The Ruckus Report

Quick take: When transforming struggling schools, following the traditional playbook isn't enough. Learn how effective turnaround leaders strategically break rules, build relationships, and create rapid improvement while working within traditional systems.

 

 

Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker

Amy Galloway serves as Executive Director of PIVOT School Improvement Leaders, providing intensive coaching and development for principals leading significant school improvement efforts in Tennessee and Mississippi. With experience as a successful turnaround principal herself, Amy now helps school leaders master the delicate art of driving rapid change while building sustainable systems.

 

 

Breaking Down the Old Rules 🔨

In this episode, Amy challenges traditional education paradigms:

Key Insight #1: The Power of Listening First

• What's broken: Traditional top-down leadership where principals arrive with pre-made plans

• The shift: Starting with door-to-door listening campaigns to understand community needs and dreams

• Impact: Building deep trust and authentic buy-in from families and staff

 

Key Insight #2: Strategic Rule-Breaking

• What's broken: Rigid adherence to system norms that maintain status quo results

• The shift: Identifying which rules to break, preparing for consequences, and focusing on student impact

• Impact: Creating rapid improvement by removing bureaucratic barriers while maintaining accountability

 

Key Insight #3: High-Performance Planning

• What's broken: Reactive leadership consumed by daily fires

• The shift: Protected time for quarterly/monthly/weekly planning aligned to priorities

• Impact: Leaders who can drive strategic improvement even amid frequent crises

 

Quotable Ruckus

"If you're going to center your kids' experience and you're going to center student learning, that often means you have to make a choice that doesn't necessarily fit within the expectations or the system. And that is more than okay. In fact, it should be expected." - Amy Galloway

 

Your Do School Different Challenge

Ready to implement these ideas? Start here:

 

1. Tomorrow: Block off 30 minutes for weekly planning - make it your most important meeting

2. This Month: Schedule listening sessions with 5 key stakeholders about their hopes for your school

3. This Semester: Identify one system norm that needs to change and create an implementation plan

 

Connect & Continue

• 🎯 Get the full episode transcript: LInk

• 🔗 Follow Amy : Link  - Website

• 💪 Join the Ruckus Maker Movement: https://ruckusmakers.club/join

 

Do you Subscribe to the Ruckus Maker Newsletter?

Do School Different 3x a Week. Join for FREE here.

 

Today's RUCKUScast in Partnership with:

IXL: Meet your students where they are and take them where they need to go. Join over 1 million teachers who trust IXL to drive data-informed excellence in their classrooms. 🔍 Learn more: IXL.com/leaders

Expressability K12: Your inbox isn't a task manager. Your mind isn't for storing mundane processes. It’s time to break free. With Expressability K12 Ruckus Makers can prioritize student success by offloading time sucking tasks. Visit Expressability K12 to learn how. (expressability.com/ruckus)

ODP Business Solutions®  STEAM programs failing before they start?  Most schools botch STEAM implementation because they're missing 3 critical elements. Here's the wild part: it's not about fancy tech or massive budgets. ODP Business Solutions® has researched many successful programs to identify what actually works (and what's just burning cash).Learn the blueprint here.

 

Twelve Practices LLC © 2025 | If Education Ain't a Bit Disruptive, Then What Are Your Students Learning?

 

The Ruckus Report

Quick take: In this special episode, Danny shares his journey from rule-following student to educational disruptor, then delivers key updates on everything happening at Ruckus Maker HQ in 2025 that can help you transform your leadership.

Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker

Danny Bauer is the founder of Better Leaders Better Schools and host of the most downloaded podcast for school leaders. As a former principal turned educational leadership coach, Danny has dedicated his career to helping visionary school leaders "do school different" through his coaching programs, live events, and the Ruckus Maker movement.

