De Facto Leaders

Many leadership initiatives in education need to come from the top… But change can happen when direct service providers emerge as leaders on their teams without waiting for permission from someone else.  School administrators and other people making decisions at the district and policy level are constantly pulled in different directions. The further up the chain you go and the more people you’re m...

Learners in K-12 settings have changed over the past 25 years, and what were considered best practices in the 1990s may no longer work for learners in the 2020s. Much of this is due to technology, the invention of the Iphone, and the skills young adults need when entering the workforce. There’s a large amount of debate on how to address these evolving needs effectively, and that’s why I wanted to...

If you’re providing therapy or tutoring services, contracting with schools, or offering professional development to K-12 professionals, you won’t want to miss this episode. As someone who has explored the possibility of school contracts, I’m always looking to learn more about how school leaders make decisions regarding budgets and staffing.  I grew up in the Chicago area; which meant I lived in a...

Social skills groups have been widely criticized recently. They’re often labeled as ableist and not neurodiversity-affirming. I also take issue with the way social skills interventions are often delivered, but for a different reason.  When social skills intervention is done, it’s often delivered via 1:1 therapy, in a “pull-out” model; where the child receives intervention in therapy or small class...

Most of us still don’t know what we want to be when we grow up, but at least we know more than we did when we wanted to be pro athletes or “movie stars” (the old people version of influencers).  As we have conversations with kids and think about how to prepare them for adulthood, helping kids explore their passions and interests becomes challenging.  Not all communities have access to the resource...

When kids have a poor sense of time, the common response is to give them a planner or some kind of a timer. While these tools may be a part of your strategy, they don't address time-blindness. That's why in episode 136 of De Facto Leaders, I’m answering the question:  "Why don't timers improve my students' time-management skills? Time-blindness is a hallmark characteristic of executive functioning...

If you want to learn how to present information to school boards, administration, or other leadership or land more speaking engagements, you won’t want to miss this episode!  Reading the room is an essential life skill, whether we’re talking about a child navigating recess, or an adult trying to navigate the workplace. For kids, this skill will impact their ability to succeed academically and make...

Teen’s brains are wired to seek pleasure, avoid pain, and conserve energy. On top of that their prefrontal cortex isn’t fully developed yet, which means they don’t always make decisions that are in their best interest.  They’re learning so much about how to navigate relationships and manage their day-to-day lives.  Things like: 👉Handling setbacks, like not making the sports team or getting the jo...

The whole point of school is to prepare kids for adult life , but many people worry we aren’t giving kids what they need. Whether kids go right into the workforce after high school or plan to attend college or trade school, they need certain skills to succeed at work.  That’s why I wanted to have a discussion about the ins and outs of employee training and onboarding with experts in the learning a...

In some of the work we do with students, we may have to help them interpret the actions of others or help them understand how they’re coming across.   Within the context of executive functioning, this is known as perspective-taking. This is an essential life skill in both our professional and personal lives; which is why we need to keep developing this skill through adulthood.  With the life coach...

In K-12 education , there’s been a recent push to go digital, and many educators are wondering if people creating the products have the kids’ best interest in mind; especially in the for-profit space. That’s why I invited Meg Hearn to episode 131 of the De Facto Leaders podcast to get a behind-the-scenes perspective of curriculum and tech products for kids.  Meg is an educator with over 20 years o...

Most people involved in K-12 education aren’t in it for the money, but with high caseloads and low pay; a lot of people are considering a career transition. For people in therapy roles, private practice is a common option on the table; but many come from a “helping people” mindset and struggle with the idea of focusing on business and revenue . That’s why I invited Ebony Green to episode 130 of th...

Many of my listeners don’t know this, but I went to a private Catholic school until 8th grade before transitioning to a public high school.  I had what I like to call “Catholic school RtI”, where I got extra reading help with Sister Marie (and it paid off!). I’ve focused a lot of my content on issues impacting the public schools , so when I connected with Tom Conroy, a Catholic school principal, I...

