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

FEB 27, 2026

ENCORE FRIDAY – PMP412: The Principal’s Journey with Dr. Rachel Edoho-Eket

For the final Friday of Black History Month, the exceptional educator highlighted this week is Dr. Rachel Edoho-Eket. <figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex"> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="560" height="560" data-id="55785" src="https://williamdparker.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/rachele.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-55785" srcset="https://williamdparker.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/rachele.jpg 560w, https://williamdparker.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/rachele-300x300.jpg 300w, https://williamdparker.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/rachele-150x150.jpg 150w" sizes="(max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /></figure> </figure> She is a wife, mother, principal, public speaker, and author, and has decades of experience in public education. During her educational career, she has proudly served as a classroom teacher, instructional team leader, mentor teacher, Assistant Principal, and Principal. In this interview, she talks with me about her book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Principals-Journey-Navigating-School-Leadership/dp/B0BVC8MXNB">The Principal’s Journey: Navigating the Path to School Leadership</a>. Visit her website <a href="https://bio.site/the_principals_journey">here</a>. Listen in to hear the full conversation! You can visit the <a href="https://williamdparker.com/2024/pmp412-the-principals-journey-with-dr-rachel-edoho-eket/">original blog pos</a>t to learn even more about Dr. Edoho-Eket. The post <a href="https://williamdparker.com/2026/encore-friday-pmp412-the-principals-journey-with-dr-rachel-edoho-eket/">ENCORE FRIDAY – PMP412: The Principal’s Journey with Dr. Rachel Edoho-Eket</a> appeared first on <a href="https://williamdparker.com">Principal Matters</a>.

29 MIN

FEB 25, 2026

PMP489: Leading with Heart and Strategy with Blaine Wise

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A Quick Note to Listeners:</h2> Before this week’s interview, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke take some time to answer a listener question. This week’s question is particularly loaded, so it will be answered in two parts, with part two coming out next week. The question is: I’m a longtime listener and am reaching out because I’m struggling with burnout.  I’d love to hear how you’ve navigated the most difficult stretches of your career. What helped you persevere? Are there particular podcast episodes or conversations you’d recommend for someone trying to regain perspective and resilience? Listen in to hear their response! <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Meet Blaine Wise:</h2> Blaine Wise is a passionate and dedicated educational leader with 17 years of experience in Oklahoma public schools. Since 2021, he’s served as principal of Glenpool Middle School, where he’s led with purpose, building a high-performing, positive school culture that’s earned statewide recognition. In 2025, he was named the OASSP/OMLEA Middle Level Principal of the Year. Blaine began his career as a classroom teacher at Glenpool High School, later serving as a teacher and assistant principal at Charles Page High School and Charles Page Freshman Academy. With a strong foundation in instruction and leadership, he leads with both heart and strategy. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Haskell Indian Nations University and a master’s from Southern Nazarene University. Known for his collaborative, student-centered approach, Blaine serves in multiple leadership roles through CCOSA, OMLEA, and NASSP—including as OASSP President-Elect. In 2025, he launched his website to share actionable leadership strategies that ignite purpose in educators and inspire excellence in students. Blaine Wise leads with gratitude, models excellence, and is committed to supporting students, staff, and the broader school community. <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Interview takeaways:</h2> Blaine Wise’s journey into the profession began unexpectedly after a closed door to a job opportunity opened the door to teaching. A proud member of the Seminole Nation, Blaine holds a Bachelor of Arts in American Indian Studies. He initially explored career paths with that degree outside of education. However, once he began teaching, he found his calling and has never looked back. Blaine believes that effective leadership requires a strong commitment to building and sustaining school culture. He emphasizes that culture does not happen by accident—it must be intentional and consistently cultivated through daily interactions and leadership practices. <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Culture is intentional. It is shaped through the way leaders conduct meetings, interact with staff, and communicate one-on-one.</li> <li>Leadership interactions matter. “We can’t control how people feel, but we’re responsible for how we interact with them,” he explains.</li> <li>A guiding principle: Support in public and correct in private. </li> </ul> When offering advice to new leaders, Blaine highlights the importance of humility, action, and collective wisdom: <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Build a trusted network of mentors for guidance and support.</li> <li>Remember, “It’s not your school—it’s our school.”</li> <li>Take action on good ideas; leadership is both a privilege and a responsibility.</li> <li>“The smartest person in the room is the room”—use collective knowledge to guide decisions.</li> <li>Learn through trial and error, and commit to intentional reflection.</li> <li>Share school-wide plans and maps in advance to foster clarity and trust. </li> </ul> For veteran leaders, Blaine encourages replacing the word motivated with inspired or committed. He believes staying inspired comes from returning to cycles of reflection and remembering why you lead in the first place. <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Take time to pause before making major decisions.</li> <li>Revisit your “why” by being the kind of teacher and principal you once needed.</li> <li>Protect your time for thoughtful decision-making by sometimes closing the door or asking for a moment to think.</li> </ul> Blaine draws inspiration from other educational leaders, including Baruti Kafele, and continually asks himself, “Is my school better because I lead it?” He even wears a whistle daily to remind himself that, at his core, he is the coach of his school. In addition to his work as a principal, Blaine shares leadership insights through his <a href="https://blainewise.com/">website</a>. He also loves to speak to schools and welcomes opportunities to collaborate with other leaders. <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <iframe title="Principal Matters Podcast Ep. 489: Leading with Heart and Strategy with Blaine Wise" width="1290" height="726" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QUhfY3UPNWE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div></figure> The post <a href="https://williamdparker.com/2026/pmp489-leading-with-heart-and-strategy-with-blaine-wise/">PMP489: Leading with Heart and Strategy with Blaine Wise</a> appeared first on <a href="https://williamdparker.com">Principal Matters</a>.