Breaking Down the Old Rules 🔨

In this episode, Danny shares his origin story and provides exciting updates about the Ruckus Maker movement:

Key Insight #1: Breaking Rules Intentionally Creates New Possibilities

• What's broken: Following rules without questioning often leads to playing games you can't win

• The shift: Consciously deciding to play different games on your own terms, even when it breaks convention

• Impact: Discovering what you truly value and finding authentic pathways to success that align with your strengths

Key Insight #2: Leadership Support Requires Multiple Formats

• What's broken: One-size-fits-all professional development that doesn't meet the diverse needs of innovative leaders

• The shift: Creating an ecosystem of support through newsletters, accelerator programs, live events, and masterminds

• Impact: School leaders can find the right level of support for their specific needs, challenges, and leadership journey

Key Insight #3: Creating a Campus Experience Worth Showing Up For

• What's broken: Schools operating with uninspiring environments that fail to engage students and staff

• The shift: Reimagining schools as vibrant, exciting, innovative places that rival Disney for creating meaningful experiences

• Impact: When leaders set this tone, both students and teachers become more engaged, creating a virtuous cycle of positive energy

Quotable Ruckus

"There's two kinds of principals. Those play-it-safe principals who maintain the status quo. If they get better, it's incrementally better. They don't rock the boat at all. Nothing really changes. And then there's Ruckus Makers that I like to think are visitors from the future, showing us one day how education can be." – Danny Bauer

Your Do School Different Challenge

Ready to implement these ideas? Start here:

1. Tomorrow: Subscribe to Ruckus Maker News and use the Weekend Resource to plan your innovative approach for the week

2. This Month: Choose one rule or conventional practice at your school that needs questioning, and start exploring alternative approaches

3. This Semester: Identify where you need the most support in your leadership journey and commit to joining a community like the Mastermind or attending the Impact Intensive

Connect & Continue

• 🎯 Subscribe to Ruckus Maker News: https://ruckusmakers.news/subscribe

• 🔗 Learn about the Summer Impact Intensive: https://betterleadersbetterschools.com/live-event-2025/

• 💪 Join the Ruckus Maker Movement: https://www.betterleadersbetterschools.com/mastermind-application/

Do you Subscribe to the Ruckus Maker Newsletter? Do School Different 3x a Week. Join for FREE here.

Today's RUCKUScast in Partnership with: Class Composer: Want to know why Ruckus Makers love Class Composer? Because it turns the dreaded end-of-year class placement meetings into a streamlined, data-driven process. Your teachers will save hours of time while ensuring that nothing is overlooked, including student separations. 🔍 Learn More Here.

Quest Food Management Services: Creating joyful learning environments starts in the cafeteria. Quest brings 40 years of expertise in crafting scratch-made meals that nurture both body and community spirit through innovative student engagement programs. 🔍 Learn more here.

ODP Business Solutions: Most schools botch STEAM implementation because they're missing 3 critical elements. Here's the wild part: it's not about fancy tech or massive budgets. ODP Business Solutions® has researched many successful programs to identify what actually works (and what's just burning cash). 🔍 Learn the blueprint: here.

Twelve Practices LLC © 2025 | If Education Ain't a Bit Disruptive, Then What Are Your Students Learning?

 

The Ruckus Report

Quick take: Missouri Superintendent Dr. David Buck shows how real-world learning experiences are transforming education from standardized "assembly lines" into dynamic pathways that prepare students for a future even educators can't predict.

Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker

Dr. David Buck has been an educator for 28 years, serving as a teacher of everything from at-risk to gifted classes and middle school science. He's been involved with the Missouri Leadership Academy since 2006, helping emerging leaders become principals through a year-long development process. As a father of three daughters (one in college, one in high school, and one in middle school), he brings both professional expertise and personal investment to his transformative work in education.

Breaking Down the Old Rules 🔨

In this episode, Dr. Buck challenges traditional education paradigms:

Key Insight #1: Transform Spaces into Real-World Learning Environments

• What's broken: Traditional school facilities that limit hands-on, applied learning

• The shift: Purchasing and repurposing a 15-acre former amusement park into a multi-level learning center for PreK-12, including environmental education, hospitality programs, and hands-on science experiments

• Impact: Every grade K-5 now has culminating real-world science experiences, high schoolers gain practical career skills, and the community has rallied behind this bold reimagining of educational spaces

Key Insight #2: Make Learning Contextual Through Real-World Application

• What's broken: Teaching academic content in isolation from its real-world applications

