Claim OwnershipPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. Parker
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William D. Parker reveals his school leadership strategies, insights from other leaders, and practical tips so that you can have the tools to achieve your own goals. A former teacher of the year and Oklahoma assistant principal of the year, he is also an author, blogger, speaker and education consultant. The former Principal of Skiatook High School, near Tulsa, Oklahoma, and past Executive Director for the Oklahoma Association of Secondary School Principals and the Oklahoma Middle Level Education Association, he now leads Principal Matters, LLC, proudly supporting educators with Grow Academies, Masterminds, Executive Coaching, and Keynote Presentations.
Co-host, Dr. Jen Schwanke, is an ASCD author, speaker and Deputy Superintendent of Schools in Dublin, Ohio. A former teacher and principal, she is the author of "You're the Principal, Now What?" and several other helpful books for education leaders. She brings her background in teaching, principal leadership, and district leadership -- as well as her wit and practical tips -- regularly to the show as well as to audiences through in-person PD across the country.
Listen to this podcast to rediscover healthy motivation, resolve conflicts and challenges, maximize your communication, grow your instructional abilities, and learn to streamline responsibilities—all while building positive communities among your team members, students, parents, and patrons.
Co-host, Dr. Jen Schwanke, is an ASCD author, speaker and Deputy Superintendent of Schools in Dublin, Ohio. A former teacher and principal, she is the author of "You're the Principal, Now What?" and several other helpful books for education leaders. She brings her background in teaching, principal leadership, and district leadership -- as well as her wit and practical tips -- regularly to the show as well as to audiences through in-person PD across the country.
Listen to this podcast to rediscover healthy motivation, resolve conflicts and challenges, maximize your communication, grow your instructional abilities, and learn to streamline responsibilities—all while building positive communities among your team members, students, parents, and patrons.
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This week on Monday Matters, Jen Schwanke and I discuss happiness among educators. We cover an article by Elizabeth Dampf, The Cost of Happiness, and Jen talks about some articles she has written about joy in educators. School leaders face a lot of stress on the job. We spend a lot of time pouring into […]
The post MONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Whose Happiness Are You Responsible For? appeared first on Principal Matters.
A quick note to listeners: Before this week’s interview, Jen Schwanke and Will Parker take a few minutes to discuss the following question: What is missing that keeps every school from moving forward at high levels all the time? Listen in to hear their response! Meet Danny Bauer: Daniel Bauer is the founder of Better […]
The post PMP467: Being a Ruckus Maker with Danny Bauer appeared first on Principal Matters.
Welcome back to another episode of Monday Matters! This week, join Will Parker and Jen Schwanke for the final discussion about Jen’s new book, Trusted: Trust Pillars, Trust Killers, and the Secret to Successful Schools. Chapter 7 is about self-trust for principals. The work of a principal is inherently very self critical. When a principal […]
The post MONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Self-Trust and Beyond appeared first on Principal Matters.
LaDonna Chancellor is the Executive Director of Teaching and Learning for Bartlesville Public Schools in Oklahoma. With over 25 years in education, she began as a special education teacher, later serving as assistant principal and principal at Central Middle School and Bartlesville High School. As a high school principal, she led major transitions, expanded STEM […]
The post PMP466: Leading Collaboratively with LaDonna Chancellor appeared first on Principal Matters.
This week on Monday Matters, Jen Schwanke and Will Parker are talking about building trust with students. Their conversation is a follow-up to last week’s episode, where they talk about what kills trust with students. If you haven’t already listened to that episode, go back and give it a listen! Building trust with students is the […]
The post MONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Building Trust with Students appeared first on Principal Matters.
Derek is the principal of Alleghany High School in Covington, Virginia, where he led the merger of two rival schools into a unified school community. Instead of allowing division to define the transition, he focused on building culture first, ensuring students, staff, and the community had a voice in shaping a new identity under a […]
The post PMP465: Better Together with Derek Cantrell appeared first on Principal Matters.
Happy Monday Principal Matters listeners! This week, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke are discussing a topic from Jen Schwanke’s new book, Trusted: Trust Pillars, Trust Killers, and the Secret to Successful Schools. Today’s conversation is part one of a two part conversation about building trust with students. Building trust with students is an essential skill […]
The post MONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Trust Killers with Students appeared first on Principal Matters.
Welcome back to another episode of Principal Matters Podcast! This week’s episode is a little different than our regularly scheduled content. A few months ago, Will Parker joined Dr. Jen Schwanke’s class on human capital management at Ohio State University to answer their questions about school leadership. This class is made up of students who […]
The post PMP464: Human Capital Management with OSU Graduate Students appeared first on Principal Matters.
