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

A few thoughts from Will before this week’s show: Hi, Friends. Will Parker here. A few remarks before we jump into today’s episode. First, many of you know Principal Matters is now my full-time venture. Beyond my collaborations with districts across the U.S., I’m thrilled to introduce the Principal Matters Grow Academy, tailor-made for dedicated listeners who want to develop capacity as decision-makers, communicators, team-builders, and more. Starting September 11th, 2023, and continuing every 2nd Wednesday through May, we’re offering 8 specialized 70-minute virtual sessions for leaders like you in various U.S. time zones. Spaces are limited to ensure quality interaction, so if you’re eager to join, drop me an email at will@williamdparker.com with the subject ‘Grow’ or go to the Services link on my website to fill out an application by the end of this month. Also, don’t miss the Ignite+ virtual series by the National Association of Secondary School Principals. Jen Schwanke and I will dive deep into whole-school wellness over four sessions starting September 14th. You can register and access additional sessions with presenters Robyn Jackson, Principal EL, and Jimmy Casas at nassp.org/igniteplus. Finally, a heartfelt shout-out to the wonderful school leaders with the Ohio School Sponsorship program, especially Sheila Vitale. It was an honor to facilitate a convocation day for them. Also, thank you to my friend Superintendent Justin Kana and the Morrision Public School faculty for hosting me to present on Pause. Breathe. Flourish. – as a part of their teacher professional development. If you want similar experiences, please reach out! Thank you for your dedication to doing what matters. Now, let’s dive into the episode! Let’s Meet John Boyd: This week we have the pleasure of talking with John Boyd, a seasoned educator, dedicated community member, and avid runner. John’s journey began as a middle school social studies teacher and has since blossomed into an illustrious career that led him back to his roots, Ste. Genevieve High School. Here, he spent seven years educating young minds before taking on the mantle of Assistant Principal. After three years in that role, John embarked on his current position as Principal, concluding his second year. John’s investment in his school community spans over 27 years in various capacities, from being a student himself to becoming an administrator. On top of his work at the school, John holds a spot on the Missouri State Principal’s Association Board of Directors. His exceptional leadership skills were recognized this year when he was awarded Missouri’s Jim L. King High School Principal of the Year Award. Outside of his career, John shares a joyful family life with his wife, Sierra, and their two children, J.B. and Emery. Here’s a snapshot of what we discussed: The Runner’s Life John shares his running journey that began in high school and college and eventually became a catalyst for his career in education. He reminisces about his participation in the 2019 Boston Marathon and his attempt at a 50-mile race. Ste. Genevieve – A Community’s Story John talks about life in Ste. Genevieve, the oldest town west of the Mississippi River. He praises the town’s close-knit community and his proud work at Ste. Genevieve High School, a National Banner School for Inclusive Practices. Leading Your Hometown School John discusses the unique challenges and rewards of leading in his hometown school. He speaks about managing expectations, knowing the traditions and people, and his unwavering commitment to his community. Sustaining Leadership Over the Long Term John emphasizes the importance of finding a personal outlet, having an accountability partner, loving what you do, and the role of a supportive family in enduring leadership. Advice for Fellow Leaders As a leader, John highlights the importance of relationships, celebrating all achievements, modeling effective classroom strategies, and fostering a caring culture. The Importance of Ongoing Learning Discussing executive coaching, John stresses the danger of complacency and the significance of continuous growth for himself, his students, staff, and the community. Final Thoughts and Contact In conclusion, John reiterates his passion for education and leadership. He extends an open invitation for others to connect with him via email at jboyd@sgdragons.org. For all this and more, tune in to the entire conversation. You won’t want to miss these insightful takeaways from John Boyd! Will Parker and guest John Boyd discuss school management and leading your hometown high school in this week’s episode of PMP. Will Parker and guest John Boyd discuss school management and leading your hometown high school in this week’s episode of PMP. Three Leadership Takeaways with Dr. Nick Principal Matters is proud to include contributing posts from Dr. Nick Davies, an elementary associate principal for Vancouver Public Schools. He is a Principal Matters Associate and posts his own weekly podcast version of the following content at “Monday Mornings with Dr. Nick” which can be found at https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-davies-education/ “Be Humble and Don’t be a Jerk!” by Dr. Nick Davies I met with Kim Marshall two separate times a few months ago. I normally don’t meet with leaders during the school day, but the way our schedules matched up, it was one of the only times we could make it work. Well, that serves me right! Within minutes I was called out to address a major student issue. So, we met again a couple of weeks later (not during the school day). Kim writes the Marshall Memo, and he says in a given week he will read roughly 150 articles each week and then narrows it down to around 8 that he focuses on for his memo. He has been doing this for awhile now, and he has a wealth of information on best practices for schools! Kim was interviewed on the Principal Matters Podcast on Episode 168. Spread Your Net  When you are looking to do something new as a leader, where do you get your information? Do you have a go-to source or person? Kim encouraged me to always “spread your net” when it comes to information. “Good ideas are not all in once place.” One of the habits that has helped him across his career has been that he is a voracious reader. He follows interesting ideas and looks for whatever information he can find about that topic. Kim gave the example of a school leader who read about a strategy, Thinking Classrooms, in the Marshall Memo, expertly put it to use, and now kids are benefiting from it. Resources like the Marshall Memo take many ideas and many resources to save people time and expose them to great ideas.  What percentage of the time are you doing things that you like?  One of the things that I love about talking with leaders, particularly those who coach others as part of their job, is that they don’t just give me advice and answer questions. They often can’t help but ask me questions and then start asking coaching follow up questions. Kim asked me what percent of the time I do things I liked, and then we dove into what that means for being a sustainable principal. He is a veteran school administrator and talked about how the principal job is a 24/7 role. So much of the job can be challenging and often it is just trying to get the plane off of the runway, so to speak. How can you increase the percentage of time that you do things you enjoy while still getting the job done? The answer is different for everyone, but he had one piece of advice: Always teach when you are a principal! We all got into education to help students, and the best way to still be connected to the core of what we do is to be in the classroom with students. A principal’s schedule is never the same, so teaching can be challenging. His suggestion was something like Sex-Ed. Teachers don’t always want to teach it, and it is only a small part of the curriculum during a portion of the year.  The Power of Formative Assessments  Formative assessments are those in-the-moment adjustments that teachers make in the classroom. The best teachers do it instinctively, but Kim said that oftentimes it is the weakest thing seen in the classroom. The best formative assessments happen in the moment to make changes to what is currently going on. This means that exit tickets, although valuable, might be too late. This is an idea of constant adjustment and improvement, and it can extend to teachers as well. If teachers use common assessments, then they can meet and go over scores. The crucial part of this, however, is that you need a culture of sharing mistakes and teachers being willing to say, “You’re kids did better. What did you do?” Additionally, administrators need to be in classrooms and coach teachers along the way.  Thank you, Kim, for your time and advice!  Thank you for doing what matters! Sincerely, Dr. Nick The post PMP357: Leading Your Hometown School with John Boyd appeared first on Principal Matters.

