In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. Heidi Sipe, Superintendent of Umatilla School District in Oregon, a role she has held for a remarkable 17 years. Dr. Sipe previously served as the district’s Federal Programs Director and Assistant Superintendent for five years. She also has a higher education background: She is an Adjunct Professor at Lewis and Clark College in Oregon and was an Adjunct Professor at Concordia University in Chicago. Dr. Sipe brings a government perspective as well, having served as an Assistant Superintendent in the Oregon Department of Education.

Some Questions We Ask:

• What is the most rewarding aspect of serving as a superintendent? (01:24)
• What is your opinion about the 2023 RAND Study and how do you cope with stress in the superintendency? (02:06)
• How has scrutiny of the superintendency changed over the years? (03:26)
• What are your strategies for bringing the community together to see your vision as a superintendent? (06:51)
• How do you gauge the engagement level of your community? (10:00)
• Do you think your stress level as a superintendent is representative of others across the nation? (11:30)
• What creative ways have you used storytelling and communication? (13:04)
• What’s your advice to district leaders who are having difficulty building a community? (16:56)
• Why is it important to see superintendents as real people? (20:02)
• How can we better support superintendents in their roles? (21:39)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Rewarding aspects of the superintendency (01:33)
• Dr. Sipe’s opinion on the 2023 RAND study and stress coping mechanisms (02:22)
• Scrutiny of the superintendency (03:31)
• Bringing the community together around one vision (07:01)
• Gauging community engagement levels (10:12)
• Stress level comparisons among superintendents (11:41)
• Creative ways of reaching out to the community (13:17)
• Advice for other district leaders (17:01)
• The importance of humanizing superintendents (20:28)
• Tips for advocating for superintendents (21:50)

Quotes:

“How I do parental involvement: I try to be places. I try to visit. I try to get to know people.”

“We can't ever forget that we are given this incredible opportunity—but also responsibility—to be a partner in raising the next generation of leaders, and if we don't own that and recognize the significance of it, we're failing our communities. No one's going to trust someone to be a partner in raising their kid unless they know that person and they know what they stand for."

Stay in touch with Dr. Heidi Sipe:

LinkedIn

Stay in touch with Sarah Williamson:
SWPR GROUP Website
LinkedIn

Stay in touch with Chad Bolser:
LinkedIn

About "The Secret to Transformational Leadership," which Sarah co-authored with Dr. Quintin Shepherd:
Transformational Leadership Secret website
Purchase the print or ebook

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. James Lane, Chief Executive Officer of PDK International, a nonprofit that supports those who work in public education, and its community-based movement Educators Rising. He has served at the federal, state, and local levels: in the U.S. Department of Education as Acting Assistant Secretary and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education; as Superintendent of Public Instruction in Virginia; and as Superintendent of three Virginia school divisions in Chesterfield County, Goochland County, and Middlesex County. Dr. Lane is also a former school principal and band director.

Some Questions We Ask:

• Tell us more about your career at all levels of K-12 education and now as a leader at PDK? (01:22)
• What is the most rewarding aspect of your career? (05:01)
• What insights from your time in the Department of Education surprised you—and were there any misconceptions about the superintendency that you experienced while working as a policymaker? (08:02)
• What are your thoughts about the 2023 RAND study, and do you have similar perspectives as other superintendents? (12:36)
• What are your strategies for bringing the community together to see your vision? (17:09)
• How have you been able to connect with the whole community to support you along the way in your career? (22:59)
• What is your opinion regarding humanizing the role of superintendents? (28:36)
• What advice would you give to supporters of K-12 education about advocating for district leaders? (33:13)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• About Dr. James Lane (01:32)
• Rewarding aspect of his expansive career (05:20)
• Insights he gained and misconceptions he encountered (08:21)
• Thoughts about the 2023 RAND study (13:06)
• Strategies for bringing the community together (17:34)
• How he connected with the community (23:13)
• His thoughts on humanizing the role of superintendents (28:51)
• Advice on advocating for K-12 district leaders (33:47)

Quotes:

“For me, the rewarding part of education is working with kids and preparing them for an amazing life and career and job and everything else. And I tried to remember that in every role I've ever been in.”