This week on Monday Matters, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke talk more about a concept from Jen’s new book, Trusted: Trust Pillars, Trust Killers, and the Secret to Successful Schools. The topic of conversation this week is building trust with parents. Jen shares several components that are key to schools building a trusting relationship with […]
The post MONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Building Trust with Parents appeared first on Principal Matters.
A quick note to listeners: Before this week’s interview, Jen Schwanke and Will Parker take a few minutes to discuss the following question: What feedback do you have for an AP who feels like they are carrying all the weight of the Principal? Listen in to hear their response! Leaning into Leadership with Darrin Peppard: […]
The post PMP463: Leaning into Leadership with Darrin Peppard appeared first on Principal Matters.
Welcome back to another episode of Monday Matters! This week, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke are talking about building trust with teachers. Competency, openness, and honesty are three key building blocks to building trust with teachers. Teachers feeling that their principal is competent is key to having a trusting relationship between teachers and principals. Staying […]
The post MONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Trust with Teachers appeared first on Principal Matters.
A quick note to listeners: Before this week’s interview, Jen Schwanke and Will Parker take a few minutes to share some feedback that Will has recently received after a PD session with teachers and staff. Listen in to hear their conversation! Meet Kim Marshall and Jenn David-Lang: Kim Marshall is a veteran educator and writer […]
The post PMP462: Supporting New Teachers, Part 2, with Jenn David-Lang and Kim Marshall appeared first on Principal Matters.
Welcome back, Principal Matters listeners! This week on Monday Matters, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke are talking about trust pillars and trust killers, a concept covered in Jen’s new book. When it comes to school trust, there are a number of methods school leaders can employ to build organizational trust among teachers and staff members. […]
The post MONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Trust Pillars and Trust Killers appeared first on Principal Matters.
A quick note to listeners: Before this week’s interview, Jen Schwanke and Will Parker take a few minutes to discuss the following question: What would a spouse tell a principal stepping into their first year on the job? Listen in to hear their response! Meet Kim Marshall and Jenn David-Lang: Kim Marshall is a veteran […]
The post PMP461: Supporting New Teachers with Jenn David-Lang and Kim Marshall appeared first on Principal Matters.
Hello, Principal Matters Listeners! Welcome back to another conversation about Jen’s new book, Trusted: Trust Pillars, Trust Killers, and the Secret to Successful Schools, available August 17th. Pre-order your copy now! Today, Jen Schwanke and Will Parker will be talking about what sets this book apart from a lecture on how to be trustworthy. Their […]
The post MONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Trustworthy vs. Trust-willing appeared first on Principal Matters.
A quick note to listeners: Before this week’s interview, Jen Schwanke and Will Parker take a few minutes to discuss the following listener question: What other practical ways (like your student handbook) can you rethink for sending positive messaging to your students and school community? Listen in to hear their response! Meet Richard Culatta: As […]
The post PMP460: Digital for Good with Richard Culatta appeared first on Principal Matters.
Hi, friends. Jen Schwanke is excited to announce that her new book, Trusted: Trust Pillars, Trust Killers, and the Secret to Successful Schools, will be released on the 17th of this month! Over the next several weeks, Jen and I will be using the Monday Matters episodes to dive into each of the chapters of […]
The post MONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Trusted: A New Book by Jen Schwanke appeared first on Principal Matters.
A quick note to listeners: Before this week’s interview, Jen Schwanke and Will Parker take a few minutes to discuss the following listener question: As I step into a new role at a new school, how can I make a difference in a school that is struggling with disengaged teachers without being seen as a […]
The post PMP459: Unlocking Academic Achievement with David Young appeared first on Principal Matters.
Lessons from Climbing Mt. Massive On June 26, 2025, my son Jack and I summited Mt Massive, at 14,429 feet, the 2nd tallest peak in Colorado. That one sentence sums up an impossibly difficult-to-describe one-day adventure that he and I have dreamed about for a long time. The day began at 4:30 AM, when we […]
The post MONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Lessons From Climbing Mt. Massive appeared first on Principal Matters.
A Quick Note to Listeners: Before this week’s interview, Jen Schwanke and Will Parker take a few minutes to discuss the following question: What should I be thinking as I step into the school year, especially if I am starting a new role? Listen in to hear their response! Meet LaVonna Roth: With almost 20 […]
The post PMP458: Permission to S.H.I.N.E. with LaVonna Roth appeared first on Principal Matters.
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Hey there, I just started listening to your podcast. Thanks for putting this info out there. I am an aspiring leader in education from Australia and wanted to ask; If you could go back to your first appointment as principal, what would you do different?
Also love the tips on having difficult conversations with young people... I'll be using them. Thanks William for bringing Josh to the podcast!
Wow... Great tips! I really love the tip on simulating scenarios before they actually happen. It really reveals a lot, even though it takes great thought to accomplish but guess it'll be very effective.