In this episode of The School Leadership Show, I sit down with Dr. L. Oliver Robinson to discuss his two decades of leadership at Shenendehowa. Dr. Robinson shares his unique path from economics into the superintendency, explaining why he remains a lifelong learner within the craft of school administration.

We get into his approach to building resilient systems by institutionalizing change and his perspective on the K-12 journey as a 13-year odyssey. We also talk about prioritizing dialogue over debate, the importance of "slowing the game down" as a leader, and why public schools are vital to our democracy. Finally, he shares an unexpected insight from retirement about moving beyond the clock to embrace the significance of the moment.

If you have questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes, including great non-education books with lessons for school leaders you can email me at Dr.mike.doughty@gmail.com.

I would really appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It helps a lot. And if you found this episode helpful, please share it with your colleagues.

If you are interested in sponsoring the podcast, feel free to contact me directly at Dr.mike.doughty@gmail.com.

Stay connected with me here:

• Official Website: theschoolleadershipshow.org

• YouTube: youtube.com/@theschoolleadershipshow

• Facebook: facebook.com/theschoolleadershipshow

• Instagram: instagram.com/theschoolleadershipshow

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome and Introduction

00:40 Superintendent of the Year

01:33 Career Origin Story

05:00 Leading Without the Traditional Path

06:38 How Schooling Has Changed

10:28 Competency Based Learning

13:58 Evolving Programs Through Dialogue

15:26 Advice to New Leaders

20:53 Public Education Worries and Hope

24:57 Retirement Surprises and Farewell

What if the best self-care strategy for school leaders isn't another wellness activity, but learning how to lead from a more regulated place?

In this episode of The School Leadership Show, I sit down with Erica Ebert to move beyond the "yoga your way out of it" clichés and talk about what real self-care and regulated leadership look like in schools. Drawing on her 28 years of K-12 experience, Erica shares how mindfulness, self-awareness, and compassion can help leaders better understand themselves, their teams, and the cultures they create.

We also discuss why "regulated leaders regulate rooms," and why predictable, psychologically safe environments may be the most powerful form of care leaders can provide.

Consider this Erica's official audition as a future guest host. I'm excited to bring her into more conversations as we continue exploring what it means to do the work before the work.

Visit Erica's website: ericaebert.com

If you have questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes, including great non-education books with lessons for school leaders you can email me at Dr.mike.doughty@gmail.com.

I would really appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It helps a lot. And if you found this episode helpful, please share it with your colleagues.

If you are interested in sponsoring the podcast, feel free to contact me directly at Dr.mike.doughty@gmail.com.

Stay connected with me here:

• Official Website: theschoolleadershipshow.org

• YouTube: youtube.com/@theschoolleadershipshow

• Facebook: facebook.com/theschoolleadershipshow

• Instagram: instagram.com/theschoolleadershipshow

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome and Introductions

01:14 Erica's Path to Mindfulness

02:33 Mindfulness Basics for Leaders

05:45 Awareness and Compassion Wings

07:33 Feelings as Data

10:59 Why People Resist the Work

14:23 Safety Isn't Declared

16:29 Leading Systemwide Change

23:38 Self Care vs Strong Systems

26:38 Rapid Fire and Wrap Up

In this episode of The School Leadership Show, I interview acclaimed author and reading expert Timothy Shanahan. We delve into Timothy's new book, 'Leveled Reading, Leveled Lives' discussing the troubling stagnation in U.S. reading levels and how traditional approaches to reading instruction have failed over the decades.

Timothy critiques the widespread but ineffective method of using leveled readers and advocates for teaching grade-level texts with appropriate support. The conversation covers historical and contemporary research, the evolution of instructional strategies, and practical advice for school administrators to help improve reading achievement across all grades.

Learn more and visit Tim's website https://www.shanahanonliteracy.com/.

If you have questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes, including great non-education books with lessons for school leaders you can email me at Dr.mike.doughty@gmail.com.

I would really appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It helps a lot. And if you found this episode helpful, please share it with your colleagues.

If you are interested in sponsoring the podcast, feel free to contact me directly at Dr.mike.doughty@gmail.com.

Stay connected with me here:

• Official Website: theschoolleadershipshow.org
• YouTube: youtube.com/@theschoolleadershipshow
• Facebook: facebook.com/theschoolleadershipshow
• Instagram: instagram.com/theschoolleadershipshow

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

01:20 Discussing the New Book: Leveled Reading Leveled Lives

04:28 Historical Context of Reading Instruction

10:22 Challenges with Current Reading Instruction Methods

21:43 Proposed Solutions and Future Directions

25:25 Addressing Reading Challenges in Young Learners

26:32 The Importance of Fluency and Comprehension

30:33 Background Knowledge and Its Role in Reading

35:55 Effective Reading Instruction Strategies

39:52 Reflecting on Changes in Reading Education