Episodes

  • Mentorship and Modernization: Building Schools for the Future

    Mentorship and Modernization: Building Schools for the Future
    Aug 6 2025
    The Ruckus Report Quick take: Student voice isn't just nice to have—it's the missing ingredient in creating schools worth showing up for. Casey Wright proves that when you design with students instead of around them, everything from panini lines to classroom layouts becomes a catalyst for engagement. Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Casey Wright has served as an educational leader in Illinois high school districts for 30 years. He began his career teaching social studies at Rolling Meadows High School while coaching girls track and boys basketball. After spending 12 years at Highland Park High School as an administrator, Casey is currently an Associate Principal at Glenbrook South High School in Glenview, Illinois. With a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction from National-Louis University and a Bachelor of Arts in Social Studies Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Casey is also a member of the Illinois Association of School Business Officials. Breaking Down the Old Rules 🔨 In this episode, Casey Wright challenges traditional education paradigms: Key Insight #1: Students Are Your Best Design Consultants What's broken: Adults making assumptions about what students want and need in their learning environmentThe shift: Regularly convening student committees to provide direct input on everything from food service to classroom furnitureImpact: Higher engagement, better attendance, and solutions that actually work (like shawarma bowls and flexible seating options) Key Insight #2: Physical Space Shapes Learning Dynamics What's broken: Static "lion cage" classrooms with bolted-down furniture that prioritize institutional control over collaborative learningThe shift: Flexible, mobile furniture and no permanent "front" of the room, allowing fluid movement and dynamic instructionImpact: Teachers become facilitators instead of dispensers, students collaborate naturally, and learning becomes interactive Key Insight #3: Mentorship Multiplies Leadership Impact What's broken: Leaders trying to figure everything out alone without seeking wisdom from experienced mentorsThe shift: Building long-term mentoring relationships that focus on caring for people first, competence secondImpact: Sustained leadership growth, authentic connections with students and staff, and career-long learning partnerships Quotable Ruckus "Students don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." – Casey Wright Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Walk through your building and count how many spaces were designed with student input versus adult assumptions This Month: Convene a student advisory committee to get feedback on one specific aspect of your school experience (food, spaces, policies) This Semester: Pilot flexible learning spaces in 2-3 classrooms, involving both teachers and students in the design process Connect & Continue 🔗 Follow Casey Wright: Casey is an Associate Principal at Glenbrook South High School in Glenview, Illinois 📌 Ruckus Makers Don't Just Listen — They Act If education ain't a bit disruptive, then what are your students really learning? This show isn't about doing school better. It's about Doing School Different — and joining a growing movement of bold, creative school leaders who reject legacy models and reimagine what's possible. 🧠 Here are four ways we can help you on your Do School Different journey 📬 Subscribe to the Free Newsletter — An opportunity to Do School Different 3x a week. Tools, mindset shifts, and strategies that actually work: here 🗞️ Read Ruckus Makers — Exclusive content on Substack. Premium leadership insights, AI prompts and custom GPTs, new books before the bookshelf. ruckusmakers.media 💥 Join The Ruckus Maker Club — Our private network + workshops, The Automatic School tools, AI Prompt Library, and more: https://ruckusmakers.club/join 🧨 Apply to the Mastermind — Weekly coaching, peer mentorship, and our proven leadership system (The Ruckus Maker Flywheel) to help you transform your campus: Apply Now Every tool, community, and coaching program we offer is built to help visionary school leaders play the new game — one where leadership is creative, tech-enabled, and unapologetically student-centered. 🎙️ The podcast is your starting point. The movement is just getting started. Today's RUCKUScast in Partnership with: ODP Business Solutions Transforming learning environments isn't just about new furniture—it's about reimagining what's possible when students actually want to show up. For 30 years, ODP has helped schools create spaces that inspire collaboration and innovation. 🔍 Learn more: here IXL Stop accepting "I taught it, they should have learned it." IXL's adaptive platform identifies knowledge gaps and personalizes instruction so every student actually masters the material. Join over 1 million teachers who use data to drive real learning. ...
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    32 mins
  • How School Leaders Can Reclaim Their Time and Lead on Their Own Terms

    How School Leaders Can Reclaim Their Time and Lead on Their Own Terms
    Aug 4 2025

    Most principals feel like they're doing everything right — but something still feels wrong. That’s not a personal failure. It’s proof you’re playing someone else’s game. In this episode, Danny Bauer invites school leaders to stop following broken rules and start authoring their own.