Frederick Buskey lives in Cullowhee, North Carolina, and helps assistant principals live and lead better by teaching them how to escape the black hole of urgency. Building on 32 years of K-12 and higher education leadership experience, Dr. Buskey provides simple frameworks and tools to help school leaders spend less time putting out fires and invest more time in growing teachers. Dr. Buskey hosts The Assistant Principal Podcast, writes a daily leadership email, and supports assistant principals through APEx, an online group coaching and learning community. For the past 13 years, he has supported education leaders in building sustainability in their work.  In this conversation, Frederick explains how he has led principal licensure programs at two universities. Here are a few of the ideas Frederick shares: “Leadership is not making others like me, it is serving and trusting others.” He also shares the five stages for being unstuck in work as well as 4 principles for strategic leadership.  Understanding urgent vs important: Being driven by tasks instead of people causes leaders to misplace their priorities. Realization or the U-Turn: Priority management vs time management. We can’t do everything. We choose what gets done and does not get done. Our choices reflect our values. Transition to Intentional Leadership: sustainability happens when we move from tasks to systems – and move from actions to identifying non-actions. Investing Time Into Practice – when you ‘save’ time by how you use it, you become intentional in where that time is now focused. Strategic Leadership is supporting and growing people. Strategy happens when you understand people, purpose, problems and progress. Dr. Buskey also gave us permission to share the following images for these lessons: Listen in to the entire conversation for even more takeaways!  Read more about Dr. Buskey on his website and connect with him on LinkedIn. The post PMP356: Escaping the Black Hole of Urgency with Dr. Frederick Buskey appeared first on Principal Matters.

In this episode, host Will Parker prompts guest Jen Schwanke with seven thought-provoking questions derived from the book, The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever by Michael Bungay Stanier. This reflective dialogue aims to explore leadership challenges and ways to overcome them. Buy the book here. Question Overview: The Kickstart Question: What’s on your mind? The Awe Question: And what else? The Focus Question: What’s the real challenge here for you? The Foundation Question: What do you want? The Lazy Question: How can I help? The Strategic Question: If you’re saying yes to this, what are you saying no to? The Learning Question: What was most useful to you? Key Discussion Points: Jen’s Leadership Struggles: She discusses her struggle with juggling many areas of life and work, expressing guilt about not being able to fully contribute to all of them. The Challenge of Expectations: Jen talks about the pressure of living up to others’ expectations or perceived expectations and the importance of giving herself permission to be herself. What Jen Really Wants: Her goal is to make a positive impact where she can, understanding that her contribution might look different from others. The Power of Conversation: In response to “How can I help?”, Jen emphasizes that conversations like this are instrumental in uplifting leaders. Strategic No’s: She expresses a desire to decline “dead ends and energy sucks”, focusing her energy more constructively. This episode encourages leaders to engage in reflective exercises. Use these seven questions in a journaling session or invite a friend for a discussion. If you’d like a personal reflection session with Will, reach out to him at will@williamdparker.com. Listen to the full episode to get a better understanding of these discussion points and more! A note from Will Parker Hi, Friends. Will Parker here. I wanted to give you a few updates. I just returned from speaking at an event in San Diego and enjoying some vacation time. My wife and I also celebrated our anniversary of 30 years! Many of you know that Principal Matters is now my full-time work, which means more opportunities for learning and growing with leaders like you. This week I’ll be traveling to Columbus, Ohio, to provide a keynote for the Ohio State Department of Education’s School Sponsorship Program. On August 8, I will lead professional development for Morrison Public Schools in Oklahoma. August 14, 17, and 21, we will launch Executive Coaching and Masterminds with two cohorts of Ohio leaders. August 22 begins ongoing Masterminds for the Palo Alto High School Administration Team. And August 29, I will be with the Archdiocese of Louisville admin team for in-person events with principals participating in this year’s Principal Matters Grow Academy and Impact Mastermind. If you’re interested in any of the offerings available for the coming school year, check out the services link at williamdparker.com or email me directly at will@williamdparker.com. We are also enhancing some content available through the Principal Matters weekly newsletter. Not only does the newsletter include a summary of the show notes, but also it includes helpful resources and updates from sponsors and Principal Matters Associates. For instance, beginning in August, the newsletter will include additional content provided twice a month by my friend, Dr. Nick Davies, an elementary associate principal for Vancouver Public Schools. Nick will share a written summary called Three Takeaways for Leaders, content based on his podcast “Monday Mornings with Dr. Nick.” You will want to read these helpful summaries by subscribing to the Principal Matters newsletter on my website at williamdparker.com. Also, this month SchoolCEO, one of our sponsors, is conducting a leadership survey to explore the dynamics involved in superintendent/principal relationships. Your feedback is crucial. Find out more in the Principal Matters newsletter. Go to williamdparker.com and click the subscribe link. Thank you for doing what matters, and I hope you enjoy today’s episode! Three Leadership Takeaways: “Drink A Lot of Water” by Dr. Nick Davies I met with Ted Howard, an assistant superintendent for Seattle Public Schools. Ted wasted no time giving me great advice and mentoring me in my personal leadership journey. Without prompting, Ted touched on all of the areas I always ask leaders about, so I just asked clarifying questions and took pages of notes! He emailed me articles and told me to check out the Conscious Leadership Group: https://conscious.is/. Ted’s passion and love for supporting students and anyone who works in the school system was extremely clear. His advice was so practical and useful right now that I titled the article after something he said at the end of our conversation: Don’t forget to drink a lot of water!  