Standing Tall: Voices in Leadership

Standing Tall: Voices in Leadership | Season 3
Guest: Dave Tebo
 

What becomes possible for other people because of your leadership?

Dave Tebo, Director of Innovation Services at Ottawa Area ISD and former superintendent of Hamilton Community Schools, joins Standing Tall for a conversation about developing people, leading change, and expanding what is possible for students.

Drawing on his experience in district and regional leadership, Dave explains why meaningful innovation begins with empathy, why organizational decisions always affect relationships, and why leaders need to create space for others to experiment and grow. He also reflects candidly on burnout, the pressure to have every answer, and what he would tell his younger self about sharing responsibility.

• A broader definition of leadership success. Look at the people you help develop and whether the organization can flourish after you leave.
• A practical test for innovation. Ask what an idea improves for students, teachers, families, or the community—not simply whether it is new.
• A way to support experimentation. Pair clear strategic direction with permission to test ideas, learn from unexpected outcomes, and stop approaches that are not working.
• A more collaborative approach to questions. Make clear that you are helping colleagues think through possibilities, rather than questioning their competence or intentions.
• A stronger commitment to student agency. Build on the authentic problem-solving and purpose students often experience in the arts, career and technical education, athletics, and robotics.
• A human purpose for AI. Use time saved through technology to strengthen relationships and spend more time alongside students.
• Permission to stop carrying everything. Share responsibility, listen longer, and protect the balance that allows you to care for others.

• Dave Tebo on LinkedIn — Learn more about Dave’s professional background and work.
• Ottawa Area Intermediate School District — The regional education organization where Dave serves.
• OAISD Innovation Services — An overview of its approach to designing, prototyping, and reflecting with educational partners.
• Hamilton Community Schools — The district Dave discusses when reflecting on his superintendency and the teams he helped develop.

• Jamie Vollmer’s “Nostesia” essay — archived PDF — Dave references Vollmer’s term for the combination of nostalgia and amnesia that can shape how people remember school and respond to change.
• Dr. Dania Bazzi — Dave shares a story about recognizing her strengths during an interview and encouraging her to consider a different leadership role.
• Lost — Dave’s favorite television show comes up during the rapid-fire questions.

1. Are we creating the conditions for people to lead, or teaching them to wait for our answers?
2. What does our latest innovation actually improve for the people we serve?
3. Do people feel safe sharing what did not work—and what they learned?
4. Where are students showing capabilities that our traditional structures overlook?
5. If technology saves us time, how will we reinvest that time in relationships?
6. What responsibility could we share so that both our people and our leadership become more sustainable?

Keep learning, keep leading, and keep standing tall.

• Turn stakeholder feedback into a focused strategic direction
• Create meaningful staff ownership and organizational buy-in
• Use AI to analyze large amounts of qualitative feedback
• Structure a collaborative strategic-planning session
• Balance clear expectations with flexibility for departments and teams
• Connect ambitious new goals to work that is already succeeding
• Keep a strategic plan visible, actionable, and relevant
• Build a mission that brings people together around a shared purpose

• PLAUD: An AI-powered recording and transcription tool used to capture stakeholder conversations
• NotebookLM: An AI research tool used to explore source materials, compare perspectives, and identify recurring themes
• Google Forms: Used to collect survey feedback from staff and families

People support what they help create.

A strong strategic direction doesn’t begin with a leader deciding what everyone else should do. It begins with listening carefully, bringing different voices into the process, and giving people a genuine role in shaping the result.

For Muskegon Area ISD, that collaborative process produced a mission its staff can rally around:

Maximize potential. Discover purpose.

Visit the Muskegon Area ISD website to explore the organization’s mission, vision, and strategic goals.

Standing Tall: Voices in Leadership features honest conversations about the experiences, lessons, and choices that shape effective leaders.

Featured Episodes & Draft Picks

Dr. John VanWagoner

(Superintendent, Traverse City Area Public Schools)

Innovating Mid-Flight with Dr. John VanWagoner

Randy’s top pick emphasizes the necessary rhythm of shifting between active work on the "dance floor" and systemic foresight from the "balcony."

Michelle Barry

(Director, Ignite Pathways)

Upskilling the Future and Closing the Engagement Gap with Michelle Barry

Ben highlights a powerful lesson from rural Iowa on leading with vulnerability and treating iteration as your continuous growth curve.

