The Authority Podcast — Expert Insights and Fresh Ideas for Education Leaders

Brian Butler is an educational consultant, speaker, author, and award-winning former principal who is passionate about nurturing collaborative school cultures that unlock every student’s unlimited potential. In this "Best Of," we revisit our conversation about Brian's books, Every Student Deserves a Gifted Education and Limitless Future.Hear about:Brian's inspiring storyWhat is a gifted education?The necessary mindset shift to plan a gifted education for every studentThe five shifts/elements to help create a schoolwide approach to nurturing each student’s unique strengths, passions, and talentsFallacy of Fixed Intelligence, Labels Be Gone, Obligation of Teams, Our Superpowers,  Resistance and InspirationLearn more about Brian:www.brianbutler.infoBrian’s podcast, “A Conversation with Brian"About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

In more than 40 years of teaching, Andee Nunn reached over 4,000 students juggling positions as a reading specialist, English teacher, and communications adjunct faculty. She was named the 2008 Danbury (CT) Teacher of the Year, 2008 Connecticut State Semi-Finalist Teacher of the Year, and won the 2018 NAACP Excellence in Teaching award. Her book is Magic in Room 216: How One Teacher Came of Age and Inspired the Next Generation.Tune into our conversation to hear about:What is the “magic?”The risks Andee took during her teaching careerThe students who taught her the mostHow she was able to get students to open upWhat was the catalyst that sparked Andee’s “metamorphosis?”Reflections on the current state of educationGet Andee’s book, Magic in Room 216. About today’s guestBorn in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Long Island, Andee Nunn’s imaginary teaching started at age 6 when she modeled her kindergarten teacher’s magical classroom. In her basement she lined up her dolls and play acting at her dream profession began. After high school, she earned her B.A in Speech Education, MS in Secondary Education from Queens College, NY. and later completed post graduate studies in Reading at Western CT State University. Andee earned certification as an Elementary Education Teacher, Reading Specialist grades K-12, as well as High School English Teacher grades 9-12. During her more than 40 years as an educator, she juggled positions as a Reading Specialist/Consultant, English Teacher, Director of IAP, The Individualized Achievement Program at Western for first generation college students and served as Adjunct Professor of Communications. Andee was named 2008 Danbury Teacher of the Year, 2008 Semi-Finalist CT. Teacher of the Year and was the 2018 recipient of the NAACP Excellence in Teaching Award. Now retired, she resides in Danbury CT where she raised two daughters and lives with her husband of 48 years. For the last few years, she has addressed high school and college aspiring educators as guest speaker.About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

Nathaniel Provencio has worked in the public education field since 2001 as a classroom teacher, building administrator and associate superintendent. He is a speaker, school leadership coach, and author of Community Connections and Your PLC at Work®: A Guide to Engaging Families.We talk about:Why parent and family engagement are important to schools, and how it relates to PLCsHow the concepts of a PLC apply to family engagementIs connecting with families just code for more work for already overworked teachers? Engaging families who traditionally have barriers to engagementThe biggest ‘community connection fail’ Nathaniel has seen a school try, and how to do it betterGet Community Connections and Your PLC at Work from Solution Tree. Learn more about Nathaniel at his website provenprincipalllc.com About today’s guestNathaniel Provencio has worked in the public education field since 2001 as a classroom teacher, building administrator and associate superintendent . In 2010, he became the principal of Minnieville Elementary in Prince William County, Virginia. Under his leadership, Minnieville Elementary was recognized as a Virginia Distinguished Title 1 School, became a National Model Professional Learning Community and was the winner of the 2019 Richard DuFour PLC Award.Mr. Provencio has been honored as the 2017 Prince William County principal of the year, the 2017 Washington Post Principal of the Year and the 2019 Virginia National Distinguished Principal of the Year.Mr. Provencio is the author of Community Connections and Your PLC at Work, which focuses on how schools can utilize the professional learning community framework to enhance family and community engagement.Mr. Provencio graduated from the University of North Alabama in 2001 with a degree in education and has a master’s degree in education administration from George Mason University in which he was recognized as one of 50 all-time George Mason University Alumni.About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

Dr. Chad Dumas is a Solution Tree PLC at Work®, Assessment, and Priority Schools associate and international consultant, presenter, and award-winning researcher whose primary focus is collaborating to develop capacity for continuous improvement. His latest book is The Teacher Team Leader Handbook: Simple Habits to Transform Collaboration in a PLC at Work®.We discuss:Foundations and actions of teacher team leadersHow important to establish the mission of the PLC?The book has Swiss Army Knife-like tools for leaders — you don’t use them all every time you pull out the knife, but you have what’s needed for the situationRole and responsibilities of the teacher team leaderThe assumptions a team leader must makeWho selects the leader?When it’s time to build capacity and when it’s time for a resetGet the book here: https://nextlearningsolutionspress.com/ttlh/Hear my previous conversation with Chad on episode 132, Let’s Put the C in PLC with Chad Dumas.About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

In this "Best Of" episode, I spoke with Tony Frontier about his book AI with Intention: Principles and Action Steps for Teachers and School Leaders (ASCD). In one of our most popular conversations from last year, you'll hear about:On the topic of AI and education, what is important for educators to keep in mind about what has changed and what remains the same?Tony’s greatest fear and greatest hope about how AI will change educationEssential Question: How can teachers and students use AI tools to support intentional teaching and learning?Most important guiding principles that challenge teachers to think more clearly about what has changed and what is the sameEssential Question for Leaders: How can leaders build capacity to ensure AI tools are used to effectively support intentional teaching and learning?Read Tony’s Educational Leadership article, “Active Learning, Not Passive Compliance”Get the book AI with Intention from ASCD or wherever you get your books.About today’s guestTony Frontier, PhD is an award-winning educator who works with teachers and school leaders nationally and internationally to help them prioritize efforts to improve student learning. With expertise in classroom assessment, student engagement, curriculum development, meaningful feedback, technology integration, and strategic planning, Frontier emphasizes a systems approach to empower leaders and teachers to serve others.As a former classroom teacher in Milwaukee Public Schools, an Associate High School Principal, the Director of Instruction for the Whitefish Bay School District, and a college professor who taught PhD candidates statistics, research, and learning theory, Frontier brings a wealth of experience as a classroom teacher, building administrator, central office administrator, and researcher to his workshops, writing, and research.About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn