Educational Leadership with Principal JL

Send us a text Culture is not a poster on the wall, it’s the engine that determines whether any strategy, policy, or program actually works. We walk through a practical, field-tested playbook for principals who want to build trust, retain great teachers, and lead lasting change without burning out or micromanaging. First, we break down a 60–90–30 transition plan that starts with a building-wide listening tour. You’ll hear how five-minute conversations with every staff member surfaced the rea...

Send us a text A trumpet, a baton, and a blueprint for real school change. James Lane went from touring musician to teacher, principal, superintendent, state chief, and ultimately a senior leader at the U.S. Department of Education and he never lost sight of the same question: what happens the moment a student struggles? This conversation turns that question into a repeatable system any school can use. We start with the early days: a tiny band program that grew into half the school, superior...

Send us a text A single question changed the way we lead: what do we know now that we wish we knew then? From the emotional roller coaster of a school year to the small habits that keep us grounded, we unpack practical moves that help educators stay energized, avoid the disillusionment dip, and create momentum that lasts. We start by mapping the phases many teachers and leaders feel from high August anticipation to the late-fall slide into survival mode and share a simple, repeatable antidot...

Send us a text Doors closed, minds open or the other way around? Our conversation with NASSP’s 2025 National Principal of the Year, Tony Cattani, pulls back the curtain on how a large high school built a culture where teachers learn from teachers every single day. Tony walks us through the exact system that turned isolation into collective efficacy: a strengths inventory across four core areas, 25-minute targeted classroom visits, collegiality cafes that showcase teacher-designed practices, a...

Send us a text A single question from a group of students rerouted a career—and sparked a movement. That’s how Dr. Salome Thomas-EL, widely known as Principal EL, went from TV production to a life in education, using chess to teach math, identity, and grit while building a school culture where kids line up to get in. We talk about the early days in Philadelphia, why engagement must precede information, and how a chessboard became intellectual capital that changed how students saw themselves a...