I enjoy the sounds of morning. Yesterday, as I sat on my back porch sipping coffee, I could hear the patt-pattering of a woodpecker in the Cottonwood tree. Three squirrels were scampering along the back fence, chasing each other with furtive jumps from fence to tree limbs. A cardinal sang out his morning song with […] The post PMP296: The Post I Didn’t Want To Write appeared first on Principal Matters ....
This school year I had the privilege of connecting with leaders from schools in the great state of Ohio through a series of Zoom meetings. We worked through twenty sessions together covering leadership content, including lessons from my newest book, Pause. Breathe. Flourish.: Living Your Best Life as an Educator. In our final session for […] The post PMP295: A Mastermind on Leaving a Legacy appeared first on Principal Matters ....
Brent Kline is Principal of Palo Alto High School, in Palo Alto, California. His previous administration roles include four years at Santa Cruz High School. He began his education career as a teacher in Clovis, California, and he served as a teacher and principal at Mariner High School, Everett, Washington for more than two decades. […] The post PMP294: Ensuring Staff and Student Voice with Brent Kline appeared first on Principal Matters ....
Last week Garth Larson was a guest on episode 292 as he shared the Profile of a School Leader. During our pre-show conversation, we reflected on the lessons both of us had learned in our work during the pandemic. Afterwards, I asked Garth if I could share the back-and-forth as a bonus episode for a […] The post PMP293: Lessons in Change, Bonus Episode with Garth Larson appeared first on Principal Matters ....
Garth Larson, Ed.D is the Co-Founder and CEO of FIRST Educational Resources. Garth has previously worked as the Director of Learning for the Winneconne Community School District in northeast Wisconsin, was an elementary principal in two separate buildings and started his career in education as a high school speech and English teacher. In 2011, Garth […] The post PMP292: The Profile of a School Leader with Dr. Garth Larson appeared first on Principal Matters ....
Dr. Keri Launius has worked in PreK-16 education for over 22 years. With experiences from classroom teacher, campus principal and district administration, she has had ample opportunities to learn and grow as an educator. She began her career as a high school teacher and spent close to a decade teaching in Texas Public Schools. Working […] The post PMP291: Growing Leadership Teams with Dr. Keri Launius appeared first on Principal Matters ....
This week Jen Schwanke and William D. Parker talk about how principals and education leaders can recruit and retain high quality teachers: Learn about efforts school districts are using involving supporting employment funnels from local universities, substitute teachers, paraprofessionals, and student-teacher interns. Discover how you can leverage duty stipends and arrival/departure times as incentives for […] The post PMP290: Teacher Pipeline Ideas & Solutions with Jen Schwanke appeared fir...
In Jen Schwanke’s new role as an Deputy Superintendent and in dissertation work, she has been learning a lot about supporting school communities district-wide. In this week’s episode, she explains some of the main responsibilities important to embrace in supporting educators: Why you cannot forget what it feels like to be a teacher or principal. […] The post PMP289: Supporting School Communities District-Wide with Jen Schwanke appeared first on Principal Matters ....
Warren J. Glen has twenty years of experience in post-secondary education. His journey in higher education has enhanced his expertise to administer grants, manage deliverables, and mentor and motivate young scholars. Currently, he is the area sponsor for the Ohio Department of Education community schools of northeast Ohio. Dr. Glen previously oversaw the Northeast Region […] The post PMP288: Better Strategies for Drop-Out Recovery with Dr. Warren Glen appeared first on Principal Matters ....
Veteran school administrator and educational consultant Pete Hall channels his experiences as a school principal, life coach, and small-business owner into manageable lessons for continuous growth, personal improvement, and positive mindset. Hall served 12 years as a principal in three schools, each earning awards for academic performance, growth, and student achievement. He currently works as […] The post PMP287: Chasing the Show with Pete Hall appeared first on Principal Matters ....
Eric Garcia is a Washington, D.C.-based journalist focused on politics and policy and currently the senior Washington correspondent for The Independent. His first book We’re Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation, which the Washington Post called “outstanding,” was published August 3, 2021. He previously worked as an editor at the Washington Post and the Hill […] The post PMP286: We’re Not Broken with Eric Garcia appeared first on Principal Matters ....
This week I’m taking a break from posting so that I can enjoy more time with family during Spring Break. I hope you are doing the same if you are on break this time of year. I’d also love to hear updates from listeners, so please send me an email at will@williamdparker.com or find me […] The post PMP: Spring Break Update 2022 appeared first on Principal Matters .
How do you transform school culture so that you keep high quality teachers? Today’s guest include three education leaders: Dr. Salome Thomas-EL, Dr. TJ Vari and Dr. Joseph Jones. These men are school and district leaders in Delaware, and have keynoted and provided professional development at many state and national conferences. Their team has been […] The post PMP285: Retention for a Change with Principal EL, Dr. TJ Vari and Dr. Joseph Jones appeared first on Principal Matters ....
Timothy Alexander is a bestselling writer, award-winning speaker, and life coach who thrives at the intersection of character development, counseling, and mentorship. After a life changing car accident in 2006 left him paralyzed from the neck down, Timothy has embodied a “never give up” spirit that inspires educators to do the impossible in their schools […] The post PMP284: Triumph over Tragedy with Timothy Alexander appeared first on Principal Matters ....
Jethro Jones is the founder of Transformative Principal, which provides leadership development, weekly masterminds, and one-on-one coaching for school leaders across the nation and internationally. In 2017, he was recognized as Digital Principal of the Year by the National Association of Secondary School Principals. He has turned his years of experience and learning into books, […] The post PMP283: How to Be a Transformative Principal with Jethro Jones appeared first on Principal Matters ....
