Mike Caldwell sits down with Scott Bess, President of the Indiana Charter Innovation Center and a member of the Indiana State Board of Education, for a wide-ranging conversation about what's broken in K-12 education — and what's actually being done to fix it. Scott shares his winding path from classroom teacher to CIO at Goodwill Industries to education innovator, including the founding of the Excel Centers: a now-nationwide network of 60+ charter schools helping adults without diplomas earn cre...
Jun 07, 2026•54 min•Season 13Ep. 720
In this episode of Transformative Principle, Jethro Jones sits down with Jonathan Wennstrom, principal of Rosedale Elementary in Livonia, Michigan, to discuss the power of school-wide weekly meetings. Jonathan shares how he launched "Celebrate Monday" assemblies — 20-minute, student-centered gatherings held every Monday morning to kick off the week with positivity and purpose. Inspired by ideas from fellow educators Sean Gallardo and Jessica Bartha, Jonathan walks through how these assemblies wo...
May 31, 2026•29 min•Season 13Ep. 719
Mike Caldwell sits down with Bill Knous, Senior Director of Quality and Growth at the Colorado League of Charter Schools and co-founder of Gran Via, a micro school in the Denver area. Bill shares his winding path into education — from a history degree and living abroad in Australia and Spain, to teaching multilingual learners in Denver and Philly, to leading classrooms and schools in Colombia. He and his wife co-founded Gran Via in 2020, growing it from six students to 30 while navigating a patc...
May 24, 2026•50 min•Season 13Ep. 718
In this episode, host Jethro interviews Robert Dillon, author and director of Bright Bytes, about the transformative power of learning spaces. Robert argues that reimagining physical classroom environments is one of the few true "big levers" of disruption in education — alongside grades and schedules. The conversation covers practical, low-cost strategies for redesigning spaces, including removing clutter, adding writable surfaces, varying seating arrangements, and leveraging hallways. Robert em...
May 17, 2026•31 min•Season 13Ep. 717
In this episode of the Transformative Leadership Summit, Jethro sits down with Kyle Palmer, principal of Lewis and Clark Elementary, to explore how school leaders can develop teacher leaders and build a culture of trust and innovation. Kyle shares the story of how his school evolved from a single maker space initiative—sparked by library teacher Angela Rosheim's genius hour instruction—into a school-wide culture of student-centered learning, STEM integration through Project Lead The Way (PLTW), ...
May 10, 2026•27 min•Season 13Ep. 715
In this episode from the Transformative Leadership Summit, Jethro Jones sits down with Daniel Bauer, host of the Better Leaders, Better Schools podcast, to explore why relationships are the cornerstone of transformative leadership. Daniel shares a candid, real-time example: his principal's unexpected departure and how a culture of trust and connection shaped how the school community responded to the news. He makes a compelling case for succession planning — not as a contingency, but as an ongoin...
May 03, 2026•31 min•Season 13Ep. 714
In this 'From the Vault' episode of the Transformative Leadership Summit, Jethro sits down with Kimberly Miles, principal of East Gresham Elementary School, to explore her remarkable approach to reading as a leadership practice. Kimberly shares how she strategically selects books — only picking them up after hearing multiple recommendations — and then digs deep using a layered annotation system of underlining, highlighting, color-coded tabs, and 3x5 index card summaries she keeps on hand for pro...
Apr 26, 2026•32 min•Season 13Ep. 713
In this episode, Mike sits down with Alisha DeLorenzo, educator and consultant from New Jersey, to explore her powerful framework of "Unleash Aliveness." Alisha shares how a deeply personal encounter with loss sparked her mission to help schools move from feeling like a "zombie apocalypse" to places of genuine energy and engagement. Key Takeaways: Aliveness is created when people feel significant and heard Change doesn't come from big initiatives — it comes from small, community-led sprints Lead...
Apr 19, 2026•44 min•Season 13Ep. 712
Derek Cantrell, principal of Allegheny High School in Virginia, shares how he led the consolidation of two rival high schools after 40+ years of failed merger attempts. As the final principal of Covington High School, Derek navigated the emotional journey of closing one school while building excitement for a unified future. Key insights: The power of intentionality — Communication roadmaps, mingle sessions, scavenger hunts, and family tours helped staff and students from both schools build relat...
Apr 12, 2026•48 min•Season 13Ep. 711
Dr. Chris Culver, founder of Orange Sparrow, shares his journey from being bullied as a student to becoming an advocate for the science of kindness in education. After working in toxic school environments that led him to call an employee assistance helpline, Chris left traditional K-12 education to pursue a mission of making kindness go viral. Key takeaways: Kindness isn't just "kindergarten kindness" (sharing crayons, saying sorry) — it's a science backed by neuroscience that includes setting b...
