Next-Level Ed Leadership Interview Prep

In this podcast episode we were blessed to have one of the nations most respected and inspiring educational leaders Principal Kafele (pronounced Kafaylay).

These are just some of the highlights of his career. He is one of the most sought after educational speakers in America as evidenced by his 1000 plus keynotes. He’s the thought leader and originator behind the concept of the attitude gap which describes the difference between those with the will to achieve excellence and those who don’t. He is the author of eight books including his national best-sellers, Closing the Attitude Gap, Motivating Black Males to Achieve in School and in Life and The Principal 50. He also dropped his newest book, The Teacher 50 just last year.

In the short time we had we delved into his origin story and how he became an educator and principal. we talked about his greatest challenge as principal and what he learned from it. We also discussed the themes in his best selling book , The Principal 50 and the advice he would give to aspiring and practicing principals.

The Big Three Car Companies, (General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler) have been around since the early 1900’s, just a bit more than 100 years. Blockbuster video started in the 1980’s about thirty years ago, and Blackberry phones came out in the early 2000’s about fifeteen years ago. At one point it was unfathomable that these three titans would fall. Now however, Blockbuster is gone, Blackberry is regulated to the recycling heap and an afterthought in the phone industry, and The Big Three car companies have been disrupted by the economy, challenges from across the ocean and new technology. They continue fighting to regain their global dominance but it is not an easy battle

The reason the above examples are important is because traditional public schools are in a similar position to those companies. Public schools are over 200 years old and just like these three former leaders of their respective business sectors, are facing a new challenger in the form of charter schools. And just like The Big Three, Blockbuster, and Blackberry they’re losing.

Public schools have been around so long that and the thinking so entrenched that there is a belief that no one can do it better. Like The Big Three, public schools are stuck in an industrial age mentality. Schools are still run by the ringing of a bell, just like they signaled a shift change in old car factories. That mentality doesn’t work anymore, change is here.

Like Toyota, charters came in and started running lean schools. They eagerly embraced new ideas like data driven decision making and were able to create schools based on particular community niches. Public schools like The Big Three continues to lurch into the new century struggling to play catch up.

Those with public school blinders on are refusing to see the education revolution. Like Netflix, Charters are the early adopters of a new social reality. They are not perfect but they are attempting to cater to their constituents needs. They have to in order to survive.

New thought processes are at play and the customers preference and ease of access to whatever they want is now the norm. Schools “on demand” in the form of school choice continues to disrupt public schools.

In the past public schools were the only game in town and so were able to treat families poorly or with complete disregard. This is no longer the case. The consumer is gaining more control and public schools like Blockbuster need to adapt or die.

Blackberry failed to see Apple as a threat. Public schools thought charters were cute when they first started. According to a pamphlet put out by the National Alliance for Charter Schools, charter schools have grown six fold in the last 15 years. That was before Betsy Devos, became Secretary of Education. The market is continuing to go in that direction and the speed of that change continues to grow.

Charter schools are not going anywhere. Public schools need to adapt and quickly. Old thinking needs to change or just like The Big Three, Blockbuster, and Blackberry public schools will eventually fall and there will be no bail out.

In this episode I talk with our very first Middle School Principal; Sean Fisher. Mr. Fisher is the first African American Male Principal in Dearborn Michigan's Public Schools. He is a former sergeant in the US Army (honorably discharged) and has expertise in creating a restorative culture which reduces suspensions, expulsions and achievement disparities.

We discuss his path into education, what he learned on that journey and how it influences his vision. We also talk about his biggest struggles, what he's most proud of and the advice he would give to first year principals.

In this episode I talk to Elementary Principal Craig McCalla.
Craig is in his 11th year as Principal in the small town Dexter Michigan. He was Michigan’s Region Two Principal of the year in 2012. He started out as a Special Ed teacher of Emotional Impaired students, then eventually made his way from assistant principal to principal of his own building.

