The Principal Exchange Podcast

In this episode, Sarah and Andra continue The Five Fix series — and we're turning the questions around. Think about how many questions a principal answers in a day, from the minute you walk in until the minute you leave. Someone always needs a decision, an answer, or your opinion. But today, the questions are for you! We share five questions worth coming back to in the middle of a normal school da...

In this episode, Sarah and Andra kick off a brand-new series for November, The Five Fix Series—five quick, practical fixes for common school leadership challenges, in episodes short enough to actually fit into a busy principal's week. And this first one starts with a question schools don't ask often enough: we're really good at adding things—a new program, a new form, a new expectation, a new comm...

In this episode, Andra sits down with Lisa Gray, a veteran teacher, to get a unique teacher's perspective on how to build a culture of creative teaching — and what it looks like when a teacher is actually given room to teach creatively. Lisa shares how she does it in her own classroom: the way she plans for curiosity over compliance, the resources she reaches for — including Twinkl — when she want...

In this final episode of our five-belief series, Sarah and Andra explain why adults in a school are the key lever for student success. We discuss giving adults clarity on goals and roles, treating students as "our" students, the importance of fresh starts each day, building leaders through delegation, and checking the pulse of staff. This is Episode 5 of 5. If you haven't listened to the whole bel...

In Episode 4 of our Five Beliefs Series, Sarah and Andra talk about what they mean when they say: Behavior is a Symptom. We explain how we believe that every behavior communicates something, why we truly believe that all students want to be successful, and why expectations beat 'rules' every time! We also discuss designing consequences that teach, the power of relationships, and the importance of...

We’re throwing back to an early episode all about the whirlwind of October in schools — sugar highs, costume questions, behavior spikes, and teacher fatigue. Sarah and Andra talk through why this time of year feels so intense and what to expect across classrooms and families. We share clear, practical strategies for leaders: set consistent boundaries, channel seasonal energy into academic and enga...

In Episode 3 of our Five Beliefs Series, Sarah and Andra talk about what they mean when they say: Data Is a Compass, Not a Checkbox. This isn't about collecting more data or pretending benchmarks and state assessments don't matter. They do. It's about using the right evidence for the right decision and getting underneath the number before deciding what happens next. Because a data point doesn't ch...

We actually think most principals already believe this: All students can grow. The harder question is whether our schools are structured to make that belief possible. In Episode 2 of our Five Beliefs Series, Sarah and Andra talk about the tension between believing every student can grow and working inside a system that often rewards us for moving the students closest to the benchmark. Most importa...

What makes instruction intentional? It's not how busy the classroom looks, how engaging the activity is, or whether there's a standard written on the board. In the first episode of our Five Beliefs Series, Sarah and Andra unpack what they really mean when they say instruction has to be intentional—from putting standards over "cute," to thinking differently about Tier 1, tiering students by s...

We all have instructional beliefs. We know what we think good instruction looks like. We have opinions about data, student growth, behavior, rigor, and what teachers and students need. But have you ever actually written those beliefs down? And more importantly—do you know if your leadership team shares them? Does your staff? In this episode, we talk about the process we went through when we...

Most of our episodes give you strategies, ideas, and practical ways to lead your school. This one is a little different. You’ve made it through the first full week of school, and chances are, your mind is already full of things you want to fix, tweak, change, and accomplish. But before you spend every spare minute trying to make this year better, don’t forget about the person leading i...

This week we are throwing back to an episode that tackles one of the most common system challenges we hear principals facing: email! Does your inbox feel like it’s running your day? Principals get buried under hundreds of emails every week—most of them urgent-sounding but low-priority. The truth? You’ll never answer them all (and you don’t need to). In this episode, we break down the different typ...

Part of our "Systems That Free You" series Some of us have a whole morning routine. Some of us are hitting snooze until the very last second. Either way, mornings set the tone for everything that follows. In this episode, Sarah and Andra get honest about what their mornings actually look like—the good days and the six-minutes-out-the-door days—and why even a few minutes that are just y...

Part of our "Systems That Free You" series New teachers either sink or swim based on how connected they feel early on. And it's not about building some elaborate 30-day plan with checkboxes. In this episode, Sarah and Andra talk through what actually helps a new teacher in their first month—the handful of genuine moments that matter way more than a formal system. If you've got new hires star...

Part of our "Systems That Free You" series You solve it. Two days later, it's back. A behavior issue, a hallway expectation, a staff frustration—you handle it, and then somehow it just... resurfaces. In this episode, Sarah and Andra break down why principals feel stuck playing Whack-a-Mole all year, and what actually has to change if you want problems to stop recycling. Spoiler: it's not abo...

You're carrying things that don't matter. Old initiatives. Obligatory traditions. Meetings about meetings. Programs you inherited but never believed in. In this episode, Sarah and Andra walk you through a simple four-step audit to identify what's actually essential versus what's just stealing your energy. Because July is the only month you have to simplify before August chaos normalizes everything...

You know deep work matters. But principals keep saying: "I can't. There's always something. The walkie never stops." In this episode, Sarah and Andra deliver five concrete, actionable strategies to actually protect that time. These aren't theory—they're systems that work in real school buildings. If you've been stuck in reaction mode and want practical ways to finally create uninterrupted ti...

Your day is packed with emails, walkie calls, teacher requests, and crises. By the time the building empties, you finally tackle real leadership work—observations, planning, coaching. It's 7 PM and you're exhausted. In this episode, Sarah and Andra use the phone metaphor: just like airplane mode stops notifications, principals need designated deep work time without constant disruptions. The...

We're on vacation and bringing back a fan favorite—especially timely as you head into the new school year. Culture isn't just morale. It's how people act when no one's watching. The tricky part? Culture happens whether you set it or not. If you don't define it intentionally, it will define itself—probably not how you want. In this episode, Sarah and Andra break down what actually moves...

We're on vacation, so we're sharing one of our most downloaded episodes. School rules are everywhere. But most people can't even recite them. So what are they actually for? In this episode, Sarah and Andra challenge traditional school rules entirely. They're not calling for chaos—they're calling for a reframe. Instead of rules that beg to be broken, what if we built cultures grounded in valu...

Summer brings space to think—and immediately brings a different kind of overwhelm. Should you focus on behavior? Master schedule? Staff morale? Professional development? All of it feels urgent. None of it feels doable. In this episode, Sarah and Andra use the Netflix scrolling problem to explain summer planning paralysis. You have all these choices and end up making none. They break down the...

How does a principal stay in one building for 21 years when the average principal lasts just three? Matt Moyer, nationally distinguished principal at Rupert Elementary in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, has beaten the odds. He's been principal for over two decades—at the very school he attended as a child. In this Real Talk episode, Sarah and Andra ask Matt what keeps him there. Spoiler: it's not m...

You have the credential but feel completely unprepared. This is the reality for many principals—and the statistics show why. In this episode, Sarah and Andra tackle the crisis in principal retention: 42% are considering leaving, 64% cite administrative burden as the reason, and 86% report daily stress. The real problem? The job isn't set up for principals to actually lead. This conversation...

    When principals step into leadership, it often starts with the best intentions. You want to help. You want to support your staff. You want to solve problems, remove obstacles, and make life easier for the people around you. But over time, that desire to help can quietly turn into something else—the belief that you have to be the one who fixes everything. In this episode, we exp...

Special education teachers are often some of the most dedicated people in a school—but they’re also carrying responsibilities that many others never fully see. In this episode, Sarah and Andra sit down with Brandie Rosen to talk about what special education teachers really need from school leaders. From overwhelming caseloads and competing responsibilities to creating systems that help...