    Breaking Down the Old Rules 🔨

    Key Insight #1
    What’s broken: School leaders can’t name the rules of the game they’re playing.
    The shift: Define success on your own terms — and write your own rules.
    Impact: Clarity, confidence, and control over what truly matters.

    Key Insight #2
    What’s broken: Leaders fill their calendars with others' priorities.
    The shift: Use intentional scheduling to create space for high-value work.
    Impact: More energy, focus, and results that actually move the needle.

    Key Insight #3
    What’s broken: Traditional PD ignores the emotional, practical, and systemic traps leaders face.
    The shift: Join a community-led, mentor-supported journey to reclaim your leadership.
    Impact: Massive mindset shifts and sustainable campus-wide results — all in just 8 weeks.

    Quotable Ruckus

    “If you can’t name the rules of the leadership game you're playing, you're playing someone else’s.” – Danny Bauer

    Your Do School Different Challenge

    Tomorrow: Ask yourself: What rules am I currently playing by that I didn’t write?
    This Week: Join Play Your Game and take back control of your leadership — from the inside out.

    Send an email to danny@betterleadersbetterschools.com

    SUBJECT: PLAY YOUR GAME 1

    BODY: “I’m in!”

    Once I get that email, I will share the entire program details. If you decide this program is a great fit for you, you’ll then register.

    Play Your Game 1 begins August 14.
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    10 mins
  • Rob Barnett on Transforming Classroom Chaos into Mastery-Based Learning

    Rob Barnett on Transforming Classroom Chaos into Mastery-Based Learning
    Jul 30 2025
    The Ruckus Report Quick take: When 21 kids are on your roster but only 3 show up on time, you don't quit — you reinvent how learning works. Rob Barnett's journey from near-burnout to building a model that reaches 100,000+ educators proves that ditching whole-class instruction might be the best thing you can do for student achievement. Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Rob Barnett is co-founder of the Modern Classrooms Project, which has empowered over 100,000 educators across 180+ countries to meet every learner's needs. A former public school math teacher who nearly quit during his first year, Rob transformed his frustration with traditional whole-class instruction into a revolutionary approach that made him fall in love with teaching again. Author of "Meet Every Learner's Needs: Redesigning Instruction so All Learners Can Succeed," Rob developed the free InstaleEson AI tool that helps teachers create blended, self-paced, mastery-based lessons in minutes. He believes every day, in every classroom, every learner should be appropriately challenged and supported. Breaking Down the Old Rules 🔨 In this episode, Rob Barnett challenges traditional education paradigms: Key Insight #1: One-Size-Fits-All Teaching Sets Everyone Up to Fail What's broken: Standing at the board delivering the same lesson to students with vastly different needs, attendance patterns, and readiness levelsThe shift: Record simple instructional videos (even using basic tools like Skype) and spend class time working one-on-one and in small groups with studentsImpact: Teachers can finally meet diverse learner needs while building authentic relationships — the foundation of real learning Key Insight #2: Mastery Must Come Before Moving On What's broken: Rushing students through content because "we've got to get through the curriculum," leaving gaps in understanding that compound over timeThe shift: Require true understanding of lesson one before advancing to lesson two, giving students the time they need to achieve real masteryImpact: Students build confidence and self-esteem when they experience genuine understanding, creating a virtuous cycle of success Key Insight #3: Good Learning Is Loud and Collaborative What's broken: Controlling every moment from the front of the room, mistaking silence and compliance for engagement and learningThe shift: Create a "college library" environment where students work at different paces, collaborate in groups, and engage in meaningful discussionsImpact: The best classroom management strategy becomes keeping every student appropriately challenged and supported — misbehavior disappears when kids can succeed Quotable Ruckus "I became a teacher because I wanted to work closely with young people. I wanted to get to know them, I wanted to teach them things so they actually understood and help them develop their own self confidence and self esteem." – Rob Barnett Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Have one teacher try the InstaleEson AI tool to create a single blended lesson — start small, experiment with one topic This Month: Visit learn.modernclassrooms.org and explore the free training resources to understand the full framework for self-paced, mastery-based instruction This Semester: Pilot the Modern Classroom approach in 2-3 classrooms, focusing on recording simple instructional videos and shifting class time to individual and small-group work Connect & Continue 🎯 Get the full episode transcript: [Link] 🔗 Follow Rob Barnett: Linkedin 🏫 Modern Classrooms Project: Modern Classroom 📱 Follow on Instagram: Instagram 📌 Ruckus Makers Don't Just Listen — They Act If education ain't a bit disruptive, then what are your students really learning? This show isn't about doing school better. It's about Doing School Different — and joining a growing movement of bold, creative school leaders who reject legacy models and reimagine what's possible. 🧠 Here are four ways we can help you on your Do School Different journey 📬 Subscribe to the Free Newsletter — An opportunity to Do School Different 3x a week. Tools, mindset shifts, and strategies that actually work: ruckusmakers.news 🗞️ Read Ruckus Makers — Exclusive content on Substack. Premium leadership insights, AI prompts and custom gpts, new books before the bookshelf. ruckusmakers.media 💥 Join The Ruckus Maker Club — Our private network + workshops, The Automatic School tools, AI Prompt Library, and more: https://ruckusmakers.club/join 🧨 Apply to the Mastermind — Weekly coaching, peer mentorship, and our proven leadership system (The Ruckus Maker Flywheel) to help you transform your campus: Apply Now Every tool, community, and coaching program we offer is built to help visionary school leaders play the new game — one where leadership is creative, tech-enabled, and unapologetically student-centered. 🎙️ The podcast is your starting point. The movement is just ...
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    50 mins
  • Breaking Barriers: Giving Yourself Permission to Lead

