The stories we tell about school leadership are predominantly male - but that needs to change. In this important episode, authors Trudy Arriaga and Delores Lindsey share new stories about women in school leadership, and paint a picture of what gender equity actually looks like.Trudy Arriaga and Delores Lindsay, along with Stacie Stanley, are the authors of Leading While Female: A Culturally Proficient Response for Gender Equity.Let us know what you think!

Dr. Horacio Sanchez brings a wealth of expertise and knowledge to this deep dive into the effects of poverty on learning. Covering language development, empathy, behavior, and bias, this wide-ranging episode will center on what school leaders need to know to support students from impoverished situations.Dr. Sanchez is the author of The Poverty Problem: How Education Can Promote Resilience and Counter Poverty's Impact on Brain Development and Functioning.Let us know what you think!

In this episode, host Peter DeWitt sits in the hot seat to talk about his new book, Collective Leader Efficacy. Much has been written about the power of teachers' collective efficacy to impact student learning - but Peter has found that collective efficacy can enhance the role of instructional leadership teams as well. In this episode, Peter shares the 8 drivers that instructional leadership teams can use to build their collective efficacy. Learn more about Peter and sign up for his monthly newsletter at https://petermdewitt.com/.Let us know what you think!

Daniel Bauer, self-proclaimed Ruckus Maker and host of the Better Leaders Better Schools podcast, is all about improving leadership development through masterminds: small groups of school leaders coming together to support each other and "level up" their leadership. Danny quotes Jim Rohn in saying that you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with, and argues that the best way to lead is from a place of authenticity, belonging, and challenge found in community. Order Daniel's new book, Mastermind: Unlocking Talent Within Every School Leader here. Learn more about Daniel's work at https://betterleadersbetterschools.com/. Let us know what you think!

To prioritize all students' dignity as humans sometimes requires us to step outside of our comfort zones. In order to achieve racial equity, we have to interrogate and dismantle the structures that currently maintain the inequitable status quo. This is messy, uncomfortable work - and yet it's entirely necessary to accomplishing our goals. In this episode, the six authors of Humanity Over Comfort share their thoughts on how we can all contribute to achieving equity.Let us know what you think!

Author, speaker, and expert mentor Carol Radford shares her expertise on why mentoring continues to be an important element of any teacher's success - but especially for new teachers after COVID-19.  Mentoring is key to raising teachers' self-efficacy, helping them improve, and building their confidence to lead to competence. Carol's work also centers the student as the focus of any mentoring conversation between leaders and teachers. This episode is a must-listen for leaders who want to build a better mentoring program in their schools!Carol is the author of two bestselling books for mentors and mentees: Mentoring in Action (for mentors) and The First Years Matter (for novice teachers). Her newest book, Teaching With Light, offers teachers 10 lessons for finding wisdom, balance, and inspiration.Let us know what you think!

Power house speaker and author Debbie Silver joins Peter DeWitt to talk about the importance of reaching students with authenticity and empowering them with high expectations. Debbie is a well known speaker on resilience and cultivating intrinsic motivation - and never has there been a time when those are needed more! She shares how leaders can help to recognize the genius in all of their teachers and establish a learning culture of high expectations.Her bestselling book, Fall Down 7 Times, Get Up 8 (2nd Edition), helps leaders and teachers cultivate a culture of high expectations and resilience in their schools.Let us know what you think!

In our first episode of Season 2, John Hattie joins Peter DeWitt to talk about the benefits of de-implementation, or deciding what NOT to do in the 2021-2022 school year. After COVID-19 forced many school districts to simplify, the temptation is to pick up again with lots of new programs to combat "learning loss" and other initiatives. John argues that leaders and teachers must take a different approach - one focused on understanding each child's learning individually, looking at the evidence, and making adjustments from there.Let us know what you think!

COVID-19 was the disruption none of us wanted or expected - but it happened. Now school leaders have a choice: Will you contribute to the negative narratives surrounding it, or rebound better than before? In this informative and practical episode, Peter talks with Doug Fisher and Nancy Frey about shifting the narrative from "learning loss" to "learning leaps." There are several ways to accelerate learning as we rebound: teacher clarity collective student efficacy reciprocal teaching paying attention to feedback from kids and so much moreIt's time to celebrate all that we've learned and how far we've come as a community.Let us know what you think!

Grading in the U.S. is typically a hodge podge amalgamation of many measurements: homework, quizzes, tests, projects, participation, and many other factors. Grading often becomes a game for many students, and some students simply refuse to play. But author Tom Guskey is hoping we can change our grading practices so that we (and students) no longer see grading as an end in itself, but instead as just a reflection of a moment in time. In this episode filled with personal stories and examples, Peter and Tom will discuss:the downfalls of percentage gradinghow grading is sometimes used as a punishmentTom's recommendations for better grading practicesLet us know what you think!