Apr 05, 2026•38 min•Season 13Ep. 710
Gene Kerns, Vice President and Chief Academic Officer at Renaissance Learning, joins the show to discuss instructional coherence—a trending concept in education that asks whether all the programs, assessments, and interventions schools purchase actually work together as a system. Notes: - Instructional Coherence. - Connecting in appropriate ways. - How do you know if there is instructional coherence? - Each part we add has the potential to become a silo. - Incoherence vs. coherence. - Our studen...
Mar 29, 2026•29 min•Season 13Ep. 709
In this episode, first grade teacher Sarah Oberle and Organized Binder creator Mitch Weathers discuss their new book, Executive Functions for Every K-3 Classroom . They explain how core executive functions—working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility—develop between ages 4-8 and can't be trained like skills. Instead, teachers should design environments that preserve students' limited cognitive capacity for learning. Links: US Book Purchases: Book 1: Executive Functions for Every Classro...
Mar 22, 2026•1 hr•Season 13Ep. 708
In this episode, Mike Caldwell sits down with Dr. Kristilynn Turney, an educational consultant, speaker, and former school principal with 27 years in education. Kristilynn shares her journey from being labeled a "problem child" for talking too much to becoming the first Black principal of two predominantly white suburban schools in the Cincinnati area. Key topics include: The weight and responsibility of being "the first" in leadership Building relationships as the foundation for school transfor...
Mar 15, 2026•38 min•Season 13Ep. 707
In this episode, host Mike Caldwell sits down with Dr. Marie Bordeleau, a veteran Catholic and public school leader with over 25 years of experience, to discuss the realities of school leadership. Marie shares insights from her upcoming book, The Dust and the Glory , exploring how principals can navigate criticism, avoid burnout, and find joy in the chaos. From the importance of staying "in the arena" to setting boundaries and embracing slow, steady progress, this conversation offers practical w...
Mar 08, 2026•42 min•Season 13Ep. 705
In this episode, Nick Pretasky draws on his experience as an Alaskan backcountry guide to share three essentials for leadership: Bond , Mastery , and Belief . He explains why leaders fail when they forget they're leading humans—and why every leader needs a coach. The episode closes with a powerful story about a student who carried a teacher's handwritten note in his pocket for months, reminding us that small acts of recognition can be transformative. Links: LinkedIn: Nick Pretasky LinkedLeaders ...
Mar 01, 2026•51 min•Season 13Ep. 706
In this episode from the Transformative Leadership Summit vault, host Jethro Jones interviews Brad Gustafson, about becoming an innovative leader in education. Brad emphasizes that innovation starts with identifying your "why" - his is creating a relevant, connected learning environment where students are excited to come to school. We’re proud to be sponsored by IXL . IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achieveme...
Feb 22, 2026•34 min•Season 13Ep. 702
In this special episode, Jethro Jones defends his doctoral dissertation on how school principals can use AI for innovation rather than just efficiency. The research challenges the common "save time" narrative around AI in education and introduces the concept of "cognitive equity" - using AI to expand capabilities and solve problems that weren't previously possible. Through a full-day workshop with 11 Wyoming principals, Jethro demonstrated that when professional development focuses on authentic ...
Feb 15, 2026•1 hr 12 min•Season 13Ep. 704
In this special handoff episode of Transformative Principal, host Jethro Jones announces he's passing the podcast to Mike Caldwell, founder of LinkedLeaders, as Jethro transitions to his new role as Director of Operations at Life Lab, a character education company creating video curriculum for middle and high schools—a move that aligns perfectly with his doctorate in character education, which he's defending the day after this episode airs. The episode explores why this partnership makes sense, ...
Feb 08, 2026•37 min•Season 13Ep. 703
In this vault episode from the Transformative Leadership Summit, host Jethro Jones interviews Will Parker, a high school principal from northeastern Oklahoma, about implementing KRAs (Key Responsibility Areas) in schools. Will shares how he adapted Dave Ramsey's organizational management concept to create clarity and accountability for all staff members—from secretaries and counselors to administrators. The conversation explores how defining specific responsibility areas upfront prevents confusi...
Feb 01, 2026•34 min•Season 13Ep. 700
15:19.5 In this episode of Transformative Principal, host Jethro Jones interviews Benny, a 16-year-old sophomore at Alpha School in Austin. Benny discusses his Alpha X project—a YouTube channel explaining how video games are educational. The conversation explores Alpha School's innovative model, which combines AI-based academics in the morning with passion-driven project work in the afternoon. Benny shares insights on how video games teach critical life skills like problem-solving, resilience, t...
