Hazlehurst, Mississippi Superintendent Cloyd Garth, Jr talks with us about the burnout educators are experiencing right now and how he gets himself and his staff through it. He believes that this burnout is unlike anything he's ever seen before and reminds us that educators actually typically handle stress better than most people (it DOES come with the job), so if they're THIS burnt out now, something must be really wrong.

He doesn't stop at identifying the challenge, though. He has a briefcase full of solutions that he's been using since before the pandemic to meet his staff members' needs so that they can be at their best for their students.

He reminds us that solutions can work in places that are very different because the problems are the same (rural Mississippi and urban North East). And leaders, he has some tips for you, too, to handle the regular and added stress of the job!

He expects excellence. His people are worth it. He is honest. He believes family comes before everything else. His mantra is your time matters. I don’t want to waste your time. He believes we are artisans. We are builders. We have to be at our best capacity in order to build.

Find Superintendent Garth on Twitter @cloyd_garth and email me at [email protected] or visit my website https://www.drkeeganjedele.com