    Breaking Barriers: Giving Yourself Permission to Lead
    Jul 23 2025
    The Ruckus Report Quick take: Most school leaders are waiting for someone else's permission to create the change they know their students need. Will Parker destroys that myth and reveals the #1 barrier standing between you and transformational leadership — yourself. Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker 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 around the world through professional development and leadership coaching. He frequently presents at K–12 events, education conferences, leadership team training, and graduate classes on effective practices, organizational management, and improved school communication. 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. Will's new book: Whose Permission Are You Waiting For? And other books: Pause. Breath. Flourish., Messaging Matters., and Principal Matters. Breaking Down the Old Rules 🔨 In this episode, William D. Parker challenges traditional education paradigms: Key Insight #1: Stop Creating Imaginary Rules That Don't Exist What's broken: Leaders inventing barriers and constraints that exist only in their own minds, like the college student who created rules for a ropes course challenge that didn't existThe shift: Question every "rule" you think is stopping you and ask which barriers are real versus imaginaryImpact: When you eliminate self-imposed limitations, you unlock possibilities you never knew existed and can tackle challenges with creative solutions Key Insight #2: Survival Mode Kills Vision and Growth What's broken: Leaders getting trapped in day-to-day survival thinking instead of setting goals and dreaming about the futureThe shift: Build regular reflection cycles asking: What milestones have I hit? What challenges did I overcome? What successes did I experience? What do I want to experience next?Impact: Clarity gives you permission to take action — when you know where you want to go, you can start moving toward it Key Insight #3: Binary Thinking Limits Your Options What's broken: Approaching decisions as either/or choices instead of exploring multiple pathways and creative alternativesThe shift: Always create A, B, and C options (good, better, best) whether you're handling student discipline, master scheduling, or hiring decisionsImpact: Options create ownership and empower others while opening doors to solutions you never considered Quotable Ruckus "When you are considering the thing you really want to accomplish, the improvements that you really want to see, the kind of growth that you really want to experience... whose permission are you waiting for? Because a lot of times the person's permission they're waiting for is their own." – William D. Parker Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Make a list of the barriers you think are stopping you from creating the change you want to see — circle the ones that might be imaginary This Month: Schedule weekly reflection time using Will's questions: What challenges did I overcome? What successes did I experience? What lessons did I learn? What do I want to experience next? This Semester: For your next major decision, create three pathway options (A, B, C) instead of thinking in binary terms — then involve your team in choosing the best path forward Connect & Continue 🎯 Get the full episode transcript: here 🔗 Follow William D. Parker: Linkedin 📚 Get Will's new book: Whose Permission Are You Waiting For? And Other books: Pause. Breath. Flourish.Messaging Matters.Principal Matters. 📌 Ruckus Makers Don't Just Listen — They Act If education ain't a bit disruptive, then what are your students really learning? This show isn't about doing school better. It's about Doing School Different — and joining a growing movement of bold, creative school leaders who reject legacy models and reimagine what's possible. 🧠 Here are four ways we can help you on your Do School ...
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    44 mins
  • Reject the Premise Part 3

