Principal Center Radio

Keith Fickel & Justin Baeder—Cultivate and Activate: Building Teacher Capacity for Instructional Leadership

 

Get the book, Cultivate and Activate: Building Teacher Capacity for Instructional Leadership

Guest Host: Barbara Blackburn

Barbara Blackburn, PhD is the author of more than 40 books and a full-time consultant who works with schools around the world to help raise the level of rigor and motivation for professional educators and students alike. Dr. Blackburn has been repeatedly named to the Top 30 Education Gurus and Top 10 Professional Development Programs by Global Gurus.

See all of Dr. Blackburn's guest appearances on Principal Center Radio

About The Guests: Keith Fickel & Justin Baeder

Keith Fickel is a retired middle school and high school principal in the southwest Houston, Texas, area. His focus during his decade as principal was to ensure that high levels of student learning, achievement, and personal development occurred in every classroom, every day. He accomplished these aims through the intentional empowerment of teachers and staff to effectively lead not only their classrooms but the school as a whole. Keith prioritized building and maintaining a strong bond with the school community through trust during his principalship.

He began his career in education in 1991, serving first as a classroom teacher and a band director for seventeen years, then as an assistant principal, associate principal, and campus principal during the second half of his career. His entire educational career was at the secondary level in both private and public school settings.

Keith has facilitated or cofacilitated professional learning sessions at the district, regional, and state levels on a variety of topics. He is a member of the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals and ASCD. In 2008, he was a campus Teacher of the Year, as well as a finalist for the Fort Bend ISD Secondary Teacher of the Year.

In 2022, he was named the Fort Bend ISD Secondary Principal of the Year, and he had the honor of serving as the founding principal of the district’s newest high school in 2023, prior to his retirement.

Keith earned both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in music education from Texas Tech University, and he completed his principal certification through the University of Houston. He resides in Sugar Land, Texas, with his wife, Anne, who was also a music teacher. Together, they have an adult daughter who is also in education.

 

Justin Baeder, PhD, is director of the Principal Center, where he helps school and district administrators build capacity for instructional leadership. Driven by the belief that leaders belong in classrooms, he created the Instructional Leadership Association to help school leaders confidently get into classrooms every day, have feedback conversations that change teachers’ practice, and discover their best opportunities for school improvement. The Instructional Leadership Association now has thousands of members in more than forty countries.

Prior to starting the Principal Center, Justin served as a teacher, head teacher, and principal in Seattle Public Schools, finishing his ten-year career in Seattle as principal of Olympic View Elementary.

He has contributed to School Administrator, Principal, Principal News, Principal Navigator, and Education Week. Justin presents regularly at state and national conferences, including ASCD, Learning Forward, and the National Association of Elementary School Principals, and has spoken at numerous in-person professional learning events in the United States, Canada, and El Salvador, as well as at countless virtual events.

Justin holds a PhD in educational leadership and policy from the University of Washington, where he is a graduate of the Danforth Educational Leadership Program. He holds a master of education degree in curriculum and instruction from Seattle University and a bachelor’s degree in science education from Harding University. He resides in Heber Springs, Arkansas, with his wife, Amy, and two daughters, Vivienne and Genevieve.

To learn more about Justin’s work, or to contact Justin, visit PrincipalCenter.com or follow @eduleadership on X.

Episode Sponsor

This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12.

Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data.

Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today. 

 

Erika Kitzmiller—Unchartered: How One High School Transformed First-Generation College Success

Get the book Unchartered: How One High School Transformed First-Generation College Success

Read Erika's Substack, Ask An Educator

About The Guest

Erika Kitzmiller, PhD is a research associate professor at the Crown School of Social Policy, Practice, and Work and the Kersten Institute for Urban Education at the University of Chicago, where she studies historical and contemporary policies and practices that contribute to inequality and identifies solutions to end it.  

She has published research articles in Harvard Educational Review, Teachers College Record, and Educational Researcher and opinion pieces in The Washington Post, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and the Hechinger Report, as well as many other venues. She has received funding from Harvard University, the National Science Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, the Russell Sage Foundation, among many others. She has a Substack newsletter, Ask an Educator. 

She is the award-winning author of two books, The Roots of Educational Inequality: Philadelphia’s Germantown High School, 1907 – 2014, and Unchartered: How One Public High School Transformed First-Generation College Success.

Episode Sponsor

This episode of Principal Center Radio is brought to you by Ascend, our new membership for educators who want to lead at the next level. Loaded with our brand-new job search and instructional framework tools, Ascend is accessible to everyone at just $19 a month. Check it out at PrincipalCenter.com/Ascend

 

David Corvi—Fix Your Tier 1 Instruction

 

Get the book, Fix Your Tier 1 Instruction: Applying the Science of Good Instruction to the Art of School Leadership

About The Guest

David M. Corvi is a Leadership Coach at Lynch Leadership Academy at Boston College, author, and school leadership practitioner. With over two decades of experience across urban public schools, charter networks, and nonprofit educational organizations, Corvi has dedicated his career to improving instruction for every student by developing the leaders who make it possible. He is available for keynote speaking, workshops, and full day professional development engagements.

Episode Sponsor

This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12.

Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data.

Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today. 

 

Erika Bare & Tiffany Burns—Connecting Through Conversation: A Playbook for Talking with Students

 

Get the book, Connecting Through Conversation: A Playbook for Talking with Students

About The Guests

Erika Bare is superintendent of South Umpqua School District in Oregon, and has more than 20 years in the profession as a teacher, principal and district leader.

Tiffany Burns has served as a principal, instructional coach, and teacher in her more than 20 years in K-12 education, and is currently teaching pre-service teachers at the university level.

They have worked together for more than a decade, and are the authors of Connecting Through Conversation: A Playbook for Talking with Students, and their new book A School Leader’s Playbook for Tough Conversations.

Episode Sponsor

This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12.

Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data.

Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today. 

