The School Leadership Show
Episodes
S10 E04: Decoding Misconceptions in Reading Education with Timothy Shanahan
26 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The School Leadership Show, I interview acclaimed author and reading expert Timothy Shanahan. We delve into Timothy's new book, 'L...
S10 E03: Navigating AI in Education: A Leadership Dialogue with Amanda Bickerstaff
12 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the School Leadership Show, I had the pleasure of interviewing Amanda Bickerstaff, co-founder of AI for Education. We delved into A...
Finding the Joy in Work (from NYSCOSS "Cabinet and Coffee" Holiday Edition)
15 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I, Mike Doughty facilitates a conversation with cabinet level leaders sponsored by the New York State Council of School Superintenden...
Technology and the Impact on the Developing Student Brain (from "NYSCATE Conference")
19 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode from the NYSCATE Conference, I, Mike Doughty, and Christy Bezrutczyk discuss the influence of technology and AI on the develop...
Empowering Critical Thinking Through Media Literacy (from "NYSSBA's President's Gavel Podcast")
17 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I am excited to share a conversation I had recently with the New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA) on The President's Gavel podcast. This ...
S10 E2: Understanding Pop Culture's Role in Modern Education
19 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How important is it to stay in touch with pop culture as a school leader? In this episode, I chat with Brooke Hammerling, the host of "Pop Culture Mon...
S10 E1: Guiding Through Change (Insights from Marie Wiles)
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How does one navigate the journey from English teacher to Superintendent? In this episode, I sit down with the recently retired Marie Wiles in a uniq...
S9 E12: Are You a Pig Pen? Self-Awareness & Practical Leadership Skills for Dysregulated Times
14 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Feeling overwhelmed by the complexities of leadership today? Tune in to learn how building your self-regulation can help you navigate dysregulated ti...
S9 E11: Becoming Your Own Factchecker (News Literacy for Students and Citizens)
25 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I had the privilege of speaking with Howie Schneider, the executive director of the Center for News Literacy at Stony Brook Universit...
S9 E10: Bridging the Implementation Gap in Education
10 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jenn David-Lang interviews Jenice Pizzuto and Steven Carney about their book Implement with IMPACT: A Strategic Framework for Leading...
S9 E9: How Principals Can Elevate Instructional Impact with Principal Kafele
25 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jenn David-Lang sits down with renowned educator and turnaround Principal Kafele to discuss his latest—and most personally signific...
S9 E8: Rigor Redefined (Unpacking the Myths of Hard Work and Hierarchy)
10 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jenn David-Lang took the reins and had a fascinating conversation with Michael McDowell, author of Rigor Redefined: 10 Teaching Habit...
S9 E7: Don't Let Them Drown (Practical Support for First-Year Teachers)
24 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'm incredibly excited to be joined by two amazing people: my fantastic co-host, Jenn David-Lang, who's also stepping in as a guest t...
S9 E6: Unlocking Educator Joy (Pathways and Permission)
10 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jenn and I are thrilled to welcome William Parker! A longtime educator from Oklahoma who transitioned into full-time consulting, spea...
S9 E5: Don't leave teacher induction up to chance.
08 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jenn has a conversation with one of the educators who was featured prominently in Harry and Rosemary Wong's latest book, THE New Teac...
S9 E4: S.H.I.N.E Bright: Empowering Women Leaders with LaVonna Roth
21 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
March is Women's History Month! This episode features a conversation with LaVonna Roth, an inspirational speaker and consultant whose work has inspire...
S9 E3: Are you REALLY ready to respond in an emergency?
11 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Responding to emergencies takes two things: leadership and communication. Are you prepared? Mike and Jenn had a truly productive conversation with sch...
S9 E2: Year of Acceleration for All (Yes, that includes Black Males)
24 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Khalid Oluewu, principal of Webster Elementary School in Chicago, has done what many principals would love to do: He has created structures and practi...
S9 E1: A Truly Transformational Approach to Coaching
11 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After 30 years in the field Elena Aguilar gathered all of her experience and learning and put together the most powerful book on coaching we've seen -...
S8 E10: Relationships, Relationships, Relationships
08 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mike returns to the podcast! Jenn and Mike had a great conversation with Coach Carlos about his book Power Engage: Seven Power Moves for Building Stro...
S8 E9: Building trust matters, and it matters deeply in schools
03 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Megan Tshannen-Moran and Jenn had a delightful conversation about the power of trust in schools. It is one of three factors that is so powerful that i...
