with William D. Parker and Friends
: Play in new window | DownloadA quick note to listeners: Before this week’s interview, Jen Schwanke and Will Parker answered a listener question in a 5-minute response. The question is: How do you manage displacement conversations after teachers find…
: Play in new window | DownloadA quick note to listeners: Before this week’s interview, Jen Schwanke and Will Parker answered a listener question in a 5-minute response. The question is: How do I identify the people I can trust…
: Play in new window | DownloadIn this week’s episode, Dr. Jen Schwanke and I celebrate 400 episodes of the Principal Matters Podcast. We stroll down memory lane, reminiscing about 10-plus years of producing Principal Matters content. This podcast was…
: Play in new window | DownloadHello, Friends! It’s Will Parker here from Principal Matters: The School Leader’s Podcast. We’re excited to announce that we’re approaching our 400th episode! Can you believe it? To make this milestone even more special,…
: Play in new window | DownloadThis week Jen Schwanke and Will Parker discuss the dynamics involved in building leadership vs district leadership. Although still a principal at heart, Jen has served in the role of Deputy Superintendent now for…
: Play in new window | DownloadMark Geraets, is an education leader with a career spanning 40 impactful years. Born in New Zealand as the youngest of seven to Dutch immigrant parents, Mark’s university education journey began at 16, as…
: Play in new window | DownloadIn this week’s episode, Will and Jen flip the mic, and Jen interviews Will about his experiences with Principal Matters as his full time work in the past six months of 2023. They discuss…
: Play in new window | DownloadDonna Hayward began her professional career as a high school mathematics teacher after earning her Bachelors and Masters degrees from Smith College. Inspired by her own high school principal, Donna completed her Sixth Year…
: Play in new window | DownloadAs a child, I had the privilege of observing my grandparent’s farming responsibilities, so this week’s conversation with Jen Schwanke is important to me personally and professionally. In it, we discuss a documentary about…
: Play in new window | DownloadHi, Friends. Will Parker here. I am sharing this bonus episode to inform Principal Matters listeners about some new updates. First of all, we have a new website. For 10 years, I have been…
: Play in new window | DownloadI enjoy the sounds of morning. Yesterday, as I sat on my back porch sipping coffee, I could hear the patt-pattering of a woodpecker in the Cottonwood tree. Three squirrels were scampering along the…
: Play in new window | DownloadThis week Jen Schwanke and William D. Parker talk about how principals and education leaders can recruit and retain high quality teachers: Learn about efforts school districts are using involving supporting employment funnels from…
: Play in new window | DownloadJen Schwanke joins me this week as we respond to listener questions. Jen Schwanke is an author and education leader from Dublin City Schools in Dublin, Ohio. We have two questions from a listener who…
: Play in new window | DownloadOne year ago, June 4, 2020, D.J. Klein was a guest on the Principal Matters podcast when we shared advice for his first year as a school administrator. You can hear the 10 Tips…
: Play in new window | DownloadBrittainy Harris has been working at Xi’an International School, located in China, since 2010. With her undergraduate degree in education, she landed at this American-based international school (that was founded in 1996 with the…
: Play in new window | DownloadIn last week’s episode, Colonel Brad Ruttman shared lessons from his military experience that may also apply to education leaders. This week, he unpacks more of his “Pocket-List for Leading a New Command” as…
: Play in new window | DownloadWhen Jen Schwanke and I sat down to talk about my new book this week, Jen turned the microphone to ask me some questions. Jen Schwanke is the principal of Indian Run Elementary and…
: Play in new window | DownloadThis year’s pandemic has made it difficult to see my parents as they live a long distance and are both in a vulnerable age group. Instead of posting about education this week, I want…
: Play in new window | DownloadThis week I was interviewed again by Dr. Jeff A. Springer, Ed.D., Educational Leadership Coach – Spring Strategies, LLC, and 2013 TASSP Texas State Principal of the Year, as we explored the final chapters…
: Play in new window | DownloadThis week I talk with Jeff A. Springer, Ed.D., Educational Leadership Coach from Spring Strategies, LLC, and 2013 TASSP Texas State Principal of the Year. In this episode, Dr. Springer turns the table and…
: Play in new window | DownloadThis week I reconnected with Principal Jen Schwanke, Principal of Indian Run Elementary, author and education consultant, for reflections on what re-opening has looked like for her school in Dublin, Ohio. Together we explored…
: Play in new window | DownloadThis is the time of year when the green stalks of corn begin to brown and yellow, and the once moist kernels begin to harden into dry grain. If you’ve ever shucked corn, you…
: Play in new window | DownloadEspecially during difficult times, leaders need support from other leaders. Each week this past year, I have been hosting virtual one-hour conversations with select groups of school leaders through Principal Matters Masterminds. Together we…
