The School Leadership Show

In this episode of The School Leadership Show, I sit down with Dr. L. Oliver Robinson to discuss his two decades of leadership at Shenendehowa. Dr. Robinson shares his unique path from economics into the superintendency, explaining why he remains a lifelong learner within the craft of school administration. We get into his approach to building resilient systems by institutionalizing change and his perspective on the K-12 journey as a 13-year odyssey. We also talk about prioritizing dialogue over debate, the importance of "slowing the game down" as a leader, and why public schools are vital to our democracy. Finally, he shares an unexpected insight from retirement about moving beyond the clock to embrace the significance of the moment. If you have questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes, including great non-education books with lessons for school leaders you can email me at [email protected]. I would really appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It helps a lot. And if you found this episode helpful, please share it with your colleagues. If you are interested in sponsoring the podcast, feel free to contact me directly at [email protected]. Stay connected with me here: Official Website: theschoolleadershipshow.org YouTube: youtube.com/@theschoolleadershipshow Facebook: facebook.com/theschoolleadershipshow Instagram: instagram.com/theschoolleadershipshow Chapters: 00:00 Welcome and Introduction 00:40 Superintendent of the Year 01:33 Career Origin Story 05:00 Leading Without the Traditional Path 06:38 How Schooling Has Changed 10:28 Competency Based Learning 13:58 Evolving Programs Through Dialogue 15:26 Advice to New Leaders 20:53 Public Education Worries and Hope 24:57 Retirement Surprises and Farewell

What if the best self-care strategy for school leaders isn't another wellness activity, but learning how to lead from a more regulated place? In this episode of The School Leadership Show, I sit down with Erica Ebert to move beyond the "yoga your way out of it" clichés and talk about what real self-care and regulated leadership look like in schools. Drawing on her 28 years of K-12 experience, Erica shares how mindfulness, self-awareness, and compassion can help leaders better understand themselves, their teams, and the cultures they create. We also discuss why "regulated leaders regulate rooms," and why predictable, psychologically safe environments may be the most powerful form of care leaders can provide. Consider this Erica's official audition as a future guest host. I'm excited to bring her into more conversations as we continue exploring what it means to do the work before the work. Visit Erica's website: ericaebert.com If you have questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes, including great non-education books with lessons for school leaders you can email me at [email protected]. I would really appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It helps a lot. And if you found this episode helpful, please share it with your colleagues. If you are interested in sponsoring the podcast, feel free to contact me directly at [email protected]. Stay connected with me here: Official Website: theschoolleadershipshow.org YouTube: youtube.com/@theschoolleadershipshow Facebook: facebook.com/theschoolleadershipshow Instagram: instagram.com/theschoolleadershipshow Chapters: 00:00 Welcome and Introductions 01:14 Erica's Path to Mindfulness 02:33 Mindfulness Basics for Leaders 05:45 Awareness and Compassion Wings 07:33 Feelings as Data 10:59 Why People Resist the Work 14:23 Safety Isn't Declared 16:29 Leading Systemwide Change 23:38 Self Care vs Strong Systems 26:38 Rapid Fire and Wrap Up

In this episode of The School Leadership Show, I interview acclaimed author and reading expert Timothy Shanahan. We delve into Timothy's new book, 'Leveled Reading, Leveled Lives' discussing the troubling stagnation in U.S. reading levels and how traditional approaches to reading instruction have failed over the decades. Timothy critiques the widespread but ineffective method of using leveled readers and advocates for teaching grade-level texts with appropriate support. The conversation covers historical and contemporary research, the evolution of instructional strategies, and practical advice for school administrators to help improve reading achievement across all grades. Learn more and visit Tim's website https://www.shanahanonliteracy.com/. If you have questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes, including great non-education books with lessons for school leaders you can email me at [email protected]. I would really appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It helps a lot. And if you found this episode helpful, please share it with your colleagues. If you are interested in sponsoring the podcast, feel free to contact me directly at [email protected]. Stay connected with me here: Official Website: theschoolleadershipshow.org YouTube: youtube.com/@theschoolleadershipshow Facebook: facebook.com/theschoolleadershipshow Instagram: instagram.com/theschoolleadershipshow Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:20 Discussing the New Book: Leveled Reading Leveled Lives 04:28 Historical Context of Reading Instruction 10:22 Challenges with Current Reading Instruction Methods 21:43 Proposed Solutions and Future Directions 25:25 Addressing Reading Challenges in Young Learners 26:32 The Importance of Fluency and Comprehension 30:33 Background Knowledge and Its Role in Reading 35:55 Effective Reading Instruction Strategies 39:52 Reflecting on Changes in Reading Education

In this episode of the School Leadership Show, I had the pleasure of interviewing Amanda Bickerstaff, co-founder and CEO of AI for Education. We delved into Amanda's rich background in education and her pioneering work with AI. Amanda shared her journey from teaching high school biology in New York City to founding AI for Education, a platform dedicated to promoting AI literacy among educators and students. This conversation was recorded in partnership with NYSCOSS, as Amanda is a featured speaker at their pre-institute session before the Winter Institute conference in Albany. We discussed her upcoming pre-conference workshop at the NYSCOSS Winter Institute, focusing on the crucial roles of AI literacy, effective change management, and ensuring equitable access to AI tools in the education sector. For more information about the NYSCOSS Winter Institute and the pre-institute session, visit: https://na.eventscloud.com/website/91519/education/ If you have questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes, including great non-education books with lessons for school leaders you can email me at [email protected]. I would really appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It helps a lot. And if you found this episode helpful, please share it with your colleagues. If you are interested in sponsoring the podcast, feel free to contact me directly at [email protected]. Stay connected with me here: Official Website: theschoolleadershipshow.org YouTube: youtube.com/@theschoolleadershipshow Facebook: facebook.com/theschoolleadershipshow Instagram: instagram.com/theschoolleadershipshow Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:46 Amanda Bickerstaff's Background and Journey 03:15 Founding AI for Education 06:19 Early Work and Evolution 10:01 Challenges and Best Practices in AI Adoption 18:02 Equity and Access in AI 25:05 Future of EdTech and Practical Tips 32:14 Pre-conference workshop

In this episode, I, Mike Doughty facilitates a conversation with cabinet level leaders sponsored by the New York State Council of School Superintendents (NYSCOSS). The group talked about strategies for finding the joy in work, cultivating positive culture in the workplace, and striving for work-life balance. If you're a cabinet level leader in New York State and would like to join future conversation like this, please visit the NYSCOSS website at https://www.nyscoss.org/ Grab your coffee and join us as we hear from veteran and emerging leaders about sustaining the passion for this work and modeling healthy boundaries for the next generation of educators. If you have questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes, including great non-education books with lessons for school leaders you can email me at [email protected]. I would really appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It helps a lot. And if you found this episode helpful, please share it with your colleagues. If you are interested in sponsoring the podcast, feel free to contact me directly at [email protected]. Stay connected with me here: Official Website: theschoolleadershipshow.org YouTube: youtube.com/@theschoolleadershipshow Facebook: facebook.com/theschoolleadershipshow Instagram: instagram.com/theschoolleadershipshow