Transformative Principal

Jennifer Sullivan, M.S. is an executive functioning coach and author based in southeastern CT. She is founder of Fast Forward College Coaching and offers customized college support for diverse learners and their parents as they prepare for the transition to (and through) college. She speaks nationally to high schools, educators, and parent groups about differences between disability support in high school and college, executive functioning success in college and the parent perspective of the college transition. She is author of the book, Sharing the Transition to College: Words of Advice for Diverse Learners and Their Families. Helping kids transition to college When to start planning. What opportunities exist for students with disabilities? More than the dichotomy of career or college One of the ways we can prepare students is by reaching down to middle school. Include middle schooler teachers and leaders about transitioning to college. LifeCourse tools Self-advocacy and self-awareness. When kids have a problem and they can articulate that next step. Conversation starters Listen nonjudgmentally Meet students where they are. Eliminate the word should. How to be a transformative principal? Principals support all students, but take time to ask specific students with disabilities what challenges they are facing and how the leadership can help. Sponsors InControl SEL for Middle School In Control created an effortless social and emotional, character development video curriculum for your students that’s ZERO-TEACHER-PREP AND it’s so cool looking- it feels like a Youtube or Netflix Series- and that’s purposeful, they meet students right where they’re at. The videos are 5–6 minutes, kids love them, teachers love them, and you will too. There’s no guesswork in the program because there’s a 21-video progression for each grade level. They’ve thought of everything– because it’s a group of award winning counselors, teachers, and principals that came up with this thing. It’ll help you save tons of time and headaches. Take it from me, it’s time to check that social-emotional learning box, the empty one that’s been keeping you up at night–and it’s time to do it in a meaningful, measurable, magnetic way. If you go to www.InControlSEL.com/jethro you can check out some of the videos and even receive 20% off if you pre-order for next school year John Catt Today’s Transformative Principal sponsor, John Catt Educational, amplifies world-class voices on timeless topics, with a list of authors recognized globally for their fresh perspectives and proven strategies to drive success in modern schools and classrooms. John Catt’s mission is to support high-quality teaching and learning by ensuring every educator has access to professional development materials that are research-based, practical, and focused on the key topics proven essential in today’s and tomorrow’s schools. Learn more about professional development publications that are easy to implement for your entire faculty, and are both quickly digestible and rigorous, by visiting https://us.johncattbookshop.com/. Learn more about some of the newest titles: - The Coach’s Guide to Teaching by Doug Lemov The Feedback Pendulum: A manifesto for enhancing feedback in education by Michael Chiles Putting Staff First: A blueprint for revitalising our schools by John Tomsett and Jonny Uttley 10 Things Schools Get Wrong (And How We Can Get Them Right) by Jared Cooney Horvath and David Bott Let’s Talk About Flex: Flipping the flexible working narrative for education by Emma Turner A Parent’s Guide to Powerful Teaching by Patrice Bain John Catt is also proud publisher of the new book from Transformative Principal host Jethro Jones: SchoolX: How principals can design a transformative school experience for students, teachers, parents – and themselves Visit this page to learn more about bulk orders and how to bring John Catt’s research-based materials to your school: https://us.johncattbookshop.com/pages/agents-and-distributors LinkedLeaders: You need support. Get just-in-time mentoring at LinkedLeaders.comWe’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Sam Sochet was celebrated as the 2019 New York City High School Principal of the Year by the  NYC High  School Principals Association, for his monumental work in transforming Martin Van Buren High School, a large comprehensive high school in Queens, New York.  When Sam took over as principal in 2012, the school’s 4-year graduation rate was below 50%, and approaching NY State Receivership status.  Undaunted by the odds, within six years, through a concentration on three “big rocks” (emphasizing in order Culture, Community, and Learning and Teaching), the school moved its graduation rate to 80!  This was done while retaining the teaching staff.   During his 7+ years as principal, the school also achieved similar increases in College Readiness, Student Attendance, and new found access to academic programs such as Robotics, Health Careers, Pre-Law, as well as Science Research.  Sam has over 32 years of experience as a highly successful Teacher, Science Chairperson, Assistant Principal, and Principal.  Sam taught Advanced Placement Biology for 10 years and Advanced Placement Psychology for 7 years. Sam has great respect for both the art and science of teaching.  He has demonstrated a great understanding of working effectively with school communities, teachers and administrators unions, elected officials, as well as students and faculty. He also served as Co-President of the Science Supervisors Association of New York City, and is currently a Trustee at the Syosset Public Library in his hometown. He is also an alumnus of New Leaders, a nationally recognized Principal Leadership Program.     