The Modern Principal Podcast

In this episode, The Modern Principal shares candid insights on handling multiple job rejections, the realities of interviews, and strategies for advancing your educational leadership career. Whether you're an educator aiming for a principal role or navigating challenges in school administration, this episode offers practical advice rooted in experience.

In this episode, The Modern Principal tackles a common challenge for school leaders: addressing inappropriate teacher behavior in real-time without escalating the situation. Dive into practical strategies to correct adult actions effectively, preserve dignity, and foster a positive school culture, all grounded in emotional intelligence and clear standards.

In this episode, we dive into the complexities of having hard conversations within school leadership, especially from the perspective of assistant principals supporting their principals. We explore practical strategies, research insights, and emotional intelligence tips for managing conflict, coaching up, and fostering a culture of open communication.   Main Topics: The role of assistant principal...

This episode starts with a question a lot of principals are asking right now: how do you actually improve staff attendance? It’s complicated! The issue usually isn’t that people are taking days off. Staff are entitled to their time, and they should use it. The real stress comes from what happens in the building when they’re gone - coverage gaps, sub shortages, and the same people getting pulled ov...

A listener wrote in saying she’s  working 12-hour days, giving up weekends, and still feels like she  can’t keep up - and asking, “Is this just the job?” And the honest answer is… it’s common, but that doesn’t mean it’s sustainable. In this episode, Karen and Christy unpack what burnout actually looks like in school leadership, especially in those first few years when the learning curve is steep a...

After an unplanned hiatus (longer than intended—and yes, people noticed), Karen and Christy are back behind the mic! This episode isn’t a deep-dive into systems or research. It’s a reset. They unpack where they’ve been professionally, what’s shifted in their roles, and what they’re seeing differently now—especially after stepping out of (and back into) school leadership. Underneath the humor and w...

On this episode of The Modern Principal, Karen and Christy hilariously explore humorous pet peeves in education, particularly the 'icks' that they experience. The conversation shifts to effective feedback strategies for teachers, emphasizing the importance of timing, motivation, and context in delivering feedback. We share insights on building a feedback culture within schools and overcoming menta...

In this episode of The Modern Principal, Christy and Karen delve into the critical first 90 days of a new principal's role. They explore the importance of learning, contributing, and leading effectively, while also emphasizing the need for clear expectations and putting systems in place. Check out this episode to help you enjoy the role and prioritize the well-being of students and staff!   For mo...

Are you new to the principal role and wondering what you're missing? You have a whole list of tasks but don't actually know what to do?! This is the episode for you! Here's all the thoughts we would have if we got a "do-over" of the first year again!  We chat about:  - looking at your school through the 4 organizational frames (Bohlman and Deal) - people to schedule meetings with - questions to as...

"When you guys say you are planning over the summer, what are you actually doing?" We get this question a lot! So we've broken it down to tell you all the things we do during the summer to make the school year go smoother!  You'll hear about: - planning for the holidays - systems for committees - calendaring - updating policies and procedures - and more!  Find more at www.themodernprincipal.com !...

Have you ever worried your staff are sending "This meeting could have been an email" memes to each other during your weekly staff meeting? In this week's episode, Karen and Christy walk you through the basics of facilitating meetings that get results! Learn how: - to use meetings to further your vision - prepare meetings where work gets done - make meetings more efficient If you like this episode,...

Karen and Christy are BACK in action! Hear about what they've been up to over the last school year, where they're headed this year, and what you can expect from this new season of The Modern Principal Podcast!

This conversation explores the importance of sustaining a vision in education and provides practical strategies for doing so. Christy and Karen share personal anecdotes about their experiences as  principals, highlighting the challenges and successes they encountered. They discuss the role of mindset and implementation in achieving a shared vision, emphasizing the need for clear roles and frequent...

Creating a vision for a school is an important responsibility of a leader. In this episode, Karen and Christy discuss the process of creating a vision for a school. They provide steps for creating a vision, including gathering stories, identifying themes, and drafting a why statement. They also discuss the challenges of creating a vision and the need for ongoing communication and repetition.  Be s...

On this week's episode, Karen and Christy discuss the idea that conflict is natural - and even necessary - in a school culture.  Listen to hear more about:  - how to use personality tests to create common language and understanding - normalizing conflict - creating a safe environment for conflict to occur This episode was sponsored by Just Right Reader and Peer-Driven PD . 

Ever had a staff member who shares lots of opinions on things that maybe don't apply to her? You probably want to acknowledge her concerns but also encourage her to "stay in your lane!" On this week's episode, Karen and Christy talk about: - why you should feel grateful when staff bring complaints out of their "lane" - how to use teams to improve decision-making and reduce complaints - setting gro...

It can be anxiety-inducing for a principal to relay negative information to parents but especially when their child has made a mistake or engaged in a major behavior. On this episode of the pod, Karen and Christy talk about:  - how to get on top of behavior communication before the behavior even occurs - tips to prepare for a calm conversation - writing communication plans into behavior plans and...

In this episode, Christy and Karen interview Dr. Samantha Keppler, Assistant Professor of Technology and Operations, who studies education operations, or the management of human and material resources, in public schools.  In this episode Dr. Keppler helps principals: - understand the current data (or lack thereof) regarding how teachers are supplementing resources in their classrooms - the correla...

On this week's pod, Karen and Christy chat with Kyle Pearce and Jon Orr, the math instructional experts behind MakeMathMoments.com.  You'll find: - the best thing a principal can do to improve math instruction - the importance of content knowledge - offerings from Kyle and Jon that can help your school Check them out here:  www.makemathmoments.com - Math Math Moments Academy, District Improvement...

This week's pod welcomes Dr. Danielle Ricci, a high school principal and an educational leader with an expertise in cultivating collaborative cultures. Her research focuses on how school administrators lead teacher collaboration. Her background as an athlete has helped her to keep the concept of team at the heart of her work. Danielle is a wife, a mom to five, including newborn twins, and a cold-w...

The Speech Language Pathologist is an important role in any school. In this week's episode, we interview Hallie Sherman from Speech Time Fun and discuss:  - the expertise of your SLP - how to partner with your SLP - how to develop a strong working relationship - evaluation techniques for your SLP - the importance of helping your SLP connect with others - ways to retain your SLP Check out Hallie's...

Are you a principal who has thought about going back to school for your doctorate degree? Check out this week's pod where we discuss: - what to consider when looking at programs - if a degree is worth it for you - systems to help you get it all done - the importance of your advisor Check it out and let us know on Instagram @themodernprincipal if this episode helped you in your decision-making!  Re...

We contend that retention is the new recruitment, but sometimes you still need to hire when the pool is small! On this episode of the podcast, we talk about how to hire staff when there are few applicants to fill the roles.  Check out our sponsors: Just Right Reader 's Science of Reading decodables accelerate reading achievement with decodables packaged to support both in-school learning and famil...

It's hiring season (isn't it always hiring season now? #neverfullystaffed)! Episodes 39, 40, & 41 deep dive the hiring process from the principal perspective, but this episode gives you a quick overview of the things to consider before hiring for a particular position to keep you transparent and get you the best candidate possible! 

Decided it's time to leave the principalship but not sure what to do? In this week's pod, Karen and Christy talk about their own experiences leaving the role and other ideas to consider, too! We talk through roles within school districts and also roles outside! NAESP Life After the Principalship by Laurel Schmidt