In this episode we talk about his path to the principalship, what he’s learned and what tips he has to share on including transgender students in his school. The entire transcript of the interview will be added shortly.

We’re three quarters of the way done with the school year. It’s mandated high stakes testing time. Staff is feeling overwhelmed, fatigued and unsupported. As a result student referrals are up, we’re getting more and more students sent through the disciplinary process, and there are more snide comments and side looks then at anytime of the year. These 3 strategies will help ease the burnout and keep staff engaged.

Planned Support
Take a look at your school calendar. Ask yourself what events will create more stress for teachers. Anything that is outside the regular school day norm are good events for you to stop in and show your face and smile. Your presence at these types of unstructured, non routine events will help ease tensions. The adults will feel supported as you work your way through the student body making commentary and redirecting behaviors before they escalate. Being strategic about these supportive visits will ensure that you’re not overtaxed yourself.

Surprise Community Building
Find a time in the final quarter to do a couple of community building activities. Scrap one of your staff meetings and bring in ice cream and sundae fixings. Discuss the wins of the school year and all the great things that have been accomplished so far. Provide an opportunity for staff members to give kudos to each other for their hard work. I recently made breakfast for the staff before a professional development and the time shared eating was just as beneficial. This type of community building will help energize and reduce the fatigue of staff.

Lead the disengagement
Demonstrate through your own actions that you believe they should have time for themselves. Don’t send or answer emails over the weekend. The work will be there when they get back. Staff won't believe you when you tell them not to take their work home all the time if that’s what you’re doing. Have conversations with them and let them know that you don’t expect that work to be done over the weekend. There will still be staff that works over the weekend, but if they know it’s not expected that alone will help them feel less overwhelmed.

Staff is overwhelmed, fatigued and burnt out. Planning a support strategy over the final weeks, creating opportunities for the staff to get together and share success and leading the disengagement from work will help keep your staff engaged.

There is always going to be a percentage of staff that doesn’t like you. There might not be an active dislike but they may not completely trust you. According to an article at bloomberg.com entitled: Americans Can't Stand Their Bosses, and Bosses Admit They're Phoning it in half of the American workforce has quit their job to get away from a bad boss. The following three steps are easy tips to build connections and lower that percentage. In doing so you can avoid staff turnover and cultural instability in your school.

What’s in a name
People inherently like the sound of their own name. It’s important that you use it when addressing staff who may not be on the same page as you. Calling them by name in staff meetings and providing them opportunities to express opinions in areas of alignment is a good way to soften overall tensions.

They actually have a life
The life of an educator is often overwhelming and time consuming. Treating them as if education is their life and expecting them to treat it as such is a recipe for resistance. Learn something about their life outside of the four walls of the classroom. Once you do so bring that up in conversation or send them an email with a link that they may find interesting. Addressing all parts of the person is a great way to build credibility and rapport.

You may have more in common than you think
This idea goes back to them having a life. Once you learn more about them you may find that you actually have things in common. One of the ways people connect is by belonging to the same “tribe”. Being fans of the same team or interested in the same television show gives you something to bond over.

There is always going to be a small percentage of staff members that don’t like you. Shrinking this percentage by addressing these staff members by name, treating them like they have a life and bonding over similarities are three strategies that will help. Use the comment section below to share some tips from your experience.

For more tips and strategies check out my blog or podcasts at http://www.theprincipalentrepreneur.com/. If you’re looking for a group of supportive principals join our private FB group. We’re currently engaged in The Principals’ 20 Day Classroom Challenge!

I’ve recently been reading The New York Times Bestseller: Influencer The Power To Change Anything. It proposes that by reading it you’ll learn to:

Identify a handful of high-leverage behaviors that lead to rapid and profound change.
Apply strategies for changing both thoughts and actions.
Marshall six sources of influence to make change inevitable.