Sam grew up in Queens, New York, received his Bachelor of Science Degree from Syracuse University, a Master of Science in Botany and Plant Pathology from Colorado State University, and a Professional Diploma in Education Administration from Queens College. 440 High Schools in NYDOC Tried to win over the people on the fence. Approaching kids with high expectations. College March Video How to approach racial tensions as issues. Shifting culture - consistent, real, unwavering. Newspapers wrote articles about us fixing the clock. Do we have to wear uniforms? How to be a transformative principal? Be a risk taker. Be willing to butt heads with people who can fire you. Gun Control CBS News Presentation March 20, 2018 Sponsors InControl SEL for Middle School In Control created an effortless social and emotional, character development video curriculum for your students that’s ZERO-TEACHER-PREP AND it’s so cool looking- it feels like a Youtube or Netflix Series- and that’s purposeful, they meet students right where they’re at. The videos are 5-6 minutes, kids love them, teachers love them, and you will too. There’s no guesswork in the program because there’s a 21-video progression for each grade level. They’ve thought of everything-- because it’s a group of award winning counselors, teachers, and principals that came up with this thing. It’ll help you save tons of time and headaches. Take it from me, it’s time to check that social-emotional learning box, the empty one that’s been keeping you up at night--and it’s time to do it in a meaningful, measurable, magnetic way. If you go to www.InControlSEL.com/jethro you can check out some of the videos and even receive 20% off if you pre-order for next school year John Catt Today’s Transformative Principal sponsor, John Catt Educational, amplifies world-class voices on timeless topics, with a list of authors recognized globally for their fresh perspectives and proven strategies to drive success in modern schools and classrooms. John Catt’s mission is to support high-quality teaching and learning by ensuring every educator has access to professional development materials that are research-based, practical, and focused on the key topics proven essential in today’s and tomorrow’s schools. Learn more about professional development publications that are easy to implement for your entire faculty, and are both quickly digestible and rigorous, by visiting https://us.johncattbookshop.com/. Learn more about some of the newest titles: - The Coach’s Guide to Teaching by Doug Lemov The Feedback Pendulum: A manifesto for enhancing feedback in education by Michael Chiles Putting Staff First: A blueprint for revitalising our schools by John Tomsett and Jonny Uttley 10 Things Schools Get Wrong (And How We Can Get Them Right) by Jared Cooney Horvath and David Bott Let’s Talk About Flex: Flipping the flexible working narrative for education by Emma Turner A Parent's Guide to Powerful Teaching by Patrice Bain John Catt is also proud publisher of the new book from Transformative Principal host Jethro Jones: SchoolX: How principals can design a transformative school experience for students, teachers, parents – and themselves Visit this page to learn more about bulk orders and how to bring John Catt’s research-based materials to your school: https://us.johncattbookshop.com/pages/agents-and-distributors LinkedLeaders: You need support. Get just-in-time mentoring at LinkedLeaders.comWe’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Dr. Sebrina A. Lindsay-Law serves as the Coordinator for Equity and Opportunity in the Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Virginia Beach City Public Schools.  Prior to serving in this role, Dr. Lindsay-Law worked as a school improvement specialist, secondary social studies teacher, and middle school dean.   Dr. Law attended Old Dominion University where she obtained a bachelor of arts degree in secondary social studies education.  Then she earned a master of art degree in administration and supervision from The George Washington University.  In August 2019 she completed her doctorate degree in educational leadership and policy studies from The George Washington University.    She believes through inclusive conversations, empathetic listening opportunities, and adaptive practices teams can establish solution oriented outcomes to support communities and organizations.  Furthermore, when teams and organizations utilize strengths to guide conversations, practices, and systems then teams can have sustainable networks.  Sustainable networks can build collective efficacy for communities and edify personal efficacy for all individuals.  She states, “there is so much work to be done.  Let’s work together to enhance our society.”  Start with humanity Being comfortable with discomfort. Be more receptive to non-closure. Look ago ourselves What mark and good do I want to leave on this community. We have different types of biases that come up, sometimes unconscious. How to be a friend and ally. You have to be your own personality. What can I do to make an environment inclusive? Be personable according to your style. Consider yourself. Degrees of intensity. Always looking for inclusion. Individual self within that. Collective efficacy DEI work is participatory and requires full engagement. Community partnerships with curating history on kids who integrated the schools. Norfolk 17 (Sebrina’s Aunt) Artwork reflecting their own history. Unity, Leadership, Action Cocreating and participating. Desegregation and integration are two separate things. How to be a transformative principal? Really look at your love languages and how you communicate with your people. Are we checking on people? Love your people. Sponsors InControl SEL for Middle School In Control created an effortless social and emotional, character development video curriculum for your students that’s ZERO-TEACHER-PREP