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

This week Will Parker is joined by Jen Schwanke to talk about returning the joy to teaching in learning and leading. As the year winds down, teachers and school leaders are getting tired and working hard. It is important for school leaders to encourage themselves and their teachers to look for the joy in the middle of all this hard work. Will and Jen discuss Jen’s recent article with Dr. Tracy Deagle “Can We Still Find Joy in Teaching?” that offers helpful suggestions on what we should hold on to when it comes to the joy of teaching in school leaders and teachers. Jen and Tracy offer five suggestions of ways to find joy in teaching and leading: I Get To, Not I Have To “I get to lead this district”, “I get to have this conversation with teachers”, etc. Feeling lucky to have the skills and the team and the background to do good work. Taking time to feel Spending too much time suffering through the difficult times really takes away from our ability to feel joy.  Slowing down and acknowledging your feelings to fully experience what you’re going through. Joy is a place, not a transaction Joy should not be an if/then statement; find and relish it on your own. Celebrating the joy in others “What brings you joy in your work?” or “How can you find it?” Joy can help us overcome the things that may burn us out.  Find a joy partner Checking in with each other to make sure that your joy partner isn’t struggling or in a dark place mentally. Now It’s Your Turn: What are some ways that you find the joy in teaching, learning, and leading? What suggestions would you add to the article written by Jen Schwanke and Dr. Tracy Deagle? The post PMP318: Returning the joy to teaching, learning and leading with Jen Schwanke appeared first on Principal Matters.

This week, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke tackle the topic of discipline in schools. More specifically, they discuss how to discipline with dignity as school leaders. One of the questions that they explore is: As discipline ramps up this time of year, how can principals empower teachers to manage discipline in Tier One?  Some topics teams might discuss:  10, 10, 10 rule  In what ways are policies only as good as the people who administer them? Does the school handbook and district policies reflect your teacher’s approach to discipline and vice-versa? What role do you think a principal should take in managing discipline?  Is a school-wide discipline approach or a class-by-class behavior plan better?  What are the limitations of PBIS?  What are the strengths?  What do we mean by “differentiate discipline”?  Other ideas from Will’s book, Principal Matters:  Set high expectations Let consequences fit infractions Be consistent Be creative (or flexible) when possible Be specific and document Communicate trust Now It’s Your Turn: What ways do you approach school discipline? How do you empower teachers to manage discipline in your schools? The post PMP317: Discipline with Dignity with Jen Schwanke appeared first on Principal Matters.

Jimmy Casas has been an educator for over 30 years, serving twenty-two years as a school leader, including fourteen years as Principal at Bettendorf High School. Under his leadership, Bettendorf was named one of the Best High Schools in the country three times by Newsweek … and US News & World Report. Jimmy was named the 2012 Iowa Secondary Principal of the Year and was selected as runner-up NASSP 2013 National Secondary Principal of the Year. Jimmy is also the author of eight great books for educators and the owner and CEO of J Casas & Associates, where he serves as a professional leadership coach for school leaders across the country. In January 2020, Jimmy launched ConnectEDD, a publishing company aimed at giving back to the profession by supporting educators to become published authors. This week, Will Parker and Jimmy Casas continue their conversation about Jimmy’s newest book, Recalibrate the Culture: Our Why…Our Work…Our Values. In the part of your book on See the Culture Through the Eyes of Others, you talk about the 4 Most Powerful Words. What are the four most important words and why are they important for seeing culture through the eyes of others? “I need your help.” These four words can help leaders create a vision for their school and enlist the help of qualified teachers to build a plan to bring that vision to life. Documenting progress and building momentum can create hope and get people to believe that things can be better. Celebrating improvements to show how hard work pays off.  You will get more constructive feedback from teachers if you sit down with them and discuss it face to face rather than through anonymous surveys. Invest time in having conversations in the front end rather than trying to pick up the pieces further down the line. Finally, in your chapter on Average Exists in Every Organization, you explain, “… in every community, three areas affect the morale and performance of each staff member, which I have identified as System – People – Fire.” Can you explain how “System, People, and Fire” help you identify areas where morale and performance may need to be improved? Three levels within a system that make up an entire school district: classrooms, buildings, and district offices.  Spending time working on systems and people in a school district creates schools that can easily overcome adversity. Constantly remind people what your mission is, focus on your strategic plan as much as possible. Superintendents who are successful do strategic work on their system, intentional in growing and developing their cabinet team, and meeting with their board team to make sure that they are all on the same page. Now it’s Your Turn What are some ways that you have successfully used strategic work to improve your system? Connect with Jimmy at JimmyCasas.com and on Twitter and Instagram: @Casas_Jimmy The post PMP316: Recalibrate Your Culture with Jimmy Casas (Part 2) appeared first on Principal Matters.