As principals one of our main objectives is to influence positive change within our schools. This may seem impossible, especially when trying to change behaviors around homework, attendance and basic soft skills. In reading through the book I came upon three techniques that might help change student and staff thoughts and behaviors around these school struggles. These three tips are all from chapter four of the the book.

Make It A Game
One of the issues teachers regularly bemoan is that students rarely do homework. While the benefits of homework for high school students is subject to debate, the fact that it can, at a minimum, impact a student's’ grade in my school is not. In thinking about a way to encourage the completion of homework this particular point “Make it a game”, in chapter four came to mind. I asked myself how can I make homework a game so students want to do it instead of dread doing it? The answer I came up with to create a huge dry erase board with all the students’ name on it and place it in our community room. When they complete a homework assignment they can place a marker of some kind on the board. Once they complete a certain number of assignments they can make it to the next level. Once they reach the next level they get a prize. Once a week when we meet we can pass out prizes and recognize those students who have moved to the next level. By making homework a game I’m hoping to positively influence my students’ academic outcomes.

Connect to a Person’s Sense of Self
This idea was one of the other suggestions the authors of Influencer have for those looking to create change. This idea only works if you and your staff find time to really get to know your students and understand who they think they are. Most of my students have brothers and sisters and feel intensely loyal. The question becomes how to attach this new behavior (doing homework consistently) to their sense of loyalty. In thinking of ways to do this I came up with the idea of students having to take a selfie with a family member and then, upon showing that picture to a staff member, they get the opportunity to win a bonus prize for their entire family. The prize could be as simple as delivering a pizza to the family’s residence and acknowledging the student in front of their family.

Win Hearts by Honoring Choice
This was the last strategy in the chapter and there is a quote that I found especially impactful. The authors say, “You must replace judgement with empathy, and lectures with questions. If you do so, you gain influence. The instant you stop trying to impose your agenda on others, you eliminate the fight for control.” So how does this relate to students and homework? Perhaps you give students a choice of what kind of homework they do. By giving them this control you could increase the likelihood of them completing the task and reinforcing what they’ve learned. Students like staff need to feel as if they have some autonomy, giving them choice gives them what they need to help them change their behaviors.

Changing students lives is why we’ve become principals. The book Influencer The Power To Change Anything provides some suggestions to do just that. What are some of the books that you’ve read that have great insight into changing behaviors? Leave your suggestions in the comment section below.

With at least half the 2016-2017 school year over, now is a great time to start marketing your school. A lot of times we wait until right before school starts to begin talking our schools up. By then it’s almost too late. At this point of the school year you’ve had assemblies, there are student products up and around the school as well as many other examples of student success. This is also the time when parents may begin to fill dissatisfied with their current school of choice and there is an opportunity for you to begin planting the seeds of change in their minds. These 3 tips are easy to implement immediately and will help your school stay top of mind and begin the process of recruiting and keeping students.


You’re The Best
Regardless of whether you’re a newly established principal or a veteran you are an expert at what you do. You know exactly what the students need to do to be successful and you’re able to deliver it. The families need you and your school’s expertise. So how do you deliver this information. The easiest way to do so is to use social media. Presumably your school already has a Facebook account. If it doesn’t start one. According to Facebook stats, Facebook has the largest number of users between 25 and 35. That is a prime age for beginning families. Leverage your demographic data and use a social media platform to meet your families where they are.

Create Content
Your school does something particularly well. It might have small learning communities or have a great curriculum. Write a blog post or an article highlighting the researched based reasons these unique qualities positively impact your students’ growth. You have an email list. In marketing this is one of the most valuable commodities because it give you direct access to your families. Use that list to share your content. Ask them to forward the email to families who might be interested in seeing the good things your school is doing.

Your Greatest Untapped Assets
Your staff is your greatest asset. Often we forget that they can do more than just teach. They have hundreds of contacts in their own email and social media accounts. Use them to help spread the greatness of your school. Once a month pass something onto them that they can share with those with whom they have influence. It could be as simple as a picture of them working with their students. Add a brief caption about how great they are and send it to them asking them to share it with their friends. You’ve got’em, ask them to help spread the word.