AND it’s so cool looking- it feels like a Youtube or Netflix Series- and that’s purposeful, they meet students right where they’re at. The videos are 5-6 minutes, kids love them, teachers love them, and you will too. There’s no guesswork in the program because there’s a 21-video progression for each grade level. They’ve thought of everything-- because it’s a group of award winning counselors, teachers, and principals that came up with this thing. It’ll help you save tons of time and headaches. Take it from me, it’s time to check that social-emotional learning box, the empty one that’s been keeping you up at night--and it’s time to do it in a meaningful, measurable, magnetic way. If you go to www.InControlSEL.com/jethro you can check out some of the videos and even receive 20% off if you pre-order for next school year John Catt Today’s Transformative Principal sponsor, John Catt Educational, amplifies world-class voices on timeless topics, with a list of authors recognized globally for their fresh perspectives and proven strategies to drive success in modern schools and classrooms. John Catt’s mission is to support high-quality teaching and learning by ensuring every educator has access to professional development materials that are research-based, practical, and focused on the key topics proven essential in today’s and tomorrow’s schools. Learn more about professional development publications that are easy to implement for your entire faculty, and are both quickly digestible and rigorous, by visiting https://us.johncattbookshop.com/. Learn more about some of the newest titles: - The Coach’s Guide to Teaching by Doug Lemov The Feedback Pendulum: A manifesto for enhancing feedback in education by Michael Chiles Putting Staff First: A blueprint for revitalising our schools by John Tomsett and Jonny Uttley 10 Things Schools Get Wrong (And How We Can Get Them Right) by Jared Cooney Horvath and David Bott Let’s Talk About Flex: Flipping the flexible working narrative for education by Emma Turner A Parent's Guide to Powerful Teaching by Patrice Bain John Catt is also proud publisher of the new book from Transformative Principal host Jethro Jones: SchoolX: How principals can design a transformative school experience for students, teachers, parents – and themselves Visit this page to learn more about bulk orders and how to bring John Catt’s research-based materials to your school: https://us.johncattbookshop.com/pages/agents-and-distributors LinkedLeaders: You need support. Get just-in-time mentoring at LinkedLeaders.comWe’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Phil Dituri is Director of Education for Financial Life Cycle Education, also known as FiCycle. FiCycle is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring every student has access to knowledge of the financial concepts necessary to live a prosperous life and the math skills needed to grasp those concepts and put them into practice. Phil has taught and inspired educators and children for over 20 years. He is an educational consultant and served as a Visiting Professor at Fordham University. He was also a teacher, instructional coach, and chairperson of the mathematics department at New Design HS in lower Manhattan. While in public school, he was a three-time Math for America Master Teacher and Big apple award finalist. Phil has a B.A. in Mathematics from NYU and a Ph.D. in Mathematics Education from Columbia University. It is a failure of our approach to teaching math. The tools of algebra were developed to meet the needs of business. Why math teachers are mad about our line of questions so far. Algebra 2 curriculum that answers the question, when am I going to use this is my life? These are gatekeeper topics: to be successful, you need to be competent? how to be a transformative principal? Look for authentic, real-world learning opportunities for your students. Sponsors InControl SEL for Middle School In Control created an effortless social and emotional, character development video curriculum for your students that’s ZERO-TEACHER-PREP AND it’s so cool looking- it feels like a Youtube or Netflix Series- and that’s purposeful, they meet students right where they’re at. The videos are 5-6 minutes, kids love them, teachers love them, and you will too. There’s no guesswork in the program because there’s a 21-video progression for each grade level. They’ve thought of everything-- because it’s a group of award winning counselors, teachers, and principals that came up with this thing. It’ll help you save tons of time and headaches. Take it from me, it’s time to check that social-emotional learning box, the empty one that’s been keeping you up at night--and it’s time to do it in a meaningful, measurable, magnetic way. If you go to www.InControlSEL.com/jethro you can check out some of the videos and even receive 20% off if you pre-order for next school year John Catt Today’s Transformative Principal sponsor, John Catt Educational, amplifies world-class voices on timeless topics, with a list of authors recognized globally for their fresh perspectives and proven strategies to drive success in modern schools and classrooms. John Catt’s mission is to support high-quality teaching and learning by ensuring every educator has access to professional development materials that are research-based, practical, and focused on the key topics proven essential in today’s and tomorrow’s schools. Learn more about professional development publications that are easy to implement for your entire faculty, and are both quickly digestible and rigorous, by visiting https://us.johncattbookshop.com/. Learn more about some of the newest titles: - The Coach’s Guide to Teaching by Doug Lemov The Feedback Pendulum: A manifesto for enhancing feedback in education by Michael Chiles Putting Staff First: A blueprint for