Find Sustainability as a Leader Ted and I spent a lot of our time together talking about the sustainability of being a school leader. He did not use those words, but that was a commonality with what he talked about. First, Ted mentioned the need to have a mentor in this work. When you have a good mentor, they have a huge impact on you. Take advantage of those mentors in your life and physically spend time with them (when possible). Additionally, talk with and connect with people from all over. Spend time in different schools with different leaders to learn what they are doing. You are only as strong as the mentors and people around you! Additionally, when it comes to sustainability, you need to be able to renew yourself and your body. It is so easy to forget about ourselves while we serve others all day. We all want to do great things in our buildings, but Rome wasn’t built in a day. Take the time to slow down at work and at home. Ted talked about how when he was a new principal he would get home and look for a project to finish because our work as school leaders takes so long to see the impact! The problem with this mentality is that your brain is a muscle, so when do you let it rest? How do you let it rest (without any digital tools!)?  Be Interested and Really Curious  Ted told me that being really interested and really curious about everything has been a habit that has helped his career. He is always continuing to learn and grow and always asking questions. For example, if 99% of our teachers are proficient (common at least for the state of Washington), why do we have such a high failure rate in school? Do we not know how to evaluate teachers? Or is our system getting the results it is set up for? Additionally, many people do not truly know what their role is. Explicitly laying out what is expected of everyone in the building can relieve a lot of problems. Furthermore, Ted talked about how he likes talking with people who have a business mind. As educators, we have a huge buffer of time. There are 13 years to take a student from kindergarten to high school graduation! Businesses have to focus on the immediate and have a greater sense of urgency. Those different perspectives can be beneficial to what we are doing. If you love kids, you always give them chances  Since Ted is an assistant superintendent of the largest school district in the state of Washington, we talked a lot about systems and leading other leaders. He did, however, always bring his comments back to kids. Ted talked about how our business is to educate students, but we are really in the people business. When you are running low on energy, go to classrooms and be seen. When you are in the classroom, don’t forget how to be a kid! If students don’t energize you, then you might be in the wrong profession! Staff may say a lot of things about their leader, but they need to always remember that you care about kids. That said, adults can and do fail students. As a school leader, if we always give students chances, one of our blindspots can be giving the people we lead chances. We want to bring out the best in people. When they fail, help them get back up and encourage them in the moment.  I always ask leaders for book recommendations, and Ted had a couple which are below. He said, however, that leaders are often so pressed for time and energy that they need to find ways to continue to learn in a shorter format. I agree! So stay tuned for the next two weeks as I talk to Kim Marshall and Jenn David-Lang, who make books and articles more accessible to leaders!  The Power of Servant Leadership – Robert Greenleaf  Leading at a Higher Level – Ken Blanchard  Thank you, Ted, for your time and advice! — Dr. Nick Davies Dr. Nick Davies is an elementary associate principal for Vancouver Public Schools. He is a Principal Matters Associate and posts his own weekly podcast version of the following content at “Monday Mornings with Dr. Nick” which can be found at https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-davies-education/ The post PMP355: Using Reflective Questions with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker appeared first on Principal Matters.

On this week’s episode, we tackle listener queries about leadership and resource allocation. Jen Schwanke shares an enlightening conversation with a principal from a small, rural school in Iowa about how best to utilize allocated funding for a new staff position. Biggest Time Usage and Strengths: Jen discusses the principal’s most significant time usage and strengths, and his decision to hire an instructional coach to handle the academics while he manages sports and music. Proactive vs. Reactive Hiring: Jen challenges this approach, suggesting hiring a leader for Operations of Extracurriculars, thereby allowing the principal to focus on instruction. The Power of Intent: Jen emphasizes the importance of knowing your “why.” She advises hiring someone to handle what is already a community focus, ensuring the principal’s energy is directed towards the academic growth of students. Advice for One-Man Teams: If hiring additional staff is not possible, Jen’s advice remains the same – empower those in your team to step up to leadership roles. It’s about evaluating if they are deflecting problems your way due to your control issues or if they believe you can make them disappear. The Overwhelm Dilemma: Jen refers to Anne Lamott’s words, “Helping is the sunny side of control,” and urges leaders to reflect on their tendency to control. Additionally, if exhaustion sets in, it’s vital to investigate the root cause, as suggested by Brene Brown. Top Systems for School Administrators: Answering another listener question, Will and Jen list three key areas to focus on for increasing productivity – Self, Staff, and Community. They discuss identifying the key responsibility areas (KRAs) that align with your strengths, gifts, and passion. Practical Examples of KRAs: Will shares an extensive list of KRAs from a principal friend, Russell Tillery of Sallisaw High School. These responsibilities cover various roles within the school, such as Office Staff, Principal, and more, providing a comprehensive guide for other leaders to develop their own KRAs. You can email will@williamdparker.com for a complete list of KRA’s. Conclusion – Embrace Teamwork: As you consider how to allocate resources and support in your school community, remember the power of teamwork. The aim is not only to be action-oriented but also to be dedicated to realizing the potential in others. When principals discover and amplify the strengths in their staff, schools thrive. Listen to this episode for a deep dive into these topics and more! The post PMP354: Questions on Allocation of Support with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker appeared first on Principal Matters.

