  Show Highlights & Resources     This summer you're invited to attend the ONLY event in education available to Ruckus Makers …   Avoid a square peg in a round hole feeling in education.   Emphasis on sustainability in school leadership   Delve into the question of what education is for and the need for innovative shifts in the educational system.   Join us in Nashville this July 12-14 for The Sustainable School Leadership Summit.   Learn more here: https://betterleadersbetterschools.com/school-leadership-summit/   Jump Start Passes are available until March 15 (50% off ticket price).         Read my latest book! Learn why the ABCs of powerful professional development™ work – Grow your skills by integrating more Authenticity, Belonging, and Challenge into your life and leadership.   Read Mastermind: Unlocking Talent Within Every School Leader today! Apply to the Mastermind The mastermind is changing the landscape of professional development for school leaders.    100% of our members agree that the mastermind is the #1 way they grow their leadership skills.    Apply to the mastermind today!      Copyright © 2024 Twelve Practices LLC      Bonus: 5 Reason To Come To The Sustainable School Leadership Summit  

Challenges of Creating a Thriving School

The BETTER LEADERS BETTER SCHOOLS podcast is in the TOP 0.5% most downloaded shows of over 2 million podcasts across the world. The BLBS show was created for RUCKUS MAKERS in education -- those out-of-the-box school leaders making change happen.

Launched in 2015, this category-defining podcast in educational leadership has helped over 1 MILLION leaders LEVEL UP. Each week host DANIEL BAUER has a conversation with a leadership expert and invites you to listen in. Turn your commute, chores, or workout into professional development and then GO MAKE A RUCKUS!

BLBS is the #1 downloaded podcast for school leaders.

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    Nick Saccaro is the President of Quest Food Management Services, providing onsite food and hospitality services to K-12 schools and other organizations throughout the Midwest. A proven innovator and leader in the industry, Nick has 15+ years generating rapid, sustained growth and high-performing teams. Prior to his food service industry roles, Nick worked for Feeding America for nearly a decade.   Show Highlights     Leadership defining moment at a community garden.   Unique approach to recognizing staff members and building relationships   Leveraging food service to connect classroom learning with real-world experiences   Ways to let student voices shape educational experience.   Evolution of students' preferences towards customized and authentic food experiences.   Implementing the 15 commitments of conscious leadership   Tips to speak with empathy and without argumentation is key to valuing everyone at your school.    Dignity is the key for leaders in learning communities.      “A more almost perfect representation of what the dignity of work is supposed to mean to a person, even if it's not a job that the rest of society might find as glamorous or valuable. As a school leader or a building leader, there are so many people in these positions in your buildings. And while you may not be able to change the economics of what their lives look like, you may not be able to change the pay scales and the pay grades and the benefits and the pensions and all those kinds of things that those individuals have access to. You certainly can impact the way it feels for them to be at work.” -​​Nick Saccaro    Get the episode transcript here!!   Episodes’s Resources & Contact Info:     Websites: Quest Food Management Services   Instagram   Facebook   LInkedin     Read my latest book! Learn why the ABCs of powerful professional development™ work – Grow your skills by integrating more Authenticity, Belonging, and Challenge into your life and leadership.   Read Mastermind: Unlocking Talent Within Every School Leader today! Apply to the Mastermind The mastermind is changing the landscape of professional development for school leaders.    100% of our members agree that the mastermind is the #1 way they grow their leadership skills.    Apply to the mastermind today!   How We Serve Leaders   The School Leadership Scorecard™ Identify your highest leverage areas for growth this year in 10 -minutes or less.    https://betterleadersbetterschools.com/scorecard   Month-to-Month Principal Checklist As a principal with so much to do, you might be thinking, where do I even start?   When you download The Principal Checklist you’ll get   12-months of general tasks that every campus need to do   Space to write your campus specific items.   Space to reflect and not what worked as well as a space of what didn’t work   Go to https://betterleadersbetterschools.com/principal-checklist to download now.   Ruckus Maker Mindset Tool™ The “secret” to peak performance is ot complicated.  It’s a plan on how to optimize the five fundamentals found in The Ruckus Maker Mindset Tool™. https://betterleadersbetterschools.com/mindset   The Positive Spotlight Tool™ Energy flows to where attention goes! If you want to get more of what you want, when you want it as a school leader I have a tool for you…   Download The Positive Spotlight Tool™ for free here: https://betterleadersbetterschools.com/positive   The Ruckus Maker 8-Step Goal Setting Tool™ Are you ready to accomplish more? With less effort and in less time? When you download The Ruckus Maker 8-Step Goal Setting Tool™  I’ll send you the tool and a short 8-minute coaching video that shows you how to work smarter, not harder…and create more value for your school campus.   Download The Ruckus Maker 8-Step Goal Setting Tool™  for free at https://betterleadersbetterschools.com/goals SHOW SPONSORS:   TEACHFX How much student talk happened today? When classrooms come alive with conversation, learning improves, students feel a sense of belonging, and teachers feel inspired.    The TeachFX instructional coaching app gives teachers powerful insights into their student talk, student engagement, and classroom conversation.    With TeachFX, teachers see how much student talk happened, the moments of students sharing their brilliance, and the questions that got students talking.Learn how to pilot TeachFX with your teachers. Visit: teachfx.com/betterleaders   Quest Food Management Services   Quest Food Management Services provides high-quality, scratch-made food in K-12 schools and universities across the country, prioritizing the health and wellness of students and elevating the cafeteria dining experience.  Quest offers a full-service approach to their school partners, bringing 40 years of expertise through every stage of program development and nurturing a true sense of community through interactive events such as student food committees. For more information about Quest Food Management Services, www.questfms.com     IXL IXL is the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K to 12. Over 1 million teachers use IXL in their classrooms every day for one reason: They love it. Visit IXL.com to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.   Copyright © 2024 Twelve Practices LLC        

