The Authority Podcast — Expert Insights and Fresh Ideas for Education Leaders

In this "Best Of," we revisit my conversation with Sahil Bloom about his first book, The Five Types of Wealth: A Transformative Guide to Design Your Dream Life , a New York Times bestseller.  We talk about: What curiosity is and isn’t Making the case that being curious about new ideas is an objective good What’s impressive and disappointing when meeting a new person Five types of wealth: Time, Soc...

Priten Soundar-Shah is CEO of Pedagogy. Cloud, which provides innovative technology solutions to help educators navigate global challenges in a rapidly evolving world, as well as founder of the civics education nonprofit United 4 Social Change. He also hosts the podcast Margin of Thought here on the Be Podcast Network .  In this episode, we discuss: The guiding principles of engaging with AI. Why...

In today's "Best Of," we're going all the way back to episode 9 of The Authority with Dr. Carey Borkoski. We talked about her book Dancing with Discomfort: A framework for noticing, naming, and navigating our in-between moments .  You'll hear about: The importance of transitions in creating an interesting, fulfilling life How to navigate unanticipated personal or professional transitions Navigatin...

Brian Butler is an educational consultant, speaker, author, and award-winning former principal who is passionate about nurturing collaborative school cultures that unlock every student’s unlimited potential. In this "Best Of," we revisit our conversation about Brian's books, Every Student Deserves a Gifted Education and Limitless Future . Hear about: Brian's inspiring story What is a gifted educat...

In more than 40 years of teaching, Andee Nunn reached over 4,000 students juggling positions as a reading specialist, English teacher, and communications adjunct faculty.  She was named the 2008 Danbury (CT) Teacher of the Year, 2008 Connecticut State Semi-Finalist Teacher of the Year, and won the 2018 NAACP Excellence in Teaching award.  Her book is Magic in Room 216: How One Teacher Came of Age...

Nathaniel Provencio has worked in the public education field since 2001 as a classroom teacher, building administrator and associate superintendent. He is a speaker, school leadership coach, and author of Community Connections and Your PLC at Work®: A Guide to Engaging Families . We talk about: Why parent and family engagement are important to schools, and how it relates to PLCs How the concepts o...

Dr. Chad Dumas is a Solution Tree PLC at Work®, Assessment, and Priority Schools associate and international consultant, presenter, and award-winning researcher whose primary focus is collaborating to develop capacity for continuous improvement.  His latest book is The Teacher Team Leader Handbook: Simple Habits to Transform Collaboration in a PLC at Work® . We discuss: Foundations and actions of...

In this "Best Of" episode, I spoke with Tony Frontier about his book AI with Intention: Principles and Action Steps for Teachers and School Leaders (ASCD).  In one of our most popular conversations from last year, you'll hear about: On the topic of AI and education, what is important for educators to keep in mind about what has changed and what remains the same? Tony’s greatest fear and greatest h...

In our latest "Best Of" episode, I'm bringing back my second conversation with Mark Miller. Each of my episodes with Mark is worth revisiting.  Mark is a Wall Street Journal and international best-selling author, communicator, and the former Vice President of High Performance Leadership at Chick-fil-A. Today, Mark serves as the Co-Founder of Lead Every Day, an extension of his life-inspired missio...

Danny Steele worked for 31 years in education as a principal, assistant principal, teacher, coach, and assistant professor of Instructional Leadership.   In 2005, Steele was recognized as Alabama’s “Assistant Principal of the Year,” and in 2016, he was recognized  as Alabama’s “Secondary Principal of the Year.”   He has written six books including two with Todd Whitaker, has presented at numerous...

Brig Leane, former principal of Fruita Middle School in Colorado, has over 25 years of experience in education. He has been an assistant principal and has taught at the middle and high school levels in inner-city, suburban, and rural schools in California and Colorado. In 2017 and again in 2018, Fruita Middle School made the Seattle-based GettingSmart.com’s list of 85 schools in the nation that ot...

In this episode of The Authority on the BE Podcast Network, I talk with National Center for Restorative Justice founder Nicholas Bradford about what restorative justice in schools really looks like beyond the buzzwords. We explore why suspensions fail to change student behavior, how restorative practices promote true accountability and community repair, and what it takes to implement these systems...

