The Better Leaders Better Schools Podcast | The #1 Downloaded School Leadership Show

A decade into the Better Leaders Better Schools Ruckuscast, Danny Bauer has coached and interviewed hundreds of school leaders — and the patterns are clear. Dan Watt, elementary principal in British Columbia and Ruckus Maker, flips the microphone and puts Danny in the guest chair. What follows isn't nostalgia. It's the unfiltered architecture of a school leadership development ecosystem that actually works — and what it means for how you lead your campus. The Ruckuscast turns 10 this year. That's 10 years of watching which principals grow and which ones stall, which leadership beliefs hold up and which ones collapse under pressure. This episode is the debrief. 🌟 What You'll Learn Why the same interview questions nearly killed the show — and the pivot that saved it The core leadership belief Danny held 10 years ago that he's since discarded What separates Ruckus Makers from Play-It-Safe Principals at the pattern level Why curiosity in classroom walkthroughs beats judgment every time The two questions every teacher on your campus is silently asking 🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules 🧰 Key Insight #1: Repeatable Processes Are Training Wheels, Not Destinations What's broken: Most school leaders build repeatable systems and then defend them — mistaking consistency for quality, and process for progress. The shift: Treat your systems as training wheels — useful at the start, necessary to eventually remove when they stop producing growth and start producing boredom. Impact: When Danny scrapped his standard interview question bank and replaced it with curiosity-driven pre-interviews, the quality of guest conversations — and listener value — jumped immediately. 🧰 Key Insight #2: Busyness Is Not a Badge of Honor for School Leaders What's broken: Principals optimize for activity — more posts, more meetings, more programs — and measure success by how full the calendar looks rather than what outcomes those activities actually produce. The shift: Think deeply about inputs you can control and whether those inputs are actually the right inputs — strategy first, then tactics, and only the tactics that move the right needle. Impact: Danny turned down CEO and sales positions, fired himself from facilitating the Mastermind, and cut social media volume — and the ecosystem got healthier, not smaller. 🧰 Key Insight #3: Judgment in Walkthroughs Evaluates Teachers Into Being Average What's broken: Leaders walk into classrooms, form a verdict in real time, and deliver that verdict to teachers — which trains teachers to play it safe, avoid risk, and teach to the evaluator. The shift: Replace judgment with curiosity — "huh, how did that go?" instead of "that lesson was weak" — and follow it with questions about what the teacher was trying, what they learned, and what they'd change next period. Impact: A teacher who took a risk in third period and got honest, curious feedback can refine the lesson and nail it in sixth period; a teacher who got judged will never take that risk again. 🎙️ DANNY BAUER QUOTES FROM THE RUCKUSCAST "If you come in there judging it and being like that was the worst lesson I've ever seen, is that teacher ever going to take a risk again? Probably not. Because you're a jerk. And you evaluated them into being average." — Danny Bauer "A Play-It-Safe Principal is just going to wait for the school district or whoever to develop them. Are you the hero of your story? Or are you a victim?" — Danny Bauer "Busyness is not a badge of honour, nor is it something that usually leads to the results that we want." — Danny Bauer "You exist in the system and there's a way that things are done. And so if you want to dream big and be bold in your leadership, then you have to get outside perspectives." — Danny Bauer "Your people really want to know the answer to two questions: Do I belong here? And am I doing a good job? If there's an absence of those answers, there's going to be problems within your culture." — Danny Bauer "What does it matter if I have a viral thread on X or a million comments on Facebook if they're just comments and nobody changes?" — Danny Bauer "Leadership is a human endeavor." — Danny Bauer 🧗‍♂️ Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement? Start here: Tomorrow: Walk into one classroom today and instead of evaluating, ask one curious question — "what were you trying to accomplish?" — and actually listen to the answer. This Month: Audit your weekly inputs — every meeting, habit, and commitment — and identify the three activities consuming the most time while producing the least change in student or teacher outcomes. This Semester: Build a belonging audit into your end-of-year conversations with staff by asking directly: "Do you feel like you belong here, and do you know how you're doing?" — then act on what you hear. ⌚️ Episode Timestamps 00:00 - 10 years of the Ruckuscast — what's changed 03:05 - Dan Watt takes the host seat 04:16 - Why the same questions killed the show early 06:03 - How guests are selected differently now 09:28 - Episodes that redefined doing school different 12:24 - The leadership belief Danny had to unlearn 14:28 - Why getting outside your district changes everything 19:00 - Patterns in leaders who actually grow 21:23 - Why curiosity beats judgment in classroom walkthroughs 23:17 - The two questions every staff member needs answered 33:46 - Saying no to stay vibrant — what Danny turned down 35:25 - Busyness is not a badge of honor 39:51 - What a tired principal needs to hear right now 41:58 - The invitation to dance and why enrollment beats compliance 🎧 Listen & Subscribe Listen to Better Leaders Better Schools on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube or wherever you get your podcasts. If today's episode moved you, leave a review — it helps more Ruckus Makers find the show. 🧔🏻‍♂️ Your SelfMentorship Guide Meet Digital Danny — your SelfMentorship guide. Always available, never forgets, and evolves with you. Think through your next leadership move at myprincipalcoach.com. 🤝 Today's Ruckuscast Partners ODP Business Solutions has been a trusted partner for schools for 30 years — and they're not just dropping off supplies. They help school leaders design dynamic learning environments where students are actually excited to show up, from tech integrations that bring lessons to life to flexible furniture that turns any room into a collaboration zone. Everything ships from a single supplier so you can simplify ordering, stay on budget, and access cooperative contracts without the compliance headache. 🔍 Visit ODPbusiness.com/education to learn more. Frontline Education's 2026 K12 Lens Report surfaces exactly what districts are doing differently to keep great teachers from burning out and walking out. The data is specific: districts that automate professional development processes are nearly twice as likely to report easier hiring outcomes than those that don't — and nearly half report measurable improvement. If you're building a campus where people feel supported and proud to stay, 🔍 Download the full report at frontlineducation.com/leaders. IXL doesn't ask teachers to guess what their students know. Its diagnostic automatically identifies every knowledge gap, then builds a personalized growth plan for each individual student — so teachers walk into class informed, not hoping. The adaptive platform adjusts difficulty in real time as students learn, closing gaps without requiring teachers to manually differentiate everything. 🔍 Get started at ixl.com/leaders. META DESCRIPTION: Danny Bauer reflects on 10 years of school leadership podcasting — what he unlearned, what separates growing principals from stalled ones, and why curiosity beats judgment.

She helps principals stop surviving their schools and start leading them. Michelle Sloan is an educator, author, and leadership coach who spent seven years building a school from the ground up — which gave her something rare: "firsthand proof that mission-driven leadership isn't a feel-good concept, it's a survival strategy." Her book The Purpose Driven Principal is the framework she wishes she'd had in year one. School leadership burnout is not a willpower problem. It's a systems problem. A principal walks in energized, writes down what matters, and by 6pm hasn't touched a single item on the list. This episode is about diagnosing that drift — and building the structure to stop it from swallowing another year. 📚 What You'll Learn Why your open door policy is actively damaging your relationships (not protecting them). How the four pillars of a purpose-driven school — people, pedagogy, processes, and personal growth — create a filter for every decision. The Assess, Design, Align cycle and how to use it to get back to mission-driven work. Why what's predictable is preventable, and what that actually looks like in practice. The one calendar change that breaks the reactive leadership cycle. 🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules ✅ Key Insight #1: Principal Burnout Is a Symptom of Missing Purpose Filters What's broken: Principals measure their days by how busy they are, not by whether they're moving toward their mission. The shift: Define the school's mission, vision, and core values first — then use them as a filter for every demand, program, and shiny new thing that shows up. Impact: A principal who knows why their school exists can say no to the college prep program that works down the street but doesn't fit their community — and feel confident doing it. ✅ Key Insight #2: Processes Are a Leadership Superpower, Not an Administrative Chore What's broken: Every knock on the principal's door is treated as an individual problem to solve, so the same problems return every day. The shift: Treat every repeated interruption as a signal that a system is missing — then build the process that makes you unnecessary for that question. Impact: When processes are in place, teachers stop waiting until 5:30 to ask questions only you can answer, and you get to do the work that actually requires you. ✅ Key Insight #3: The Open Door Policy Is a False Virtue What's broken: Principals equate constant accessibility with relational leadership — and end up half-present for everyone, including their families. The shift: Set published hours for availability, protect deep work time with the same seriousness that teacher planning periods are protected, and be 100% present when you are present. Impact: Principals who define when they are available stop the low-grade distraction that makes a 12-hour da

The principal drive home test: if you can't name one thing that mattered today, you're in reactive mode. Here's the fix. Principal burnout doesn't start in a crisis. It starts in the car at 6pm, when you've done a lot but moved nothing forward — the instructional leadership, the culture work, the long game stuff that actually changes outcomes never got touched. That's not a productivity problem. It's an access problem. This episode introduces selfmentorship — the practice of being your own first coach instead of waiting for permission-based PD, the right mentor, or the right conference to land in your lap. You'll hear how Elaine, an AVID coordinator stepping into a brand new school, used 90 minutes of clear thinking to walk in day one with a real plan instead of firefighting her way through week six. Then you'll hear how to join the next Selfmentorship Sprint on Thursday, May 28 at 7pm Eastern — a live one-hour training plus 90 days of Digital Danny access for $100. Reserve your seat: https://ruckusmakers.news/sprint

A professor at San Diego's High Tech High Graduate School of Education and co-author of PLC+: Better Decisions and Greater Impact by Design, Nancy Frey has spent decades studying how teachers actually collaborate — and why most of it doesn't work. Her research-backed PLC+ framework is the difference between a Wednesday morning ritual and a genuine engine of collective efficacy. She teaches full-time at a high school that runs every student through a real-world internship program, so her frameworks aren't theoretical — they're road-tested. Find her work at hightechhigh.org. Professional learning communities were supposed to fix teacher isolation. Instead, most schools turned them into a weekly meeting where teachers explain why students failed. If your PLCs feel like compliance theater, this episode of the Ruckuscast is the reset you need — Nancy Frey breaks down the PLC+ model and the exact questions that shift a team from admiring problems to solving them. 🌟 What You'll Learn Why 85% of PLC conversations focus on student deficits — and the research that proves it. The single wrong question most schools are asking in PLCs (and the right one to replace it). How to organize collaborative teams around common challenges instead of grade level. What "the plus" in PLC+ actually means and why it's the antidote to teacher burnout. How one San Diego high school built a healthcare internship program that sends students into the field every week starting in ninth grade. 🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules 🧠 Key Insight #1: PLCs Have Become Problem-Admiring Sessions, Not Problem-Solving Ones What's broken: Research shows that 85% of PLC conversations focus on student deficits — language barriers, behaviour, home life, or suspected disabilities — rather than instructional changes. The shift: Name a specific, solvable common challenge your team can actually affect, then spend PLC time designing and evaluating actions toward that challenge. Impact: Teams move from collective helplessness to collective efficacy — and teachers stop feeling like they're carrying student achievement alone. 🧠 Key Insight #2: Organizing PLCs by Grade Level Locks Out the Most Valuable Collaboration What's broken: Grade-level and department groupings leave singleton teachers — art, PE, music — without a collaborative home and trap everyone else with the same colleagues year after year. The shift: Organize teams around a shared common challenge, letting staff self-select based on what's genuinely perplexing them right now, regardless of content area. Impact: Teachers encounter new practices, new contexts, and new colleagues — what Nancy calls a more "vivid" way to experience school as a professional. 🧠 Key Insight #3: The Wrong Question Is Driving Every PLC in America What's broken: Schools open PLCs by asking "how do we raise readin

Her career started in Philadelphia public schools in the 90s, full of idealism and a master's in counseling psychology. A decade later, she was coaching executives in global corporations. Now Sage Hobbs coaches school principals and superintendents on the skill that drives everything else — the ability to have conversations that actually matter. She is the author of Naked Communication: Courageously Create the Relationships You Really Want and the host of the Principal Pep Talks podcast. School leadership research points to strategy, curriculum, data, and policy as the levers that move outcomes. Sage Hobbs will tell you those are all downstream of something simpler: the conversations principals are avoiding. If you've ever softened a message that needed to land hard, or left a difficult conversation for "another time" that never came, this episode is the diagnosis. 🤩 What You'll Learn Why certainty is confused with competence — and what that costs you as a leader. How hard conversations drive change in ways checklists and management systems never can. What "lead with curiosity" actually looks like when a parent is angry or a teacher is underperforming. Why schools that prioritize community above all else outperform schools that prioritize programs. The one reframe that makes difficult conversations feel less like conflict and more like leadership. 🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules 🧰 Key Insight #1: Hard Conversations Are a Leadership Tool, Not a Soft Skill What's broken: Most principals treat difficult conversations as a last resort — something you escalate to HR or delay until the situation forces your hand. The shift: Conversations are the currency your school runs on; every one is an opportunity for connection, and the willingness to have hard ones is what separates management from leadership. Impact: Teachers feel heard, trust builds faster, and change actually sticks — because the real issue got named instead of managed around. 🧰 Key Insight #2: Certainty Is Rewarded, But Curiosity Is What Works What's broken: The system trains leaders to have answers — uncertainty reads as incompetence, so principals perform confidence even when it costs them the truth. The shift: To lead is to risk; staying curious when someone pushes back, asking "I wonder what's actually going on here" instead of defending a position, is the higher-skill move. Impact: Parents who felt dismissed become collaborators, teachers who seemed resistant reveal skill deficits that coaching can actually fix, and the leader stops fighting fires that curiosity would have prevented. 🧰 Key Insight #3: Community Is Not a Program — It Has to Be Built in Conversation What's broken: Schools bolt community on through assemblies, newsletters, and culture initiatives that live in binders and die in staff meetings. <