• The shift: Creating contextual learning programs like "AMPed-up Algebra" where students learn algebra while running a screen-printing shop, and hands-on geometry through construction projects

• Impact: Students in the applied algebra program scored higher than those in traditional classes, demonstrating that contextualized learning leads to better retention and understanding

Key Insight #3: Build Direct Bridges Between Education and Employment

• What's broken: The disconnect between school learning and workforce needs

• The shift: Implementing "Diploma Plus" programs that ensure every graduate has college credit, an industry-recognized certificate, an internship, or client-connected projects

• Impact: Increased from 48% to 79% of graduates with market-value assets, with numerous success stories of students solving real business problems that adult employees couldn't crack

Quotable Ruckus

"What do kids need individually? And it's not going to be the same from kid to kid... I think historically one of the knocks you could put on education is they're quick to solution instead of wrestling and fully understanding the problem." – Dr. David Buck

Your Do School Different Challenge

Ready to implement these ideas? Start here:

1. Tomorrow: Identify one traditional lesson that could be taught through hands-on, real-world application instead. How might algebra look in a business setting or science in an environmental context?

2. This Month: Map your community's business assets and reach out to 3-5 potential partners who might provide internships or client-connected projects for students

3. This Semester: Establish a "Career Navigator" position or repurpose an existing role to focus specifically on connecting students with real-world learning opportunities

Connect & Continue

• 🎯 Get the full episode transcript: Link

• 🔗 Follow Dr. David Buck: Link

• 💪 Join the Ruckus Maker Movement: https://ruckusmakers.club/join

Do you Subscribe to the Ruckus Maker Newsletter? Do School Different 3x a Week. Join for FREE here..

Today's RUCKUScast in Partnership with: Class Composer: Want to know why Ruckus Makers love Class Composer? Because it turns the dreaded end-of-year class placement meetings into a streamlined, data-driven process. Your teachers will save hours of time while ensuring that nothing is overlooked, including student separations. 🔍 Learn More Here.

IXL: Meet your students where they are and take them where they need to go. Join over 1 million teachers who trust IXL to drive data-informed excellence in their classrooms. 🔍 Learn more: IXL.com/leaders

ODP Business Solutions: Most schools botch STEAM implementation because they're missing 3 critical elements. Here's the wild part: it's not about fancy tech or massive budgets. ODP Business Solutions® has researched many successful programs to identify what actually works (and what's just burning cash). 🔍 Learn the blueprint: here.

Twelve Practices LLC © 2025 | If Education Ain't a Bit Disruptive, Then What Are Your Students Learning?

 

The Ruckus Report Quick take: A veteran educator shares powerful insights on building trust, implementing anchor practices, and creating a school culture where both teachers and students want to show up every day.

 

 

Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker 

 

A middle school principal with 14 years of experience in education transitions from teacher to coach to administrator, bringing fresh perspectives on building authentic relationships and implementing meaningful change.

 

Breaking Down the Old Rules 🔨 In this episode, our guest challenges traditional education paradigms:

 

 

Key Insight #1: Trust-Building Over Tools 

● What's broken: Focusing solely on implementing new programs and initiatives 

● The shift: Building genuine relationships and trust first 

● Impact: Increased teacher buy-in and more authentic implementation of school practices

 

 

Key Insight #2: Anchor Practices as Culture Builders 

● What's broken: Treating classroom observations as purely evaluative tools 

● The shift: Using anchor practices to celebrate and spread effective teaching strategies 

● Impact: Teachers seeing observations as coaching opportunities rather than evaluations

 

 

Key Insight #3: Attendance Through Engagement 

● What's broken: Treating attendance as a compliance issue 

● The shift: Creating a school environment students don't want to miss 

● Impact: Increased attendance rates and student engagement

 

 

Quotable Ruckus "Be curious, not judgmental." – Anonymous Principal

 

 

Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here:

 

1. Tomorrow: Have a non-evaluative conversation with a teacher about their interests outside of school

2. This Month: Identify your school's anchor practices by studying your most effective teachers

3. This Semester: Build a comprehensive plan to make your school a place students don't want to miss

 

Connect & Continue 

• 🎯 Get the full episode transcript: 

• 💪 Join the Ruckus Maker Movement: https://ruckusmakers.club/join

• 🚀 Join the 90-Day Accelerator Waitlist: https://90-day-waitlist.carrd.co/

 

 

Do you Subscribe to the Ruckus Maker Newsletter? Do School Different 3x a Week. Join for FREE here.