In this episode, Jen Schwanke shares insights from a new Quick Reference Guide she authored for ASCD on Teacher Observation and Feedback. You can find the resource here. As the author of this new guide, Jen explains why she chose to focus on growth, positivity and relationship building as motivations for better observation feedback. As she says, “Our goal should be helping teachers see where they want to be in student learning, outcomes, care, feedback and parent communication.” She also adds, “You are never not giving feedback!” The ASCD website summarizes the new guide as follows: “Observation and feedback made easy for school principals. One of the most important responsibilities of a school leader is to observe and evaluate teachers. In this quick reference guide for school leaders, leadership expert and former principal Jen Schwanke provides some tips and strategies to ensure your process for observation and feedback is collaborative, is supportive, and promotes professional growth.” “Learn how to make feedback a positive experience for everyone involved by focusing on your support role. Whether you’re reviewing content knowledge, team meetings, or more, Schwanke gives specific examples to look for and questions to ask so that you can recognize teachers’ strengths as well as encourage improvement when intervention is necessary.” “With strategies to get started on planning for the year and stay efficient in the wake of busy schedules, blueprints for troubleshooting when issues arise, and a checklist of observations to always keep in mind, Teacher Observation and Feedback is a guide you’ll reference again and again. Learn how to be the best support for your teachers and help them become masters of their craft.” Jen explains two areas from the rubric in detail:  Thorough versus General Review Forgiving versus Punitive As Jen reminds us, in interactions with teachers, staff and students, we should be asking ourselves, “What compliment do I owe this person?” Listen-in to the entire podcast episode for even more takeaways! Also, in our conversation, I reference a recent TED Radio Hour talk, Your future self might not want the life you’re planning for them, you can it find here. The post PMP353: How to Provide Meaningful Feedback in Observations with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker appeared first on Principal Matters.

When Brent Kline, Principal of Palo Alto High School, led me into the doorway of the original campus two-story tower building, erected in 1918, I was wearing a hard hat. We stepped carefully through as a construction engineer explained the work being done. For the past year, the offices and services housed in the two-story, 23,000 square feet building had been moved to portals and other locations around campus.  Now the structure was under renovation with entirely new heating and air, electricity and plumbing being installed. We walked through hallways and office spaces bare of ceilings with interiors being reconstructed to meet the needs of a 21st Century building that would house administrative, counseling, wellness, adult education and tutoring services. Soon the entire roof would be replaced and the exterior repaired and repainted. Palo Alto High School (or Paly, as they like to call it) serves approximately 2,000 students and has a diverse student body, reflecting the multicultural nature of the region. It has a reputation for academic excellence and is known for enrolling a high number of students who pursue college education after graduation. It also offers many courses and activities that value student expression in sciences, creativity and athletics. The administrative team includes Principal Brent Kline and Assistant Principals Jerry Berkson, LaDonna Butler, Erik Olah, and Michelle Steingart. During the 2022-23 school year, Brent Kline, Principal of Palo Alto High School, Palo Alto, California, invited me to meet with his admin team for monthly Principal Matters Grow Leadership Academy sessions, which included live, virtual Zoom meetings. Each month we discussed different school leadership responsibility areas and reflected on applications to their own school community. On June 7, 2023, I had the privilege to visit Brent, Jerry, LaDonna, Erik and Michelle in-person and interview them as a group. This week’s podcast episode includes: Feedback from each principal on how long they have served in education and something you may be surprised to know about them Ways Palo Alto High School has focused on equity as a priority for all student learning Highlights from academic and extracurricular successes happening at Palo Alto High School Takeaways from the Grow Leadership Academy and how it helps them in their own lives and leadership An what advice they would give new education leaders who may be stepping into a new season or school year I want to extend gratitude to this amazing team of leaders for their year-long commitment to learning, reflecting, and growing together. Also, I want to thank them and their Superintendent Don Austin for inviting me to present to their entire district leadership team on June 8, 2023, where we collaborated around ideas from my book Pause. Breathe. Flourish.: Living Your Best Life as an Educator. Just as they are renovating a more than one hundred year old building on their campus, the Paly team continues to renovate their practices – never being satisfied with the status quo and consistently seeking new ways to better meet the needs of students.  You can learn more about Palo Alto High School or reach out to any of the Paly Admin Team members at their website:  https://www.paly.net/about-us/leadership Interested in a Grow Academy for your team? Learn more here: https://williamdparker.com/speaking/ The post PMP352: Grow Your Leadership with the Palo Alto High School Admin Team appeared first on Principal Matters.

