Little Wins

In this episode of Little Wins, host Karen Borchert talks with Stacey Green, Elementary Principal and longtime leader at Stockton Grade School in rural Kansas. Stacey has served her district for 36 years and has been principal for 13, leading a unique PreK–8 school where culture isn’t a strategy it’s the heartbeat of the building.

Stacey shares practical, highly repeatable ways to build belonging for staff and students: a simple “tap out” support system for tough days, staff-to-staff celebration routines, a joy-fueled Hoopla Committee, and High Five Fridays that bring community members into the school day in a fun, welcoming way.

You’ll also hear about Stockton’s Foster Grandparent Program (intergenerational classroom support), their mixed-age community groups that stay together from kindergarten through 8th grade, and the mindset shifts Stacey uses to keep culture strong—like noticing effort over compliance and turning complaining into curiosity.

💡 Little Wins in This Episode:

1. Culture as the heartbeat: Leading a PreK–8 building with presence and care

2. Tap-out support: Normalizing quick breaks for teachers on hard days

3. Foster Grandparent Program: Intergenerational support that builds belonging

4. The Power of Mattering: Noticing, affirming, and showing people they’re needed

5. Hoopla Committee: Staff-led fun that sustains morale and joy

6. High Five Fridays: Community members welcoming students into the day

7. Mixed-age community groups: Same group and leaders from kindergarten to 8th grade

Key Moments

01:44 36 years in one district

03:30 Long-term relationships with families

05:54 Stacey’s leadership mindset

07:26 Navigating retirements and staffing transitions

09:50 Culture as the heartbeat of the building

11:56 Peer learning and staff celebrations

13:49 Foster Grandparent Program

15:30 The Power of Mattering

17:14 Intergenerational impact on students

18:23 Trauma-informed practices

21:04 CharacterStrong and mental health supports

23:25 Visibility and daily teacher support

25:07 Tap-out in action

28:27 Changes in the profession

Connect with Stacey Green

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacey-green-35186283
Website: https://www.usd271.com/

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Alpaca Website: https://www.getalpaca.com/
Alpaca Resources Library: https://www.getalpaca.com/resources-library 

🧵 About the Podcast:

Little Wins is the podcast that digs into the small, deliberate actions school leaders are taking to build strong, human-centered cultures.

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to Alpaca for more conversations on building powerful school cultures.

In this episode, host Karen Borchert sits down with James Womack, Superintendent of Valley View Independent School District in North Texas, a small but mighty district serving about 930 students with deep community ties and high expectations.

James brings more than 20 years in education and 14 years in leadership to his work, grounded in servant leadership, presence, and relentless belief in people. Less than 18 months into his tenure, he stepped into leadership during one of the district’s hardest moments, arriving just after a devastating tornado impacted the community and families he was called to serve.

From that moment forward, James has led Valley View with visible action and heart. Whether he is standing in car line on cold mornings, hand-delivering retention stipends to staff, chasing students to competitions late into the night, or building systems that support growth and accountability, James believes leadership must be present and actionable.

Together, Karen and James explore how culture shifts through small, intentional wins, why servant leadership requires both humility and high standards, and how engaging, encouraging, and empowering people creates momentum that transforms schools. 

💡 Little Wins in This Episode:

1. Leadership in Crisis: Showing up immediately after a tornado and serving alongside the community.

   
   

2. Servant Leadership Redefined: Why humility and high expectations go hand in hand.

   
   

3. Presence That Matters: Being visible in classrooms, car lines, games, and performances.

   
   

4. Retention with Dignity: Hand-delivering equitable retention stipends to all staff.

   
   

5. Celebrating People Creatively: Bobbleheads, Thor hammers, thank-you notes, and meaningful recognition.

   
   

