Accelerate Your Performance

As Dr. Christi Barrett from Hemet Unified School District reminds us in this episode, "Hope is not a plan." For meaningful improvement to occur, she emphasizes that leaders must use hope to fuel intentional actions. Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she engages with Christi to discuss Hemet's ongoing improvement journey, with a special focus on their recent classroom initiatives. Listen as...

Creating a learning environment modeled on a healthy family unit might sound unconventional, but at Child Development Centers of Erie, Pennsylvania, it works. Join County Director Pam Sampsell and Lead Preschool Teacher Kaylee Kellerman as they share with Dr. Janet Pilcher their unique approach to help students ages 0-5 learn emotional self regulation. Listen as Pam and Kaylee share how classroom...

Can you believe we've reached episode 350? Join Dr. Janet Pilcher in celebrating this milestone as she expresses her heartfelt gratitude to you. Listen as she encourages you to recognize someone this week by handwriting a thank-you note. And be inspired as she shares her own note of appreciation for you. Recommended Resources: Transform Culture with Reward and Recognition , The Power of Rewar...

Good leaders listen humbly, and as Dr. Janet Pilcher often says, they pay ridiculous attention to details. Join Janet and Dr. Kraig Sproles , Superintendent of Bethel School District , as they explore the intersection of analytical and interpersonal approaches in their leadership practices. Listen as Kraig shares his candid thoughts on failing forward, all in service of getting better at getting b...

How do leaders stay true to their values during challenging times? And how do they respond to critical incidents and make tough decisions? Listen and learn as Dr. Janet Pilcher and Dr. Pat Greco continue part two of their reflective conversation from last week where they address these questions and underscore how developing their people is at the heart of everything they do. Recommended Resources:...

What is impactful leadership? According to Dr. Janet Pilcher and returning guest, Dr. Pat Greco , it's all about making a difference, having a clear purpose, and creating meaningful and positive experiences for those they lead and serve. Listen now to hear part one of Janet and Pat's conversation about their key learnings over the past year, what it means to be a level ten leader, and le...

Join Dr. Janet Pincher for a special conversation with Dr. Chris Hartley , Deputy Executive Director at the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence . Together they discuss the evolving educational priorities from both state and national perspectives. They also dig into California’s approach in building coherence around the services provided to all districts in California. Listen now to...

What's more important than accountability? Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she interviews Superintendent Bradley Roberson from the Oxford School District , who emphasizes the importance of focusing on daily actions that truly make a difference. Listen as he highlights the significance of creating a workplace culture that celebrates innovation, recognizes small wins, and promotes trust. This episode...

What learning gains can students make when their teachers and leaders are practicing a growth mindset? Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she interviews Principal Patches Calhoun and teacher Ms. LaTonya Smith from Della Davidson Elementary in Oxford, MS . Listen now to learn what it takes to create an inspiring workplace where mindset matters and students achieve phenomenal outcomes. This episode addresses...

It may be the start of the summer, but it's prime planning time for educational leaders. Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she explores three ways to think about building inspiring workplaces for our staff and inspiring classrooms for our students for the upcoming school year. Listen now as she highlights how educators and leaders can create remarkable experiences for all students all the time. This...

How can school districts effectively cascade and communicate strategic plans? Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she interviews Superintendent Todd Antony and Principal Jared Schaffer from the School District of Onalaska to hear how they emphasize clarity and alignment so people at all levels can be highly engaged and connected to the work of continuous improvement. Listen now as they discuss the role of s...

What insights and lessons can be unpacked from the previous school year? Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she interviews Dr. Charan Cline , Superintendent of Redmond School District , to hear how he utilizes reflective practice to identify both bright spots and challenges. Listen as Dr. Cline elaborates on how scorecard and survey results are an opportune moment for reflection before diving into decision...

Purposefully pausing and reflecting paves the way for improvements and adjustments to be made in the upcoming school year. Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she interviews Dr. Kathy Oropallo, a Leader Coach at Studer Education, to hear how she coaches her partners to evaluate the effectiveness of past strategies, celebrate wins, and address challenges. Kathy explains how tools like leader rounding and plu...

The end of the school year is packed with obligations and events, but making time to pause, reflect, and plan for the upcoming school year is essential for continued growth. Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she advises leaders to pause and reflect on organizational results and the alignment and consistency of leadership practices. Listen as Janet presents questions to guide leaders through this reflectio...

Can effective leadership create ripple effects that extend beyond school walls? Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she connects with Lisa Nellessen Savage of the Pensacola News Journal to highlight the impact of CivicCon on the Pensacola community, and continue listening as she interviews Dr. Angela Bush of Jefferson County Schools , a recent CivicCon presenter, to hear how she spearheaded school improveme...

What strategies can leaders use to navigate resistance to change and encourage employee buy-in? Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she engages in a conversation with Mrs. Aubree Short, Principal of Los Tules Middle School in Tulare, California, to hear how surveys and rounding have proven to be pivotal tools in her journey toward school improvement. Aubree explains how post-COVID data revealed a need for i...

Inviting input from high performers early and often in the change process is one of the major keys to managing resistance in organizations. Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she welcomes Dr. Charlotte Boling, a Leader Coach at Studer Education, to share how she coaches her partners to proactively prepare employees for success throughout the change process.  Listen as Charlotte elaborates on the necessity...

How can leaders support high performers through organizational change? Join Dr. Janet Pilcher to hear actionable strategies for managing resistance to change among top performers. Listen now to hear how leaders can effectively guide employees through each phase of change, ensure a smoother transition process, and maintain high performance through organizational shifts. This episode addresses quest...

What is rounding like in action? Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she interviews Dr. Deanna Ashby, Senior Director of Coaching at Studer Education, to hear about how rounding has positively impacted three of her partner districts in Kentucky. DeDe shares insights into how Graves County , Oldham County , and Meade County Schools have each customized rounding to build meaningful connections, share feedback...

How do we build great workplace cultures to keep exceptional employees on our team? Join Dr. Janet Pilcher, author of Hardwiring Excellence in Education ,, as she explains how rounding is key to building environments where employees feel motivated and deeply connected to their work. Janet emphasizes how rounding helps leaders address any challenges that get in the way of employees being able to do...

How can school districts prioritize amplifying student voice? Join Dr. Janet Pilcher, author of Hardwiring Excellence in Education , as she explores the impact of student feedback with Dr. Candace Pelt-Perez , Superintendent of Central Linn School District , and Celeste Van Cleave, District Business Manager. Together, they discuss the integration of student surveys into short-term improvement cycl...

It’s one thing to create a strategic plan, but it’s another altogether to execute it with precision. Join Dr. Janet Pilcher, author of Hardwiring Excellence in Education , as she speaks with Superintendent Brian Sica of Banks School District to hear how he initiated the strategic planning process and began regularly implementing short cycles of improvement during his first year as superintendent....

How do leading organizations stay ahead of the curve? Join Dr. Janet Pilcher, author of Hardwiring Excellence in Education , as she delves into the intricacies of strategic planning with Dr. Casey Blochowiak, a Coach Senior Director at Studer Education. As a companion to last week’s high-level overview of strategic planning, this week’s episode dives into crucial aspects like how to form a strong...

Balancing the emotional and rational aspects of leadership is complex, but with strategic planning, organizations can build alignment to drive success. Join Dr. Janet Pilcher, author of Hardwiring Excellence in Education, as she outlines the steps involved in creating a strategic plan and identifies questions that leaders can answer to create organizational alignment.  This episode answers questio...

Service excellence is a cornerstone of thriving organizations. Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she revisits past episodes with Donna Kirby, Vice President of Experience at the Pensacola Blue Wahoos , to hear how she’s created a culture of service excellence within her team. Hear how Donna transforms customers into loyal fans and learn the three tactics she employs to apply consistent and exceptional ser...