The School Leadership Show

What if the best self-care strategy for school leaders isn't another wellness activity, but learning how to lead from a more regulated place? In this episode of The School Leadership Show, I sit down with Erica Ebert to move beyond the "yoga your way out of it" clichés and talk about what real self-care and regulated leadership look like in schools. Drawing on her 28 years of K-12 experience, Eric...

In this episode of The School Leadership Show, I interview acclaimed author and reading expert Timothy Shanahan. We delve into Timothy's new book, 'Leveled Reading, Leveled Lives' discussing the troubling stagnation in U.S. reading levels and how traditional approaches to reading instruction have failed over the decades. Timothy critiques the widespread but ineffective method of using leveled read...

In this episode of the School Leadership Show, I had the pleasure of interviewing Amanda Bickerstaff, co-founder and CEO of  AI for Education . We delved into Amanda's rich background in education and her pioneering work with AI. Amanda shared her journey from teaching high school biology in New York City to founding AI for Education, a platform dedicated to promoting AI literacy among educators a...

In this episode, I, Mike Doughty facilitates a conversation with cabinet level leaders sponsored by the New York State Council of School Superintendents (NYSCOSS). The group talked about strategies for finding the joy in work, cultivating positive culture in the workplace, and striving for work-life balance. If you're a cabinet level leader in New York State and would like to join future conversat...

In this special episode from the NYSCATE Conference, I, Mike Doughty, and Christy Bezrutczyk discuss the influence of technology and AI on the developing student brain.  We examine recent findings in neuroscience, the impact of screen time and blue light on learning and behavior, and the evolving role of AI in education. Our conversation stresses the importance of balanced technology integration,...

I am excited to share a conversation I had recently with the New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA) on The President's Gavel podcast. This episode, based on a popular session from this year's Leadership in Education Event, explores media literacy and why it is arguably the most crucial skill set we need to teach students today. Join us as we delve into the challenges of the modern infor...

How important is it to stay in touch with pop culture as a school leader? In this episode, I chat with Brooke Hammerling, the host of "Pop Culture Mondays… on Thursdays" podcast and the author of the widely read Pop Culture Mondays Newsletter. We dive into Brooke's unique journey from PR and communications to becoming a vital source of pop culture knowledge, especially for a gen Xer like me. Brook...

How does one navigate the journey from English teacher to Superintendent? In this episode, I sit down with the recently retired Marie Wiles in a unique in-person interview. We dive deep into her 36-year-long career, from early teaching days and curriculum development to her tenure in various leadership roles, including her time as a BOCES district superintendent. Marie shares her insights on the i...

Feeling overwhelmed by the complexities of leadership today? Tune in to learn how building your self-regulation can help you navigate dysregulated times and have more effective conversations. In this episode, my co-host Jenn David-Lang and I had the pleasure of speaking with the amazing Jennifer Abrams, whom I see as a guru of interpersonal relations in education. Jennifer, a full-time internation...

In this episode, I had the privilege of speaking with Howie Schneider, the executive director of the Center for News Literacy at Stony Brook University's School of Communication and Journalism. Howie shared his fascinating journey from a 35-year career in journalism, including being the editor of Newsday, to leading the charge in preparing citizens to navigate today's complex information landscape...

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang interviews Jenice Pizzuto and Steven Carney about their book Implement with IMPACT: A Strategic Framework for Leading School and District Initiatives. The discussion focuses on their strategic framework for effectively implementing school and district initiatives using research-based practices. They emphasize the importance of including stakeholders, meticulous pla...

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang sits down with renowned educator and turnaround Principal Kafele to discuss his latest—and most personally significant—book: "What Is My Value Instructionally to the Teachers I Supervise?" This conversation zeroes in on the principal's role as an instructional leader. Principal Kafele makes it clear that the core focus of his message—and his latest book—is on how a...

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang took the reins and had a fascinating conversation with Michael McDowell, author of Rigor Redefined: 10 Teaching Habits for Surface, Deep, and Transfer Learning. Listen to the podcast to hear how Michael challenges our traditional understanding of rigor. Apparently, rigor isn't just about things being "hard" or doing a lot of work quickly. Instead, it's defined as a...