This week Jen Schwanke joins me as we talk about research on trends among students. As always, Jen’s feedback on this discussion adds so much value to how you apply practical responses to the real-life scenarios educators encounter when serving students – especially those struggling with anxiety or other emotional challenges connected to emerging technologies. Listen-in to the entire conversation for those great takeaways! I’ve also taken time to write a summary of the notes and sources I mention in the show that you can read below for reference: Serving Generations by Understanding How To Walk Together, by William D. Parker I’m curious if you like to go for walks? I enjoy a good walk – especially when the weather is pleasant, there is a pleasant road ahead of me, and I have a companion to share good conversation with as we saunter along. A good walk doesn’t even need to include a destination as the walking experience may be the destination.  Let’s pretend that you were born in a time, place or physical condition where you had never seen or experienced a walk. I could explain ‘a good walk’ to you, but wouldn’t it be so much more meaningful if I was able to just go with you on a walk together? Now, I want you to think about explaining generation trends and differences. Psychologists, researchers and educators spend a lot of time considering challenges, trends or differences in the various age groups, time periods and applications that happen between generations.  This analysis can be very helpful. At the same time, wouldn’t it be even more helpful if I could take a walk with you to help understand the life experience through dialogue and shared stories? Think-Tank Invitation Recently, I was invited to a “Think Tank” session in Atlanta, Georgia, with some fellow educators. The event was hosted by Dr. Tim Elmore, the Founder of Growing Leaders. In attendance was the Growing Leaders executive team, several college interns, a few consultants and business owners, an executive coach and a set of educators from local schools, including the 2023 Georgia State Teacher of the Year, Michael Kobito.  During this day-long session, we also had a live virtual session with Dr. Jean Twenge, author of the new book, Generations: The Real Differences Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and Silents―and What They Mean for America’s Future. Dr. Twenge’s research provides evidence to what many of us have already been seeing in practice. Adolescents are facing a mental health crisis. From 2011-2019, teen depression has doubled. Dr. Twenge’s research also shows that increases in self-harm and depression are correlated with increase in use of technology, including social media. Students today sleep less and interact in less face-to-face conversations than their predecessors. According to Dr. Twenge, the younger a child has access to a Smartphone, the greater his or her mental health challenges. Her recommendation to policy makers and parents: raise the age of social media access to 16 years of age. Dr. Twenge is not alone in her concerns. Dr. Tim Elmore shared stories of parents who have encouraged delayed access and the benefits these young people report. As Dr. Twenge said in our meeting, “If social media and smartphones are a root cause, we can actually do something about it.” This summary is not my attempt to recommend or prescribe policy. In fact, I listened to others in the Think-Tank share thoughts of trends they are seeing in education, industry, and culture, I wrote down five ideas I believe help add some additional context to Dr. Twenge’s data. Here are five other areas I would like highlight that are also affecting the current economic and social factors we are currently experiencing in the U.S.: 5 Trends Influencing Current Dynamics in the U.S. As we heard stories from educators, business owners and students, several trends emerged that seem consistent and persistent in our current cultural experience. Feel free to take a deeper dive into this topic through your own research, but in summary, I would like to provide a short assessment of trends I am seeing where I live at the time of this writing: We are increasingly raising a “parentless” generation. Nearly 30% of U.S. children, for instance, are born into single parent households with an alarming number being raised by grandparents or other caregivers. We are an increasingly “childless” generation. U.S. birth rates have been declining for years, and at the current rate of childbirth in the U.S., our younger generation population numbers will far below the number of people retiring. We are a retiring generation. Baby Boomers are leaving the workforce, and we do not have an equal number of adults stepping into positions they are vacating. We are grieving a deceased population. Deaths throughout the pandemic lowered instead of increased the life expectancy rates in the U.S. for the first time in a century. The vast majority of deaths during the pandemic were Baby Boomers with more than 800,000 pandemic-related deaths in the U.S. alone for people ages 65 years and older. We have a decreasing immigrant population. Even with ongoing debates about the crisis on the U.S. Southern border, immigrants stepping into service industry jobs significantly declined during the Pandemic with an estimated loss of 2 million working age immigrants in 2021. Efforts by both the Trump and Biden administrations have kept immigrant population growth stagnant, and U.S. employers are still feeling the effects of small unemployment rates that increased wages have yet to remedy. There are certainly more current social, economic or political factors that could be added to the list. Nevertheless, with all of these economic and social factors in play, it should be no surprise that our children feel additional anxiety while technology increases isolation, and loneliness and depression compared to previous generations.  