    Reject the Premise Part 3
    Jul 16 2025
    Jethro Jones on Breaking the Robot Principal Playbook The Ruckus Report Quick take: Most school leaders are trained to lead like emotionless robots. But students aren't spreadsheets and staff don't need a boss with a checklist — they need a human being. Time to reject the premise that logic alone should run our schools. Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Jethro Jones, 2017 NASSP Digital Principal of the Year, is a former principal from Fairbanks, Alaska, and the host of Transformative Principal, where he interviews leaders from around the world who are reimagining K-12 education. He's the founder of the Transformative Leadership Summit and author of SchoolX: How principals can design a transformative school experience for students, teachers, parents – and themselves! Breaking Down the Old Rules 🔨 In this episode, Jethro Jones challenges traditional education paradigms: Key Insight #1: Emotions Are Your Leadership Superpower What's broken: The robot principal mentality that emotions should be locked out of workThe shift: Embrace emotional intelligence as the very thing that makes leadership work — connectionImpact: Leaders build authentic relationships instead of being terminators hunting for data points Key Insight #2: From Sage on Stage to Compass Among Us What's broken: Teachers controlling every learning moment as the "sage on the stage"The shift: Become a "compass among us" — pointing to true north while students navigate their own pathImpact: Students take ownership of learning while teachers focus on what computers can't do: the human connection Key Insight #3: Discipline Matrices Are BS What's broken: One-size-fits-all discipline charts that treat every situation identicallyThe shift: Use the smallest possible intervention that changes behavior — sometimes just a lookImpact: Fewer office referrals, more authentic relationships, and students who actually learn from mistakes Quotable Ruckus "If AI can crushed everything else, what's left is our emotions and our spirituality and the metaphysical stuff that makes us different than computers." – Jethro Jones Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Check in with someone by asking "How are you?" instead of "How did your students do on that assessment?"This Month: Replace one discipline matrix consequence with a restorative conversationThis Semester: Audit your teaching staff — how many are still stuck in "sage on the stage" mode? Connect & Continue 🎯 Get the full episode transcript: [Link] 🔗 Follow Jethro Jones: LinkedIn | Twitter/X 💪 Join the Ruckus Maker Movement: ruckusmakers.club/join Do you Subscribe to the Ruckus Maker Newsletter? Do School Different 3x a Week. ✉ Join for FREE: ruckusmakers.news/subscribe 📌 Ruckus Makers Don't Just Listen — They Act If education ain't a bit disruptive, then what are your students really learning? This show isn't about doing school better. It's about Doing School Different — and joining a growing movement of bold, creative school leaders who reject legacy models and reimagine what's possible. 🧠 Here are four ways we can help you on your Do School Different journey 📬 Subscribe to the Free Newsletter — An opportunity to Do School Different 3x a week. Tools, mindset shifts, and strategies that actually work: ruckusmakers.news 🗞️ Read Ruckus Makers — Exclusive content on Substack. Premium leadership insights, AI prompts and custom gpts, new books before the bookshelf. ruckusmakers.media 💥 Join The Ruckus Maker Club — Our private network + workshops, The Automatic School tools, AI Prompt Library, and more: ruckusmakers.club 🧨 Apply to the Mastermind — Weekly coaching, peer mentorship, and our proven leadership system (The Ruckus Maker Flywheel) to help you transform your campus: Apply Now Every tool, community, and coaching program we offer is built to help visionary school leaders play the new game — one where leadership is creative, tech-enabled, and unapologetically student-centered. 🎙️ The podcast is your starting point. The movement is just getting started. Today's RUCKUScast in Partnership with: IXL Meet your students where they are and take them where they need to go. Join over 1 million teachers who trust IXL to drive data-informed excellence in their classrooms. 🔍 Learn more: ixl.com/leaders Expressability K12 Your inbox isn't a task manager. Your mind isn't for storing mundane processes. It's time to break free. With Expressability K12, Ruckus Makers can prioritize student success by offloading time-sucking tasks. 🔍 Learn more: expressability.com/ruckus ODP Business Solutions "Our STEAM program is too complicated" = Code for "We're doing it wrong." Stop letting fear kill innovation. Some leaders are transforming STEAM with a three-part framework that's not what you think. 🔍 Get the playbook: here Twelve Practices LLC © 2025 | If Education Ain't a Bit Disruptive, Then What Are Your ...
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    47 mins
  • Sam Feeney on Closing the Compliance Gap

