Category: Culture of Learning and Mission Alignment

Leader Chat: Leading and Serving a Complex Organization with Jim Clark, President & CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of America

Posted on by Angela Comtois
professional learning communities

Educational leaders should not ONLY listen to and learn from educators. Districts and schools may be complicated places, but there are also other organizations that are committed to serving our youth that do incredible work. Case in point . . . this week Jeff talks with Jim Clark, the CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of America. They serve 5,100 centers/locations impacting 4.6 million students! Yeah, you read that right. A massive undertaking and leadership responsibility. You can’t listen to this and NOT learn something about strategy, navigating the complexity of the current times, and servant leadership….

Leader Chat: Vision, Hope, and Challenge From A Charter School Perspective with Jon Hage

Posted on by Angela Comtois
school improvement plan process

One thing that is so cool about our Leader Chats is the diversity of those we talk with. We are so fortunate to have access to great leaders that we can all learn from. Jon Hage, CEO of Charter Schools USA, joined us to discuss their vision, hopes, and challenges and all that they have learned along the way. As you will notice, Jon is passionate about the mission of impacting the lives of kids, and his leadership insights can help all of us learn and grow….

Leader Chat: Ridiculously Amazing Schools with Jeff Waller

Posted on by Angela Comtois
private school curriculum

Have you heard of the Seven Mindsets? Jeff Waller’s work spearheaded the movement. It’s been spreading throughout the country for several years, and it has never been more relevant than now. His book, Ridiculously Amazing Schools, builds on everything that he and his team have learned about what leadership characteristics are needed for schools to be amazing. As ‘the Jeffs’ talk, you will be touched and intrigued….

Leader Chat: The Gap Between What We Know and Do with Mike Schmoker

Posted on by Angela Comtois

Mike Schmoker has a way of cutting to the heart of the truth and simultaneously inspiring educators to dream of what’s possible. The fact is, educators can easily get distracted. Schmoker reminds us that if we stay focused on what we already know works, incredible things can happen for students. If you are in any way responsible for leading schools, this is a must-listen….

Leader Chat: Leading Change with Stephen Peters

Posted on by Angela Comtois

We are so lucky we were able to recruit Dr. Stephen Peters to talk with us. When we did, we had no idea he was a movie star, or at least close to one having been a leader on the documentary ‘American High School.’ Stephen is a wise leader with a rich background as a school and district leader. He and Jeff discuss the need for some future changes and most importantly, what leaders can do to drive the change….

Leader Chat: Board Governance and Leadership Implications with AJ Crabill

Posted on by Angela Comtois
educational accreditation

AJ Crabill is likely one of the most knowledgeable leaders on School Board Governance you can find. As you will hear Jeff and AJ discuss, governance is often messy work, but it does not have to be with the right guidance and support. AJ and Jeff unpack what they notice in terms of current trends and spend time talking about what leaders can do to help guide the process relative to what is best for students, schools, and communities. …

Leader Chat: Street Data with Shane Safir

Posted on by Angela Comtois

Shane Safir is one of the authors of the very popular book Street Data: A Next-Generation Model for Equity, Pedagogy, and School Transformation. One of our Leadership Circle members recommended to Jeff we feature this inspirational conversation, and we are so glad we did. Street Data is different than so many educational texts and dives into the heart of how we envision and determine what success can look like for students. Any educational leader will learn from this conversation between Jeff and Shane….

Leader Chat: What Leaders Need To Know About Our Future with Bill Daggett

Posted on by Angela Comtois

There is no doubt about it. Bill Daggett is a DEEEEP thinker and is an expert in pushing us to be the same. He and Jeff lean in on the topic of pursuing a new narrative and model in education to serve students in the future. Bill breaks down elements of our current challenges and fortunately provides some advice on how we can move forward. As one behind the camera, I could tell Jeff and Bill could have talked for hours if we had let them….

Leader Chat: Trends and the Future of the Teacher Pipeline with Denise A. Spangler

Posted on by Angela Comtois

Our worries about teacher shortage and a lack of motivation for young professionals to seek a career in teaching are real and it’s shared. In this Leader Chat, Jeff talks with Dr. Denise Spangler, Dean of the College of Education at the University of Georgia. She has led at UGA for many years, and her lens into this problem and the potential for future opportunities for change is something we should all pay attention to….