Accelerate Your Performance

"Leaders as Great Coaches of Teams" Series, Part 7 Superintendent Bradley Roberson of Oxford School District is a leader who understands that true improvement transcends individual schools. He's committed to scaling successful practices across his district, throughout the state of Mississippi, and beyond. Join him in a conversation with Dr. Janet Pilcher as they dive into the strate...

"Leaders as Great Coaches of Teams" Series, Part 6 How do you empower students to set learning goals and track their own data? Principal Lori Phillips of Oak Grove Elementary shares with Dr. Janet Pilcher how a schoolwide scorecard drives both student achievement and teacher collaboration. Listen as she shares how working together toward a common goal has broken down silos and improved s...

"Leaders as Great Coaches of Teams" Series, Part 5 Escape the reactive cycle and become a solutions-focused leader. Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she returns for Part 2 of her interview with Dr. Holly Ellis. Listen as Janet reveals how a systems approach to leadership creates an engaged and productive work environment that tackles root causes and empowers teams to perform at their best. Cont...

"Leaders as Great Coaches of Teams" Series, Part 4 In this special episode, Studer Education's very own Dr. Holly Ellis flips the script and interviews podcast host Dr. Janet Pilcher. Listen to the first half of their conversation as Janet shares her reflections on recent conversations with Dr. Christi Barrett and Dr. Ryan Carpenter , exploring the essential role of coaching and con...

"Leaders as Great Coaches of Teams" Series, Part 3 Tune in to hear Dr. Ryan Carpenter, Superintendent of Estacada School District , share how he implements short cycles of improvement to build momentum and achieve results. Listen as he candidly discusses with Dr. Janet Pilcher how one short cycle of improvement often leads to the next and emphasizes the significance of completing the cyc...

"Leaders as Great Coaches of Teams" Series, Part 2 In part 2 of the series, Dr. Janet Pilcher welcomes back Dr. Christi Barrett , Superintendent of Hemet Unified School District , to dig into the impact of daily leadership huddles. Listen as Christi shares how this tool has reshaped her district's approach to student behavior, improved outcomes, and strengthened leadership capacity....

"Leaders as Great Coaches of Teams" Series Premiere Join Dr. Janet Pilcher, author of Hardwiring Excellence in Education , as she kicks off a new series that empowers leaders to become great coaches of their teams. In this short solo episode, Janet highlights four key focus areas for driving peak organizational performance in 2025. She also sets the stage for upcoming episodes, where she...

As the year comes to a close, Dr. Janet Pilcher reflects on the beauty of the holiday season, the lessons we can learn from A Charlie Brown Christmas , and the importance of finding purpose in the small things that bring us joy. Join Janet for a short, heartfelt episode as she reminds us to celebrate the messy yet beautiful moments of life. What’s your “little tree” this season? Recommended Resour...

What does it mean to "start where you are," and how can leaders leverage a cadre of the willing to drive meaningful change? Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she interviews Superintendent Julie Giannini-Previde to hear how she’s leading McKinleyville Union School District in their continuous improvement journey. Learn how Julie fosters collective efficacy among her team, uses rounding to build s...

What does it take to lead a school district through tough facilities challenges? Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she interviews Coy Sasse , Chief Financial and Operations Officer of Rapid City Area Schools , to hear how he champions a culture of excellence and positive accountability. Listen as Coy shares the strategies he and his team use to define, prioritize, and execute their most critical operation...

How do you set goals that deliver results? Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she unpacks the goal-setting process to help you prepare for the year ahead. Discover her "bull's eye" approach to identifying focus areas and growth opportunities, and hear her personal example of how effective goals must be achievable, believable, and backed by commitment.  This episode addresses questions such a...

As we enter the Thanksgiving season, join Dr. Janet Pilcher for a heartwarming solocast celebrating the impact of kindness. Drawing on the message, "Be kind," she shares how her parents and a beloved teacher instilled the values of compassion and generosity in her upbringing. Finally, she closes with a warm wish for you to experience the joy of kindness. Recommended Resources: How Gratit...

