 7 year research project to improve quality of teaching. Matt O’Leary - predominate researcher on teacher observatio

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 professionals in order to meet all students’ individual needs and the continuous promotion of differentiated learning.  Proximity Learning is an online education service company serving over 150 school districts and instructing over 50,000 students annually. They’ve been in the virtual learning space for 10 plus years, and their leadership team is made up of former teachers, principals, superintendents, etc. who see this as an opportunity to really make a difference in the education space as a whole. Virtual Teachers fill the gap when we have teacher shortages. LMS and virtual video conferencing software to make the magic happen. Facilitator in the classroom when that is needed. If you don’t need a full time teacher to t

“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 Shar was happily managing his small ice cream parlor in Baltimore City when his employee came in with tears in her eyes. Her boyfriend had been shot multiple times, she didn’t know if he would survive. David tried to give her the day off, but she refused, telling David that she had to be at work… work was her “happy place.”   When David began his career he had no idea how much his crew of teenagers and young adults from the inner city would impact his view on work, life, & leadership. His experiences in that ice cream parlor led David on a journey of discovery to answer the question - What makes work one person’s happy place and another person’s purgatory? He discovered how organizations, through their leadership &

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 recognized multiple times by the Tennessee Department of Education for outstanding student growth and achievement gap closure. Dr. Thomas believes that the keys to success revolve around growth and gratitude - the ideas that all members of a school can ‘get better’, and that a spirit of thankfulness is key to strong culture. Dr. Thomas is the author of “The Principal’s Toolbox: Real Talk on Tackling School Leadership” (2020). Noticing an abundance of philosophical books about leadership, his purpose in writing The Principal’s Toolbox was to take an honest look at many of the practical aspects of the principalship. Aspiring and new principals will find this title especially helpful. Dr. Thomas is married (Susan) and they

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 the value of creativity and self-direction. Nicole is now on a mission to cultivate these skills so that all people can thrive in these changing times. Her shift to education started with her role as a high school service-learning coordinator while completing her Master of Science in Creativity and Change Leadership. She now teaches management at a community college and facilitates workshops to reawaken inborn creativity. Nicole is currently co-creating an online learning community workshop called Create Your Own School with a team of other educators and teens. Studying creativity and self-directed education in 2015. How are you going to be a change leader? The 21st Century Visionary Podcast. What’s stopping you

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 Professional Learning, and has extensive experience in planning, design, implementation, and evaluation of professional learning at the school, system, and state/provincial levels. She works with coaches, principals, district and state leaders to support understanding and embedding standards-based professional learning in a system. The author or co-author of numerous books, her most recent book, published in 2015, is The Feedback Process: Transforming Feedback for Professional Learning. Her other books include Coaching Matters (with Cindy Harrison, Chris Bryan, and Heather Clifton); Assessing Impact: Evaluating Staff Development; Taking the Lead: New Roles for Teachers and School-Based Coaches (with Cindy Harrison)

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 kindergarten, 4th, 6th and 7th grades before getting her degree in administration. During that time, she became passionate about the social-emotional needs of her students and created a course to specifically address the need for students to develop life-long success skills.  As an administrator, she believes that the most important building block of a school is the culture and relationships created within the walls of the building, while still maintaining high academic standards. Eastland Elementary School has continued to be one of the highest achieving schools in the area on state standardized test scores.  Angela is active in her professional community, serving on the board of the Northwest Region Illinois Principals Associ

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 problem in the community. They were just trying to figure it out. Jennifer Morse-Roebuck Parents or Prisons Prison becomes the parent. Power of home visits. Being there with them means a lot. They’re just trying to survive. Letting someone know you’re on the same team makes a big difference. Letting them know that you care. Empathy is empathizing with their current conditions, and not looking down on them. Wherever they are, respecting that. In order to get someone where they need to be you need to meet them where they are. I may not have the same experience, but I can validate your experience. Gather some wisdom and knowledge from anyone. Kids don’t understand their leadership potential or how to be a leader. They’re