Beyond the Bell - Leading with Purpose

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How can schools move beyond outdated grading and assessment practices to better support student learning?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...

In this episode of Beyond the Bell – Leading with Purpose, Dr. Nathan Manley and Dr. Jim Cummins welcome Dr. Tracy Mitchell, Assistant Superintendent at Cassville Schools, for a thoughtful conversation on leadership, humility, and balance. Dr. Mitchell shares her journey from accounting to education, emphasizing servant leadership, strong work ethic, confidentiality, and clear communication. She r...

In this episode of Beyond the Bell: Leading with Purpose, hosts Dr. Jim Cummins and Dr. Nathan Manley sit down with Dr. Matt Pearce, Superintendent of the Republic School District— a growing district in SW Missouri. Dr. Pearce, shares experiences gained in the Springfield School District as a principal and how he grew into the superintendent role in Republic. He shares key leadership insights, how...

In this episode of Beyond the Bell – Leading with Purpose, hosts Dr. Jim Cummins and Dr. Nathan Manley sit down with Dr. David Schmitz, the 2025 Missouri Superintendent of the Year, to explore what it truly means to lead with strategy, humility, and heart. Dr. Schmitz, Superintendent of Lebanon R-III Schools and a U.S. Army Reserve Major (retired), shares how his philosophy of “results by design,...

In this episode of Beyond the Bell: Leading with Purpose, hosts Dr. Jim Cummins and Dr. Nathan Manley sit down with Dr. Michael Maclin, Superintendent of the Special School District of St. Louis County — a district serving over 25,000 students and employing nearly 6,000 educators and staff. Dr. Maclin brings deep experience as a counselor, principal, and national consultant for large districts inc...

Join LiftED co-founders, Dr. Nathan Manley and Dr. Jim Cummins, as they share the inspiration behind Beyond the Bell - Leading with Purpose. This episode sets the stage for future interviews with leaders and pulls back on the curtain on their purpose and motivation.