Quest Food Management Services - Behind the Scenes

    Vince Bustamante, M.Ed., is a Calgary-based instructional coach, curriculum content developer, and author. Formerly focused on school improvement, Vince now specializes in working with teachers, leadership teams, schools, and school districts in implementing high impact strategies and systems. Vince is currently pursuing his Ed. Doctorate with a focus on the sustainable implementation of professional learning across school districts. Vince has co-authored two bestselling books with Corwin Press: Great Teaching by Design and The Assessment Playbook for Distance and Blended Learning. His most current title: Leader Ready: Four Pathways to Prepare Aspiring School Leaders is also available from Corwin Press.   Tim Cusack Ed.D. has over 30 years’ experience in K-12 education as a teacher, principal, and superintendent. He recently became Dean of Education at Concordia University of Edmonton, supporting teacher and school leader preparation programs. Tim has a doctorate from University of Portland with a focus on preparing aspiring school leaders. He also serves in the Royal Canadian Navy as a Naval Warfare Officer.   Show Highlights       "Leader Ready: Four Pathways to Prepare Aspiring School Leaders."   Challenge traditional leadership predictors to support younger educators and foster a culture of growth belonging.   Be the “dive master” your team needs to take risks and discover their voice.   "Hold the ladder steady” to help leverage the gifts of aspiring leaders.   Strategies for results over building a resume for leadership success.   How to create an environment for team members to flourish.    3  categories on how you run a school and navigate the policies, procedures, etcetera.   Pathways for leadership development and impactful school culture.     “What really impressed me the most was I was with a leader who made it abundantly clear that my voice mattered, that my opinions were important in that learning dynamic. He didn't assume I knew something or presumed that he knew better in any way, shape, or form. But by really being authentic and getting to know who the aspiring leaders are in front of you, I think you can really take them to deeper levels of engagement and understanding.” -Tim Cusack   “Listening is really important. Nonjudgmental listening. So if you're in senior leadership and you have some sort of rising star or shooting star or someone who's doing remarkable things, give them a platform to share what they're doing and just honestly listen to how that came about.   Something that a senior leader needs to recognize and say, what are you doing? And how can we help you continue to do that within our district? Because every district has someone that is doing remarkable things. Everyone, every district has some sort of Ruckus Maker that's doing something outside the box, whether it's in their classroom or in their school or in their role. Oftentimes the Ruckus Maker or the ruckus they are making is perceived as negative, when really it may just be a misunderstanding of what they're actually trying to do.I think honestly listening is really important.” -Vince Bustamante     Get the episode transcript here!   Episodes’s Resources & Contact Info:     Leader Ready   Timothy Cusack: Home   Linkedin.Tim-Cusack   Linkedin.Vince Bustamante   Vince Bustamante (Twitter/X)  Tim Cusack Ed. D.

