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

In this week’s Monday Matters, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke talk about their word for 2025.  Upcoming Events If you’re going to be in St George, Utah, February 12-14, 2025, let Jen know as she’s speaking at the Utah Association of Elementary School Principals.  Word for 2025: Jen’s word for 2025 is equanimity – defined as mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation.  She says that she has made a giant sticker to put above the door in her office to help her remember her word and stay committed to it all year.  Will’s word for 2025 is values – specifically work values. He wants to make sure that his values are what translate into his work in 2025.  Listen in to hear the whole conversation and thank you for doing what matters! The post MONDAY MATTERS – What is your one word for 2025? appeared first on Principal Matters.

It’s Friday and that means it is time for an encore episode! This week’s encore episode is on from 2020, featuring Dr. Anthony Muhammad. Check out the original post here, or listen to the episode wherever you get your podcasts! This episode is full of great advice for leaders and is as relevant today as it was 5 years ago. Thanks for listening in and thank you for doing what matters! The post ENCORE FRIDAY – PMP202: Transforming School Cultures with Dr. Anthony Muhammad 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 answered a question in a five minute response. The question is: What are your thoughts on icebreakers at staff meetings? Listen in for our response and thank you for doing what matters! Meet Carlos Johnson Carlos Johnson, also known as Coach Carlos, is a professional speaker, trainer, author, and educator with a proven track record in transforming school culture. He and his team have successfully turned around three public schools and one private Christian academy, using research-driven strategies that boost parental engagement, enrollment, and student retention nationwide. His core belief is that “a highly engaged school culture is the mother of high performance,” which led him to develop the I.M.A.G.E. Culture Transformation System. This system, offered both online and onsite, trains thousands of parents, students, and educators annually on the psychology of engagement. In 2015, as Principal of the Male Leadership Academy, he doubled enrollment, raised staff pay, improved school culture, and enhanced student performance. In response to the school-to-prison pipeline crisis, he also created Future Man Success Prep, a leadership and behavior course for boys. Coach Carlos’s passion for transforming institutions is clear in every training and speech he delivers. He’s also the author of Power Engage: Seven Power Moves for Building Strong Relationships to Increase Engagement with Students and Parents. Carlos notes that his work is not a labor of love, but a labor of pain. He noticed that there were some things missing in his education journey, and wanted to find a way to fill in those gaps. His book is a blend of personal history, recent research, and practical application inside schools.  The Domino Effect: Carlos says that we often ask kids, parents, teachers, and school leaders to move the world, without giving them the tools to do so. He has found that teachers and school leaders want one thing that will make everything else easier or unnecessary. That one thing is what Carlos calls a domino. Dominoes, he explains, use momentum to make big changes; small dominoes can knock over another domino 1.5x its size. Like dominoes, finding small, consistent ways to make change in schools everyday is what will eventually lead to big changes. So, rather than asking kids, parents, teachers, and school leaders to move the world, we should be asking them to find their domino, their daily small change that will lead to a monumental change.  Having a Coach Mindset: When explaining why having a coach mindset is such an important concept for engaging learners, Coach Carlos reflected on his experience as a student. He recalled how, in his school experience, it was the coaches who had the greatest influence on school culture. In his words, he says that, “Coaches would walk down the hall and students would get it together.” When Coach Carlos realized this, he decided he wanted to find qualities that coaches have that teachers could implement in the classroom. Teachers who have a coach mindset, Carlos says, often have the ability to capture the heart of students and believe in their competency. Teachers who have a coach mindset also have compassionate consequences. Having a healthy blend of compassion and consequences will lead a child to go to battle for you because they know you have your best interests at heart. In classrooms like these, there is often a great sense of community.  Finding your “High Why”: Carlos emphasizes the importance of finding a “high why” for both educators and students in his book. He talks about how stress levels are high in just about every profession. Stress is often painted in a negative light, but Carlos says that stress doesn’t always have to be a bad thing. When it comes to having stress about oneself (“you stress”), that stress can be helpful in staying motivated. Finding the right amount of “you stress” allows individuals to find their “high why”. Having that “high why” means that students and teachers have just the right amount of stress to keep themselves motivated; everyone will be walking around their school with a sense of purpose. Reaching and Teaching Boys: One of the factors that motivated Carlos to start teaching boys was when he read a report on how bad men and boys were doing across the globe. Right after he read the report, Carlos received an offer to lead a male leadership academy, and he got to work creating a culture of performance and expectation that worked. Throughout his work at the academy, he realized some key processes that will engage male students in the classroom. He developed an approach called the MAC attack to engage male students: Movement Activity Competition Carlos states that using a variation of those three in the classroom will engage male students on another level. In order to effectively implement the MAC attack in the classroom, teachers need to be a classroom coach so that they do not lose control of their classrooms. Coach Carlos also notes that he encourages everyone to think about learning from the perspective of the learner, and that will make it easier to reach and engage male students.  Finally, Carlos emphasizes the importance of relationship building for educators, and encourages them to get to know kids, where they come from, and what they’re thinking. He says, “Relationship building is what we do; education comes out of it.” You can stay connected with Carlos at CarlosJohnson.org or at imageofsuccess.com. The post PMP434: Power Engage with Carlos Johnson appeared first on Principal Matters.

