An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast

INTRO: About a year ago, at about the one-year anniversary of Justice Ginsburg's death, I was asked by my family to be a part a school naming committee in Philadelphia. There was a school there considering her name for the new name, and I was to represent Justice Ginsburg.  In the end, the school community didn't choose to name the school Ruth Bader Ginsburg Elementary School. Instead, they chose...

INTRO : This week, we feature James Sturm, co-founder of the Center for Cartoon Studies. In this our conversation, we explore the dynamic interplay between the power of language and the power of images in shaping a district's narrative. Join us as we delve into strategies for effectively communication of vision and values. In the second half, James shares a compelling story about navigating a cris...

INTRO: In just a few weeks, I will be traveling with a small group of amazing volunteers from all over the United States and Australia to Omo Village in Papua New Guinea . I serve on the Board of Directors for Be the Change Volunteers, an organization committed to building schools all over the world for communities interested in providing opportunities to their children, especially their girls. Ou...

Intro: As I prepared for this week's episode, I traded in personal anecdotes with a traditional story, one about two farmers and their approach to change. One always bought the latest tools for his farm, hoping they would solve his problems. Meanwhile, his neighbor focused on building relationships with other farmers, learning from their experiences, and sharing his own knowledge.  When a drought...

INTRO: Earlier this year, I read  The Delicate Handling of Equity Work in Conservative Communities, and was thrilled when the authors agreed to be guests on the podcast. In the two years since I left the superintendency, I have found myself talking with superintendents who have faced (or are facing) this same dilemma. They recognize the importance of the children in their district learning about s...

INTRO: In this episode of An Imperfect Leader, Jeff Utecht , educational futurist and podcast host of Shifting Schools , joins me in conversation. We reflect on the intersections of tradition and transformation, innovation and integration. We   delve into Jeff's insights and experiences, and how he helps educators navigate the complexities of a rapidly changing world. In the first part, we talk ab...

INTRO: Join me on this episode of An Imperfect Leader for a captivating discussion with Sean Stewart, an expert in historical leadership. We explore how lessons from the past can shape today's leadership practices, offering valuable insights for leaders across all fields. In this episode, we'll shift our focus to the demanding roles of school leaders and the critical importance of establishing a s...

INTRO:   My guest this week holds a special place in my professional life. I met him during his first campaign for the school board in Oakland, CA. In the second part of the show, my guest, Dr. Gary Yee, describes what has got to be one of the most difficult experiences of any superintendent – the vandalizing of his home, navigating a hunger strike of two teachers, and community members occupying...

INTRO: In this episode of An Imperfect Leader, join us as we delve into the world of education leadership with Superintendent Diego Ochoa, a veteran with over 25 years of experience, and Graham Dugoni, the founder of Yondr – a pioneer in creating phone-free spaces. Together, they discuss the impact of going phone-free on student success and the compelling purpose that drives their work. Discover h...

INTRO:  This episode is coming out just as I have returned from co-presenting at a conference hosted by the Coalition of Oregon School Administrators (or COSA). During our presentation, we talked about distinguishing between reform and transformation. Specifically, that reform is usually made up of outside forces telling you what to do, coaching for compliance and using sticks and carrots to get r...

INTRO: The most unexpected thing happened the other day. I was having car issues and the mechanic offered to do a home visit. That in itself was a nice gesture. He found the issue (resolved it pretty quickly, actually. If you're dying to know, it was an electrical issue beyond my expertise. Ok, let's be honest, I have no expertise beyond the radio shack club at the summer camp I attended as a kid...

  INTRO: In this episode of An Imperfect Leader, Dr. Doug Reeves is my guest. The first thing we talk about is an article he authored, We Censor Ourselves in Education . In the article, he hooks the reader by describing a former intern he had while you has in China, and how she had gone on to anchor the news on China Central Television. She told Doug and his colleagues at a forum in Cambridge, MA:...

INTRO:  In this episode of An Imperfect Leader, Dr. Nathan Schilling discusses so many common issues facing superintendents and district leaders.   First, he describes his relationship to researchers studying school districts.   He shares his approach to engaging the research community and emphasizes the role of superintendents as lead learners. He takes us through an insightful after-action revie...