    Sam Feeney on Closing the Compliance Gap
    Jul 9 2025
    The Ruckus Report Quick take: The biggest legal risk most districts face isn't a headline-grabbing lawsuit — it's the hidden gap between the accommodations they promise and the ones students actually receive. Sam Feeney built a tool that collapses this compliance gap to 10 seconds and a single click. Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Sam Feeney has been an educator for twenty-five years as an English teacher, counselor, administrator, and consultant. He created Accommodate in response to his professional observations and his personal experience as a father. Sam and the team at Accommodate provide classroom supports for students with all kinds of learning needs so every teacher can maintain instructional integrity. In his spare time, Sam enjoys reading and collaborating with others to build something new. Sam, his wife, and his five children live in suburban Denver, where they enjoy sports and the outdoors. And—no—he doesn't ski. Breaking Down the Old Rules 🔨 In this episode, Sam Feeney challenges traditional education paradigms: Key Insight #1: Need Equals Permission What's broken: Waiting for perfect credentials or expertise before tackling problems you seeThe shift: Recognition of a need is your permission to solve it — start with passion, build expertise along the wayImpact: Innovation happens when educators stop waiting for someone else to fix what's broken Key Insight #2: Hidden Non-Compliance Is Everywhere What's broken: Beautifully written IEPs, 504s, and ELL plans that vanish under the weight of crowded classrooms and overworked teachersThe shift: Technology that transforms any lesson into student-specific accommodations at the push of a buttonImpact: Students get the support they're legally entitled to, teachers avoid guilt and burnout, districts avoid million-dollar settlements Key Insight #3: Time Is the Ultimate Gift What's broken: Teachers spending hours trying to accommodate across three different areas of expertise (special ed, ELL, gifted)The shift: 10-second accommodations that give teachers back their most precious resourceImpact: Instructional integrity becomes sustainable, not just aspirational Quotable Ruckus "Need equals permission. If you see a need, that's your permission to go tackle it." – Sam Feeney Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Audit one accommodation plan — is it actually happening in the classroom, or just living on paper?This Month: Calculate the true cost of hidden non-compliance on your campus (teacher burnout, potential lawsuits, student outcomes)This Semester: Invest in tools that give your teachers back time while ensuring every student gets what they're legally entitled to Connect & Continue 🎯 Get the full episode transcript: [Link] 🔗 Follow Sam Feeney: LinkedIn 🌐 Learn more about Accommodate: accommodate.live 📌 Ruckus Makers Don't Just Listen — They Act If education ain't a bit disruptive, then what are your students really learning? This show isn't about doing school better. It's about Doing School Different — and joining a growing movement of bold, creative school leaders who reject legacy models and reimagine what's possible. 🧠 Here are four ways we can help you on your Do School Different journey 📬 Subscribe to the Free Newsletter — An opportunity to Do School Different 3x a week. Tools, mindset shifts, and strategies that actually work: ruckusmakers.news 🗞️ Read Ruckus Makers — Exclusive content on Substack. Premium leadership insights, AI prompts and custom gpts, new books before the bookshelf. ruckusmakers.media 💥 Join The Ruckus Maker Club — Our private network + workshops, The Automatic School tools, AI Prompt Library, and more: ruckusmakers.club 🧨 Apply to the Mastermind — Weekly coaching, peer mentorship, and our proven leadership system (The Ruckus Maker Flywheel) to help you transform your campus: Apply Now Every tool, community, and coaching program we offer is built to help visionary school leaders play the new game — one where leadership is creative, tech-enabled, and unapologetically student-centered. 🎙️ The podcast is your starting point. The movement is just getting started. Today's RUCKUScast in Partnership with: IXL Meet your students where they are and take them where they need to go. Join over 1 million teachers who trust IXL to drive data-informed excellence in their classrooms. 🔍 Learn more: ixl.com/leaders Expressability K12 Your inbox isn't a task manager. Your mind isn't for storing mundane processes. It's time to break free. With Expressability K12, Ruckus Makers can prioritize student success by offloading time-sucking tasks. 🔍 Learn more: k12ability.com ODP Business Solutions Stop letting compliance paperwork kill innovation. Some leaders are transforming special education support with technology that turns accommodation promises into reality. 🔍 Learn more: odpbusiness.com/education Twelve Practices LLC © ...
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    50 mins
  • Rethinking School Leadership: From Problem-Solver to Capacity-Builder

