PMP477: Lessons from Transition with Beau Brannon

A Quick Note to Listeners:

Before this week’s interview, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke take some time to answer a listener question. This week’s question is:

What are the common pitfalls that keep principals from effectively leading instructional communities?

Listen in to hear their response!

Meet Beau Brannon:

Beau Brannon is the Principal of Union High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He previously led Union’s Freshman Academy as both assistant principal and principal. A Muldrow High School graduate and former college football player at the University of Tulsa, Beau followed his passion for education and earned degrees from the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith, Arkansas State, and Northeastern State University. He began his career teaching science and coaching football at Alma Public Schools, later becoming Teacher of the Year at Keys High School in 2015. Since joining Union in 2016, he’s taught Geometry, helped coach a state championship football team, and served in school administration since 2018. Beau and his wife, Caitlyn, have been married since 2013 and are proud parents of two children, Baker and Collins.

A previous guest on episode 391, Beau returns to Principal Matters with lessons from his first year in leadership at a new level. Welcome back to Principal Matters! 

School Culture and Students Outcomes:

Each spring, Union High School partners with OU to give a survey to staff, students, and families. Over the last year, Brannon’s school has seen a 10% increase in “Faculty Trust in Principal” over the last year. 96.2% of respondents agree the principal at this school develops a team attitude and spirit amongst faculty & staff,94.3% agree the principal at this school commends me when I do a better than average job, and 98.1% agree that the admin team cares about them as a person. The emphasis on student relationships, student success, and providing real hope and pathways had led to improved student results in his school. Beau’s school has seen a 32.25% decrease in failed courses in semester one and a 21% decrease in failed courses in semester 2, totalling about 1300 courses that do not need to be recovered. All in all, Beau’s school is doing exceptionally well. 

Challenges in Taking on a New Role:

Moving from Union’s Freshman Academy to Union High School presented a fresh set of challenges to Beau. The size of Union High School is one of the challenges that Beau had to navigate. Union High School has about 3,500 students and 250 staff. Beau had to learn how to work amongst a bigger admin team and had to try to get to know 175 teachers as quickly as possible. Since he previously taught at Union High School, it took a lot of work for Beau to gain the trust of some of the teachers at his new school, since not all of them saw him in the leadership light right away.

Hiring Process and Priorities:

In his first year, Beau hired 42 new teachers and staff members, and hired 29 new teachers and staff members in year two. One hiring tip he recommends is to have a hiring waitlist or chart. Throughout the year, you will hear names of people who want to work at the school. Beau also recommends building partnerships with area colleges and universities and going to their job fairs. Another hiring recommendation he makes is to develop your own staff. 

Too Big to do Alone:

One lesson Beau Brannon has pulled for this past year is that the work of a principal is too big to do alone. Principals need to lean on their team’s strengths. Beau shares that his team just did the Clifton Strengths Finders from Gallup to learn each other’s strengths. Everyone has a passion, and they need to lean into them in order for leadership teams to be successful. Leaning into the collective intelligence that comes from working with a team means less stress for the individual. 

Advice to Those Taking on New Roles:

When asked what advice he would give those who are stepping into a new role, Beau reminds listeners to take care of themselves. He follows up that statement by saying that you aren’t as important as you think you are, and that you are a lot more important than you think you are. This means that you need to take your work seriously, but that you also need to remember to take care of yourself and your loved ones first. 

You can stay connected with Beau Brannon via X or Linkedin. 

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