TheSchoolHouse302 One Thing Series School Leadership Podcast

What You Should Know About Dan Dan Shortridge, author of DIY Public Relations, is a communications and marketing consultant and author with more than 20 years of experience in the trenches of local public relations and daily journalism. He's led communications for a school district and state government agencies and has helped support small businesses and nonprofits. He holds a master's of educatio...

In this episode of 302 Thoughts, Joe and T.J. riff on how school leaders take control of their school’s story. Schools are unique and complex hubs of the community, doing incredible things each and every day that must be shared. The harsh reality is that many people believe that schools are failing our students. There is no doubt that schools and schools systems can improve, but great things are h...

About Amanda Holdsworth Dr. Amanda Holdsworth, APR, is the founder of Holdsworth Communications, a PR and enrollment marketing agency in the education sector; the School Comms Lab, a membership community for school communicators; and Comms Mom, a global community for moms working in communications. A former collegiate tennis and soccer player, Amanda earned a B.S.B.A. in Communications Management...

School leaders who want to build a strong school brand recognize the importance of learning specific skills to do so effectively. This month Joe and T.J. offer two books that reinforce their 5 ways that school leaders can think like a marketer and tell your school’s story. Culture is King--Marketing is about who you are, not what you are Great Brands Make a Difference--Marketing is about innovatio...

About Jonathan Alsheimer Jonathan Alsheimer is the unorthodox, energetic, and entertaining middle school teacher who refuses to live a life of limitations. Jonathan is often referred to as "my favorite teacher" by his students, and he’s the author of NEXT LEVEL TEACHING. As a passionate educator and National Keynote Speaker, Jonathan Alsheimer presents about limitless possibilities for teachers an...

If You’re Going to Lead then You Must Read Learning and growing as a school leader through reflection, training, and experience is a professional choice. One powerful way to improve is through reading great books, which is why we feature two books on a particular topic each month. These are books that we have curated from 100s of titles to help school leaders to lead better and grow faster. This m...

In this episode of 302 Thoughts, Joe and T.J. dig into how school leaders must be very tactical about supporting their new teachers. So much time is spent identifying personnel needs, preparing for interviews, drafting the right questions, using the write words in the position posting, and the interview itself, but all of that means nothing if you fail to support teachers once they are hired. That...

About Frederick White Dr. Frederick White is the COO of Digital PD 4 You, LLC and the author of the book, The Skin You Are In: Colorism in the Black Community, the First (2020) and Second (2021) Edition. Frederick has served as a leader in the educational field for twenty-four years. Dr. White has also spent the past fourteen years serving as an AVID staff development instructor. Dr. White obtaine...

302 Thoughts for School Leaders In this episode of 302 Thoughts, Joe and T.J. dig into how school leaders must shift their minds to lead better and grow faster. Shifting our mindset is not easy. It requires a dogged pursuit to focus our mind in the most productive ways to function better as a leader. There are two major shifts that are worth making--embracing courage instead of being ruled by fear...

Leaders are Readers Learning and growing as a school leader through reflection, training, and experience is a professional choice. One powerful way to improve is through reading great books, which is why we feature two books on a particular topic each month. These are books that we believe can help school leaders to lead better and grow faster. This month we are completely focused on two mental sh...

Leaders have to regularly do hard things. ~ Ryan Hawk About Ryan Hawk Ryan Hawk is the host of The Learning Leader Show. He has recorded more than 475 episodes over the past 7 years. Forbes called The Learning Leader Show, “the most dynamic leadership podcast around.” Inc Magazine said, “it’s one of the 5 podcasts to make you a smarter leader.” Apple named it an “all-time best seller” in 2020 and...

In this episode of 302 Thoughts, Joe and T.J. dig into how school leaders can turn adversity into opportunity. Every leader will face issues and how they perceive those problems often determines how they will approach them, which can be the difference between success and failure. Listen to Joe describe the power of It’s Possible. This isn’t just wishful thinking but an earnest belief that regardle...

