Accelerate Your Performance

What is impactful leadership? According to Dr. Janet Pilcher and returning guest, Dr. Pat Greco, it's all about making a difference, having a clear purpose, and creating meaningful and positive experiences for those they lead and serve. Listen now to hear part one of Janet and Pat's conversation about their key learnings over the past year, what it means to be a level ten leader, and lessons from the classroom they'll never forget.

Recommended Resources: Hardwiring Excellence in Education: The Nine Principles Framework, Building the Leadership Muscle to Improve Hiring and Retention, Getting Better at Getting Better, Leadership Development is a Lifeline

WRiE Information & Registration:
Early bird registration and discounted pricing open now through July 31, 2024. studereducation.com/wrie

Join Dr. Janet Pincher for a special conversation with Dr. Chris Hartley, Deputy Executive Director at the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence. Together they discuss the evolving educational priorities from both state and national perspectives. They also dig into California’s approach in building coherence around the services provided to all districts in California. Listen now to hear how Dr. Hartley says California is working to break down silos and showcase exemplar practices.

Recommended Resources: Hardwiring Excellence in Education: The Nine Principles Framework, Service in the Relationship Business, Recalibrate to an Improvement Lens

WRiE Information & Registration:
Early bird registration and discounted pricing open now through July 31, 2024. studereducation.com/wrie

What's more important than accountability? Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she interviews Superintendent Bradley Roberson from the Oxford School District, who emphasizes the importance of focusing on daily actions that truly make a difference. Listen as he highlights the significance of creating a workplace culture that celebrates innovation, recognizes small wins, and promotes trust.

This episode answers questions such as:

• What does it mean to shift from a lens of accountability to a lens of continuous improvement?
• How does focusing on actions rather than just goals help in achieving better outcomes?
• What are some ways building administrators use rounding to identify and solve school-wide problems?

Recommended Resources: Hardwiring Excellence in Education: The Nine Principles Framework, Raise the Bar with a Growth Mindset, Cascading Scorecards to Achieve Continuous Improvement: The Oxford School District's Journey, Build a Culture of Improvement

What learning gains can students make when their teachers and leaders are practicing a growth mindset? Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she interviews Principal Patches Calhoun and teacher Ms. LaTonya Smith from Della Davidson Elementary in Oxford, MS. Listen now to learn what it takes to create an inspiring workplace where mindset matters and students achieve phenomenal outcomes.

This episode addresses questions such as:

• How does creating a positive workplace culture enhance teacher motivation and increase student achievement?
• What specific actions do school leaders take to make teachers feel valued and supported?
• What challenges do classroom teachers face, and how can leaders help alleviate these challenges?

Recommended Resources: Hardwiring Excellence in Education: The Nine Principles Framework, Building Trust with Teachers and Supporting Them, Align Behaviors with Goals and Values, Why Does Recognition Matter?

It may be the start of the summer, but it's prime planning time for educational leaders. Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she explores three ways to think about building inspiring workplaces for our staff and inspiring classrooms for our students for the upcoming school year. Listen now as she highlights how educators and leaders can create remarkable experiences for all students all the time.

This episode addresses questions such as:

• What are some key lessons in building inspiring schools and workplaces?
• How can we provide remarkable experiences for our students?

Recommended Resources: Hardwiring Excellence in Education: The Nine Principles Framework,  Spur Success with Audacious Goals, The Value of Kindness, Creating the Momentum to Achieve Organizational Excellence in Education Systems

How can school districts effectively cascade and communicate strategic plans? Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she interviews Superintendent Todd Antony and Principal Jared Schaffer from the School District of Onalaska to hear how they emphasize clarity and alignment so people at all levels can be highly engaged and connected to the work of continuous improvement. Listen now as they discuss the role of scorecards and short cycles of improvement in driving meaningful change in their district.

This episode addresses questions such as:

• What is the difference between having a strategic plan and operationalizing a strategic plan?
• What role do scorecards and short cycles of improvement play in the process of cascading a strategic plan from the district level to the school level?
• How does a strategic plan build clarity and alignment for employees and students?

Recommended Resources: Hardwiring Excellence in Education: The Nine Principles Framework, Plan Strategically for Success, The Power of Collaboration in Strategic Planning, Plan and Execute for Organizational Excellence

What insights and lessons can be unpacked from the previous school year? Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she interviews Dr. Charan Cline, Superintendent of Redmond School District, to hear how he utilizes reflective practice to identify both bright spots and challenges. Listen as Dr. Cline elaborates on how scorecard and survey results are an opportune moment for reflection before diving into decision-making. 

This episode addresses questions such as:

• How are scorecards and surveys useful in the reflection and planning process?
• How can leaders prioritize continuous learning and growth?
• How do rounding conversations clarify purpose and promote engagement within teams?

Recommended Resources: Hardwiring Excellence in Education: The Nine Principles Framework, Pause, Reflect, and Plan for Progress, Moving from Reflection to Action

Purposefully pausing and reflecting paves the way for improvements and adjustments to be made in the upcoming school year. Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she interviews Dr. Kathy Oropallo, a Leader Coach at Studer Education, to hear how she coaches her partners to evaluate the effectiveness of past strategies, celebrate wins, and address challenges. Kathy explains how tools like leader rounding and plus delta capture real-time data and shares insights on how she coaches leaders to move from reflection to action.

This episode addresses questions such as:

• What are the most important steps of the reflection process?
• How can leaders evaluate the effectiveness of past strategies?
• How can the insights gained during the reflection process be translated into actionable steps to take?

Recommended Resources: Hardwiring Excellence in Education: The Nine Principles Framework, Pause, Reflect, and Plan for Progress, Transform Communities by Transforming Schools, Make Way for Improvement

The end of the school year is packed with obligations and events, but making time to pause, reflect, and plan for the upcoming school year is essential for continued growth. Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she advises leaders to pause and reflect on organizational results and the alignment and consistency of leadership practices. Listen as Janet presents questions to guide leaders through this reflection, empowering them to plan for success in the year ahead.

This episode addresses questions such as:

• How does gaining feedback allow leaders to "get better at getting better"?
• What is the importance of pausing and reflecting before the planning process begins?
• How can leaders successfully measure that their priorities support the achievement of positive results, both organizationally and individually?

Recommended Resources: Hardwiring Excellence in Education: The Nine Principles Framework, Reflect to Improve Your Leadership, Mindfulness and Reflection Practices for Leaders and Teams, The Power of Pause

Can effective leadership create ripple effects that extend beyond school walls? Join Dr. Janet Pilcher as she connects with Lisa Nellessen Savage of the Pensacola News Journal to highlight the impact of CivicCon on the Pensacola community, and continue listening as she interviews Dr. Angela Bush of Jefferson County Schools, a recent CivicCon presenter, to hear how she spearheaded school improvement efforts that became a catalyst for community transformation. Listen as Dr. Bush emphasizes two of the Nine Principles that have shaped her leadership and explains how the principles she hardwired at Erwin Middle School can be replicated in any school.

This episode addresses questions such as:

• What are the broader impacts of successful leadership within an organization or community?
• How can well developed systems and processes be hardwired into an organization?
• What does it look like in practice to develop leaders to develop people?

Recommended Resources: Hardwiring Excellence in Education: The Nine Principles Framework, From CSI to a Top 5 School: Erwin Middle, a Jefferson County Success Story, Watch CivicCon: Learn how to lead a school out of low performance with Angela Bush, Align Behaviors with Goals and Values