Principal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. Parker

A quick note to listeners:  Before this week’s interview, Jen Schwanke and Will Parker answered a listener question in a 5-minute response.  The question is: How do I coach a veteran (relatively) effective teacher who is reluctant to implement something new? Listen in for our response and thank you for doing what matters! Andrew McPeak is an author, researcher, communicator, and researcher on...

Dr. Karen Dudek-Brannan is the founder and owner/operator of Dr. Karen, LLC, a company focused on empowering therapists and educators to design interventions that support language, literacy, and executive functioning. She has a doctorate in Special Education and Director of Special Education and Assistive Technology credentials from Illinois State University, as well as a master’s and bachelor’s f...

This week Jen Schwanke hosts guest educator Justin Baeder, author and veteran instructional leader, and takeaways from his newest book Mapping Professional Practice: How to Develop Instructional Frameworks to Support Teacher Growth (2022), a book co-authored with Heather Bell-Williams.  Justin shares his practical takes on accountability and the careful dance of driving school improvement. Di...

Tim Villegas is the Director of Communications for the Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education. He is also the founder of Think Inclusive, which is the blog, podcast, and social media handle of MCIE. He has 16 years of experience in public education as a teacher and district support specialist. His focus now is on how media and communications can promote inclusive education for all learners. In...

Anne-Marie Maw is an educator who has worked in schools for over 25 years as a classroom teacher and school leader across a range of schools in Australia. Currently, she is the principal of St. Agatha’s Primary School in the northeast suburbs of Brisbane which is the capital city of the state of Queensland in Australia. She also regularly contributes to Principal Matters newsletters. She is the fo...

This week, Jen Schwanke and Will Parker tackle a question from an education leader: “As a principal, how can you monitor and ensure adherence to expected standards and outcomes in a way that is supportive rather than punitive, and fosters a culture of accountability?” Key Points from Jen Schwanke: Importance of mindset: Lead with the intent to be supportive rather than punitive. Believe that peopl...

If you’ve not yet heard of Principal Kafele, this podcast captures him in a conversation with Dr. Jen Schwanke—a conversation that gets to the heart of why he is one of the most distinguished and transformational speakers and leaders of our generation.  A highly-regarded urban educator in New Jersey for over twenty years, Principal Baruti Kafele served as an elementary teacher, assistant prin...

Dr. Todd Dain has significantly shaped education over a 30-year career, currently leading Shawnee Mission South High School in Overland Park, Kansas, since 2015. With a foundation in education from Emporia State and Baker University, he’s held roles as a teacher, coach, and administrator. His leadership is acknowledged beyond the school through his involvement in educational organizations an...

In this week’s episode, I talk to Lewis Bradford and three of his administrative team members, Jessica Hodges, Benny Bullock, and David Jones at Northwest Rankin High School in Flowood, Mississippi. On October 23, 2023, I was privileged to visit Northwest Rankin High School. Afterward, I invited Lewis to record a podcast episode together, and Lewis included Jessica, Benny, and David.  Lewis B...

In this week’s episode, Dr. Jen Schwanke and I celebrate 400 episodes of the Principal Matters Podcast. We stroll down memory lane, reminiscing about 10-plus years of producing Principal Matters content.  This podcast was created as an outlet for lessons I learned as an assistant principal and principal. Over the years, it has become a treasure trove of practices from education leaders...

Hello, Friends! It’s Will Parker here from Principal Matters: The School Leader’s Podcast. We’re excited to announce that we’re approaching our 400th episode! Can you believe it? To make this milestone even more special, we’d love to hear from you. If this podcast has inspired, helped, or encouraged you, would you consider sharing your thoughts with us? It’s easy: find a qu...

Hello, Friends! It’s Will Parker here from Principal Matters: The School Leader’s Podcast. We’re excited to announce that we’re approaching our 400th episode! Can you believe it? To make this milestone even more special, we’d love to hear from you. If this podcast has inspired, helped, or encouraged you, would you consider sharing your thoughts with us? It’s easy: find a qu...