41 MIN

FEB 23, 2026

MONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Stretching Students Beyond the Test

This week’s Monday Matters episode is a longer response to a listener question covered in the Q&A portion of Principal Matters Podcast. The question is: <blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow"> “As a system leader, how do you encourage teachers in high-performing schools to go beyond “my students do well on the tests” or even other administrators, “have you seen our test scores?” and aim for instruction that really stretches students’ thinking, agency, and intellectual rigor? I’m especially curious how you do this when current success metrics and evaluations tend to reinforce the status quo.” – Cat Stathulis, Westerville, Ohio </blockquote> In response to Cat’s question about how to push high-performing schools beyond strong test scores toward deeper intellectual rigor, Will and Jen’s conversation is centered on redefining what “rigor” really means. First, leaders must remember the realities of the teenage brain. Students have limited cognitive and emotional stamina. A student can perform well on a test yet still need structured opportunities to build endurance for extended thinking. High scores do not automatically equal deep learning. Second, rigor does not require more assignments or heavier workloads. It often happens through better conversation. Simple questions like “What are you thinking?”, “Tell me more,” and “Why?” can stretch thinking far more effectively than additional worksheets. Dialogue itself can deepen learning. The discussion also emphasized being intentional about levels of questions on tests. Teachers should plan questions at three levels: <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Level 1: Facts and recall (Do students understand the material?) </li> <li>Level 2: Interpretation and analysis (Can they connect and explain ideas?) </li> <li>Level 3: Application (Can they use and transfer what they know?) </li> </ul> Deep learning frequently operates at Levels 2 and 3 — and that depth does not always show up immediately on standardized tests. Another key measure of success is readiness. Beyond scores, leaders should ask: Are students prepared for what comes next — academically, intellectually, and personally? Finally, teachers themselves must stretch. Thoughtful teaching sharpens not only student thinking but also teacher clarity about what students truly understand. Big takeaway: Rigor isn’t about more work or higher test numbers. It’s about intentional questioning, intellectual stretch through conversation, and preparing students for the next stage of life — even when that growth isn’t easily measured. <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Resources for Further Learning:</h2> In addition, Jen and Will discussed two resources from previous podcast guests that unpack practical ways for educators to go deeper in their own teaching practices as well as in student learning. Listen in to the entire podcast conversation for more, and check out these resources and previous guests. <a href="PMP177: Cha Cha’s for Making Learning Stick with LeAnn Nickelsen">PMP177: Cha Cha’s for Making Learning Stick with LeAnn Nickelsen</a> <a href="PMP420: Mentoring Mindset with David Yeager ">PMP420: Mentoring Mindset with David Yeager </a> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <iframe title="MONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker - Stretching Students Beyond the Test" width="1290" height="726" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yaybIL-SvMM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div></figure> The post <a href="https://williamdparker.com/2026/monday-matters-with-jen-schwanke-and-will-parker-stretching-students-beyond-the-test/">MONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Stretching Students Beyond the Test</a> appeared first on <a href="https://williamdparker.com">Principal Matters</a>.