 

Courtney Daikos & Chris Daikos— Structured Service Learning: A Universal Apathy Intervention

Learn more about the Collaborative Behaviors Conference

Visit Continua Consulting's website

About the Guests: Courtney and Chris Daikos

Chris and Courtney Daikos are the co-founders of Continua Consulting Group, where they provide MTSS implementation support to schools and districts including collaborative behaviors and strategies for leadership.

Chris, a veteran of the US Army Rangers, is an experienced educational & psychological consultant, school administrator, special education teacher and school psychologist.

Courtney is an experienced educational leader and classroom teacher. She has led urban schools and school districts as a principal and director at both the elementary and secondary levels, serving communities with significant linguistic and cultural diversity. 

Episode Sponsor

This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12.

Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data.

Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today. 

 

Nancy Frey—The Art and Science of Teacher Coaching

 

Get the book The Art and Science of Teacher Coaching

Visit Nancy and Doug's website, FisherandFrey.com

About the Guest

Nancy Frey, PhD is a professor in educational leadership at San Diego State University and a teacher leader at Health Sciences High and Middle College. She is the author of dozens of books, including The Courage to Learn, The Art and Science of Coaching, How Scaffolding Works, and The Illustrated Guide to Visible Learning. 

 

This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12.

Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data.

Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today. 

 

Muriel Summers—The Leader in Me: How Schools and Parents Around the World Are Inspiring Greatness, One Student at a Time

Get the book The Leader in Me: How Schools and Parents Around the World Are Inspiring Greatness, One Student at a Time

About This Week's Guest

Muriel Summers is an award-winning principal who twice guided her school, A.B. Combs Elementary in Raleigh, North Carolina, to being named the top magnet school of America and the original leadership school featured in FranklinCovey’s Leader in Me.

She has been recognized as teacher of the year, principal of the year, and with an honorary doctorate, the William and Ida Friday award for Leadership in Innovation, The Order of the Long Leaf Pine given by the Governor of North Carolina (the state’s highest honor given to a North Carolinian), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Award for Leadership in Education, and the Ralph Kimmel Award, North Carolina’s highest honor for principals.

She now serves as the Global Ambassador for the Leader in Me, and is the co-author, with Stephen R. Covey, Sean Covey, and David Hatch, of The Leader in Me: How Schools and Parents Around the World Are Inspiring Greatness, One Student at a Time.

 

Keith Schumacher—After the Donut: An Introduction to School-Based Father Engagement for School Leaders

Get the book, After the Donut: An Introduction to School-Based Father Engagement

About The Guest

Keith Schumacher is the Founder and Executive Director of the National Alliance for Father Friendly Schools and the creator of School-Based Father Engagement (SBFE), a practical framework designed to help schools build meaningful, year-round connections with fathers and father figures.

With over 18 years of experience working alongside schools and districts across the country, Keith has trained and supported hundreds of campuses in creating environments where male role models feel welcomed, valued, and involved. His work focuses on helping school leaders move beyond one-time events and build sustainable systems through structure, training, accountability, resources, and trust.

Before entering the education space, Keith served 28 years with Atlanta Fire-Rescue Department, retiring as a Captain and EMS Supervisor. Today, he brings that same leadership mindset into education, helping schools strengthen family engagement in ways that directly impact student success.

Keith is the author of After the Donut, a book that challenges the status quo of father engagement and provides school leaders with a clear path forward.

 

This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12.

Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data.

Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today. 

Erika Bare & Tiffany Burns—A School Leader’s Playbook for Tough Conversations

Get the book, A School Leader’s Playbook for Tough Conversations

Visit Erika & Tiffany's website, ConnectingThroughConversation.com

 

About The Guests

Erika Bare is superintendent of South Umpqua School District in Oregon, and has more than 20 years in the profession as a teacher, principal and district leader.

Tiffany Burns has served as a principal, instructional coach, and teacher in her more than 20 years in K-12 education, and is currently teaching pre-service teachers at the university level.

They have worked together for more than a decade, and are the authors of Connecting Through Conversation: A Playbook for Talking with Students, and their new book A School Leader’s Playbook for Tough Conversations.

 

This episode inspired a new members-only feature in Repertoire—Network, a one-tap way to track quick interactions with teachers and plan them intentionally. Try it here for free or learn more »

Katrina Huels—Transformational Tools for Special Educators: How to Beat Burnout and Become the Best at What You Do

Get the book, Transformational Tools for Special Educators: How to Beat Burnout and Become the Best at What You Do

Visit Katrina's website, www.HuelsAppliedHarmony.com

About The Guest

Katrina is an educational consultant with more than twenty years of experience in the field, including work as a classroom teacher, special education supervisor, assistant director, and executive director. Her background in psychology and evidence-based practice shapes everything she does, from instructional design and program leadership to developing accredited professional learning programs that spark growth, resilience, and purpose. She is the author of Transformational Tools for Special Educators (Sage/Corwin Press) and The Motivation Toolkit: Cultivate Your Inner Drive.

 

This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12.

Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data.

Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today. 

Dr. Frank Rodriguez and Dr. Gene Tavernetti—Digital Captives: Helping Schools Strike A Balance Between Humans And Hardware

Get the book, Digital Captives: Helping Schools Strike A Balance Between Humans And Hardware

Visit the Schools Next website, www.schoolsnext.org

Follow Gene on X @GTavernetti

About The Guests

Dr. Frank Rodriguez is entering his 32nd year working in and with schools, primarily in Southern California. He entered education in 1993 through a two year commitment to teach in a bilingual 5th grade classroom in Long Beach through Teach for America, and thirty years later is still finding it difficult to leave. He is the Managing Partner of Schools Next, as well as the President of RISE School Programs, RISE Educational Services and the RISE Educational Foundation. With his partner Dr. Gene Tavernetti, he co-developed the FAST framework, a direct instruction teaching model based on the pedagogy of Dr. Madeline Hunter which synthesized and incorporated the brain research of Dr. David Sousa, Eric Jensen and Dr. John Medina. Dr. Rodriguez was a teacher and administrator for twelve years before beginning a career in professional development and teacher and principal coaching. More recently he has overseen RISE School Programs which serves more than 3000 students in seven districts in northern Los Angeles County. Frank Professionally he is most proud of the RISE Educational Foundation, a non-profit that annually gives out college scholarships to high school seniors who were formerly in RISE programs as elementary school students, as well as to RISE employees who are completing their undergraduate degrees, and are largely first generation college students.