A Chicano educator from Los Angeles has spent nearly 20 years building the infrastructure that schools won't — the kind that catches students before they fall through the cracks. Hector Chaira is the Director of Education Programs at the Latino Film Institute , home to the Youth Cinema Project, a filmmaking mentorship program now operating in 21 California school districts across 61 classrooms. YCP brings professional filmmakers into English classes to guide students from concept to screen over a full school year. The results — in test scores, reclassification rates, graduation, and lives redirected — are impossible to ignore. Find ALIFI at latinofilm.org. Arts integration in schools has been underfunded, undervalued, and cut first for decades. This episode is the case against that pattern — told through data, two schools that are outperforming their affluent neighbors, and a story about a kid living in a motel who just won Best High School Actor. 🧠 What You'll Learn How the Youth Cinema Project uses filmmaking to drive measurable academic gains in English, writing, and student engagement.. Why arts integration consistently outperforms traditional instruction in Title I schools — and two real examples that prove it. What "redefining success" actually looks like inside a classroom — not the bumper sticker version. How high expectations plus creative purpose pulls students away from the wrong path. The three guiding principles Hector would use to build his dream school from scratch. 🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules 🎯 Key Insight #1: Student Engagement in Schools Requires Creation, Not Consumption What's broken: Schools treat students as passive recipients of content — sit down, absorb, test, repeat. The shift: When students become creators — directing, writing, acting, producing — they develop ownership over their learning that no worksheet can replicate. Impact: More than 78% of YCP students report feeling confident using their voice in the classroom, and teachers are seeing measurable jumps in writing skills within a single semester. 🎯 Key Insight #2: Arts Integration Drives Academic Outcomes in Title I Schools What's broken: Arts programs get cut first in under-resourced schools precisely where student engagement is most at risk. The shift: Schools that fold the arts into core content — not as an elective, but as the engine — are consistently outperforming even the most well-funded campuses nearby. Impact: One Title I high school in the LA area, where every elective is arts-based and integration into core content is a priority, is outperforming the most affluent school in its community on graduation rates and college entry. 🎯 Key Insight #3: Redefining Success Unlocks Student Potential That Test Scores Miss What's broken: Success is defined by wh

The man who co-created category design — the strategic framework behind companies like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Drift — has a blunt message for principals: your recruiting ads are announcing that nobody wants to work at your school. Christopher Lochhead is co-author of Play Bigger, Niche Down, and Category Pirates, the wildly popular business newsletter read by some of the sharpest operators in tech and venture. His latest book, Creator Capitalist, makes the case that the creator economy isn't a trend — it's the future of every career, including the ones you're trying to build on your campus. Most principals spend their careers trying to fix a reputation problem they don't realize they have. This conversation with Christopher Lochhead lands like a two-by-four: your school's reputation is built entirely by what people say when you're not in the room, and most of the signals you're sending are saying the opposite of what you intend. The connection between category design, teacher recruitment, AI in education, and what it means to do school different turns out to be a single through-line — and it starts with the courage to be different. 🤩 What You'll Learn Why "we need teachers" recruiting ads tell candidates your school is a bad place to work — and what to say instead How category design thinking applies directly to school leader reputation and teacher retention Why AI makes memorization-focused schools obsolete — and what replaces it The difference between being an entertainer in the classroom and creating scaffolding for student legendary How to build the kind of school halo that outlasts every teacher who passes through your doors 🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules ✅ Key Insight #1: Your Recruiting Language Is Telling Candidates to Stay Away What's broken: Most schools post "we need teachers" ads with lists of open positions, believing they're being transparent about opportunities. The shift: What gets said in a communication and what doesn't get said are both heard — and the unspoken message of a vacancy list is that nobody wants to work there. Impact: Principals who reframe recruiting around what makes their campus different and what problems they exist to solve go from struggling to fill positions to having more applicants than openings. ✅ Key Insight #2: Reputation Capital Is Everything — Principals Are Building It Whether They Know It or Not What's broken: Educators treat reputation as a soft, unmeasurable byproduct of doing good work rather than as a strategic asset they actively shape. The shift: Reputation is simply what gets said about you when you're not around — and the most effective principals build schools where being hired there carries a career-long halo, the way working at Nvidia does in Silicon Valley. Impact: A school with a strong reputation halo at

Ten years of school leadership podcasting reveals one consistent truth: most principals are doing it alone when they don't have to. In this special anniversary episode, Danny Bauer sits down with co-host Dan Watt to trace the arc from isolated AP to category-defining podcast host — and what he's learned coaching hundreds of school leaders along the way. Dan Watt is a school principal, leadership coach, and Mastermind coach for Better Leaders Better Schools, based in northern British Columbia, Canada. He joined the Ruckus Maker community as a member before stepping into a coaching role, and now co-writes the weekly Ruckus Makers newsletter. He brings a practitioner's lens to every conversation — someone still in the building, still doing the work. Find him through the Ruckus Makers community at ruckusmakers.news. ☑️ What You'll Learn Why Danny started the podcast and what leadership gap drove the decision How the Ruckus Maker Mastermind was built to fill a void no one else in education had addressed The mindset shift that separates thriving principals from burned-out ones What patterns Danny sees repeatedly in the leaders he coaches today Where the Ruckus Maker brand is heading — and why it's bigger than school leadership 🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules 🧰 Key Insight #1: Working More Hours Is Not a Leadership Strategy What's broken: Districts treat effort and visibility as the measure of a leader's worth — the longer you're on campus, the more you're seen as committed. The shift: Value created and culture built are the real metrics — not hours logged or sleeves rolled up. Impact: Mastermind member Justin stopped seeing more hours as the solution to feeling overwhelmed, found his North Star, and called it transformative. 🧰 Key Insight #2: Isolation Is a Choice, Not a Condition What's broken: Most school leaders wait for the district to provide mentorship, community, or coaching — and the district almost never delivers. The shift: Choosing yourself means actively seeking a community, a coach, and the tools to grow on a weekly basis — not waiting for permission. Impact: When Danny built the Mastermind in 2016, he introduced peer coaching to an industry that had nothing like it; leaders who join stop leading alone. 🧰 Key Insight #3: You Become What You Think About What's broken: Leaders absorb a deficit mindset — kids are broken post-COVID, resources are disappearing, the system is against them — and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. The shift: The Beautiful Constraint mindset asks: given this reality, what needs to be true to accomplish what we want? Impact: Principals who reframe obstacles as constraints to work within — rather than walls to hide behind — lead higher-engagement campuses regardless of what the district hands them. 🗣️ DANNY BAUER QUOTES FROM THE RUCKUS-CAST "The strangest secret is we become wh

🧰 The Ruckus Report Quick take: This episode is a masterclass in what happens when a teacher stops delivering lessons — and starts creating life-changing experiences. 🙋‍♂️ Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Jesus Huerta is an educator and innovation coach who transforms classrooms into launchpads for curiosity, creativity, and future careers. From 3D printing to robotics, his work centers on one mission: give students access, spark possibility, and let them build what's next. 🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules In this episode, Jesus Huerta challenges traditional education paradigms: 🎯 Key Insight #1: Engagement Comes from Compliance What's broken: "Sit down, listen, and learn" instruction that assumes students will care. The shift: Design experiences students want to engage in through hands-on learning and real-world tools. Impact: Students move from passive to fully alive — creating, building, and owning their learning. 🎯 Key Insight #2: Teach the Same Lesson Every Year What's broken: Repeating "greatest hits" lessons while the world (and kids) evolve rapidly. The shift: Use the engineering design process to constantly iterate, improve, and adapt instruction. Impact: Lessons stay fresh, relevant, and aligned with how students actually experience the world. 🎯 Key Insight #3: Technology is Extra (or Too Hard) What's broken: Fear, overwhelm, or waiting for the "perfect time" to try something new. The shift: Start small, pick one tool, and adopt a "Why not today?" mindset. Impact: Teachers build confidence, students gain exposure, and classrooms transform over time — not overnight. 🎙️ Quotable Ruckus "If I'm bored teaching the lesson, the kids are definitely bored learning it." – Jesus Huerta 🏋️‍♂️ Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Pick ONE new tool or strategy — even Play-Doh counts — and try it with your students This Month: Redesign one existing lesson using the engineering design process (build → test → improve) This Semester: Create at least one "can't miss" learning experience that students will talk about years later 🔗 Connect & Continue 🎯 Get the full episode transcript here 👩🏻‍💻 Follow Jesus Huerta: Website: https://mrhuertasclass.weebly.com/ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jesus-huerta-750375141 📌 Ruckus Makers Don't Just Listen — They Act If education ain't a bit disruptive, then what are your students really learning? This show isn't about doing school better. I

📋 The Ruckus Report Quick take: Most principals accept their school building as a fixed constraint. Anne Seeley proves it's actually your most under-utilized leadership tool — and you don't need a construction budget to start. 🎓 Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Anne Seeley, a Senior Associate Project Manager, NCARB, LEED, AP, AIA is an accomplished architect with a distinct blend of expertise. For over 20 years, she has focused on educational architecture, creating everything from visionary master plans and engaging student Centers to complex campus renovations. Anne doesn't just design buildings; she creates thoughtful environments that reflect the goals and ideas of the people she works with. Anne's commitment to improving the user experience makes her a leading figure in educational design. 🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules In this episode, Anne Seeley challenges how school leaders think about physical space: 🧰 Key Insight #1: Space is named, not designed for purpose What's broken: Rooms are labeled — classroom, corridor, cafeteria — and that label locks in every expectation about how the space gets used. The shift: Name the activity, not the room. A "peer-to-peer instruction zone" unlocks possibilities a "hallway" never will. Impact: Ravenscroft School opened a reimagined student center and students claimed full ownership within the first week — filling it from 7am to 7pm daily. 🧰 Key Insight #2: Bus riders get the back door What's broken: Car drop-off gets the front entrance. Students who ride the bus — often from lower-income households — enter through a secondary, less welcoming entry. The shift: Hilltop Needmore Road Elementary redesigned both entries with equal prominence, a canopy, and a shared convergence point so every student arrives feeling welcomed. Impact: Equity gets built into the physical infrastructure of the school day — not just the curriculum. 🧰 Key Insight #3: Underused spaces sit idle most of the day What's broken: A school stage gets used once or twice daily for music and theater, then goes dark. The shift: Design the stage with a folding wall so it opens to the cafeteria for dining, closes for performances, and opens the back side to the corridor as a teaching space and after-care zone. Impact: A single space now serves three distinct functions across the full school day instead of one. 🎙️ Quotable Ruckus "Rather than giving a name to something — this is a classroom, this is a corridor — what if the space is a space for engagement? – Anne Seeley What if it's a zone for peer-to-peer instruction? When you start naming the activity, it breaks down our association of what the space looks like and starts to give us opportunities to reimagine it." – Anne Seeley 🧩 Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start

Principal leadership development is broken — 3 out of 4 school leaders have no coach, no mentor, no one to think it through with. Principal coaching and self-mentorship are the difference between leaders who wait for answers and leaders who generate their own. Corey, a Chicago principal, logged 910 conversations with Digital Danny over one school year — not for generic advice, but to think through the hardest decisions he faced: a staff situation, a career crossroads, a coaching conversation he needed to get right. He called it "almost like your self mentor." That's the category. That's what this is. This sprint on April 30 gives you one hour to experience the framework, watch a live Digital Danny session, and work through something real you're carrying right now. $100 gets you in — and that includes 30 days of Digital Danny access. Register for the sprint here: https://ruckusmakers.news/sprint  ⌚️ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - 3 out of 4 principals lead without a mentor 00:46 - Corey's first Digital Danny conversation 01:38 - The basketball coach situation and the shift 02:25 - Corey's career question and interview prep 03:13 - Digital Danny retrains — Corey accelerates 04:14 - What self-mentorship actually means 05:12 - The Self-Mentorship Sprint: April 30 details