Kyle Palmer is currently Executive Director of Human Resources for the Center School District of South Kansas City, MO. Before this transition, Dr. Palmer spent the previous ten years as principal of nationally recognized Lewis and Clark Elementary in Liberty, MO. Kyle began his career as a 4th grade teacher in Ankeny, Iowa in 2000. […] The post PMP282: Building ‘Parentships’ with Dr. Kyle Palmer 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 […] The post PMP281: Paradoxes of Leadership with Dr. Tim Elmore appeared first on Principal Matters ....
Last month I had the privilege of presenting in a virtual event to a group of assistant principals and aspiring school leaders at Pecos Barstow Toyah ISD in Pecos, Texas. As part of a series we have been doing together this school year, I shared a session on the ‘Hat of Communication’ that is so […] The post PMP280: The Power of Your Messaging appeared first on Principal Matters ....
Dr. Christopher Jones has been an educator in Massachusetts for 22 years. He has just finished his 14th year as a building administrator. True to his “why” of improving the educational experience for as many people as possible, he is currently the Principal of Whitman-Hanson Regional High School in Whitman, Massachusetts. Chris is passionate about […] The post PMP279: Support, Empower, Engage with Chris Jones appeared first on Principal Matters ....
In a recent article Jen Schwanke published with ASCD, First Engage Teachers: A Principal’s Role in Cultivating Staff Motivation, Jen makes the following assertion: “When principals foster a staff’s collective belief in themselves, their staff will incorporate that positive esteem toward their own motivation and engagement to work with students.” How does this looks when […] The post PMP278: Encouraging & Motivating Staff with Jen Schwanke appeared first on Principal Matters ....
Last week a principal wrote to tell me he was short 25 teachers or staff as he ended his first week back in the new semester. Another principal wrote that he spent his first morning back from Christmas break finding coverage for 9 classes without teachers. Just today in my own community, one of our […] The post PMP277: Lessons in Leadership from a Colonial Midwife appeared first on Principal Matters ....
This morning I read a gripping opinion post in Education Week by Lisa Mead, a principal in upstate New York, whose piece titled A Principal’s Assessment: ‘We’re Not OK’. She shared what I’ve heard from many principals this past year: 2021 was in many ways harder than 2020. Among the many important ideas she shared, […] The post PMP276: 2021 Year in Review & 2022 Goal Setting appeared first on Principal Matters ....
What would happen if you asked your team, ‘What question would you predict I’m going to ask in a meeting?’ Brad Gustafson poses this scenario in Part 2 of our conversation about literacy. Educators know literacy is essential to student learning. Brad reminds principals what role school leaders play in helping grow a culture of […] The post PMP275: 6 Literacy Levers, Part 2 with Brad Gustafson appeared first on Principal Matters ....
This week we share the first of a two-part series with Dr. Brad Gustafson. Listen-in as we discuss rethinking leadership perspectives on literacy, helpful tips and questions principals should be using, and helpful feedback on Brad’s own struggles and successes as a lead learner for his school. Brad Gustafson is an award-winning principal, best-selling author, […] The post PMP274: 6 Literacy Levers with Brad Gustafson appeared first on Principal Matters ....
This week I’m sharing one of the most popular episodes from the Principal Matters archives. If you know a new or aspiring assistant principal, please pass this along. These tips are also good reminders for anyone leading others. – Thank you for doing what matters! ~ Will Here’s a recap… June 4, 2020: A couple […] The post PMPEncore197: 10 Tips for New Assistant Principals appeared first on Principal Matters ....
This week William D. Parker and Jen Schwanke answer the question: What do you do about a teacher who likes to ‘stir the pot’ about other teachers? Feedback includes suggestions on: Having open, honest, clear communication Addressing ‘stirring the pot’ for what it is Distinguishing between stirring and asking good questions Addressing resistance, gossip, tattling, […] The post PMP273: How to Manage When Someone is ‘Stirring the Pot’ appeared first on Principal Matters ....
This week Jen Schwanke joins Will Parker to discuss stories of gratitude from former teachers and educators in their lives. Will references this recent video from the singer Adele paying tribute to her teacher that will warm your heart: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hfb6CSDkWYQ Also, they address these questions from a principal: “How do I provide resources for kids with […] The post PMP272: Thankfulness & Answers about Emotional and Behavior Supports for Students appeared first on Principal...
This week Jen Schwanke and Will Parker answer the principal question: “How do you structure discipline so that punishments fit the crime?” We talk about how the word discipline, instead of punishment, carries an important distinction for how we approach consequences for students. In addition, we provide feedback on several areas, including: 1. Set high […] The post PMP271: Answering Questions on School Discipline with Jen Schwanke appeared first on Principal Matters ....
This week Jen Schwanke and Will Parker answer principal questions: How do you gain ‘buy-in’ among staff vs just ‘setting expectations’ when it comes to structuring or implementing new programs to support student learning? How do you start a leadership team? Ask for volunteers? Invite specific people?? Listen in for feedback on building trust, building […] The post PMP270: Gaining Buy-In & Building Leadership Teams with Jen Schwanke appeared first on Principal Matters ....
Janelle McLaughlin, is an Education Consultant for Advanced Learning Partnerships working with districts all across the United States. She is a former curriculum director for Manchester Community Schools in Indiana. Prior to that role, Ms. McLaughlin spent 14 years as a classroom teacher. Her experiences range from job-embedded coaching for teachers and administrators, to leading […] The post PMP269: Leadership at Every Level with Janelle McLaughlin appeared first on Principal Matters ....
