Kip Motta is a principal in Rich Utah.

• You have to deal with people.
• Everything is about relationships.
• Doing what’s best for the team.
• Everyone is different, and you need to adapt your leadership to that person.
• A history of four-day school weeks.
• Change based on school district transportation costs.
• Waiver to reduce day requirement (152 vs 182) and still meet 990 hour requirement (now meet over 1000 hours)
• Start school at 8 am, out at 3:30.
• Parent teacher conferences count as
• Very few breaks - Labor Day, thanksgiving, Christmas for 1 week.
• Student and staff attendance increased.
• Ask staff and community to do personal appointments on Fridays
• 4 day school week is much more difficult for elementary school.
• Helped us go down the road of standards-based instruction.
• Struggles with 4 day school week
• Finding coaches is difficult
• Daycare for Friday’s with no school.
• You have to do everything through the lens of what is best for the most children.
• Kids are more recharged after a 3-day weekend every week!
• March and April can be long months with no break.
• Restorative practices, mindfulness to help kids cope with added pressure.
• How to be a transformative principal? Find someplace to go and learn!
• Contact [email protected]

Schedule a call with Jethro

Are you feeling like you are always behind at school? Do you feel like you need about 2 more hours each day to accomplish everything? Here’s how I help principals work manageable hours: Create your ideal week, so that you can leave work at work and enjoy your life!

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Learn more about today's sponsors, Playworks, IXL, and Renaissance Learning:

As a global leader in education technology operating in more than 110 countries, Renaissance is committed to providing educators with insights and resources to accelerate growth and help all students build a strong foundation for success. We believe that technology can unlock a more effective learning experience, ensure that students get the personalized teaching they need to thrive, and help educators and administrators to truly, fully, See Every Student. Learn more at renaissance.com.

We’re proud to be sponsored by Playworks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with evidence-based practices that help schools improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play.

If you’re a school or district leader struggling with the challenge of chronic absenteeism, as so many are across the U.S., you may not realize that structured recess is a research-backed approach to keep kids in school. In fact, a UC Berkeley study of Title I schools found that those partnering with Playworks had significantly lower chronic absenteeism rates. Further, Mathematica research demonstrated that Playworks schools spent 27% less time transitioning from recess back to learning, saving teachers valuable instructional time. 

These results are possible for your students, too. Learn how Playworks can help you improve student-educator relationships, belonging, and attendance by signing up for a quick no-obligation conversation.

We’re also thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. 

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

• Simplify and streamline technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.