Transformative Principal

Ryan Steuer launched the first Project Based Learning middle school in the country and is the founder of Magnify Learning , a PBL professional development organization that equips teachers, instructional coaches, and principals across the country to engage learners, tackle boredom, and transform classrooms. Prior to founding Magnify Learning, Ryan was an engineer for a Fortune 50 company, 8th grad...

Andrew Terry is in his 24th year in education. He graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Spanish degree and received his masters in Education in 1999. He began as a Spanish teacher  at the middle and high school levels before moving into administration in 2006. In 2016 he became the principal at Anchorage Public School in the Louisville Kentucky area and has been there for 7 years. Obser...

Josh DeSmyter is the proud principal of Shrevewood Elementary in Falls Church, Virginia. He has worked in education for 15 years in Detroit, Washington D.C. and now in Virginia. Josh is currently in his eighth year as an administrator in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS). He leads with the three core beliefs of Family, Excellence and Relationships at the forefront of his work. Josh has taken Sh...

This week is our first “coaching” call with Principal Eric Makelky. We jump on a zoom call, and hit record. You get to hear it. In this episode, Eric shares how, a month into school, he’s getting pulled in all directions and can’t get focused on doing what needs to be done! Have you ever felt that way? I know I have! He’s showing up late to meetings, getting too many todos, and just feels like he’...

Amelia Leighton Gamel shares her take on the real causes of educators burning out and leaving the classroom, as well as what solutions leaders need to be focused on to retain staff.  Classroom management bootcamps, teacher mentorship programs, parent involvement, and administrator support are all part of her equation to help teachers be successful and stay in the profession.  Happy teachers, happy...

Dr. Marcus Belin serves as the Principal of Huntley High School and President of the Illinois Principals Association. Dr. Belin, native of Chicago, Illinois. attended Bradley University, where he received his bachelor’s in elementary education (‘10) followed by a master’s in education administration (‘14). He completed his doctorate at National Louis University in July 2020. Why it’s important for...

James Moffett is a principal in Kansas and he loves kids. Pretty empathetic Relationships Teri Barilla Question things I did as an educator If you were doing these things before the pandemic, you were as ready as you could be for the pandemic If you wouldn’t accept it from your supervisor, don’t dish it out to your kids. Accountability, structure, consequences, - all structured in love. It’s such...

In this episode, there is a bit of passing of the baton, as we introduce the next Transformative Principal, Eric Makelky. Eric will be recording the majority of the podcast episodes you hear over the next few months as we try a little experiment. We don’t know how it will work out, but we are hopeful. Each month, Jethro will have a coaching session with Eric that you will get to listen to see what...

Nadine Levitt Twitter is a Swiss-born German, Kiwi, US transplant, and founder of the music technology company, Wurrly, LLC. She began her career as a lawyer but after 6 years of practice, she began to pursue a career in music as a professional opera singer and songwriter. She has performed extensively all over the United States and the world, sharing the stage with David Foster, Andrea Boccelli,...

Thomas R. Hoerr, PhD retired after leading the New City School in St. Louis, Missouri for 34 years and is now the Emeritus Head of School. He is currently a Scholar In Residence at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and teaches in the Educational Leadership program, preparing prospective principals. He also led the ISACS New Heads Network and founded the Non-Profit Management Program at Washing...

Dr. Sadin has served as a special education teacher, a gifted education teacher, and a building administrator.  Most recently she served as a director of special education.  Dr. Sadin has been vice-president of her local School Board and is recognized as a Master School Board Member. She has conducted research on the perceptions of teachers working to create trauma-informed classrooms.  Dr. Sadin...

Show notes In this episode, Ross Romano and I share our vision for the BE Podcast Network! We talk about: 1. Origins of the idea and formation 2. What to expect when we launch 3. Vision and values behind the network 4. Benefits to listeners 5. Benefits to creators 6. How to engage https://bepodcast.network Sponsors Transformative Principal Mastermind Lead a school everyone can be proud of. Being a...

Ross Purdy Dean of Students at The Fay School in Houston. How can I best grab their hearts first? Want what’s best and care for them. 3rd year at Fay Being present asking questions, listening. Come in with a clean slate. I’m a goer and a a doer. Outdoor education program. With some students you have to earn the right to have their world opened up to you. 3.5 acres of forest that sits on the buffal...