6. Engage. Encourage. Empower.: The three principles driving culture change at Valley View.

Key Moments

01:15 Life in a small but growing North Texas district

02:45 From criminal justice to education

05:01 Arriving in Valley View after a tornado

06:55 Leadership during crisis and community healing

09:59 “Being part of them, not them being part of me”

10:08 Servant leadership and common misconceptions

12:16 Friday Night Lights and everyday presence

14:52 Modeling leadership for staff

16:58 Weekly admin meetings and breaking silos

29:55 Academic progress and momentum

32:33 Celebrating students and staff creatively

34:25 The three Es: engage, encourage, empower

36:19 Core values and the “EAGLES” framework

Connect with James Womack 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/c-james-womack-538445

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Karen’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenborchert

Alpaca LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/get-alpaca

Alpaca Website: https://www.getalpaca.com/
Alpaca Resources Library: https://www.getalpaca.com/resources-library 

🧵 About the Podcast:

Little Wins is the podcast that digs into the small, deliberate actions school leaders are taking to build strong, human-centered cultures.

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to Alpaca for more conversations on building powerful school cultures.

In this episode, host Karen Borchert sits down with Christopher Mason, Superintendent of Schools at Quitman ISD in East Texas, a district serving about 1,200 students with a deep sense of connection, pride, and belonging.

With nearly two decades in education and a background that includes coaching, teaching history, and pastoral ministry, Christopher leads with empathy, deep listening, and a long-term view of stewardship. At Quitman ISD, culture is built intentionally through trust, presence, and a shared mission that guides daily decisions.

That mission, “Every child. Every chance. Every day.”, is more than a phrase. It serves as a decision-making filter for hiring, budgeting, leadership development, and classroom practice. From staff listening tours to leadership-focused meetings and the BUILD committee, Christopher shows how consistent, human-centered leadership creates a culture where people feel seen, supported, and proud to serve.

Together, Karen and Christopher explore how relational trust, intentional leadership development, and a focus on stewardship shape a district culture rooted in service, integrity, and joy. 

💡 Little Wins in This Episode:

1. Start and End Together: Why Quitman ISD now always kicks off and closes the year with the whole staff in one room.

   
   

2. Real Transparency: How a simple budget comparison and regular updates calmed fears after pay cuts.

   
   

3. The 13th Check: Returning the 2% reduction in a single end-of-year payment and what it signaled to staff.

   
   

4. Designing for Autonomy: Restructuring buildings, principals’ roles, and a 6–12 activities director to shrink workloads and sharpen focus.

   
   

5. Presence Without Micromanaging: Visiting every building weekly, staying in hallways, and letting principals lead instruction.

Key Moments

 01:14 First impressions of Quitman ISD culture
 02:03 “Every child, every chance, every day”
 04:57 Christopher’s path into education
 08:06 Mentorship and leadership growth
 10:28 Identifying leaders “on the bubble”
 13:53 Relational trust and visibility
 16:00 Leadership meetings focused on growth
 18:19 Listening tours and staff voice
 21:10 Small changes with big impact
 24:08 Stewardship and legacy
 27:18 Culture in a small rural district
 30:41 Three culture words: service, integrity, fun
 34:01 Little win: the BUILD committee
 36:11 Advice for educators right now

Connect with Christopher Mason

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-mason-424723a8
Website : https://www.quitmanisd.net/

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Karen’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenborchert

Alpaca LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/get-alpaca

Alpaca Website: https://www.getalpaca.com/
Alpaca Resources Library: https://www.getalpaca.com/resources-library 

🧵 About the Podcast:

Little Wins is the podcast that digs into the small, deliberate actions school leaders are taking to build strong, human-centered cultures.

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to Alpaca for more conversations on building powerful school cultures.

In this episode, host Karen Borchert sits down with Jordan Perez, Superintendent of Russell USD 407 in Russell, Kansas, to talk about what it really means to lead with presence, purpose, and care.