    Rethinking School Leadership: From Problem-Solver to Capacity-Builder
    Jul 2 2025
    Mitch Weathers on Breaking the Bottleneck Leadership Trap The Ruckus Report Quick take: Most principals think they're the chief problem solver—but that mindset is actually what's breaking their schools. When you're the go-to for every fire, you're not leading, you're enabling dependence. Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Mitch became a gifted teacher because he was a mediocre student. Mitch rarely felt comfortable in the classroom. In fact, it took him 7 years to graduate from college. Choosing to become a teacher, Mitch was fortunate enough to experience school as if it was happening all around him. He was unsure how to jump into his learning with confidence. There is a loneliness to experiencing your education as a passive object as opposed to an active subject. From the moment he entered the classroom, Mitch relied on his personal experiences as a learner. He recognized that what we teach—the content or curriculum—is secondary. We must first lay the foundation for learning before we can get to teaching. Mitch designed Organized Binder to empower teachers with a simple but research-backed strategy to teach students executive functioning skills while protecting the time needed for content instruction. The secret is found in establishing a predictable learning routine that serves to foster safer learning spaces. When students get practice with executive functions by virtue, we set them up for success. Learn more in his recent book Executive Functions for Every Classroom: Breaking Down the Old Rules 🔨 In this episode, Mitch Weathers challenges traditional education paradigms: Key Insight #1: The Problem-Solver Trap What's broken: Principals positioning themselves as the chief problem solver for every issue, fire, complaint, and questionThe shift: Moving from being the bottleneck to building capacity in your staff so the school runs without you in every roomImpact: Sustainable leadership that doesn't burn out the principal and creates independent, empowered teams Key Insight #2: Preparing Students for Unknown Jobs What's broken: Teaching rigid, content-heavy curricula when we don't even know what jobs will exist in 10 yearsThe shift: Focusing on transferable knowledge, transferable skills, and executive functioning competencies that adapt across any future roleImpact: Students equipped with the dexterity to thrive in an evolving job market where AI skills and human connection become differentiators Key Insight #3: The Boundaries Crisis in Education What's broken: An unhealthy culture that treats being "completely out of balance" as a badge of honor—first one in, last one out mentalityThe shift: Deliberate boundary setting that prioritizes sustainability and recognizes that self-care isn't district careImpact: Educators who can sustain their passion long-term without sacrificing family, health, or effectiveness Quotable Ruckus "When you're the go-to for every issue, every fire, every complaint, every question you're not leading, you're enabling dependence." – Mitch Weathers Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Identify one problem you consistently solve for your staff. Instead of solving it, ask them what they think the solution should be. This Month: Audit your daily schedule. What percentage of your time is spent firefighting vs. capacity building? Set a goal to flip that ratio. This Semester: Implement one systematic change that reduces dependency on you as the decision-maker. Create protocols that empower others to act without your approval. Connect & Continue 🎯 Get the full episode transcript: [Link] 🔗 Follow Mitch Weathers: LinkedIn 📖 Get his book: Executive Functions for Every Classroom: https://bit.ly/42pCMbq 📌 Ruckus Makers Don't Just Listen — They Act If education ain't a bit disruptive, then what are your students really learning? This show isn't about doing school better. It's about Doing School Different — and joining a growing movement of bold, creative school leaders who reject legacy models and reimagine what's possible. 🧠 Here are four ways we can help you on your Do School Different journey 📬 Subscribe to the Free Newsletter — An opportunity to Do School Different 3x a week. Tools, mindset shifts, and strategies that actually work: ruckusmakers.news 🗞️ Read Ruckus Makers — Exclusive content on Substack. Premium leadership insights, AI prompts and custom GPTs, new books before the bookshelf: ruckusmakers.media 💥 Join The Ruckus Maker Club — Our private network + workshops, The Automatic School tools, AI Prompt Library, and more: https://ruckusmakers.club/join 🧨 Apply to the Mastermind — Weekly coaching, peer mentorship, and our proven leadership system (The Ruckus Maker Flywheel) to help you transform your campus: Apply Now Every tool, community, and coaching program we offer is built to help visionary school leaders play the new game — one where leadership is creative, tech-enabled...
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    50 mins
  • Veronica Holyoke on Breaking the Myth of Solitary Leadership

