Episode 352 –  I hate testing season

EPISODE 352I hate testing seasonBiggest Takeaways You Don’t Want to Miss:Testing season doesn’t reward the schools that work the hardest at the last minute. It rewards the schools that get the clearest about what matters most.Testing Season Mistake #1: When you try to review everything, teachers prioritize differently, students get mixed signals, and nothing gets […]

Episode 351 – The real danger of the “Compensation Cycle”

EPISODE 351The real danger of the “Compensation Cycle”Biggest Takeaways You Don’t Want to Miss:Once you know Tier 1 is broken, the question isn’t whether to fix it. The question is how long students should have to wait while adults figure it out.While you’re out here trying to figure things out on your own, who is […]

Episode 350 – We’ve been gaslit

EPISODE 350We’ve been gaslitBiggest Takeaways You Don’t Want to Miss:We’ve romanticized student struggle because it lets adults be the hero. But in doing so, we’ve normalized systems that require kids to suffer before they succeed.If you expect struggle to be the norm, you build systems that tolerate it. If you expect turnaround to take years, […]

Episode 349 – Your school wasn’t built for this

EPISODE 349Your school wasn’t built for thisBiggest Takeaways You Don’t Want to Miss:We assume results are a function of effort or leadership quality. But in reality, results are a function of our systems.When you try to get outcomes a system wasn’t built for, effort increases but results don’t.When you don’t have the right systems in […]

Episode 348 – What’s the big deal about vision?

EPISODE 348What’s the big deal about vision?Biggest Takeaways You Don’t Want to Miss:Generic vision = generic school.Does your school vision sound like everyone else’s?If other people’s agendas consistently usurp your vision, you’re leading someone else’s school.If your vision could apply to any school, it’s not really YOUR vision.Could someone read your vision statement and know […]

Episode 347 – Do you have a “borrowed vision?”

EPISODE 347Do you have a “borrowed vision?”Biggest Takeaways You Don’t Want to Miss:Most principals are executing a vision they inherited, chasing goals they didn’t set, and wondering why the work feels like drudgery.When you lead without a vision you own, every outside demand decides for you.When you have a borrowed vision, you’re not building the […]

Episode 346 – So… about that whole “be boring” thing

EPISODE 346So… about that whole “be boring” thingBiggest Takeaways You Don’t Want to Miss:You can’t rest your way out of a structural problem. And you can’t grind your way out of needing actual rest.If your winter break strategy is ‘disconnect completely’ or ‘catch up on everything,’ you’ve already lost January.Clearing your desk isn’t progress if […]

Episode 345 – Rewind: Revisiting my 2025 Lessons

EPISODE 345Rewind: Revisiting my 2025 LessonsBiggest Takeaways You Don’t Want to Miss:Are you changing tactics because they aren’t working, or are you just bored?Most people aren’t successful because they are unwilling to sit with the boredom that comes with doing what it takes to get there.Success is boring. Big success is very boring.Instead of lurching […]

Episode 344 – What Builders Do During Winter Break

EPISODE 344What Builders Do During Winter BreakBiggest Takeaways You Don’t Want to Miss:You can’t rest your way out of a structural problem. And you can’t grind your way out of needing actual rest.If your winter break strategy is ‘disconnect completely’ or ‘catch up on everything,’ you’ve already lost January.Clearing your desk isn’t progress if the […]

Episode 343 – You don’t need a 2026 Plan

EPISODE 343You don’t need a 2026 PlanBiggest Takeaways You Don’t Want to Miss:If you failed to meet all your 2025 goals, the LAST thing you need right now is a 2026 plan. Planning for next year won’t fix what you haven’t finished this year.Feeling “behind” is often just what the middle of real work feels like.If […]