revitalising our schools by John Tomsett and Jonny Uttley 10 Things Schools Get Wrong (And How We Can Get Them Right) by Jared Cooney Horvath and David Bott Let’s Talk About Flex: Flipping the flexible working narrative for education by Emma Turner A Parent's Guide to Powerful Teaching by Patrice Bain John Catt is also proud publisher of the new book from Transformative Principal host Jethro Jones: SchoolX: How principals can design a transformative school experience for students, teachers, parents – and themselves Visit this page to learn more about bulk orders and how to bring John Catt’s research-based materials to your school: https://us.johncattbookshop.com/pages/agents-and-distributors LinkedLeaders: You need support. Get just-in-time mentoring at LinkedLeaders.comWe’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Jim Knight has spent more than two decades studying professional learning, effective teaching, and instructional coaching. He is a founding senior partner of the Instructional Coaching Group and a research associate at the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning. His book Instructional Coaching: A Partnership Approach to Improving Instruction (Corwin, 2007) popularized the idea of instructional coaching. Knight’s other books include Focus on Teaching: Using Video for High-Impact Instruction (Corwin, 2014) and Better Conversations: Coaching Ourselves to Be More Credible, Caring, and Connected. The Impact Cycle, released in 2017. * Just survival is a big deal, so don’t overlook that. * Don’t lose sight of getting through it. * Express compassion and support and let people know we are there for them. * Coaches can have three things they can do * Mentor: giving people resources * Trainer: helping people learn things * Coaching: Goal you’re trying to hit. * You can’t cut coaching and still have coaching. It becomes a question of priority. * Here’s why people should keep coaching going. * Once I set a goal that really matters to me as a teacher… * Grounded in real life application. * Practice won’t happen by chance. * Video peer coaching * Principals can take a coaching approach, but the really deep implementation of learning is hard to do without a coach * outcome is what is going to have the greatest impact on children’s outcome. * Identify a change they made that really made a difference. * Unless I care about the goal, compliance is the best you’ll get. * Without the follow up you won’t get the desired outcome. * It’s ok for people in the organization to have different goals. * If what you’re doing is working, keep doing it. * Transparent and honest conversation about what’s happening. You need to face reality. * What will be different, and how will we measure it? * I don’t see myself as trying to get teachers to do something. * Put systems in place so teachers can excel. * If they don’t have a say, they’re not going to be committed to it. * It’s messy. It’s not as simple as I describe it. * Dealing with people is a really complex thing. * We sometimes grab on to a quick solution. * The book whisperer. * The issue is power. * How to be a transformative principal? Thank you! Work on listening. Video record yourself listening. It’s not enough to hear the words. Sponsors InControl SEL for Middle School In Control created an effortless social and emotional, character development video curriculum for your students that’s ZERO-TEACHER-PREP AND it’s so cool looking- it feels like a Youtube or Netflix Series- and that’s purposeful, they meet students right where they’re at. The videos are 5-6 minutes, kids love them, teachers love them, and you will too. There’s no guesswork in the program because there’s a 21-video progression for each grade level. They’ve thought of everything-- because it’s a group of award winning counselors, teachers, and principals that came up with this thing. It’ll help you save tons of time and headaches. Take it from me, it’s time to check that social-emotional learning box, the empty one that’s been keeping you up at night--and it’s time to do it in a meaningful, measurable, magnetic way. If you go to www.InControlSEL.com/jethro you can check out some of the videos and even receive 20% off if you pre-order for next school year John Catt Today’s Transformative Principal sponsor, John Catt Educational, amplifies world-class voices on timeless topics, with a list of authors recognized globally for their fresh perspectives and proven strategies to drive success in modern schools and classrooms. John Catt’s mission is to support high-quality teaching and learning by ensuring every educator has access to professional development materials that are research-based, practical, and focused on the key topics proven essential in today’s and tomorrow’s schools. Learn more about professional development publications that are easy to implement for your entire faculty, and are both quickly digestible and rigorous, by visiting https://us.johncattbookshop.com/. Learn more about some of the newest titles: - The Coach’s Guide to Teaching by Doug Lemov The Feedback Pendulum: A manifesto for enhancing feedback in education by Michael Chiles Putting Staff First: A blueprint for revitalising our schools by John Tomsett and Jonny Uttley 10 Things Schools Get Wrong (And How We Can Get Them Right) by Jared Cooney Horvath and David Bott Let’s Talk About Flex: Flipping the flexible working narrative for education by Emma Turner A Parent's Guide to Powerful Teaching by Patrice Bain John Catt is also proud publisher of the new book from Transformative Principal host Jethro Jones: SchoolX: How principals can design a transformative school experience for students, teachers, parents – and themselves Visit this page to learn more about bulk orders and how to bring John Catt’s research-based materials to your school: https://us.johncattbookshop.com/pages/agents-and-distributors LinkedLeaders: You need support. Get just-in-time mentoring at LinkedLeaders.comWe’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Jay Posick is principal of Merton Intermediate school in Merton Wisconsin.  