An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast

This week, our guest is   Lars Clemensen , the Superintendent of Hampton Bays Union Free School District and President of NYSCOSS. Lars shares profound insights on leadership, community connection, and what it truly means to prepare students for a dynamic future. This episode offers lessons for all educational leaders. Here are three things we encourage you to listen for: 💡 Schools as the "Future...

📢 New Podcast and New Season! Elevating Inclusive Education with Daniel Sobel on An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast! 🎧   We are thrilled to share the beginning of season 4 with this episode featuring Daniel Sobel , an internationally respected voice in inclusion education, and the founder and chair of the International Forum of Inclusion Practitioners. Daniel champio...

  🎙️  Final Episode of Season 3! 🎧 Don't miss the powerful insights from our conversation with Dr. Jenn Lowery , former Superintendent of Tea Area School District in South Dakota (now the Harrisburg, South Dakota Superintendent , as we wrap up an incredible Season 3 of An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast! 🎉 Dr. Lowery led one of the fastest-growing districts in South...

New school year is in full swing for many and is just weeks away for others! As leaders, we often strive for perfection, but what if embracing imperfection is our greatest strength?   In this episode of An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast, we're honored to host Dr. Eric Knost, a former superintendent with 34 years of experience in the education field, including 17 years...

Get ready for an insightful conversation on the latest episode of An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast featuring the esteemed Dr. Mark Bedell , Superintendent of Anne Arundel County Public Schools. Mark's journey and leadership offer powerful lessons on authentic impact, learning from challenges, and leading with humility.   Mark is celebrated for leading Kansas City Pub...

Dive into the latest episode of "An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast" featuring the incredible Michael Nelson , former Superintendent of Enumclaw School District and former Assistant Executive Director for professional learning for the Washington Association of School Administrators. This conversation offers profound insights into what truly drives educational success....

📢 Encore Episode: A Must-Listen for School Leaders! 🎧   As educators across the country gear up for a new school year, we're bringing back one of our most powerful conversations featuring Dr. Monique Darrisaw-Akil , Superintendent of the Uniondale School District in New York. 🙌   Dr. Darrisaw Akil led a massive cultural and educational shift in a district that had been facing significant challe...

Hello Imperfect Leaders!  It's summer!! And for leaders, that means reflection. And it means planning for the coming year. It is for that reason that this week's episode is an encore episode specifically picked with your upcoming year in mind.    INTRO:  This week, Matt Hornbeck is my guest. He is the principal of  Hampstead Hill Academy in Baltimore, Maryland. Here are 3 things you won't want to...

The most unexpected thing happened the other day.   My car was on the fritz, and to my surprise, the mechanic offered to swing by my house. That alone was generous. He popped the hood, diagnosed the issue , and had it fixed in no time. Now, just when I thought the day couldn't get any more unusual, he spotted a ukulele sitting on my table. Without missing a beat, he grabbed a guitar from his truck...

This past week has seen many of us in education trying to make sense of what the future holds. It's for that reason, I wanted to bring back my conversation with Dr. Adam Swinyard, Superintendent of Spokane Public Schools and the 2023 Washington State Superintendent of the Year 🏆 Here are 🔑 highlights from this inspiring episode: 💡 Organizational Learning = Higher School Performance Adam's award...

📢 New Episode Alert! 🎧 We're thrilled to share a powerful new episode of An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast ! This week, we sit down with two incredible Illinois Superintendents: Dr. Nick Polyak and Dr. Michael Lubelfeld . This conversation is packed with wisdom, vulnerability, and practical insights for anyone in leadership! Here are three key themes you won't want...

🎙️ Join us on  An Imperfect Leader with trailblazing  Marlon Styles ! 🎙️ This week on An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast , we get to feature Marlon Styles, former Superintendent of Middletown City School District (OH) and current Partner at the Learner Center Collaborative . 🏫💼 🏆 Named K12 Dive's Superintendent of the Year in 2020, Marlon is a fierce advocate for ed...