In this week’s episode of Monday Matters, Will and Jen talk about time spent and 5 areas of trust.  Upcoming Events: If you’re going to be in St George, Utah, February 12-14, 2025, let Jen know as she’s speaking at the Utah Association of Elementary School Principals. Will has some upcoming PD in Columbus, Ohio. He and Jen note that every time he goes to Ohio, they try to meet up, but those plans usually fall through.  Time Spent Equals Relationships Built, by William D. Parker This week I was coaching a district leader who is still relatively new in his position. We were talking about the difficulty of people questioning his credibility and his desire for people to trust his intentions when introducing new ideas or leading change. We also discussed the reality that some areas of performance were already high, while other areas needed improvement. How could he continue to push for growth, which was often painful, while also building trust? One resource I referenced was Stephen M.R. Covey’s book The Speed of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything. In the book, Covey discusses how the deeper trust is among team members, the more speed, efficiency, and lower costs are involved in reaching outcomes. Think about someone with whom you have high trust. How quickly can you accomplish tasks? How much more easily can reach a consensus? How effective is your collaboration, brainstorming, or conflict resolution? Now think of someone with whom you have low trust. How much harder is it to accomplish tasks? How much more difficult is it to reach a consensus? How less effective is your collaboration, brainstorming, or conflict resolution? Covey also invites readers to examine 5 areas of trust in their work or organization: Self-Trust – examine your integrity, intent, capabilities, and results Relational Trust – consider who you are building dividends of trust among team members Organizational Trust – analyze how your systems, policies, and procedures support trust Market Trust – evaluate how others see your school or organization as a place they are willing to invest their time and resources Societal Trust – reflect on the difference or impact that is being made in the wider community because of your school or organization Each of these areas can be examined to find ways we can build stronger trust for more effective outcomes. Trust is not built, however, in a vacuum or in isolation. When you see areas of trust that are stretched, strained or threatened, however, you have a choice. You can step into those moments with an awareness that proximity helps to rebuild trust. Or you distance yourself because the strain is too uncomfortable. Let’s be real. There are times in any organization or team where some members behave in ways that are not trustworthy. When this happens, they need to be called back to the norms and values we all say are important. If, however, they are unwilling to behave in a trustworthy manner, it is important that they stay uncomfortable until they improve or decide to go elsewhere. Trust is built over time, and it would take another post to talk about ways to rebuild broken trust or establish it in the first place. However, the foundation of leading change begins with trust. Reflections: What are some intentional ways you are scheduling time with others in order to build more trust? How is visibility with students, teachers, and community members an important way to build trust? What may you need to say ‘no’ to in the short term in order to ‘yes’ to actions that will build trust in the long term? The post MONDAY MATTERS – Time Spent and 5 Areas of Trust appeared first on Principal Matters.

Happy Friday! This week I am sharing out an old episode from 2021. In it, Jen and I answer a listener question about managing people who ‘stir the pot’ – teachers or faculty who gossip or cause drama. Check out the original blog post now to learn more about the episode! Thank you for doing what matters! The post ENCORE FRIDAY – PMP273: How to Manage When Someone is ‘Stirring the Pot’ appeared first on Principal Matters.