He has been an educator since 1987, teaching 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grades.  In his 31st year as a middle school educator, the first twelve as a classroom teacher and the last 19 as an administrator.  I’m fortunate to be connected with many educators across the country, especially #principalsinaction friends and my middle school voxer friends.  Mark French, Ryan Sheehy, and Jay wrote the book #principalsinaction which was published in 2019. Open since September 1st. Found different schools in the building. Moving people around for big spaces. Removal of teacher furniture. Cohorts of kids who stay together. Livestream classes Implementing voice and choice. Heavy academic classes in the past, more SEL focused classes now. Instructional strategies in pandemic. Making connections with kids during pandemic. Kids not being able to participate in band, choir, drama, athletics, etc., has been really hard. How to be a transformative principal? Connect with kids. Pictures of kids with checkmarks by them. Sponsors InControl SEL for Middle School In Control created an effortless social and emotional, character development video curriculum for your students that’s ZERO-TEACHER-PREP AND it’s so cool looking- it feels like a Youtube or Netflix Series- and that’s purposeful, they meet students right where they’re at. The videos are 5-6 minutes, kids love them, teachers love them, and you will too. There’s no guesswork in the program because there’s a 21-video progression for each grade level. They’ve thought of everything-- because it’s a group of award winning counselors, teachers, and principals that came up with this thing. It’ll help you save tons of time and headaches. Take it from me, it’s time to check that social-emotional learning box, the empty one that’s been keeping you up at night--and it’s time to do it in a meaningful, measurable, magnetic way. If you go to www.InControlSEL.com/jethro you can check out some of the videos and even receive 20% off if you pre-order for next school year John Catt Today’s Transformative Principal sponsor, John Catt Educational, amplifies world-class voices on timeless topics, with a list of authors recognized globally for their fresh perspectives and proven strategies to drive success in modern schools and classrooms. John Catt’s mission is to support high-quality teaching and learning by ensuring every educator has access to professional development materials that are research-based, practical, and focused on the key topics proven essential in today’s and tomorrow’s schools. Learn more about professional development publications that are easy to implement for your entire faculty, and are both quickly digestible and rigorous, by visiting https://us.johncattbookshop.com/. Learn more about some of the newest titles: - The Coach’s Guide to Teaching by Doug Lemov The Feedback Pendulum: A manifesto for enhancing feedback in education by Michael Chiles Putting Staff First: A blueprint for revitalising our schools by John Tomsett and Jonny Uttley 10 Things Schools Get Wrong (And How We Can Get Them Right) by Jared Cooney Horvath and David Bott Let’s Talk About Flex: Flipping the flexible working narrative for education by Emma Turner A Parent's Guide to Powerful Teaching by Patrice Bain John Catt is also proud publisher of the new book from Transformative Principal host Jethro Jones: SchoolX: How principals can design a transformative school experience for students, teachers, parents – and themselves Visit this page to learn more about bulk orders and how to bring John Catt’s research-based materials to your school: https://us.johncattbookshop.com/pages/agents-and-distributors LinkedLeaders: You need support. Get just-in-time mentoring at LinkedLeaders.comWe’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Meghan Raftery Twitter is a freelance educator and mom of two boys, ages 5 and 8. A former second and fourth grade teacher and central office administrator, Meghan left public education to pursue her professional passions on her own terms in 2018. Since that time, she has developed curriculum for school districts, nonprofits, private companies and families and led professional development in more than 30 states with a focus on innovation and authentic learning. What is a freelance educator? Join us in Edjacent! What are the challenges? I used to have 600 tasks, now I have 50, so it’s actually less than when I was a teacher. You’re constantly asked to do more work if you do good work. In my career, I felt like I was less doing something It helps me to define my values. I can decide how to balance depth and breadth in projects. What do I do best? Every teacher has something that makes them amazing! Other innovations develop in parallel to another innovation. Self-advocacy in a small way that leads to bigger change. Hippocratic oath for educators. You’re allowed to have your own oath. Authentic self, growth is important. Schools learn from their best people. What is the cost of rebellion? Definition of professionalism = compliance. Edjacent is a collective, not one person’s idea. Sponsors InControl SEL for Middle School In Control created an effortless social and emotional, character development video curriculum for your students that’s ZERO-TEACHER-PREP AND it’s so cool looking- it feels like a Youtube or Netflix Series- and that’s purposeful, they meet students right where they’re at. The videos are 5-6 minutes, kids love them, teachers love them, and you will too. There’s no guesswork in the program because there’s a 21-video progression