Redefining the Currents of School Leadership - Pathways to Innovation

    Loren Brody is an elementary school principal in Northern Virginia. He is also a husband, father of two teenagers, amateur violinist, dedicated swimmer, new vegetarian cook and mindfulness devotee, and Washington Wizards and Nationals sports fan -- still holding onto his New York roots with allegiance to the New York Jets.     Show Highlights     Rebranding is a key focus to differentiate your school effectively to leave a lasting impression.   Turn interviews into a professional learning experience to tap into candidates' motivations and interests.   Tips to stand out in the hiring process and attract ideal candidates for your school.   Enhancing candidate engagement elevates the interview process.   Transforming interviews into professional learning experiences with 3 questions.   Outside of the box email pitch to help differentiate candidates and sell what is unique about your school.   A key adjustment that is essential for your schools survial.       “I'm really pumped about the changes we've made in the email pitch, for sure. I think it's just because the language is exciting. And the language means something real.” -Loren Brody   “Most educators don't get into education to work with other adults. And that's sort of one of the dirty secrets about K- twelve education. Many educators are great with kids and terrible with adults. -Danny Bauer    Get the episode transcript here!!   Loren’s Resources & Contact Info:     Linkedin     Read my latest book! Learn why the ABCs of powerful professional development™ work – Grow your skills by integrating more Authenticity, Belonging, and Challenge into your life and leadership.   Read Mastermind: Unlocking Talent Within Every School Leader today! Apply to the Mastermind The mastermind is changing the landscape of professional development for school leaders.    100% of our members agree that the mastermind is the #1 way they grow their leadership skills.    Apply to the mastermind today!   How We Serve Leaders   The School Leadership Scorecard™ Identify your highest leverage areas for growth this year in 10 -minutes or less.    https://betterleadersbetterschools.com/scorecard   Month-to-Month Principal Checklist As a principal with so much to do, you might be thinking, where do I even start?   When you download The Principal Checklist you’ll get   12-months of general tasks that every campus need to do   Space to write your campus specific items.   Space to reflect and not what worked as well as a space of what didn’t work   Go to https://betterleadersbetterschools.com/principal-checklist to download now.   Ruckus Maker Mindset Tool™ The “secret” to peak performance is ot complicated.  It’s a plan on how to optimize the five fundamentals found in The Ruckus Maker Mindset Tool™. https://betterleadersbetterschools.com/mindset   The Positive Spotlight Tool™ Energy flows to where attention goes! If you want to get more of what you want, when you want it as a school leader I have a tool for you…   Download The Positive Spotlight Tool™ for free here: https://betterleadersbetterschools.com/positive   The Ruckus Maker 8-Step Goal Setting Tool™ Are you ready to accomplish more? With less effort and in less time? When you download The Ruckus Maker 8-Step Goal Setting Tool™  I’ll send you the tool and a short 8-minute coaching video that shows you how to work smarter, not harder…and create more value for your school campus.   Download The Ruckus Maker 8-Step Goal Setting Tool™  for free at https://betterleadersbetterschools.com/goals SHOW SPONSORS:   TEACHFX How much student talk happened today? When classrooms come alive with conversation, learning improves, students feel a sense of belonging, and teachers feel inspired.    The TeachFX instructional coaching app gives teachers powerful insights into their student talk, student engagement, and classroom conversation.    With TeachFX, teachers see how much student talk happened, the moments of students sharing their brilliance, and the questions that got students talking.Learn how to pilot TeachFX with your teachers. Visit: teachfx.com/betterleaders   Quest Food Management Services   Quest Food Management Services provides high-quality, scratch-made food in K-12 schools and universities across the country, prioritizing the health and wellness of students and elevating the cafeteria dining experience.  Quest offers a full-service approach to their school partners, bringing 40 years of expertise through every stage of program development and nurturing a true sense of community through interactive events such as student food committees. For more information about Quest Food Management Services, www.questfms.com     IXL IXL is the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K to 12. Over 1 million teachers use IXL in their classrooms every day for one reason: They love it. Visit IXL.com to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.   Copyright © 2024 Twelve Practices LLC      