Jan 26, 2026•36 min•Season 13Ep. 699
In this episode of Transformative Principal, host Jethro Jones speaks with Stan Koterba, an Ohio principal working on his doctorate in educational leadership. Stan shares his powerful personal journey of battling leukemia during his doctoral program and how that experience shaped his dissertation focus on principal self-efficacy—the belief that positive thinking and visualization directly impact leadership effectiveness. Dissertation Accountability group Started his dissertation in 2014, Leukemi...
Jan 18, 2026•32 min•Season 13Ep. 698
In this episode of Reject the Premise, Jethro and Danny challenge three common misconceptions in educational leadership. They argue that leadership development isn't a luxury but a necessity, emphasizing that top performers in every field invest in coaching and that having a coach demonstrates maturity rather than inadequacy. They reject the notion that leadership must be lonely, encouraging leaders to build supportive communities and connections rather than remaining isolated. Finally, they ref...
Jan 11, 2026•40 min•Season 13Ep. 697
In this episode, Jethro Jones interviews Mike Goldstein, co-founder of Reset Teen Coaching and author of "I'll Do It Later." They discuss the challenges teens face with executive function, especially those with ADHD, and the trial-and-error nature of finding strategies that work. The conversation covers the limitations of one-size-fits-all approaches in education, the importance of supporting students and families, and the need for school leaders to rethink homework and support systems. Mike sha...
Jan 04, 2026•43 min•Season 13Ep. 695
In this special "reverse interview" episode of Transformative Principal, host Jethro Jones is interviewed by Mike Caldwell. Jethro reflects on his journey as a podcaster, the evolution of his career, and his philosophy on education, innovation, and personal growth. The conversation covers the origins of the podcast, lessons learned from hundreds of interviews, the role of AI in education, and Jethro's next chapter with Life Lab. We’re proud to be sponsored by IXL . IXL’s comprehensive teaching a...
Dec 28, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Season 13Ep. 696
In this episode, Jethro Jones sits down with Rich Czyz, principal of Yardville Elementary and author of "Autopilot: Practical Productivity for School Leaders." They dive into actionable strategies for school leaders to reclaim their time—starting with time audits, the art of elimination, and the power of delegation. Rich shares how empowering students with real leadership roles, like running morning announcements, not only automates tasks but also builds community. The conversation explores the ...
Dec 21, 2025•28 min•Season 13Ep. 694
In this episode, Jethro Jones and Danny Bauer continue their "Reject the Premise" series, challenging common assumptions in education. They discuss the importance of schools partnering with parents, emphasizing that parents are the primary educators and schools should serve as supportive partners. The conversation also rejects the idea that test scores are the sole measure of success, advocating instead for focusing on meaningful inputs and student well-being. Finally, they encourage school lead...
Dec 14, 2025•41 min•Season 13Ep. 693
Jethro Jones interviews Ben Downey, founder of Big Nest, about the vital role and challenges of parent teacher groups (PTAs/PTGs) in schools. They discuss how these groups are essential for building strong school communities but often face issues with organization, communication, and fundraising. Ben explains how his experience managing a local parent group inspired him to create Big Nest—a platform designed to simplify and modernize the management and fundraising efforts of parent teacher group...
Dec 07, 2025•29 min•Season 13Ep. 692
Host Jethro Jones talks with Mike Caldwell, founder of LinkedLeaders , about building a platform that connects school leaders with mentors and peers for real-time support. They discuss the challenges of school leadership, the value of personalized coaching, and how technology and community can help educators grow. We’re proud to be sponsored by IXL . IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the to...
Nov 30, 2025•32 min•Season 13Ep. 691
Welcome to Transformative Principal! In this thought-provoking solo episode, host Jethro Jones explores how artificial intelligence has revealed the weaknesses in our current education system—and why it’s time to refocus on real learning. Episode Highlights: Jethro shares candid reflections from his AI Leader Office Hours, challenging the status quo in education. He explains how schools have been designed for adult convenience, making them easy targets for AI automation, and why this approach fa...
Nov 23, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Season 13Ep. 690
The great importance of redesigning Tier 1 instruction that ensures deeper learning for all students. The research shows huge benefits to students and their teachers including higher achievement, closure of gaps among all reporting categories of students, increased attendance, lower misbehavior, and increased teacher satisfaction and retention. Michael was last on the podcast with me in 2022, talking about student agency . Is education about teaching or developing Developing humans is much diffe...
Nov 16, 2025•59 min•Season 13Ep. 689