Now is the perfect time to begin spreading the positive impact your school is having on students’ lives. Leveraging social media, creating content and sending to your families to share and tapping into your teachers social circles are great free ways to promote your school. What are other free or low cost ways you share your school’s successes? Share in the comment section below


If you’re looking for a group of supportive principals join the private FB group. We’re currently engaged in our second Principals’ 20 Day Classroom Challenge!

Recently I lost a building leader to another district. She was the lead teacher and was in charge of the small learning community. With her gone a new leader will need to rise up and accept new responsibilities. In looking for ways to support the new leader I found these 3 tips to help her make the transition.

Pass the Baton
Meet with the new leader and make sure that you show them how this new position is aligned with their values. Make sure that you don’t just give the person the new position and leave expecting them to figure things out. If possible, allow the outgoing staff member and the new leader time to share information. Provide a substitute for them both and give the two time to prep and pass on information. This will help ease the transition.

Good works
One of the main ideas that you need to communicate is that good is good enough. A lot of teachers work to perfection and the idea of things not being exactly right can cause undue stress. Make sure to support the idea that everything is not going to be done the exact same way as they were before. That’s ok. Allow the new leader time to grow and don’t lose patience.

Let it Go
Once the baton has been passed and you’ve assured them that good is good, step back. Give them room to grow into the position. Don’t crush them with your presence. Trust that they’ll do what is necessary. Check in on them and offer your support but don’t micromanage. Often times they might ask for your advice. Resist the urge. Instead ask open ended questions and support their ideas. As they become more confident in their new role they will stop asking for reassurance and then just check in.
Passing the baton, assuring the new leader that good is good, and then letting go and taking a step back will help the new school leader grow into their new role. What other advice would you give to a new teacher leader? Leave your suggestions in the comment section below.

This blog post is dedicated to Lakesha Barton a great high school Science Teacher, building leader, student advocate, colleague and friend. Enjoy your new job!

As a principal, one of the road bumps of having a great employee is that their skills are transferable. And in many instances they can and will leave and get a much deserved larger salary. We are sad to see them go knowing that their contributions impacted the entire building. This is a time when we are filled with anxiety because we know there will be gaps that must be filled. These three keys will help smooth the transition of that loss.


They’ll be missed
Make sure that to them know how much we appreciate what they’ve done. While we might be put in a short term bind, they have the opportunity to grow. Wish them the best of luck. It’s important that we treat them well, as this sets the tone for the entire building. We also want to keep that relationship healthy because, if we're lucky, that staff member may want to return at a later date. In addition, if other positions open up they could be a reliable contact that we can tap to send talent our way.

Say Good Bye
We want to provide time and space for both a formal and informal goodbye. Staff and students will need closure. Having a ritual send off is a good way for your community to turn the page. Make sure to let your parents know in the weekly newsletter that the teacher is leaving and allow them the opportunity to say their goodbyes as well. Finally, we also should do a formal exit interview. This is a great time to learn about our own weaknesses, find out ways to support current staff and get valuable information on ways to improve the building.

Ask Staff
We’re going to need everyone to step up and take on extra tasks while the transition to a new hire takes place. As educators it’s our instinct to be helpful. As the Principal it’s okay for us to say, “Hey this really sucks. She did so much around here I’m not sure how we’re going to cover everything she did. Let’s come up with a plan over the next week, so we don’t miss anything.” This is the time to let our team know we’ll need their assistance.

At some point every Principal will those a valuable staff member. They'll leave for any number of reasons; spouse getting a job out of state, higher salary elsewhere, and just life circumstances. None of those reasons have anything to do with us or how we run our school. Making sure we turn this negative into a positive is why we get paid the medium sized bucks.

How do you mitigate the loss of a great teacher? Leave your suggestions in the comment section below.