

S10 E1: Guiding Through Change (Insights from Marie Wiles)
How does one navigate the journey from English teacher to Superintendent? In this episode, I sit down with the recently retired Marie Wiles in a unique in-person interview. We dive deep into her 36-year-long career, from early teaching days and curriculum development to her tenure in various leadership roles, including her time as a BOCES district superintendent. Marie shares her insights on the importance of instructional experience, the challenges of transitioning roles, the value of networks, and her unexpected journey into authoring a book, “Lessons from the Bard: What Shakespeare Can Teach Us about School District Leadership”. This engaging episode unfolds Marie's remarkable experiences and her perspectives on the future of education amid financial uncertainties.
If you have questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes, including great non-education books with lessons for school leaders you can email me at Dr.mike.doughty@gmail.com.
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Chapters:
00:00 Introduction and Special Guest Announcement
00:49 Marie Wiles' Early Career in Education
01:46 Transition to Higher Education and Doctoral Studies
05:21 BOCES Experience and Leadership Roles
08:53 Personal Life and Career Moves
17:19 Balancing Lesson Plans and Student Interaction
19:51 The Dunning-Kruger Effect in Leadership
20:31 Challenges and Realities of Leadership Roles
23:23 Gender Disparity in Educational Leadership
25:49 Concerns for the Future of Education
28:48 Hope and Faith in Youth
31:46 Writing a Book: Lessons from Shakespeare
32:03 The Process of Writing and Publishing
37:26 Final Thoughts and Gratitude