S8 E8: Is A.I. the teaching assistant we've all been waiting for?
14 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What a great conversation about the new book, The Artificial Intelligence Playbook: Time-Saving Tools for Teachers that Make Learning More Engaging! J...
S8 E7: How to Supercharge Your Communication
26 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You probably know Charles Duhigg from his book, The Power of Habit. Or maybe Smarter Faster Better. Now he has a newer book out that is another great ...
S8 E6: The Secret to Turning Conflict into Collaboration
13 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jenn had an outstanding conversation with Robert Feirsen, one of the two authors of From Conflict to Collaboration, along with author Seth Weitzman. ...
S8 E5: How about some help with talking about the election in schools?
28 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jenn made me do this episode. I really didn't wat to, but I'm glad we did. As we approach the upcoming presidential election, you may remember the fal...
S8 E4: Want better supervision? Listen to the source.
08 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kim Marshall needs no introduction. He is the most recognized name in the field of educational leadership because he is the person behind the weekly M...
S8 E3: Leading When It's Hard - A Cell Phone Ban.
10 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jenn and I interview Dave Blanchard, a seasoned superintendent from a school district in Upstate New York. Three years ago Dave's dis...
S8 E2: Learn what the BEST principals do differently than the AVERAGE ones.
26 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We were fortunate to get to talk to the renowned Todd Whitaker in today's podcast. He is one of the most influential thought leaders in educational le...
S8 E1: Executive Functioning Isn't Just for Executives
09 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Teachers spend a lot of time making sure students know what they're supposed to do, and many students struggle to understand expectations and translat...
S7 E10: It all starts with Belonging.
13 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Students today are suffering from an epidemic of disconnection. School leaders I work with see it in students' disengagement from learning and in thei...
S7 E9 If these are the next generation of teachers, we're all good!
24 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jenn had the privilege of speaking to three rising juniors in college, all of whom want to become teachers. While we've spent so much...
S7 E8: Reading Is Everyone's Business, Part 2
11 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
According to Beverly Cleary (yes, that Beverly Cleary), "Children should learn that reading is pleasure, not just something that teachers make you do ...
S7 E7: Reading Is Everyone's Business (Part 1)
28 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"If you're not reading by the end of third grade, there's a 70% chance you won't become a proficient reader." That's what author Karen Gazith told us ...
Mini-sode 5: Trust us, your teams need work.
10 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this fifth special episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I talk about resources to help school leaders with building better teams. To supp...
S7 E6: We Can't Yoga Our Way Out of This
10 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we're shining a light on a pressing issue in the educational landscape: teacher burnout and attrition. With schools across the nation...
S7: E5 "Diversity is being invited to the party, inclusion is being asked to dance."
07 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
DEI feels like it's becoming the (a) third rail in K-12 education. The quote in the title is from Verna Myers, VP of inclusion strategy at Netflix, an...
S7 E4: We've had something wrong in education – it's not the GPA or the test scores.
16 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Many of us as educators have assumed that the kids with strong grades and strong test scores were set up for success. Isn't that what we were supposed...
S7 E3: Find and Tap Your Hidden Potential
09 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone has hidden potential for growth and achievement, but standard approaches to studying, practicing, coaching, and organizing education often le...
S7 E2: Educators of color are leaving schools: What can leaders do differently to support them to stay?
13 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this conversation between Dr. Andrea Terrero Gabbadon and Jenn, we talked about the reasons educators of color are leaving: working conditions and ...
S7 E1: Forget Hiring; Let's Try to Keep the Teachers We Have
21 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk with Becky Gerdes and Ryan Siegle about their book Six Steps Toward Teacher Retention and a Long-Lasting Legacy. We focus main...
S6 E10: Listen To Your Inner Canary
11 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jenn and I talk about Sharone Bar-David's book Trust Your Canary: Every Leader's Guide to Taming Workplace Incivility. Bar-David pro...
S6 E9: An Entrepreneur Helps Mike Out
01 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes in education it helps to hear from our end users. In this episode I interview fellow Coke Scholar Raleigh Dewan ('19). Raleigh is a 23-year-...
S6 E8: How healthy is your organization?
09 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
More than anything, organizations should strive for organizational health. In this episode, Jenn David-Lang and I talk about Patrick Lencioni's 2012 b...
S6 E7: A.I. in K-12, Part 1
21 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the field of education, we have no choice, AI is here to stay. So, listen to this whimsical conversation with Technology Coach, Jason Strzalkowski,...
