In this episode, host Karen Borchert sits down with Eric Filardi, principal at Mendenhall River Community School in Juneau, Alaska, a uniquely remote elementary school in the shadow of the Mendenhall Glacier reachable only by boat or plane.

With 19 years of experience across New York, Abu Dhabi, and now Alaska, Eric shares how life-and-death logistics, extreme weather, and geographic isolation shape a school where crew culture, emotional safety, and deep community connection aren’t optional—they’re survival.

From inheriting a struggling school with flat funding, high special education needs, and eight principals in ten years to building a “crew” that trusts each other, gives honest feedback, and shows up for kids, Eric walks through how vulnerability, visibility, and real-time listening have transformed his school’s culture.

💡 Little Wins in This Episode:

1. Living next to the glacier, teaching at the edge of the map
   What it means to lead a school within eyeline of the Mendenhall Glacier, in a capital city only accessible by boat or plane and why “thinking several steps ahead” is part of everyday school leadership.

   
   

2. From Long Island to Abu Dhabi to Alaska
   How diverse teaching experiences from rural New York to Queens to the United Arab Emirates shaped Eric’s belief in community integration and professional intimacy with families.

   
   

3. When survival and schooling intersect
   Stories of polar-bear lockdowns, moose at the door, minus-40 school days, and car heaters and how shared risk and dependence on one another builds a unique kind of community.

   
   

4. “Crew culture,” not isolation
   Why Eric calls his staff a “crew,” how job-alike isolation in small schools leads to loneliness, and what it takes to create emotional safety and shared purpose across just ten unique classrooms.

   
   

5. Turning around an unhealthy culture
   Stepping into a school with unstable leadership, funding crises, dissolved special education supports, and scared staff and how transparency, vulnerability, and showing your own learning curve help rebuild trust.

Key Moments

01:22 A school frozen in time—and why families fiercely protect it

02:18 Life in Juneau, Alaska: a city only accessible by boat or plane

03:24 Eric’s journey from Long Island to Abu Dhabi to Alaska

06:33 What the UAE taught him about community and relationship-based teaching

09:47 Moose at the door and minus-40 days: the realities of Alaskan schools

15:49 Pride, isolation, and being the only teacher in your grade

19:25 Taking over a school facing high turnover, low funding, and burnout

26:07 Rebuilding trust through vulnerability and transparent leadership

30:58 How Alpaca Pulse made feedback safe and actionable

41:03 Empowering paraprofessionals with training and a para PLC

48:04 A small win: moving his desk to the main office for more visibility

49:05 One thing educators can do right now: listen, reflect, act

Connect with Eric Filradi

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-filardi-84252411
Website: https://mrcs.juneauschools.org/en-US

Follow Us

Karen’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenborchert

Alpaca LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/get-alpaca

Alpaca Website: https://www.getalpaca.com/
Alpaca Resources Library: https://www.getalpaca.com/resources-library 

🧵 About the Podcast:

Little Wins is the podcast that digs into the small, deliberate actions school leaders are taking to build strong, human-centered cultures.

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to Alpaca for more conversations on building powerful school cultures.