How Ruckus Makers Interview Teacher Candidates

    Kevin works at the American Cooperative School of Tunis and is the secondary school principal. This is his 23rd year in education. Kevin is originally from Philadelphia, PA USA and is a die-hard sports fan. He has been married for 22 years to his wife Pascale and has three children. Kevin loves learning. In his spare time he does 10 minute yoga and runs two miles everyday.     Show Highlights     A secret weapon that arms you to face global challenges in education.   A transformative experience to boost confidence in handling tough situations to make leadership easier.   Immersing yourself in the “human aspect” of school leadership.   Grow beyond comfort zones with the importance of intentional leadership and narrative control.   Tackle the challenges in front of you with support that fits your diverse leadership style and personality.   A turning point in your career to get to the rewards of school leadership.   Clear the hurdles in school leadership and foster a culture of celebrating successes in a Mastermind.    The positive spotlight tool every leader needs to improve their leadership.     “I think we talked about it a little earlier. I love the combination of how the meetings work. I like being held accountable by a group of educational leaders, and from the book reads, they've been very good. All readers are leaders.You have to be reading. You have to stay current. And that's something that I really appreciate with the Mastermind.” -Kevin Thomas    Get the episode transcript here!   Kevin’s Resources & Contact Info:      Linkedin   Twitter    Facebook     Read my latest book! Learn why the ABCs of powerful professional development™ work – Grow your skills by integrating more Authenticity, Belonging, and Challenge into your life and leadership.   Read Mastermind: Unlocking Talent Within Every School Leader today! Apply to the Mastermind The mastermind is changing the landscape of professional development for school leaders.    100% of our members agree that the mastermind is the #1 way they grow their leadership skills.    Apply to the mastermind today!   How We Serve Leaders   The School Leadership Scorecard™ Identify your highest leverage areas for growth this year in 10 -minutes or less.    https://betterleadersbetterschools.com/scorecard   Month-to-Month Principal Checklist As a principal with so much to do, you might be thinking, where do I even start?   When you download The Principal Checklist you’ll get   12-months of general tasks that every campus need to do   Space to write your campus specific items.   Space to reflect and not what worked as well as a space of what didn’t work   Go to https://betterleadersbetterschools.com/principal-checklist to download now.   Ruckus Maker Mindset Tool™ The “secret” to peak performance is ot complicated.  It’s a plan on how to optimize the five fundamentals found in The Ruckus Maker Mindset Tool™. https://betterleadersbetterschools.com/mindset   The Positive Spotlight Tool™ Energy flows to where attention goes! If you want to get more of what you want, when you want it as a school leader I have a tool for you…   Download The Positive Spotlight Tool™ for free here: https://betterleadersbetterschools.com/positive   The Ruckus Maker 8-Step Goal Setting Tool™ Are you ready to accomplish more? With less effort and in less time? When you download The Ruckus Maker 8-Step Goal Setting Tool™  I’ll send you the tool and a short 8-minute coaching video that shows you how to work smarter, not harder…and create more value for your school campus.   Download The Ruckus Maker 8-Step Goal Setting Tool™  for free at https://betterleadersbetterschools.com/goals SHOW SPONSORS:   TEACHFX How much student talk happened today? When classrooms come alive with conversation, learning improves, students feel a sense of belonging, and teachers feel inspired.    The TeachFX instructional coaching app gives teachers powerful insights into their student talk, student engagement, and classroom conversation.    With TeachFX, teachers see how much student talk happened, the moments of students sharing their brilliance, and the questions that got students talking.Learn how to pilot TeachFX with your teachers. Visit: teachfx.com/betterleaders   Quest Food Management Services   Quest Food Management Services provides high-quality, scratch-made food in K-12 schools and universities across the country, prioritizing the health and wellness of students and elevating the cafeteria dining experience.  Quest offers a full-service approach to their school partners, bringing 40 years of expertise through every stage of program development and nurturing a true sense of community through interactive events such as student food committees. For more information about Quest Food Management Services, www.questfms.com     IXL IXL is the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K to 12. Over 1 million teachers use IXL in their classrooms every day for one reason: They love it. Visit IXL.com to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.   Copyright © 2024 Twelve Practices LLC      

