Transformative Principal

🎯 What’s in This Episode? I’m on the lookout for 10 beta testers to join me in shaping the future of the SchoolX Book Study . This isn’t just another course—I’m transforming the live book study into an asynchronous, self-paced experience , and I’d love for you to be part of the process. 💡 Why Should You Join as a Beta Tester? • Early Access: Get hands-on with the SchoolX Book Study before anyone...

In this episode, host Jethro Jones chats with Mike Caldwell, the founder of LinkEd Leaders. They discuss the importance of on-demand mentorship for school leaders, the benefits of having an outside perspective, and the significance of creating a brave space for vulnerability and growth. Mike shares insights on the unique challenges faced by principals and the power of peer-to-peer mentoring. Telec...

In this episode, Jethro Jones interviews Dr. Nason Lollar, author of 'The Five Principles of Educator Professionalism'. They discuss the erosion of trust in the education system, the impact of educational fads, and the importance of professional development and teacher morale in rebuilding trust. Chasing fads leads to a lack of trust.  COVID exacerbating issues.  Technology could be a fad. Take ow...

In this episode, Jethro Jones interviews Dr. Layne Dillard, an educational leader with over 27 years of experience in transforming schools and empowering leaders. Dr. Dillard shares insights on achieving 100% reading proficiency among third graders, the importance of teaching at grade level, and strategies for effective school improvement. Cast a vision, shoot for the moon, maybe you’ll hit the st...

In this podcast episode, Joel Lavin and Jethro Jones discuss transition services for students with disabilities as they mature out of the K-12 schooling program. We talk about combining CTE and Transition Services to make sure students are prepared for life, independence, self determination, communication, and living on their own. See Joel’s previous interview on Transformative Principal episodes...

In this episode, Jethro Jones interviews Dr. Sandy Breece, founder and superintendent of Telesis Center for Learning Incorporated. They discuss Dr. Breece's journey starting a school before the concept of charter schools existed, her commitment to small class sizes and individualized instruction, and her advice for those looking to start their own schools today. They also delve into the power of c...

In this episode,  Jethro Jones interviews Meira Koponen, a learning designer at Kahoot. They discuss the importance of game-based learning, the integration of AI to enhance classroom experiences, and innovative approaches to make learning more inclusive and engaging. Meira shares her experiences from Finland, her passion for education, and some exciting new features of Kahoot that support both tea...

Public Benefit Corporations Benefit of school leaders School is nestled within a community Being authentic in who they are so they can show up authentically.  Things happen for a reason.  Breaking inappropriate rules Truth vs. truth Theory of Development Bronfenbrenner, U. (1977). Toward an experimental ecology of human development. American Psychologist, 32 (7), 513–531. https://doi.org/10.1037/0...

Kevin would bring a deep passion and eagerness to discuss the impact of our latest project, the docuseries "What We Show Them" with the goal to engage your audience in a vital conversation about the future of learning, inspiring positive change in education through the power of media.    DO I feel safe in this school?  Sign - All visitors need to report to main office Safety is the basic issue of...

The Power of ICU - focuses on giving kids what they need when they need it.  Bringing it all back to Tier 1.  ICU Menu Changing language - how can I help you, what can I do for you?  Lifeguards - 7 Lifeguards ICU time (Advisory/WIN/RTI time) 9 departments - every subject is involved and every subject matters.  35 minute window - walk around helping students. Love beeps.  About 75 students per teac...

In this episode of Transformative Principal, host Jethro Jones interviews Erik Francis, an expert in educational leadership and the creator of Maverik Education AI. Francis discusses the role of AI in education, emphasizing the importance of authenticity and critical thinking. Key points include: AI's Limitations: ChatGPT and other AI tools can sometimes produce inaccurate information due to the n...

Dr. David Lipman joins Jethro to talk about critical aspects of health optimization and its impact on our well-being in a modern world filled with physical and environmental stressors. Dr. Lipman discusses how everyday stress activates our fight-or-flight response, depleting energy at a cellular level and affecting our health. He advocates for grounding practices like walking barefoot on natural s...

