Every principal I know is starting to play around with AI, using it to write faster, produce more, get more off their plate.

And most of them are walking away disappointed.

In this episode I'm talking about why AI keeps falling flat for principals — and what the actual line is between what AI should handle and what it should never touch.

We tried to teacher-proof teaching for decades. Smart boards. Scripted curricula. Packaged observation frameworks. Every single one ended up in a supply closet.

Now we're reaching for AI with the same hope. And it's failing for the exact same reason.

If you've ever felt like AI was creating more work instead of less, or like something important got outsourced that wasn't supposed to, this episode is for you.

In this episode:

• Why principals in both the "barely using it" and "all in" camps are struggling the same way
• The graveyard of tools that were going to change everything (and what AI has in common with all of them)
• The one question to ask before you open any AI tool
• What a 100% Principal never outsources to AI (and why)

🎯 Want to go deeper? Join me for the 100% AI Playbook Masterclass on June 23rd, 7pm ET. Five tools. Built together. Deployed immediately. Get your ticket: https://buildershipuniversity.com/masterclass

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Every year I step completely outside education and bring back five books that have nothing to do with schools — and everything to do with building one. This is my 2026 Summer Reading List, and it's the hardest one I've ever put together.

None of these books are education books. But every single one has something real to say about the culture you're trying to build — and the kind of principal you're becoming while you build it.

The 5 books on this year's list:

• Leading with Dignity by Donna Hicks
• Originals by Adam Grant
• One Word That Will Change Your Life by Jon Gordon, Dan Britton & Jimmy Page
• Strong Ground by Brené Brown
• The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern Reader by Melissa Murray

After you watch, I'm curious. Tell me what books you're reading right now in the comments. I'll be reading every one and who knows? Your suggestion might just end up on next year's list.

You already have a vision for your school.

You have probably had it for years.

The problem is not that you cannot see it. The problem is that you have been waiting for someone else to tell you that you are allowed to believe in it.

In this episode of The 100% Principal, I am talking about the permission gap — why the vision problem most principals face is not a skill gap or a knowledge gap, but a permission gap. And why the only person who can close it is you.

We cover:

— Why the end of the year feels like this (and what the sneaking "I want more" feeling is really telling you)
— How vision committees are designed to produce consensus
— and why that is the exact opposite of what you need
— The difference between a vision statement and a 100% Vision
— What it actually costs to keep shrinking your vision to fit what you think others can handle
— The one question to ask before you write another plan this summer

This episode is for the principal who already knows what they want and has not yet given themselves permission to say it out loud.

📩 Get The 100% Principal Newsletter every Friday: https://100percentprincipal.com

🏃 The 100% Vision Sprint — enrollment closes June 8: https://buildershipuniversity.com/sprint/