📋 The Ruckus Report Quick take: Schools didn't gradually adopt tech — they surrendered to it. This episode is a wake-up call for leaders ready to reclaim learning, relationships, and childhood from screens. 🎓Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Emily Cherkin, M.Ed., The Screentime Consultant, is leading the fight for a Tech-IntentionalTM childhood. Emily works with schools, families, policymakers, and advocacy organizations to ensure the future of education prioritizes skills, safety, and relationships over screens, EdTech, and A.I. Emily is an author, speaker, consultant, and associate professor of public policy at the University of Washington. She is also co-chair of Fairplay's Screens in Schools Action Network and the lead plaintiff in a class action lawsuit against one of the largest EdTech companies in the world. Emily is also the creator of the UnPlug EdTech Toolkit. 🌱 Breaking Down the Old Rules In this episode, Emily Cherkin challenges traditional education paradigms: 🧰 Key Insight #1: EdTech = Innovation What's broken: Schools assume more devices = better learning. The shift: Question the role of Tech through a child development lens. Impact: Leaders prioritize cognition, focus, and real engagement over screen time. 🧰 Key Insight #2: Convenience Over Relationships What's broken: Grade portals, emails, and AI replace human conversations. The shift: Bring back friction — phone calls, dialogue, real connection. Impact: Stronger trust with families and deeper student-teacher relationships. 🧰 Key Insight #3: Teach Tech Early and Often What's broken: Giving young kids constant access to devices in the name of "preparation." The shift: Later is better. Less is more. Skills before screens.. Impact: Students build communication, resilience, and critical thinking first. 🗣️ Quotable Ruckus "If Tech is doing the thinking, your students aren't!" – Emily Cherkin 🧩 Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Audit one tech tool on your campus — ask: Is it effective, safe, and necessary? This Month: Reintroduce one human-centered practice (phone calls, in-person feedback, discussion-based learning) This Semester: Build a campus-wide "tech intentional" philosophy rooted in relationships and skill development 🔗 Connect & Continue 🎯 Get the full episode transcript here 👩🏻‍💻 Follow Emily Cherkin: 💻 Website: https://thescreentimeconsultant.com 😎 The Unplug EdTech ToolKit https://thescreentimeconsultant.com/r

📋 The Ruckus Report Quick take: Most systems are designed to control people, not empower them.This episode shows what happens when a leader flips that script — and trusts the people closest to students to lead. 🙋‍♂️ Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Dr. Lindsay Whorton is president of The Holdsworth Center, a nonprofit building stronger leaders for public schools. She's the author of A New School Leadership Architecture, a bold blueprint for redesigning leadership roles so educators are supported, developed, and able to help students thrive. ⚒ Breaking Down the Old Rules In this episode, Dr. Lindsay Whorton challenges traditional education paradigms: 🧩 Key Insight #1: Stop Hoarding Power at the Top What's broken: Central office controls decisions, budgets, and strategy. The shift: Push power, money, and responsibility to campuses. Impact: Faster decisions, stronger ownership, and leadership at every level. 🧩 Key Insight #2: Collaboration Isn't a Meeting What's broken: PLCs and meetings that waste time and kill momentum. The shift: Create space for real-time, problem-solving collaboration between educators. Impact: Teachers stop retreating and start growing together. 🧩 Key Insight #3: Scarcity Is a Leadership Trap What's broken: Leaders fixate on what they don't have (budget, staff, time). The shift: Reframe constraints into creative opportunities using available resources. Impact: Innovation increases, victim thinking decreases, and results improve. 💬 Quotable Ruckus "You're not punishing anyone but your students if you stay stuck in scarcity." – Dr. Lindsay Whorton 🧗‍♂️ Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Ask your team: "What decisions are we holding at the top that should live closer to students?" This Month: Redesign one meeting into real collaboration — focused on solving a live student problem This Semester: Pilot a shared leadership model that gives teachers real authority, time, and responsibility 🔗 Connect & Continue 🎯 Get the full episode transcript ****here 👩🏻‍💻 Follow Dr. Lindsay Whorton: Website: https://holdsworthcenter.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-whorton-9685aa26/ Holdsworth Center on X: https://x.com/HoldsworthCentr Holdsworth Center on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HoldsworthCenter/ Holdsworth Center on Instagram: <a href= "https://www.in

🎯 The Ruckus Report Quick take: You can't force engagement — but you can design for success. Tommy Floyd breaks down how one meaningful win can transform disconnected students into confident, motivated learners. 🎓 Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Tommy Floyd originally became involved in NASP® in 2003, while serving as a high school principal and NASP® coach. Several of the first NASP® state champions were on the Somerset High School team that Tommy coached. He has seen, first-hand, how the program positively impacts students, parents, and teachers. He has seen NASP® promote constructive teacher/student relationships, academic motivation and the promotion of students becoming involved with their school – many for the first time. 🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules In this episode, Tommy Floyd challenges traditional education paradigms: 😎 Key Insight #1: You Can't Force Engagement What's broken: Schools rely on surveys, incentives, and interventions to "drive" engagement. The shift: Create authentic success experiences first. Impact: Students become intrinsically motivated and eager to participate. 📌 Key Insight #2: The "Invisible Middle" Doesn't Need More Programs What's broken: Schools focus only on high achievers or behaviour problems. The shift: Design opportunities for the disengaged majority to feel capable and connected. Impact: 68% of students report feeling more connected to school. 🧰 Key Insight #3: Motivation Comes After Success (Not Before) What's broken: Expecting students to care before they've experienced competence. The shift: Give students a win → build confidence → unlock effort. Impact: 34% of students say they work harder in class after experiencing success. 🎙️ Quotable Ruckus "Every child needs success. What are you doing?" – Tommy Floyd 🧗‍♂️ Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Identify 5 "invisible middle" students and ask: where can they experience a quick win? This Month: Launch or pilot one new opportunity (club, program, experience) designed for belonging — not performance This Semester: Build a system where every student experiences success in at least one meaningful domain on campus 🔗 Connect & Continue 🎯 Get the full episode transcript here 👩🏻‍💻 Follow Tommy Floyd: Website: https://www.naspschools.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/naspschools/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ArcheryintheSchools/video

📕 The Ruckus Report Quick take: Most strategic plans fail for one simple reason — leaders try to sell a vision the community didn't help create. Drew Howick and Dr. Jeffrey Axelbank reveal how the Future Search process flips that script by putting the whole community in the room to design the future together. 🫂 Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Makers Drew Howick is the founder of Howick Associates, a highly regarded consulting firm based in Madison Wis, and is well regarded as a trusted advisor and collaborative partner to hundreds of schools districts, most of which are in Wisconsin. He is the author of the book, The New Compleat Facilitator: A Handbook for Facilitators. Dr. Jeffrey Axelbank is a psychologist and consultant based in Highland Park, NJ. His consulting work focuses on strategic engagement - getting everyone pulling in the same direction. He is particularly passionate about whole-system interventions such as Future Search, to help diverse stakeholders in organizations and communities discover common ground in their vision of their shared future. 🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules In this episode, Drew Howick and Dr. Jeffrey Axelbank challenge traditional education paradigms: 🧰 Key Insight #1: Stop "Selling" Strategic Plans What's broken: District leaders build a strategic plan internally, then try to convince the community to support it. The shift: Bring 60–160 diverse stakeholders together to co-create the vision. Impact: When people help build the future, they defend it, support it, and help implement it. 🎯 Key Insight #2: Replace Hub-and-Spoke Engagement What's broken: Schools collect feedback separately through surveys, focus groups, and stakeholder meetings. The shift: Put parents, teachers, students, business leaders, clergy, nonprofits, and civic leaders in the same room so they talk to each other. Impact: Silos disappear, polarization drops, and the community discovers real common ground. 🧨 Key Insight #3: Make Strategic Planning an Event, Not a Process What's broken: Two years of scattered meetings that lead to a plan nobody owns. The shift: A 12-hour Future Search event across three sessions where stakeholders explore the past, analyze the present, and design the future together. Impact: Stronger trust, better ideas, unexpected partnerships, and a plan the community actually wants to execute. 🎙️ Quotable Ruckus "Strong schools require strong community partnerships — and those partnerships don't just happen. Someone has to start the conversation." – Drew Howick "When people help create the vision for the future, they don't fight the plan — they help build it." – Dr. Jeffrey Axelbank 🔗 Connect & Continue 🎯 Get the full episode transcript <a href= "https://www.notion.so/Turning-Community-Engagement-into-a-Strategic-Planning-Superpower

🧰 The Ruckus Report Quick take: This episode flips the script on school culture and student motivation. Adrian Ireland shows why most engagement issues aren't about effort — they're about environment — and what to do instead. 🫂 Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Adrian Ireland is an international educator, systems thinker, and author who reimagines the architecture of learning by challenging traditional, standardized education models. With experience leading across Asia and Europe, he champions learner-centered approaches that elevate curiosity, individuality, and creativity. 🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules 😎 Key Insight #1: Schools don't have effort problems — they have architecture problems What's broken: We blame students and teachers for being unmotivated. The shift: Redesign the system so motivation is the natural outcome, not a constant battle. Impact: Transforms passive learners into engaged problem-solvers without more effort. 📌 Key Insight #2: Culture isn't spoken into existence — it's built by design What's broken: Leaders treat culture like a vibe or vision statement. The shift: Treat culture as the emergent result of your systems, structures, and incentives. Impact: A culture of belonging and excellence that sustains itself beyond PD days and posters. 🧰 Key Insight #3: Startup Week proves a different architecture delivers better results What's broken: End-of-year burnout and throwaway lessons. The shift: Reclaim that time with a high-agency, high-authenticity program rooted in design thinking. Impact: Students work harder, retain more, and surprise themselves — even in the last week of school. 💬 Quotable Ruckus "Culture is really system architecture in disguise." – Adrian Ireland 🧗‍♂️ Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Audit your current systems. Where are students swimming upstream? This Month: Start planning a low-stakes sandbox where your staff can test new structures. This Semester: Launch a Startup Week-style program to unlock student agency and authentic learning. 🔗 Connect & Continue 🎯 Get the full episode transcript here 👩🏻‍💻 Follow Adrian Ireland: Website: https://designingdifferent.carrd.co/ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/adrian-ireland-413191278 📕 Book: Designing differ

📕 The Ruckus Report Quick take: Danny tells the brutal story of a "worst first day of school ever" moment — when half the students had no schedules — and uses it to make the case for a 90-day entry plan that builds trust fast, reduces stress, and keeps your campus from spiralling into avoidable chaos. 🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules In this episode, Danny challenges the "vibes-only leadership" approach and lays out why leaders need a real plan — what you're doing, why you're doing it, and how you'll execute — especially in the first 90 days. 🧨 Key Insight #1 — The real "first day" starts months earlier What's broken: Treating the first day of school like a one-day event you can "wing." The shift: Build and execute a time-based entry plan with clear milestones and check-ins. Impact: Fewer fires, fewer surprises, and a campus experience worth showing up for. — starting day one. 📌 Key Insight #2 — Chaos is often a systems failure, not a people problem What's broken: Blaming individuals when a breakdown happens (or silently absorbing it alone). The shift: Own the outcome, stabilize the system, then fix the root cause with a plan you can communicate. Impact: Faster recovery when things go wrong — and fewer repeat disasters. 🎯 Key Insight #3 — Close the "Belief Gap" at 3 levels What's broken: Strategy that sounds good but doesn't create confidence. The shift: Close belief gaps for: You (internal confidence), Your team (shared belief + clarity), Stakeholders (parents/ board/ community buy-in). Impact: More trust, more autonomy, and more momentum — because people believe the plan is real. 🎙️ Quotable Ruckus "As school leaders, we make a promise to our community — and it's important that you deliver on that promise, especially in the first 90 days." — Danny Bauer. 🧩 Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Identify the one predictable breakdown that could derail your next "first day" (schedules, transportation, staffing, supervision, etc.) and write the prevent-it list. This Month: Draft a 90-day entry plan with milestone check-ins (what success looks like by week 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12). This Semester: Share the plan in a format your team can repeat back — then measure whether belief is rising across you/team/stakeholders. 🔗 Connect & Continue 🎯 Get the full episode transcript here 👉Apply to The Entry Plan Intensive: https://entryplanintensive.com/ Applications close March 20th at 11:59:59 pm ET. 📌 Ruckus Makers Don't Just Listen — They Act If educat

🧨 The Ruckus Report Quick take: Most leaders say they want innovation… then rebuild the same dusty campus experience with newer paint. Will Campbell shows what happens when you press reset, redesign the human experience of school, and trust students to build the culture while teachers get time to grow inside the workday. Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Will Campbell is redefining what's possible with modern education. As the Founding Head of Franklin School in Jersey City, named the The Most Innovative School in the World by T4 Education, Will has built a learning ecosystem that fuses timeless educational wisdom with breakthrough innovation. His work challenges the traditional playbook, empowering students and educators to think boldly, act with purpose, and lead with vision. 🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules In this episode, Will Campbell challenges traditional education paradigms: 🧰 Key Insight #1: Building from scratch isn't freedom, It's leadership under uncertainty What's broken: Leaders wait for the perfect plan, perfect clarity, perfect conditions… and then wonder why nothing changes. The shift: Get comfortable "building the bridge while you're walking on it," with feedback loops, iteration, and a team that can handle a little wobble. Impact: Faster learning, better decisions, and a school design that improves because it's alive — not because it's locked in. 🧠 Key Insight #2: Student voice isn't a survey. It's shared ownership of culture What's broken: Adults control the experience, then blame kids for not buying in. The shift: Trust students to lead earlier — then coach them with guardrails: "Not everything can be a yes, but everything doesn't have to be a no." Impact: Students build real leadership skill through reps, culture becomes self-sustaining, and the building stops depending on one adult to hold it all together. 🧰 Key Insight #3: Partnerships beat "exposure." Bring the real world into the building What's broken: Schools talk internships and career pathways, but keep professionals at arm's length — so students stay stuck in fantasies and assumptions. The shift: Build partnerships that put experts in front of students now (micro-courses, real conversations, real constraints, real options). Impact: Students pivot earlier, choose pathways with eyes open, and develop the confidence that comes from proximity to real work. 🎙️ Quotable Ruckus "Not everything can be a yes, but everything doesn't have to be a no." – Will Campbell 🧗‍♂️ Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Pick one decision you're still hoarding "because it's faster." Give it away — with clear guardrails — and let someone lead. This Month: Create one student-led culture move (advisory, house system, rituals

