with William D. Parker and Friends
Talk to almost any politician about education, and you will often hear suggestions for improvement that include words like accountability, portability or choice. Very few suggest adequately funding schools or implementing measures that can really produce results. In Chapter 3…
As educators in my own state of Oklahoma continue to face pending cuts to school funding, and as advocates of public education attempt to remind their neighbors that our schools are worth the investment, it is a good time to…
There are many things I love about the state of Oklahoma: the open sky, painted sunsets, small towns, and grass prairies. There’s such unique beauty in the art deco of Tulsa’s downtown, the brilliant sands of the Great Salt Plains,…
: Play in new window | DownloadIn Episode 5 of Principal Matters Podcast, I share “Caution Lights For Your Leadership Journey.” Learn lessons from my earliest years in school leadership and how burning out almost led me to abandoning the…
During Christmas break, my brother Jesse, and I took a long walk behind our parents’ house. He showed me places where they had cleared fields and brush–adding more pasture to the acres where the cattle graze. As we made our…
: Play in new window | DownloadIn this podcast episode, I share some helpful research on how business strategy is more profitable when you understand the meaning in your product. How does this relate to education? And how can school…
When I was a boy, my father rigged up a large water barrel to use as a solar-heated hot water source. He wasn’t environmentally friendly. We just lived a simple life in the backwoods of West Tennessee. Until we had…
A couple of weeks ago, I was standing in the high school commons when one of our military recruiters had set up a table to hand out items to interested students. For years I’ve watched recruiters talk to kids who…
Having just enjoyed the Thanksgiving holiday, I came across a number of helpful resources that still have me thinking about gratitude. One is from an interesting NPR story, another from a motivational speaker, and the third from an inspiring sermon.…
Last week I attended a great webinar presentation provided by NASSP with guest presenter, Jimmy Casas, on Hiring For Excellence. Jimmy is the current principal of Bettendorf High School in Bettendorf, Iowa. He was named the 2012 Iowa Secondary Principal…
Last week a teacher told me how excited she was to see the seemingly endless strategies teachers can use in helping students grow (see previous post). As we talked about John Hattie’s list together, I began to think about how…
Over the weekend, I was having lunch with a friend who works in petroleum engineering. We talked about the kind of research and data that he uses to determine which sites are best for drilling or exploration. Investors are especially…
This summer some of our teachers attended Literacy Strategy as part of our before school professional development. As a follow-up, we invited a Literacy specialist, Shannon Gaines, to spend a day with our teachers observing and providing feedback. We scheduled…
All four of my children were taught to swim by a retired teaching couple that lives in our community. She was a kindergarten teacher, and he was a secondary teacher, coach, and principal. A couple of summers ago, I was…
October is busy month for our school. In addition to regular classes, softball and volleyball regionals as well as football games, we just hosted after-school parent conferences. As I was also working on the state accreditation report, I realized a…
Saturday I was up early to drive my fourteen-year-old daughter to band practice at the school. On our way, the pink fingers of clouds were stretching hellos from the eastern horizon, misty clouds were rising from the fields and ponds,…
When I was student teaching, I had the idealistic view that teaching alone was the most powerful way to influence the success of students. Although research shows that teacher expectations significantly affect the success of students in a classroom setting,…
In a previous post, I shared Building Positive School Climates: 20 Ideas from Principals on ways to better serve school communities. Last week I attended a gathering of innovative school leaders when we were asked for ideas on what’s working…
When I was in high school and college, my brothers and I worked part-time diving for mussell shells in the Kentucky Lake area. We would sell them by the pound at local markets, and those shells would in turn be…
A few weeks ago, I received an email from a fellow administrator in Sydney, Australia, asking for permission to re-publish a recent blog post for their executive newsletter. Although he and I are literally sitting on opposite sides of the…
One day I was standing outside my classroom during a passing period when I suddenly had one of those Jedi-moments that teachers have–when I could tell something was about to happen. I could just feel a change in the hallway…
I grew up in West Tennessee where my parents raised the six of us on a small farm in the middle of nowhere. Gravel roads, winding creeks, swampy bottoms, large fields, and rambling woods were my playgrounds. We were so…
For the past two school years, I have put together a collection of updates, photos, highlights, and announcements that I email to parents in a weekly newsletter. As positive as this outreach has been, this year I decided to reach…
This summer I had the privilege of traveling to Washington, D.C. with my superintendent. At our district’s opening meeting with staff, he told a story about one morning when we decided to paddle a kayak on the Potomac near Roosevelt…
Imagine this scenario: Billy is a ninth grader starting a new school. His mother has dragged him through every store in town to find him new clothes for the first day. When the big day comes, he wakes up early—staring…
Last week I found a handwritten card in my box at school. It was from a student who will be a senior this coming school year. In the note, she was telling me thank you for the ways we had…