Dr. Sean Williams

(Superintendent, Eaton RESA)

Authentic Leadership: Moving from Knowledge to Wisdom with Dr. Sean Williams

Randy highlights why leaders must reject "code-switching" and focus on building high-trust environments rooted in a shared purpose.

Janelle Duffey

(Principal, Fruitport Schools)

School Culture By Design | Janelle Duffey | Fruitport Schools

Ben revisits what real culture looks like—moving it off the poster boards and turning it into something palpable that you feel the moment you walk inside.

Joshua Smith

(Principal, Orchard View Middle School)

Lead with Belonging | Creating School Culture Where Every Student Thrives

Randy brings back the vital "plate capacity" analogy, challenging administrators to actively take things off an overwhelmed teacher's plate.

Paul Klimza

(Principal, Reeths-Puffer Elementary)

Trauma-Invested Leadership: Moving from Unseen to Empowered

Ben closes out the draft with a beautiful reminder of the sheer weight, responsibility, and opportunity found daily in public education.

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The Journey from Classroom to Strategy: Karle shares how her decade of experience teaching middle school science and serving as an instructional coach shaped her minimalist, intentional approach to educational technology. She emphasizes that tech shouldn't be used just because it is digital, but rather to enhance existing best practices.

Navigating the Tool Landscape: Rather than trying to master hundreds of niche educational apps, Karle advises leaders to focus on core frontier models (like Gemini or ChatGPT) . She explains the concept of "ChatGPT wrappers" (ordering off a menu) versus large language models (cooking for yourself) and introduces the fast-evolving world of autonomous AI agents .

Responsible District Implementation: A successful roll-out rejects the "one-and-done" professional development model. Instead, districts should establish high-level guiding principles, transparent data privacy expectations, and empower instructional leaders to design shareable AI workflows ("Gems") that support active district initiatives.

Data Privacy & Ethics: Clear boundaries must be set regarding what information can be put into specific systems. School-managed accounts (like Gemini for Education) offer FERPA/COPPA compliance matching standard Google Workspace privacy, whereas consumer-paid tiers (like Claude or personal ChatGPT) must never handle sensitive student data.

AI for Organizational Effectiveness: Leaders can use AI as a powerful executive coach. Karle notes how she uses AI note-takers to critique her public speaking pacing and fillers, uses voice mode for outdoor brainstorming sessions, and leverages LLMs to parse the red tape of complex state and federal grants.

Student Guide: Available at michiganvirtual.org/ai/students.

Career Exploration Tool: WillRobotsTakeMyJob.com.

Upcoming Event: AI in the Lakeshore featuring keynote speaker Karle Delo on August 5 (Registration via muskegonisd.org) .

Paul Kurdziel (referred to as "PK" by his students) is a "Big Red" alumnus and the current Coordinator of Alternative Education and Career Placement at the Muskegon Community Education Center (MCEC). With three decades in the field, Paul has served as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal, becoming a "mentor to many" leaders in the West Michigan area.

The Philosophy of "Neighborliness": Why schools must reimagine themselves as community hubs and "one-stop shops" to support families.

Leading with Love: Paul’s core leadership values include honesty, trust, and "unconditional positive regard," a concept inspired by Carl Rogers.

Mentorship in Motion: Hearing from former colleagues and leaders like Josh Smith and Willie Burrell on the lasting impact of Paul’s "horizontal leadership".

Success in Alternative Ed: Shifting the focus from traditional metrics to helping students articulate their purpose and engage in hands-on career exploration.

The Future of Education: Why Paul finds hope in the curiosity of students and the importance of "re-dreaming" the public education model.

Muskegon Public Schools: Paul’s home district where he has served for 30 years.

Muskegon Community Education Center (MCEC): The site of Paul's current work in alternative education.

Community Partners: Mentions of West Michigan Works!, Jobs for Michigan's Graduates (JMG), Hackley Community Care, and Kids’ Food Basket.

The Power of Belonging: Why "belongingness" is the guiding light for every decision at Orchard View.

Capacity Management: The "plate" analogy—why leaders must take inventory of what they are asking of their staff before adding more.

Restorative Leadership: How modeling restorative circles for staff leads to better conflict resolution with students.

The Three Buckets of Influence: Analyzing whether your team views you as a support, an obstacle, or nothing.