🎯 The Ruckus Report Quick take: Kim Strobel's been attacked for teaching differently — and still chose joy. In this episode, she shows school leaders how happiness isn't fluff — it's the foundation. Learn how to fight for your fire, rewire your brain, and lead a school worth showing up for. 🎓 Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Kim Strobel is a former teacher and administrator turned global speaker, author, and happiness coach. After battling a debilitating panic disorder, she transformed her pain into purpose — helping educators reclaim joy, build resilience, and spark cultures of well-being in their schools. She's the author of Teach Happy: Small Steps to Big Joy and speaks on stages around the world, including events for the FBI and thousands of educators each year. 🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules 🧨 Key Insight #1: You have to play it safe to survive school culture What's broken: Educators who do school different often get bullied or iced out. The shift: Kim modeled courage by refusing to dim her light — and found her people. Impact: Students got more than standards — they got voice, agency, and purpose through passion-driven projects like dog adoption campaigns. 🧰 Key Insight #2: Productivity means grinding, not growing What's broken: School leaders wear burnout as a badge and equate rest with weakness. The shift: Kim reframes happiness as a performance strategy, not a luxury. Impact: When teachers practice happiness habits, productivity rises 31% and engagement 10x. 🚀 Key Insight #3: You can't lead culture — you're not responsible for staff happiness What's broken: Leaders think culture is out of their hands. The shift: Kim teaches that school-wide joy starts with modeling and micro-habits. Impact: Schools that bake happiness into the fabric see better retention, morale, and results. 💬 Quotable Ruckus "If your classroom doesn't have joy, curiosity, or risk, then what exactly are you preparing kids for?" – Kim Strobel 📈 Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Ask yourself and your staff: Are we choosing activities that drain us — or fuel us? This Month: Lead by example — commit to one daily happiness habit (movement, gratitude, meditation, social connection, or kindness) This Semester: Create a culture audit. Identify one system or meeting that could be redesigned for joy, not just compliance 🔗 Connect & Continue 🎯 Get the full episode transcript here 👩🏻‍💻 Follow Kim Strobel: Website: http://www.strobeleducation.com, https://strobeleducat

📣 The Ruckus Report Quick take: What if the cure for disengagement isn't better apps, but real tools in real hands? In this episode, Kris Rockwell challenges the one-way screen model that dominates modern classrooms — and makes a powerful case for hands-on learning that sparks joy, confidence, and curiosity. 🤝 Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Kris Rockwell works at the intersection of venture capital, technology, and non-profit initiatives. After spending over fifteen years in the eLearning field, he went on to lead the S. Kent Rockwell Foundation, supporting initiatives in conservation, entrepreneurship, and addiction recovery. He currently serves as Head of Product Development at Play Piper Inc. an edtech company based in San Francisco, the founder of AoS Ventures, a Pittsburgh-based venture capital group, and the co-founder of Praxis Science, a company that focuses on blockchain applications for decentralized science. 🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules In this episode, Kris Rockwell challenges traditional education paradigms: 🧠 Key Insight #1: The Tyranny of the One-Way Screen What's broken: One-way screens that keep kids passive and addicted. The shift: From screen consumption to hands-on creation and feedback loops. Impact: Students build confidence and competence through real-world tinkering and tech. 🧰 Key Insight #2: Tools Aren't Enough Without Freedom to Try What's broken: Classrooms full of unused tech due to lack of support or fear. The shift: Providing kids with approachable tools, open-ended projects, and the psychological safety to fail forward. Impact: One student went from bullied and silent to proudly presenting her own 3D-printed dragon — and finding her voice. 🚀 Key Insight #3: Preparing Kids for the Jobs That Don't Exist Yet What's broken: Teaching only for predictable answers and standardized tests. The shift: Making infotech and digital literacy foundational, just like math. Impact: Students learn coding, robotics, and cybersecurity by building their own devices — laying the groundwork for creative, tech-enabled futures. 💬 Quotable Ruckus "Confidence doesn't come from clicking — it comes from building." – Kris Rockwell 🧗‍♂️ Your Do School Different Challenge 👉 Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Ask one student what they'd build if they could learn anything. Then listen. This Month: Introduce one hands-on STEM project that doesn't require a final grade. This Semester: Reframe screen time — swap passive clicks for real-world tinkering. 🔗 Connect & Continue 📌 Get the full episode transcript here 👩🏻‍💻 Follow Kris Rockwell: Website:

📣 The Ruckus Report Quick take: What if the best learning doesn't happen in a classroom? Dr. Annalies Corbin shares 5 proven strategies to design schools that actually connect learning to real life. 🎓 Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Dr. Annalies Corbin is the Founder & CEO of the PAST Foundation, a trailblazing organization transforming education for the 21st century. A relentless innovator, Dr. Corbin has been reshaping how we connect learning to life for the past 25 years, bridging the gap between scientific research, real-world problem-solving, and classroom experiences. 🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules In this episode, Dr. Corbin challenges traditional education paradigms: 🎯 Key Insight #1: Student Agency What's broken: Teacher-centered control that strips students of voice and choice. The shift: Design learning environments that start with student agency. Impact: Students become self-directed, engaged, and deeply invested in their learning journey. 🎯 Key Insight #2: Cultural Relevancy What's broken: Curriculum that doesn't reflect students' identities or lived experiences. The shift: Make learning culturally relevant so students see themselves in the material. Impact: Increased connection, confidence, and comprehension. 🎯 Key Insight #3: Mastery over Time What's broken: Time-based pacing guides and one-size-fits-all assessments. The shift: Competency-based learning that honors student readiness. Impact: Deeper understanding and real application beyond test scores. 🎯 Key Insight #4: Transdisciplinary Learning What's broken: Artificial silos separating math, science, English, and real life. The shift: Learning that blends disciplines around authentic context and problems. Impact: Greater engagement and relevance across all content areas. 🎯 Key Insight #5: Problem-Based Learning What's broken: Projects done "for the grade" rather than solving something real. The shift: Start with real-world problems and design learning around solving them. Impact: Students learn how to think critically and contribute meaningfully to their communities. 💬 Quotable Ruckus "Say Yes! Too many great ideas die before they start because we begin with all the reasons why not." ** — Dr. Annalies Corbin** 📈 Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Ask your students what they want to learn this week — and act on one idea. This Month: Audit your lessons for cultural relevancy. Where are students missing? This Semester: Launch one real-world, problem-based project that connects to your local community. 🔗 Connect & Continue 🎯 Get the full episode transcript <a href= "https://www.notion.so/Linking-Learning-to-Life-Dr-Annalies-Corbin-s-5-Pow

🎙 The Ruckus Report Quick Take: What happens when a high school sophomore builds the tool he wishes his teacher had? You get Markify — a collaborative, accessible classroom platform now used by 20,000+ students. In this episode, Anthony Beckett shares how a missed note sparked a movement and what school leaders can learn from a student-led disruption. 👋 Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Anthony Beckett is the founder of Markify, an EdTech startup transforming classrooms into collaborative learning environments. After building the prototype while still in high school, Anthony scaled Markify to 1,500+ schools and continues to grow the company as a college student. He's presented at ISTE, FETC, and speaks nationally about accessibility, student agency, and rethinking how classrooms operate. 🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules 🧠 Key Insight #1 — Make Classrooms More Accessible What's broken: Teachers lecture. Students copy notes. And if you miss it, you're out of luck. The shift: Markify puts the whiteboard on every student's desk — live, editable, and archived. Impact: All students — even those in the back row or with attention challenges — can review, interact, and participate at their own pace. 🧠 Key Insight #2 — Design for Collaboration Without Chaos What's broken: Classrooms are still built for compliance, not contribution. Group work is rare, and many tools are either clunky or chaotic. The shift: Markify allows controlled collaboration with real-time editing, permissions, and engagement features. Impact: Shy students speak up. Peer feedback flows. Classwide documents become shared artifacts — not worksheets in isolation. 🧠 Key Insight #3 — Fight Fire With Fire (Engagement > Distraction) What's broken: Schools treat phones and tech as threats instead of opportunities. The shift: Build experiences so engaging, students choose learning over scrolling. Impact: One student hid in the janitor's closet to avoid speaking in class — until Markify gave her a voice. Two weeks later, she was leading a group project. 💬 Quotable Ruckus "The real challenge isn't distraction — it's disinterest. If school isn't more engaging than TikTok, we've already lost." — Anthony Beckett 🎯 Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Ask students how they would redesign one traditional lesson. Try one of their suggestions. This Month: Pilot a collaborative tool like Markify in one unit or course. This Semester: Launch a student-led innovation — let learners solve a real campus problem with tech, process, or design. 🔗 Connect & Continue 🎯 Get the full episode transcript <a href= "https://www.notion.so/The-Whiteboard-on-Every-Desk-Anthony-Beckett-s-Vision-for-Inclusive-Learning-2f0229bf615380f891f1f

🎯 The Ruckus Report Quick take: If you're leading from an empty tank, you're not leading at all. Joël McLean learned the hard way that transformational leadership starts within — and he built a roadmap any school leader can follow. 🎓 Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Joël McLean is a former principal turned certified leadership coach, committed to helping leaders at every level develop skills and confidence to thrive. With 27+ years in education and founder of Inspire Leadership Coaching, he's on a mission to spark transformation from the inside out. 🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules In this episode, Joël McLean challenges traditional education paradigms: 🤯 Key Insight #1: Self-Leadership Over More Initiatives What's broken: More hours, more meetings, and more pressure are seen as the solution to underperformance. The shift: Joël argues that success starts with self-leadership and intentional reflection. Impact: Leaders who focus inward show up with clarity, energy, and stronger school-wide influence. 🤯Key Insight #2: Leadership Is Human, Not Just Measurable What's broken: Leadership is treated as purely results-driven, often ignoring the personal development of the leader. The shift: Joël reframes leadership as a human-centered, values-based journey. Impact: Schools thrive when principals build themselves first, then build others. 🤯 Key Insight #3: Cross-Discipline Growth Builds Better Leaders What's broken: Rigid leadership paths discourage creative growth and perspective-taking outside education. The shift: Joël models how borrowing from business, coaching, and mindfulness unlocks new leadership capacity. Impact: Innovative thinking and intentional design create empowered, future-ready campuses. 💬 Quotable Ruckus "If people are depending on me as a leader, then I need to make sure I'm at my best." – Joël McLean 🧗‍♂️ Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Block 15 minutes for uninterrupted reflection. Ask yourself: "Who do I want to be as a leader this week?" This Month: Write your own Leader's Code. Define your values, vision, and what success looks like for you. This Semester: Begin building systems to support adult learning and staff development aligned with your leadership code. 🔗 Connect & Continue 🌟 Get the full episode transcript here 👩🏻‍💻 Follow Joël McLean: My website: inspireleadership.ca Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inspirelifeleadershipcoaching Instagram: @inspireleadershipcoaching</l

📣 The Ruckus Report Quick take: Ryan Hennessey didn't just walk away from teaching — he dropped the mic. In this episode, he reveals how to leave on your own terms, build brave spaces that spark curiosity, and model vulnerability without losing yourself in the process. 🎓 Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Ryan Hennessey is a former award-winning educator turned heart-led entrepreneur who refuses to accept "good enough." A science teacher by training and disruptor by design, he equips leaders to build spaces (and lives) that are brave, human, and wildly effective. Ryan believes in trading fear for courage, autopilot for true agency, and busy work for inspiring learning that sticks. 🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules In this episode, Ryan Hennessey challenges traditional education paradigms: 🧠 Key Insight #1: From Compliance to Curiosity What's broken: Classrooms designed for control, not connection. The shift: Ditch the worksheet culture and build can't-miss learning experiences. Impact: Students re-engage, show up with energy, and begin asking better questions. 🧠 Key Insight #2: From Burnout to Wholeness What's broken: The myth that great teachers must sacrifice everything. The shift: Choose integrity and presence — even if it means leaving. Impact: Greater sustainability and joy for teachers, deeper impact on students. 🧠 Key Insight #3: From Fear to Vulnerability What's broken: Hyper-vigilant environments that punish risk-taking. The shift: Lead with humanity and model failure. Impact: Classrooms become brave spaces where trust, growth, and agency thrive. 🎙️ Quotable Ruckus "Find the courage to fail spectacularly today." – Ryan Hennessey 🧩 Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Ask yourself: Do students want to be in this space? Then do one thing to make the answer "yes." This Month: Build one immersive lesson that ditches the script and leans into curiosity. This Semester: Model vulnerability. Tell students when you're trying something new — and invite them to do the same. 🔗 Connect & Continue 🎯 Get the full episode transcript: Read here 👩🏻‍💻 Follow Ryan Hennessey: Website: www.ryan-hennessey.com/ Substack: Handle: @IAMRYANHENNESSEY | Link: substack.com/@iamryanhennessey Instagram: Handle: @IAMRYANHENNESSEY | Link: www.instagram.com/iamryanhennessey LinkedIn: Link: www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-hennessey <