Jimmy Casas has been an educator for over 30 years, serving twenty-two years as a school leader, including fourteen years as Principal at Bettendorf High School. Under his leadership, Bettendorf was named one of the Best High Schools in the country three times by Newsweek and US News & World Report. Jimmy was named the 2012 Iowa Secondary Principal of the Year and was selected as runner-up NASSP 2013 National Secondary Principal of the Year. Jimmy is also the author of eight great books for educators and the owner and CEO of J Casas & Associates, where he serves as a professional leadership coach for school leaders across the country. In January 2020, Jimmy launched ConnectEDD, a publishing company aimed at giving back to the profession by supporting educators to become published authors. His newest book is Recalibrate the Culture: Our Why…Our Work…Our Values. In this weeks episode of Principal Matters Podcast, Will Parker and Jimmy Casas discuss Jimmy’s newest book is Recalibrate the Culture: Our Why…Our Work…Our Values. It revisits the four premises of culturizing a positive school culture (Lead from a Core Set of Values; Cultivate a Community of Leader; See the Culture Through the Eyes of Other; Average Exists in Every Organization) with great takeaways and applications. Listen in as Jimmy explains: How to lead from a “Core Set of Values” How the “The Power of Why: Passion, Behavior, Change” are helpful ways to recalibrate core values Why “Cultivating a Community of Leaders” is analogous to leaders sharpening their axes  Tips for rethinking changes in others Jimmy says, “You may not see it, but in some way(s) you are contributing to this issue, so keep looking inward.” Listen-in to discover what he means by this and how you can gain better perspective on how you lead. Check out his new book Recalibrate the Culture: Our Why…Our Work…Our Values. Connect with Jimmy at JimmyCasas.com and on Twitter and Instagram: @Casas_Jimmy The post PMP315: Recalibrate Your Culture with Jimmy Casas appeared first on Principal Matters.

Dr. Tim Elmore is the founder and CEO of Growing Leaders. His work grew out of 20 years of serving alongside Dr. John C. Maxwell. Elmore has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, USA Today, Psychology Today and he’s been featured on CNN’s Headline News and Fox and Friends. Tim has written over 35 books, including Habitudes: Images That Form Leadership Habits and Attitudes and his newest book A New Kind of Diversity: Making the Different Generations on Your Team a Competitive Advantage. Will and Tim discuss some takeaways from A New Kind of Diversity: Who are today’s clashing generations? Giving guidance to leaders when working with multi-generational teachers and staff. A little over half of the workforce is made up of people from the millennial generation. Managing preferences, tensions, and expectations: conflict expands based on the distance between expectations and reality. Having assumptions about individuals of different generations can lead you to miss what they bring to the table and to a missed opportunity. It’s in the best interest of a school leader to learn how to encourage the innovation and creativity of younger educators, creating a space where “Yes” is a more common answer than “No”. Some ideas that leaders should keep in mind in order to be flexible while still maintaining the direction they want their organization to go are: -Recognize how the brains of people from younger and older generations are different and embrace those differences. -Stop stereotyping and ditch the niche. Find someone from another generation and have them share their superpowers with you.  -Senior veterans on a school campus need to meet with a rookie teacher and have both of them mentor each other. Leaders need to be listening as much as talking. Mixing generations to get timely and timeless advice. The Generational Quotient Assessment: A resource recommended by Tim to help leaders learn the language of generational diversity. Now it’s Your Turn: What are some ways that you recommend to bridge the generational gap between teachers and staff at your school? Listen in for more takeaways! The post PMP314: A New Kind of Diversity with Dr. Tim Elmore appeared first on Principal Matters.