The following is an interview between Deborah Gist and me. Deborah A. Gist is the Superintendent of Tulsa Public Schools. Previously, she was Rhode Island Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education. Before coming to Rhode Island, Deborah served as the…
Last week I heard Dr. Adam Saenz speak at Oklahoma’s Engage Conference when he said, “Only when you find satisfaction in the totality of life can you really enjoy your calling.” School leadership is not just about the to-do’s of…
This past weekend, our oldest daughter, Emily, had signed up to run her first 5k with her younger sister who ended up unable to run it with her. When I drove Emily to the race downtown, I could tell she…
Last week I had the privilege of attending NASSP’s summer advocacy conference for State Coordinators along with our state association President-Elect, Renae Dozier, from Grove, Oklahoma. Renae and I spent a full day visiting our representatives and/or their legislative staff…
I know a lot of people who love Chick-fil-A because of the quality of their food and service. If you’ve eaten there, you know how friendly they are to customers, you’ve seen the fresh flowers on the tables, and you…
Even with the rewarding moments of of being educators, I’m not sure I can imagine an occupation (unless it’s customer service reps or pastoring) that involves the inevitability of dealing with difficult situations or people. In Part 2 of my…
Sometimes it is both challenging and encouraging to reflect on why you do what you do. Serving others can be both rewarding and disappointing at the same time, but there are lessons we learn along the way that help us…
Educators face many similar challenges throughout the United States and across the world. This week, however, I want to address some issues close to home. Perhaps they will apply to other states as well. Twenty-one years ago, I was a…
I’ve never been on a cruise ship, but I have lots of friends who tell me you couldn’t find a better vacation choice. Although I’d love to try one, I’ll have to take their word for it. With my four…
This week is graduation at my school. Our band will play Pomp And Circumstance, our graduates will line their way into their seats, and thousands of family and friends will fill our activity center for the special event. But one…
: Play in new window | DownloadAs we wrap up the last days of our school year, it helps me to keep things in perspective so I wanted to share the following video clip of one of my favorite educators,…
Yesterday I was privileged to hear one our senior boys do a presentation at a neighboring school. Jesse Haynes is a recently published author of young adult fiction. He was talking to groups of middle school students about his experience…
Last week I drove a group of students to the State Superintendent’s Arts Awards ceremony in Guthrie, Oklahoma. Before we arrived at the event, we stopped in downtown Guthrie to see the historic buildings. Guthrie was the original state capital…
We’re a month away from the end of school (sorry friends not in North America). When I’m asked if I am excited for the end of the school year, I usually say, “Yes!” But the truth is that I don’t…
It’s finally here! I am thrilled to share this collection of insights, motivation, and practical ideas for school leaders. Principal Matters is the advice I would share with anyone who wants to grow as a school leader. School leaders are…
Recently I was listening to a January 29, 2015 episode of Invisibilia, a podcast about the invisible forces that affect us without us being aware. Specifically, the reporters narrating this episode were talking about a phenomenon known as “entanglement.” They…
A few weeks ago, some fellow administrators and I presented to an awesome group of teachers who are preparing to become admins. A great follow-up question was: “What kinds of questions can I expect in an interview for assistant principal…
As hard as it is to work through the hiring process, nothing is more important to the success of school than finding quality educators. And if you are looking for a new position, it is essential to know how to…
Yesterday I participated in a presentation to a group of teachers who are aspiring to become principals. We talked about what it means to transition from the classroom to administration, the roles of school leadership, and the to-do’s of interviewing…
A few nights ago as I let the dog out one last time, I noticed an eery glow in the night sky. A blanket of fresh snow was covering our neighborhood, and the all-encompassing-white was casting a hazy light on…
This has been a tough week for Oklahoma public education: Yesterday a bill moved out of committee to the full state senate that would legalize vouchers. If passed, this would allow public funds to be used by private schools. Earlier…
Last Friday our basketball teams played at home. Unfortunately, we lost both varsity games. But the night was not a loss. At half time, our athletic directors introduced a team of student athletes who had returned with medals from their…
A friend who is also a reader asked me the other day to explain to him what I meant by being motivated by wonder. “Motivation by purpose, I understand,” he said. “But motivation by ‘wonder’? Can you tell me…
When I was teacher, I would often hear my students talk about their other instructors. It didn’t take long to discover who were the superstars. They were the ones whose lessons were both rigorous and engaging–the ones who greeted students…
Many of my childhood Christmas memories include sharing big dinners at Grandma’s, story-telling with family members, playing on the frozen pond with siblings and cousins, or just singing carols together. In reality, not everyone has nostalgic memories this time of…
Our high school choir students gave us a beautiful Christmas present this past week when they performed the musical It’s A Wonderful Life. I’ve loved the movie version since I was kid, and seeing the story put to music as…