Michael D. Toth is founder and CEO of Learning Sciences International and leads LSI’s Applied Research Center. He is also the author of the multi-award-winning book The Power of Student Teams with David Sousa; author of Who Moved My Standards; and co-author with Robert Marzano of The Essentials of a Standards-Driven Classroom, School Leadership for Results, and Teacher Evaluation that Makes a Diff...

Dr. Susie Wise is a design leader with experience in the education, tech, and the social sectors. She coaches leaders in equity design and innovation practices. She teaches at the d.school at Stanford. Previously she founded and directed the K12 Lab at the d.school and co-created Liberatory Design. She is the author of the book Designing for Belonging . She was a previous guest on Transformative P...

Mark is the author of The Career Toolkit, Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You . Educated at MIT, Mark has spent his career launching and fixing new ventures at startups, Fortune 500s, and academia. He’s developed new software languages, online marketplaces, new authentication systems, and tracked criminals and terrorists on the dark web. Mark helped create the Undergraduate Practic...

Social media: The Be Podcast Network: Shows that help you be the change you want to see! Summer of Super Cool Surprises! I’m so excited to be talking to you again today. So far, this summer has been full of surprises, but I have something else for you today! I’m super excited to announce the Be Podcast Network. I’m expanding what I offer here at Transformative Principal to include more podcasts fo...

Dr Briony Scott is an Australian educator and columnist, and the Principal of Wenona in North Sydney, an independent K–12 girls school. Dr Scott has a Masters and Doctorate in Education from the University of Sydney; specialising in girls’ education, technology and pedagogy, motivational theory, and choice in education. Prior to Wenona, Dr Scott was Principal of Roseville College. She has worked a...

In the world of education, no matter how confident, competent or experienced you are – pressure is a part of every process.  How well you handle those challenges, changes, and problems will often determine how successful you are going be. Michael Licenblat is a resilience expert who teaches people how to thrive in high pressure environments by bouncing back from pressures, challenges and setbacks....

Mr. Jorge Ruiz is the Head of School of the International School of Sosua. He has been in the field of education for 20+ years. Mr. Ruiz has been a teacher in the Primary, Secondary, and University levels; as well as an administrator for Primary and Secondary. Mr. Ruiz is an educational consultant, specialized in Project-Based Learning, Professional Learning Communities, and Shared Leadership. He...

Last month I talked about the TBD framework for making career decisions, and as I teased at the end of that episode, I was evaluating a current opportunity for myself. Today, I’m going to walk you through my thought process using the TBD framework. First, a little review, because maybe you don’t listen to every single episode! Gasp! TBD stands for Tribe, Brand, and Domain. I learned about it becau...

Dr. Kyle Palmer is Author of the new book Parentships in a PLC He is an HR Administrator in Kansas City in Central school district. Kyle was on Episode 79 of Transformative Principal. Parents are so important Teachers who are afraid to reach out to If parents truly understood teachers roles. Education triangle - teachers and parents working together with students. For 2 years, we’ve put up a giant...

Melissa Sherman grew up in rural Virginia playing in the woods and streams. Taught PK–7th grade in public and independent school in VA, AL, TN for 17 years before becoming a principal Was a title I reaching coach/interventionist for much of this time Now am a principal of a small independent PK–5th grade School, The Fay School in Houston We have chickens, a 3 acre forest and have kids spend lots o...

Spike Cook, Ed. D., Principal, Lakeside Middle School , Millville, NJ. In addition to being a Principal, Dr. Cook published two books through Corwin Press ( Connected Leadership: It’s Just a Click Away ; Breaking Out of Isolation: Becoming a Connected School Leader ). He is the co-host of the popular PrincipaPLN podcast and a regular on the Unlock the Middle Videocast . His blog, Insights Into Lea...

Michelle Goldshlag is the Co-founder and CEO of Cultured Kids (CK) , a nonprofit organization that believes a student’s sense of belonging is the primary catalyst for their success. In her six years at the helm, Cultured Kids has partnered with schools and community organizations in Northern VA and the Metro Boston area, as well as provide consulting services for international museums and global o...