Today’s guest is likely quite familiar to our audience here. Will Parker is host of Principal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast, with more than 1.5 million downloads to date.

An Oklahoma educator since 1993, Will won a teacher of the year award in 1998, was named Oklahoma Assistant Principal of the Year by the National Association of Secondary Principals in 2012, was principal of a Title I school, and served as executive director of the Oklahoma Association of Secondary School Principals and the Oklahoma Middle Level Education Association for six years.

His new book is Whose Permission Are You Waiting For?: An Educator’s Guide to Doing What You Love.

We discuss:

• What motivated this new book
• “An Educator’s Guide to Doing What You Love”
• Understanding your pathways in education: “Do I choose A or B?” or “What’s next for me?”
• Why and how to be coached
• The importance of avoiding the binary in decision-making
• Keys for new ideas: Thinking, Planning, Experimenting, Executing
• Executing with intention
• Why is it important for leaders to give themselves permission for growth?
• Value of becoming a mentor

Connect with Will or listen to his podcast here: https://williamdparker.com. Learn more about all of his books here: https://williamdparker.com/books

About today’s guest

William D. Parker is the founder of Principal Matters, LLC—an educator, author, speaker, and executive coach who leverages his expertise in school culture, leadership, and communication to equip educators with strategies for motivating students, inspiring teachers, and reaching communities.

He is also the host of Principal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast, with more than 1.5 million downloads to date. Will supports schools through professional development and leadership coaching.

An Oklahoma educator since 1993, Will was named South Intermediate High School Teacher of the Year for Broken Arrow Public Schools in 1998. He became an assistant principal in 2004 and was named Oklahoma Assistant Principal of the Year by the National Association of Secondary Principals in 2012. As a principal of a Title I school, he helped lead initiatives in collaboration, remediation, and mentoring that significantly improved student achievement. For six years, Will served as executive director of the Oklahoma Association of Secondary School Principals and the Oklahoma Middle Level Education Association.

Find out more about his leadership academies, masterminds, executive coaching, books, and keynote presentations at williamdparker.com.

About the host

Ross Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn

I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt

Today I'm pleased to share an episode from my friend Dr. Karen Dudek-Brannan, a previous guest on The Authority and host of De Facto Leaders, a popular show on the Be Podcast Network.

Ever feel like your school is trying all the “right” strategies—social skills groups, planners, behavior charts—but students still struggle with time management, motivation, and peer relationships?

You’re not alone—and there’s a reason why, says Dr. Karen.

This episode is a clip from her free training, “Create a Research-Based Implementation Plan for your School Team.”

It’s designed for school leaders who want to guide their teams in embedding executive functioning support across both general and special education settings—without burning out staff.

This episode is for you if you’re ready to:
✔️ Help students truly benefit from academic instruction
✔️ Support social-emotional growth alongside learning
✔️ Avoid overwhelming your team with another “initiative”

This episode is the first half of the training in audio format, but to view the whole training with the video, you can go to drkarendudekbrannan.com/efteams.

Listen and subscribe at https://defactoleaders.com

For over 20 years, Tony Chatman has partnered with some of the most successful organizations in the world—including Chase Bank, the U.S. Secret Service, Phillips 66, Clear Channel, and St. Joseph’s Health. He specializes in bridging differences in perspectives, communication styles, and experiences by addressing the universal need we all share: to feel valued and seen.

As a scientist and chemical engineer, as well as a husband, father, and former leader of a nonprofit dedicated to community upliftment, Tony combines intellect with humanity. He is equal parts head and heart.

Tony’s book is The Force Multiplier: How to Lead Teams Where Everyone Wins.

We discuss:

• The mission statement of leadership
• What is a Force Multiplier?
• What makes relationship-based leadership effective?
• Relationship deposits and relationship withdrawals
• Seven keys to being a force multiplier
• Ross: “I earned it, but now I have to learn it.”

Learn more about Tony Chatman: www.tonychatman.com

About the host

Ross Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn

I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt