Dan Butler serves as the principal of Epworth Elementary School in the Western Dubuque Community School District. Previously, he was the principal of Epworth and Farley Elementary Schools simultaneously for four years focusing on positive relationships with all members of the learning community, high impact instructional techniques, building leadership capacity in others, and establishing successful school cultures. Prior to serving as an administrator, Dan taught third and fifth grades in the Western Dubuque District, as well as serving as a baseball and football coach. In addition to his responsibilities as a building principal, Dan works as an adjunct professor in the Educational Leadership department at the University of Northern Iowa where he earned his doctoral degree.

Dan has received numerous awards and most recently was recognized as a finalist for the School Administrators of Iowa Elementary Principal of the year in 2019 and 2020. He received the University of Northern Iowa Educational Leadership Legacy award in 2018 and was a 2017 bizTimes.biz Rising Star in the Dubuque area. For more than six years, Dan served as a co-moderator of Iowa Educational Chat (#IAedchat), a weekly Twitter forum dedicated to the latest trends in education. He recently published his first book, Permission to be Great and has published various articles to Principal Magazine focused on digital leadership, literacy, productivity, and educator engagement.

Show Highlights

Grant permission to shape the world with this book.
6 mismatches between educator and the work environment
- Too much to do
- A lack of control
- ERA: encouragement, recognition, appreciation
- Breakdown of community
- Lack of fairness
- Conflict of values
Common sense is not the same as common practice.
Navigate comprehensive systems and programs to create an atmosphere for people to be great.
A filter to remove what you don't value off the proverbial education plate.
Promote a genuine interest in every person with two motivational words.
A strength based approach to see kids as the unique individuals they are.
Create ownership, autonomy and avoid micro management.
Know the hill "we" are going to die on to navigate difficult waters.

"We talked about mismatches. The greater the match between worker and work environment, the greater the likelihood of engagements. At the end of the day, all of the concepts, all of the strategies, all of the tactics, included in Permission To Be Great are all about increasing positive culture within your school."

-Dan Butler

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#1397 The Internet In Your Head (Really) - David Gillespie