S6 E6: Let's Get Math Instruction Right
10 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jenn and I interview Peter Liljedahl, the author of Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics: 14 Teaching Practices for Enhancing...
S6 E5: Creating an Inclusive Environment for Students with Disabilities
11 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The research is clear: to provide equitable learning opportunities for all, schools must actively include students with disabilities alongside their p...
S6 E4: You're NOT Too Busy to Take Care of Yourself
11 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Are you the type of leader who gets up at 4:00 AM to exercise before work? Then this episode is for you. Are you the type of leader who NEVER gets up ...
S6 E3: Top Ten for New Principals
14 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jenn interviews Mike about what new principals need to think about as they begin the new school year. Here is Mike's top ten list: L...
S6 E2: Want impact? Expand your supervisory practices this year.
10 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jenn has a lively conversation with Ann Mausbach and Kimberly Morrison about their book Differentiated Supervision: Growing Teache...
S6 E1: It's Time to Find Joy
12 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea, and I interview Berit Gordon about her book The Joyful Teacher: Strategies for Becoming the Teach...
Mini-sode 4: Supervising Teachers
25 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this fourth special episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea, and I talk about resources to help school leaders with teacher supervision and eval...
S5 E10: Be An Instructional Change Agent
14 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea, interviews Adam Drummond about his book The Instructional Change Agent: Instructional Change Agen...
Mini-sode 3: Being Organized and Productive
10 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this third special episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I talk about resources to help school leaders be more organized, productive, and ...
S5 E9: It's All About Conversations
10 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea, and I interview Jim Knight about his book Better Conversations: Coaching Ourselves and Each Other...
S5 E8: Why Educator Bandwidth Matters
09 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I interview Jane A. G. Kise and Ann Holm about their book Educator Bandwidth: How to Reclaim Yo...
S5 E7: We Can't Ignore Students' Mental Health
10 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I interview Michael Hass and Amy Ardell about their book Supporting Student Mental Health: Esse...
S5 E6: Strategies to Manage Conflict in Your School
20 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I interview Bill Sommers about his book Responding to Resistance: Thirty Strategies to Manage C...
S5 E5: How Regret Can be a Good Thing
13 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I discuss Dan Pink's book The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward. Dan Pink ...
S5 E4: Why do we still get grading so wrong?
10 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I interview Joe Feldman, the author of Grading for Equity: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How ...
S5 E3: It's Time for a PD PARTY.
13 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I interview Elena Aguilar about her new book with co-author Lori Cohen The PD Book: 7 Habits Th...
S5 E2: Trauma-Sensitive Leadership
11 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea flies solo to interview John Heller and Tom Hierck the authors of Trauma-Sensitive Leadership: Crea...
S5 E1: Gather Better
12 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I have a conversation about The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker. While not written explicitly ...
S4 E9: Time to Run the Room
24 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I have a conversation with Tom Bennett about his book Running the Room: The Teacher's Guide to ...
S4 E8: Street Data - What is it and why does it matter?
11 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I discuss the book Street Data: A Next-Generation Model for Equity, Pedagogy, and School Transf...
Mini-sode 2: Interpersonal Skills for School Leaders
12 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this second special and short episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I discuss interpersonal skills for school leaders, the things they don'...
Mini-sode 1: Leadership Resilience
12 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this special and short episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I discuss leadership resilience in the context of three must-read books that J...
S4 E7: Making Academic Conversations Matter
05 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I talk with Jeff Zwiers about his book Next Steps with Academic Conversations: New Ideas for Im...
S4 E6: Burnout is real; here's how to beat it.
10 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I talk with Morgane Michael about her new book From Burnt Out to Fired Up: Reigniting Your Pass...
S4 E5: Candid and Compassionate Feedback
10 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I have a conversation with Joe Jones and T.J. Vari about their book Candid and Compassionate Fe...
S4 E4: A Resource You Need Right Now
07 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I interview Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and Kim Marshall of The Marshall Memo about their recent collaboration on The Best of th...
S4 E3: How School Leaders Really Can Impact Racial Equity
11 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, semi-regular co-host Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I interview Candace Raskin and Melissa Krull, who, along with Antonia J. Fe...
S4 E2: Trust-Based Observations
10 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, regular co-host Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I interview Craig Randall, author of Trust-Based Observations: Maximizing Teach...
S4 E1: Time to Dive Deep into Deep Learning
14 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I interview Joanne Quinn, coauthor of the books Deep Learning: Engage the World Change the World and Dive Into Deep Learning: Tools...