 

Dr. Gene Tavernetti's journey in education began in 1977, encompassing roles as a coach, teacher, counselor, and administrator. His career reached a turning point when he discovered his passion for one-on-one instructional coaching, realizing the profound impact he could make on educators and student learning. In 2006, Dr. Tavernetti co-founded Total Educational Systems Support (TESS), a pioneering organization dedicated to training and coaching thousands of educators. TESS, under Gene's leadership, focuses on teacher-directed instruction, emphasizing engagement strategies, language development, and higher-order thinking skills. As the author of two influential books, Teach FAST: Focused Adaptable Structure Instruction explores explicit instruction methods, while Maximizing the Impact of Coaching Cycles addresses common challenges faced by instructional coaches.

 

Barbara Blackburn—Productive Struggle in the Classroom

Get the book, Productive Struggle in the 6-12 Classroom 

Get the book, Productive Struggle in the K-5 Classroom

Visit Barbara's website, www.barbarablackburnonline.com

About The Guest

Barbara Blackburn, PhD is the author of more than 40 books and a full-time consultant who works with schools around the world to help raise the level of rigor and motivation for professional educators and students alike. Dr. Blackburn has been repeatedly named to the Top 30 Education Gurus and Top 10 Professional Development Programs by Global Gurus.

 

This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12.

Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data.

Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today. 

Priten Soundar Shah—Ethical Ed Tech: How Educators Can Lead on AI and Digital Safety in K-12 Schools

Get the book, Ethical Ed Tech: How Educators Can Lead on AI and Digital Safety in K-12 Schools on Amazon

Visit Priten's website, www.priten.org

About The Guest

Priten Soundar-Shah is an educator, philosopher, and entrepreneur working at the intersection of humanistic values and frontier technology. He is the CEO of PedagogyVentures and leads three nonprofits: PedagogyFutures (Executive Director), Academy 4 Social Civics (President), and ThinkerAnalytix (CTO).

Priten is the author of AI & The Future of Education (Wiley, 2023), translated into Arabic, Chinese, Turkish, and Vietnamese, and the forthcoming Ethical Ed Tech (Wiley, 2026). He teaches courses on Ethics of Ed Tech and Epistemic Justice at College Unbound, and is a visiting researcher at the Harvard Department of Philosophy.

He holds a B.A. in Philosophy from Harvard College and an M.Ed. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

 

Darin Thompson–The Four Cornerstones of Effective Schools: How to Build Lasting Success

Get the book, The Four Cornerstones of Effective Schools: How to Build Lasting Success on Amazon

Get the book, The Four Cornerstones of Effective Schools: How to Build Lasting Success on Solution Tree's Website

Visit Darin's website, www.DrDarinThompson.com

Follow Darin on Youtube @drdarinthompson

Follow Darin on Instagram @drdarinthompson

About The Guest

Darin A. Thompson, PhD, is a veteran K-12 leader with nearly 20 years of experience and founder of Pivotal Leaders Group. A two-time outstanding principal of the year semi-finalist within his region, Dr. Thompson has led transformative school improvement efforts across multiple school divisions, resulting in double-digit gains in student outcomes and significantly closing achievement gaps for historically underserved populations. A regular presenter at conferences such as NAESP/NASSP’s United Conference, Making Schools Work, and VA Alliance of Black School Educators, Dr. Thompson has contributed to Education Week, the Journal of Urban Learning, Teaching, and Research, and other publications.

Dr. Thompson has become a trusted voice in educational leadership. He has delivered professional development workshops on building constructive school cultures for improvement at major conferences, including the 2024 and 2025 Virginia Alliance of Black School Educators Conference, the 2025 National Association of Secondary School Principals United Conference, and the Southern Regional Education Board’s Making Schools Work Conference.

Dr. Thompson’s thought leadership has been featured in Education Week, including the articles “How My School Is Fighting the Surge in Chronic Absenteeism” and “How Pandemic Isolation Damaged School Culture.” He has also published in the Journal of Urban Learning, Teaching, and Research and is a contributing author of Preparing to Lead: Narratives of Aspiring School Leaders in a “Post”-COVID World.

Dr. Thompson earned a bachelor of science in criminal justice and a master of public administration from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a master of education and a doctor of philosophy in educational leadership from Regent University. He is also a proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. To learn more about Thompson’s work, follow him on LinkedIn or at @drdarinthompson on Instagram and YouTube.

This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12.

Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data.

Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.   

Kristan Rodriguez—In Support of Student Data: A Data Workbook for MTSS Teams

Get the book, In Support of Student Data: A Data Workbook for MTSS Teams

Visit the Commonwealth Consulting Agency website, www.cca-pr.com

Follow Kristan on X @dr_rodriguez21

Connect with Kristan on LinkedIn

About The Author

Kristan Rodriguez, Ph.D., is an award-winning educational leader and former superintendent and principal. She is the creator of the MTSS² Framework™ that replaces fragmented referral practices with proactive, data-informed structures. Dr. Rodriguez is the founder and CEO of Commonwealth Consulting Agency (CCA), a trusted partner to state agencies, districts, and schools nationwide. Dr. Rodriguez is the best-selling author of In Support of Student Data: A Data Workbook for MTSS Teams (Wiley, 2025) and In Support of Students: A Leader's Guide to Equitable MTSS (2023).

 

This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12.

Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data.

Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.   

Naphtali Hoff—Becoming The Delegating School Boss

Get the book, Becoming The Delegating School Boss

Visit Naphtali's Website, www.ImpactfulCoaching.com

 

About The Guest

 Dr.  Naphtali Hoff is a former educator and school leader who serves as an executive and performance coach and trainer, and he's the author of three books Becoming the New Boss a leadership Book that helps new leaders hit the ground running and enjoys sustained success, Becoming The Productive Boss, which helps leaders and their teams get more of the right work done and Becoming The Delegating School Boss, which helps school leaders clear their plates and empower their teams.

