Beyond the Bell - Leading with Purpose

In this episode of Beyond the Bell: Leading with Purpose, Jim Cummins and Dr. Nathan Manley welcome Dr. David Buck, Superintendent of Lee’s Summit R-7 School District, for a conversation on building future-ready schools while keeping students and people at the center of every decision. Dr. Buck shares practical leadership insights on creating innovative opportunities through real-world learning, s...

In this episode of Beyond the Bell: Leading with Purpose, Jim Cummins and Dr. Nathan Manley welcome Dr. Brenten Byrd, Superintendent of Webb City School District, for a conversation on community-rooted leadership, student opportunity, and serving the place that helped shape you. Dr. Byrd shares lessons from leading in his hometown, building trust with families, and creating opportunities that help...

In this episode of Beyond the Bell: Leading with Purpose, Jim Cummins and Dr. Nathan Manley welcome Dr. John Mulford, Superintendent of Fayetteville Public Schools in Arkansas, for a conversation on leading with community, creating equitable opportunities, and building systems that put students first. Dr. Mulford shares how authentic stakeholder engagement shapes district vision, builds trust, and...

In this episode of Beyond the Bell: Leading with Purpose, Jim Cummins and Dr. Nathan Manley welcome Dr. Mark Penny, Executive Director of the Missouri Association of School Administrators (MASA), and Dr. Adam Friga, MASA President, for a timely conversation on Missouri’s changing education landscape. Dr. Penny and Dr. Friga unpack the proposed A–F accountability system, school funding challenges,...

In this episode of Beyond the Bell: Leading with Purpose, Jim Cummins and Dr. Nathan Manley welcome Dr. Lennie for a conversation on visionary leadership, building strong school systems, and leading with purpose through seasons of change. Dr. Lennie shares insights from decades of educational leadership, discussing the importance of trust, strategic planning, and empowering leaders at every level...

In this episode of Beyond the Bell: Leading with Purpose, Jim Cummins and Dr. Nathan Manley welcome Dr. Richard Davidson for a conversation on leadership, resilience, and creating cultures where people can thrive. Dr. Davidson shares practical insights on leading with purpose through trust, meaningful relationships, and a commitment to continuous growth. He discusses how leaders can navigate chall...

In this episode of Beyond the Bell: Leading with Purpose, Jim Cummins and Dr. Nathan Manley welcome Dr. Cindra Kamphoff, mental performance coach, author, and founder of the Mentally Strong Institute, for a conversation on building lasting confidence in leadership and life. Dr. Kamphoff shares practical strategies for overcoming self-doubt, developing a confident mindset, and creating habits that...

In this episode of Beyond the Bell: Leading with Purpose, Jim Cummins and Dr. Nathan Manley welcome Dr. Erick Pruitt, Superintendent of Ankeny Community School District in Iowa, for a conversation on principal empowerment, accountability, and creating the conditions for schools to thrive. Dr. Pruitt shares insights from his journey from the Marine Corps to teaching, principal leadership, and the s...

In this episode of Beyond the Bell: Leading with Purpose, Jim Cummins and Dr. Nathan Manley welcome Keith Sinor, Superintendent of Yukon Public Schools in Oklahoma, for a conversation on creating opportunities for students and leading schools with purpose. Keith shares insights from more than 30 years in education, discussing student success, character, athletics, community partnerships, and the i...

In this episode of Beyond the Bell: Leading with Purpose, Jim Cummins and Dr. Nathan Manley welcome Dr. Jim Van Allan, President of Energy Bus for Schools and co-author of The Energy Bus for Schools, to discuss the power of positive culture, intentional leadership, and meaningful communication in education. Dr. Van Allan shares practical strategies for creating thriving school cultures by strength...

In this episode of Beyond the Bell: Leading with Purpose, Jim Cummins and Dr. Nathan Manley welcome Dr. Stacy Preis, Interim Commissioner of Education for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, for a conversation on the future of education and purpose-driven leadership. Dr. Preis shares insights on strengthening school improvement through collaboration, supporting educators...

In this episode of Beyond the Bell: Leading with Purpose, Jim Cummins and Dr. Nathan Manley welcome Dr. Jason Mundorf, Superintendent of Union R-XI School District, for a conversation on purposeful leadership and building strong school communities. Dr. Mundorf shares practical insights on leading through change, fostering trust, and empowering educators to grow in their roles. He discusses how col...