 

 

Today's RUCKUS cast in Partnership with: 

Class Composer: Want to know why Ruckus Makers love Class Composer? Because it turns the dreaded end-of-year class placement meetings into a streamlined, data-driven process. Your teachers will save hours of time while ensuring that nothing is overlooked, including student separations. 🔍 Learn More Here

Quest Food Management Services: Creating joyful learning environments starts in the cafeteria. Quest brings 40 years of expertise in crafting scratch-made meals that nurture both body and community spirit through innovative student engagement programs. 🔍 Learn more here.

ODP Business Solutions: Most schools botch STEAM implementation because they're missing 3 critical elements. Here's the wild part: it's not about fancy tech or massive budgets. ODP Business Solutions® has researched many successful programs to identify what actually works (and what's just burning cash). 🔍 Learn the blueprint: here

 

Twelve Practices LLC © 2025 | If Education Ain't a Bit Disruptive, Then What Are Your Students Learning?

Dr. Lupita Hightower on Strategic Planning: Turning Belief into Transformation

The Ruckus Report

Quick take: Arizona's Superintendent of the Year drops a masterclass on how strategic planning—when done right—creates school systems where every child is valued as a treasure and success is the expectation, not the exception.

Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker

Dr. Lupita Hightower is Arizona's Superintendent of the Year for 2023 and has worked in education for over 27 years in various roles, serving as superintendent for the last 12 years. As an immigrant starting school in the U.S. in the 7th grade, she credits her success to the many believers including family and educators.

Breaking Down the Old Rules 🔨

In this episode, Dr. Hightower challenges traditional education paradigms:

Key Insight #1: Strategic Planning Must Begin With Belief

• What's broken: Strategic plans that lack a core belief system or are created without authentic community involvement

• The shift: Building a foundational belief system—"Every child is capable of success without exception"—before crafting a community-driven strategic plan

• Impact: A district where expulsions are non-existent (zero in 12 years) and long-term suspensions are extremely rare (only two in 12 years)

Key Insight #2: Parent Engagement Requires Genuine Partnership

• What's broken: Blaming parents for lack of engagement instead of examining school practices

• The shift: Implementing Academic Parent Teacher Teams where families become true educational partners, sharing transparent data and supporting each other

• Impact: 23% of enrollment comes from out-of-district families, driven entirely by word-of-mouth, despite being in one of the nation's most competitive school choice environments

Key Insight #3: Diversity Requires Removing Bias From Selection

• What's broken: Traditional hiring processes that perpetuate unconscious bias

• The shift: Implementing a "blinded process" where applicants' identities are hidden during initial screening, with evaluation based purely on task performance

• Impact: A district where 60% of staff are people of color, creating powerful representation for a student body that is 95% students of color

Quotable Ruckus

"We cannot forget that as parents, we are our children's first teacher. Yes, in the school, you make a huge difference, but we cannot forget that." – Dr. Lupita Hightower (sharing wisdom from a parent)

Your Do School Different Challenge

Ready to implement these ideas? Start here:

1. Tomorrow: Audit your language around students—how can you shift from deficit-based descriptions to treasure-focused language?

2. This Month: Identify one way to make parent engagement more data-transparent and collaborative, perhaps through piloting Academic Parent Teacher Teams in one grade level

3. This Semester: Examine your hiring practices for hidden bias—could a "blinded" initial screening process help diversify your staff?

Connect & Continue

• 🎯 Get the full episode transcript: Link

• 🔗 Follow Dr. Hightower: LinkedIn | Instagram

• 💪 Join the Ruckus Maker Movement: https://ruckusmakers.club/join

Do you Subscribe to the Ruckus Maker Newsletter? Do School Different 3x a Week. Join for FREE  here.