“The very best school districts I've seen have stability in the board and the superintendent, and then that leads to stability in the principalship, of the teachers, and of expectations around what we do in schools.”

“What your families want for their kids is important. Be willing to change what you want to do in that community based on the feedback of families.”

“The best thing that we can do to improve schools is make sure there's a great teacher in every classroom who's engaging parents and students.”

Stay in touch with Dr. James Lane:

PDK International
Educators Rising
LinkedIn

Stay in touch with Sarah Williamson:
SWPR GROUP Website
LinkedIn

Stay in touch with Chad Bolser:
LinkedIn

About "The Secret to Transformational Leadership," which Sarah co-authored with Dr. Quintin Shepherd:
Transformational Leadership Secret website
Purchase the print or ebook

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. Buddy Berry, the superintendent of Eminence Independent Schools in Kentucky. He founded the innovative model “School on FIRE” (Framework of Innovation for Reinventing Education). He was recognized by the Obama Administration as one of the top 100 School Superintendents in America for his district’s implementation of digital learning and invited to the ConnectED Superintendents Summit at the White House.

Some Questions We Ask:

• Please tell us about your career as a superintendent. (01:13)
• What is the most rewarding aspect of being a superintendent? (04:53)
• What can you say about the 2023 RAND study and how do you cope with the stress your career brings? (06:06)
• How has scrutiny of the superintendency changed over the years? (07:41)
• Do your experiences represent other school administrators' experiences across the nation? (09:21)
• How do you bring the community to see your vision? (11:02)
• What are the core values or core metrics that you focused on to change the community’s view of the education system? (16:52)
• What is your advice to other district leaders for building a community? (23:55)
• What is your take on humanizing the role of superintendents and how can the community benefit from it? (26:48)
• What advice can you give supporters of K-12 education about advocating for district leaders? (28:45)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• About Dr. Buddy Berry (01:39)
• Rewarding aspects of being a superintendent (05:02)
• His take on the 2023 RAND Study and coping with stress (06:33)
• Scrutiny of the superintendency (07:46)
• Comparison of his personal experiences to other administrators’ (09:30)
• Building a community with one vision (11:17)
• Establishing core values across a district (17:24)
• Advice for district leaders (24:18)
• Humanizing the role of superintendents (26:56)
• Advice to those advocating for superintendents and district leaders (29:13)

Quotes:

“Enrollment has doubled in the last decade. Test scores have gone from the eighth percentile to hovering around the 80s. We started the first early college high school program in Kentucky that's on a college campus. … We've had 500 kids go through that program, and 498 have earned a degree or are college right now. Crazy results from a population that's, you know, 70% free and reduced lunch, 18% homeless, and the vast majority first-generation college.”

“I'm a big believer that your teachers live in the community. They're the people that are mostly talking to everybody at the grocery. And so if you can win your teachers over to your vision and your thinking and what you're doing, they'll sell it for you.”

“You can't win everybody over in one day. So it's about that consistency and that transparency and just being real to them—that I think eventually does win everybody over.”

Stay in touch with Dr. Buddy Berry:
School on F.I.R.E
School on Fire Innovating Instruction

Stay in touch with Sarah Williamson:
SWPR GROUP Website
LinkedIn

Stay in touch with Chad Bolser:
LinkedIn

About "The Secret to Transformational Leadership," which Sarah co-authored with Dr. Quintin Shepherd:
Transformational Leadership Secret website
Purchase the print or ebook

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. Matthew Hicks, Superintendent of Northeastern Wayne Schools in Indiana. He is also currently a lecturer at Purdue University and a dissertation chair at Indiana Wesleyan University. Earlier in his career, he served as a language arts classroom teacher and as a principal at the high school and middle school levels. He has volunteered as a Den Leader for Crossroads for America Council, Boy Scouts of America for the past eight years.