3 Responses for Leaders to Consider So how do we respond to the new realities in which we find ourselves living? As I said earlier, I want to avoid a prescription. Instead, I would like to encourage better understanding that may lead to some helpful responses. We need to raise awareness by listening to one another for understanding. With the advent of the Smartphone and technologies that contain algorithms designed to addict us to social media, it is important that we recognize the new reality we are in while seeking solutions together. Not one person is going to have the resources, wit or expertise to take on the efforts that billion dollar industries have made to influence human behavior. Conversations about awareness that include well-founded research by people like Dr. Jean Twenge, for instance, lead to better understanding about ways we can begin to change our behaviors or respond with new policies or regulations around new technologies. We need to ensure places of safety and belonging. No greater concern can be expressed about our current societal condition than the growing epidemic of loneliness for users of technology. The remedy that people are seeking in the small emotional “snacks” of social media time can only be satisfied with the real-life “feasting” found in real-life communities. We should reexamine what it means to create spaces where every person feels accepted and safe in families, schools, churches and neighborhoods. This can only happen when we commit to pushing back against trends to separate ourselves into opposing political and social groups and focus instead on the real-life common experiences that unite us. We need permission for young people to have their voices heard. A young man in our focus group, a soon-to-be college senior, explained one reason young people depend on social media: “In a world where older generations seem to hold the majority of power, young people do not see where they have opportunity or permission to have a voice.” I was so grateful when he said this. So often, older generations like my own are quick to express solutions and remedies for others without considering how little space we give younger generations to express their concerns. Instead, how do we make sure younger generations are not only at the table, but have a voice in decisions affecting their futures? Let’s Wrap This Up Sometimes I feel like the conversations around generational differences make our younger counterparts feel like we are trying to describe a road we have not walked with them. Many times our assessments of their differences or challenges sound more like an indictment than an attempt to understand their real-life experiences. Research is helpful; however, it is most helpful when we allow ourselves permission to talk with one another, not just about one another.  The same young people we see struggling with anxiety are also a generation of students who care deeply: they are more interested than past generations in respecting diversity, finding solutions for global warming, and ending social ills like school violence. I’m grateful for the opportunity I had recently to walk the road with other thinkers, educators and young people around this topic. The challenges of education are not growing any easier. However, we have met great challenges before and found solutions. We now have a mental health crisis in some ways directly connected to addictive behaviors around newer technologies. As we increase our awareness, let us also stay committed to having real life conversations with each other – and especially with our young people – around ways to help them find real-life places of safety and belonging where their voices are heard and respected. Now It’s Your Turn In what ways may a round-table discussion be helpful for teams of teachers or students whom you are leading? How are you modeling healthy habits in your own use of technologies? What is one real-life conversation you might have today that could replace the ‘snacking” of relationships we often look for in our use of technologies?  I’d like to express deep gratitude to my friends at Growing Leaders for inviting me to the Think Tank which inspired this post. You can find out more about their work at http://growingleaders.com/. The post PMP351: Understanding How to Serve Generations with Will Parker and Jen Schwanke appeared first on Principal Matters.

Bryan Miltenberg is the proud principal of Aquebogue Elementary School in Riverhead, New York. He’s been a teacher, dean, and middle school assistant principal, and has presented and published on topics including school climate and culture, instructional technology, self-aware leadership, inclusivity, time management, and co-teaching partnerships. Against all logic, he remains a suffering lifelong Mets and Jets fan. Before he was an educator, Bryan was a musician who plays guitar, drums and sings. Gary Karlson is an elementary administrator after nearly twenty years as a teacher. He usually follows that information with a “Dad joke” that he was a good teacher for at least a few of them.  He lives on eastern Long Island with his ultra supportive wife and two sons. As Assistant Principal at Aquebogue Elementary School, he and Bryan lead an amazing staff dedicated to serving grades K-4 with the motto of T.E.A.M: Together Everyone Achieves More. A fun fact about Gary is that he spent 15 years bartending and believes it has made him a better listener. Listen-in to the entire conversation for great takeaways. Here are a few highlights: What are some outcomes from your school for which you’re most proud of? Some areas of pride include the Sib Shop group that helps siblings of students with special needs to find support, information and guidance. Aquebogue serves approximately 50% of students as second language learners. They have been able to hire a bilingual greeter. Integration of language into signage, announcements and messaging with families is also important. Can you tell us more about your motto T.E.A.M: Together Everyone Achieves More and how it has influenced the service to students at your school? The Principal and Assistant Principal relationship is a unique one. How have you two personally and professionally benefited from your shared leadership experience? Gary and Bryan first met when interviewing for the same principal opening at the school where Gary was teaching at Aquebogue Elementary School. After Bryan was hired as principal, he later had an opening for Assistant Principal and reached back to Gary who took on the new role. Principals should ‘hire their opposites’ as Bryan explains.  Gary adds that principals must also trust the leadership aspirations of their AP’s. Bryan often tells him that developing the leadership capacity in Gary is one of his number one priorities.  Teamwork for them means empowering others, not controlling others. What are your transitions in leadership stories and lessons from those experiences? Bryan shares that principals need to be super-students of learning about their school community. Avoid ‘skin graph or organ transplant’ leadership.  Gary notes that a move into leadership must be one that helps you be happy and fulfilled. It must be motivated by the benevolent and good intention of helping every stakeholder in your school community. How can listeners connect with you and any parting words of advice? You can find Bryan on Twitter via @BryanMiltenberg and Gary by email: garykarlson@yahoo.com or Twitter via @gkarlsonjr The post PMP350: T.E.A.M: Together Everyone Achieves More with Bryan Miltenberg & Gary Karlson appeared first on Principal Matters.