Today's RUCKUScast in Partnership with: Class Composer: Want to know why Ruckus Makers love Class Composer? Because it turns the dreaded end-of-year class placement meetings into a streamlined, data-driven process. Your teachers will save hours of time while ensuring that nothing is overlooked, including student separations. 🔍  Learn More Here.

 

Quest Food Management Services: Creating joyful learning environments starts in the cafeteria. Quest brings 40 years of expertise in crafting scratch-made meals that nurture both body and community spirit through innovative student engagement programs. 🔍 Learn more here.

ODP Business Solutions: Most schools botch STEAM implementation because they're missing 3 critical elements. Here's the wild part: it's not about fancy tech or massive budgets. ODP Business Solutions® has researched many successful programs to identify what actually works (and what's just burning cash). 🔍 Learn the blueprint: here.

Twelve Practices LLC © 2025 | If Education Ain't a Bit Disruptive, Then What Are Your Students Learning?

The 90-Day Accelerator: Launching Your School Year for Legendary Impact

Danny Bauer on Transforming School Leadership Through Intentional Planning

The Ruckus Report Quick take: A game-changing framework for school leaders who want to escape the firefighting trap and create intentional, high-impact leadership from day one.

Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Danny Bauer, host of the Better Leaders Better Schools Podcast and founder of the Ruckus Maker movement, shares his journey from experiencing "the worst start to school ever" to developing a comprehensive system that helps school leaders launch their years with clarity, purpose, and momentum.

Breaking Down the Old Rules 🔨 In this episode, Danny challenges traditional education leadership paradigms:

Key Insight #1: Self-Leadership Before School Leadership

• What's broken: Starting with operations and putting yourself last

• The shift: Prioritizing your energy management and growth first

• Impact: Leaders who are focused, empowered, and modeling the change they want to see

Key Insight #2: Communication as the Foundation

• What's broken: Unclear expectations and complex messaging

• The shift: "Simplicity is velocity, complexity is the devil"

• Impact: Teams aligned and motivated, all "rowing in the same direction at once"

Key Insight #3: Focus Beats Fragmentation

• What's broken: Chasing 10-20+ initiatives simultaneously

• The shift: Zeroing in on 3-5 high-leverage priorities that create domino effects

• Impact: Meaningful progress on what truly matters instead of watered-down results

Quotable Ruckus "You're going to get the culture that you deserve, whether that's positive or negative, depending on how you show up. It's either intentionally designed or it designs itself." – Danny Bauer

Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here:

1. Tomorrow: Complete the School Leadership Scorecard to identify your highest-leverage growth opportunities

2. This Month: Draft an intentional 90-day plan focused on the five core areas: self-leadership, communication, academic focus, culture building, and operations

3. This Semester: Join the 90-Day Accelerator to transform your leadership approach with proven frameworks and systems

Connect & Continue

• 🎯 Get the full episode transcript: Link

• 💪 Join the Ruckus Maker Movement: https://ruckusmakers.club/join

• 🚀 Join the 90-Day Accelerator Waitlist: https://90-day-waitlist.carrd.co/

Do you Subscribe to the Ruckus Maker Newsletter? Do School Different 3x a Week. Join for FREE here: http://ruckusmakers.news/subscribe

Today's RUCKUScast in Partnership with: Class Composer: Want to know why Ruckus Makers love Class Composer? Because it turns the dreaded end-of-year class placement meetings into a streamlined, data-driven process. Your teachers will save hours of time while ensuring that nothing is overlooked, including student separations. 🔍 Learn More Here.

Quest Food Management Services: Creating joyful learning environments starts in the cafeteria. Quest brings 40 years of expertise in crafting scratch-made meals that nurture both body and community spirit through innovative student engagement programs. 🔍 Learn more here.

ODP Business Solutions: Most schools botch STEAM implementation because they're missing 3 critical elements. Here's the wild part: it's not about fancy tech or massive budgets. ODP Business Solutions® has researched many successful programs to identify what actually works (and what's just burning cash). 🔍 Learn the blueprint: here

Twelve Practices LLC © 2025 | If Education Ain't a Bit Disruptive, Then What Are Your Students Learning?