Brian J. Stephens—A Level Playing Field: Strategies to Ensure Public Schools' Success

Get the book, A Level Playing Field: Strategies to Ensure Public Schools' Success

Visit the Caissa K12 Website, www.CaissaK12.com

About The Author

Brian J Stephens is the Founder and CEO of Caissa K–12, a strategy firm serving public school districts nationwide. He has presented at national conferences and organizations, including the AASA, The School Superintendents Association, the National School Boards Association, and the Consortium of State School Boards Associations.

He served in the United States Army, rising to the rank of Captain, and is an attorney and psychologist by training. Brian is the author of A Level Playing Field: Strategies to Ensure Public Schools’ Success.

 

This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12.

Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data.

Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.   

 

Lauren Brown—Social Studies Content at the Elementary Level

Watch Lauren on The Teaching Show

Substack: Lauren Brown on Education

Lauren Brown’s articles on MiddleWeb

About The Guest

Lauren Brown spent about 20 years teaching US history in middle and high schools and another eight years working at the university level with future social studies teachers. She now works as a consultant and writer on MiddleWeb and her own Substack.

She writes about education with a special focus on why social studies and history in particular matter. Much of her work is about helping people see how good history teaching strengthens, not just literacy, but our democracy as well.

 

Steve Reifman—The Complete Guide For New Elementary Teachers: Discover Joy and Success with a Whole Child Approach

Get the book, The Complete Guide for New Elementary Teachers: Discover Joy and Success with a Whole Child Approach

Visit Steve's Website, www.SteveReifman.com

About The Author

Steve Reifman has been an elementary school teacher for the past 31 years, and during that time he's earned National Board certification, traveled to Japan as a Fulbright Memorial Fund scholar, and completed two master's degrees.

He has experience working with students in all the elementary grade levels, and he's taught in both public and private schools. He's the author of several books for educators, such as The Complete Guide for New Elementary Teachers: Discover Joy and Success with a Whole Child Approach

 

This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12.

Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data.

Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.   

Louise Selby—Morph Mastery: A Morphological Intervention for Reading, Spelling and Vocabulary

Get the book, Morph Mastery: A Morphological Intervention for Reading, Spelling and Vocabulary

Visit Louise's website, LouiseSelbyDyslexia.com

About The Author

Louise Selby is a dyslexia specialist trainer, consultant, author, assessor and teacher. She has 25 years’ experience of working with SEND within Hertfordshire local authority in teaching, special needs coordinator and advisory roles. She now works freelance, providing training and consultancy for schools as well as dyslexia assessment. Louise believes in partnership and collaboration and this is at the heart of all that she does. She is the author of Morph Mastery: Morphological Intervention for Reading, Spelling and Vocabulary and All About Dyslexia: A Practical Guide for Primary Teachers and All About Dyslexia: A Practical Guide for Secondary Teachers.

James Bailey & Randy Weiner—A Blueprint for Teacher Retention: Leading Schools that Teachers Don’t Want To Leave

 

Get the book, The Daily SEL Leader

Get the book, A Blueprint for Teacher Retention: Leading Schools that Teachers Don't Want to Leave

Visit the Brass Tacks Innovations website, www.brasstacksinnovations.com

View the Teacher Retention Model PDF 

About The Authors

James Bailey’s career has encompassed teacher, principal, assistant superintendent, school turnaround leader, consultant and superintendent roles spanning Texas, Colorado and Wyoming. He holds a PhD in Educational Leadership and Innovation from the University of Colorado-Denver, is a prolific publisher and presenter, and currently serves as a core faculty member at Walden University in the area of educational leadership.

Randy Weiner has worked in education and education technology and consulting throughout his career. He co-founded the country’s first public Montessori, arts integration, and design thinking school in Oakland, CA. A Teach for America alum and father to two daughters, Randy taught for 5 years in Oakland and Madagascar, and holds two BAs from Middlebury College and an MA in Education from Stanford.

They are the founders of Brass Tacks Innovations, a consultancy focused on leadership development, workplace culture, teacher retention, and other challenges. James and Randy are the co-authors of The Daily SEL Leader and James is the author of A Blueprint for Teacher Retention: Leading Schools that Teachers Don’t Want To Leave.

 

This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12.

Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data.

Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.   

 

Jared Cooney Horvath—The Digital Delusion: How Classroom Technology Harms Our Kids’ Learning—And How To Help Them Thrive Again

Get the book, The Digital Delusion: How Classroom Technology Harms Our Kids’ Learning—And How To Help Them Thrive Again

Visit the LME Global website, www.LMEGlobal.net

Follow Jared on Youtube @JaredCooney

About The Author

Jared Cooney Horvath, PhD is a neuroscientist educator who has conducted research and lectured at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, and The University of Melbourne, and over 750 schools on 6 continents. Jared has published 7 books, over 60 research articles, and his work has been featured in popular publications, including The New Yorker,

The Atlantic, The Economist, and on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s science show Catalyst. Jared currently serves as Director of LME Global: a team dedicated to bringing the latest brain and behavioral research to teachers, students, and parents.

 

This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12.

Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data.

Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.   

Todd Whitaker—Dealing with Difficult Parents (School Leader Edition): How to Model, Coach, and Support Your Teachers

 

Get the book, Dealing with Difficult Parents (Teacher Edition): How to Get Parents Off Your Back and On Your Side

Get the book, Dealing with Difficult Parents (School Leader Edition): How to Model, Coach, and Support Your Teachers

About The Authors

Dr. Todd Whitaker is a research professor at the University of Missouri and professor emeritus at Indiana State University. Prior to moving into higher education, he was a math teacher and basketball coach in Missouri. Todd then served as a principal at the middle school, junior high, and high school levels. Dr. Whitaker is a leading presenter in the field of education and has written more than 65 books, including the bestseller What Great Teachers Do Differently. He's the author of Dealing with Difficult Parents (Teacher Edition): How to Get Parents Off Your Back and On Your Side, and Dealing with Difficult Parents (School Leader Edition): How to Model, Coach, and Support Your Teachers.