An Imperfect Leader is sponsored by Yondr .  Schools around the world are seeing the damaging effects of phones on student engagement, social development, and mental health. Yondr has developed a unique product and program to allow schools to become phone-free, from arrival to dismissal. Learn why 1 Million Students use Yondr every day. MINIMIZE DISTRACTIONS. MAXIMIZE LEARNING POTENTIAL. Go to ove...

An Imperfect Leader is sponsored by Yondr .  Schools around the world are seeing the damaging effects of phones on student engagement, social development, and mental health. Yondr has developed a unique product and program to allow schools to become phone-free, from arrival to dismissal. Learn why 1 Million Students use Yondr every day. MINIMIZE DISTRACTIONS. MAXIMIZE LEARNING POTENTIAL. Go to ove...

An Imperfect Leader is sponsored by Yondr.  Schools around the world are seeing the damaging effects of phones on student engagement, social development, and mental health. Yondr has developed a unique product and program to allow schools to become phone-free, from arrival to dismissal. Learn why 1 Million Students use Yondr every day. MINIMIZE DISTRACTIONS. MAXIMIZE LEARNING POTENTIAL. Go to over...

NEW EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE "What do we want to create together?"  So proud to have co-written the foreword with Zach Taylor to this essential book on Human-Centered School Transformation . If you're a school leader looking to make sense of what you know to be true about schools, check it out. If you're a corporate leader, you will find a pathway to better results in every page. ------ I can't rememb...

NEW EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE "What do we want to create together?"  So proud to have co-written the foreword with Zach Taylor to this essential book on Human-Centered School Transformation . If you're a school leader looking to make sense of what you know to be true about schools, check it out. If you're a corporate leader, you will find a pathway to better results in every page. ----- INTRO:  From 19...

NEW EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE "What do we want to create together?"  So proud to have co-written the foreword with Zach Taylor to this essential book on Human-Centered School Transformation . If you're a school leader looking to make sense of what you know to be true about schools, check it out. If you're a corporate leader, you will find a pathway to better results in every page. ----- INTRO:  In syst...

NEW EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE "What do we want to create together?"  So proud to have co-written the foreword with Zach Taylor to this essential book on Human-Centered School Transformation . If you're a school leader looking to make sense of what you know to be true about schools, check it out. If you're a corporate leader, you will find a pathway to better results in every page. ----- INTRO: Hello Im...

NEW EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE "What do we want to create together?"  So proud to have co-written the foreword with Zach Taylor to this essential book on Human-Centered School Transformation . If you're a school leader looking to make sense of what you know to be true about schools, check it out. If you're a corporate leader, you will find a pathway to better results in every page. ----- INTRO: H ello,...

Book Update! Imperfect Leaders! My book, An Imperfect Leader: Le aders hip in (After) Action is available on Amazon.com.  If there is no hyperlink to follow, please go to Amazon.com or   peterstiepleman.com. You can order it there.   INTRO: Hello, Imperfect Leaders! Our family recently held a reunion to celebrate my son, Ezra's, graduation, and my father's significant birthday. We were all togethe...

Book Update! Imperfect Leaders! My book, An Imperfect Leader: Le aders hip in (After) Action is available on Amazon.com.  If there is no hyperlink to follow, please go to Amazon.com or   peterstiepleman.com. You can order it there.   INTRO: Hello, Imperfect Leaders! Evaluations. In every single profession, employees are evaluated. They are evaluated by their direct supervisors or evaluated by a bo...

Book Update! Imperfect Leaders! My book, An Imperfect Leader: Le aders hip in (After) Action is available on Amazon.com.  If there is no hyperlink to follow, please go to Amazon.com or   peterstiepleman.com. You can order it there.   Intro:   Hello Imperfect Leaders! On  August 29, 2005 , Hurricane Katrina, a Category 3 hurricane with recorded wind speeds of 140 miles per hour devastated communiti...

Book Update! Imperfect Leaders! My book, An Imperfect Leader: Le aders hip in (After) Action is available on Amazon.com.  If there is no hyperlink to follow, please go to Amazon.com or   peterstiepleman.com. You can order it there.   Intro:   Hello Imperfect Leaders. I am publishing this episode on October 9. I feel an incredible amount of grief and rage and loss for the people of Israel. I feel a...