In this episode, I, Mike Doughty facilitates a conversation with cabinet level leaders sponsored by the New York State Council of School Superintendents (NYSCOSS). The group talked about strategies for finding the joy in work, cultivating positive culture in the workplace, and striving for work-life balance. If you're a cabinet level leader in New York State and would like to join future conversation like this, please visit the NYSCOSS website at https://www.nyscoss.org/

Grab your coffee and join us as we hear from veteran and emerging leaders about sustaining the passion for this work and modeling healthy boundaries for the next generation of educators.

If you have questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes, including great non-education books with lessons for school leaders you can email me at [email protected].

I would really appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It helps a lot. And if you found this episode helpful, please share it with your colleagues.

If you are interested in sponsoring the podcast, feel free to contact me directly at [email protected].

Stay connected with me here:

• Official Website: theschoolleadershipshow.org
• YouTube: youtube.com/@theschoolleadershipshow
• Facebook: facebook.com/theschoolleadershipshow
• Instagram: instagram.com/theschoolleadershipshow

In this special episode from the NYSCATE Conference, I, Mike Doughty, and Christy Bezrutczyk discuss the influence of technology and AI on the developing student brain.

We examine recent findings in neuroscience, the impact of screen time and blue light on learning and behavior, and the evolving role of AI in education. Our conversation stresses the importance of balanced technology integration, human connection, and systemic changes needed to enhance educational outcomes.

Tune in to learn how we can leverage technology purposefully to support holistic student development.

If you have questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes, including great non-education books with lessons for school leaders you can email me at [email protected].

I would really appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It helps a lot. And if you found this episode helpful, please share it with your colleagues.

If you are interested in sponsoring the podcast, feel free to contact me directly at [email protected].

Stay connected with me here:

• Official Website: theschoolleadershipshow.org
• YouTube: youtube.com/@theschoolleadershipshow
• Facebook: facebook.com/theschoolleadershipshow
• Instagram: instagram.com/theschoolleadershipshow

I am excited to share a conversation I had recently with the New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA) on The President's Gavel podcast. This episode, based on a popular session from this year's Leadership in Education Event, explores media literacy and why it is arguably the most crucial skill set we need to teach students today.

Join us as we delve into the challenges of the modern information ecosystem and explore how educators can empower students to become savvy thinkers, rather than merely "endless scrollers".

Host: Ann Laszewski, Leadership Development Manager, NYSSBA

Guest: Dr. Mike Doughty, Assistant Superintendent, Northeastern Regional Information Center, Capital Region BOCES (Previously joined the podcast for Episode 39: What's So Scary About AI? in 2023).

Guest: Katherine Hamill, Director, Mid-Hudson Regional Information Center, Ulster BOCES

Want to learn more about today's topic? Additional resources can be found in the original show notes for this episode. https://soundcloud.com/thepresidentsgavel/empowering-critical-thinking-through-media-literacy

If you have questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes, including great non-education books with lessons for school leaders you can email me at [email protected].

I would really appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It helps a lot. And if you found this episode helpful, please share it with your colleagues.

If you are interested in sponsoring the podcast, feel free to contact me directly at [email protected].

Stay connected with me here:

• Official Website: theschoolleadershipshow.org

• YouTube: youtube.com/@theschoolleadershipshow

• Facebook: facebook.com/theschoolleadershipshow

• Instagram: instagram.com/theschoolleadershipshow

How important is it to stay in touch with pop culture as a school leader?

In this episode, I chat with Brooke Hammerling, the host of "Pop Culture Mondays… on Thursdays" podcast and the author of the widely read Pop Culture Mondays Newsletter. We dive into Brooke's unique journey from PR and communications to becoming a vital source of pop culture knowledge, especially for a gen Xer like me.

Brooke shares how staying current with the latest trends can help educators connect better with their students, and the challenges and benefits of balancing communication in today's fast-paced, digital world. We also discuss the resurgence of 90s culture, iconic school movies, and why media literacy is crucial for today's students.

If you have questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes, including great non-education books with lessons for school leaders, you can email me at [email protected].

I would really appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It helps a lot. And if you found this episode helpful, please share it with your colleagues.

If you are interested in sponsoring the podcast, feel free to contact me directly at [email protected].

Stay connected with me here:

• Official Website: theschoolleadershipshow.org

• YouTube: youtube.com/@theschoolleadershipshow

• Facebook: facebook.com/theschoolleadershipshow

• Instagram: instagram.com/theschoolleadershipshow

Connect with Brooke Hammerling and explore her insights:

• Podcast: Pop Culture Mondays… on Thursdays

• Newsletter: popculturemondays.com

• Instagram: instagram.com/brooke

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

00:23 Brooke's Background and Podcast

02:22 The Pop Culture Mondays Newsletter

05:25 Impact of Pop Culture on Schools

07:54 Communication Challenges in Modern Education

28:51 The Impact of Misinformation in Schools

29:55 Pop Culture's Reflection on Education

34:18 Favorite School-Centric Movies

41:30 The '90s Revival

How does one navigate the journey from English teacher to Superintendent? In this episode, I sit down with the recently retired Marie Wiles in a unique in-person interview. We dive deep into her 36-year-long career, from early teaching days and curriculum development to her tenure in various leadership roles, including her time as a BOCES district superintendent. Marie shares her insights on the importance of instructional experience, the challenges of transitioning roles, the value of networks, and her unexpected journey into authoring a book, "Lessons from the Bard: What Shakespeare Can Teach Us about School District Leadership". This engaging episode unfolds Marie's remarkable experiences and her perspectives on the future of education amid financial uncertainties.