If kids haven’t developed certain academic skills by a certain age, their ability to advance in their education diminishes. This means the opportunities they have in adulthood decreases.  As I’ve been talking with different curriculum experts and school leaders , many of them have shared that closing academic skill gaps is an important part of addressing equity issues. Kids need to learn the skill...

I’m excited to share episode 127 of De Facto Leaders about a common debate for therapists and teachers: “Is it worth it to get a doctorate?” In this wide-ranging conversation with my colleague Dr. Christy Borders, we discuss ways to build language skills in students with hearing loss, as well as how to decide if it's time to take the leap and get your doctorate.  The backstory of this conversation...

Many clinicians start their careers feeling unprepared to navigate the job market .  In a lot of professional groups, I’ve noticed a skepticism towards contract companies , recruiters , and staffing agencies simply because many people working in school settings don’t know who they can trust. If you’ve ever had a recruiter awkwardly slide into your DMs or advertise in your online group without perm...

This week, I’m sharing an interview from another host on the BE podcast network because I think it’s something you’ll really enjoy. The episode is going live in the De Facto Leaders podcast feed.  I’m pleased to bring you a conversation from The Authority Podcast here on the Be Podcast Network. You’ll hear from Principal Baruti Kafele, author of seven best-selling books, including The Equity &...

When I was younger I was fixated on clocks and the passage of time . It’s accurate to say it was an obsession of mine, to the point that it caused me large amounts of anxiety. It got difficult for me to tell when I was future-planning or when I was catastrophizing .  On top of that, I had a constant need for sensory input. There are multiple childhood videos of me sitting on the floor, rocking bac...

I have a love/hate relationship with meditation and mindfulness. I know I should do it. I even talk about why it’s beneficial. But I never want to do it…even though I feel better if I do.  If that sounds familiar, you won’t want to miss episode 124 of the “De Facto Leaders” podcast. That’s why I invited Danny Bauer t o talk about the impact mindfulness has had on him as a teacher, leader, and thou...

Do flashcards help improve basic numeracy skills?   Should we use calculators as a special education accommodation?  How many years of math do we really need to take in high school?  I invited math curriculum expert Jonathan Regino to episode 123 of the De Facto Leaders podcast to answer some of these questions.  With the Science of Reading on the forefront in many districts, we’re starting to hav...

What if young adults are still prompt-dependent when they go away to college?  Or what if they and their parents aren’t aware of how much support they’re actually getting?  On top of that, how can professionals navigate the complexity of supporting language and executive functioning (or knowing when to address which skills)?  I invited Jill Fahy to episode 122 of the De Facto Leaders Podcast to an...

In different discussion groups, I’ve heard the claim that up to 50% of people don’t have an inner voice.   Since much of my work has focused on metacognition and language, I wanted to devote an episode to discussing some common questions that come up regarding this topic.  That’s why in episode 121 of the “De Facto Leaders” podcast, I discussed the following: ✅Is internal language the best tool t...

If you’ve ever thought about leaving the school systems, you may have wondered what options you have as far as jobs go. Maybe you feel burnt out, or maybe you just want a change and don’t want to walk away from education completely.  I understand this dilemma on a deep level, so that’s why I invited Aimee Davis to the De Facto Leaders podcast to talk about how she used her teaching and improv skil...

Many people who are involved in K-12 education want to be “student-centered”, but what if that’s not the most effective place for leaders to put their efforts? I wanted to discuss this topic with Dr. Chris Jones, who shares why school leaders can create a bigger impact by supporting teachers and those working directly with students.  Dr. Chris Jones has been an educator in Massachusetts for 22 yea...

Evidence-based practices and high-quality curriculum are important, but they aren’t the ONLY things school leaders need to think about.  We can’t effectively serve students unless we understand their community, which means we have to think beyond the classroom or therapy room .  That’s why I invited Edward Gordon, II, former principal and CEO of Gordon Leadership Academy, LLC to the De Facto Leade...