: Play in new window | DownloadI don’t know about you, but it seems like every waking hour has been spent adjusting to a new normal, and the idea of relaxing almost seems unkind when you think of all the…
: Play in new window | DownloadWhat stories have shaped your own leadership journey? I recently finished reading, Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover. If you’re unfamiliar with the book, Tara Westover grew up in a rural Idaho with parents…
: Play in new window | DownloadLast week my family and I traveled back to Tennessee to see my parents and extended family. My parents both turned 79 this past year. Life has slowed down a lot for them now.…
: Play in new window | DownloadJust like you, I can think of many reasons to worry about the future or raise concerns about trends that have developed over the past decade. Whether that includes increases in school shootings, soaring…
: Play in new window | DownloadWhen I was in college, I had a blue 1981 Toyota Celica that overheated on the long trip to Oklahoma, and the engine burned up. It was my first car. I had bought it…
: Play in new window | DownloadSix years ago, on October 31, 2013, my son Jack was eight years old. We had just finished an amazing day of trick-or-treating, and he asked if he could change back into his normal…
: Play in new window | DownloadLast week was the first time (except for a rare Christmas holiday) that I have not shared a blog post or podcast episode update in almost five years. At first, I thought it was…
: Play in new window | DownloadA few nights ago I was sitting in a theater with my wife watching the movie, Yesterday, starring Himesh Patel and Lily James. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I do…
: Play in new window | DownloadTwo years ago, my oldest daughter graduated from the high school where I was principal. When she headed off to college that fall, it was a mix of celebration and grief on my part.…
: Play in new window | DownloadThis week’s post is an encore episode I shared a couple of years ago. Since I’m enjoying some vacation, I thought I would remind you why your time away from school may help you…
: Play in new window | DownloadA few years ago, we had a lockdown drill at the high school where I was principal. Local police had called to say they were aware of a potential threat against our school on…
: Play in new window | DownloadOklahoma has experienced its share of storms and severe weather this spring. The other day, our family was sitting in our storm closet as sirens were sounding at 6:30AM. Afterwards, I was driving my…
: Play in new window | DownloadWhen Principal Jen Schwanke was talking to one of her teachers about the importance of balance, her teacher asked an honest question. “Why should I do this when you don’t?” Jen realized then that…
: Play in new window | DownloadWe just celebrated Mother’s Day. This time of year is a good reminder that our families play such an important role in our lives outside of school. No matter how many principals I visit,…
: Play in new window | DownloadA few years ago, I sat across my desk from a student whose father had abandoned him and left the state. A family in our community had taken in the young man, and our…
: Play in new window | DownloadHave you ever felt overwhelmed in trying to balance priorities? If you’re like me, you can probably think of more than once where student discipline, parent concerns, and teacher feedback provided you more tasks…
: Play in new window | DownloadNext week, I have the privilege of gathering together with educators and school leaders for a Leadership & Learning Conference in Norman, Oklahoma. Guest speakers Jeff Zoul, Jack Berckemeyer, and Christine Handy will be…
For those who follow my blog and podcast, I hope you’ve had a wonderful holiday season, and I wanted to offer you best wishes on the New Year. It’s been a blessed year on the home front. In 2018, my…
: Play in new window | DownloadI’ve been on the road a lot lately. And as I travel, I often think about how to reach my destination while also making the experience a positive one. For me, that means trying…
: Play in new window | DownloadFive years ago this month, our son Jack was diagnosed with a rare disease called Kawasaki that brought our normal world to a stand still as we circled together searching for answers and praying…
: Play in new window | DownloadThe European Space Agency’s historical comet landing of the spacecraft Rosetta in 2014 was an amazing feat. Imagine organizing a team of scientists and space engineers who design and launch a spacecraft with the…
: Play in new window | DownloadThis time of year, I’m on the road a lot visiting schools across my state. As I drive across Oklahoma, trees and fields have been brushed with the red and orange hues of fall.…
: Play in new window | DownloadWhen I was in high school and college, my brothers and I worked part-time diving for mussel shells in the Kentucky Lake area. We would sell them by the pound at local markets, and…
: Play in new window | DownloadRecently, the United States mourned the passing of Arizona Senator John McCain. Before his death, Senator McCain was asked by a reporter what words he hoped to see on his tombstone. He replied, “I’ve…
: Play in new window | DownloadWhen I was a Language Arts teacher, I would walk my students through a series of practices on identifying their surroundings and writing down the details. You could try it right now. Take a…