Jordan leads a small rural district serving about 750 students, where leadership stretches far beyond classrooms. From guiding a major bond election and facilities redesign to driving bus routes and coaching junior high volleyball, Jordan believes trust is built by showing up and doing the work alongside others.

A former elementary teacher and coach, Jordan brings a “kids first, invested” mindset to every decision. Whether it’s celebrating staff birthdays, sending daily morning emails to keep everyone connected, recognizing students at board meetings, or building career pathways through CTE programs like welding and CNA, his focus stays rooted in relationships, opportunity, and community pride.

Together, Karen and Jordan explore how modeling commitment, celebrating people, and staying close to students can transform school culture and strengthen retention, trust, and joy in a district. 

Little Wins in This Episode

• Leading the Bond Process: How open steering committees and community voice shaped a needs-based bond proposal.

  
  

• Right-Sizing the District: Closing buildings, improving efficiency, and making hard decisions rooted in data and care.

  
  

• Still a Coach: Why Jordan coaches junior high volleyball and how it deepens trust with students and families.

  
  

• Everyday Visibility: Driving bus routes, filling in where needed, and being present in schools daily.

  
  

• Celebration Culture: Daily emails, birthday notes, staff recognition, and student shout-outs that build morale.

  
  

• Career Pathways: Launching welding and CNA programs tied directly to local workforce needs.

Key Moments

00:58 Inside Russell USD 407

02:37 What a superintendent really does during a bond election

06:14 Studying systems and district efficiency

08:12 Closing buildings and right-sizing the district

09:34 From classroom teacher to superintendent

11:22 Creating access through youth sports opportunities

13:17 Coaching as leadership

23:00 Celebrating staff and recognition at board meetings

26:00 Daily communication and morning emails

29:03 Creating a family feel across schools

31:16 Launching CTE programs

33:10 Welding, CNA, and workforce alignment

36:23 Lightning Round: culture words, little win, advice

Connect with Jordan Perez
Website: https://www.usd407.org/

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Karen’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenborchert

Alpaca LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/get-alpaca

Alpaca Website: https://www.getalpaca.com/
Alpaca Resources Library: https://www.getalpaca.com/resources-library 

🧵 About the Podcast:

Little Wins is the podcast that digs into the small, deliberate actions school leaders are taking to build strong, human-centered cultures.

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to Alpaca for more conversations on building powerful school cultures.

In this episode, host Karen Borchert heads to western Kansas to talk with Superintendent Jamie Rumford of USD 466 Scott County Schools, where 4,000 people, 6,000 county residents, and more than 20,000 head of cattle define truly rural school life.

Jamie has spent 30+ years in education and more than a decade as a superintendent, centering his leadership on trust, transparency, autonomy, and taking care of people. When he arrived in Scott City in 2014, the district was coming out of a serious budget crisis and had just cut salaries by 2%.

What followed was a long, thoughtful process of rebuilding: simple budget “dashboards,” honest updates, reorganizing leadership roles to give principals smaller spans of control, and eventually paying back that 2% in a surprise “13th check.” Along the way, Jamie and his team built traditions like districtwide state send-offs and handwritten birthday cards for every staff member that knit together a culture he describes as connected, loyal, and motivated.

💡 Little Wins in This Episode:

1. Start and End Together: Why USD 466 now always kicks off and closes the year with the whole staff in one room.

2. Real Transparency: How a simple budget comparison and regular updates calmed fears after pay cuts.

3. The 13th Check: Returning the 2% reduction in a single end-of-year payment and what it signaled to staff.

4. Designing for Autonomy: Restructuring buildings, principals’ roles, and a 6–12 activities director to shrink workloads and sharpen focus.

5. Presence Without Micromanaging: Visiting every building weekly, staying in hallways, and letting principals lead instruction.

6. Birthday Cards & Send-Offs: Handwritten notes and whole-district state send-offs that build connection from PreK to 12.