Hello, Friends! It’s Will Parker here from Principal Matters: The School Leader’s Podcast. We’re excited to announce that we’re approaching our 400th episode! Can you believe it? To make this milestone even more special, we’d love to hear from you. If this podcast has inspired, helped, or encouraged you, would you consider sharing your thoughts with us? It’s easy: find a qu...

Will You Help Us Celebrate?? Hello, Friends! It’s Will Parker here from Principal Matters: The School Leader’s Podcast. We’re excited to announce that we’re approaching our 400th episode! Can you believe it? To make this milestone even more special, we’d love to hear from you. If this podcast has inspired, helped, or encouraged you, would you consider sharing your thoughts...

A few words from William D. Parker Hey everyone, William D. Parker here from Principal Matters: The School Leader’s Podcast. With over 1.4 million downloads and a decade of content for school leaders, our resources are always available for you at williamdparker.com. As we dive into May 2024, I’m reminded of the craziness this time brings. My wife affectionately dubs this time of year M...

In this week’s episode, William D. Parker interviews Tomas Macaluso, a dynamic first-year principal who began his journey in Career and Technical Education (CTE), where he served for 10 years as a CTE teacher. In this role, Tomas taught business, graphic design, and IT. His major contribution was helping establish a signature academy, available to students county-wide. Transitioning into administr...

Dr. Tameka D. Hyland is a transformative educational leader. As principal of Sherman Avenue Elementary, she and her team raised its grade from D to C and scored the second highest reading scores in Mississippi within two years. As the executive principal at Vicksburg High School, her team not only increased the graduation rate to a historic 91%, but also elevated its grade from D to B. Under her l...

Hi, Friends. William D. Parker here. As you listen to this week’s show, you’re going to hear a powerful conversation Dr. Jen Schwanke has interviewing author and educator Kim Strobel. Kim Strobel is a motivational powerhouse, inspiring lives and organizations as a keynote speaker, leadership consultant, and happiness coach. Overcoming personal adversities, she embarked on a journey of self-discove...

Beau Brannon has served as principal of Union High School Freshman Academy, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, since the summer of 2022. Previously, he served four years as its assistant principal. A 2008 Muldrow High School alum, he ventured into college football at the University of Tulsa, then pursued his passion for education, earning a bachelor’s in middle childhood education from the University of Ar...

Dr. T.J. Vari is the Deputy Superintendent of the Appoquinimink School District. T.J. is a former middle school assistant principal and principal and former high school English teacher. His master’s degree is in School Leadership and his doctorate is in Innovation and Leadership. He holds several honors and distinctions, including his past appointment as President of the Delaware Association for S...

Naheed Bardai is the Principal of UWC Atlantic and arrived in south Wales in August 2021 from Upper Canada College in Toronto, where he was head of upper school for six years. Before that, he served as dean of students and senior school principal during his 10 years at the Aga Khan Academy in Mombasa, Kenya. For Naheed, education is a deeply moral endeavor and the exercise of leadership demands a...

In this week’s episode, Dr. Jen Schwanke and William D. Parker delve into the complexities of decision-making, particularly in leadership roles. Both share insights and strategies to navigate the often murky waters of making the “right” decisions. Continuous Learning and Humility Will emphasizes the importance of humility in leadership, advocating for a mindset of constant inquiry and...

In this week’s episode, Jen Schwanke and Will Parker talk about the word accountability. In education, this word can be perceived as both positive and negative. On the negative side, education has been the target of a lot of political discourse, beginning for many modern U.S. educators in the 1980’s with the report a Nation at Risk, that shined a light on discrepancies in student learning and an a...

Melissa Barlow is in her eleventh year as Principal of Yukon High School in Yukon, Oklahoma.  In her past two decades as an educator, she has taught both middle-level and high school science and math, as well as serving in the role of assistant principal.  Barlow obtained her bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma State University and a Master’s in Education Administration from the University o...

Flip Flippen is a New York Times best-selling author, social entrepreneur, psychotherapist, and the founder and chairman of Capturing Kids’ Hearts, one of the largest educator training and team development companies in North America. Flip and his wife Susan were named Ernst & Young Entrepreneurs of the Year, making them the first couple to ever receive this prestigious award. Their company was...