Principal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. Parker

A Quick Note to Listeners: Before this week’s interview, Will Parker takes some time to ask Jen Schwanke about recording an audio book version of her book, You’re the Principal Now What? Here is a link to purchase the book! https://www.echopointbooks.com/cart/add/?id=45972673560749&quantity=1 Use code PRINCIPAL30 for a 30% discount!  Follow this 30-second demo to learn how […]

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In this week’s Monday Matters episode, Jen and I grabbed four of the last books we’ve read, and shared a few takeaways from each for listeners looking for good reads this summer: Will’s List: The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan KamaliA compelling novel tracing the history of Iran from the 1970s through the Revolution […]

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A Quick Note to Listners: Before this week’s interview, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke take some time to answer a listener question. This week’s question is:  I’m thinking about retiring in a year, but I want to do something part time. What are some options you’ve learned about consulting that I might be able to […]

The post PMP510: Redefining Leadership Through Relational Intelligence with Brad Johnson and Rachel Edoho-Eket appeared first on Principal Matters.

Lessons in Sailing Upwind William D. Parker, July 9, 2026 When my friend Dave Sandowich, a retired principal with 20+ years of admin experience, invited me to go sailing with me off the Chesapeake Bay, I was thrilled. This would be the third time he had taken me on the water, and my son Jack, […]

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Meet Will Bowen Will Bowen is an internationally recognized speaker, author, and founder of the Complaint Free® Movement. This movement has inspired millions of people across more than 100 countries to live with greater positivity and personal accountability. He is best known for his bestselling book A Complaint-Free World, which introduced a simple yet powerful […]

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Welcome back to another episode of Monday Matters! This week, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke talk about the problem with certainty. Certainty is not a bad thing. It is very soothing and comforting for us, but it doesn’t equal growth. In fact, being certain is a terrible substitute for growth. The idea of leadership as […]

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A Quick Note to Listeners: Before this week’s interview, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke take some time to answer a listener question. This week’s question is: How can I discover my teacher’s unique “professional work languages?” Listen in to hear their response! You can use these questions to help discover those “work languages”: How do […]

The post PMP508: Rigor, Routines, and Relationships with Dina Langston & Stacey James appeared first on Principal Matters.

Today’s Monday Matters discusses the importance of summertime for mental break and the importance of disengagement from the worries. Will Parker and Jen Schwanke discuss the benefits of giving yourself a mental break from the stress of a leadership job. They talk about how taking a break will make the next school year better, and […]

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A Quick Note to Listeners: Before this week’s interview, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke take some time to answer a listener question. This week’s question is: What would you say is the solution for the current state of decline in U.S. schools? Listen in to hear their response! Meet Paden Morris: Paden Morris serves as […]

The post PMP507: Steady Leadership with Paden Morris appeared first on Principal Matters.

In this week’s Monday Matters, I share with Jen a list of 10 takeaways from learning I’ve experienced with leadership groups this past school year. We discuss several of them together and how these lessons have stood out in our thinking and growth. Here are 10 takeaways we explored together: Listen in for the whole […]

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