😎 The Ruckus Report Quick take: Micah Ali dismantles outdated mindsets about urban education and shares how Compton Unified went from a district people had written off to one that's setting the pace for California. Learn what it takes to build trust, flip expectations, and drive equity by doing what's ethical. 🙌 Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Micah Ali is the longest-serving President in the history of the Compton Unified School District Board of Trustees. A lifelong Compton resident and education advocate, he has championed transformational change in public education, equity in opportunity, and investments that uplift Black and Brown communities in California and across the nation. 🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules 🧠 Key Insight #1: Focus on Students, Not Adult Comfort What's broken: Urban education blamed for failing because of zip codes and funding gaps The shift: Real issue is adult comfort — not student success Impact: Compton Unified refocused priorities, bucked the failure narrative, and rebuilt community trust 🧠 Key Insight #2: From Expectations to Examples What's broken: Low expectations for Black and Brown communities The shift: Redefining students as examples, not expectations Impact: 90%+ student participation in STEAM, national recognition, and record-breaking graduation rates 🧠 Key Insight #3: Replace Equity Buzzwords with Ethics What's broken: DEI as a buzzword without substance The shift: Replace diversity and equity with ethics Impact: Every student gets what they need — not because it's politically correct, but because it's morally required 🗣 Quotable Ruckus "Compton is what the future looks like. And Compton students are not expectations, they are examples." — Micah Ali 🎒Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Audit one adult-centered practice and replace it with a student-focused one This Month: Reach out to one potential partner outside your zip code — think big (DLR, Apple, Zoom) This Semester: Launch one initiative that proves belief in students — housing, pathways, real opportunities 🔗 Connect & Continue 🎯 Get the full episode transcript here 👩🏻‍💻 Follow Micah Ali: https://www.compton.k12.ca.us/ https://www.dlrgroup.com/work/compton-high-school/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/micah-ali-54503823/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/compton-unified-school-district/p

📣 The Ruckus Report Quick take: What if the key to student achievement wasn't curriculum coverage or test prep, but trust? Joe LaTorre's classroom proves that when you lead with relationships, kids show up, lean in, and thrive. 🤝 Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Joe LaTorre is a nationally recognized middle school teacher from Oceanside, NY. Known for building powerful classroom culture and eliminating discipline referrals, Joe helps students read 10–15 books a year, double the average. He's also the co-creator of the Bridges program, uniting students across racially and socioeconomically segregated communities. Joe is an award-winning educator, speaker, and proud Ruckus Maker. 🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules 🧠 Key Insight #1: The Trust Shortcut What's broken: Prioritizing procedures and curriculum in week one. The shift: Start with community, vulnerability, and visible trust. Impact: Students buy in early, behavior issues drop to nearly zero, and academic outcomes skyrocket. 🧠 Key Insight #2: Coaching Over Commanding What's broken: Teachers as compliance officers. The shift: Teachers act as coaches, tailoring experiences to student needs. Impact: More student ownership, deeper engagement, and drastically reduced AI misuse. 🧠 Key Insight #3: Cross-District Segregation Busters What's broken: Racial and economic isolation between school communities. The shift: The Bridges program partners students across districts for shared learning and leadership. Impact: Authentic friendships, empathy, and real-world leadership skills built over years. 💬 Quotable Ruckus "Start with the stretching. Trust is the classroom version of that. If you build it first, you go farther." – Joe LaTorre 📈 Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Begin your class by explaining why today's learning matters — in their terms. This Month: Run a trust-building circle with authentic, scaffolded questions. This Semester: Pilot a cross-classroom or cross-campus exchange to build bridges. 🔗 Connect & Continue 🌟 Get the full episode transcript: Read it here 👩🏻‍💻 Follow Joe LaTorre: Links: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X7LDuBcPMw, Website: www.JosephLaTorre.com Instagram: @thejoelatorre Linktree: linktr.ee/TheJoeLaTorre 📌 Ruckus Makers Don't Just Listen — They Act If education ain

📣 The Ruckus Report Quick take: When the system broke her heart, she built a new one. From a classroom with no chairs to a network of 1:1 micro schools, Lynna Martinez-Khalilian is rewriting the rules of what school can be. 🤝 Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Lynna Martinez-Khalilian is a former classroom teacher who experienced the limits of traditional schooling firsthand. Now a pioneer at Fusion Education Group, Lynna leads a nationwide network of one-to-one micro schools designed to prioritize student belonging, interest-driven learning, and flexible, personalized schedules. She's on a mission to put love at the center of school design — and create places where students thrive, not just survive. 🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules 🎯 Key Insight #1: The Class Size Myth What's broken: Cramming 40 kids into a classroom and expecting personalization. The shift: A micro school model with 1:1 instruction and flexible pacing. Impact: Students are engaged, confident, and finally seen — teacher burnout drops dramatically. 🎯 Key Insight #2: Teaching Before Trust What's broken: Leading with content before connection. The shift: A learning philosophy built on love, motivation, then teaching. Impact: Relationships become the gateway to mastery and critical thinking. 🎯 Key Insight #3: Standardized Systems, One-Size-Fits-All Schedules What's broken: Age-based cohorts, rigid start times, and locked-in pacing. The shift: Flexible, personalized schedules based on student peak learning times and interest development. Impact: Students discover self-agency, intrinsic motivation, and joy in learning — and it sticks. 💬 Quotable Ruckus "Love, motivate, teach. That's the order — and that's the revolution." – Lynna Martinez Khalilian 🏋️ Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Ask your staff: what would it look like to lead with love in our classrooms? This Month: Audit your schedule for flexibility. Where can you give students more autonomy? This Semester: Pilot a mentorship-first initiative where teachers focus on connection before content. 🔗 Connect & Continue 🎯 Get the full episode transcript here 🔗 Follow Lynna Martinez Khalilian: Website: https://www.fusionacademy.com/ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lynna-martinez-khalilian-413a2b75 📌 Ruckus Makers Don't Just Listen — They Act If education ain't a bit disruptive, then what are your students really learning? This show isn't about doing school better.</p

📣 The Ruckus Report Quick take: Jessica Levine restructured Wednesdays to unlock autonomy, connection, and deep learning in her sixth-grade science class. Joined by Mitch Weathers, this episode explores student voice, the power of routine, and why helping kids feel known is just as critical as teaching content. 🎓 Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Makers Jessica Levine is a sixth-grade science teacher who created "ABCDE Days" — a protocol born from pandemic chaos that now transforms how her students learn, reflect, and grow. Mitch Weathers is an educator, author, and systems guru who helps schools build executive function and organization into the DNA of instruction. He co-founded Organized Binder and co-authored a new book on self-regulation in early grades. 🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules 🧠 Key Insight #1: School should center the whole child, not just content. What's broken: Treating academics and social-emotional learning as separate. The shift: Jessica's "B" day prompts students to reflect on how they're being — emotionally, socially, and mentally. Impact: Deeper student connection, emotional literacy, and trust in the classroom. 🧠 Key Insight #2: Systems aren't stifling — they're liberating. What's broken: Teachers winging it or relying on memory for every class routine. The shift: Mitch shows how naming and systematizing common tasks frees up energy for deeper learning. Impact: Students thrive with predictability, and teachers save time and sanity. 🧠 Key Insight #3: Every student deserves a caring adult connection on campus. What's broken: A shocking number of students report not feeling seen by a single adult. The shift: Simple routines like anonymous surveys and sticky-dot walls help identify who's floating through school unseen. Impact: Schools proactively create connections — and prevent isolation-driven behavior issues. 💬 Quotable Ruckus "I'm not teaching content anymore. I'm teaching kids how to learn — and how their brains work." – Jessica Levine 🏋️ Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Ask students one "B" question: How are you being? This Month: Add structure to one routine that currently drains your energy. This Semester: Run a campus-wide check — does every student have one trusted adult? 🔗 Connect & Continue 🎯 Get the full episode transcript here 🔗 Join us on the Adorable Red Hats show. 📧 Email [email protected] with your pitch. 👩🏻‍💻 Learn more at adorableredhats.com. 📌 Ruckus Makers Don't

🎯 The Ruckus Report Quick take: Most schools are drowning in Tier 2 and Tier 3 referrals. Mitch Weathers shows why fixing Tier 1 first is the only way out — and how to actually make it work. 🤝 Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Mitch Weathers is a veteran educator, author, and co-founder of Organized Binder. He's helped thousands of schools rethink their Tier 1 systems and center equity, consistency, and executive function in the classroom. Mitch has keynoted across the U.S. and even rocked turquoise jewelry markets in New Mexico (true story). 🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules In this episode, Mitch challenges traditional education paradigms: 🧠 Key Insight #1: Tier 1 is the Foundation What's broken: Schools overload Tier 2 and Tier 3 while ignoring Tier 1. The shift: Design Tier 1 systems every teacher can implement with fidelity. Impact: Reduced referrals, increased student success, and less burnout. 🧠 Key Insight #2: PD That Actually Works What's broken: Professional learning feels irrelevant and impractical. The shift: Anchor PD in tools and mindsets that apply Monday morning. Impact: Teachers actually implement strategies — and want more. 🧠 Key Insight #3: Lead with Flow, Not Force What's broken: Leaders grip too tightly to plans and compliance. The shift: Lead with intentionality, flexibility, and flow. Impact: More trust, better culture, and stronger adult nervous systems. 💬 Quotable Ruckus "You can't Tier 2 your way out of a Tier 1 problem." — Mitch Weathers 📈 Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Audit one Tier 1 practice for clarity and consistency. This Month: Host a team conversation on the real purpose of PD. This Semester: Design Tier 1 initiatives that every teacher can do. 🔗 Connect & Continue 🌟 Get the full episode transcript here 🔗 Join us on the Adorable Red Hats show. 📧 Email [email protected] with your pitch. 👩🏻‍💻 Learn more at adorableredhats.com. 📌 Ruckus Makers Don't Just Listen — They Act If education ain't a bit disruptive, then what are your students really learning? This show isn't about doing school better. It's about Doing School Different — and joining a growing movement of bold, creative school leaders who reject legacy models and reimagine what's possible. 🧠 Here are four ways we can help you on your Do School Different journey: 📬 Subscribe to the Free Newsletter — An opportunity to Do School Different 3x a week. Tools, mindset shifts, and strategies that actually work: <a href= "https://ruckus

🎯 The Ruckus Report Quick take: Dr. Brandi Kelly offers a refreshing reminder that hope isn't fluffy — it's foundational. In this episode, she unpacks how school leaders can reconnect with what matters most: the heartbeat of their schools. 🎓 Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Dr. Brandi Kelly is a seasoned educator with 20+ years of experience as a school social worker, principal, and superintendent. She's a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Maxwell Certified Coach who founded Spark HOPE Edu to help leaders cultivate schools where every person feels seen, heard, and valued. 🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules In this episode, Dr. Brandi Kelly challenges traditional education paradigms: 🧠 Key Insight #1: Leadership by Compliance What's broken: Systems that reward rule-following over relationship-building. The shift: Leading with heart, humanity, and HOPE. Impact: Deeper connection, higher engagement, and campuses where people thrive. 🧠 Key Insight #2: Fixing Kids Instead of Finding Their Spark What's broken: Focusing on deficits and discipline. The shift: Believing in students before they believe in themselves. Impact: Students rediscover purpose, belonging, and personal power. 🧠 Key Insight #3: Leading Alone What's broken: Isolation at the top. The shift: Prioritizing coaching, community, and connection. Impact: Stronger, more supported leaders who build stronger teams. 💬 Quotable Ruckus "You matter. Your story matters. And there is greatness inside of you. So go shine your light in this world bright." – Dr. Brandi Kelly 🏋️ Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Ask one student or teacher what gives them hope. This Month: Reflect on your leadership through the lens of HOPE: Habits, Optimistic Outlook, Purpose, and Excellence. This Semester: Start your day with intention. Replace your to-do list with a "to-connect" list. 👩🏻‍💻 Connect & Continue 🌟 Get the full episode transcript here 🔗 Follow Dr. Brandi Kelly: Website: www.sparkhopeedu.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandi-kelly-ed-d-lcsw-05446aa7/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadwithhope.23/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LTW24?mibextid=LQQJ4d 📌 Ruckus Makers Don't Just Listen — They Act If education ain't a bit disruptive, then what are your students really learning? This show isn't about

🎯 The Ruckus Report Quick take: Traditional discipline assumes kids will reflect, reset, and return on their own. Charle Peck and Joshua Stamper expose the myth of self-regulation and offer a proven, trauma-informed framework that transforms behavior systems from reactive to relational. 🤝 Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Makers Charle Peck is a global keynote speaker and co-author of The Language of Behavior and Improving School Mental Health. Her experience as a high school teacher turned clinical therapist brings real-world insight and urgency to her work supporting educators. Joshua Stamper is an author, speaker, and former middle school administrator with a passion for trauma-informed education and leadership. He created Aspire to Lead to equip educators with practical, empathetic strategies that drive real change. As co-author of The Language of Behavior, Joshua helps schools implement transformative, relationship-centered approaches to discipline and student support. 🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules In this episode, Charle Peck and Joshua Stamper challenge traditional education paradigms: 🧠 Key Insight #1: Discipline Isn't Magic What's broken: Detentions, ISS, and OSS assume kids will reflect and self-correct. The shift: Behavior is a language. Read it, respond to it, and teach skills in context. Impact: Reduced repeat referrals, improved student-teacher relationships. 🧠 Key Insight #2: The Push-In Model What's broken: Students lose learning time. Teachers lose momentum. Nothing changes. The shift: Admin, counselors, or coaches step in so teachers can connect 1:1 with students. Impact: Thousands of instructional minutes reclaimed. Increased student engagement and academic gains. 🧠 Key Insight #3: Relationship Action Teams (RATs) What's broken: Top-down initiatives die without real buy-in. The shift: A grassroots team pilots behavior strategies, tracks wins, and grows culture from within. Impact: Sustainable change. Staff ownership. A true transformation movement. 💬 Quotable Ruckus "Too often we forget that discipline really means to teach, not to punish." – Charle Peck "Connection before correction is the key." – Joshua Stamper 📈 Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Try a "sky signature" as a rapid reset strategy to shift classroom energy. This Month: Pilot the push-in model in one class. Reflect on what changes. This Semester: Launch a Relationship Action Team with 3-5 educators ready to lead from within. 🔗 Connect & Continue 🌟 Get the full episode transcript here 👩🏻‍💻 Follow Charle Peck: Website: <a href= "https://www.thrivingeducator.org/spea