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The Ruckus Report Quick take: A compelling look at how embracing AI and creativity can transform education, told through the journey of a young entrepreneur who went from feeling constrained by traditional schooling to teaching others how to innovate.

Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Today's episode features two innovators in education:

Nate Corona is a Santa Cruz entrepreneur who's redefining what's possible for students in the AI age. Starting with a sneaker cleaning business in his hometown, Nate chose the "harder route" over traditional paths, leading him to d'Skills where he transformed a random thought into a successful logo design business. Now part of d'Skills' business development team while also working in auto advertising, Nate exemplifies how embracing different thinking styles can lead to unexpected opportunities.

Hannah Williams is the founder of d'Skills, a VC-backed startup shifting students from test prep to life prep. Her own unorthodox journey began at age 12 when her father handed her a phone to close a real estate deal from a blue pickup truck. She went on to enroll in college at 14 and graduated with a degree in international business at 18. Now at 25, Hannah leads d'Skills in equipping motivated teens with digital and AI skills, helping them convert these skills into paid, real-world projects with small businesses. Her vision is to help 1M high schoolers build impact portfolios that give them more experience and connections than most college graduates. Christopher Lochhead calls her "a pioneer of our time."

Breaking Down the Old Rules 🔨 In this episode, Nate Corona challenges traditional education paradigms:

Key Insight #1: Embracing Technology as an Ally

• What's broken: Schools often fear and restrict technology use

• The shift: Viewing AI and tech as tools for enhanced learning and creativity

• Impact: Students develop practical skills while maintaining engagement

Key Insight #2: Learning Through Creation

• What's broken: Traditional test-based assessment and rigid curriculum

• The shift: Allowing students to drive their own learning through creative projects

• Impact: Middle school students voluntarily creating additional learning spaces and refusing to leave class

Key Insight #3: Redefining Success

• What's broken: One-size-fits-all approach to education and career paths

• The shift: Embracing different thinking styles and entrepreneurial mindsets

• Impact: Students discovering profitable opportunities and meaningful work before finishing traditional education

Quotable Ruckus "Don't be scared to be different. Be different. I think being different is awesome." – Nate Corona

Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here:

1. Tomorrow: Begin exploring how AI tools could enhance one lesson or activity

2. This Month: Create a space for students to pursue creative projects using technology

3. This Semester: Develop a program that connects student creativity to real-world opportunities

Connect & Continue

• 🎯 Get the full episode transcript: Link

• 💪 Join the Ruckus Maker Movement: https://ruckusmakers.club/join

Do you Subscribe to the Ruckus Maker Newsletter? Do School Different 3x a Week. Join for FREE here.

Today's RUCKUScast in Partnership with:

Class Composer: Want to know why Ruckus Makers love Class Composer? Because it turns the dreaded end-of-year class placement meetings into a streamlined, data-driven process. Your teachers will save hours of time while ensuring that nothing is overlooked, including student separations. 🔍 Learn More Here.

Quest Food Management Services: Creating joyful learning environments starts in the cafeteria. Quest brings 40 years of expertise in crafting scratch-made meals that nurture both body and community spirit through innovative student engagement programs. 🔍 Learn more here.

ODP Business Solutions: Most schools botch STEAM implementation because they're missing 3 critical elements. Here's the wild part: it's not about fancy tech or massive budgets. ODP Business Solutions® has researched many successful programs to identify what actually works (and what's just burning cash). 🔍 Learn the blueprint: here

Twelve Practices LLC © 2025 | If Education Ain't a Bit Disruptive, Then What Are Your Students Learning?

 

 

The Ruckus Report Quick take: A former teacher turned ed-tech founder reveals how simple daily actions - from hallway check-ins to thoughtful class placements - can transform school culture and help every student thrive.

Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Mike Cronley is the CEO and co-founder of Class Composer, bringing 12 years of 3rd grade teaching experience to revolutionize how elementary schools create balanced classes. After witnessing firsthand how traditional class placement methods could unintentionally disrupt student relationships and learning environments, he developed a solution to help schools make more informed, equitable placement decisions.