 

This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12.

Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data.

Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.   

 

John Travis—Strengthening School Leadership Through External Partnerships

Read the Holyoke "Relay Leadership" Case Study

About The Author

John Travis is senior program officer for Education at The Barr Foundation where he focuses on teacher and school leadership pipelines to help recruit, develop, retain, and cultivate the talented, diverse educators needed for the schools of today and tomorrow.

John came to Barr after nearly 15 years as a frontline educator, first as a high school mathematics teacher in New Jersey and then as a school and district leader in the Boston Public Schools (BPS). In his most recent role, he served as the principal of the Ohrenberger School in West Roxbury. 

 

Prior to leading at the Ohrenberger, he trained as a principal fellow at the Harvard-Kent Elementary School in Charlestown and worked as Director of Human Capital Strategy with the BPS central office, supporting school leadership pipeline development.

 

This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12.

Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data.

Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.   

Jasmine Kullar, Bruce Fraser, & Lisa Reddel—Cultivating Exceptional Principals: A Guide for Principal Supervisors to Hire, Develop, and Retain School Leaders

 

Get the book, Cultivating Exceptional Principals: A Guide for Principal Supervisors to Hire, Develop, and Retain School Leaders

About The Authors

Jasmine K. Kullar, EdD, is an assistant superintendent of a large metropolitan school district. She is also a faculty member in the College of Professional Studies Educational Leadership Department at Albany State University in Georgia.

 

Bruce R. Fraser, EdD, is an assistant superintendent with a metro Georgia school district. He has been in education for over 25 years, serving as teacher, principal at the elementary- and middle-school level, and director of human resources

 

Lisa M. Reddel recently retired as executive principal of school improvement in a large metropolitan school district in Northern Virginia. She has over 32 years of experience in schools and districts as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, district director, executive principal, and educational consultant.

 

This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12.

Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data.

Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.   

Nathaniel Hansford—The Scientific Principles of Reading and Writing Instruction Bridging the Divide Between Educational Practice and Research

Get the book, The Scientific Principles of Reading and Writing Instruction Bridging the Divide Between Educational Practice and Research 

Visit Nate's Website www.PedagogyNonGrata.com

Follow Nate on X @Natejoseph19

About The Author

Nathaniel Hansford has taught every grade from preK to 12th, in places as diverse as South Korea, the United Kingdom, the subarctic of Quebec, and Ontario, Canada. In 2022, he won the Literacy Leader of the Year award from the Ontario International Dyslexia Association. Nathaniel has written hundreds of articles on the science of teaching. He is most interested in using meta-analysis research to help teachers implement methodologies that have been proven to work. He is the founder of SAGE Online Academy. To learn more about Nathaniel’s work in education, visit teachingbyscience.com, or follow him @Natejoseph19 on X (formerly Twitter). He is the author of The Scientific Principles of Teaching: Bridging the Divide Between Educational Practice and Research.

 

This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12.

Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data.

Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.   

Lindsay Whorton—A New School Leadership Architecture: A Four-Level Framework for Reimagining Roles

 

Get the book, A New School Leadership Architecture: A Four-Level Framework for Reimagining Roles

Visit the Holdsworth Center website, www.HoldsworthCenter.org

About The Author

Lindsay Whorton is president of The Holdsworth Center, a non-profit organization in Texas dedicated to building educational leaders. Initially serving seven school districts and 42 leaders in 2017, The Holdsworth Center has served more than 1,900 leaders in 89 public school districts. Lindsay is a teacher, writer, speaker, and advocate for public education and educators. She was a Rhodes and Fulbright scholar, and holds a master’s degree in comparative social policy and a doctorate in social policy from Oxford University. She is the author of Teachers Unions and Education Reform in Comparative Contexts.

Louise Selby—All About Dyslexia

Get the book, All About Dyslexia: A Practical Guide for Primary Teachers

Get the book, All About Dyslexia: A Practical Guide for Secondary Teachers

Visit Louise's website, LouiseSelbyDyslexia.com

About The Author

Louise Selby is a dyslexia specialist trainer, consultant, author, assessor and teacher. She has 25 years’ experience of working with SEND within Hertfordshire local authority in teaching, special needs coordinator and advisory roles. She now works freelance, providing training and consultancy for schools as well as dyslexia assessment. Louise believes in partnership and collaboration and this is at the heart of all that she does. She is the author of Morph Mastery: Morphological Intervention for Reading, Spelling and Vocabulary and All About Dyslexia: A Practical Guide for Primary Teachers and All About Dyslexia: A Practical Guide for Secondary Teachers.

 

This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12.

Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data.

Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.   

Rich Czyz—Autopilot: Practical Productivity for School Leaders

 

Get the book Autopilot: Practical Productivity for School Leaders

Visit the 4 O'Clock Faculty Website

Follow Rich on Twitter @RACzyz

About The Author

Rich is a principal and former teacher and instructional coach, and he's the author of four books, including Autopilot: Practical Productivity for School Leaders

Timothy Shanahan—Leveled Reading, Leveled Lives: How Students’ Reading Achievement Has Been Held Back and What We Can Do About It

Get the book, Leveled Reading, Leveled Lives: How Students’ Reading Achievement Has Been Held Back and What We Can Do About It

Visit Timothy's website, www.ShanahanOnLiteracy.com

About The Author

Timothy Shanahan is distinguished professor emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He served as the director of reading for the Chicago Public Schools, is the former president of the International Literacy Association, and served on the advisory board of the National Institute for Literacy under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. In 2007, he was inducted into the Reading Hall of Fame.

 

This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12.

Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data.

Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.   