Leaders are Readers Learning and growing as a school leader through reflection, training, and experience is a professional choice. One powerful way to improve is through reading great books, which is why we feature a couple of books on a particular topic each month. These are books we enjoy and believe are worth reading. Our aim is to link great books to our theme for the month. This month we are...

When we start a new initiative in schools, we have to take into account the rich tapestry of things that are already in place. ~ Nathan Maynard About Nathan Maynard Nathan Maynard is a youth advocate, educational leader, and change maker. He is the co-author of the Washington Post bestselling and award-winning book, Hacking School Discipline: 9 Ways to Create a Culture of Empathy and Responsibilit...

In this episode of 302 Thoughts, Joe and T.J. dig into how leaders can implement, develop, and support innovation in schools by identifying three ideas that actually work for school leaders. Innovation in schools is often a byproduct of other areas of focus. For example, if schools purchase instructional technology, many leaders hope that the byproduct will be innovation. The fallacy in this appro...

Great School Leaders are Avid Readers Learning and growing as a school leader through reflection, training, and experience is a professional choice. One powerful way to improve is through reading great books, which is why we feature a couple of books that we benefit from each month. Our aim is to link great books to our theme for the month. This month we are focused on school leaders who know that...

About David Brazer S. David Brazer is Principal Consultant at. Formerly Associate Professor and Director of Leadership Degree Programs in the Stanford University Graduate School of Education (where he earned his Ph. D.), Brazer continues to design courses and teach in the Stanford EdLEADers online professional development program for executive level education leaders. Brazer’s theory development a...

In this episode of 302 Thoughts, Joe and T.J. dig into a major responsibility of school leaders that very often poses challenges. Although professional learning is common in schools, not everyone views it as a primary vehicle for getting better. Whether for personal development or improving instructional practices, leveling up one’s skills aren’t always viewed with a positive attitude. There are a...

Great School Leaders are Avid Readers Learning and growing as a school leader through reflection, training, and experience is a professional choice. One powerful way to improve is through reading great books, which is why we feature a couple of great books each month. Our aim is to link great books to our theme for the month. This month we are focused on school leaders who want to build a culture...

In this episode of 302 Thoughts, Joe and T.J. tackle a common topic in education--support. Although common, it’s an elusive concept because it means so many different things for so many different people. It is also challenging to do in a systematic and organized way. We also should clarify that we are not talking about showing support when needed, but rather building a culture of support. In this...

About Dan Butler Dan Butler serves as the principal of Epworth Elementary School and has been named the next Superintendent in the Western Dubuque Community School District effective July 1. Previously, he was the principal of Epworth and Farley Elementary Schools simultaneously for four years, focusing on positive relationships with all members of the learning community, high impact instructional...

Great School Leaders are Avid Readers Learning and growing as a school leader through reflection, training, and experience is a professional choice. One powerful way to improve is through reading great books, which is why we feature a couple each month. Our aim is to link great books to our theme for the month. This month we are focused on rethinking what accountability looks like in schools. We’v...

In this episode of 302 Thoughts, Joe and T.J. take a deep dive into how school and district leaders, at all levels, can rethink accountability in a post-pandemic world. The tough reality is that many of the mandated efforts force school leaders to take a direction that leaves other critical work in its wake. Ask any effective principal, assistant principal, or district leader and they can tell you...

About Joy Kelly Joy Kelly has been an educator for more than 25 years. She has served as a high school teacher, 7-12 parochial school principal, and a public high school associate principal, where she was named the Iowa 2015 Associate Principal of the Year. After serving as high school principal, Joy currently serves as the Head of School at Regina Catholic Education Center. Having been a principa...

Great School Leaders are Avid Readers Learning and growing as a school leader through reflection, training, and experience is a professional choice. One powerful way to improve is through reading great books, which is why we feature a couple each month. Our aim is to link great books to our theme for the month. This month we are focused on rethinking what accountability looks like in schools. We’v...