Accelerate Your Performance

The northern gulf coast is home to millions of residents who are no strangers to natural disasters. Today, Dr. Janet Pilcher reflects on our education partners who have suffered tremendous damage due to Hurricane Ida. The storm has brought major loss to the students, employees, and community members of Fletcher Technical Community College and Nunez Community College in southeastern Louisiana. 

Should you feel moved to do so, here are some ways to donate to support the students of these two institutions. Students and families in these communities are in great need. 

Nunez Community College:
Cash Donations: https://www.givecampus.com/campaigns/23001/donations/new

Fletcher Community College
Cash Donations: https://www.classy.org/give/355208/#!/donation/checkout
Donate any of the following items: canned food, baby wipes, diapers, baby formula, water, soap, shampoo, toiletries, cleaning supplies, pet food, or via the College’s Amazon wish list: https://www.amazon.com/.../ref=nav_wishlist_lists_1...
You may coordinate your Amazon wish list donations or item donations through the foundation office by sending them to the following address if ordered within the next week or by calling (225) 324-6654.

Attention Fletcher Technical College Ida Relief Fund / VC Dr. LeBouef
15243 Lockett Lane 
Baton Rouge, LA 70810

Thank you on behalf of Huron | Studer Education for your consideration and support of our friends, students, and families at Fletcher and Nunez.

Ensuring learning progress despite disruptions to learning has been no easy feat since the pandemic began. However, at Erwin Middle School leaders worked together to decrease student absences by over 40% and decrease the number of F's and incomplete assignments by 51%. Today, Principal Dr. Angela Bush joins Janet to share how her team continues to close the academic achievement gap and move students forward.

This episode answers questions such as:

• How can we tackle student learning gaps?
• What measures are most important for ensuring post-secondary readiness?
• Why are school leaders, teachers, resource officers, guidance counselors and parents all needed to close the academic achievement gap?

Recommended Resources: Improvement Cycles to Sustain Progress & Move Students Forward with a Focus on Strengths
Recommended Podcasts: Do What's Right for Students & Leadership Development is a Lifeline

The skills that students need to be successful after school ends are rapidly changing. What it means to be career-ready tomorrow, will look different in 2025. To best support students for the future, leaders and community members in Oak Ridge School District have made a collective commitment to advance their strategic plan and include a focus on college, career and life success. Listen as Dr. Bruce Borchers shares how his district aligns its Portrait of a Graduate from Pre-K to Graduation using the district's strategic plan.

This episode answers questions such as:

• How can school districts discover what the community desires for its students?
• What has brought unity and clarity to strategic planning in this district?
• Why is it that adults need to change rather than students?

Learn more about the Oak Ridge Portrait of a Graduate.

Recommended Resources: Launching a New Strategic Plan, What is Bold Leadership?, Scorecard Development & The Improvement Maturity Model to Pursue Excellence  
Recommended Podcasts: Continuous Improvement: Where Do You Start? , Embrace the Call for Transformation in Higher Ed, Empower & Invest in Your Teams & Schools are Essential 

Are you trying to find the next silver bullet solution? Or are you focused on evidence-based leadership and improvement practices? Focusing on the next shiny silver bullet will often lead to organizational chaos. Today, Janet shares another way leaders can prepare their teams for change and build leadership capabilities to improve organizational systems.

This episode addresses questions, such as:

• How can we best manage constant and continuous change?
• What are the fundamentals needed to manage and lead change?
• Why do we need to stop chasing silver bullets?

Recommended Resouces: Start With an Organizational Assessment to Make Measurable Improvement in Culture, Why Organizational Change Fails & Anticipating Change   
Recommended Podcast Episodes: Leading Change with Creative Tension, How Can We Build Strategic Agility for Continuous Change? , Continuous Improvement: Where Do You Start? & Creating Cultures of Improvement 

Get comfortable being uncomfortable. It's a saying you've likely heard before, and one that today's guest says applies to being a Superintendent. As an educator for 29 years, Deanna (Dede) Ashby, recently retired Superintendent of Hopkins County Schools joins Janet again to share how she helps others develop a vision and mission that leaves a huge impact on their community. Listen as Dede explains why it's important to have the right people around you and stay grounded as a Superintendent.

This episode answers questions such as:

• Why is it necessary to constantly evolve?
• What is the most important aspect of leading a team?
• How can we stay grounded as Superintendents and leaders in education?