Last episode, guests Danny Massey, Superintendent of Brazosport ISD and Kristi Krischner, Chief Human Resources Officer at Brazosport ISD shared ways their district is using innovative approaches for teacher recruitment. This week they share more ideas as well as ways they are working for retention of highly effective teachers. Question: As you look forward, what other ways (grants or additional partnerships) are you considering to attract educators? Answer:  The apprenticeship program will keep our focus and attention as we are in the early stages of implementation; however our reach with state agencies will continue to expand as we work to build a shared understanding and language between workforce development and education.   As our learning continues to develop in the space of apprenticeship, we hope to identify opportunities to expand our thought partners to engage in areas focusing on quality, policy and access to increase opportunities for funding including public and private partnerships. Pre-apprentice & youth apprenticeship opportunities Pathway for para vacancies and difference in number of applicants (not sure where to add…) Question: Across the nation, teacher shortages have become a major crisis facing most schools. What lessons/practices have been helpful for you that may be applicable for leaders in other communities? Answer: Not only is teacher recruitment an important factor to help combat the teacher shortage, but also teacher retention.  We have to be able to address why teachers are leaving the profession. Campus culture and climate are vital.  We believe this starts with campus leadership. Investing in highly trained and highly skilled campus leaders is paramount for an effective school climate. Teachers must feel supported, be a part of a team and not work in isolation, take on qualities of highly effective teams.  Some other programs that have served well for Brazosport in recruitment and retention of teachers are: Wellness initiatives  Local Perks – ways to show teachers that the community values public school educators.  Innovative Compensation: -TEA Distinctions ($200 per) -EOC Retester Bounty ($100 per student) -Lanier Middle School- Master Level Teacher ($10K). This resulted in rating improved from IR (F) to 88 (B). -Secondary Science and Math Stipends ($3,500) -Student Teachers Paid & Discount Housing ($3,000 per month) -Low cost tuition for staff full day PreK -Perks That Work – Staff Discounts from local businesses -Teacher Incentive Allotment Stay Connected: kristi.kirschner@brazosportisd.net or dmassey@brazosportisd.net  Learn more about Brazosport programs: Lanier Middle School 10K Stipend Recruiting Video Being a BISD Employee video Beutel Elementary video Clinical/Internship page and video Grow Our Own Now it’s Your Turn: As you listen to this weeks episode, what are some ideas that come to mind about teacher incentives and retention? The post PMP 313: Ideas for Teacher Recruitment and Retention with Kristi Kirschner and Danny Massey (Part 2) appeared first on Principal Matters.

Schools across the U.S. continue to respond to teacher shortages. On September 1, the White House announced recruitment partnerships to addresses the challenges. Groups like the National Center for Grow have partnered with states including California, Florida, Missouri, North Dakota, Texas, West Virginia and Wyoming, to design apprenticeship programs to help shape policy and provide feedback to the Department of Labor. In Brazosport Independent School District, south of Houston, Texas, education leaders have launched innovative programs addressing the need as well. This week I’m joined by Brazosport ISD Superintendent Danny Massey and Kristi Kirschner, Chief Human Resources Officer, to talk about ways their district is responding to teacher recruitment and retention. Danny Massey has been in public education for 33 years. He has been an educator in the Brazosport Independent School District for 31 of those years.  