A quick note to listeners:  Before this week’s interview, Jen Schwanke and Will Parker answered a listener question in a 5-minute response.  —- 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 https://summerpopsworkbooks.com/ —- The question is: How do you foster collaboration within the admin team? Listen in for our response and thank you for doing what matters! Meet Brent Jaco Brent H. Jaco is in his fifth year as Superintendent of Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD, in Pecos, Texas. He has led the district through significant improvements, including the passage of two bonds since 2021 totaling over $625 million. These bonds enabled the construction of two new elementary campuses, the first in over 45 years, along with new facilities for maintenance, child nutrition, and technology, and a state-of-the-art Career & Technology Education wing at Pecos High School. He has been an athletic trainer, athletic director, assistant principal, and principal before moving into district administration. Mr. Jaco possesses a Masters in Business Administration with a focus on Organizational Leadership from Ashford University and an undergraduate degree from the University of Houston. Before starting his career in education, he honorably served our country as a United States Naval Officer from 1994 – 1998. In this episode, Will Parker speaks with Brent Jaco, Superintendent of Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD. Brent shares valuable insights about leadership, trust, and the transformations happening within his district. Lessons in District Transformation Brent begins by discussing the challenges Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD faced before his arrival, noting that no superintendent had stayed for more than a year in over two decades. His tenure, now in its fifth year, has brought much-needed stability, allowing the district to implement major changes. Brent emphasizes that these changes began with building trust. Building Trust and Attracting Talent Brent explains that when people are in survival mode, it’s hard to achieve anything substantial. His priority was to strengthen trust within the community, which started with assembling a strong leadership team. He focused on hiring excellent teachers and leaders, one way being through competitive salaries and benefits. Additionally, Brent led the district in passing a bond to build a 64-unit apartment complex where teachers can live and build stronger relational trust with one another. Childcare Initiatives Another significant achievement under Brent’s leadership was passing a bond to build a daycare center for children aged 6 weeks to 3 years. This facility can serve up to 230 children, and the Texas Workforce Commission has partnered with the district to support the initiative. This service is designed to benefit both teachers and the broader community. The Importance of Trust Brent and Will discuss the book “The Speed of Trust” by Stephen M.R. Covey, which Brent describes as a cornerstone of his leadership philosophy. Brent shares how self-trust—knowing your core values and living by them—is fundamental to building trust in others. He also highlights the importance of relational trust, which involves being truthful, and clear, keeping promises, and deeply understanding situations before providing solutions. An example Brent provides is the passage of his first bond issue, which had just over 50% community support. However, after delivering on that promise, the next bond issue gained 66% support from the community. Advice for New Leaders Brent offers valuable advice to newer leaders: have a clear vision and mission for the future, and understand that not everyone will agree with you—and that’s okay. Leadership isn’t about winning a popularity contest. He reminds listeners that everyone is a leader—whether you’re a teacher, custodian, bus driver, or superintendent. Success lies in being trustworthy, focusing on what’s best for students, building relationships, and accomplishing collective goals. Connect with Brent Jaco If you would like to contact Mr. Jaco you can email him at bjaco@pbtisd.esc18.net, or complete our official PBTISD Just Ask form.  You can also visit the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD website at pbtisd.net. To reach out to Brent or his office directly, you can call (432) 447-7201. The post PMP433: The Benefits of Building Trust with Brent Jaco appeared first on Principal Matters.

In this week’s check-in, Jen Schwanke and Will Parker discuss habits and intentions surrounding commitments to your well-being as a leader.  Both of them share reflections on seasons in life, challenges we face in our personal and professional lives, and ways to stay present in our mindsets and practices. You can stay connected with our professional development services through our websites, or email us at will@williamdparker.com or jen@jenschwanke.com if you want to set up a time for conversation or reflection. Also, Will has a quick conversation with Cherith Aven, Middle School Principal from Cleveland Public Schools, in Cleveland, Oklahoma, about ways her commitments to well-being have benefited an entire community of educators and education leaders. The Oklahoma Educators Run Club (OERC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting health, wellness, and camaraderie among Oklahoma educators through running. Our mission is to create a supportive and empowering community where educators can connect, achieve fitness goals, and foster lifelong wellness habits that benefit both their personal lives and professional impact.  www.okedrunclub.com Ways to find out more via social media Strava: Oklahoma Educators Run Club Facebook Account: Oklahoma Educators Running Club Instagram Account: @oked_runningclub Thank you again for doing what matters! The post MONDAY MATTERS – Your Well-Being and Meet Cherith Aven, OKED Run Club appeared first on Principal Matters.