🎯 The Ruckus Report Quick take: What if connection — not curriculum — was the real driver of academic success? In this episode, Dr. Anne Paonessa reframes student disengagement as feedback, not failure, and reveals how connection fuels attendance, learning, and belonging on every campus. 🎓 Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Dr. Anne Paonessa is a former assistant superintendent, national speaker, and author of Essential Connection Skills. She helps school leaders build connected classrooms that combat disconnection, burnout, and disengagement by focusing on four essential domains of connection. 🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules In this episode, Dr. Anne Paonessa challenges traditional education paradigms: 🧠 Key Insight #1 – Connection Over Compliance What's broken: Schools chase test scores while ignoring the human heartbeat of learning. The shift: Connection becomes the foundation — built through self-awareness, belonging, and relevance. Impact: Attendance rises, engagement doubles, and students actually want to be on campus. 🧠 Key Insight #2 – The Four Domains That Transform Culture What's broken: Kids sit isolated behind screens, while teachers chase compliance. The shift: Paonessa's "Four Domains of Connection" — to self, others, learning, and community — transform classrooms into thriving, relational ecosystems. Impact: Classrooms see fewer disruptions, stronger collaboration, and improved outcomes. 🧠 Key Insight #3 – Connection Is the Curriculum What's broken: Educators think connection is "extra." The shift: Connection isn't an add-on — it is instruction. Every reflection, conversation, and partnership becomes a lever for growth. Impact: High- performing schools prove that when people feel seen and valued, achievement follows naturally. 💬 Quotable Ruckus "Connection isn't something extra. It really is at the core of learning." — Dr. Anne Paonessa 📈 Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Build a reflective pause into one lesson — ask students what they're proud of learning. This Month: Partner with your team to identify one of Paonessa's four connection domains to strengthen on campus. This Semester: Host a "Connection Audit" with students and staff — gather stories, data, and wins to build momentum. 🔗 Connect & Continue 🎯 Get the full episode transcript here 🔗 Follow Dr. Anne Paonessa: Website: https://annepaonessa.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-paonessa-phd-77559292/ Facebook: <a

🎯 The Ruckus Report Quick take: If you think skipping lunch and glorifying stress proves your worth as a school leader, this episode will hit different. Danny and Jethro rip the mask off martyrdom in education and offer a new, healthier way to lead. 🤝 Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Jethro Jones is a former principal and host of the Transformative Principal podcast. He's coached school leaders around the world and is passionate about rejecting outdated norms, rethinking leadership, and helping principals stop chasing busy and start leading with clarity. 🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules In this episode, Jethro Jones challenges traditional education paradigms: 💡 Key Insight #1: The Myth of Busyness = Importance What's broken: Leaders believe being "too busy for lunch" proves dedication. The shift: Prioritize wellness and boundaries as leadership assets. Impact: Better energy, focus, and longevity in the role. 💡 Key Insight #2: Every Task Deserves an A+ Effort What's broken: Treating every job — no matter how meaningless — as mission-critical. The shift: Work smart, not sacred. Prioritize impact. Impact: Leaders reclaim time for what truly moves the needle. 💡 Key Insight #3: Stress as a Status Symbol What's broken: Believing chronic stress is just part of the job. The shift: Normalize recovery and intentional leadership. Impact: Principals feel more human — and more effective — again. 💬 Quotable Ruckus "Busyness is the choice of a hopeless mind." — Jethro Jones 📈 Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Block 30 minutes for lunch. No excuses. No interruptions. This Month: Audit your weekly tasks. Drop or delegate 3 things. This Semester: Redesign your calendar around what matters most. 🔗 Connect & Continue 🎯 Get the full episode transcript here 💪 Join the Ruckus Maker Movement: ruckusmakers.club/join 📌 Ruckus Makers Don't Just Listen — They Act If education ain't a bit disruptive, then what are your students really learning? This show isn't about doing school better. It's about Doing School Different — and joining a growing movement of bold, creative school leaders who reject legacy models and reimagine what's possible. 🧠 Here are four ways we can help you on your Do School Different journey: 📬 Subscribe to the Free Newsletter — Tools, mindset shifts, and strategies that actually work: https://ruckusmakers.news 📜 Read Ruckus Maker Media — Premium insights, AI prompts, and early book drops: https://ruckusmakers.media 💥 Join The Ruckus Maker Club — Private net

🎯 The Ruckus Report Quick take: Most schools are stuck in the past. But Anna Rita Pergolizzi-Wentworth is building a future-fluent model that fuses AI, global citizenship, and joy — and it's working. 🎓 Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Anna Rita Pergolizzi-Wentworth is Head of School at Pine Street School, a private International Baccalaureate school in Manhattan. A trilingual leader with global roots in Montessori and IB education, she's also the former Head of School at Battery Park Montessori and founding leader of Del Mar Academy in Costa Rica. 🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules In this episode, Anna Rita challenges traditional education paradigms: 🧠 Key Insight #1: Balance Isn't Optional — It's the Blueprint What's broken: Prioritizing rigor and standards over student well-being. The shift: Designing school experiences that build cultural intelligence and center joy. Impact: Students thrive as whole humans — not just test takers — in multilingual, multicultural, AI-integrated environments. 🧠 Key Insight #2: Forget Fit, Design for Future Fluency What's broken: Matching kids to static school models rooted in alumni legacy and compliance. The shift: Creating agile, tech-empowered, globally connected schools that prepare for the unknown. Impact: Students design AI startups in middle school, build confidence through constant exposure, and graduate with real-world skills. 🧠 Key Insight #3: Teacher Happiness = Strategy, Not Perk What's broken: Under-appreciated staff, toxic culture, and reactive leadership. The shift: Intentionally recruiting joyful people, investing in appreciation, and building feedback loops that matter. Impact: Strong retention, deep belonging, and a campus culture where karaoke, dumplings, and the "Green Book" fuel morale. 💬 Quotable Ruckus "Raise thinkers, embrace humanity, and teach for tomorrow." — Anna Rita Pergolizzi-Wentworth 🧩 Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? start here: Tomorrow: Audit how you balance rigor with relationships — where are the gaps? This Month: Create one small moment of surprise and delight for your staff This Semester: Launch a student-led project that fuses creativity, technology, and cultural learning 🔗 Connect & Continue 🎯 Get the full episode transcript here 🔗 Follow Anna Rita Pergolizzi-Wentworth: Website: pinestreetschool.com Instagram: @greenivypss LinkedIn: Anna Rita Pergolizzi-Wentworth, 📌 Ruckus Makers Don't Just Listen —

🖊 The Ruckus Report Quick take: What if the most powerful classrooms in American history operated under segregation? Dr. Karida L. Brown reframes our understanding of Black education during Jim Crow and offers a compelling vision for nurturing students through ecosystems of care. 🤝 Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Dr. Karida L. Brown is an NAACP Image Award-winning author, professor at Emory University, and public intellectual. Known for her groundbreaking research on systemic racism and Black life, she's the author of six books, including The Battle for the Black Mind. 🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules 🧠 Key Insight #1: Schools aren't neutral. And pretending they are is dangerous. What's broken: The myth that schools can be politically or culturally neutral. The shift: Acknowledge that education operates within a social context — and choose to humanize, not homogenize. Impact: Creates space for students' full identities and lived experiences to be seen, respected, and affirmed. 🧠 Key Insight #2: Teaching was once a radical act of love. And it can be again. What's broken: Emphasis on compliance, test prep, and disconnected pedagogy. The shift: Look to the Black teachers of the Jim Crow era, who taught with deep care and high expectations. Impact: Reignites student pride, dignity, and purpose — and helps staff reclaim meaning in their work. 🧠 Key Insight #3: The hidden curriculum still shapes student success. What's broken: Assuming equity exists because students share a classroom. The shift: Recognize and dismantle invisible systems of advantage and disadvantage. Impact: Equips students from all backgrounds to navigate — and transform — institutional structures. 💬 Quotable Ruckus "Walk these halls like somebody fought like hell for you to be here." — Dr. Karida Brown 📈 Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Ask your staff, "What invisible messages does our campus send?" This Month: Create space for student or staff storytelling to elevate empathy and insight This Semester: Rethink your discipline or feedback systems through a lens of equity and care Connect & Continue 🎯 Get the full episode transcript here. 🔗 Follow Dr. Karida Brown: Website: https://www.karida.io/ Books: Link, *The Battle for the Black Mind.* Socials: LinkedIn, <a href= "https://www.instagra

📣 The Ruckus Report Quick take: Most leaders ask the wrong question. They obsess over what to do next instead of who they're becoming. In this episode, Dr. Chad Dumas unpacks how self-awareness, non-verbal cues, and intentional presence shape your entire school culture before a single decision is made. 🎓 Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Dr. Chad Dumas is an international consultant, author, and award-winning researcher who helps educators build capacity for self, team, and system improvement. A former teacher, principal, and central office administrator, he's the author of Let's Put the C in PLC, An Action Guide to Put the C in PLC, and The Teacher Team Leader Handbook. 🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules In this episode, Danny Bauer and Dr. Chad Dumas dive deep into the inner work required to lead effectively. They challenge the surface-level "what do I do?" mentality and replace it with a leadership identity rooted in humility, empathy, and self-awareness. 🧠 Key Insight #1: Start with Who, Not What What's broken: Leaders jump straight to tactics — constantly asking, "What do I do?" The shift: Begin with who you are as a person and a leader. Your mindset, humility, and assumptions shape every result that follows. Impact: When leaders ground their actions in identity, they build trust, clarity, and authentic connection across their schools. 🧠 Key Insight #2: Leadership Speaks Before You Do What's broken: Non-verbal cues are ignored — rushed meetings, shallow breathing, and reactive tones quietly erode safety and collaboration. The shift: Master the pause, breathe deeply, and use intentional body language that communicates calm, curiosity, and respect. Impact: The culture shifts from tense to trusting. People start showing up with ideas because they feel seen and safe. 🧠 Key Insight #3: Conflict Is a Catalyst — Not a Threat What's broken: Leaders avoid hard conversations, turning tension into silence or resentment. The shift: Reframe conflict as a space for growth. Separate the person from the problem, focus on shared goals, and invite multiple perspectives. Impact: Teams move from defensiveness to collaboration. The best ideas emerge, and relationships deepen through honest dialogue. 💬 Quotable Ruckus "It's not about the do. It's about the who. Who you are as a person and as a leader — that's where everything starts." — Dr. Chad Dumas 📈 Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Before your next meeting, take one deep breath and pause before you speak. Notice how it changes the tone. This Month: Identify one assumption you hold about your staff that might not serve you. Replace it with the belief that they're doing their best. This Semester: Build time fo

🧨 The Ruckus Report Quick take: What if everything you believed about math education was wrong? In this episode, Ted Dintersmith, bestselling author of Aftermath and What School Could Be, pulls back the curtain on how math has been weaponized — and how school leaders can transform learning by teaching the math that actually matters. 🎓 Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Ted Dintersmith is a bestselling author, education advocate, and former venture capitalist who believes traditional math education has failed our students. In Aftermath, he unveils the life-changing, real-world math skills students deserve to learn. 🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules 🎯 Key Insight #1: Real Math Skills Are Ignored in School What's broken: We spend billions teaching rote math no adult uses. The shift: Teach students estimation, decision-making, game theory, and data literacy. Impact: Students gain tools to make sense of the world — and avoid being replaced by AI. 🎯 Key Insight #2: Standardized Testing Drives Irrelevance What's broken: Tests reward regurgitation over reasoning. The shift: Focus on deep thinking and real-life application instead of the "one right answer." Impact: Students build critical thinking and communication skills that machines can't replicate. 🎯 Key Insight #3: Career-Based Learning Isn't "Less Than" What's broken: Schools track kids into college or label them "less than" if they pursue trades. The shift: Elevate career-based learning, internships, and real-world skills for all students. Impact: Confidence, agency, and community impact — plus real jobs post-graduation. 💬 Quotable Ruckus "The math that really matters in life does not have one right answer." – Ted Dintersmith 🚀 Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Audit your math curriculum. Are you teaching skills students will actually use? This Month: Host a screening of Multiple Choice and start a community conversation on real-world learning. This Semester: Design or pilot a learning experience rooted in data literacy, estimation, or decision-making. 🔗 Connect & Continue 🎯 Get the full episode transcript here 🔗 Follow Ted: teddintersmith.com 🎬 multiplechoicefilm.com 📌 Ruckus Makers Don't Just Listen — They Act If education ain't a bit disruptive, then what are your students really learning? This show isn't about doing school better. It's about Do School Different — and joining a growing movement of bold, creative school le