Key Moments

02:16 Western Kansas roots and choosing rural life for his family

03:19 Jamie’s father, the lifelong “educator,” and what real reward means

05:14 Stepping into USD 466 during a budget crisis and 2% salary cuts

08:27 Practicing transparency with a simple budget “dashboard”

10:18 Paying back the 2% in a surprise “13th check”

12:09 Realizing staff were disconnected across buildings

13:03 “We always start together and end together” as a rallying cry

23:26 State send-offs: cross-country team walking all three buildings

25:17 Handwritten birthday cards for every staff member

26:59 Three words for culture: connected, loyal, motivated

29:54 A little win: Boss’s Day surprise from the central office team

Connect with Jamie Rumford

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-rumford-41790667

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Karen’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenborchert

Alpaca LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/get-alpaca

Alpaca Website: https://www.getalpaca.com/
Alpaca Resources Library: https://www.getalpaca.com/resources-library 

🧵 About the Podcast:

Little Wins is the podcast that digs into the small, deliberate actions school leaders are taking to build strong, human-centered cultures.

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to Alpaca for more conversations on building powerful school cultures.

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to Alpaca for more conversations on building powerful school cultures.

In this episode, host Karen Borchert sits down with Mr. Ben Meldrum, Superintendent of Blair Oaks R-II School District in Wardsville, Missouri, where excellence, pride, and community are not just words on a wall, but daily expectations.

A former sales and marketing professional who found his way into education through a career center, Ben spent 13 years in the classroom before becoming an assistant principal, founding principal of Capital City High School, and now superintendent. Along the way, he became known for greeting every student at the door each morning, building new traditions from scratch, and holding adults to the same high standards he holds for kids.

From “be a great teammate” to “prioritize what’s best for students” to “work with a purpose,” Ben’s leadership philosophy is simple and demanding. Whether he is out at elementary drop-off reassuring nervous parents, celebrating Falcon Fridays in Kelly green, or challenging his district not to settle for “above the state average,” Ben sees culture as the real engine behind any strategy.

💡 Little Wins in This Episode:

1. Fixing vs. Building vs. Honoring: How Ben approached three very different leadership roles: repairing a struggling 9th grade center, building Capital City High School from the ground up, and inheriting an already-strong culture at Blair Oaks.

   
   

2. Three Simple Rules: Why “be a great teammate,” “prioritize what’s best for kids,” and “work with a purpose” anchor every conversation with staff.

   
   

3. Front Door Fist Bumps: How greeting students every morning gave Ben a real-time read on student mood, staff energy, and building culture.

   
   

4. Presence Over Perfection: Why Ben still does elementary drop-off and pickup as superintendent to reassure families and show students school is a safe, welcome place.

   
   

5. Falcon Fridays & Kelly Green Pride: How weekly rituals and visible spirit connect four small communities into one shared identity.

Key Moments

02:16 Blair Oaks community pride and Friday night lights

04:22 From sales to teaching to leadership

06:46 Discovering passion at the career center

09:13 Becoming an AP and spotting culture issues

10:48 Overcrowded 9th grade campus and student needs

21:05 Hiring for culture and building identity

24:00 Greeting every student each morning

27:08 Reading student and staff energy

29:42 Joining Blair Oaks and earning trust

37:10 “Pressure is a privilege”

Connect with Mr. Ben Meldrum

Website: https://www.blairoaks.k12.mo.us/

Follow Us

Karen’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenborchert

Alpaca LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/get-alpaca

Alpaca Website: https://www.getalpaca.com/
Alpaca Resources Library: https://www.getalpaca.com/resources-library 

🧵 About the Podcast:

Little Wins is the podcast that digs into the small, deliberate actions school leaders are taking to build strong, human-centered cultures.

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to Alpaca for more conversations on building powerful school cultures.

In this episode, host Karen Borchert sits down with Shannon Shine, Superintendent of the Mohonasen Central School District in Rotterdam, New York, where servant leadership, shared decision-making, and human connection shape daily life.