Some Questions We Ask:

• Can you share more about yourself and your career as a superintendent? (01:46)
• What is the most rewarding aspect of your career? (03:58)
• Do you agree with the 2023 RAND study? And how do you cope with the stress your career brings? (06:56)
• Has scrutiny of the superintendency changed over the years? (09:27)
• In comparison with other administrators you interact with across the nation, do you believe your own personal experiences align with their experiences? (11:21)
• How do you bring the community to see and share your vision so you can build it together? (13:07)
• How do you communicate with the community and connect with educators and families through creative storytelling? (15:04)
• What is your advice for other district leaders who are struggling with building a community? (16:50)
• Why do you think it’s important to see superintendents as humans and not just robots? (19:16)
• How can the community support and advocate for superintendents? (21:52)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• About Dr. Matthew Hicks (01:56)
• Rewarding aspects of being a superintendent (04:05)
• Thoughts about the RAND study and coping with stress (07:31)
• Scrutiny of the superintendency (09:34)
• About his personal experiences in district leadership vs others’ (11:32)
• Uniting a community around one vision (13:17)
• Effective communication strategies (15:17)
• Advice for district leaders (16:55)
• Humanizing the role of superintendents (19:25)
• How the community can advocate for superintendents (22:05)

Quotes:

“There are things in education that happen that are just very difficult to deal with. Losing a student is an absolute nightmare scenario for that family, for a school community—and it is one of those things that reverberates through time. You don't forget those moments because they hurt so bad. Those sorts of things will unfortunately be a part of the role.”

“And our [vision statement] is that we're a nurturing family where each Knight belongs, grows, and contributes. That's our whole vision. And so if I can't run something through the ‘belong, grow, or contribute’ filter, then we're not doing it. If it doesn't fit into that filter, that's not us. That's not what we're doing right now. And so it really has helped with the decision-making. It puts us in a position to give a quality ‘no’ for the things that don't fit in that vision and an enthusiastic ‘yes’ for the things that do fit within that vision.”

Stay in touch with Dr. Matthew Hicks:
Email: mhicks@nws.k12.in.us

Stay in touch with Sarah Williamson:
SWPR GROUP Website
LinkedIn

Stay in touch with Chad Bolser:
LinkedIn

About "The Secret to Transformational Leadership," which Sarah co-authored with Dr. Quintin Shepherd:
Transformational Leadership Secret website
Purchase the print or ebook

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. Rachel White, Founder and Lead Researcher at The Superintendent Lab, a hub for data, research, insights, and innovation on the public school district superintendency. She is currently the Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. White has also taught at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and Old Dominion University and has served as a school board member and volunteer coach at Van Wert City Schools in Ohio. She is a member of the University Council for Education Administration, the American Educational Research Association, and the Association for Education Finance and Policy.

Some Questions We Ask:

• Tell us about yourself and The Superintendent Lab. (01:31)
• How do you humanize the role of superintendents and incorporate that in your research? (04:26)
• In what ways did the RAND study inspire your research? (08:08)
• How has scrutiny of the superintendency changed over the years, and is turnover being addressed by retention programs? (11:52)
• In your research, have you looked at partnerships between superintendents and the community? (16:07)
• Which of your research findings are most alarming? (18:34)
• In your opinion, how will the new administration impact K-12 leadership? (24:48)
• How can the community support and advocate for superintendents? (28:06)
• Tell us more about your hopes for The Superintendent Lab. (30:26)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• All about Dr. Rachel White and The Superintendent Lab (01:40)
• Humanizing superintendents (04:34)
• Dr. White’s research (08:13)
• Scrutiny of the superintendency and retention programs to address turnover (12:22)
• Partnerships between superintendents and the community (16:33)
• Research findings that alarm her (18:40)
• Impacts of the new administration on K-12 leadership (24:58)
• Advocating for superintendents at the community level (28:22)
• Hopes for The Superintendent Lab in the future (30:32)

Quotes:

“Superintendents that have strong trusting relationships with their school board—and particularly their school board president—are significantly less likely to be job seeking.”

“What we know is that principal stability impacts teacher stability, and we know teacher stability does impact students outcomes and educational experiences, right? So it's sort of like doing a stepwise process to get to what is the impact of superintendent turnover.”