In this episode of Beyond the Bell: Leading with Purpose, Jim Cummins and Dr. Nathan Manley welcome back guest speaker Dr. Dave Schmitz — Superintendent of Lebanon R3 School District and Missouri's 2025 Superintendent of the Year. Dr. Schmitz shares powerful insights on what it actually takes to sustain leaders over the long haul, exploring how empowerment, distributive leadership, and putting peo...

In this episode of Beyond the Bell: Leading with Purpose, Jim Cummins and Dr. Nathan Manley welcome guest speaker Dr. Alicia Casey — educational leader, systems thinker, and founder of Casey Leadership & Learning Systems. Dr. Casey shares powerful insights on the difference between coordination and true systems alignment, explaining how disconnected initiatives create friction that impacts cul...

In this episode of Beyond the Bell: Leading with Purpose, Jim Cummins and Dr. Nathan Manley welcome guest speaker Dr. David McGehee — veteran superintendent, educational consultant, and leadership strategist. Dr. McGehee shares leadership lessons from more than 35 years in education, including how trust, transparency, and calm leadership help school systems navigate financial challenges while keep...

How can schools move beyond outdated grading and assessment practices to better support student learning? In this episode of Beyond the Bell: Leading with Purpose, Jim Cummins and Dr. Nathan Manley welcome guest speaker Dr. Michael Evans — educator, consultant, and co-author of Assessment Literacy for Educators. Together, they explore assessment literacy, competency-based learning, grading reform,...

In this episode of Beyond the Bell: Leading with Purpose, Nathan Manley and Jim Cummins welcome Renee Cummins and Laura Watkins, experienced educators, instructional coaches, and co-owners of Realtime PD. With over 60 years of combined experience, they share practical, proven strategies for transforming classrooms through strong management, high engagement, and clear expectations. Drawing from rea...

Beyond the Bell (Leading with Purpose) features Dr. Hardin-Bartley, a passionate educational leader known for championing people-first leadership and meaningful school transformation. In this episode, Dr. Hardin-Bartley shares insights on leading with authenticity, building strong relationships, and creating systems that empower both educators and students to thrive. The conversation explores the...

Beyond the Bell (Leading with Purpose) features Dr. Josh Chastain, superintendent of Harrisonville Schools, as he shares his journey from classroom teacher to district leadership and his passion for building strong academic systems. Dr. Chastain discusses the importance of professional learning communities (PLCs), developing instructional leadership in principals, and focusing on standards, pacing...

Beyond the Bell (Leading with Purpose) features Dr. Pam Hedgpeth, a respected Missouri education leader and former superintendent, now serving as Director of the Greater Ozarks Cooperating School Districts. Dr. Hedgpeth shares why she continues the work with passion—championing real-world learning and competency-based education through the Success Ready Student Network—and offers practical wisdom...

Beyond the Bell (Leading with Purpose) welcomes Dr. Will Darter, superintendent of the Everton R-3 School District in Missouri and author of The Empowered Rural Educator: Big Things Come From Small Schools. Dr. Darter shares his journey from “assistant to the custodian” as a kid to rural superintendency, then unpacks what makes rural leadership both challenging and powerful—tight resources, deep c...

Beyond the Bell (Leading with Purpose) features an encouraging conversation with Dr. Mario Acosta—award-winning educator, author, and national consultant—on what it really takes to build and sustain a strong school culture. Drawing from turnaround leadership, Dr. Acosta explains how leaders can diagnose culture before trying to change it, develop staff through the “scouts, sprouts, and sentinels”...

What happens when a Portrait of a Graduate becomes more than a poster—and actually drives classroom practice, culture, and community trust? In this episode of Beyond the Bell: Leading with Purpose, we sit down with Dr. Travis Bracht, Superintendent of the Affton School District and Missouri’s 2026 Superintendent of the Year, to explore how vision turns into sustained action. Dr. Bracht shares how...

In this episode of Beyond the Bell – Leading with Purpose, we spotlight Dr. Amanda Boyer, a LiftED associate with extensive experience in special education leadership, co-teaching, inclusive practices, and behavior systems. At LiftED, our work is grounded in sustained coaching over time—partnering with school districts as they build aligned systems that strengthen Tier 1 instruction, support inclu...

In this powerful episode of Beyond the Bell – Leading with Purpose, Jim Cummins and Dr. Nathan Manley sit down with Ron Lankford, a legendary Missouri education leader whose nearly 50-year career shaped schools, communities, and statewide policy. Dr. Lankford reflects on servant leadership, building trust with communities, navigating school finance reform, and mentoring the next generation of lead...