Breaking Down the Old Rules 🔨 In this episode, Mike challenges traditional education paradigms:

Key Insight #1: The Power of Being Present

• What's broken: Leaders getting caught up in administrative tasks and losing touch with their staff

• The shift: Intentional daily check-ins and genuine conversations with teachers

• Impact: Teachers feel valued, leading to increased motivation and better student outcomes

Key Insight #2: From Paper to Purpose

• What's broken: Complex, paper-based class placement systems that miss crucial student dynamics

• The shift: Data-informed decisions that consider academic, social, and emotional needs

• Impact: More balanced classes and stronger student relationships

Key Insight #3: Taking Smart Risks

• What's broken: Fear of failure leading to stagnation in educational practices

• The shift: Creating a culture where trying new approaches is encouraged

• Impact: Continuous improvement through calculated risk-taking and innovation

Quotable Ruckus "You have to be willing to take risks and try to improve. Not gigantic risks, but if you want to move the needle and do something different and better, you have to be willing to try." – Mike Cronley

Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here:

1. Tomorrow: Walk your halls after school and have one genuine conversation with a teacher

2. This Month: Create a system to track meaningful check-ins with all staff members

3. This Semester: Review your class placement process and identify opportunities for more data-informed decisions

Connect & Continue

• 🎯 Get the full episode transcript: Link

• 🔗 Follow Mike: LinkedIn, Facebook

• 💪 Join the Ruckus Maker Movement: https://ruckusmakers.club/join

Do you Subscribe to the Ruckus Maker Newsletter? Do School Different 3x a Week. Join for FREE here.

Today's RUCKUScast in Partnership with:

Class Composer: Want to know why Ruckus Makers love Class Composer? Because it turns the dreaded end-of-year class placement meetings into a streamlined, data-driven process. Your teachers will save hours of time while ensuring that nothing is overlooked, including student separations. 🔍 Learn More Here.

Quest Food Management Services: Creating joyful learning environments starts in the cafeteria. Quest brings 40 years of expertise in crafting scratch-made meals that nurture both body and community spirit through innovative student engagement programs. 🔍 Learn more here.

ODP Business Solutions: Most schools botch STEAM implementation because they're missing 3 critical elements. Here's the wild part: it's not about fancy tech or massive budgets. ODP Business Solutions® has researched many successful programs to identify what actually works (and what's just burning cash). 🔍 Learn the blueprint: here

Twelve Practices LLC © 2025 | If Education Ain't a Bit Disruptive, Then What Are Your Students Learning?

 

The Ruckus Report Quick take: A veteran superintendent reveals how shifting from a mastery mindset to an unfinished mindset can transform school leadership and create environments where innovation thrives, student voice matters, and continuous growth is celebrated.

Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Dr. Michael Lubelfeld serves as Superintendent of North Shore District 112 in suburban Chicago, leading 9 elementary schools with 4,000 students. A passionate educator since 1992, Mike was awarded the 2021 Administrator and Supervision Distinguished Alumni Award from Loyola University Chicago. He's co-authored four books, including his latest "The Unfinished Teacher: Becoming the Next Version of Yourself."

Breaking Down the Old Rules 🔨 In this episode, Dr. Lubelfeld challenges traditional education paradigms:

Key Insight #1: The Power of Coaching Fundamentals

• What's broken: Complex leadership initiatives that overlook basic human connection

• The shift: Regular, structured coaching conversations focused on growth and support

• Impact: Principals create better conditions for teacher growth, leading to improved student outcomes

Key Insight #2: Embracing the Unfinished Mindset

• What's broken: The pressure to achieve mastery and have everything figured out

• The shift: Viewing leadership as a continuous journey of growth and evolution

• Impact: Creates a culture where innovation thrives and continuous improvement is celebrated

Key Insight #3: Leveraging Student Voice

• What's broken: Top-down decision making that excludes student perspectives

• The shift: Actively incorporating student input in strategic planning and facility design

• Impact: More engaged students and better-designed learning environments that meet real needs

Quotable Ruckus "I'm never going to be done doing it. I'm going to learn more from the next principal than she or he learned from me because I'm learning from them and we're growing together." – Dr. Mike Lubelfeld

Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here:

1. Tomorrow: Schedule a one-on-one coaching conversation with a teacher or principal focused on their aspirations and goals

2. This Month: Create a student advisory panel to provide input on one major school initiative

3. This Semester: Develop a structured feedback system that celebrates growth and learning

Connect & Continue

• 🎯 Get the full episode transcript: Link

• 🔗 Follow Dr. Lubelfeld: LinkedIn

• 💪 Join the Ruckus Maker Movement: https://ruckusmakers.club/join

Do you Subscribe to the Ruckus Maker Newsletter? Do School Different 3x a Week. Join for FREE here.