    Veronica Holyoke on Breaking the Myth of Solitary Leadership
    Jun 25 2025

    The Ruckus Report

    Quick take: The "lone wolf" leader is a toxic myth that's burning out school administrators and failing students. Veronica Holyoke proves that transformational leadership happens in community, not isolation — and one hour a week can change everything.

    Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker

    Veronica Holyoke is a 25-year education veteran and Utah's 2024 Assistant Principal of the Year. A former 5th grade teacher with master's degrees in Curriculum and Instruction and Educational Leadership, she's spent her fourth year as an elementary Assistant Principal in Jordan School District. Beyond her accolades, Veronica has navigated supporting her husband through serious disability while excelling in her leadership role — proving that community support transforms both professional and personal resilience.

    Breaking Down the Old Rules 🔨

    In this episode, Veronica Holyoke challenges traditional education paradigms:

    Key Insight #1: Imposter Syndrome Isn't Permanent

    • What's broken: Leaders believing they must have all the answers and can't show vulnerability or uncertainty

    • The shift: Embrace community support where every voice matters, regardless of title or experience level

    • Impact: Confidence grows, authentic leadership emerges, and the toxic cycle of isolation breaks

    Key Insight #2: Weekly Support Beats Yearly Burnout

    • What's broken: The expectation that school leaders should figure everything out alone while pouring into everyone else

    • The shift: Prioritize one hour per week for consistent community support and professional growth

    • Impact: Leaders go to bed happier every Tuesday, face challenges with renewed energy, and sustain their passion for the work

    Key Insight #3: Personal Growth Drives Professional Excellence

    • What's broken: Separating personal wellness from professional performance, leading to unsustainable leadership practices

    • The shift: Invest in whole-person support that addresses both home and work challenges

    • Impact: When leaders are cared for, they can better care for staff and students — creating award-winning school cultures

    Quotable Ruckus

    "I could only take care of my staff and students because I was being taken care of because of the mastermind group." – Veronica Holyoke

    Your Do School Different Challenge

    Ready to implement these ideas? Start here:

    1. Tomorrow: Make a list of things you do weekly to "fill your bucket" — where does community support rank?

    2. This Month: Find one hour per week to connect with other leaders outside your system for growth and support

    3. This Semester: Build or join a community where you can be 100% authentic about your challenges and victories

    Connect & Continue

    • 🎯 Get the full episode transcript:here

    • 🔗 Follow Veronica Holyoke: veronica.holyoke@jordandistrict.org

    • 💪 Join the Ruckus Maker Movement: https://ruckusmakers.club/join

    Do you Subscribe to the Ruckus Maker Newsletter?

    Do School Different 3x a Week. ✉ Join for FREE: here

    Today's RUCKUScast in Partnership with:

    IXL Meet your students where they are and take them where they need to go. Join over 1 million teachers who trust IXL to drive data-informed excellence in their classrooms. 🔍 Learn more: here

    Expressability K12 Your inbox isn't a task manager. Your mind isn't for storing mundane processes. It's time to break free. With Expressability K12, Ruckus Makers can prioritize student success by offloading time-sucking tasks. 🔍 Learn more: here

    ODP Business Solutions "Our STEAM program is too complicated" = Code for "We're doing it wrong." Stop letting fear kill innovation. Some leaders are transforming STEAM with a three-part framework that's not what you think. 🔍 Get the playbook:here

    Twelve Practices LLC © 2025 | If Education Ain't a Bit Disruptive, Then What Are Your Students Learning?
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    28 mins