If you have questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes, including great non-education books with lessons for school leaders you can email me at [email protected].

I would really appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It helps a lot. And if you found this episode helpful, please share it with your colleagues.

If you are interested in sponsoring the podcast, feel free to contact me directly at [email protected].

Stay connected with me here:

• Official Website: theschoolleadershipshow.org
• YouTube: youtube.com/@theschoolleadershipshow
• Facebook: facebook.com/theschoolleadershipshow
• Instagram: instagram.com/theschoolleadershipshow

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and Special Guest Announcement

00:49 Marie Wiles' Early Career in Education

01:46 Transition to Higher Education and Doctoral Studies

05:21 BOCES Experience and Leadership Roles

08:53 Personal Life and Career Moves

17:19 Balancing Lesson Plans and Student Interaction

19:51 The Dunning-Kruger Effect in Leadership

20:31 Challenges and Realities of Leadership Roles

23:23 Gender Disparity in Educational Leadership

25:49 Concerns for the Future of Education

28:48 Hope and Faith in Youth

31:46 Writing a Book: Lessons from Shakespeare

32:03 The Process of Writing and Publishing

37:26 Final Thoughts and Gratitude

Feeling overwhelmed by the complexities of leadership today? Tune in to learn how building your self-regulation can help you navigate dysregulated times and have more effective conversations. In this episode, my co-host Jenn David-Lang and I had the pleasure of speaking with the amazing Jennifer Abrams, whom I see as a guru of interpersonal relations in education. Jennifer, a full-time international consultant and author of impactful books like Having Hard Conversations and Stretching Your Learning Edge: Growing (up) at Work, joined us to explore the critical topic of self-regulation in dysregulated times.

We talked about living in a VUCA world, Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous, and how we need to build complexity fitness by developing our cognitive, emotional, and psychological skills. Jennifer shared that becoming more self-regulated involves building self-awareness, like cleaning up our emotional "dust". It turns out only about 10-15% of people are truly self-aware, and one way to improve is by bravely asking for 360 feedback from your team.

We also dove into practical skills for leaders navigating challenging moments, such as learning to suspend certainty that your way is the only way. Saying "Tell me more" instead of reacting can be incredibly powerful. For extroverts like me, focusing on listening instead of jumping in is key. I shared my favorite tactic when someone is stressed: asking, "How long do we have to make this decision?". This simple question helps shift from feeling "subject" to circumstances to viewing them more "objectively".

Jennifer left us with powerful parting advice: "Go have humane, growth-producing conversations. That's the goal.". Jennifer Abrams' Newsletter: jenniferabrams.com

If you have questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes—including great non-education books with lessons for school leaders—email us at [email protected]. Please consider leaving a rating and review on Spotify or iTunes to support the show. Every bit helps! And if you found this episode helpful, share it with your colleagues.

Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Contact Mike directly at [email protected]. To explore insightful summaries of top leadership books, connect with Jenn David-Lang at [email protected] or visit TheMainIdea.net.

Timestamp:

00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction

02:08 Understanding Dysregulation and Self-Regulation

07:08 Building Self-Awareness and Team Dynamics

24:00 Mentoring the Next Generation of Leaders

27:29 Balancing Personal and Professional Needs

37:17 Personal Insights and Fun Tangents

In this episode, I had the privilege of speaking with Howie Schneider, the executive director of the Center for News Literacy at Stony Brook University's School of Communication and Journalism. Howie shared his fascinating journey from a 35-year career in journalism, including being the editor of Newsday, to leading the charge in preparing citizens to navigate today's complex information landscape.

We delved into why Stony Brook created the first university course in the U.S. focused specifically on news literacy, defining reliable information not just as "truth," but as "actionable information." Howie explained their crucial realization that teaching these skills at the university level was "way, way too late," which led them to partner with K-12 districts to integrate news literacy into required instruction, starting as early as kindergarten.

We discussed the major challenges students (and all of us) face, including information overload, the tension between speed and accuracy, blurring lines between sources, and the impact of our own biases. Howie outlined the essential concepts they teach: slowing down, asking critical questions about sources and evidence, practicing lateral reading, and becoming your own factchecker. He stressed that district leadership and commitment are key to making this transformative change and addressing the equity issue of relying on individual teachers.

Our conversation touched on what keeps him up at night, including the slow progress in states like New York compared to others, the crisis facing the news industry, and the overwhelming "tsunami" of misinformation and disinformation we all face. Howie shared valuable advice for school leaders on why this work is urgent and how they can get involved and set an example.

