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Don't Be THAT District
Hiring a new administrator is a big deal. This person is likely to impact thousands staff, students, and families during his or her tenure.
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Identifying Leadership Talent
Each spring, school districts examine their list of internal candidates hoping to determine who is ready to be elevated into a leadership...
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Embrace Constructive Criticism
I struggle accepting constructive criticism. No matter how much I try not to get defensive, the moment I receive suggestions for...
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Follow the Leader
Quick! What is the most important trait for a leader to possess? Enthusiasm? Vision? Inspiration? Confidence? According to Stephen Covey,...
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Letter to the Governor
Dear Governor Reynolds, My name is Jared Smith and I am the Superintendent for the South Tama County School District. I want to start by...
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The Best Feedback? Accurate Criticism
I struggle to accept constructive criticism. No matter how hard I try, the moment I receive suggestions for improvement I get defensive....
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"Behind" on Your Netflix Show? Congrats.
The average human generates at least 50,000 thoughts per day. That's an average of 30 thoughts a minute. The human mind can juggle an...
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Rot or Not?
Growing up, I was taught there are two aspects to physical fitness: regular exercise and a healthy diet. I was fortunate to have parents...
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If You Can't Say Something Nice...
Each spring, teachers have an opportunity to decide whether or not to return the following year. Most staff stay. Some staff leave. There...
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Say What!?
"You communicate too much!" Rarely are those exact words are spoken. However, many of us go about our professional lives worried about...
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Didn't Get The Job You Wanted? Good.
If you are struggling to take the next step in your administrative career do not lose faith...
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Why Can't We Be Friends?
Managerial myth says that leaders shouldn’t get too close to their constituents, that they can’t be friends with people at work.
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Spending Time Together
What is the single most impactful action managers can take to improve employee performance and increase retention? Spend time getting to...
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No Such Thing as Over-Communication
"You communicate too much!" Rarely are those exact words are spoken. However, many of us go about our professional lives worried about...
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Radical Transparency
High performing school districts don’t just operate with transparency, they operate with radical transparency. Radical transparency means...
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Writing: An Underrated Superpower
What are the most essential skills for effective leadership? Build relationships? Motivate followers? Solve problems? Certainly, are all...
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Nice Guys Finish Last
I have sometimes been criticized for being too positive. But it’s a weakness I’m willing to live with because the benefits are so high.
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Aren't You The Superintendent?
Last winter a community member approached me at a wrestling meet. The individual wanted to better-understand our upcoming bond referendum...
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No Horses Allowed!!!
Last summer I went for a walk around our combined high school and elementary campus. As I completed my stroll, I noticed two very...
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North Star
The term “instructional leader” has been in vogue for decades as the desired model for education leaders. Unfortunately, the term is...
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Power of Moments
For my 27th birthday my dad gave me a present I wasn’t too excited about: A book. At this point in my life, books weren’t exactly on my...
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"Kids Don't Learn from People they Don't Like"
The idea that student relationships outweigh teaching content is still misunderstood by many educators.
Especially at the secondary level.
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Coping with (Teacher) Test Anxiety
One Hundred Twelve.
The average student takes 112 standardized tests between Kindergarten and 12th grade. This equates to nearly 50 days...
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We Talkin' About Practice!
If this approach is fair for adults, why do we hold students to a different standard?
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