Principal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. Parker

A Quick Note to Listeners: —- The Question of the Week is supported by Summer Pops Math Workbooks. Principals, when students practice math over the summer, math scores go up. What’s your summer math plan this year? A great way to start is by ordering FREE summer workbook samples at Summer Pops Workbooks.com. —- Before this week’s interview, Jen Schwanke and Will Parker answer a listener question with a five minute response.  The question is: How can leaders ensure staff feel supported, particularly in the face of all other management challenges? Listen in to hear their response and thank you for doing what matters! Meet Dr. Margaret Coates: Dr. Margaret Coates became Superintendent of Owasso Public Schools on July 1, 2022, after nearly 15 years in the district as a teacher, coach, and administrator. She oversees operations for 9,800 students and 1,200 staff. Before her appointment, Coates was interim superintendent and previously served as Assistant Superintendent for Teaching & Learning. Since becoming superintendent, she has led the district’s largest bond package ($83.9 million), updated employee salaries, and initiated a five-year strategic plan. Coates started her career as a geometry teacher at Owasso High School in 2002, later becoming assistant principal and Math Department Chair. She was key in creating Owasso Virtual High School and coached basketball, cross country, and track & field. She later served as Principal of Centennial Middle School and opened the Freshman Academy, followed by six years as Assistant Superintendent for Broken Arrow Public Schools before returning to Owasso in 2018. A native of Collinsville, Coates earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership from Oklahoma State University in 2017 and holds degrees from The University of Tulsa in Athletic Administration and Health, Physical Education, and Recreation. She was an Academic All-American basketball player at TU. An outdoor enthusiast, Coates has hiked the Pacific Crest Trail and completed more than 20 marathons, as well as the Ironman Tulsa Triathlon in 2022 and 2023. She enjoys living on the edge and taking on challenges. Owasso Public Schools highlights: One of the highlights of Owasso Public Schools that Coates is proudest of is their 5 year strategic plan and how it is being implemented. She says that they have collected lots of data to show how the program is impacting the areas where the program has been implemented. One of the programs Owasso has started offering as a result of their 5 year plan is the SPARK program, which is a before and after school care program. Owasso Public Schools is able to offer subsidies for families that need the program. Another highlight that Coates is proud of is how Owasso is a professional learning community. They really focus on the PLC process and have collaboration days on the calendar. Their PLC model is the foundation of the academic achievement for the entire district. A third highlight of OPS that Coates is proud of is that one their special Olympics coaches has been named the national special Olympic coach of the year; and that Owasso’s special Olympics team is the largest in Oklahoma. Finally, Coates is proud of how OPS is the largest employer in the city of Owasso. With a retention rate of about 91%, they have about 1,250 employees in the district.  Living on the Edge of Death: Coates says that she enjoys taking extreme risks and “living on the edge of death”. To her, taking a risk equals being vulnerable. Goal setting is extremely important to Coates; she says that to start out, people should set small goals and try to accomplish them. The feeling of accomplishing those goals is what drives Coates to keep going after she sets a goal. Furthermore, she says that she gets a thrill of not knowing if you’re going to be able to finish something when you start it. For example, Coates runs marathons, and she decided that she wanted to qualify for the Boston marathon. She says it took her four tries to qualify, and that she had to push herself harder than she ever felt possible, but the thrill of meeting that goal is what made it all worth it.  In a position of leadership, Coates says that it is important for people to get comfortable setting goals, as leaders have to take risks and push themselves. Courage and the ability to ask for help is what makes a good leader, Coates states. Throughout her own leadership journey, Coates has learned that asking for help in instrumental for accomplishing goals. One event that taught her this was her journey through the Pacific Crest trail. When she started out, she was on her own, but she quickly realized that she needed a team and needed help getting through the journey.  Advice to New Leaders: Coates says her biggest piece of advice for new leaders is the stay focused on the main thing: students and staff. In leadership, it can be easy to get distracted by the outside stuff, so it is important to keep yourself reminded of the reason you really do the job. Another piece of advice she has for new leaders is that you cannot make everyone happy 100% of the time. She says that, as a leader, you are going to make people mad, but that is okay as long as you know you’ve made the decision that is best for your students. Coates also wants to remind leaders that they’re not going to get through all the stuff you want to get done; that it is more important to take care of people first. Finally, she says that new leaders need to keep learning; that they should try to have a growth mindset and stay curious.  Self-care as a Leader: Coates has learned to balance the responsibilities of leadership with her self-care in a revolutionary way. Hiking the Pacific Crest trail, Coates learned some important takeaways about self-care and what truly matters for leaders. She retired early to hike the Pacific Crest, and says that she was scared to death about retiring beforehand. After coming back to work at OPS, she realized that if her work doesn’t work out, she will be fine. Consequently, she realized that what really matters is your health, your family, and your relationships. She also says that it is important to learn from making mistakes; mistakes make a better leader and build grit. Coates further emphasizes that teamwork is the key to survival for leaders; there is no way to do it all alone.  Trauma Informed Practices:  Owasso Public Schools had partnered with ConnectED kids to implement trauma informed practices within their school district. Through this partnership, Coates says that she has realized the need to target students when they are really young. By doing so, it ends up spreading exponentially and organically when you bring those practices into the school.  Parting Words of Advice: To wrap up the conversation, Coates emphasizes the importance of building and maintaining positive, collaborative relationships with board members for school superintendents, for nothing can move forward in the district without the board members. She also reminds listeners to have fun and find joy in everyday of their work.  To stay connected to Margaret Coates you can email her at margaret.coates@owassops.org The post PMP438: Living on the Leadership Edge with Margaret Coates appeared first on Principal Matters.

Happy Monday! This week, Jen and I cover the topic of decision making for school leaders. Specifically, we consider the question: What goes in to the thought process when a leader has to make a decision? Some of the pieces of the decision making process we cover are: Recognizing it’s not as simple as just looking at data Outcomes need to be analyzed Compliance, requests outside of your control, things that you cannot control Constraints of budgets and personnel  Complexities of school leaders making decisions Look at data that is trending in the moment Look at data that tends to get overlooked Employee retention Extracurricular activity participation Tech usage Listen in to hear our full answer to that question! The post MONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker- Decision Making appeared first on Principal Matters.

Happy Friday! This week’s encore episode is one from 2022. In it, Will Parker interviews Shenita Perry about her unique leadership experiences and the lessons she learned along the way. Listen in to hear the full conversation or check out the original blog post here! The post ENCORE FRIDAY – PMP321: Lessons in the Leadership Journey with Shenita Perry appeared first on Principal Matters.

A Quick Note to Listeners: —- The Question of the Week is supported by Summer Pops Math Workbooks. Principals, when students practice math over the summer, math scores go up. What’s your summer math plan this year? A great way to start is by ordering FREE summer workbook samples at Summer Pops Workbooks.com. —- Before this week’s interview, Jen Schwanke and Will Parker answer a listener question with a five minute response.  The question is: I’m a lead principal, when do I know it’s time to move on? Once you’ve “maximized” the school or are high performing or is there ever a time? Listen in to hear their response and thank you for doing what matters! Dr. Derek Mitchell is the CEO of Partners in School Innovation, a nonprofit that provides solutions for educational inequities in underperforming schools. Since 2009, he has focused on building the skills of educators and leaders to improve student outcomes, particularly in marginalized communities, through equity-centered school improvement. Dr. Mitchell holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from UCLA and has held leadership roles in various educational organizations, including Oakland Unified School District and Prince George’s County. Under his leadership, Partners in School Innovation has received support from major foundations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. His work continues to advocate for lasting, systemic change in education​. Dr. Mitchell’s career in education came after a few other careers; he spent some time as a dancer early in his career. He also worked in the entertainment industry and co-founded a software company building video games. Dr. Mitchell says that his life’s goal is to make sure that kids can have a rich education in their own neighborhoods.  