March 2013 Issue
Cage-Busting Leadership
Frederick Hess, author of the new book, Cage-Busting Leadership, joins us this month to talk about how counterproductive rules and red tape act to constrain school leaders and why the traditional schoolhouse culture can "cage" leaders and hinder school reform efforts. Hess believes school leaders at all levels have a lot more leeway to make transformational changes than they may think, and in this interview he explains how leaders can take on the status quo to great effect. Continue
Character Education and Student Success
Is character development important to student success and can schools actually teach character? Scott Seider, the author of the book, Character Compass: How Powerful School Culture Can Point Students Toward Success, joins us to talk about why character matters and how character education supports positive student outcomes. Continue
Failure is Not an Option, It’s a Necessity
Everyone fears failure —students, teachers and school leaders—and we all do our best to avoid it at all costs. But as Ron Krause explains in this segment, failure is an integral part of learning. Ron was a successful principal for over 25 years and now serves as a nationally certified principal mentor, a national coach for principals completing their certification in mentoring, and an adjunct instructor at Lewis University. Continue
Supporting Teachers with the Common Core
Sarah Tantillo joins us to offer some very practical advice for school leaders as they implement the Common Core, especially as it relates to supporting teachers as they unpack the new standards and begin to understand what the standards mean both literally and for instructional purposes. Continue
Answers to Essential Questions About Grading
Thomas Guskey, co-author of the new book, Answers to Essential Questions About Standards, Assessments, Grading, and Reporting joins us to discuss why many grading practices leave much to be desired when it comes to helping students to succeed. Continue
School Culture Re-Boot
With Leslie Kaplan and William Owings
A school’s culture defines and infuses every aspect of the organization. Leslie Kaplan and William Owings, co- authors of the book, Culture Re-Boot: Reinvigorating School Culture to Improve Student Outcomes, join us to talk about school culture and how reshaping it can lead to highly visible improvements for students and teachers. Continue
Dealing with Anxiety in Children
One in eight children suffer from anxiety disorders and without intervention, they're at risk for poor performance, diminished learning, and social and behavioral problems in school. Jessica Minahan explains how anxiety affects students and how school leaders and teachers can respond. Continue
The Principal Mentoring Process
free Dr. Christine Mason provides an introduction to the process of principal mentoring in this segment and explains what a high quality mentoring program looks like. She also discusses how mentoring supports new or novice leaders and even experienced principals. Continue