Jarrod J. Johnson is currently the Superintendent of Drummond Public Schools, as well as an adjunct professor at Northwestern Oklahoma State University.  With his experience as a classroom teacher, principal, athletic director, transportation director and now superintendent, he has a unique perspective that allows him to look at any school issue from multiple viewpoints. Although he pours his time and energy into many aspects of the school, school leadership and school culture are the areas he is most passionate about. His recent passion project, “Senior Culmination Series,” provides districts with a curriculum that prepares their students for the real world.  It helps them learn life skills that are not traditionally taught in the classroom setting. Jarrod prides himself on being a problem-solver and this was an area that he and many of his peers observed was lacking in preparing our youth for their futures.  With the help of countless focus groups, the Senior Culmination Series was born.  When Jarrod isn’t leading the school district or building on the Senior Culmination Series curriculum, he’s likely with his wife, Megann, cheering on one of their three children, at one of their many activities. Listen-in to the entire episode for great takeaways. Here are a few areas we discuss: Can you fill in the gaps on the intro and tell listeners something else they may be surprised to know about you? Jarrod was an Ag teacher when he received the call inviting him to interview for a principal opening.  What offerings and experiences are available at Drummond Public Schools that you would like other education leaders to know about? Drummond is a community with approximately 400 students K-12. Their most recent bond issue election saw more than 90% approval from residents for school facility improvements. Drummond students also compete in Quiz Bowl at the State and National levels. What lessons have you learned through your Senior Culmination Series that would be helpful for other leaders to know? Jarrod tells the story when he realized schools do not always teach students real-life applications. As a result, he organized 10 focus groups around lessons and developed a curriculum for senior students of 32 areas, including topics like budgeting, health insurance, care maintenance, home maintenance, shopping on a budget, preparing meals for large groups, professional preparation, resume writing, interviewing skills, and more.  Can you share the stories of transition in your leadership journeys that brought you into your current role? For those seeking their first roles in education leadership – or for those thinking about a transition in their careers – what advice would you share? Jarrod shares several takeaways including: How hard work pays off You are the brightest spot in a child’s day Showing respect and dignity to everyone Making and prioritizing to-do lists Reading the book Principal Matters 🙂 Staying flexible Remembering teachers want to be heard and helped How has Principal Matters been a helpful resource for you in your leadership? One way Principal Matters helped Jarrod was through a free PD resource Will Parker shared with him on helping staff create a vision and mission statement. You can see a sample here. How can listeners stay connected with you? Email Jarrod Johnson at jarrod@summiteducationservices.org The post PMP349: Helping Graduates Be Life Ready with Jarrod Johnson appeared first on Principal Matters.

This week Jen Schwanke joins me as we explore what happens when we lose focus on the important goals and outcomes involved in serving others.  Listen in for more context and takeaways as Jen and both reflect on what happens when leaders lose focus on the mission and vision of their service. Below I’m also including a companion post with the story and lessons I shared with Jen about recently getting lost while hiking. I hope these lessons may help you consider the dangers of leaving the path in your own leadership! The Dangers of Leaving the Path by William D. Parker Recently, I visited a school in southwestern Oklahoma. As I was staying the night near the Wichita Mountains National Refuge, I drove down early and into the park a couple of hours before sunset. There I found open expanses of prairie and small mountains. Buffalo and Longhorns grazed on both sides of the road. I found the way to Elk Mountain, parked and changed into my running clothes and shoes. I filled my water bladder and strapped it into my backpack, and I set my watch for 45 minutes – enough time to hike into a section of the Wichita Mountains and back before sunset.  As I jogged the gravel trail, I was captivated by the budding spring wildflowers – orange, purple, and white blossoms waving in the breeze. The grass was green and short, and the rock hills above me bright with the sunlight beaming on their broad shoulders. When I had gone a couple of miles in, I realized it was time to turn around, but I saw a hilltop that I was sure I could summit in less than five minutes, and I wanted a better view from up high before heading back. When I reached the top, I realized I wasn’t far from another higher point that might give me a view of the entire area. As I stepped by cacti and weaved my way up enormous boulders, I realized the higher level was blocked by a small section of woods. I stepped through a small opening and pushed my way through brush until I had reached the next level of rocks. Here I climbed up and over a series of large rock faces until I stood about a body’s length below the highest point. It was here I realized I couldn’t reach the top safely. There weren’t good hand holds in the rock, and I didn’t have any climbing gear. By this point, I had put my running gloves on as the granite rocks were rough like sandpaper in some places. While I won’t go into detail here about the next hour and a half, I will say that this was one of the moments in my life I am the least proud to tell. After I turned to climb down, I realized how far away I was from the trail I had left. I also realized I had broken every hiking rule I had taught my own children: leaving  the trail and not marking a way back; pushing beyond the time I knew it would take to return before dark; and finding myself alone with a water container that would soon be empty.  I scrambled down the hills, and I thought I was heading in the direction of the valley where I had left the trail. But every new level I descended only showed me unfamiliar grass, rocks and trees with no trail in sight. I checked my watch and glanced at the sun as it hovered above the horizon.  Finally, I finally found a ravine between rocky crags that led downhill in what became my new path. Along the way, there were small pools of water collecting in rocks, and I knew this was a natural waterway for run-offs of rain, probably going to the small river that ran by the area where I had parked the car. The sun behind the western hills was beginning to set and cast a yellow glow across the entire landscape. The irony of this beautiful moment was not lost on me. The stunning panorama of naked rock, greening valleys, and glowing sky were stunning. But here I was alone, unsure exactly where I was and desperate to find my way down before it grew dark. When I crossed the next boundary of rock, I caught a glimpse of the valley below and could see a very distant lake I recognized. At least I hoped I was heading in the right direction.  Losing the Trail I don’t know if you have ever been in a scenario where you’ve lost sight of the trail, but my guess is that every educator finds himself or herself walking into situations where you did not plan to go. Perhaps it is a student disciplinary situation you’ve never faced before. Or maybe a parent has called with an alert from social media that has you and your team scrambling for a response.  