Derek Mitchell’s Story:  Dr. Mitchell talks about how his experience in school motivated him to serve schools and students. He states that his personal education story has been a combination of the worst and the best. Growing up in Chicago, he had the experience of going to many different schools. He recalls being jealous that his older siblings were able to go to school; so when he finally got to go he says he felt it was the greatest thing in the world. As a student, Dr. Mitchell became obsessed with cockroaches, and this led him to participate in a city-wide science fair. The science fair was held at a school much nicer than his own, and showed him that our schools are often setting up students on two different tiers of education. He has since used this experience as his motivation for his work.  Serving Leaders:  Dr. Mitchell’s organization has supported 70 different school districts across the country, having served in places like Oaklahnd, San Jose, inner city Philadelphia, rural Mississippi, and many other districts across the country. They know that brilliance is everywhere and excellence is abundant. Dr. Mitchell states that there is nothing more powerful than teachers. Expanding on that point, he explains that the job of a leader is to improve what happens between students and teachers. Their organization typically works with new leaders, as they often do not have a sense of what they are really there to do. Typically, their organization is in a school for several years. They focus on growth in leadership, and recognize that everyone has a role in leadership in some capacity.  Job Embedded Coaching: Dr. Mitchell talks about how the job of school leaders in heavily impacted communities is often a lonely and thankless one. One way to unlock agency from within school leaders is through job embedded coaching. Dr. Mitchell’s organization focuses on building leadership skills and knowing oneself. They also focus on giving job embedded feedback to leaders as a way to find the cues needed to grow in leadership.  Advice for Leaders: Dr. Mitchell says that the advice he would give to an education leader who wants to make a significant change in a challenging setting boils down to three things: Do they have the skill to do it? Do they have the will to do it? Do they have a way to do what they need to do? He notes the importance of being transparent about your own learning as a leader, and states that most adults gain a will through coming together in community with other adults in a similar position. The last piece of advice he gives is that leaders need to be intentional about diagnosing where the hiccup in their learning community is, so that they can deal with the hiccup most effectively.  Staying Connected: You can stay connected with Dr. Derek Mitchell through his website and through the book Website: partnersinschools.org, free connection with other leaders Book about their work “Change agent” Thank you for supporting the needs of students and learners within your community! Reference: Change Agents: Transforming Schools From the Ground Up 1st Edition by Justin Cohen The post PMP437: Partners in School Innovation with Dr. Derek Mitchell appeared first on Principal Matters.

By William D. Parker When we lived in the basement, Daddy would wake up long before the rest of us. He would stir the remaining coals in the wood stove, adding fresh sticks to the barrel-sized belly and stoking it until the new wood caught fire. As we crawled out of our beds, we would make our way straight to the kitchen, circling around the wood stove as if it were a wise sage, radiating warmth and illuminating our little hands and souls. Momma would move about the kitchen, making a skillet of eggs or a pan of oatmeal—whatever was on hand. On some winter days, she’d fry strips of salt pork. It was so salty that just a few bites were enough. Some old-timers would boil their salted meat to temper the flavor. My oldest brother, Harvey, loved sitting in an old red rocking chair. Its springs creaked as he rocked, the feet of the chair bouncing up and down with increasing velocity. One day, curious as a five-year-old often is, I crawled underneath the chair and watched the wooden legs clamp up and down in rhythm with