He earned his bachelor’s degree in education from Missouri Southern State College, holds a master’s in education from Texas Southern University and a superintendent certification from Region 4 Education Service Center and St. Thomas University in Houston. He served as a special education teacher and athletic coach, an Assistant Principal, Principal, Executive Director, Assistant Superintendent and beginning his 8th year in his current position of Superintendent of Schools.Danny has been recognized for numerous achievements including:  2020 Region 4 Education Service Center Superintendent of the Year; 2020 Brazosport Area Chamber of Commerce Man of the Year;  2020 Ambassador of the Year in by the non-profit Friends of Texas Public Schools In 2016, the Brazosport LULAC Council selected Danny as their Educator of the Year for demonstrating nthe values and characteristics of leadership to improve the economic and educational opportunities for the Hispanic community. Danny is known for his transparency, visibility, and positivity throughout the district. He is most proud of the student academic improvements throughout the district, and the passing of two bond referendums which are transforming the district with new state of the art campuses and facilities. Kristi Kirschner serves as the Chief Human Resources Officer at Brazosport ISD.  After graduating from Stephen F. Austin State University, Kristi started her human resources career in the manufacturing and oil & gas industries, where she served in both client support and leadership roles. After 12 years in industry, she continued her human resources career in education, with the most valuable product of all: our youth. Kristi has a passion for connecting with people, finding innovative solutions and utilizing her knowledge in human resources to support the organization and human capital initiatives. 1. Can you summarize your district’s efforts in teacher recruitment and retention and how you have enhanced those efforts in light of teacher shortages? Danny and Krist share innovative programs including: Ghost Organization Hiring – filling positions ahead of attrition Grow Our Own – 2 Opportunities (Earned Associates degree and complete Bachelor’s or ACP) Paid University Interns Apprenticeship Program -> Residency Pathway The partnership has developed a Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) to address an employer driven need to grow and develop high-quality teachers in a profession that is high growth, high demand, high skill, high wage and creates an opportunity to earn a family sustaining wage.  With clearly defined entrances, the RAP will have the ability to meet apprentices where they are in their journey into the education profession. The four onramps have a program length of 1-4 years, including a year-long residency experience where aspiring teachers are mentored by a highly qualified teacher. The pathways includ cohorts 1-4 and meet the apprentice where they are at in the pathway to earning credentials. Prioritizing high-quality preparation to create intentional training and development to prepare apprentices for their residency experience; without compromising staffing ratios and/or certification requirements. The apprenticeship creates opportunities for Brazosport ISD to upskill and develop existing talent who aspire to be a teacher – 42% of our apprentices for the 22-23 school year are current employees. This onramp placement also highlights the available talent within the pipeline for the next four years.   2. Please talk more about your partnerships with the Department of Labor and your local Community Colleges. What suggestions would you have for other education leaders looking to build stronger partnerships? Brazosport has taken advantage of the following: Foundation of the partnership needs to be focused on common goals Understand challenges and pain points for each partner Opportunities to push each other’s thinking Explore discussions regarding Reinvestment, Reallocation and Reduction to support financial aspects of the partnership Communication Opportunities to lift each partners role in the space Intentional efforts to share the message -> always present and communicate as a Team 3. What are some of the outcomes you’ve seen in retention using innovative approaches like apprenticeships, paying interns and “ghost” openings? 92% retention rate of paid clinical teachers Investment in the employee’s development increases retention Mentor stipends High-quality teachers Creating teacher leader opportunities for Mentors who support year-long residents (added support in the classroom, leadership & training, stipends) The Ghost organization allows HR to hire candidates ahead of attrition, so the candidate doesn’t continue looking for another opportunity because we were having to keep them “warm”. Stay Connected with Kristi and Danny: kristi.kirschner@brazosportisd.net or dmassey@brazosportisd.net Want to learn more about Brazosport programs? Watch the videos linked below! Lanier Middle School 10K Stipend Recruiting Video Being a BISD Employee video Beutel Elementary video Clinical/Internship page and video Grow Our Own The post PMP312: Ideas for Teacher Recruitment and Retention with Kristi Kirschner and Danny Massey appeared first on Principal Matters.