You may be stepping into a season of your school where the pressures of activities seem to have erased the other priorities you set for student achievement, professional development or other goals. Or maybe, like my hiking story, you’ve lost sight of your leadership path because you have pushed ahead of where you had planned to go or allowed a good distraction to become a potentially fatal one. I remember times when I was teaching Advanced Placement Language to high school juniors. We had objectives that included analyzing the writing style or persuasive technique of authors along with goals to improve students’ abilities to write essays that both critiqued and applied lessons learned from those same writings. Sometimes, however, we would become so embroiled in debating positions for or against the pieces they were analyzing that we lost focus on the process, and I found myself refereeing arguments more than instructing them in analysis. It was at a point like this while teaching when I would stop a class and say, “Ok. Let’s remember why we are reading this piece. What is the author’s point? What language is he or she using to make the point? How can you recognize the rhetorical device he or she is using? What is the effect, positive or negative, of the message communicated?” As a teacher, I was responsible to guide my students back onto the trail of learning.  As educators, sometimes you are asked to implement programs or mandates from districts, state or federal agencies that can appear burdensome or be a distraction from the goals you and your team may already be working on for student achievement. When this happens, you know your role involves complying in a way that burdens others as little as possible while still keeping your primary goals front and center. This is not easy, but it is important. Too often we are distracted by the urgent while losing focus on the important. When that happens, it is time to pause, to reassess your position, and to find a way back on the right trail. If you don’t, the outcome could be exhaustion, burnout, or perhaps worse – losing others along the way.. Let’s Wrap This Up By the time I found a trail again on my mountain hike, I had to jog my way back as dusk was settling in, and frankly I was a disaster. I had scratched my legs and arms on rocks and brambles. At one point along the way, I had stopped to pull a cactus needle that had wedged its way through into my left shoe. Standing in a place I didn’t recognize, blood and dirt on my knees and arms, my water gone — I wasn’t sure where my car was from this point, but I made my way along the gravel road until I came to the highway. Thankfully, when I opened the map on my iPhone, I could see it had pinged my car from where I had last parked. It was 1.5 miles from where I stood, and now it was dark. With stars beginning to shine above me, I began a long hobbling jog and walk down the lonely highway. Of course, I remembered the buffalo, elk and longhorns that roamed this refuge. The yellow lines marked the center of the road like a solitary ribbon into darkness, and I pushed forward, listening for sounds, catching faraway yelps of coyotes, and tromping along thinking about how foolish I had been, and how much I wanted to be able to tell this story if I ever made it back to my car.  Maybe you’ve never been in a place where you’ve left the path as literally as I did in this story. But it is possible that in leadership you may be leaving the path without even realizing it. Here are some questions to keep in mind for reflection: When was the last time you revisited the mission and vision of your school? What practical steps are you currently taking to fulfill the goals you set for the school year? How are you and your teammates reflecting on your most important goals or outcomes to make sure you are keeping what is important central to your daily activities? In what ways can you re-adjust if you’ve gotten off the trail? Think about one step or action you can take today to reconnect with work you know will make the most impact for student learning. Let’s Get Real I want to finish this story with some transparency in case someone is reading this who needs a ‘let’s get real’ moment.  My father passed away last month. I was preparing for a presentation to a group of education leaders in Mississippi when my brother called with the news. Dad had lain down on the couch after dinner and said he didn’t feel well. My brother offered to take him to the hospital, but he said he’d rather “not go to a place that’s cold where they hook you up to a bunch of tubes.”  They called 911 for an ambulance instead. By the time the emergency responders arrived, Dad had said goodbye to Mom and my brother. His last words were, “I love you too.” I finished my trip to Mississippi and rerouted my return home through Nashville to spend the next week in West Tennessee with my family. My wife and kids drove in from Oklahoma, and all my siblings, 15 grandchildren, 5 great-grandkids, spouses, cousins, and friends joined us for the funeral. We have a tradition in our family at burials. After the last hymn is sung and prayer is said, we take turns with the shovel placing dirt on the coffin of the deceased. I can’t remember how the tradition began, but over the years, it has given each of us the opportunity to add one more moment to the reality of saying goodbye. It seems such a gentler way to cover the grave with hands that loved the person being laid to rest.. Coming back to ‘life as normal’ afterward my dad’s funeral has been much harder than I expected. I’ve had friends tell me losing a parent is hard, but I didn’t expect the emptiness I have felt. I have very few regrets in my relationship with my dad. We were close and loving. But it is odd knowing he’s not there – the rock who was always there from my earliest memories.  The last couple of weeks I’ve found myself outside a lot. I like to jog and bike, and the spring weather has been filling the days with sunlight and greening trees. So I’ve been loading my bike and riding the river trails near Tulsa or into Osage County. The miles of road, the sweat and sore muscles – these workouts have been ways I’ve coped with stress or anxiety over the years. When I returned home from my hiking trip and found the courage to tell my wife about my mishaps, she was upset that I had placed myself in danger. She was also kind enough to recognize my embarrassment and desire to commit to safer behavior in my future adventures. As we talked, I realized something else then that I hadn’t before. In the past when I have faced really stressful times, I have increased my exercise as a way to manage or release anxiety. Since my dad’s death, I have really picked up the pace. In some ways, I think I was trying to outrun the grief. While my wife and I talked, I admitted this to her. And for the first time since my dad’s death, I had a hard cry. I’m not telling that story here to gain sympathy or evoke emotion. Instead, I want to leave you with a final point:  All of us face a lot of difficult moments, including ones of deep grief in the situations you manage with others. Sometimes those moments leave you emotionally rattled or even hurt. You may not realize that these moments can also push you off the path of what’s important. Or they may also serve to point you back to what matters most: relationships. Either way, give yourself and others the grace to know that the work of education is hard. At the end of the day, we are all human, and it is in trusting relationships with others that we can find the strength and perspective to gain our footing again.  Now It’s Your Turn As you take a look at the road in front of you, are you still on the path that will help you reach the best outcomes? If you feel rattled, distracted or off-target, do you have someone else in your circle of accountability you can reflect with? Give yourself permission to assess where you are and take one step today in the direction you know will lead to the best outcomes. The post PMP348: Staying on the Path with Will Parker & Jen Schwanke appeared first on Principal Matters.