his rocking. Clamp, clamp, clamp. An idea struck me: if I timed it right, I could slip my fingers under the legs and pull them away just before the chair came down. For a few tries, I succeeded, but by the fifth or sixth attempt, my luck ran out. That day, I learned a hard lesson about motion, velocity, and friction—forces too unpredictable for my small fingers. I never made the same mistake with the wood stove. Years earlier, as a toddler just learning to walk, I had backed into the kitchen oven while Momma was baking. The burn on my backside taught me a valuable lesson: fire burns. I never forgot it, especially when stoking the wood stove or adding sticks to its flames. One of my earliest chores was splitting wood and hauling it inside with my small red wagon. Even as a boy, I learned to handle an axe and sledgehammer. Over time, splitting wood became a lesson in patience and meditation. Perhaps that’s why I still find so much pleasure in burning real logs in the fireplace or sitting by a backyard firepit, contemplating the mesmerizing colors of the flames. We often learn life’s hardest lessons through experience. This thought came to me this morning during a video meeting with school leaders. We discussed how to navigate the challenges of leadership—how to steer the ship without crashing into obstacles. I shared a story about my friend Dave Sandowich, a 21-year school principal and an experienced sailor. He often draws parallels between sailing and leadership. Dave once said, “Sailing is a lot like leadership. Your destination might lie directly upwind, but a sailboat can’t sail straight into the wind. Instead, you work your way there by angling off the wind, zigzagging toward your goal. It’s more effort and takes longer, but if you stay the course, apply your knowledge, and adjust based on feedback from your instruments and instincts, you’ll get there.” When I asked the leaders how they face difficulties without creating more damage, here were some of their responses: Pause and think before you speak. Identify what’s really bothering you before addressing it. Confront the reality, not the person, and consider your role in the situation. One leader compared it to snow skiing: “When I try to control every variable, I fall more. But when I go with the natural forces instead of fighting them, I move forward. Each experience builds understanding for the next time.” So, what do wood stoves and uncertainties have in common? Each day, we step into settings—some as comforting as a warm room, others as daunting as an angry parent. Each situation offers a lesson. Sometimes, the lesson is as simple as avoiding a hot stove: pause and seek understanding before responding. Other times, it’s about resistance. Do you fight against it like punching the wind, or do you adjust your sails, using those forces to propel you forward? For example, when I asked these same leaders about clarifying their intentions for staff or students, they shared: “I should explain why I’m spending more time in classrooms instead of just showing up.” “I want to clarify new responsibilities for staff instead of assuming they’ll figure it out.” “I need my teachers to see that we’re collectively responsible for all students, not just those on their rosters.” “I want to understand my team’s goals so I can help them while aligning with our collective goals.” You probably won’t place your hand on a hot stove or stick your fingers under a rocking chair today. But will you face resistance in pursuing your goals? Likely. Even this week, as I set goals for my work with Principal Matters, I found myself focusing too much on tasks. Tasks matter, but I paused to reflect on the values I want to cultivate: Actively listening and improving as a consultant. Creating collaborative spaces for problem-solving. Encouraging reflection, perspective, and action. Growing deeply as a person while equipping others to do the same. No matter the resistance, these intentions guide me as I adjust my sails for the journey ahead. Now It’s Your Turn How are you approaching today’s challenges with intentionality?How can you use resistance to propel you forward instead of holding you back?What ideas or goals can you clarify for those you serve to ensure a clearer path ahead? The post MONDAY MATTERS – Warming Your Hands and Learning Lessons appeared first on Principal Matters.

It’s Encore Friday! This week’s episode is an interview from 2023 with Jen Schwanke and Robyn Jackson. Listen in to hear them discuss topics like: Reaching 100% of Students Principals as “Builders” instead of leaders Navigating Leadership as Women Confronting the Imposter Syndrome You can also check out the original blog post for this episode here. Thank you for doing what matters! The post ENCORE FRIDAY – PMP368: Buildership with Robyn Jackson and Jen Schwanke appeared first on Principal Matters.