Today's RUCKUScast in Partnership with:

Class Composer: Want to know why Ruckus Makers love Class Composer? Because it turns the dreaded end-of-year class placement meetings into a streamlined, data-driven process. Your teachers will save hours of time while ensuring that nothing is overlooked, including student separations. 🔍 Learn more here..

Quest Food Management Services: Creating joyful learning environments starts in the cafeteria. Quest brings 40 years of expertise in crafting scratch-made meals that nurture both body and community spirit through innovative student engagement programs. 🔍 Learn more: www.questfms.com

ODP Business Solutions: Most schools botch STEAM implementation because they're missing 3 critical elements. Here's the wild part: it's not about fancy tech or massive budgets. ODP Business Solutions® has researched many successful programs to identify what actually works (and what's just burning cash). 🔍 Learn the blueprint: here

Twelve Practices LLC © 2025 | If Education Ain't a Bit Disruptive, Then What Are Your Students Learning?

 

The Ruckus Report

Quick take: In this special coaching episode, a K-4 principal shares his honest struggles and breakthroughs in implementing project-based learning, revealing why communication and teacher buy-in are crucial for meaningful educational change.

Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker

Dan is a K-4 principal with an art education background, bringing a unique creative perspective to his leadership role. As a solo administrator in his building, he's passionate about transforming education through project-based learning while maintaining strong relationships with his staff.

Breaking Down the Old Rules 🔨

In this episode, Dan challenges traditional education paradigms:

Key Insight #1: Consistent Communication

• What's broken: Sporadic communication about new initiatives, assuming teachers will automatically buy in

• The shift: Consistently discussing and reinforcing PBL benefits while giving teachers autonomy to experiment

• Impact: Teachers feel more supported and are more likely to take risks with new teaching methods

Key Insight #2: Building Authentic Relationships

• What's broken: Traditional top-down mandate approach to implementing new programs

• The shift: Building genuine relationships and understanding teachers' individual goals and aspirations

• Impact: Increased teacher engagement and willingness to try new approaches

Key Insight #3: Meaningful Feedback Systems

• What's broken: Complex, jargon-filled evaluation systems that don't drive real improvement

• The shift: Simple, meaningful feedback focused on growth and celebrating small wins

• Impact: More authentic professional development and risk-taking in the classroom

Quotable Ruckus

"You have to have the mentality that everybody you meet is going through something that you don't know anything about. We have a saying here: 'Sweep the sheds.' It sounds kind of weird, but it's about humility and doing the work that needs to be done." -Principal Dan

Your Do School Different Challenge

Ready to implement these ideas? Start here:

1. Tomorrow: Ask your teachers what's stopping them from trying something new in their classrooms

2. This Month: Create a weekly roundup to celebrate teachers taking risks and trying new approaches

3. This Semester: Develop an implementation plan based on teacher feedback and goals

Connect & Continue

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Today’s Pod in Partnership with:

IXL Meet your students where they are and take them where they need to go. Join over 1 million teachers who trust IXL to drive data-informed excellence in their classrooms. 🔍 Learn more here.

Class Composer Is your elementary school still creating class lists with colored index cards or sticky notes? Class Composer offers a streamlined solution for making well-informed student placement decisions in less time. 🔍 https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7625546/b577a4c88ce8.

ODP: ODP Business Solutions® formerly Office Depot® Business Solutions Division has been a trusted partner for schools for over 30 years. At ODP Business Solutions, we’re by your side to meet your evolving education needs.🔍 Learn more here.

 

 

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