for each grade level. They’ve thought of everything-- because it’s a group of award winning counselors, teachers, and principals that came up with this thing. It’ll help you save tons of time and headaches. Take it from me, it’s time to check that social-emotional learning box, the empty one that’s been keeping you up at night--and it’s time to do it in a meaningful, measurable, magnetic way. If you go to www.InControlSEL.com/jethro you can check out some of the videos and even receive 20% off if you pre-order for next school year John Catt Today’s Transformative Principal sponsor, John Catt Educational, amplifies world-class voices on timeless topics, with a list of authors recognized globally for their fresh perspectives and proven strategies to drive success in modern schools and classrooms. John Catt’s mission is to support high-quality teaching and learning by ensuring every educator has access to professional development materials that are research-based, practical, and focused on the key topics proven essential in today’s and tomorrow’s schools. Learn more about professional development publications that are easy to implement for your entire faculty, and are both quickly digestible and rigorous, by visiting https://us.johncattbookshop.com/. Learn more about some of the newest titles: - The Coach’s Guide to Teaching by Doug Lemov The Feedback Pendulum: A manifesto for enhancing feedback in education by Michael Chiles Putting Staff First: A blueprint for revitalising our schools by John Tomsett and Jonny Uttley 10 Things Schools Get Wrong (And How We Can Get Them Right) by Jared Cooney Horvath and David Bott Let’s Talk About Flex: Flipping the flexible working narrative for education by Emma Turner A Parent's Guide to Powerful Teaching by Patrice Bain John Catt is also proud publisher of the new book from Transformative Principal host Jethro Jones: SchoolX: How principals can design a transformative school experience for students, teachers, parents – and themselves Visit this page to learn more about bulk orders and how to bring John Catt’s research-based materials to your school: https://us.johncattbookshop.com/pages/agents-and-distributors LinkedLeaders: You need support. Get just-in-time mentoring at LinkedLeaders.comWe’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Michael Lubelfeld, Ed.D., currently serves as the superintendent of schools in the North Shore School District 112 in Highland Park, Illinois, a northern suburb of Chicago. Mike earned his doctorate in curriculum and instruction from Loyola University of Chicago, where his published dissertation was on effective instruction in middle school social studies. He is also on the adjunct faculty at National Louis University and Loyola University Chicago in the Department of Educational Leadership. Mike earned an IASA School of Advanced Leadership Fellowship and he also graduated from the AASA National Superintendent Certification Program. He was the 2017 Lake County Superintendent of the Year. He can be found on Twitter (@mikelubelfeld) and is the co-moderator of #suptchat— the superintendent educational chat on Twitter. He and Nick Polyak co-authored the 2017 Rowman & Littlefield book, The Unlearning Leader: Leading for Tomorrow’s Schools Today and he, Nick, and PJ coauthored the 2018 Rowman & Littlefield book, Student Voice: From Invisible to Invaluable and the 2021 book The Unfinished Leader: A School Leadership Framework for Growth & Development. Mike and his wife Stephanie have two children and they live in suburban Chicago.  Nick Polyak, Ed.D., is the proud superintendent of the award-winning Leyden Community High School District 212. He earned his undergraduate degree from Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois; his master’s degree from Governors State University; and his Ed.D. from Loyola University Chicago. Nick has been a classroom teacher and coach, a building- and district-level administrator, a School Board member, and a superintendent for the past twelve years in both central Illinois and suburban Chicago. Nick earned an IASA School of Advanced Leadership Fellowship and graduated from the AASA National Superintendent Certification Program. He can be found on Twitter (@npolyak) and he is the co-moderator of #suptchat—the superintendent educational chat on Twitter.Nick has been married to  his wife Kate for twenty-one years, and they have four children. PJ Caposey, Ed.D., is an award-winning educator leading his small rural school to multiple national recognitions both as a principal and as a superintendent. PJ is an active member of the greater educational community, voicing opinions and providing training and consultation on many topics. He is the author of eight books and is a sought-after speaker and consultant specializing in school culture, principal coaching, effective evaluation practices, and student-centered instruction. PJ has been named a NSPRA Superintendent to Watch and is a 40 Leaders Under 40 honoree and Eastern Illinois University’s Distinguished Educator Award winner. PJ currently serves as the superintendent of schools for Meridian CUSD 223 in Northwest Illinois. He and his wife Jacquie have four children. PJ can be reached via Twitter (@MCUSDSupe). We’re not done growing and learning. When working with leaders see them for greater than they currently are is really important. The job does you, instead of you doing the job. The answer is already within the person I’m serving. There’s only the next version of yourself. The Chinese symbol for listen. The pressure is on all of us. The very first day I ever taught, and I had this moment of where I realized I was in charge of all of this. Insubordinate or incompetent. Ignorant or insubordinate. What got you here won’t get you there. Empathy, equity, adapt, develop, communicate, unfinished. Not