A Quick Note to Listeners: —- The Question of the Week is supported by Summer Pops Math Workbooks. Principals, when students practice math over the summer, math scores go up. What’s your summer math plan this year? A great way to start is by ordering FREE summer workbook samples at Summer Pops Workbooks.com. —- Before this week’s interview, Jen Schwanke and Will Parker answer a listener question with a five minute response.  The question is: What are some of the successful methods for building actionable, sustainable systems regarding behavior and academics? Listen in to hear their response and thank you for doing what matters! Dr. Amanda Austin is the Director of the Iberville Math, Science, and Arts (MSA) Academy East in St. Gabriel, part of East Iberville High School’s magnet program. With 15 years of experience in STEAM education across elementary, middle, and high school levels, Dr. Austin brings a wealth of expertise to her role. She holds a Bachelor’s in Sociology from LSU, a Master of Arts in Teaching from Louisiana College, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Lamar University.  A key achievement was reopening North Iberville High School after it was closed for over a decade, transforming it into a thriving STEM-focused institution. Dr. Austin, a recent participant in the Louisiana Superintendent’s Academy and ASCD’s Champion in Education cohort, is dedicated to ensuring all students reach their potential through teamwork and strong leadership. She has also been recognized as the 2025 Louisiana State Principal of the Year. Inspiration for Current Work: When Dr. Austin was in college, she originally planned to become a lawyer. Her mother was an educator for 40 years, and Dr. Austin says that education is in her blood. After participating in student teaching, Dr. Austin realized that teaching is her calling. She went on to teach for three years in her hometown. Throughout her career, Dr. Austin has sought out challenges and this has impacted her role at her current school; through her leadership her school has grown over 60 new students at her school this semester. Reflecting on what she is most proud of in her work, she says that she is most proud of the impact and the relationships she’s had as an educator.  Experience in Leadership: While considering what takeaways she would want listeners to know from her own leadership experience, Dr. Austin emphasizes the importance of relying on others for support. Other leaders, she says, will often have the same goal in mind as you: to serve the school and help it thrive. Leaning on those around you will further those goals more so than working on your goals alone. Another takeaway that Dr. Austin emphasizes is the importance of the relationship between Principal and AP. She talks about how she wants her relationship with her AP to always be one of coaching, for them to be able to challenge her and think like her.  Advice for New Leaders: Considering advice that she would give to a new or aspiring leader, Dr. Austin reiterates the importance of teamwork. She warns listeners that they will burn out very quickly if they do not have a team to rely on. Another point she emphasizes is the importance of keeping the main thing the main thing. Student achievement should be the first and foremost area of focus for all school leaders, as ultimately it is what teachers and school leaders alike are there for.  Staying Motivated: Finally, Dr. Austin has some advice for veteran leaders: Keep your flame lit. Sometimes this means that you have to change up your circle, so that the mindset of others does not cloud your passion. She reminds listeners that if they want to make positive change, they need to be around other people who think similarly. A skill that Dr. Austin has honed is her ability to find the silver lining to try to change people’s perspectives as a method of helping them keep their flame lit. Additionally, Dr. Austin reminds leaders of the importance of continuing to learn from and ask questions of other veteran leaders. Utilizing their knowledge is imperative in helping move forward in one’s leadership journey. Lastly, Dr. Austin reminds leaders of the importance of their time.  Staying Connected: Dr_amandaaustin on all platforms Connect to her on her school page The post PMP436: Achieving Remarkable Outcomes with Dr. Amanda Austin appeared first on Principal Matters.

For this week’s Monday Matters topic, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke talk about AI in schools. While neither of them are experts on the subject, they acknowledge that AI is something that impacts everyone in the education world. Some of the points they address in this conversation are: AI for educators  AI for students The rapid development of AI Ways that using AI can help save time Tension between not wanting to use it and refusing to participate in it vs. wild abandonment  The dangers of using tools that are created in a vastly unregulated environment  The importance of using a tool that isn’t new or a stand out  Impacts of AI on creatives and on the environment School Policies regarding AI  Now It’s Your Turn: What are some ways that your school has been impacted by AI? Are there benefits or drawbacks to using AI in school that Will and Jen did not cover in their conversation? Let us know in the comments or write in to will@williamdparker.com to let us know your thoughts! Resources: Check out this resource from Jethro Jones on Best AI Tools for Educators: https://www.jethrojones.com/bestai Check out the resource below to learn more about AI in schools from ASCD magazine! https://ascd.org/el/ai-in-schools-what-works-and-whats-next The post MONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – AI in Schools appeared first on Principal Matters.

It’s Friday and that means it’s time for another encore episode! This week’s episode from the archives is PMP358, an interview with my friend Timothy Alexander. Timothy’s story is moving and inspirational. Give this episode a listen or check out the original blog post from 2023 to learn more about him! The post ENCORE FRIDAY – PMP358: Inspired to Be Faithful with Timothy Alexander appeared first on Principal Matters.