Are we ready to empower our students (and ourselves) to confidently discern reliable information in a world awash with news and fakes? Tune in to learn how we can help the next generation navigate the information revolution!

If you have questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes—including great non-education books with lessons for school leaders—email us at [email protected]. Please consider leaving a rating and review on Spotify or iTunes to support the show. Every bit helps! And if you found this episode helpful, share it with your colleagues.

Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Contact Mike directly at [email protected]. To explore insightful summaries of top leadership books, connect with Jenn David-Lang at [email protected] or visit TheMainIdea.net.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:58 The Birth of News Literacy

04:30 Challenges in News Literacy Education

13:36 Implementing News Literacy in K-12 Education

23:23 Future of News Literacy and Final Thoughts

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang interviews Jenice Pizzuto and Steven Carney about their book Implement with IMPACT: A Strategic Framework for Leading School and District Initiatives. The discussion focuses on their strategic framework for effectively implementing school and district initiatives using research-based practices. They emphasize the importance of including stakeholders, meticulous planning, professional learning, and a human-centered approach to change.

The conversation highlights the common pitfalls in implementation, particularly the often-skipped "plan and prepare" stage, and offers actionable insights for educators and leaders looking to close the gap between knowledge and practice. They also introduce their acronym 'IMPACT' as a guide for keeping the human elements in mind during implementation.

If you want to learn more, Steven Carney will be doing a workshop on how to make your initiatives and changes go well on September 17, 2025 free for subscribers to THE MAIN IDEA. Consider becoming a subscriber: TheMainIdea.net

Additionally, if you're deeply committed to your school's initiatives and want to truly make an IMPACT, tune in to understand the science behind successful implementation and how to apply it in your setting!

Jenice Pizzuto's website: https://www.impactleadsucceed.com/

Steven Carney's website: https://www.impactlearnandlead.com/

If you have questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes—including great non-education books with lessons for school leaders—email us at [email protected]. Please consider leaving a rating and review on Spotify or iTunes to support the show. Every bit helps! And if you found this episode helpful, share it with your colleagues.

Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Contact Mike directly at [email protected]. To explore insightful summaries of top leadership books, connect with Jenn David-Lang at [email protected] or visit TheMainIdea.net.

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang sits down with renowned educator and turnaround Principal Kafele to discuss his latest—and most personally significant—book: "What Is My Value Instructionally to the Teachers I Supervise?"

This conversation zeroes in on the principal's role as an instructional leader. Principal Kafele makes it clear that the core focus of his message—and his latest book—is on how and why principals themselves must strengthen and own their role as instructional leaders.

What You'll Learn:

• Why the principal must lead instructionally

• How self-reflection can transform your leadership practice

• The 4 levels of reflection: Self-Reflection, Self-Assessment, Self-Adjustment, Self-Improvement

• How your school culture either enables or prevents instructional leadership

• Why now—at the end of the school year—is the best time to reflect deeply on your role as instructional leader

This episode is a powerful call to action for principals to ask the right questions, assess their impact, and return with greater clarity and purpose next year.

Learn more about Principal Kafele and his work: principalkafele.com

If you have questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes—including great non-education books with lessons for school leaders—email us at [email protected]. Please consider leaving a rating and review on Spotify or iTunes to support the show. Every bit helps! And if you found this episode helpful, share it with your colleagues. Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Contact Mike directly at [email protected]. To learn more about Jenn's insightful book summaries and work, reach out at [email protected] or visit TheMainIdea.net.

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang took the reins and had a fascinating conversation with Michael McDowell, author of Rigor Redefined: 10 Teaching Habits for Surface, Deep, and Transfer Learning. Listen to the podcast to hear how Michael challenges our traditional understanding of rigor. Apparently, rigor isn't just about things being "hard" or doing a lot of work quickly. Instead, it's defined as a balance between surface, deep, and transfer learning, and importantly, it's a taxonomy, not a hierarchy. This means you don't have to master knowing facts (surface) before you can relate ideas (deep) or apply learning to new situations (transfer). Jenn and Michael also discussed how this balanced approach can and should be accessible to all students, not just those in advanced classes. A key takeaway seems to be that embedding rigor consistently is about implementing small, doable routines in our daily practice. They even shared examples of routines for fostering deep (like a three-able turn and talk) and transfer learning (like "spot the difference" problems). I'm particularly interested in the advice on how leaders can observe for rigor, focusing on what students are actually doing and saying.

Are you rethinking what rigor looks like in your classroom or school? Listen to this episode to learn more about redefining rigor and discover practical habits you can implement today! To learn more about Michael McDowell's work and services, visit his website: hingeeducation.org.

If you have questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes—including great non-education books with lessons for school leaders—email us at [email protected]. Please consider leaving a rating and review on Spotify or iTunes to support the show. Every bit helps! And if you found this episode helpful, share it with your colleagues.

Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Contact Mike directly at [email protected]. To learn more about Jenn's insightful book summaries and work, reach out at [email protected] or visit TheMainIdea.net.