This week, we had an incredibly conversation with Veronica Sopher , an award-winning media-trained public information officer and founder of Veronica Sopher K12 Communications Consulting. With 25+ years of experience counseling school leaders, Veronica shared invaluable wisdom on navigating the complexities of educational leadership. 🏫💡   We delved into how superintendents can build trust and sh...

In this week's episode of An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast , we sit down with veteran superintendent Dr. Dennis Peterson to explore the shifting landscape of school leadership over the decades. 👇 💡 Key Insights: 🔄 Leadership Has Evolved: From autocratic to inclusive, with school boards now at the center of decision-making. 🧭  Courageous, Inclusive Leadership Matt...

🌟 The Power of Wholehearted Leadership: 4 Key Insights from Dr. Kathryn Fishman-Weaver 🌟 In this episode of An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast, we have an incredible conversation with Dr. Kathryn Fishman-Weaver , the Executive Director of Mizzou Academy. Some key takeaways from our conversation include: 📖 1. Stories Are the Shortest Distance Between People "Stories...

This week on An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast, we talk with UCLA's Dr. Laura Chavez Moreno , author of " How Schools Make Race: Teaching Latinx Racialization in America ". Dr. Chavez Moreno's work challenges us to think beyond superficial approaches to racial identity in schools. Here are three key themes and insights from our conversation: Schools implicitly make ra...

🚀 New episode alert! 🎧 Tune into the latest episode of An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast featuring Jill Molli, Chief Growth Officer for Conscious Discipline . We had a truly insightful conversation about how conscious leadership can drive significant culture shifts in education! Here are a few key takeaways from our discussion: 🎯 Transforming Culture: Shifting cult...

In this episode of An Imperfect Leader : The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast, Peter Stiepleman sits down with Nicholas Bradford , Founder and Executive Director of the National Center for Restorative Justice . Nicholas is also the co-author of A Real-World Guide to Restorative Justice in Schools: Practical Philosophy, Useful Tools, and True Stories . He shares how building authentic relatio...

In this episode of An Imperfect Leader : The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast, Peter Stiepleman sits down with Dr. Amy Galloway , former principal, state education leader, and co-founder of Pivot School Improvement Leaders . As a school leader, Amy led one of Tennessee's most dramatic school turnarounds, moving a neighborhood school in Nashville from the bottom 5% to the top 5% in just four...

In this episode of  An Imperfect Leader : The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast, I sit down with Lori Weigel , Principal at New Bridge Strategy , and Jonathan Voss , Former-Partner at Lake Research Partners and Founder of Voss Research and Strategy . Two leaders from opposite ends of the political spectrum who are united by a common mission: to help educational leaders communicate more effect...

In this episode of An Imperfect Leader : The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast, Peter Stiepleman sits down with Josh Reppun , host and Global Community Director of What School Could Be . Josh, a former history teacher turned educational innovator, shares his journey of challenging traditional education models. Through his work with the What School Could Be initiative, Josh is helping lead the...

In this episode of An Imperfect Leader : The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Justin Irish , Superintendent of the Anacortes School District in Washington and a former principal at Edmonds School District . Dr. Justin Irish shares how systems thinking, co-design, and meaningful partnerships have helped his district navigate mental health challenges, budget shortfalls, an...

In this episode of  An Imperfect Leader : The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Lupita Ley Hightower , the 2023 Arizona Superintendent of the Year and the 2024 Voice for Equity Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. Dr. Hightower, who recently retired from her role as the superintendent of the Tolleson Elementary School District #17 , shares insights from her 28 years in e...

In this episode of An Imperfect Leader : The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast, I sit down with Michelle Caulfield, Superintendent of the Corning-Painted Post Area School District in Corning, New York. Michelle shares how her district is expanding access to opportunities by centering student voice, investing in innovative programs, and building a culture of connection and belonging. We discus...

In this episode of An Imperfect Leader : The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast, I sit down with Moises Morgenstern , co-founder and CEO of Empat Speech , a leading platform that connects schools with experienced speech-language pathologists (SLPs). Moises shares how his company is improving access to speech therapy using technology, addressing the nationwide shortage of SLPs, and supporting s...