Shannon has led Mohonasen since 2018, navigating extraordinary challenges including the pandemic, districtwide culture shifts, and the sudden arrival of 70 English language learners with almost no notice. Across every challenge, his leadership remains grounded in humility, listening, and care for people.

From recognizing bus drivers over breakfast to empowering teachers through bottom-up leadership, from welcoming vulnerable students during crisis to implementing a bold cell phone policy focused on student wellbeing, Shannon shows what it looks like to lead with purpose, trust, and kindness in action.

Together, Karen and Shannon explore how culture is built in the small moments, why servant leadership matters now more than ever, and how schools can remain joyful, successful, and deeply human.

💡 Little Wins in This Episode:

1. Servant Leadership in Practice: How Shannon centers service, humility, and listening in every decision.

   
   

2. Bottom-Up Decision Making: Why curriculum, policies, and big changes work best when teachers lead the process.

   
   

3. Crisis Response with Care: Welcoming 70 newcomer students with almost no notice and rallying a community around them.

   
   

4. Cell Phone-Free Schools: How removing phones transformed student engagement, relationships, and learning.

   
   

5. Student Pride & Belonging: Building “Mohan Pride” through shared experiences and visible culture.

   
   

6. Therapy Dogs at School: How Liesl and Fritz the miniature dachshunds bring joy and calm to the high school halls

Key Moments

 01:19 Mohonasen’s community and district profile
 03:02 From aspiring astronaut to educator
 05:09 Why others saw teaching as Shannon’s calling
 09:43 Defining servant leadership and its roots
 12:36 What bottom-up leadership looks like in action
 16:04 How staff would describe Mohonasen’s culture
 18:21 Signs of pride, buy-in, and belonging
 19:47 STEAM Night and cross-grade student leadership
 21:50 Summer 2023 and the arrival of 70 newcomer students
 24:09 Responding with urgency, empathy, and community support
 29:50 Lasting impact of crisis leadership on staff culture
 33:49 Rethinking cell phone use in schools
 36:29 Implementing a new phone policy with shared leadership
 39:16 Student engagement after phones were removed
 42:30 Three words for culture: joyful, successful, purposeful
 44:07 Little win: therapy dogs in schools

Connect with Shannon Shine

Website:https://www.mohonasen.org/

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Karen’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenborchert

Alpaca LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/get-alpaca

Alpaca Website: https://www.getalpaca.com/
Alpaca Resources Library: https://www.getalpaca.com/resources-library 

🧵 About the Podcast:

Little Wins is the podcast that digs into the small, deliberate actions school leaders are taking to build strong, human-centered cultures.

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to Alpaca for more conversations on building powerful school cultures.

In this episode, host Karen Borchert sits down with Devon Graham, principal of grades 6–8 at Washington Parks Academy, part of the Cornerstone Schools network in the Detroit area. Washington Parks is a tuition-free public charter school where character education isn’t just a poster on the wall it’s built into every routine, relationship, and classroom.

A longtime community member and former elementary teacher who found his calling in middle school, Principal Graham has built a culture defined by three words: integrity, love, and collaboration. From greeting students each morning with affirmations and “nothing but love for you,” to rearranging every classroom into collaborative groups, to running a 42-person staff group chat that doubles as a real-time support and celebration thread, his leadership is deeply personal and relentlessly student-centered.

Together, Karen and Devon dig into what it looks like to live out Cornerstone’s character mission every day: phone-free learning, radical transparency with families, hiring for heart first, and making sure both students and staff feel seen, supported, and held to high expectations.

💡 Little Wins in This Episode:

1. Nothing But Love: Why Devon starts every day with positive affirmations, clear expectations, and “I’ve got nothing but love for you” for his 6–8th graders.

2. Desks in Fours: How rethinking classroom layout—from rows to centers—teaches collaboration, difference, and global readiness.