“Any sort of changes at the federal level may mean that superintendents really have to step up right and make sure that we continue to say, ‘We are going to serve every kid that walks in our door, and we're going to do whatever it takes to do that.’”

Stay in touch with Dr. Rachel White:
LinkedIn
The Superintendent Lab website
Email: rachel.white@austin.utexas.edu

Stay in touch with Sarah Williamson:
SWPR GROUP Website
LinkedIn

Stay in touch with Chad Bolser:
LinkedIn

About "The Secret to Transformational Leadership," which Sarah co-authored with Dr. Quintin Shepherd:
Transformational Leadership Secret website
Purchase the print or ebook

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. Alena Zachery-Ross, Superintendent of Ypsilanti Community Schools in Michigan. She has decades of experience at public K-12 and charter schools of all sizes, including serving as Superintendent for Okemos Public Schools and for the Muskegon Heights Public School Academy System. She is a sought-after professional speaker, educational consultant, and leadership development coach as well as a church pastor.

Some Questions We Ask:

• Can you tell us more about your career and your current role? (01:23)
• What is the most rewarding aspect of your career? (02:10)
• What can you say about the RAND research, and how you are able to cope with stress? (03:03)
• How do you think scrutiny of the superintendency has changed over the years? (04:32)
• How do you unify people to build community within your school district? (05:32)
• How much do you think your experiences align with those of superintendents in your state or across the country? (07:11)
• How are you sharing stories to bring people together? (08:33)
• What advice can you give to other superintendents with regards to cultivating engagement? (10:34)
• What makes people forget that superintendents are real people, and how can we demonstrate that you are solving challenging issues to give K-12 students the best education possible? (12:35)
• How can a community advocate for superintendents? (14:06)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• All about Dr. Zachery-Ross’ educational career (01:31)
• Rewarding aspects throughout her career (02:19)
• Her take on coping with stress (03:26)
• Scrutiny of the superintendency through the years (04:54)
• Unifying the community (05:47)
• Her personal experiences as a superintendent compared with others’ (07:26)
• Sharing stories to unify people (08:50)
• Dr. Zachery-Ross’ advice to other school leaders (10:49)
• Treating superintendents as individuals and not robots (12:55)
• Advocating for superintendents (14:44)

Quotes:

“During my time as superintendent in two different districts, I've been able to take students to Ghana, Africa, on educational journeys, and watching them has been the best joy. It's been life-changing for those groups of students. It was phenomenal to see them return as transformed people and as transformed learners.”

“We all want to make a difference in our students’ lives. We all want to see academic growth. We all want to support our staff and families and make an impact on our community.”

“A smile goes a long way—and it's up to us to be personal. It's up to us to make that connection.”

Stay in touch with Dr. Alena Zachery-Ross:

Dr. Alena Zachery-Ross Website

Ypsilanti Community Schools Website

LinkedIn

Stay in touch with Sarah Williamson:
SWPR GROUP Website
LinkedIn

Stay in touch with Chad Bolser:
LinkedIn

About "The Secret to Transformational Leadership," which Sarah co-authored with Dr. Quintin Shepherd:
Transformational Leadership Secret website
Purchase the print or ebook

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. Dan Cox, the Superintendent of Schools in Rochester Community Unit School District 3A in Rochester, Illinois. In his 16-year education career in the state, he led the Staunton Community Unit School District and the Jasper County Community Unit 1 School District. He also served as an Assistant Principal and Principal at East Richland Elementary School in Olney. He is active on many boards at the local, regional, and state levels, including the State Assessment Review Committee for the Illinois State Board of Education.