Go back and listen to Dede's first interview with Janet: Education Will Never Look the Same.

Recommended Resources: Leading Change, Excellent Service from the Inside Out & What is Bold Leadership? 
Recommended Podcasts: Even Rockstar Leaders Need Development & How Can We Build Strategic Agility for Continuous Change? 

New academic years begin with new faces everywhere you look.  Whether people are new to the organization or new to their role, Janet recommends two tactics that build confidence and support employees in a new position. To be an excellent organization, we strive to apply these practices and train all of our team members to do the same.

This episode answers questions such as:

• What does AIDET stand for, and how can we use it?
• Why are the first 90 days so critical for retaining new hires?
• As a new employee, what should I be doing in the first 30 and 90 days?

Recommended Resources: Develop Your AIDET, Why You Should Be Having 30- 90- Day Conversations, 30- & 90- Day Conversations, Are Your Employees Being Heard?
Recommended Podcasts: Retain New Hires with 30- & 90- Day Conversations, What do Employees Need from Leaders? & Empower and Invest in Your Teams

Being a Superintendent can bring out the best in people, as well as highlight our most glaring mistakes and blindspots. Today, retired Superintendent, Tim Wyrosdick joins Dr. Janet Pilcher to share what he has learned from 36 years as an educator in Santa Rosa County, Florida. Listen as Tim explains why it's important to embrace new challenges and never be satisfied. 

This episode answers questions such as:

• Why does leadership development need to be a focus for all?
• What is the most important aspect of leading a team?
• How can we be continuous learners as Superintendents and leaders in education?

Recommended Resources: Building the Conditions for a Learning Culture, Boost the Employee Experience, Reflective Practice, Develop Aspiring Leaders
Recommended Podcasts: Leadership Development is a Lifeline, Developing People to Become the Best Leaders, Creating Cultures of Improvement & Building an Army of Improvers

How can we tackle declining student performance? After over a year of difficult transitions and decisions, Janet shares why we need to rethink and unlearn what schools have done in the past. Most people in our educational systems want to contribute to student success - it is our purpose. Using the book, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know by Adam Grant, Janet explains how we can question and challenge our current thinking to prepare students to perform at the highest levels.

This episode addresses questions, such as:

• Why is unlearning more important than intelligence?
• How can we improve student performance results? 
• What can we learn from scientists and apply to our practice to get the best results for students?

Recommended Resources: Move Students Forward with a Focus on Strengths, How Do We Know if it's an Improvement?, What is Bold Leadership? & Short Cycle Improvement Process Questions

Recommended Podcasts: Simple Strategies for Classroom Improvement, Connecting Operations to Student Success, Measures that Matter and Decision Rules & Being Aware of our Cognitive Biases 

Leadership development is often viewed as a "nice to have" in organizations. Today's guest, Dr. Pat Greco, shares why leadership development is core to the capacity of the organization and a lifeline to everyone it supports. School systems aren't static - they are continuously changing with new students, teachers, leaders, support staff and board members. Listen as Pat and Janet discuss why building leadership capabilities across all team members is a must-do.

This episode answers questions such as:

• What are the challenges that Superintendents are currently facing?
• How can leaders manage the constant change that comes with leading a living school system?
• What is the biggest mistake young leaders make?

Recommended Resources: Where is the Noise?, Succession Plan: A Key for Sustaining Organizational Excellence, Building the Conditions for a Learning Culture & Boost the Employee Experience
Recommended Podcasts: Measures that Matter and Decision Making Rules, Strong Teams Don't Happen by Chance, Creating Cultures of Improvement & Building an Army of Improvers

The words we use matter. Messages that focus on the customer's perspective build relationships and reinforce how important the customer is to an organization. Customers are always seeking to understand, 'what's in it for me?' Communication with this as the focus engages the people we serve. Today, Dr. Janet Pilcher shares four steps to address customer questions and respond with a focus on the customer.

This episode addresses questions, such as:

• How can the right words reinforce our relationship with customers?
• What do the words we use say about us? 
• Why should we count our words?

Recommended Resources: Delta Air Lines Just Sent a Brilliant Email to Millions of Passengers. This 1 Word Mattered Most, Why the Words We Say Matter, Key Words at Key Times & Service Recovery 

Recommended Podcasts: Words Have Power, Why do Words Matter?, Who Hears What When? & Focus on Service Excellence