What does it mean to "start where you are," and how can leaders leverage a cadre of the willing to drive meaningful change? Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she interviews Superintendent Julie Giannini-Previde to hear how she’s leading McKinleyville Union School District in their continuous improvement journey. Learn how Julie fosters collective efficacy among her team, uses rounding to build stronger connections with staff, students, and parents, and navigates challenges with a focus on long-term g...
What does it take to lead a school district through tough facilities challenges? Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she interviews Coy Sasse, Chief Financial and Operations Officer of Rapid City Area Schools, to hear how he champions a culture of excellence and positive accountability. Listen as Coy shares the strategies he and his team use to define, prioritize, and execute their most critical operations needs with strength and focus. This episode addresses questions such as:What are the benefit...
How do you set goals that deliver results? Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she unpacks the goal-setting process to help you prepare for the year ahead. Discover her "bull's eye" approach to identifying focus areas and growth opportunities, and hear her personal example of how effective goals must be achievable, believable, and backed by commitment. This episode addresses questions such as:How do we translate a strategic vision into actionable organizational goals?How does the scorecard serve a...
As we enter the Thanksgiving season, join Dr. Janet Pilcher for a heartwarming solocast celebrating the impact of kindness. Drawing on the message, "Be kind," she shares how her parents and a beloved teacher instilled the values of compassion and generosity in her upbringing. Finally, she closes with a warm wish for you to experience the joy of kindness.Recommended Resources: How Gratitude Anchors Organizations, Practice Goodwill Intentionally, The Value of KindnessSubscribe: Catch all the in...
Expressing gratitude and recognizing a job well done are powerful leadership practices. Listen as Dr. Janet Pilcher describes how these practices build stability in both our personal and professional lives. Learn the importance of being specific and genuine in your appreciation, and be encouraged to thank those who make a difference every day. This episode addresses questions such as:What three factors challenge us in living out our core educational values?Why is expressing gratitude esp...
What does it mean to be a people-first leader, and what impact does that have on a school and community? Listen as Dr. Janet Pilcher sits down with Dr. Adam Leckie, Superintendent of Casa Grande Elementary School District, to hear how his district is creating a culture of gratitude by intentionally recognizing and celebrating the hard work of employees. Learn how his people-first leadership approach begins with leaders and systems and extends to classrooms, ultimately creating a ripple effect...
How does going slow to go fast build a strong foundation for continuous improvement? Join Superintendent Ira Porchia and Assistant Superintendent Jennifer Marroquin of Tulare City School District as they share with Dr. Janet Pilcher how a thoughtful, deliberate approach is building alignment and fostering a sense of belonging. Hear how practices like rounding, consistent communication, and recognizing employee contributions are increasing employee engagement.Recommended Resources: Focus on Em...
What is a rounding road show, and how is it being utilized by Oldham County Schools to achieve service excellence? Listen as Superintendent Dr. Jason Radford shares how he takes this tactic on the road so his leadership team can gain valuable input from all 1,500 employees. Learn how it positively impacts the district's culture and enhances service excellence satisfaction, as reflected in the district services survey.Recommended Resources: Create Connections Through Rounding, Round for Employ...
Are you attending What’s Right in Education? Listen as Dr. Janet Pilcher previews Studer Education’s thirteenth annual K12 leadership conference, where leaders will gather to share impact stories and demonstrate how they apply the Nine Principles® Framework daily. Even if you're not able to attend, she invites you to continue tuning in each week as we highlight the stories of superintendents and executive leaders who are dedicated to creating great places to work, learn, and succeed.Recommend...
To build excitement for the upcoming What's Right in Education conference in Colorado, Dr. Janet Pilcher invites Superintendent Mike Crawford from nearby Mapleton Public Schools to talk about his continuous improvement journey. Listen as he shares how he maintains strong relationships with the school board, promotes collaboration among staff, and regularly engages in the rounding process. Recommended Resources: Retain Employees in Education Using Leadership Rounding, Create Connections Throug...
