Principal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. Parker

A quick note to listeners:  Before this week’s interview, Jen Schwanke and Will Parker answered a listener question in a 5-minute response.  The question is: How do I coach a veteran (relatively) effective teacher who is reluctant to implement something new? Listen in for our response and thank you for doing what matters! Andrew McPeak […] The post PMP409: Ready for Real Life with Andrew McPeak appeared first on Principal Matters.

Dr. Karen Dudek-Brannan is the founder and owner/operator of Dr. Karen, LLC, a company focused on empowering therapists and educators to design interventions that support language, literacy, and executive functioning. She has a doctorate in Special Education and Director of Special Education and Assistive Technology credentials from Illinois State University, as well as a master’s […] The post PMP408: De Facto Leadership with Dr. Karen Dudek-Brannan and Dr. Jen Schwanke appeared first on Principal Matters.

This week Jen Schwanke hosts guest educator Justin Baeder, author and veteran instructional leader, and takeaways from his newest book Mapping Professional Practice: How to Develop Instructional Frameworks to Support Teacher Growth (2022), a book co-authored with Heather Bell-Williams.  Justin shares his practical takes on accountability and the careful dance of driving school improvement. Discover […] The post PMP407: Supporting Teacher Growth with Justin Baeder and Jen Schwanke appeared first on Principal Matters.

Tim Villegas is the Director of Communications for the Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education. He is also the founder of Think Inclusive, which is the blog, podcast, and social media handle of MCIE. He has 16 years of experience in public education as a teacher and district support specialist. His focus now is on how […] The post PMP406: Thinking Inclusive with Tim Villegas appeared first on Principal Matters.

Anne-Marie Maw is an educator who has worked in schools for over 25 years as a classroom teacher and school leader across a range of schools in Australia. Currently, she is the principal of St. Agatha’s Primary School in the northeast suburbs of Brisbane which is the capital city of the state of Queensland in […] The post PMP405: Building Capacity in Your Leadership with Anne-Marie Maw appeared first on Principal Matters.

This week, Jen Schwanke and Will Parker tackle a question from an education leader: “As a principal, how can you monitor and ensure adherence to expected standards and outcomes in a way that is supportive rather than punitive, and fosters a culture of accountability?” Key Points from Jen Schwanke: Insights from Will Parker: Practical Systems […] The post PMP404: Managing Expectations and Accountability with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker appeared first on Principal Matters.

If you’ve not yet heard of Principal Kafele, this podcast captures him in a conversation with Dr. Jen Schwanke—a conversation that gets to the heart of why he is one of the most distinguished and transformational speakers and leaders of our generation.  A highly-regarded urban educator in New Jersey for over twenty years, Principal Baruti […] The post PMP403: Be the Change with Principal Baruti Kafele and Dr. Jen Schwanke appeared first on Principal Matters.

Dr. Todd Dain has significantly shaped education over a 30-year career, currently leading Shawnee Mission South High School in Overland Park, Kansas, since 2015. With a foundation in education from Emporia State and Baker University, he’s held roles as a teacher, coach, and administrator. His leadership is acknowledged beyond the school through his involvement in […] The post PMP402: Building Trust with Dr. Todd Dain appeared first on Principal Matters.

In this week’s episode, I talk to Lewis Bradford and three of his administrative team members, Jessica Hodges, Benny Bullock, and David Jones at Northwest Rankin High School in Flowood, Mississippi. On October 23, 2023, I was privileged to visit Northwest Rankin High School. Afterward, I invited Lewis to record a podcast episode together, and […] The post PMP401: Inspiring and Developing Others with Northwest Rankin High School Admin Team appeared first on Principal Matters.

In this week’s episode, Dr. Jen Schwanke and I celebrate 400 episodes of the Principal Matters Podcast. We stroll down memory lane, reminiscing about 10-plus years of producing Principal Matters content.  This podcast was created as an outlet for lessons I learned as an assistant principal and principal. Over the years, it has become a […] The post PMP400: Celebrating 10+ Years of Principal Matters appeared first on Principal Matters.