In this week’s episode, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke share some thoughts on how to remain focused on service to your school communities while also remaining aware of what is happening in politics and advocacy that may also be affecting your school. Will references the following book as a resource for understanding the difference between old power structures and new power structures in the ways people are communicating and advocating: New Power: How Anyone Can Persuade, Mobilize, and Succeed in Our Chaotic, Connected Age by Jeremy Heimans and Henry Timms. A survey by NASSP’s Survey of America’s School Leaders and High School Students details that “the majority of school leaders (70%) and students (51%) report they have personally been threatened or attacked, physically or verbally during the past year…3 out of 4 of school leaders (73%) and students (74%) report they needed help with their mental or emotional health last year.” Ideas for tackling politics and advocacy while staying focused on students from Will & Jen: As a school leader you need to know where what matters and where you have influence intersects. Do you have power and control over an issue? What actions are going to lead to the best outcomes? Don’t create crises where they don’t exist and don’t respond to someone else’s crises. When feeling overwhelmed by political and social issues, ask yourself what is it that you can do today that aligns with your goal as a teacher/leader? Remember that historically, none of this is new. Whenever society is in unrest, the population turns to schools to push their issues. Don’t let the push for political change influence the way that you interact with students. Draw boundaries when having conversations that are uncomfortable or rude. How do we recognize the positives of old and new power structures within schools? Advocate for schools with one hand and be the champion for your school with the other. Remind people why schools are such a great place. Resources for school leaders mentioned by Will: Messaging Matters by William D. Parker Live school Now it’s Your Turn Reflect on the suggestions Will and Jen made for school leaders in regard to staying involved in politics and advocacy, while still making students a priority. What would you add to the conversation? The post PMP311: Politics and Advocacy for School Leaders with Jen Schwanke appeared first on Principal Matters.

This week Will Parker and Jen Schwanke are answering questions from listeners: Q1: “Administrators doing double duty as teachers”:  “I was listening to your podcast this morning and cried a good part of my drive to school today.  My director (principal) and I will very likely be in classrooms full day this year due to the fact that we are short multiple teachers and cloning hasn’t been invented yet.  We are short 3 classroom positions, a specials position, and a special ed position.  We are both overwhelmed and sad yet happy for the opportunity to create community and connect with kids.  I thought I’d email and ask what you’d suggest we do about our ‘office with a window’ jobs, coaching teachers, discipline, attendance follow up, family and team meetings, and all the other things we aren’t going to be able to handle while we are with kids each day. I guess I am just looking for both encouragement and advice. What would you do?  Who would you tap for what? How do we re-prioritize the things we do beyond “kids first”?  Thanks for being willing to share your expertise…we appreciate it.” -Teresa Brown, Director of Student Support, Academy for Advanced and Creative Learning, Colorado Springs, Colorado Will’s response:  Jimmy Casas, a fellow ed leader and friend, likes to say the most important words a leader can ever communicate is: “I need your help.” This goes for communicating with parents, community members, board members, students and anyone else who cares about the outcomes of your school. Asking directly for others to help keeps them aware of the need and can help create solutions in times of crisis. Don’t be afraid to pull together a circle of staff whom you trust and brainstorm together what tasks you have in front of you. Sometimes just sharing out loud and making a shared list provides a sense of control when there are so many factors out of your control. Jen’s response: Think outside the box. Are there any seismic changes that could be made to this listener’s day, school, or world? Could you adjust time for teachers and staff? Flex time, comp time, an adjusted day? Shut down one afternoon a day to have meetings?  Utilize your community. How are you recruiting the members of your community in the hiring process? Parent volunteers are one way to get through staff shortages. Communicating with parents and staff in a positive way that the teacher shortage is affecting student instruction.  Understanding the problem and the current solution creates an easy path towards a new solution. Q2: “Development in schools”: “I heard your 2 podcast [episodes] for first year principals. That is me. You discussed reading Dr. Wong’s book yearly. I love that book and it is driving my school PD this year. Our school is in major need for setting procedures and better class management. Just curious about any other tips or advice you have about using Dr. Wong’s material. What were key procedures you established? Trying to develop a vision for our school, so any help with that could go a long way…” -Alex Short, St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, De Soto, Missouri Will’s reply:  If you are using Dr. Wong’s book for staff development, one suggestion would be dividing sections up among staff members and asking them to help summarize takeaways that would be helpful in their classrooms and for others. Allow time for feedback from experienced staff.  If you do not have teachers with that kind of experience, think about taking a team of teachers to tour another school that does have those strong practices and come back with ideas to discuss and report together.  The same suggestion goes for developing a shared vision. This requires asking for feedback from all stakeholders, really listening and then reaching consensus on where you all want to grow as a school community.  Jen’s reply:  Don’t just plan for best case scenarios. Rely on instructional coaches or behavioral experts to help you be prepared for when things go south. Plan who you can reach out to if needed and who you will rely on for support when creating gameplans. Lean on your more developed staff to lead newer staff for PD. Ask for teachers to identify the areas that they are the strongest in to teach the rest of the staff their skills. Creating a vision for schools needs to take into account the perspective of all the forward-thinking stakeholders involved with the school. Use innovators and people who are really excited to take your school into the future. Take your time and really listen to the voices of those who are helping create the vision. Now it’s your turn: Listen in for more takeaways. What answers would you give to the questions from today’s listeners?  Some shout-outs:  The podcast just topped an all-time record of 803,749 downloads. Thank you so much Principal Matters listeners!!  We could not have gotten here without you.  August 2, NAESP highlighted the episode Jen and I did together: PMP304: You’re The Principal, Now What? Revisited Part 1. Check out that episode if you have not already listened to it! The post PMP310: Questions from Listeners on Teacher Shortage and Staff Development with Jen Schwanke appeared first on Principal Matters.