3. Hiring for Heart: The interview questions, on-the-spot mock lessons, and “do you love children?” filter that shape Washington Parks’ staff.

4. The 42-Person Group Chat: One shared text thread for teachers and staff that handles bathroom breaks, tough moments, quick changes, and daily celebrations.

5. Radical Transparency with Families: How honest conversations about staffing, student challenges, and social media build trust and shared ownership.

6. Phone-Free as a Game Changer: Collecting cell phones every morning—and how it’s shifted focus, safety, and emotional regulation on campus.

Key Moments

01:20 Inside Washington Parks: community roots, family feel, daily affirmations

03:00 Morning “little wins”: clean halls, collaboration, and daily growth

03:28 Why desks aren’t in rows anymore—what collaboration looks like 
today

04:34 Devon’s path: from 5th grade teacher to middle school social studies

08:58 Cornerstone Schools & the three dimensions of a complete life

12:44 Hiring for culture: loving kids, mock lessons, and day-one expectations

16:09 Voice & vulnerability: making it safe for teachers to ask for help

19:26 The 42-person group chat: support, coordination, and daily “love my work family” notes

21:48 Real-time wins: assessment growth, emojis, and protecting instructional time

27:36 Working with families: Title I meetings & honest staffing updates

30:56 Phones & safety: collecting devices and partnering with parents

33:25 Teaching emotional regulation: more adults to talk to, fewer reasons to fight

34:49 Phone-free as a “game changer”: focus, recovery, and closing gaps

39:12 A little win: a retaken test, a 79/80, and a life-changing call home

42:42 What educators can do now: lead with care, love, and respect

Connect with Devon Graham 
Website: https://cornerstoneschools.org/

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Alpaca LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/get-alpaca
Alpaca Website: https://www.getalpaca.com/
Alpaca Resources Library: https://www.getalpaca.com/resources-library 

🧵 About the Podcast:
Little Wins is the podcast that digs into the small, deliberate actions school leaders are taking to build strong, human-centered cultures.

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to Alpaca for more conversations on building powerful school cultures.

In this episode, host Karen Borchert sits down with Bill Gallagher, Principal of Northshore High School in Slidell, Louisiana, where a diverse community, a family feel, and a whole lot of creativity shape daily life.

A former coach who stepped into the principal role mid-pandemic, Bill has spent the last six years building a culture rooted in belonging, recognition, humor, and steady leadership through change. From TikTok morning messages to “Fantastic Friday” phone calls, from empowering teachers to letting seniors bring a lawnmower on “Anything But a Backpack Day,” Bill shows what happens when school feels human, joyful, and connected.

Together, Karen and Bill dive into culture-building that’s both intentional and fun and why talking to students may be the simplest, most powerful leadership move of all.

💡 Little Wins in This Episode:

1. About All Kids: Bill’s three-word culture mantra—and why inclusiveness is the heartbeat of Northshore.

   
   

2. Traditions That Stick: How post-COVID improvisation on the football field sparked new student-led rituals.

   
   

3. Empowering Staff: From eliminating mass emails to letting teachers run the school’s “Future Focus” night.

   
   

4. The Daily TikTok: Why a 60-second video builds connection, consistency, and joy across a 1500-student campus.

   
   

5. Fantastic Friday Calls: Celebrations that make parents cry happy tears—and are now spreading across the district.

   
   

6. Growing Together: How shifting the entire district to block scheduling became a collective exercise in trust and growth mindset.