I Used To Be Drowning As A School Leader

    Kristen Horton began her career in education at Navajo Mountain Community School as a teacher in a multi-age classroom. Dr. Horton has a commitment to supporting students and teachers through collective educator agency and relational capacity. Dr. Horton currently serves as principal of Continental Colony Elementary School and founder of L.E.A.D.S. She understands support for teachers will sustain her “why” every day, to increase life chances for students.   Joseph Hyun started his educator journey at UCSD when he signed up to tutor local high school students and discovered his passion for teaching math and commitment to fighting for social justice. Today Joseph serves as the Head of Partner Success at TeachFX, where he supports teachers in increasing equitable opportunities for their students to participate and engage in learning.     Show Highlights     TeachFX brings significant shifts in leadership for professional learning and coaching.   Leadership strategies to support student learning and teacher growth.   Purpose-driven curricula to save time and address learning gaps.    The most important principle when designing curriculum.   Tips to encourage diverse forms of dialogue that deepen understanding and promote active participation.   Avoid ineffective PD sessions that lack teacher agency by encouraging professional learning.   Support teachers in increasing equitable opportunities for student engagement and participation.   Transferring ownership to students, using these tools.          “The scariest place to be in is the same place as last year, grow."  -Dr Horton    Get the episode transcript here! Dr Horton’s Resources & Contact Info:     Twitter   Instagram   Facebook       Read my latest book! Learn why the ABCs of powerful professional development™ work – Grow your skills by integrating more Authenticity, Belonging, and Challenge into your life and leadership.   Read Mastermind: Unlocking Talent Within Every School Leader today! Apply to the Mastermind The mastermind is changing the landscape of professional development for school leaders.    100% of our members agree that the mastermind is the #1 way they grow their leadership skills.    Apply to the mastermind today!   How We Serve Leaders   The School Leadership Scorecard™ Identify your highest leverage areas for growth this year in 10 -minutes or less.    https://betterleadersbetterschools.com/scorecard   Month-to-Month Principal Checklist As a principal with so much to do, you might be thinking, where do I even start?   When you download The Principal Checklist you’ll get   12-months of general tasks that every campus need to do   Space to write your campus specific items.   Space to reflect and not what worked as well as a space of what didn’t work   Go to https://betterleadersbetterschools.com/principal-checklist to download now.   Ruckus Maker Mindset Tool™ The “secret” to peak performance is ot complicated.  It’s a plan on how to optimize the five fundamentals found in The Ruckus Maker Mindset Tool™. https://betterleadersbetterschools.com/mindset   The Positive Spotlight Tool™ Energy flows to where attention goes! If you want to get more of what you want, when you want it as a school leader I have a tool for you…   Download The Positive Spotlight Tool™ for free here: https://betterleadersbetterschools.com/positive   The Ruckus Maker 8-Step Goal Setting Tool™ Are you ready to accomplish more? With less effort and in less time? When you download The Ruckus Maker 8-Step Goal Setting Tool™  I’ll send you the tool and a short 8-minute coaching video that shows you how to work smarter, not harder…and create more value for your school campus.   Download The Ruckus Maker 8-Step Goal Setting Tool™  for free at https://betterleadersbetterschools.com/goals SHOW SPONSORS:   TEACHFX How much student talk happened today? When classrooms come alive with conversation, learning improves, students feel a sense of belonging, and teachers feel inspired.    The TeachFX instructional coaching app gives teachers powerful insights into their student talk, student engagement, and classroom conversation.    With TeachFX, teachers see how much student talk happened, the moments of students sharing their brilliance, and the questions that got students talking.Learn how to pilot TeachFX with your teachers. Visit: teachfx.com/betterleaders     Quest Food Management Services   Quest Food Management Services provides high-quality, scratch-made food in K-12 schools and universities across the country, prioritizing the health and wellness of students and elevating the cafeteria dining experience.  Quest offers a full-service approach to their school partners, bringing 40 years of expertise through every stage of program development and nurturing a true sense of community through interactive events such as student food committees. For more information about Quest Food Management Services, www.questfms.com     IXL IXL is the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K to 12. Over 1 million teachers use IXL in their classrooms every day for one reason: They love it. Visit IXL.com to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.   Copyright © 2024 Twelve Practices LLC      

Challenges of Creating a Thriving School

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