A Quick Note to Listeners: —- The Question of the Week is supported by Summer Pops Math Workbooks. Principals, when students practice math over the summer, math scores go up. What’s your summer math plan this year? A great way to start is by ordering FREE summer workbook samples at Summer Pops Workbooks.com. —- Before this week’s interview, Jen Schwanke and Will Parker answer a listener question with a five minute response.  The question is: There is that meme, “I just sat through another meeting that could’ve been an email.” What is the value of meetings?  How can principals determine what content needs to be a meeting and what could be an email? What happens when people don’t read the emails? Listen in to hear their response and thank you for doing what matters! Dr. Wilnic Gideon is a dedicated educator, author, and advocate committed to empowering teenagers and their families. With over a decade of experience as a middle school principal, assistant principal, and dean in Washington and Florida, Wilnic has honed his expertise in adolescent development. He is the author of two impactful books: Mindful Learning: Unlocking the Gifts of the Teenage Brain and Raising Ready Teens: 21 Essential Milestones for Learning and Life. Drawing on his academic research and real-world leadership experience, Wilnic provides practical strategies to support teens’ cognitive, emotional, and social growth, leaving a lasting positive impact on the communities he serves. Wilnic holds both a doctorate in education  and a masters degree in educational leadership, as well as an MBA. Something listeners may be surprised to learn about him is that he has a passion for writing music. This passion is useful to both help him keep his mind sharp and to help him connect with students and their families.  Utilizing Adolescent Brain Science: Dr. Gideon has done a considerable amount of research on the brain science of teens, which has influenced his practice as an education leader. One of his key takeaways from this research is that relationships are at the core of the development of adolescent students. When helping give kids a safe learning environment, Wilnic and his team focus on socio-emotional learning. They focus on teaching students how to behave, how to grow socially, and how to learn from failure, to name a few focus areas. Wilnic emphasizes that educators are not just helping kids grow as students; they are helping them grow as people.  Raising Ready Teens: One of the motivating factors for writing Raising Ready Teens: 21 Essential Milestones for Learning and Life was the birth of Dr. Gideon’s own son. He states that he realized that there is a lot of information available to parents regarding the milestones that infants and young children go through, whereas there is not as much information available to parents about milestones for adolescents. Therefore, readers can expect a roadmap that will help them navigate growth for teens through each development milestone.  Maslow’s Hierarchy and Your Teen’s Journey: Maslow’s hierarchy is a framework that helps us understand how human motivation works. The central idea is that people must have their basic needs met before they can thrive and flourish. For teens, meeting these needs is a balancing act. When teens feel emotionally safe at home and at school, they are more likely to take healthy risks. Dr. Gideon spends a lot of time addressing these needs and working with families to help them understand how to navigate all the changes that teens face during this time in their lives.  Discovery of His Own Practices: Looking back at what he learned while writing this book, Dr. Gideon states that he learned a lot about his own practices and biases. One thing he noticed about himself, parents, and other educators is that they all have the tendency to focus on outcomes over process when it comes to students. This can lead to missed opportunities to teach students how to navigate failure and uncertainty. Another thing Wilnic noticed about himself and other educators is that they have the tendency to focus on students who are behind academically while neglecting those who are doing well. Each student needs their own individualized level of support.  Parting Words of Advice: When considering his parting words of advice to Principal Matters listeners, Dr. Gideon tells listeners the following:  Listen more than you speak Prioritize relationships over results  Don’t be afraid of failure  Creating a 90 day plan to help you truly get to the needs of your school  You can stay connected to Dr. Wilnic Gideon through his website. Learn More on Wilnic’s Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/drwilnicgideon Book 1: Mindful Learning: Unlocking the Gifts of the Teenage Brain: Link to book on Amazon, Link to book on Barnes & Noble Book 2: Raising Ready Teens: 21 Essential Milestones for Learning and Life Link to book on Amazon. The post PMP435: Empowering Teen Learners with Dr. Wilnic Gideon appeared first on Principal Matters.