Bill Barnes is the superintendent for the Howard County Public School System in Maryland. Bill was a recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching and has served on the board of directors for the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics. Erin Lehmann, EdD, currently serves as an associate professor for the University of South Dakota. She is an author,...

My guest today is author, speaker, and podcaster Casey Watts. Casey’s book is The Craft of Clarity: Six Steps to Bridge Gaps, Foster Commitment, and Create Sustainable Alignment . We talk about: “Not Another Unrealistic Book of Complicated Ideas” Misaligned perspectives between teachers and leaders - living in different worlds “Clarity precedes capacity.” What does that mean for leaders? Strategy...

Today’s guest is my friend and fellow podcaster, Jeff Bradbury. Jeff is an educator, ISTE award-winning digital learning strategist, educational broadcaster, public speaker, entrepreneur, and triplet dad. His powerful message has inspired thousands of educators through the TeacherCast Educational Network. Jeff’s new book is Impact Standards: Designing District Systems That Power K–12 Learning . We...

Roy S. Whitehurst is a former CIA analyst and instructor. He spent 30+ years evaluating written information, photos, videos, and other media collected by the CIA and taught media literacy skills to new CIA analysts.  He’s the author of Teaching Media Literacy with Social Media News: Practical Techniques for Middle and High School Classrooms . We talk about: Some of the types of media to evaluate a...

Dr. Mario Acosta spent 20 years of his educational career as a teacher, instructional coach, assistant principal, academic director, and principal leading schools with diverse profiles.  He was named the 2022 Principal of the Year in the state of Texas while he was the principal at Westwood High School, a U.S. News & World Report top-50 campus and member of the High Reliability Schools (HRS) N...

Ranan Lachman is a transformation expert with a BA in Computer Science and an MBA who has reinvented himself across radically different worlds — jet-fighter co-pilot, management consultant, Wall Street investment banker, and CEO of multiple technology companies. He lives what he teaches, having relocated to four countries across four continents and even circled the globe for a year with his family...

As a Walt Disney Imagineer, Brian helped create the stories and magic for some of the world’s most beloved attractions. Over the past 35 years, he has produced work for a who’s who list of corporations, as well as small entrepreneurial ventures.  Now, as a sought-after Innovation Consultant through his practice known as The Brainstorm Institute, he works with both large and small companies to help...

James I. Bond is one of America’s leading behavioral management specialists. He joins the show to talk about his book Brain Glue , which was named a 2023 Best Business Book finalist by Publishers Weekly. We discuss: How selling becomes much easier by making your ideas “sticky”  The desire to connect with others and make your ideas connect The science of persuasion Understanding the way people lear...

Mitch Weathers is an educator, author of the bestselling book, Executive Functions for Every Classroom , and the founder of Organized Binder. He returns to the show to share tips for authors, especially how to launch and promote your book.  We talk about: Starting to plan for a book launch Knowing why you want to write It doesn’t matter how valuable your book is if nobody knows it exists The book...

Across two decades in education, Mia Hood has served in a variety of K-12 roles, including classroom teacher, instructional dean, and, most recently, regional director of literacy.  Currently, she designs curriculum for schools and nonprofits and teaches literacy and secondary education at the City University of New York and professional writing at New York University.  Mia joins the show to talk...

Lacey Robinson is president and CEO of UnboundEd. A former teacher, principal, and professional development specialist who has focused on literacy, equity, and school leadership for more than 25 years, her life’s work aims to enable educators to disrupt systemic inequities in their school districts and classrooms. She frequently serves as a featured keynote speaker, and her personal literacy journ...

Dr. Rachel Edoho-Eket has earned a reputation as a strong instructional leader, passionate educational advocate, and dedicated mentor. As the Principal of a National Blue Ribbon school in Maryland, she is a lifelong learner who strives for excellence not only for herself, but also for everyone she serves.  Today, she joins the show to discuss Relational Intelligence: The Key Factor to Exceptional...

This week we welcome back Jen Schwanke, who previously joined the show to discuss The Principal’s Guide to Conflict Management .  Jen has been an educator for almost three decades, teaching or leading at all levels. She currently serves as a deputy superintendent in Ohio, is an instructor in educational administration at The Ohio State University, and is the co-host of the popular Principal Matter...