a comprehensive, you must do all these things to be successful. The Unfinished Leader Available NOW How to be a transformative Principal? Make sure voices are heard. Don’t take yourself too seriously, we’re all in these jobs temporarily. Take time to look inward. Sponsors InControl SEL for Middle School In Control created an effortless social and emotional, character development video curriculum for your students that’s ZERO-TEACHER-PREP AND it’s so cool looking- it feels like a Youtube or Netflix Series- and that’s purposeful, they meet students right where they’re at. The videos are 5-6 minutes, kids love them, teachers love them, and you will too. There’s no guesswork in the program because there’s a 21-video progression for each grade level. They’ve thought of everything-- because it’s a group of award winning counselors, teachers, and principals that came up with this thing. It’ll help you save tons of time and headaches. Take it from me, it’s time to check that social-emotional learning box, the empty one that’s been keeping you up at night--and it’s time to do it in a meaningful, measurable, magnetic way. If you go to www.InControlSEL.com/jethro you can check out some of the videos and even receive 20% off if you pre-order for next school year John Catt Today’s Transformative Principal sponsor, John Catt Educational, amplifies world-class voices on timeless topics, with a list of authors recognized globally for their fresh perspectives and proven strategies to drive success in modern schools and classrooms. John Catt’s mission is to support high-quality teaching and learning by ensuring every educator has access to professional development materials that are research-based, practical, and focused on the key topics proven essential in today’s and tomorrow’s schools. Learn more about professional development publications that are easy to implement for your entire faculty, and are both quickly digestible and rigorous, by visiting https://us.johncattbookshop.com/. Learn more about some of the newest titles: - The Coach’s Guide to Teaching by Doug Lemov The Feedback Pendulum: A manifesto for enhancing feedback in education by Michael Chiles Putting Staff First: A blueprint for revitalising our schools by John Tomsett and Jonny Uttley 10 Things Schools Get Wrong (And How We Can Get Them Right) by Jared Cooney Horvath and David Bott Let’s Talk About Flex: Flipping the flexible working narrative for education by Emma Turner A Parent's Guide to Powerful Teaching by Patrice Bain John Catt is also proud publisher of the new book from Transformative Principal host Jethro Jones: SchoolX: How principals can design a transformative school experience for students, teachers, parents – and themselves Visit this page to ...

Own It with Deidre Roemer, Deontay Torres, and Dayzia Marek Transformative Principal Deidre Roemer is Leverage Points, @deidre_roemer, is the Director of Leadership and Learning in West Allis-West Milwaukee School District. We also talk to two students, Dayzia and Deontay about their experiences as students. Dottke Project-based Learning School * I was searching for something different. * I’m allowed to be creative * Aquaponics lab, * able to create and learn * Need one-on-one and personalization. * Quarter is 3 months and designed my own t-shirts. * Designed own t-shirt with a dripping heart. * Slow down and learn a process. * The speed of learning is exactly what I need. * I wasn’t challenging myself. * It may seem like a longer process. * Time is never stagnant and it keeps going. The world is changing, and we need to work towards that. * Challenge them to do something themselves first. * Don’t start with aquaponics. Start with something smaller. * Aquaponics took a lot of time before. * “Your comfort zone will kill you” * Most of the things worth doing are not comfortable. * There’s no way that I’m going to feel better if I keep doing that thing. * You don’t need a lot of funding. * Treating the students like the young adults they are. * The students will take care of the ideas for you. * Students have high levels of personal responsibility! * Staying true to yourself. * Being able to speak about their work. * Deeper Learning Competencies * Academic Mindset - how to create a sense of belonging in every school community. * School sites - what it looks like at each school. * Strategic plan * Collaborative Leadership Model * Must allow for the personalities of the students and the passions of the adults to make it all work. * Our teachers are still the experts in their content. * Connecting our learners to outside experts. * How to be a transformative principal? Know the learners you’re serving. * sdl #frameworks/sdl Equity-driven student empowerment. Went out of maintenance mode and started working on what our kids can really do. Replicate what “they” did… not a good idea. Setting their goals around what they want to do. School needs to be different for two different populations. Creating more equity. Framework driven model. Deeper learning competencies. Teachers can use #UDL if it works for them. District structure change. District is the place that you come for support and resources. Learner panels - PBL high school - credit recovery. PD has become teacher showcases. The Hub and the Nest - The teen’s perspective - The Hope Squad. Sponsors InControl SEL for Middle School In Control created an effortless social and emotional, character development video curriculum for your students that’s ZERO-TEACHER-PREP AND it’s so cool looking- it feels like a Youtube or Netflix Series- and that’s purposeful, they meet students right where they’re at. The videos are 5-6 minutes, kids love them, teachers love them, and you will too. There’s no guesswork in the program because there’s a 21-video progression for each grade level. They’ve thought