Slow Down to Speed Up: Why new leaders must cultivate the "soil" of trust before planting seeds of innovation.

James Clear – Atomic Habits.

Ryan Holiday – The Obstacle Is the Way, Ego Is the Enemy, and Stillness Is the Key.

Visibility is Non-Negotiable: Impactful leadership happens in the hallways, at lunch tables, and during "Crew Time," not behind a closed office door.

The "Coffee Guy" Philosophy: Small, consistent acts of service—like brewing the morning coffee—build massive amounts of relational capital with staff.

Vulnerability Creates Connection: Being "real" and sharing your personal background allows students and staff to trust the person behind the title.

Clear is Kind: Drawing from Brené Brown’s philosophy, Burrel discusses how clear communication is the most effective way to handle accountability.

Creating "Sailor Experiences": Intentionality in providing clubs for non-athletes ensures every student has a "village" where they belong.

[04:12] The Pivot: How an English professor saw Willie’s potential as a teacher before he did.

[09:45] Defining Culture: What it looks like to make a building feel like a "family" from the moment someone walks in.

[15:20] The Muskegon Connection: Using community roots and shared history to reach "hard to reach" students.

[22:30] Middle School Magic: Why Willie chose to stay with an age group many others avoid.

[31:15] Rapid Fire: A look into Willie’s 4:00 AM routine, his stance on the LeBron vs. Jordan debate, and his secret skill for folding fitted sheets.

"We don’t only say it, but we exemplify it in all that we do. From the moment you walk into our building, I think you feel special."

"Being clear is kind... the more clear our communication can be and the more we can build that trust, the better we can support our kids."

Dare to Lead by Brené Brown

MEMSPA (Michigan Elementary and Middle School Principals Association)

Fresh Coast Counseling

The "Felt" Culture: Culture isn't just a mission statement on a wall. It’s the audible sound of students encouraging one another and the tangible "vibe" you feel the moment you walk through the doors.

The Power of "Best for Kids": Learn how to use a single, simple question to filter every decision, from budget allocations to new recess rules.

Systems with a Soul: Janelle discusses how to balance the technical rigor of MTSS (Multi-Tiered Systems of Support) and SWIS data with the human need for belonging and relationship-first coaching.

Leading Through the Unthinkable: A raw look at how to guide a staff and student body through the loss of a student by being present, listening, and allowing space for collective healing.

Student Voice & Agency: Why giving kids the power to "invent" recess games (like "Go Ball" or "Toilet Tag") builds more than just fun—it builds ownership and leadership.

"Culture isn't just something that you talk about. You can come in and you see it and you feel it."

"Leadership doesn't have all the answers. It’s definitely about showing up, being present, and having a space for staff, families, and kids to process."

"If we do what we say we're supposed to do, it works."

MTSS & PBIS: The academic and behavioral frameworks that anchor Shetler Elementary.

5D+ Rubric: The coaching and feedback framework Janelle uses for instructional leadership.

SWIS Data: Used for tracking behavioral trends to inform Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions.

Kagan Structures: Engagement strategies used in classrooms to ensure every student is participating.

Principal at Reeths-Puffer Elementary School

Paul Klimza brings over three decades of experience to the table, specializing in school culture, special education, and alternative learning. His leadership philosophy is rooted in his own experience as a student who felt "unseen," driving him to create an environment where every student is given an opportunity to shine.

The "Underdog" Mentality: Paul discusses his early career in special education and alternative centers, explaining how those experiences shaped his "no child unseen" philosophy.

The Timeline of Culture: Why it takes 7–9 years to truly turn a building around and the importance of leadership longevity.

Trauma-Invested vs. Trauma-Informed: A deep dive into meeting families where they are, providing practical resources (like school pantries and laundry facilities), and removing barriers to engagement.

Radical Visibility: The impact of the "bus loop" greeting and why the principal should be the first face students see every morning.

High-Impact Leadership (HIL): How "jumping in with both feet" to new systems and maintaining fidelity to literacy coaching and instructional rounds transformed their building data.

Leading Through Crisis: Lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and the "wake-up call" of realizing which students were at risk of falling through the cracks.

"We might have someone walking the halls that’s going to cure cancer... all they need is opportunity. They need somebody to care for them, somebody to believe in them, and somebody to give them a chance."

"Culture is hard to define, but it’s something you can feel... everything starts with the relationships."