Happy Friday! This week, the episode I have chosen to share from the Principal Matters archive is PMP283: How to be a Transformative Principal with Jethro Jones. We talk about self-care and growth for leaders, along with the challenges that school leaders face on a day-to-day basis. Click on the link above to read the original blog post or listen in to hear our conversation from 2022. Thank you for doing what matters! The post ENCORE FRIDAY – PMP283: How to Be a Transformative Principal with Jethro Jones appeared first on Principal Matters.

A quick note to listeners:  Before this week’s interview, Jen Schwanke and Will Parker answered a listener question in a 5-minute response.  —- 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 https://summerpopsworkbooks.com/ —- The question is: How can leaders address the issue of teachers expecting every office referral to lead to a disciplinary situation and improve classroom management? Listen in for our response and thank you for doing what matters! Meet Joshua Yeager Principal Joshua Yeager, a graduate of Mississippi State University, is a dedicated researcher with over a decade of leadership experience. He is the principal of Perry Central High School in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, which serves 400 students. In his third year as principal, Josh is proud to know every student by name. Under his leadership, the school has increased its graduation rate by 18% and raised its accountability scores by 100 points. The average daily attendance rate is 93%. Principal Yeager has also directed public and private educational institutions throughout the South, including facilities for those with special needs. A turn-around principal, he uses innovation to maximize student and stakeholder potential.  A Hattiesburg resident, he collaborates with Mississippi’s associations for school leaders, and he is actively writing his first book, “Turning Poverty into Riches: Rural Education At Best.”. In addition to being a principal, Joshua is the pastor of a local church within his community. He loves to coach people and maximize their greatness. He is the proud father of Makenlee Grace, a junior at Union High School in Mississippi. Leading in a rural community: When asked what he was most proud of in regard to the outcomes at Perry High School, Joshua talked about the rise in school spirit among his students. He noted that consistency is key for students, especially in rural communities. When Joshua first got to Perry High School, school spirit was really dry, but the students were eager to have pep rallies and engage in other forms of school spirit. Another outcome Joshua is proud of at Perry High School is how his school went from having a 70% graduation rate to a 90% graduation rate. As the graduation rate has increased, Joshua has seen parents becoming more active in the community through enrolling themselves in community college or by completing their GEDs. Overall, Joshua states that what he is most proud of are the smiles he gets to see on his students’ faces every day.  Flexible Schedules: Joshua says that it is important for school leaders to view teachers as practitioners; the best teachers are good at “diagnosing” students. Therefore, one of the best tools that will help teachers achieve better outcomes is when teachers feel at liberty to teach. Additionally, Joshua reminds listeners that the most important factors that encourage students to learn and grow are their teachers and principals. When considering how to best utilize his position to encourage students to learn and grow, Joshua made the decision to add a 48-minute block to the daily calendar. Each of the blocks serves a different purpose each day: Monday is the  social and emotional learning block  Tuesdays are career planning  Wednesdays are remediation days Thursdays are ACT prep Fridays are club Fridays  As a result of these daily blocks, Perry High School has seen growth in student outcomes.  Advice for New Leaders: Joshua says that one piece of advice he would give a leader stepping into a new role is that every decision needs to be made with the worst-case scenario in mind. He also notes as a school leader, your decisions should never be selfish; it should always be about what is best for the people you are serving. Furthermore, Joshua says that leaders need to be honest with themselves about what they don’t know. Leadership is about humbling yourself and putting in the effort to surround yourself with people who really know what they’re doing.  Staying Connected: You can stay connected with Joshua Yeager via: Twitter/X: @principalyeager  Email : jyeager@pcs.us.org Referenced research: https://wallacefoundation.org/sites/default/files/2023-09/the-school-principal-as-leader-guiding-schools-to-better-teaching-and-learning-2nd-ed.pdf The post PMP432: Be the Shift with Joshua Yeager appeared first on Principal Matters.

