The School Leadership Show

In this episode I interview two fantastic attorneys whom I’ve known for several years about special education law.  Joyce Berkowitz has a practice representing parents, and Dave Oakes works for the Harris Beach Law Firm and represents school districts.  Our lively discussion centers on what school administrators need to know about special education law.  We get into mistakes to avoid, how to stay current on changes to special education law - if that’s even possible, when to call the attorneys, what to expect when the attorneys show up, and where the focus of all this work rightfully should be - on children.  Joyce and Dave also share insights about their own personal productivity and setting priorities.   To reach Joyce you can Google her name (Joyce B. Berkowitz) or call her at (585) 421-9094.  You can learn more about Dave and his work at Harris Beach’s website (www.harrisbeach.com).  Enjoy this interview with Joyce Berkowitz and Dave Oakes. Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.  Consider rating the podcast in itunes and leaving a comment.  And please pass the show along to your colleagues.

We all know how to implement, right?  It’s not as easy as it sounds.  In this episode I interview Caryn Ward.  Caryn works with the National Implementation Research Network or NIRN (http://nirn.fpg.unc.edu/).  She is an expert on implementation science the research that supports it.  We talk about the Five Implementation Frameworks, how they apply to education, and what they mean for school leaders, and pitfalls to avoid.  Additional information and tools that Caryn mentions in the podcast can be found at The Active Implementation Hub (http://implementation.fpg.unc.edu/). Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.  Consider rating the podcast in itunes and leaving a comment.  And please pass the show along to your colleagues.

In this episode I interview Professional Office Organizing Consultant Kacy Paide.  We talk about how much more productive and focused you can be when your environment is organized.  It sounds so simple.  Why aren’t more of us there already?  We get into practical tips, where to start, and mistakes to avoid.  Kacy mentioned the following resources during the interview:   Evernote software to organize and retrieve your stuff electronically: www.evernote.com Tim Ferriss’s blog and podcasts: http://fourhourworkweek.com/ The Pomordo Technique: http://pomodorotechnique.com/   Book recommendation: Hug Your Customers by Jack Mitchell   You can learn more about Kacy and her work at www.theinspiredoffice.com.  She has a blog and a bunch of great instructional videos.  Enjoy this interview with Kacy Paide. Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.  Consider rating the podcast in itunes and leaving a comment.  And please pass the show along to your colleagues.

In this episode I interview Jenn David-Lang.  Jenn produces The Main Idea (http://www.themainidea.net/), a monthly summary of a current education book.  Jenn has over 30,000 subscribers and has an incredible perspective on where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re headed in education.  We talk about the importance of building relationships, mistakes for administrators to avoid, tips for personal productivity, and much more.  Enjoy this interview with Jenn David-Lang. Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.  Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment.  And please pass the show along to your colleagues.

  In this episode I go another round with educator and author Kim Marshall.  This time we talk in detail about teacher observation and evaluation and ways to make the process meaningful and doable for everyone involved.  Kim shares several resources including a tool that districts might consider using to help streamline the paperwork involved with the observation process (https://www.t-eval.com/).  You can access much of Kim Marshall’s work for free at www.marshallmemo.com.  His weekly Marshall Memo helps countless educators stay current on what’s happening in K-12 education.  Enjoy this interview with Kim Marshall. Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.  Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment.  And please pass the show along to your colleagues.

In this episode I interview Justin Murphy.  Justin is a seasoned journalist who reports on education both in print and online.  We talk about how school administrators can build positive relationships with the media, mistakes to avoid when working with the press, and how to figure out the real story when you have conflicting information from different sources.  We also get into a couple of productivity hacks that Justin has found useful as a reporter as well as his approach to staying caught up on email.  Enjoy this interview with Justin Murphy.

In this episode I interview Dan White.  Dan has been a school counselor, a high school principal, and a school district superintendent.  He is currently the superintendent of a large educational service agency.  We talk mainly about decision making, specifically how not to let another person’s crisis become your crisis, using the time you have to make decisions, not hitting flies with sledgehammers, making thoughtful course corrections, and much more.  This is likely the first of several episodes with Dan related to the nuts and bolts of leadership in general and school leadership specifically.  The book Dan mentions towards the end of the episode is Time Present, Time Past by Bill Bradley.  Enjoy this interview with Dan White.

In this episode I interview Dr. Stephanie Evergreen, author of the book Presenting Data Effectively.  She has worked across all sectors, including education, teaching and coaching people about how to communicate using data.  We talk about what great presenters do, tips on creating good slides, how your visuals should complement your personality when you present, and more.  We barely scratch the surface in this interview, and you are going to want to hear more from Stephanie.  Her website is http://stephanieevergreen.com/, and you can go there to learn more about her book, read her blog, and listen to her podcasts.  Enjoy this interview with Dr. Stephanie Evergreen.   Below are two links that Stephane mentions during the interview: Data Visualization Checklist: http://stephanieevergreen.com/dataviz-checklist/ RadPresenters Podcast: http://www.radpresenters.com/

In this episode I interview productivity expert Erik Fisher.  His podcast, Beyond the To-Do List, is essential listening for anyone looking to increase their personal productivity and improve their work-life balance.  We talk about priorities, rituals, multi-tasking, getting control of your email, tools to help you stay focused, and much more. You can learn more about Erik, follow him on Twitter @ErikJFisher, and download his podcast at http://beyondthetodolist.com/.  Enjoy this interview with Erik Fisher. Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.  Consider rating the podcast in itunes and leaving a comment.  And please pass the show along to your colleagues.

In this episode I interview Jill Pancoast from The Breakthrough Coach.  The training that she describes in the interview has helped tens of thousands of school administrators all over the world get out of their offices and spend more time in classrooms where the real work of school is going on.  We talk about the characteristics of effective school administrators, developing a results orientation, minimizing distractions in your work environment, and much more.  You can learn more about Jill and The Breakthrough Coach at http://www.the-breakthrough-coach.com/.