Jordan Master is Assistant Principal at Johnsburg High School located in Johnsburg, Illinois. JHS serves just under 600 students grades 9-12. … . Jordan’s journey as an educator began after graduating from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she double majored in Secondary Education and Writing Intensive English. In 2014, she accepted a part time position teaching at a small Catholic School in Johnsburg, Illinois. The next year she accepted a position at North Boone Middle School in Poplar Grove, IL, and in 2016 she applied to an opening at the high school in North Boone School district where she taught English until 2020.  Her interest in taking the Educational Leadership path actually began in 2015, where she worked in the summer as a Day Camp Coordinator for our local YMCA until 2019. This sparked an interest in Administration, as her role was very similar to that of an Assistant Principal. In 2018, she began a Masters program through Concordia University Chicago. In May 2020, during the pandemic’s beginning, she graduated with a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership with a Principal Endorsement before becoming Assistant Principal at Johnsburg High School. She resides in McHenry, Illinois with her husband Bob and their new puppy Pongo. When she is not at work, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, running, biking, going to farmers markets, reading, and chasing Pongo around.  As a long-time listener of Principal Matters, Jordan reached out to me this summer after reading a copy of my first book, Principal Matters: The Motivation, Action, Courage and Teamwork Needed for School Leaders. Her feedback was so rich that I wanted to explore how the shared lessons may inform takeaways in your leadership journey. Here is some of Jordan’s feedback on managing requests: “I enjoyed the chapter about Better Managing Requests, as when I started my role as AP I definitely had the “savior complex” and tried to immediately respond with solutions when it came to staff and parents for non-emergency things (I am still working on it!). But the 24 hour rule and taking time to reflect before jumping into action is something that Kevin has taught me as a young administrator.” Takeaway on setting timers for tasks: “I am going to use the tip of setting a timer for tasks that can consume too much time. While I cannot control high level discipline scenarios and when I am needed urgently, I can better manage my time to conduct more walk throughs and get into classrooms. I am always in such a good mood when I get to go visit classrooms- instructional leadership is really important to me and something that I need to dedicate more time to if I want to be an effective leader.” A favorite application: “One of my favorite points was ‘remember that you are not always in complete control’ as this is something I have struggled with as a person. My husband has helped me balance that feeling of always needing to be productive and busy; I got to a point where I realized if I continued to go at that rate, it would not be healthy for me. Your story about writing your resignation letter is something that sticks with me. Taking time to balance your life (which I always feel like you emphasize) has been a challenge for me. But I feel more fulfilled and purposeful when I am able to do that.”  Listen-in to the entire conversation for more takeaways, including Jordan’s tips for new administrators: Advice for new administrators… Take time to build positive relationships. Take time to be creative with student interactions. Take time to recognize and celebrate staff. Take time to learn your community. Have an open door policy. Setting appropriate boundaries. Try out new ideas, experiment and take risks. It’s okay not to always have the answer to everything. Stay connected with Jordan Master: Find out more about her school at or email her at jmaster@johnsburg12.org. Now It’s Your Turn Listen in for more takeaways. What are some tips that you have for new administrators? The post PMP309: Leadership that Matters with Jordan Master appeared first on Principal Matters.