I’ve been thinking about some of the tensions leaders feel when trying to guide improvement among students and teachers.  In a recent interview with David Yeager, author of 10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People: A Groundbreaking Approach to Leading the Next Generation―And Making Your Own Life Easier, we discussed how good classroom teachers know that their own expectations of student learning significantly impact the ability of students to learn.  Hattie’s research, as well as other studies in psychology, have shown that ‘teacher expectations’ — the belief that all students have the capacity to learn — change the way we approach students. The more we believe in their abilities, the higher standards we hold for their learning, and the more they achieve as a result (Yeager, 10-25, Chapter 12). If this is true, and it is, then how do we approach teachers or students who seem stuck in their ways or uninterested in growth or change? Two works stand out to mind that seem to contradict each other, but I believe are two sides of the same coin: Anthony Muhammad’s Transforming School Culture and Todd Whitaker’s What Great Principals Do Differently. In Muhammad’s work, he studies school culture as it is influenced by types of educators he describes as believers, tweeners, survivors, and fundamentalists. The key to a strong culture is often determined by which types of educators have the most predominant voices in their school communities. The more believers, the healthier the culture. The more fundamentalists, the more toxic. Muhummad’s solution among many? Leaders must be willing to engage in crucial conversations with people who need improvement. In Whitaker’s work, he studies the outcomes of highly effective leaders and notices these leaders tend to frame their communication based on feedback needed for their highest performing teachers, or “super-star” educators. When leaders communicate feedback with these high performers in mind, they tend to elevate the experience of everyone else. For instance, if you notice teachers not showing up for an assigned duty, you could make an announcement scolding teachers and reminding them to be present for supervision. Whitaker would say that this is unhelpful. Announcements should praise the good work of high performers. For instance, you might say, “Thank you teachers for being on duty today for drop-off and pick-up. When you’re present, our school is safer, and parents appreciate seeing you make safety a number priority as well.”  Whitaker and Muhammad are not disagreeing. Instead, they are showing two sides of the same coin. On the one side, you must have crucial conversations with someone when they are poisoning the culture or negatively affecting student achievement. On the other hand, those crucial conversations are best reserved for one-on-one conversations when possible. Messaging to the community as a whole should be done in a way that lifts up everyone in the process. Here are a few rules of thumb to keep in mind as you discern when to apply pressure and when to praise: Regularly look for and praise good behavior.  Great classroom teachers know it is best to direct with a positive statement vs a negative one. Great leaders are no different. For instance, when students are becoming talkative, say, “I would appreciate everyone listening. In fact, if you hear my voice, clap once. If you hear my voice, clap twice.”  This is much more effective than saying, “Students, please stop talking.” The same methods work in teaching adults – whether in a room of 10 or 100. When you observe behavior that is intolerable or hurting others, you must intervene.  Do so one-on-one when possible. When not possible, be direct and then switch your focus back to the positive.  We should assume the best intentions of others, and if someone is behaving in a way that is a distraction from the mission and vision of learning, it is appropriate to call them out. If possible, this should be done in a way that is specific, clear, and invites a solution. For instance, if someone is getting off-topic and pulling others into a negative path during a lesson or meeting, you might say, “I know we could go down this rabbit hole together, but I’d like to place that conversation on hold and let’s come back to the topic at hand.” Then ask a question that leads people back to the topic at hand. Set norms for conversations and learning and revisit them when necessary. By inviting students and teachers to set norms for learning together, you often address negative behaviors in a positive way. For instance, if a team commits to “engagement” as a norm then you can remind them that distractions like phones or checking email will probably keep them from being fully engaged. “Let’s remember to stay fully engaged in this conversation. If something distracts you, try to manage it with as little disruption as possible, and then please pull your attention back to the moment we are in.”  Notice in all these examples crucial conversations and positive ‘superstar’ phrasing can happen at the same time. Let’s Wrap This Up I see the two sides of this as a Venn diagram. When you draw those circles together, the circle in the middle becomes the sweet spot.  Now It’s Your Turn Listen in as Jen Schwanke and I discuss these thoughts with her amazing feedback.  How do you decide when to have a crucial conversation vs praising performance?  Thank you again for doing what matters! The post MONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Crucial Conversations vs. Super Star Phrasing appeared first on Principal Matters.