Erin Lehmann & Bill Barnes—Leading Educator Wellness: Six Critical Actions to Support All Staff

Get the book, Leading Educator Wellness: Six Critical Actions to Support All Staff

About The Authors

Bill Barnes is the superintendent of the Howard County Public School System in Maryland. He has served in leadership roles with the Maryland and National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and has won a number of state and national teaching awards.

Barnes holds a master of science in mathematics and science education from Johns Hopkins University, and has served as an adjunct professor for Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland–Baltimore County, McDaniel College, and Towson University.

 

Dr. Erin Lehmann is an associate professor for the University of South Dakota. She has experience as an elementary principal at a Title I school, as well as being a math teacher, math coach, and curriculum specialist.

Dr. Lehmann is the author or co-author of several books, including Teaching Mathematics Today. She is a frequent speaker at national conferences, advocating for mathematics and grading practices. She holds EdD in educational leadership from the University of South Dakota.

Brig Leane—Singletons in a PLC at Work®: Navigating On-Ramps to Meaningful Collaboration

Get the book, Singletons in a PLC at Work®: Navigating On-Ramps to Meaningful Collaboration 

Visit Brig's website, www.BrigLeane.com

Follow Brig on X @BrigLeane

About The Author

Brig Leane is an education consultant and former principal of Fruita Middle School in Colorado, which under his leadership became a national Model Professional Learning Community. A veteran of the United States Coast Guard, he began his 2nd career as an educator in 2000, and has served as a principal, assistant principal, and teacher at the middle and high school levels in inner-city, suburban, and rural schools. He has also been an adjunct professor at Colorado Christian University. Brig's work has been published in Phi Delta Kappan, Principal Leadership, and elsewhere, and he's the author of The PLC Dashboard: Implementing, Leading, and Sustaining Your Professional Learning Community at Work as well as Singletons in a PLC At Work.

 

 

This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12.

Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data.

Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.   

Bob Sonju, Dr. Anisa Baker-Busby & Kim Monkres—The Handbook for Highly Effective Teams in a PLC at Work®: Essential Actions for Tackling Critical Issues

Get the book, The Handbook for Highly Effective Teams in a PLC at Work®: Essential Actions for Tackling Critical Issues

About The Authors

Bob Sonju is an award-winning educational leader, author, and nationally recognized speaker celebrated for his engaging style and practical approach to school improvement. He has led two schools to achieve National Model PLC at Work® recognition—one of which also earned the prestigious National Breakthrough School Award from the National Association of Secondary School Principals. Named Utah Principal of the Year and a finalist for National Principal of the Year, Bob’s leadership and insights have been featured in numerous Solution Tree publications, including the recently released Simplifying the Journey, as well as in Principal Leadership magazine.

 

Dr. Anisa Baker-Busby is a distinguished elementary administrator with over 20 years of experience, passionate about driving student achievement by building high-performing collaborative teams.  Dr. Baker-Busby specializes in helping educators and leaders effectively implement the Professional Learning Community (PLC) at Work® process, focusing on using data from common assessments to guide real-time instructional decisions. Her commitment led to both Lindsey Elementary and Shirley Hills Elementary being honored as National Model PLC at Work schools by Solution Tree. Dr. Baker-Busby is also the co-author of the newly released The Handbook for Design in 5: Assessment Tools and Protocols for Teachers and Teams.

 

Kim Monkres is the principal of Crimson Cliffs High School located in St. George, Utah. She began her career almost 25 years ago as a high school English and communications teacher and has coaching experience as well. Kim has been fortunate to work in many capacities and has a passion and appreciation for the collaborative process in education. She has served as a learning coach, assistant principal, athletic director, middle school principal, and state activities director. Kim has experience with creating high-functioning collaborative teams, professional learning communities, curriculum development, curriculum design and mapping, instructional coaching, and RTI.

 

They are the authors, with William Ferrier, of the acclaimed new book The Handbook for Highly Effective Teams.

Margaret Sullivan Marcus—Dual-Language Immersion Programs & Teacher Pipelines

Visit the Sullivan Family Charitable Foundation Website

Read The Century Foundation Report "How to Grow Bilingual Teacher Pathways: Making the Most of U.S. Linguistic and Cultural Diversity"

About The Author

Maggie Marcus, PhD is the Executive Director of The Sullivan Family Charitable Foundation. She has taught high school Spanish and elementary English in Puerto Rico, then worked for the United Nations as well as the CIA before returning to the classroom in Washington, D.C. as a Spanish Dual Language first and second-grade teacher. She also worked as an instructional coach for Spanish literacy in a bilingual charter school.

Maggie has a Master in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts, and a Ph.D. from the Applied Linguistics and Language Education program at the University of Maryland, College Park. Her dissertation research, titled, “Bilingual in a Monolingual District: Stakeholder Perspectives on Equitable Access to Dual Language Programs” explored the similarities and differences of parents, policy-makers, and school leaders and access to dual language education (DLE) programs in a local school district. 

 

This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12.

Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data.

Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.   

Jean Twenge—10 Rules for Raising Kids in a High-Tech World

Get the book, 10 Rules for Raising Kids in a High-Tech World

Visit Jean's Website, JeanTwenge.com

About The Guest

Jean M. Twenge, PhD, a professor of psychology at San Diego State University, is the author of more than 190 scientific publications and several books based on her research, including Ten Rules for Raising Kids in a High-Tech World, Generations, iGen, and Generation Me. Her research has been covered in Time, The Atlantic, Newsweek, The New York Times, USA TODAY, and The Washington Post. She has also been featured on Today, Good Morning America, Fox and Friends, CBS This Morning, Real Time with Bill Maher, and NPR. She lives in San Diego with her husband and three daughters.