Developing skilled leaders is a top priority at Manitou Springs School District 14. Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she speaks with Superintendent Sean Dorsey about his dedication to building a robust leadership pipeline. Listen as he shares how his partnership with Studer Education empowers him to provide this development and achieve performance excellence within the district.This episode addresses questions such as:What is the importance of building both leadership capacity and leadership density...
What's a better mindset than "failing fast and failing often"? Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she explores how reframing this phrase with positive language shifts the focus from failure to growth—exactly where it belongs in education.Recommended Resources: Why I dislike the phrase "Fail Fast, Fail Often," Continuous Improvement: Adjusting Through Disruption, How One School District Hardwired Continuous Improvement Practices to Change their Culture and Adjust through DisruptionRead and study: Each ...
Hardwiring systems is non-negotiable. If we want to take calculated risks, we need stable foundations and reliable processes to weather disruptions. Listen as Dr. Janet Pilcher defines what it means to hardwire excellence in education and how this approach builds trust with employees, empowering them to feel deeply connected to their work and confident to innovate.Recommended Resources:The Maturity Model: Phases of Improvement in Organizational Excellence, What it Takes to Be a Level 10 Leade...
What would a school look like if all faculty and support staff regularly met to discuss student successes and challenges? It would look exactly like Mountainside Success Academy in El Dorado County Office of Education. Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she interviews Principal Maria Osborne and Instructional Strategist Sharon Shipley about their approach and experiences in leading and teaching students in alternative education. Listen to hear how they regularly meet with students to provide personali...
How can you create departments that people want to work in? Amy Andersen and Meghan McAndrews, both operational leaders in El Dorado County Office of Education, join Dr. Janet Pilcher to share about their improvement work in human resources and transportation. Listen and learn how they’ve successfully implemented rounding and targeted training to elevate workplace culture, boost retention, and streamline onboarding practices.Recommended Resources: Connecting Operations to Student Success, Str...
Throughout the summer, Dr. Janet Pilcher has had the privilege of interviewing exceptional leaders and teachers from educational organizations across the country. Join her as she reflects on how these individuals demonstrate a strong commitment to excellence through their relentless focus on continuous improvement. Listen as she highlights how prioritizing improvement over mere accountability lays the foundation for sustained success in education.Recommended Resources: Preparing Students for ...
What can you achieve when you collaborate with students to identify their learning barriers and make a plan to overcome them? According to Kristen Anderson, Director of Instructional Development, and Cheyenne Roberts, Teaching and Learning Specialist, the answer is collective efficacy. Join Dr. Janet Pilcher along with Kristen and Cheyenne as they discuss Hemet Unified School District's classroom improvement journey. Listen as they share how a student-centered improvement framework is impacti...
As Dr. Christi Barrett from Hemet Unified School District reminds us in this episode, "Hope is not a plan." For meaningful improvement to occur, she emphasizes that leaders must use hope to fuel intentional actions. Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she engages with Christi to discuss Hemet's ongoing improvement journey, with a special focus on their recent classroom initiatives. Listen as Christi highlights the crucial role of building trust with all stakeholders and explains how, once trust is esta...
Creating a learning environment modeled on a healthy family unit might sound unconventional, but at Child Development Centers of Erie, Pennsylvania, it works. Join County Director Pam Sampsell and Lead Preschool Teacher Kaylee Kellerman as they share with Dr. Janet Pilcher their unique approach to help students ages 0-5 learn emotional self regulation. Listen as Pam and Kaylee share how classroom families and "wishing well" routines foster a sense of belonging and mutual respect so all kids i...
Can you believe we've reached episode 350? Join Dr. Janet Pilcher in celebrating this milestone as she expresses her heartfelt gratitude to you. Listen as she encourages you to recognize someone this week by handwriting a thank-you note. And be inspired as she shares her own note of appreciation for you.Recommended Resources: Transform Culture with Reward and Recognition, The Power of Reward and Recognition, Creating a Culture of RecognitionRead and study: Each episode of the podcast aligns w...