In this episode, I'm incredibly excited to be joined by two amazing people: my fantastic co-host, Jenn David-Lang, who's also stepping in as a guest today, and the one and only Kim Marshall! We're diving into a topic that feels more important than ever right now: supporting new teachers. It's something I'm seeing firsthand as my daughter navigates her first year teaching, and believe me, it's a ch...

In this episode, Jenn and I are thrilled to welcome William Parker! A longtime educator from Oklahoma who transitioned into full-time consulting, speaking, and writing, Will is the author of "Messaging Matters" and his new book, "Whose Permission Are You Waiting For?: An Educator's Guide to Doing What You Love" Will shares how his new book, born from coaching conversations with high-achieving lead...

In this episode, Jenn has a conversation with one of the educators who was featured prominently in Harry and Rosemary Wong's latest book, THE New Teacher Induction Book: How to Recruit, Train, and Retain New Teachers . Tara Link is a leader who started an induction program 18 years ago in Moberly, Missouri. She joined Jenn to talk about Rosemary and Harry Wong's latest book, and she had so many us...

March is Women's History Month! This episode features a conversation with LaVonna Roth, an inspirational speaker and consultant whose work has inspired women leaders everywhere. Jenn introduced LaVonna, highlighting her impactful speaking on leadership. LaVonna shared her "S.H.I.N.E." framework, initially for students but powerfully applicable to adults and leaders. SHINE represents Self, Heart, I...

Responding to emergencies takes two things: leadership and communication. Are you prepared? Mike and Jenn had a truly productive conversation with school preparedness expert, Chris Joffe. He talked about everything from why leaders need to start with themselves and understand how THEY respond to emergencies. He also shared that one of the essential keys is having an emergency org chart and teams t...

Khalid Oluewu, principal of Webster Elementary School in Chicago, has done what many principals would love to do: He has created structures and practices at his school to ACCELERATE learning for all, and in particular for Black males. Wow. The idea started when he was a teacher and taught middle school math and had students come to him years behind. He looped with the students and in three short y...

After 30 years in the field Elena Aguilar gathered all of her experience and learning and put together the most powerful book on coaching we've seen --  Arise: The Art of Transformational Coaching . Elena sees coaching as the way -- one conversation at a time -- that we transform our schools. In this deeply insightful conversation she shares the importance of coaching more than the teacher BEHAVIO...

Mike returns to the podcast! Jenn and Mike had a great conversation with Coach Carlos about his book Power Engage: Seven Power Moves for Building Strong Relationships to Increase Engagement with Students. No, he's not a coach of a sports team, but a former school leader who has successfully turned around three failing schools by improving STUDENT ENGAGEMENT.   How? By focusing on relationships. Te...

Megan Tshannen-Moran and Jenn had a delightful conversation about the power of trust in schools. It is one of three factors that is so powerful that it oustrips SES in predicting student achievement. Far from being a "soft skill," building trust has become a must-have skill for educational leaders. In this conversation Megan not only defines trust for us, but she also gives us lots of concrete str...

What a great conversation about the new book, The Artificial Intelligence Playbook: Time-Saving Tools for Teachers that Make Learning More Engaging! Jenn got to talk to all three of the authors: Meghan Hargrave, Douglas Fisher, and Nancy Frey and learned so much. We discussed everything from what AI is and isn't, to the reasons leaders should address teachers' emotions around AI, to whether AI is...

You probably know Charles Duhigg from his book, The Power of Habit. Or maybe Smarter Faster Better. Now he has a newer book out that is another great resource for school leaders — Supercommunnicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection. Charles shares with Jenn how people mess up communication and how to improve it. He says that most miscommunication happens when we are having differe...

Jenn had an outstanding conversation with Robert Feirsen, one of the two authors of From Conflict to Collaboration , along with author Seth Weitzman. They chatted about the tough stuff – like how prevalent conflict is in schools and a number of the sources of that conflict. But then Robert shared the positive way he thinks about conflict and how we, too, can use conflict as an opportunity for lear...