Some Questions We Ask:

• Can you tell us more about your career as a superintendent? (01:25)
• What aspect of your career is most rewarding? (02:18)
• What are your thoughts about the RAND research and how important wellness is to you in coping with stress? (04:04)
• How do you feel scrutiny of the superintendency has changed over the years? (05:45)
• What are key factors in unifying the community to support your vision? (09:34)
• How much do you think your experiences align with those of superintendents in your state or across the country? (07:11)
• How are you able to share and communicate your stories with the community? (12:39)
• What advice can you give to other school leaders who are struggling in building a community? (15:21)
• Why is it important for people to see superintendents as human beings? (18:23)
• How can the community support superintendents? (20:20)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Dr. Cox’s career in education (01:36)
• Rewarding aspects of his career (02:29)
• The importance of wellness in coping with stress (04:15)
• Scrutiny of the superintendency (05:53)
• Developing a single vision for the community (09:56)
• Thoughts on communication and storytelling (12:54)
• Advice on community-building for fellow school leaders (15:43)
• Humanizing the role of superintendents (18:35)
• Advocating for superintendents (20:26)

Quotes:

“We had a pandemic, and it was our responsibility as superintendents to bring a sense of hope, but also a sense of peace and calm and renewal—and then bring in joy and love: the joy of education and the love for what we do and who we serve, which is our kids and our communities.”

“If I was to break it down and just really be authentic and vulnerable about it, [my advice for wellness] is to know who you are at your core and don't identify yourself with your profession.”

Stay in touch with Dr. Dan Cox:

LinkedIn

Stay in touch with Sarah Williamson:
SWPR GROUP Website
LinkedIn

Stay in touch with Chad Bolser:
LinkedIn

About "The Secret to Transformational Leadership," which Sarah co-authored with Dr. Quintin Shepherd:
Transformational Leadership Secret website
Purchase the print or ebook

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. Quintin Shepherd. Quintin has 19 years’ experience as a superintendent and currently holds that leadership role at Pflugerville Independent School District in Texas. He has a demonstrated history of improving school districts in both rural and urban areas in multiple states by being committed to transformational and collaborative leadership focused on doing what is best for the children in each district. Quintin is the co-author of the book “The Secret To Transformational Leadership,” together with podcast co-host Sarah Williamson, and his second book, “Transforming Education for Systemic Change and Empowered Communities,” was published in February 2024

Some Questions We Ask:

• Tell us more about your career as a superintendent. (01:20)
• What is most rewarding about being a superintendent? (04:21)
• What are your thoughts regarding the 2022 and 2023 RAND research, and how do you cope with stress in your career? (06:02)
• How has scrutiny of the superintendency changed over the years? (09:32)
• In what ways have you developed a shared vision for your district with your community? (11:57)
• How are your experiences similar to other K-12 school leaders across the nation? (15:09)
• What is the best way to illuminate the humanity of district leaders? (17:27)
• As advocates for K-12 education, how can we truly support superintendents today? (19:14)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• About Dr. Quintin Shepherd’s career in education (01:30)
• The joys of being a superintendent (04:27)
• The changing nature of stress in this job over time, and his strategies for coping with it (06:29)
• Changes in scrutiny of the superintendency with the rise of the internet (09:38)
• Developing a shared vision for the district and being the chief storyteller (12:17)
• His experiences as a superintendent compared to others across the nation (15:17)
• Humanizing superintendents and district leaders (17:48)
• How supporters can all advocate for superintendents (19:41)

Quotes:
“There are only two types of people who work in schools. There are those who teach and those who support teachers. And never forget that [as a principal] you are now the chief supporter of your teachers in your school. ”

“If I'm not my best self, I can't be an effective leader for the people who are counting on me.”

“Leaders are tremendously adept at filling space. We can create it and fill it all day long, but it's a totally different skill set to be able to create the space and then just hold it for others, to be able to fill that space—and do so in a way that's respectful."

“I'm just a big advocate of going to the community first. It requires tremendous vulnerability, tremendous humility. But if you lead that way, the community will actually step up and help you solve the problem.”

Connect with Quintin Shepherd:
Dr. Quintin Shepherd's LinkedIn
Dr. Quintin Shepherd’s Twitter

Stay in touch with Sarah Williamson:
SWPR GROUP Website
LinkedIn

Stay in touch with Chad Bolser:
LinkedIn

About "The Secret to Transformational Leadership," which Sarah co-authored with Dr. Quintin Shepherd:
Transformational Leadership Secret website
Purchase the print or ebook