22 MIN

FEB 20, 2026

ENCORE FRIDAY – PMP268: Equity, Equality, and Systems with Enid Lee

37 MIN

FEB 18, 2026

PMP488: Empowering Student Voices with PAHS Principal Advisory Committee

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A Quick Note to Listeners:</h2> Before this week’s interview, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke take some time to answer a listener’s question. This week’s question is: As a system leader, how do you encourage teachers in high-performing schools to go beyond “my students do well on the tests” or even other administrators, “have you seen our test scores?” and aim for instruction that really stretches students’ thinking, agency, and intellectual rigor? I’m especially curious how you do this when current success metrics and evaluations tend to reinforce the status quo. Listen in to hear their response! <figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex"> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="1024" data-id="55767" src="https://williamdparker.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/PMP-Template-11-1024x1024.png" alt="" class="wp-image-55767" srcset="https://williamdparker.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/PMP-Template-11-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://williamdparker.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/PMP-Template-11-300x300.png 300w, https://williamdparker.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/PMP-Template-11-150x150.png 150w, https://williamdparker.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/PMP-Template-11-768x768.png 768w, https://williamdparker.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/PMP-Template-11-600x600.png 600w, https://williamdparker.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/PMP-Template-11.png 1080w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure> </figure> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Meet the Palo Alto High School Principal Advisory Committee:</h2> Brent Kline is the Principal of Palo Alto High School and a student-centered leader known for driving instructional improvement, equity, and strong community engagement. A former Washington State High School Principal of the Year and national finalist, he arrived at Paly in 2020. He has elevated student and staff voice—creating student-driven, student-led advisory meetings that guide his leadership and offer feedback to teachers. He has also supported innovative programs that helped Paly earn recognition as a Top-10 finalist for the World’s Best School Prize in Innovation. Kline holds degrees from CSU Hayward and Western Washington University. In this episode, he is joined by three PAC Executives: <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Brian Miller-Junior</li> <li>Sione Fusimalohi-Junior</li> <li>Amalia Tormala-Senior</li> </ul> Charlotte Barclay-Senior is also a member of the PAC Executive Committee, but was absent from this interview, getting her wisdom teeth pulled. These student members are part of the Principal Advisory Committee at Palo Alto High School and share what inspired them to apply and why student voice matters so deeply in school leadership. They explain how underrepresented students benefit when they have a meaningful platform to be heard, and why teachers need insight into how students want to grow—not just for short-term gains, but for long-term success.  The students discuss the value of choice, agency, and project-based learning, including opportunities to select their level of challenge and design their own learning experiences. We also explore the power of relationships, the “why” behind learning, and the importance of school leaders stepping back to let students take an active role in shaping their school community.  What began as a program with 30 applicants has grown significantly—this year, 90 students applied, with 25 selected to serve. Each student leader describes how the committee helps them advocate for all students, represent the diversity of their school, and build a trusting, honest partnership with their principal. Learn more on the Palo Alto High School website or contact Principal Brent Kline at [email protected]. <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <iframe loading="lazy" title="Principal Matters Podcast Ep. 488: Empowering Student Voice with PAHS Principal Advisory Committee" width="1290" height="726" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Nr0vJvp-q-Y?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div></figure> The post <a href="https://williamdparker.com/2026/pmp488-empowering-student-voices-with-pahs-principal-advisory-committee/">PMP488: Empowering Student Voices with PAHS Principal Advisory Committee</a> appeared first on <a href="https://williamdparker.com">Principal Matters</a>.

43 MIN

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

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