Key Moments

00:01 Introducing Principal Bill Gallagher and Northshore High School

04:22 A family of educators & the unexpected path to leadership

06:58 Becoming principal overnight… in the middle of COVID

10:17 New traditions & letting students lead the fun

15:02 Empowering a 165-person staff through ownership and trust

16:35 Northshore Notes & the zero mass-emails policy

20:02 Future Focus Night and letting teachers shine

24:29 The power of being “just people” with your team

25:04 Why Bill makes a TikTok video every school day

32:11 Fantastic Friday phone calls and spreading recognition

36:41 How student & staff culture fuel each other

37:15 Moving to block scheduling—and navigating it together

42:36 Lightning Round: About All Kids, alumni teachers, & what every educator can do right now

Connect with Bill Gallagher
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/principal-gallagher

Website: https://northshorehigh.stpsb.org/

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Karen’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenborchert

Alpaca LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/get-alpaca

Alpaca Website: https://www.getalpaca.com/
Alpaca Resources Library: https://www.getalpaca.com/resources-library 

🧵 About the Podcast:

Little Wins is the podcast that digs into the small, deliberate actions school leaders are taking to build strong, human-centered cultures.

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to Alpaca for more conversations on building powerful school cultures.

In this episode, host Karen Borchert sits down with Eric Filardi, principal at Mendenhall River Community School in Juneau, Alaska, a uniquely remote elementary school in the shadow of the Mendenhall Glacier reachable only by boat or plane.

With 19 years of experience across New York, Abu Dhabi, and now Alaska, Eric shares how life-and-death logistics, extreme weather, and geographic isolation shape a school where crew culture, emotional safety, and deep community connection aren’t optional—they’re survival.

From inheriting a struggling school with flat funding, high special education needs, and eight principals in ten years to building a “crew” that trusts each other, gives honest feedback, and shows up for kids, Eric walks through how vulnerability, visibility, and real-time listening have transformed his school’s culture.

💡 Little Wins in This Episode:

1. Living next to the glacier, teaching at the edge of the map
   What it means to lead a school within eyeline of the Mendenhall Glacier, in a capital city only accessible by boat or plane and why “thinking several steps ahead” is part of everyday school leadership.

   
   

2. From Long Island to Abu Dhabi to Alaska
   How diverse teaching experiences from rural New York to Queens to the United Arab Emirates shaped Eric’s belief in community integration and professional intimacy with families.

   
   

3. When survival and schooling intersect
   Stories of polar-bear lockdowns, moose at the door, minus-40 school days, and car heaters and how shared risk and dependence on one another builds a unique kind of community.

   
   

4. “Crew culture,” not isolation
   Why Eric calls his staff a “crew,” how job-alike isolation in small schools leads to loneliness, and what it takes to create emotional safety and shared purpose across just ten unique classrooms.

   
   

5. Turning around an unhealthy culture
   Stepping into a school with unstable leadership, funding crises, dissolved special education supports, and scared staff and how transparency, vulnerability, and showing your own learning curve help rebuild trust.

Key Moments

01:22 A school frozen in time—and why families fiercely protect it

02:18 Life in Juneau, Alaska: a city only accessible by boat or plane

03:24 Eric’s journey from Long Island to Abu Dhabi to Alaska

06:33 What the UAE taught him about community and relationship-based teaching

09:47 Moose at the door and minus-40 days: the realities of Alaskan schools

15:49 Pride, isolation, and being the only teacher in your grade

19:25 Taking over a school facing high turnover, low funding, and burnout

26:07 Rebuilding trust through vulnerability and transparent leadership

30:58 How Alpaca Pulse made feedback safe and actionable

41:03 Empowering paraprofessionals with training and a para PLC

48:04 A small win: moving his desk to the main office for more visibility

49:05 One thing educators can do right now: listen, reflect, act

Connect with Eric Filradi

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-filardi-84252411
Website: https://mrcs.juneauschools.org/en-US

Follow Us

Karen’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenborchert

Alpaca LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/get-alpaca

Alpaca Website: https://www.getalpaca.com/
Alpaca Resources Library: https://www.getalpaca.com/resources-library 

🧵 About the Podcast:

Little Wins is the podcast that digs into the small, deliberate actions school leaders are taking to build strong, human-centered cultures.

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to Alpaca for more conversations on building powerful school cultures.