This American Principal

What does it take to lead well and stay well? Dr. Chelsea Malouf —Director of Language Arts & Alternative Language Services for Salt Lake City School District and former principal—joins This American Principal to talk candidly about burnout, boundaries, and rebuilding balance. We unpack the principalship’s unpredictable stress, what burnout looks and feels like, and practical shifts that help:...

Mr. Steve Hirt was more than an educator—he was the heart of North Monterey County High School (NMCHS) in Castroville, CA. In this episode of This American Principal , Joan Schumann (your host and former NMCHS ASB President) revisits the traditions, mentorship, and quiet courage that made Mr. Hirt a legend to generations of Condors. From “Make it Big, Do it Right, Give it Class” to inspiring stude...

In this week’s episode of This American Principal , Joan sits down with Tracy Vandeventer — the mentor who first nudged her toward leadership. With 35 years of experience, Tracy has led schools across every level — elementary, middle, and high school — in both challenging and thriving contexts. Together, they unpack what it means to lead with authenticity, build trust in divided communities, and c...

Alex went from sleeping on his laptop as a first-year admin to leading a small California district with clarity and heart. In this episode, he shares simple moves that work: Align curriculum, run daily check-ins to catch kids in crisis, keep discipline both restorative and consequential, and pace change so staff can buy in. We also talk about surviving a bus-driver shortage, modeling “all hands on...

When a new principal inherits a high-performing school with silent staff meetings and veteran teachers ready to test her, how does she lead? In this episode, Mele Benz shares how authenticity, courage, and tough-but-compassionate conversations helped her build trust, uncover inequities, and strengthen her school community. It’s a lesson in why true leadership means showing up as your whole self—es...

Welcome to Season 1 of This American Principal —a podcast dedicated to the real, unfiltered stories of school leadership in America. From small towns to big cities, elementary to secondary, this season brings you voices of current and former principals at every stage of their careers. Together, we explore themes of trust, community perception, resilience, and the heavy weight principals carry as t...

Stepping into school leadership is never easy—but what happens when you inherit a building in crisis, a community weighed down by poverty and opioids, and a culture defined by mistrust? In this first episode, Dr. Keith Collins shares his journey from reluctant administrator to principal of a struggling middle school in Appalachia. With honesty and heart, Keith reflects on navigating community chal...