Brig Leane—The PLC Dashboard: Implementing, Leading, and Sustaining Your Professional Learning Community at Work®

Get the book, The PLC Dashboard: Implementing, Leading, and Sustaining Your Professional Learning Community at Work®

Visit Brig's website, www.BrigLeane.com

Follow Brig on X @BrigLeane

About The Author

Brig Leane is an education consultant and former principal of Fruita Middle School in Colorado, which under his leadership became a national Model Professional Learning Community. A veteran of the United States Coast Guard, he began his 2nd career as an educator in 2000, and has served as a principal, assistant principal, and teacher at the middle and high school levels in inner-city, suburban, and rural schools. He has also been an adjunct professor at Colorado Christian University. Brig's work has been published in Phi Delta Kappan, Principal Leadership, and elsewhere, and he's the author of Singletons in a PLC At Work as well as the new book The PLC Dashboard: Implementing, Leading, and Sustaining Your Professional Learning Community at Work.

 

This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12.

Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data.

Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.   

Aly Murray—UPchieve: Free Online Tutoring & College Counseling

Read Aly’s post on AI vs human tutors

Visit Upchieve's School Partnership page

Math scores study

About The Guest

Aly Murray is the Founder and Executive Director of UPchieve. She’s also a proud Latina, math nerd, and community college grad. After earning an associate’s degree, Aly transferred to the University of Pennsylvania where she graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Mathematics. Following Penn, Aly worked on the trading floor at J.P. Morgan for two years before leaving to commit to UPchieve full-time. Her personal experience as a low-income student drives her to fight for educational equity and work towards a world in which all students have an equal opportunity to achieve upward mobility. To date, UPchieve has provided free tutoring to more than 60,000 students nationwide and matched nearly 200,000 tutoring requests— and for her work on UPchieve, Aly has been featured on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in Education (2021) and honored as a Roddenberry Fellow (2021).

Barbara Blackburn—Rigor & Assessment in the Classroom: Strategies & Tools, 2nd Edition

Get the book, Rigor & Assessment in the Classroom: Strategies & Tools, 2nd Edition

Visit Barbara's website www.BarbaraBlackburnOnline.com

About The Author

Barbara Blackburn, PhD is the author of more than 38 books and a full-time consultant who works with schools around the world to help raise the level of rigor and motivation for professional educators and students alike. Dr. Blackburn has been repeatedly named to the Top 30 Education Gurus and Top 10 Professional Development Programs by Global Gurus.

 

This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12.

Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data.

Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.   

Decoteau Irby & Ann Ishimaru—Doing the Work of Equity Leadership for Justice and Systems Change

Get the book, Doing the Work of Equity Leadership for Justice and Systems Change
Visit Decoteau's website, www.DecoteauIrby.com

About The Author

Decoteau J. Irby’s life work focuses on creating and sustaining organizations that contribute to Black people’s self-determined well-being, development, and positive life outcomes. He is Professor at University of Illinois at Chicago in the Department of Educational Policy Studies. He is the author of Stuck Improving: Racial Equity and School Leadership.

Dr. Ann M. Ishimaru is an award-winning scholar, writer, educator and the Killinger Endowed Chair and Professor of Educational Foundations, Leadership and Policy at the University of Washington College of Education. Through her work, she cultivates the leadership and solidarities of educators, organizational leaders and racially minoritized youth, families and communities to realize more transformative futures. In addition to many peer-reviewed articles in top-tier educational research journals, she is also the author of Just Schools: Building Equitable Collaborations with Families and Communities. They are the editors of the new volume Doing the Work of Equity Leadership for Justice and Systems Change.

Doug Lemov—The Teach Like a Champion Guide to the Science of Reading

Get the book, The Teach Like a Champion Guide to the Science of Reading

Visit the Teach Like a Champion website, teachlikeachampion.org/blog/

About The Author

Doug Lemov is the bestselling author of Teach Like a Champion 3.0 and is Co-Managing Director of Teach Like a Champion, designing and implementing teacher training based on the study of high-performing teachers and exceptional classrooms. He has taught English and history at the university, high school, and middle school levels.

 

This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12.

Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data.

Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.   

James Lane—Leading with Laser Focus: The Seven Steps to School Success

Follow Dr. Lane on Instagram @drjameslane

Visit the ETS website, www.ets.org

About The Author

Dr. James Lane is Managing Director of K-16 at ETS, and has served as the CEO of PDK International and held senior leadership roles in the U.S. Department of Education. He served as Virginia’s 25th Superintendent of Public Instruction after a career as a band director and then superintendent in three districts. Dr. Lane holds degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University, as well as a doctorate from the University of Virginia.

Adam Tyner—"Equitable" Grading Through the Eyes of Teachers

Download the Report Here

About The Author

Adam Tyner is national research director at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute. Dr. Tyner served as senior quantitative analyst at Hanover Research, and has taught English as a second language in China and California and taught courses at the University of California, San Diego. His research and commentary have appeared and been cited in national and international media such as The Economist, Forbes, BBC, NBC, The New York Times, Education Week, Education Next, and The Diplomat. His scholarly work has appeared in outlets such as Economics of Education Review and the Journal of East Asian Studies, and he is an executive editor of the Oklahoma Education Journal. He holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of California, San Diego, where he completed his doctoral dissertation on the integration of rural-to-urban migrant workers in China’s cities. 

 

 

This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12.

Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data.

Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.   

Christina Hidek—The Principal's Parent Group Playbook

Visit Christina's website, www.PTOAnswers.com

Free resource: PTO Family Engagement Opportunity Assessment

Free resource: 5 No Brainer Ways to Improve the Teacher/Parent Relationship

Learn more about The Principal’s Parent Group Playbook 

About The Author

Christina Hidek is a former attorney and Professional Organizer with a keen sense for developing systems to simplify and ease management of the most complex situations. With over 15 years of PTA volunteer and leadership experience, Christina knows what it takes to run wildly successful PTA/PTOs. She runs an international 8,000 member Facebook group for school parent group volunteers and leaders, and it's her mission to make life easier for all  volunteers, parent leaders, Principals and school leaders.