🎯 The Ruckus Report Quick take: What if the most disruptive thing you could do as a school leader isn't another program — but rethinking when school starts? In this candid and funny conversation, Danny Bauer and Mitch Weathers dig into how protecting sleep actually protects learning, how parent boundaries preserve teacher sanity, and why even job postings reveal whether we're truly Doing School Different or just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. 🤝 Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Mitch Weathers is a veteran educator, author, and founder of Organized Binder, a system that helps schools build executive functioning and academic success for every student. He's spent decades teaching and coaching educators on how structure, sleep, and small shifts create massive change. Mitch is known for turning everyday challenges — like communication overload or bell schedules — into opportunities for innovation and calm confidence in the classroom. 🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules In this episode, Danny and Mitch challenge the old-school thinking that keeps leaders exhausted, students disengaged, and parents emailing at 2 am. 💡 Key Insight #1: The Sleep Revolution Starts at School What's broken: Early start times and late-night device use rob students (and teachers) of rest, and learning suffers. The shift: Ruckus Makers reimagine schedules to protect sleep, boost attention, and honor the science of rest. Impact: Districts that start high school later see stronger academic outcomes, better moods, and fewer discipline issues. 💡 Key Insight #2: Boundaries Are the New Professional Development What's broken: Teachers feel pressured to respond instantly to parent emails — even the ones that hit inboxes at 2 am. The shift: Clear, community-wide communication norms create psychological safety for staff and preserve trust with families. Impact: When schools set and model boundaries, teachers stay longer, burnout decreases, and parent relationships improve. 💡 Key Insight #3: Hiring Isn't HR — It's Leadership Marketing What's broken: Bland job postings and checkbox hiring processes repel the best talent. The shift: Treat every open position like a story about your culture — highlight your vision, values, and what makes your campus unmissable. Impact: Schools that "market their mission" attract stronger candidates, reduce vacancies, and build a team aligned with their purpose. 💬 Quotable Ruckus "If the most disruptive thing you do this year is let your students (and teachers) sleep — you're already Doing School Different." — Mitch Weathers 🧩 Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to turn these insights into action? Start here: Tomorrow: Ask your leadership team, "What's one low-effort way we could protect rest for students and staff?" This Month: Draft and publish clear communi

🎯 The Ruckus Report Quick take: Most principals fear AI. Ruckus Makers see it as fuel for innovation. In this solo episode, Danny shares 3 foundational AI principles that will redefine school leadership in 2025 — showing you how to trade fear for leverage and ideas for bold action. **You can unlock all 10 AI principles here.** 👋 Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Danny Bauer helps Ruckus Makers Do School Different — reimagining education within traditional systems to create campus experiences worth showing up for. He's written multiple bestselling books and hosts the Better Leaders Better Schools RuckusCast, the most downloaded school leadership podcast in the world, ranking in the top 1% of all podcasts globally. 🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules In this episode, Danny challenges traditional education paradigms and reveals how courageous leaders can use AI to future-proof their campuses: 📌 Key Insight #1: There Are Two Sides to Every Coin What's broken: Many school leaders see AI as a threat — banning tools and retreating to old habits out of fear. The shift: Courageous Ruckus Makers choose to reframe fear as curiosity. They see AI not as cheating, but as a way to create leverage and deeper learning. Impact: Schools that embrace this mindset are equipping students for a future where AI fluency isn't optional — it's essential for employment and innovation. 📌 Key Insight #2: Your #1 Job Is to Transfer Belief What's broken: Traditional leadership focuses on control and compliance instead of cultivating confidence. The shift: Ruckus Makers inspire belief — helping staff and students see that they can solve hard problems and do extraordinary work. Impact: Teams move from hesitant to high-performing, creating schools filled with energy, innovation, and ownership. 📌 Key Insight #3: Ideas Are Great — But Action Wins What's broken: School leaders get stuck in meetings, policies, and analysis — mistaking discussion for progress. The shift: Ruckus Makers act first, learn fast, and iterate forward. They understand that bold experiments beat perfect plans. Impact: Leaders who move from inspiration to implementation transform ideas into tangible outcomes for students and staff. 💬 Quotable Ruckus "Ideas are great, but not the greatest. Action is the only thing greater than an idea." – Danny Bauer 📈 Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Identify one "fear coin" moment on your campus. Flip it — and turn fear into a chance for curiosity or innovation. This Month: Transfer belief. Tell three staff members specifically what you see in them that they don't yet see in themselves. This Semester: Choose one bold e

🎯 The Ruckus Report Quick take: What if you could deliver six weeks of learning in a single hour? Simon Strong did exactly that — and the results are challenging everything we think we know about teaching, memory, and curriculum. 🤝 Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Simon Strong is the founder of Download Learning, a UK-based company partnering with schools and organizations to dramatically accelerate learning by sequencing information to align with how the brain actually works. 🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules 🧠 Key Insight #1: Speed doesn't kill learning — distraction does. What's broken: Slow, disjointed lessons overloaded with irrelevant detail. The shift: Simon's team scripts, edits, and delivers content at 220 words per minute —nearly double classroom pace — to keep attention and trigger retention. Impact: Students retain foundational knowledge more effectively, especially those with ADHD or learning differences. 🧠 Key Insight #2: One hour, one-half term (seriously). What's broken: Teachers covering complex topics in 6-week units with minimal retention. The shift: A single high-impact video lesson designed to fire synapses in precise time intervals. Impact: One hour of Simon's approach produced equivalent learning outcomes to an entire half term of traditional instruction. Add teacher support, and outcomes doubled. 🧠 Key Insight #3: Flipping modes ≠ mastery. What's broken: Constantly switching between direct instruction, stories, and activities in class. The shift: Presenting one "mode" at a time to avoid cognitive overload. Impact: Improved comprehension, less classroom disruption, and deeper long-term understanding. 💬 Quotable Ruckus "Education doesn't build character—it reveals it. Our job is to help students discover who they are and become the best version of themselves." – Simon Strong 🚀 Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? **Start here**: Tomorrow: Audit your next lesson for unnecessary mode-switching. Stick with one mode longer. This Month: Try introducing a complex topic through a story, not a slide deck. This Semester: Partner with a colleague to design a one-hour "burst" lesson using Simon's three-mode model. 🔗 Connect & Continue 🎯 Get the full episode transcript here. 🔗 Learn more about Simon's work: https://downloadlearning.co.uk 🌐 Website 🔗 LinkedIn 📄 Peer-Reviewed Research 📌 Ruckus Makers Don't

🎯 The Ruckus Report Quick take: What happens when two rival schools — with decades of "us vs. them" history — are forced to become one? Derek Cantrell didn't just merge Alleghany and Covington into a single high school. He built a "Better Together" culture while weaving in AI tools that are reshaping instruction and leadership. This episode is a blueprint for rethinking school culture in the age of disruption. 🤝 Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Derek Cantrell is the principal of Alleghany High School, where he led the merger of two rival schools into one unified community through a "Better Together" culture. Alongside culture-building, he integrates AI-driven tools like custom chatbots and Julius AI to streamline leadership tasks and improve instruction. Derek is redefining school leadership by honoring tradition while embracing innovation. 🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules In this episode, Derek Cantrell challenges traditional education paradigms: 🧠 Key Insight #1: Culture eats consolidation for breakfast. What's broken: Forced mergers often leave communities divided, with morale and identity lost. The shift: Derek built a roadmap of intentional relationship-building — open houses, student forums, teacher mingles, and community events like cornhole nights and bonfires. Impact: Instead of resentment, Alleghany High became a place where rival traditions fused into a proud new identity. 🧠 Key Insight #2: Data disaggregation doesn't have to take weeks. What's broken: Teachers drowning in endless spreadsheets and meetings just to analyze test scores. The shift: Julius AI and custom chatbots cut through the noise, turning state test data into actionable two-page reports per strand. Impact: Teachers save time, get clarity, and can focus on engaging instruction — not manual number-crunching. 🧠 Key Insight #3: AI can make learning more relevant — and fun. What's broken: Lesson plans that feel stuck in the past, disconnected from students' real-world experiences. The shift: Teachers plug lessons into Derek's bots to generate hooks, engagement strategies, and real-world applications. Impact: Students see math, science, and core subjects through a lens that matters to them, boosting both interest and outcomes. Quotable Ruckus "Culture doesn't happen by accident. Lead it, shape it, and live it every day." – Derek Cantrell 📌 Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Ask students and staff one simple question: What excites you, and what concerns you? Use the answers to guide your next decision. This Month: Build a small win — repaint lockers, host a community night, or launch a mini-podcast — and celebrate it loudly. This Semester: Experiment with AI tools (like Julius or a custom GPT) to cut down on data drudgery and make lessons

Quick take: What happens when a leader ditches ego, prioritizes relationships, and treats students like real-world innovators? Jeremy Quals proves you can turn around struggling schools and create one of the most exciting entrepreneurial programs in the country. 🤝 Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Dr. Jeremy Qualls is the Executive Director of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center (EIC) and College, Career, and Technical Education (CCTE) with Williamson County Schools. A former coach, principal, and district athletic director, he now leads some of the most innovative programs in Tennessee, blending entrepreneurship, career readiness, and creative learning opportunities that make school worth showing up for. 🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules In this episode, Jeremy challenges traditional education paradigms: 🧠 Key Insight #1: Leadership isn't about ego — it's about relationships. What's broken: Leaders who default to punishment and blame. The shift: Building trust first, simplifying discipline to "Be responsible, be respectful, be ready." Impact: Transformed a school with 1,000+ discipline referrals into one with just 52 — and skyrocketed student growth. 🧠 Key Insight #2: Students need relevance, not busywork. What's broken: 42 definitions on a worksheet and other meaningless tasks. The shift: Replace rote work with entrepreneurial problem-solving, empathy-driven projects, and micro-internships. Impact: Students who once checked out now show up excited, engaged, and prepared for life beyond school. 🧠 Key Insight #3: Create spaces worth showing up for. What's broken: Schools that look the same as the 1950s— rows, lectures, and compliance. The shift: Entrepreneurial labs with open design, mentorship networks, and student-led startups. Impact: The Entrepreneurship & Innovation Center grew from 70 students to 280 with a 500+ waitlist — and is producing teen founders winning national competitions. Quotable Ruckus "Fail forward and fail often." – Jeremy Quals 📌 Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Swap one rote assignment for a real-world problem or entrepreneurial- style task. This Month: Map student relationships — find the "safety valves" so every kid has a trusted adult. This Semester: Audit your schoolwork and culture. Cut the irrelevant busywork, build in creative challenges, and create spaces students want to be in. 🔗 Connect & Continue 🎯 Get the full episode transcript: [Link] 🔗 Follow Dr. Jeremy Qualls: https://wcssportsconference.com/ Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: LinkedIn Twitter: <a href="h

The Ruckus Report. Quick take: What if the secret to becoming a more effective school leader was … leaving school? Joe Clausi, known as the Traveling Principal, shares how stepping out of the building helped him step into his purpose. Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Joe Clausi, aka The Traveling Principal, is reimagining what it means to lead schools by exploring the world — and himself — one passport stamp at a time. Breaking Down the Old Rules 🔨 Key Insight #1: Curiosity makes you a better principal What's broken: The traditional career path says school leaders should settle down and play it safe. The shift: Joe's curiosity drove him to explore 39 countries — and that curiosity now shapes how he leads schools. Impact: He's more reflective, empathetic, and able to connect with people across backgrounds. Key Insight #2: Leadership doesn't happen in isolation What's broken: Most principals grind through the work without personal growth. The shift: Joe intentionally seeks people, places, and moments that challenge his worldview. Impact: Each trip adds to his toolkit as a leader — and inspires his team to grow too. Key Insight #3: Adventure is a mindset, not a plane ticket What's broken: PD is treated like a checklist, not a life-changing experience. The shift: Joe shows how you can bring the spirit of exploration to your daily leadership. Impact: His story proves that reimagining school starts with reimagining yourself. Quotable Ruckus "I needed to lose who I thought I was … to find who I really am." – Joe Clausi Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Walk your campus with a traveler's eyes — what would surprise or inspire a visitor? This Month: Schedule time outside the school walls to connect with something that sparks wonder. This Semester: Share one leadership lesson from your own journey with your staff — and invite theirs. Connect & Continue 🎯 Get the full episode transcript: https://ruckusmakers.notion.site/Joe-the-Traveling-Principal-Joins-Danny-and-Mitch-211229bf615380ecbf96c2c10f48c1f9?source=copy_link 🔗 Follow Joe Clausi: http