Expressing gratitude and recognizing a job well done are powerful leadership practices. Listen as Dr. Janet Pilcher describes how these practices build stability in both our personal and professional lives. Learn the importance of being specific and genuine in your appreciation, and be encouraged to thank those who make a difference every day.  This episode addresses questions such as: What three...

What does it mean to be a people-first leader, and what impact does that have on a school and community? Listen as Dr. Janet Pilcher sits down with Dr. Adam Leckie , Superintendent of Casa Grande Elementary School District , to hear how his district is creating a culture of gratitude by intentionally recognizing and celebrating the hard work of employees. Learn how his people-first leadership appr...

How does going slow to go fast build a strong foundation for continuous improvement? Join Superintendent Ira Porchia and Assistant Superintendent Jennifer Marroquin of Tulare City School District as they share with Dr. Janet Pilcher how a thoughtful, deliberate approach is building alignment and fostering a sense of belonging. Hear how practices like rounding, consistent communication, and recogni...

What is a rounding road show, and how is it being utilized by Oldham County Schools to achieve service excellence? Listen as Superintendent Dr. Jason Radford shares how he takes this tactic on the road so his leadership team can gain valuable input from all 1,500 employees. Learn how it positively impacts the district's culture and enhances service excellence satisfaction, as reflected in the...

Are you attending What’s Right in Education? Listen as Dr. Janet Pilcher previews Studer Education’s thirteenth annual K12 leadership conference, where leaders will gather to share impact stories and demonstrate how they apply the Nine Principles® Framework daily. Even if you're not able to attend, she invites you to continue tuning in each week as we highlight the stories of superintendents...

To build excitement for the upcoming What's Right in Education conference in Colorado, Dr. Janet Pilcher invites Superintendent Mike Crawford from nearby Mapleton Public Schools to talk about his continuous improvement journey. Listen as he shares how he maintains strong relationships with the school board, promotes collaboration among staff, and regularly engages in the rounding process. Rec...

Developing skilled leaders is a top priority at Manitou Springs School District 14 . Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she speaks with Superintendent Sean Dorsey about his dedication to building a robust leadership pipeline. Listen as he shares how his partnership with Studer Education empowers him to provide this development and achieve performance excellence within the district. This episode addresses q...

What's a better mindset than "failing fast and failing often"? Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she explores how reframing this phrase with positive language shifts the focus from failure to growth—exactly where it belongs in education. Recommended Resources: Why I dislike the phrase "Fail Fast, Fail Often," Continuous Improvement: Adjusting Through Disruption , How One School Di...

Hardwiring systems is non-negotiable. If we want to take calculated risks, we need stable foundations and reliable processes to weather disruptions. Listen as Dr. Janet Pilcher defines what it means to hardwire excellence in education and how this approach builds trust with employees, empowering them to feel deeply connected to their work and confident to innovate. Recommended Resources: The Matur...

What would a school look like if all faculty and support staff regularly met to discuss student successes and challenges? It would look exactly like Mountainside Success Academy in El Dorado County Office of Education . Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she interviews Principal Maria Osborne and Instructional Strategist Sharon Shipley about their approach and experiences in leading and teaching students i...

How can you create departments that people want to work in? Amy Andersen and Meghan McAndrews, both operational leaders in El Dorado County Office of Education , join Dr. Janet Pilcher to share about their improvement work in human resources and transportation. Listen and learn how they’ve successfully implemented rounding and targeted training to elevate workplace culture, boost retention, and st...

Throughout the summer, Dr. Janet Pilcher has had the privilege of interviewing exceptional leaders and teachers from educational organizations across the country. Join her as she reflects on how these individuals demonstrate a strong commitment to excellence through their relentless focus on continuous improvement. Listen as she highlights how prioritizing improvement over mere accountability lays...

What can you achieve when you collaborate with students to identify their learning barriers and make a plan to overcome them? According to Kristen Anderson, Director of Instructional Development, and Cheyenne Roberts, Teaching and Learning Specialist, the answer is collective efficacy. Join Dr. Janet Pilcher along with Kristen and Cheyenne as they discuss Hemet Unified School District 's clas...