Sharon Kramer & Sarah Schuhl—Acceleration for All: A How-To Guide for Overcoming Learning Gaps

Get the book, Acceleration for All: A How-To Guide for Overcoming Learning Gaps

About The Authors

Sharon Kramer, PhD, knows firsthand the demands and rewards of working in a professional learning community (PLC). As a leader in the field, she has done priority schools work with districts across the United States, emphasizing the importance of creating and using quality assessments and utilizing the PLC continuous-improvement process to raise student achievement. Sharon served as assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction of Kildeer Countryside Community Consolidated School District 96 in Illinois. In this position, she ensured all students were prepared to enter Adlai E. Stevenson High School, a Model PLC started and formerly led by PLC architect Richard DuFour. Sharon holds a PhD in educational leadership and policy studies from Loyola University Chicago. To learn more about Sharon’s work, follow @DrKramer1 on Twitter.

 

Sarah Schuhl (Shool), MS, is an educational coach and consultant specializing in mathematics, professional learning communities (PLCs), common formative and summative assessments, priority school improvement, and response to intervention (RTI). She has worked in schools as a secondary mathematics teacher, high school instructional coach, and K–12 mathematics specialist. Schuhl was instrumental in the creation of a PLC in the Centennial School District in Oregon, helping teachers make large gains in student achievement. She earned the Centennial School District Triple C Award in 2012. She holds a bachelor of science in mathematics from Eastern Oregon University and a master of science in mathematics education from Portland State University.

 

This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12.

Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data.

Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.   

Justin Baeder—Announcing The Eduleadership Show

 

Learn more about The Eduleadership Show at www.Eduleadership.org

About Justin Baeder PhD

Justin Baeder, PhD. is author of Now We're Talking! 21 Days to High-Performance Instructional Leadership (Solution Tree), co-author of Mapping Professional Practice (Solution Tree), and creator of the Instructional Leadership Challenge, which has helped more than 10,000 leaders in 50 countries make a daily habit of classroom visits. He holds a PhD in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies from the University of Washington, and helps senior leaders in K-12 organizations build capacity for instructional leadership. 

Tom Sherrington—Rosenshine's Principles in Action

Get the book, Rosenshine's Principles in Action

Visit Tom's website WalkThrus.co.uk

About The Author

Tom Sherrington has more than 30 years of experience as a math and science teacher and headteacher in the UK and around the world. He co-hosts the podcast Mind the Gap: Making Education Work Across the Globe with Emma Turner, and consults with schools around the UK and internationally, and he is the co-founder of Teaching Walkthrus. He is the author of several books, including Rosenshine's Principles in Action.

 

This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12.

Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data.

Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.   

Barbara Oakley—The Memory Paradox: Why Our Brains Need Knowledge in an Age of AI

Read The Memory Paradox: Why Our Brains Need Knowledge in an Age of AI

About The Guest

Barbara Oakley, PhD is professor of engineering at Oakland University and the author of numerous books and articles, including Learning How to Learn and Uncommon Sense Teaching: Practical Insights in Brain Science to Help Students Learn. She teaches the world’s largest MOOC, or Massive Open Online Course, Learning How to Learn, with over 4 million registered students.

 

Sam Nix—Six Steps to a Strong School Culture: A Leadership Cycle for Educational Success

Get the book, Six Steps to a Strong School Culture: A Leadership Cycle for Educational Success

Visit Sam's website www.snix3consulting.com

About The Author

Samuel Nix, EdD, has been an educator for more than twenty years with a background as a teacher, middle and high school principal, and chief of schools in a variety of school settings. He has used his experience to design professional learning sessions for educators on topics ranging from maximizing the success of the entire organization, with an emphasis on raising the academic achievement of all students, to helping leaders re-envision their learning cultures, to promoting systems thinking that transforms organizations. 

 

While he served as a high school principal, Dr. Nix’s campus was named as one of the Top 32 Urban Schools in America by the National Center for Urban School Transformation (NCUST). Dr. Nix has been awarded a Leadership-in-Education Award from the Texas House of Representatives, and; was presented the Mary McLeod Bethune Heritage Award for Education by the NAACP in 2010, the Dr. June James NAACP Education Award in 2016, and the Leadership Legacy Award from the Future Schools Network in 2019.

 

This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12.

Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data.

Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.   

Nathaniel Hansford—The Scientific Principles of Teaching: Bridging the Divide Between Educational Practice and Research

Get the book, The Scientific Principles of Teaching: Bridging the Divide Between Educational Practice and Research

Visit Nate's Website www.PedagogyNonGrata.com

Follow Nate on X @Natejoseph19

About The Guest

Nathaniel Hansford has taught every grade from preK to 12th, in places as diverse as South Korea, the United Kingdom, the subarctic of Quebec, and Ontario, Canada. In 2022, he won the Literacy Leader of the Year award from the Ontario International Dyslexia Association. Nathaniel has written hundreds of articles on the science of teaching. He is most interested in using meta-analysis research to help teachers implement methodologies that have been proven to work. To learn more about Nathaniel’s work in education, visit teachingbyscience.com, or follow him @Natejoseph19 on X (formerly Twitter).

 

Dave Nagel & Bruce Potter—Grading Visible Learners: Learning with Fluidity, Not Finality

Get the book, Grading Visible Learners: Learning with Fluidity

Visit the website, www.CenterForCollaborativeExpertise.com

About The Authors

Dave Nagel and Bruce Potter are co-founders The Center for Collaborative Expertise.

 

Dave’s work focuses on helping schools and districts implement Visible Learning research, assessment and feedback, and effective grading reform at both school and classroom levels. He has supported schools in building impactful PLCs and is a thought leader in the PLC+ framework. Dave has authored seven books, 4 of which are best sellers–aligned to the PLC+ Suite of publications, and contributed to publications such as Principal Leadership, Educational Leadership, and The Learning Professional. He regularly presents at national conferences.

Bruce Potter is a school administrator with over 30 years experience. Bruce began his career as a classroom teacher and has held leadership roles at the building level as a principal and at the district level as a superintendent for 11 years. Bruce brings a wealth of experience in implementing Visible Learning research, guiding districts, schools, and teachers in transforming their practices. His schools have earned national recognition for innovative approaches that redefine success for traditionally underserved students.

 

 

 

This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12.

Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data.

Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.