The Ruckus Report Quick take: If you're facing pushback on your bold school vision, this episode is your playbook for flipping critics into raving fans. Learn how one principal shifted the narrative — and built massive community support in the process. Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Dr. Christopher Jones is a high school principal, leadership author, and host of the Seeing to Lead podcast. He helps educators shift from surviving to thriving by encouraging reflection, connection, and vision — even in the most resistant environments. Breaking Down the Old Rules 🔨 Key Insight #1 What's broken: Too many leaders are paralyzed by fear of resistance — especially from staff or community stakeholders. The shift: Chris started by listening deeply and showing people how they could lead without a title. Impact: Staff ownership grew, and culture shifted — not because mandates were handed down, but because people bought in. Key Insight #2 What's broken: Traditional admin mindsets treat critics as threats rather than assets. The shift: Chris chose curiosity over combat, asking questions like: "What do you want to see happen?" Impact: Open conversations turned former critics into trusted allies who now champion his leadership publicly. Key Insight #3 What's broken: Schools often ignore how powerful public perception is in building momentum. The shift: Chris proactively told positive stories and empowered his community to tell them too. Impact: The narrative shifted from doubt to celebration — with the superintendent, school board, and staff all on board. Quotable Ruckus "Your loudest critics might just be your most loyal supporters — if you give them the chance to lead." – Dr. Christopher Jones Your Do School Different Challenge Tomorrow: Ask one critic what success would look like in their eyes. Listen without defense. This Month: Invite that person into a decision-making process — not to agree with you, but to shape the future together. This Semester: Create a system where feedback becomes fuel, not friction. Turn your toughest room into your greatest asset. Connect & Continue 🎯 Get the full episode transcript here. 🔗 His Books: 📘 SEEing to Lead 📗 Isabella and the Storm 📕 Isabella's Unexpected Gift 📌 Ruckus Makers Don't Just Listen — They Act If education ain't a bit disruptive, then what are your students really learning? This show isn't about doing school better. It's about Doing School Different — and joining a growing movement of bold, creative school le

What started as a frustrating Sunday afternoon mistake in a tiny Chicago apartment turned into a million-download podcast that changed everything. Join 5,000+ Ruckus Makers who want to Do School Different 👉 https://ruckusmakers.news/subscribe Ten years ago, I almost quit before I even started. I lost my first interview recording and nearly gave up on the whole podcasting dream. Instead, I chose myself and launched anyway. Now the Better Leaders Better Schools podcast ranks in the top 0.5% worldwide. Here are the 10 game-changing lessons I've learned from a decade of creating, serving school leaders, and building something that matters. TIMESTAMPS 00:01 - The story begins: September 2nd, 2015 01:52 - The lost recording disaster that almost ended it all 03:48 - Choose yourself: The moment everything changed 06:31 - Lesson 1: Most overnight successes take 10+ years 07:24 - Lesson 2: Be an original (Purple Cow principle) 08:20 - Lesson 3: Fire yourself to scale 09:09 - Lesson 4: The one question that changes everything 10:01 - Lesson 5: Look for leverage in everything you do 11:07 - Lesson 6: Take action, then improve 11:53 - Lesson 7: Fear vs Adventure - you choose 12:38 - Lesson 8: Choose your pain - discipline or regret 13:10 - Lesson 9: Success won't make you happy 15:04 - Lesson 10: Love is the center of everything WHENEVER YOU ARE READY … HERE ARE 3 WAYS TO CONTINUE YOUR DO SCHOOL DIFFERENT JOURNEY: 🗞️ Read Ruckus Makers — Exclusive content on Substack. Premium leadership insights, AI prompts and custom gpts, new books before the bookshelf. https://ruckusmakers.media 💥 Join The Ruckus Maker Club — Our private network + workshops, The Automatic School tools, AI Prompt Library, and more: https://ruckusmakers.club/join 🧨 Apply to the Mastermind — Weekly coaching, peer mentorship, and our proven leadership system (The Ruckus Maker Flywheel) to help you transform your campus: https://betterleadersbetterschools.com/mastermind

🎯 The Ruckus Report Quick take: If you're still blocking ChatGPT, you're playing the wrong game. In this episode, William Grube of Groovy Education shows how to turn AI from a perceived threat into a daily teaching advantage — one that saves teachers time, levels up rigor, and makes cheating irrelevant. 🤝 Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker William Grube is the founder of Groovy Education, a consultancy and training firm that helps educators across 100+ schools and organizations integrate AI responsibly and effectively. His work is grounded in ethics, practical tools, and a passion for helping schools lead, not lag, in the AI revolution. 🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules In this episode, William challenges traditional education paradigms and shows how Ruckus Makers can lead the shift: 🧠 Key Insight #1: Design for Trust, Not Policing What's broken: Schools are using surveillance software to "catch" students cheating with AI, treating tech as the enemy. The shift: Rebuild assessments around curiosity, context, and originality — like having students respond to local events or present their work live. Impact: Makes cheating pointless. Encourages deeper thinking. Promotes student ownership. 🧠 Key Insight #2: Differentiate Without Burnout What's broken: Teachers waste hours adapting lessons to meet different learning needs — often sacrificing quality for speed. The shift: Use AI to instantly align assignments to state standards, adjust for reading levels, and build accommodations (504/IEP). Impact: Teachers get time back. Students get work that actually fits. Everyone wins. 🧠 Key Insight #3: Teach Tech Like It's a Literacy — Because It Is What's broken: The only digital safety lesson most kids get is "don't be online too much." The shift: Teach AI & media literacy by exploring how algorithms shape thought, how to verify sources, and how to disagree respectfully. Impact: Students learn to think critically, not just click passively — which pays dividends in every subject and real life. 💬 Quotable Ruckus "Ignoring AI in schools today is like ignoring the internet in 1995." — William Grube 📌 Your Do School Different Challenge Start using AI to lead differently — not later: Tomorrow: Pick one assignment and make it AI-resistant. Add a personal, local, or in-class component students can't fake. This Month: Use AI to adapt a unit plan — align to standards, customize for reading levels, and build in scaffolded supports. This Semester: Pilot a student-facing AI/Media Literacy sequence. Let students analyze the algorithm and present real insights in a live class debate. 🔗 Connect & Continue 🎯 Transcript: [Link]</

_*]:min-w-0 !gap-3.5"> The Ruckus Report Quick take: From pushing a broom to leading the boardroom — Dr. Chris Jackson's journey from custodian to principal at his own alma mater proves that grit, humility, and authentic community connection matter more than pedigree when transforming schools. Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Chris Jackson rose from custodian to administrator in his hometown of San Bernardino, fueled by hard work, family, and perseverance. A husband, father, and lifelong learner, he overcame personal loss and humble beginnings to inspire others. Raised by his grandmother after being born to teen parents, Chris worked his way through every level of education — from custodian to teacher, coach, instructional coach, athletic director, and eventually principal of Cajon High School, where he met his wife as a 15-year-old student. Author of "From Broom to Boardroom," Chris's journey proves that with grit, purpose, and love, anyone can rise, no matter where they start. Breaking Down the Old Rules 🔨 In this episode, Dr. Chris Jackson challenges traditional education paradigms: Key Insight #1: Every Job on Campus Matters Equally What's broken: Creating hierarchies that separate administrators from the real work of schools, losing connection with staff and community The shift: Leading with servant leadership — picking up trash during lunch, building relationships with custodians, and blurring the lines between "management" and service Impact: Instant credibility with all stakeholder groups and authentic empathy that comes from walking in everyone's shoes Key Insight #2: Bloom Where You're Planted First What's broken: Always looking for the next promotion instead of excelling in your current role and building relationships where you are The shift: Do your best work in whatever sphere of influence you have, ask questions, and let opportunities find you through positive relationships Impact: Chris went from custodian on Wednesday to teaching his own class on Monday — but only because he had built trust and demonstrated excellence where he was Key Insight #3: Community Connection Beats Credentials Every Time What's broken: Leading schools as an outsider who doesn't understand the community's needs, values, and challenges The shift: Live in, understand, and serve your community in their image — being able to say "I'm your neighbor" during difficult conversations Impact: When parents challenge decisions, Chris can respond: "I live two blocks from you, I went to school here, my parents went here" — eliminating the "you don't understand" barrier <p clas

The Ruckus Report Quick take: Two beards, two red hats, one mission to blow up education's broken boundaries. Mitch Weathers reveals why saying "no" to district busywork and "yes" to what actually moves the needle isn't rebellion — it's leadership. Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Mitch became a gifted teacher because he was a mediocre student. Mitch rarely felt comfortable in the classroom. In fact, it took him 7 years to graduate from college. Choosing to become a teacher, Mitch was fortunate enough to experience school as if it was happening all around him. He was unsure how to jump into his learning with confidence. There is a loneliness to experiencing your education as a passive object as opposed to an active subject. From the moment he entered the classroom, Mitch relied on his personal experiences as a learner. He recognized that what we teach—the content or curriculum—is secondary. We must first lay the foundation for learning before we can get to teaching. Mitch designed Organized Binder to empower teachers with a simple but research-backed strategy to teach students executive functioning skills while protecting the time needed for content instruction. The secret is found in establishing a predictable learning routine that serves to foster safer learning spaces. When students get practice with executive functions by virtue, we set them up for success. Learn more in his recent book Executive Functions for Every Classroom. Breaking Down the Old Rules 🔨 In this episode, Mitch Weathers challenges traditional education paradigms: Key Insight #1: Boundaries Aren't Selfish — They're Strategic What's broken: Leaders burning out because they accept every task as sacred, even when it doesn't serve students The shift: Ask the hard question: "If I can't draw a clear line between this work and student success, why am I doing it?" Impact: Time and energy get redirected to what actually matters — classroom visits, relationship building, and real leadership Key Insight #2: Homework Is Often Educational Theater What's broken: Teachers spending hours collecting, grading, and returning homework that creates inequality and rarely informs instruction The shift: Replace homework with in-class learning logs where students refle

_*]:min-w-0 !gap-3.5"> The Ruckus Report Quick take: The most dangerous myth in school leadership is that problems will eventually stop. Jennifer Schwanke reveals how embracing challenges and shifting from "trustworthy" to "trust willing" transforms toxic school cultures into thriving communities. Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Jennifer Schwanke, Ed.D., brings nearly three decades of experience to the field of education, having served as both a teacher and leader across all levels. She is a published author with ASCD, including four current books and a forthcoming fifth title, "Trusted: Trust Pillars, Trust Killers, and the Secret to Successful Schools," expected in the summer of 2025. In addition to her books, Jennifer has contributed hundreds of articles to numerous educational publications. She is actively involved in professional development, offering her expertise to school districts in areas such as school climate, personnel management, and instructional leadership. She is also a frequent presenter at major educational conferences, including those hosted by ASCD, NAESP, NASSP, AASA, and various state and national organizations. Jennifer shares her insights as the co-host of the widely listened-to "Principal Matters" podcast and as an instructor in educational administration at The Ohio State University. Currently, Dr. Schwanke serves as a Deputy Superintendent in Ohio. Breaking Down the Old Rules 🔨 In this episode, Jennifer Schwanke challenges traditional education paradigms: Key Insight #1: Problems Are Life, Not Obstacles What's broken: Leaders waiting for a stress-free summit where all problems disappear The shift: Embrace problems as opportunities to do meaningful work and stay sharp Impact: Leaders stop burning out waiting for calm seas and start building resilience through challenge Key Insight #2: Trust Willing vs. Trustworthy Leadership What's broken: Focusing only on being trustworthy while micromanaging and speaking in deficit language about staff and students The shift: Become "trust willing" by believing in your people, letting them do their trained work, and focusing on your zone of influence Impact: Collective efficacy emerges as teams believe their daily work actually matters and makes a difference <p class="whitespace-norm

The Ruckus Report Quick take: Student voice isn't just nice to have—it's the missing ingredient in creating schools worth showing up for. Casey Wright proves that when you design with students instead of around them, everything from panini lines to classroom layouts becomes a catalyst for engagement. Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Casey Wright has served as an educational leader in Illinois high school districts for 30 years. He began his career teaching social studies at Rolling Meadows High School while coaching girls track and boys basketball. After spending 12 years at Highland Park High School as an administrator, Casey is currently an Associate Principal at Glenbrook South High School in Glenview, Illinois. With a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction from National-Louis University and a Bachelor of Arts in Social Studies Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Casey is also a member of the Illinois Association of School Business Officials. Breaking Down the Old Rules 🔨 In this episode, Casey Wright challenges traditional education paradigms: Key Insight #1: Students Are Your Best Design Consultants What's broken: Adults making assumptions about what students want and need in their learning environment The shift: Regularly convening student committees to provide direct input on everything from food service to classroom furniture Impact: Higher engagement, better attendance, and solutions that actually work (like shawarma bowls and flexible seating options) Key Insight #2: Physical Space Shapes Learning Dynamics What's broken: Static "lion cage" classrooms with bolted-down furniture that prioritize institutional control over collaborative learning The shift: Flexible, mobile furniture and no permanent "front" of the room, allowing fluid movement and dynamic instruction Impact: Teachers become facilitators instead of dispensers, students collaborate naturally, and learning becomes interactive Key Insight #3: Mentorship Multiplies Leadership Impact What's broken: Leaders trying to figure everything out alone without seeking wisdom from experienced mentors The shift: Building long-term mentoring relationships that focus on caring for people first, competence second Impact: Sustained leadership growth, authentic connections with students and staff, and career-long learning partnerships Quotable Ruckus "Students don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." – Casey Wright Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Walk through your building and count how many spaces were designed with student input versus adult assumptions This Month: Convene a student advisory committee to get feedback on one specific aspect of your school experience (food, spaces, policies) This Semest