of everything-- because it’s a group of award winning counselors, teachers, and principals that came up with this thing. It’ll help you save tons of time and headaches. Take it from me, it’s time to check that social-emotional learning box, the empty one that’s been keeping you up at night--and it’s time to do it in a meaningful, measurable, magnetic way. If you go to www.InControlSEL.com/jethro you can check out some of the videos and even receive 20% off if you pre-order for next school year John Catt Today’s Transformative Principal sponsor, John Catt Educational, amplifies world-class voices on timeless topics, with a list of authors recognized globally for their fresh perspectives and proven strategies to drive success in modern schools and classrooms. John Catt’s mission is to support high-quality teaching and learning by ensuring every educator has access to professional development materials that are research-based, practical, and focused on the key topics proven essential in today’s and tomorrow’s schools. Learn more about professional development publications that are easy to implement for your entire faculty, and are both quickly digestible and rigorous, by visiting https://us.johncattbookshop.com/. Learn more about some of the newest titles: - The Coach’s Guide to Teaching by Doug Lemov The Feedback Pendulum: A manifesto for enhancing feedback in education by Michael Chiles Putting Staff First: A blueprint for revitalising our schools by John Tomsett and Jonny Uttley 10 Things Schools Get Wrong (And How We Can Get Them Right) by Jared Cooney Horvath and David Bott Let’s Talk About Flex: Flipping the flexible working narrative for education by Emma Turner A Parent's Guide to Powerful Teaching by Patrice Bain John Catt is also proud publisher of the new book from Transformative Principal host Jethro Jones: SchoolX: How principals can design a transformative school experience for students, teachers, parents – and themselves Visit this page to learn more about bulk orders and how to bring John Catt’s research-based materials to your school: https://us.johncattbookshop.com/pages/agents-and-distributors LinkedLeaders: You need support. Get just-in-time mentoring at LinkedLeaders.comWe’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Dr. Roy Pope has served as a teacher, coach, college professor, and school administrator in the United States and the United Arab Emirates for more than two decades.  When he and his wife moved to the UAE 8 years ago, they saw a global need for an efficient, effective, multilingual professional development platform for educators.  As a result, they created EdGuru.  Being a school leader at an international school. Visiting schools while on vacation. Produce productive high performing students. Advocate connecting learning to research. Teachers should be able to access it multiple time for success. Relevancy Make sure the people behind the platform have been in the trenches. Multilingual. How to be a transformative principal? Pull teachers together and listen to their ideas. Sponsors InControl SEL for Middle School In Control created an effortless social and emotional, character development video curriculum for your students that’s ZERO-TEACHER-PREP AND it’s so cool looking- it feels like a Youtube or Netflix Series- and that’s purposeful, they meet students right where they’re at. The videos are 5-6 minutes, kids love them, teachers love them, and you will too. There’s no guesswork in the program because there’s a 21-video progression for each grade level. They’ve thought of everything-- because it’s a group of award winning counselors, teachers, and principals that came up with this thing. It’ll help you save tons of time and headaches. Take it from me, it’s time to check that social-emotional learning box, the empty one that’s been keeping you up at night--and it’s time to do it in a meaningful, measurable, magnetic way. If you go to www.InControlSEL.com/jethro you can check out some of the videos and even receive 20% off if you pre-order for next school year John Catt Today’s Transformative Principal sponsor, John Catt Educational, amplifies world-class voices on timeless topics, with a list of authors recognized globally for their fresh perspectives and proven strategies to drive success in modern schools and classrooms. John Catt’s mission is to support high-quality teaching and learning by ensuring every educator has access to professional development materials that are research-based, practical, and focused on the key topics proven essential in today’s and tomorrow’s schools. Learn more about professional development publications that are easy to implement for your entire faculty, and are both quickly digestible and rigorous, by visiting https://us.johncattbookshop.com/. Learn more about some of the newest titles: - The Coach’s Guide to Teaching by Doug Lemov The Feedback Pendulum: A manifesto for enhancing feedback in education by Michael Chiles Putting Staff First: A blueprint for revitalising our schools by John Tomsett and Jonny Uttley 10 Things Schools Get Wrong (And How We Can Get Them Right) by Jared Cooney Horvath and David Bott Let’s Talk About Flex: Flipping the flexible working narrative for education by Emma Turner A Parent's Guide to Powerful Teaching by Patrice Bain John Catt is also proud publisher of the new book from Transformative Principal host Jethro Jones: SchoolX: How principals can design a transformative school experience for students, teachers, parents – and themselves Visit this page to learn more about bulk orders and how to bring John Catt’s research-based materials to your school: https://us.johncattbookshop.com/pages/agents-and-distributors LinkedLeaders: You need support. Get just-in-time mentoring at LinkedLeaders.comWe’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.