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Doors closed, minds open or the other way around? Our conversation with NASSP’s 2025 National Principal of the Year, Tony Cattani, pulls back the curtain on how a large high school built a culture where teachers learn from teachers every single day. Tony walks us through the exact system that turned isolation into collective efficacy: a strengths inventory across four core areas, 25-minute targeted classroom visits, collegiality cafes that showcase teacher-designed practices, and a simple feedback loop that amplifies wins to supervisors and the entire staff.

We get personal, too. Tony shares the moment he nearly quit, why trying to be the hero almost broke him, and how vulnerability and intentional routines brought joy and effectiveness back to the job. From hiring for strengths to weekly shout-outs, he shows how recognition can be both precise and public—fueling a schoolwide appetite for better classroom management, dynamic lesson design, checks for understanding, and growth mindset. The result? More than 4,000 peer observations, richer cross-department collaboration, and teachers who feel seen for the 39,000 minutes a year when craft usually goes unnoticed.

Beyond instructional culture, Tony digs into future-facing work: AI integration that supports planning and feedback, student and staff leadership academies that cultivate confidence, and robust career pathways—from welding to health services—aligned with the four E’s: enrolled, enlisted, employed, and entrepreneur. He also shares why he launched the Proud Principals Podcast and how connecting leaders across the country accelerates innovation back home.

If you’re a principal or teacher who wants practical, repeatable steps to improve instruction and morale without gimmicks, this is your playbook. Subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a review telling us which strategy you’ll try first—we’ll shout out our favorite takeaways next week.

Connect with Tony Cattani:

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @tonycattaniproudprincipal

X: @CattaniTony

Proud Principal Podcast:

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