IASP Podcast

Leadership can be incredibly rewarding, but it can also be lonely. In this special solo episode of the IASP Leadership Podcast, Dr. Tiffany Barrett invites Indiana school leaders to consider a simple but powerful question: Are you intentionally putting yourself in the rooms that help you grow? Tiffany previews several opportunities ahead for IASP members, including the Assistant Principals Conference, the Fall Professionals Conference, and the Women in Education Conference, while reminding listeners that professional learning is about far more than filling a notebook. The right room can reconnect us to our purpose, challenge our thinking, strengthen our leadership, and remind us that we do not have to do this work alone. Listeners will also hear about: • The Assistant Principals Conference, November 16–17, featuring opening keynote Holly Rowe • The 2026 Fall Professionals Conference, November 22–24 at the JW Marriott Indianapolis, featuring Ann Marie Anderson, Rafael Sanchez, Dr. Katie Jenner, Marlon Stiles, and more • IASP opportunities including INALI, IPLI, the Aspiring Leaders Institute, Indianagram, and the IASP Leadership Podcast • The Women in Education Conference, February 17–18 • Three reflective questions every leader can use right now to examine where their leadership energy is going Tiffany closes with a challenge: Choose your room. Choose the people who stretch your thinking. Choose the conversations that help you grow. Choose opportunities to step away from the urgent long enough to invest in what is important. Because leadership growth rarely happens by accident. We have to choose it. Lead on, Indiana! 00:00 – Welcome to the IASP Leadership Podcast   00:44 – Why the Rooms We Choose Matter   02:07 – Assistant Principals Conference Preview   02:23 – Opening Keynote: Holly Rowe   04:03 – One Question for Assistant Principals and Deans   04:53 – 2026 Fall Professionals Conference   06:15 – Opening Keynote: Ann Marie Anderson   06:57 – Celebrating Indiana Schools   07:17 – Monday Night Celebration, Dance & Casino Night   07:38 – Tuesday Learning and Closing Speaker Marlon Stiles   08:12 – Three Questions for Every Leader   09:08 – Strong Leaders Are Learning Leaders   09:29 – More Ways IASP Is Investing in Leaders   10:22 – Women in Education and the IASP Member Experience   11:02 – This Week's Leadership Challenge: Choose Your Room   12:22 – Closing: Lead on, Indiana!

We talk a lot about student leadership—but are we intentionally teaching students how to lead, or simply identifying the students who already look like leaders? This week on the IASP Advocacy Podcast, I'm joined by Dave Strouse, IASP Assistant Executive Director, to talk about new student leadership lessons designed for elementary, middle, and high school students. We'll talk about the skills these lessons develop, how schools can easily put them to use, and how student leadership connects to advocacy. After all, we spend a lot of time advocating for students. Part of our work is also preparing them to find their own voice and advocate for themselves and others.

In this episode of the IASP Leadership Podcast, Dr. Tiffany D. Barrett steps out of the IASP Board of Directors meeting with three board members who represent elementary, middle, and high school leadership in suburban, urban, and rural settings: Christie Heerschop of Mary Frank Elementary in Penn-Harris-Madison, Jeremy Tucker of Cornerstone Alternative School in South Bend, and Sean Fisher of North Posey High School. Together, they talk about what leading looks like in their communities, why they believe principals across Indiana are more alike than different, and what serving on the IASP board has meant to them personally and professionally. They share how they found their way to the board, including district involvement, mentorship, and INALI, and offer honest encouragement for any principal who is thinking about stepping forward. The conversation closes with what each of them is most excited about in their buildings this fall. If you've ever wondered what happens when the IASP board gathers, or whether one of those seats might be yours someday, this episode is for you. Lead on, Indiana! Show Notes Our board is intentionally built around Indiana's 12 IASP districts, with voices from elementary, middle, and high school and from suburban, urban, and rural settings. In this episode, three board members share what that looks like from their seats. In this episode Jeremy Tucker reflects on leading in both rural and urban settings: "The challenges may look different, but the work is remarkably similar." Sean Fisher describes the role of a rural school at the heart of its town: "We're truly a community school. We're the community center for our area." Christie Heerschop talks about serving several communities within a suburban corporation and sums up the conversation: "I think we are more similar than we are different." All three explain what board service involves, from advocacy for schools across the state to networking that eases the isolation of the principalship. On becoming a board member, the guests recommend joining IASP, getting involved at the district level, attending district meetings, and expressing interest to district leaders or to IASP directly. Jeremy's reminder: "You don't have to have all the answers to be a board member." Christie invites more elementary leaders to attend district meetings and consider board service. This fall, Christie is looking forward to Mustangs Give Back, a student leadership program where fourth and fifth graders take on community-based projects. Sean is launching the Viking Incentive Program at North Posey. Jeremy is preparing to welcome the first students to Cornerstone Alternative School in South Bend. Interested in board service? Join IASP, connect with your district, and reach out to IASP staff to express your interest. [Insert contact or link.] Timestamps 00:00       Welcome to the IASP Leadership Podcast 00:44       Three board members join from the IASP board meeting 01:19       Meet Christie Heerschop, Sean Fisher, and Jeremy Tucker 02:17       How the IASP board is built: 12 districts, every level, every setting 02:43       Jeremy on leading in an urban setting 03:29       Sean on the rural school as community center 04:09       Christie on the suburban experience 04:59       What IASP board members actually do 05:47       Sean on INALI, mentorship, and finding his way to the board 06:42       Tiffany on board service before joining the IASP staff 07:03       What board service has meant to each guest 09:26       How to become an IASP board member 11:16       Christie's invitation to elementary leaders 11:48       What they're looking forward to in their buildings this fall 14:21       One thing every listener should know about IASP 15:25       Thank you and closing

Hi, everyone! When we talk about advocacy, our minds often go straight to legislators, policy, and speaking up about the issues affecting our schools. But advocacy can also mean opening doors for students. This week on the IASP Advocacy Podcast, I'm joined by Jill Slinker from our Department of Student Programs to talk about the opportunities IASP provides for students—and some of the work happening behind the scenes to make those opportunities easier for schools to access. We talk about: The wide range of IASP student programs available to schools Some of the barriers that can keep schools from getting involved New one-page resources designed to make competitions easier to understand Upcoming videos that will give new coaches and sponsors a look at what participation actually looks like The support available for schools that are ready to try something new Most importantly, we talk about why this is advocacy. When we give students opportunities to compete, collaborate, lead, discover their strengths, and find their voice, we're doing more than offering another activity. We're helping students develop the confidence and skills they'll need to advocate for themselves and others. And stay tuned—next week we'll continue the conversation by looking at how we can intentionally teach students to lead. Thanks for all you do to create opportunities for Indiana's students! Cindy

What does it take to lead boldly when everything around you keeps changing? Three-time Emmy Award-winning broadcaster and author Anne Marie Anderson joins Dr. Tiffany D. Barrett for a preview of her opening keynote at the IASP Fall Professionals Conference, The Audacity of Impact. After 37 years inside the locker rooms and boardrooms of elite sports, including six Olympic Games, a Super Bowl, heavyweight title fights, and more than 40 interviews with Kobe Bryant, Anne Marie has studied what separates the teams that win consistently. In this conversation, she redefines audacity as the willingness to take bold risks, explains why leaders struggle to let go of a first decision, and shares a practical way to separate what is urgent from what is important. She also introduces her most popular concept, building your front row, and offers a simple first step for quieting the inner critic. Anne Marie opens the Fall Professionals Conference on Monday, November 23, at the JW Marriott in Indianapolis. Registration is open now at IASP.org.