This episode with Eric Sheninger and Nicki Slaugh discusses their book "Personalize: Meeting the Needs of All Learners" and their insights on transformative education practices, particularly at Quest Academy. Quest Academy's approach emphasizes student engagement and personalized learning. They prioritize retaining teachers and students by fostering a culture of choice, voice, and evidence-based p...

In this episode, Mike Duncan, president and CEO of Battelle for Kids, explores the concept of a portrait of a graduate and its importance in shaping education. He discusses the need to include all voices in creating a portrait that reflects the competencies most important to students' success. Duncan emphasizes the value of inquiry-based learning, self-direction, and creating products that have an...

In this episode, David Schipper, director of the Strategic Learning Clinic, discusses the challenges that students face in reaching their full potential. He highlights the prevalence of SAD (Stubborn Adult Disorder) as a major obstacle and emphasizes the need to address the soft bigotry of low expectations. Schipper argues that learning to read is the number one civil rights issue of our time and...

In this podcast interview, Julie Ulstrup discusses the concept of the "Zone of Brilliance," where individuals can create a vision and achieve their dreams. She emphasizes the importance of having a definite chief aim and aligning one's actions, time, and money with that aim. Ulstrup highlights the common problem of educators providing a lot of value but not being compensated fairly for it. She sug...

On June 10, 2024, Passion Driven Leadership celebrated two schools in the Orange Township School District with the designation of being Passion Driven Schools. (see links below) PDL - Orange Recap June 2024.mp4 Passion Driven Schools - Dr. Fitzhugh Interview .mov This means that they have decided to make Intentional Self-Care a priority for the adults in schools and completed our two-year process....

Welcome to our National Literacy Month series of podcasts , presented in partnership between the Be Podcast Network and Reading Is Fundamental (RIF). In this episode of Transformative Principal, Jodi Rubin, Senior Vice President of Marketing & Partnerships at Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), discusses the "Rally to Read 100" initiative. Launched in response to declining reading frequency and moti...

Dr. Daris McInnis joins Jethro to explore the complex nature of the reading process and the pivotal role that parents play in building literacy foundations at home. Dr. McInnis emphasizes the expertise that parents bring to the table, urging schools to honor and tap into that knowledge. He challenges the assumptions that parents inherently have everything they need to support their child's learnin...

Welcome to our National Literacy Month series of podcasts , presented in partnership between the Be Podcast Network and Reading Is Fundamental (RIF). How schools have turned off millions of kids from loving reading.  “We escaped a train wreck because of my son” Balanced Literacy 3-cueing.  Explicit and systematic way to sound out words.  Kenneth Goodman - founder of whole language, which is what b...

Welcome to our National Literacy Month series of podcasts , presented in partnership between the Be Podcast Network and Reading Is Fundamental (RIF). Dr. Jocelyn Washburn , an associate director of the Center for Research on Learning at the University of Kansas, discusses the Strategic Instruction Model (SIM), an approach to instruction that focuses on teaching students learning strategies. SIM ha...

Welcome to our National Literacy Month series of podcasts , presented in partnership between the Be Podcast Network and Reading Is Fundamental (RIF). In this interview, Tanya Sheckley and Brittany Botta from Up Academy discussed their Rebel Project Literacy Curriculum. They explained that project-based learning often didn't align well with literacy, so they developed this curriculum that focuses o...

This episode is a special episode from UDL-Con, powered by CAST. CAST just released the Guidelines for (Universal Design for Learning) UDL 3.0, which you can find here . If you don't know what UDL is, it's a way to make learning accessible for everyone! You can check out more about the webinars here . Enjoy this special episode. Jethro Jones interviews Missy Emler and Mia Chmiel, who host the UDLF...

Welcome to our National Literacy Month series of podcasts , presented in partnership between the Be Podcast Network and Reading Is Fundamental (RIF). The podcast will discuss RIF's approach to partnerships, emphasizing the importance of both national reach and localized collaboration. It will explore strategies for promoting literacy, such as creating reading spaces in everyday locations like laun...

This episode is a special episode from UDL-Con, powered by CAST. CAST just released the Guidelines for (Universal Design for Learning) UDL 3.0, which you can find here . If you don't know what UDL is, it's a way to make learning accessible for everyone! You can check out more about the webinars here . Enjoy this special episode. Jethro Jones is joined by Alex Dang-Lozano from WestEd. They discuss...