S3 E10: PRINCIPALed
10 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, frequent co-host Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I interview Kate Barker, Kourtney Ferrua, and Rachael George about their book ...
S3 E9: Mastermind Danny Bauer
11 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, frequent co-host Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I interview Danny Bauer who produces the wildly popular school leadership podca...
S3 E8: Leading the Rebound
09 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I interview Doug Fisher and Dominique Smith who, along with Nancy Frey and John Hattie, co-authored the book Leading the Rebound: 20...
S3 E7: We Got This
12 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, co-host Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I interview Cornelius Minor about his book We Got This: Equity, Access, and the Quest to...
S3 E6: Masterminds for School Leaders
04 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Co-host Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I talk about her recent foray into the world of masterminds groups for school leaders as a tool for profe...
S3 E5: The Influential School Leader
10 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Co-host Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I talk about her summary of The Influential School Leader: Inspiring Teachers, Students, and Families Thr...
S3 E4: The Price You Pay for College
04 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Co-host Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I talk about her summary of The Price You Pay for College: An Entirely New Road Map for the Biggest Finan...
S3 E3: Distance Learning Playbook (Part 2)
07 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Part 2 of 2. Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I talk about her summary of The Distance Learning Playbook, Grades K-12: Teaching for Engagement and...
S3 E2: Distance Learning Playbook (Part 1)
23 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Part 1 of 2. Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I talk about her summary of The Distance Learning Playbook, Grades K-12: Teaching for Engagement and...
S3 E1: Leading in Disruptive Times - Clarity and Communication
03 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Season 3 of The School Leadership Show. In this episode Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I talk about a new set of resources that she h...
S2 E11: Don't Shoot the Messenger
11 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I talk with Will Parker about his new book Messaging Matters: How School Leaders Can Inspire Tea...
S2 E10: Engaging with Student Engagement
13 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I talk about student engagement. Our conversation is based on the book Engagement by Design: C...
S2 E9: Why Aren't We World Class? And What Can We Do About It?
30 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Teru Clavel is a comparative international education specialist, speaker, and author. Her book World Class: One Mother's Journey Halfway Around the...
S2 E8: Critical Feedback and Difficult Conversations
24 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I talk about critical feedback and difficult conversations. Our conversation is based on a chapter in a new boo...
S2 E7: Kim Marshall and the Book You Can't Live Without
17 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode educator and author Kim Marshall (www.marshallmemo.com) and I talk about his new book co-authored with Jenn David Lang (www.themainide...
S2 E6: Interviewing and Hiring
23 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I talk about interviewing and hiring teachers. Our conversation is based on a chapter in a new book by Jenn Dav...
S2 E5: A Conversation with Elena Aguilar
16 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Guest host Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea interviews author and consultant Elena Aguilar. Elena's books - The Art of Coaching, The Art of Coachi...
S2 E3: Transforming Education one Lever at a Time
11 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea returns to the show, and we talk with Grant Lichtman about his new book Moving the Rock: Seven Levers WE Can Press...
S2 E4: Nerding out on Math Instruction
10 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea returns to the show and we nerd out on the book Becoming the Math Teacher You Wish You'd Had: Ideas and Strategies f...
S2 E2: Transforming the Curriculum Through Art
11 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I sit down with Nicola Giardina, a museum educator, consultant, and founder of Inspiring Learners through Art. She has also recen...
S2 E1: Education Policy - Where are we and where are we headed?
06 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I sit down with Mike Petrilli, the president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, and wildly prolific writer about education and educat...
The Best Movies About School
03 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is a departure from our usual fare on the School Leadership Show. Today I sit down with Jack, a high school junior with an uncanny know...
Dan Rockwell - The Leadership Freak
27 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
I found Dan Rockwell's blog Leadership Freak (www.leadershipfreak.blog) through The Marshall Memo. And now I'm hooked. His short but powerful blog p...
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
20 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode sometimes co-host Dan White and I get into all things teams - how to build them, how to think about the larger context, and much more....
It's Worse Than You Thought
13 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode occasional co-host Dan White and I interview, Noah, a recent high school graduate about his experiences in a typical Upstate New York ...
Learning How to Learn with Dr. Barb Oakley
06 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Barbara Oakley is an educator, writer, and engineer with one of the coolest backstories I've ever heard. She has become an expert on learning an...
50 Years of Polling about Public Education
30 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I interview former Phi Delta Kappan Editor-in-Chief Joan Richardson. Joan is now in charge of polling for PDK and she has written an...