On this episode of Working Well we speak with Dr. Georgeanne Warnock, who has been the Superintendent of Terrell Independent School District, in Terrell, Texas since January 2020. There are approximately 5,000 students in the district. Dr. Warnock has twenty-five years of experience in public education as a teacher, high school principal, and Associate Superintendent. In 2022 she was named one of 19 National Superintendents to Watch by the National School Public Relations Association. She talks with NCSSLE Training Specialist Melanie Goodman about managing stress, being an advocate for public schools, restructuring school hours to help with staff recruitment and retention, the social emotional health of students and staff, and more.

0:23 - Introduction

1:16 - Managing personal and professional stress

3:03 - Challenges of superintendency during the pandemic

4:21 - How leaders are handling the current stressors

7:18 - Promising innovations

11:48 - Impacts of shifting to a 4-day academic week

14:00 - Addressing school climate

17:39 - Intentionality of staff connections and well-being

19:40 - How to provide teachers with autonomy and empowerment

23:20 - Addressing the needs of paraeducators and support staff

27:46 - Closing

Working Well is brought to you by the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments at the American Institutes for Research. This podcast is funded by the US Department of Education. If you'd like to learn more about NCSSLE, visit safesupportivelearning.ed.gov. For all questions or feedback, you can email us at NCSSLE@air.org.

Thanks for listening. Please note, the contents of this podcast do not necessarily represent the policy or views of the US Department of Education, nor does it imply endorsement by the US Department of Education.