We call principals “instructional leaders” but often give them no real system to lead. They’re told to improve teaching schoolwide without the tools, models, or infrastructure to do it. Spotting good instruction isn’t the same as causing it. That gap is killing coherence.

All fair. But let me add ones I’ve been sitting with recently-All fair. Let me add one more—Regularly examine evidence of whether your decisions and expectations are improving student outcomes, and be willing to change course when they're not.

Teachers and leaders have to make hundreds of micro-decisions daily that compound into the culture they want to build in their classroom/building. Grand gestures and inspiring speeches don't create culture. Consistent small choices do.

The hardest conversations in education leadership aren't about money or policy. They're about admitting that the program you're proud of isn't actually working for the kids it was supposed to help.

The loneliest part of education leadership isn't the hours or decisions. It's having to be "on" all the time while carrying real doubts about whether you're actually making the difference you promised to make. Most leaders never get space to process this honestly because showing.

Thinking about this recently: School leaders spend huge amounts of energy managing up to central office, managing down to staff and students, but almost no time managing the space between what they say matters and what their daily decisions actually show. The most effective.

Starting a reflection group for school leaders who are tired of pretending they have all the answers. Biweekly. 60 minutes. Max 8 people. Free pilot. Not coaching. Not PD. Just honest conversation about the parts of leadership we usually hide. First session week of August 19. DM.

A mentor once told me something I initially dismissed as too simple: 'What would we do differently if we truly believed every child in this building could excel?' I thought it was basic until I realized most of our hardest decisions become crystal clear once you answer that.

The most valuable family voice isn't what parents say about our programs, it's what they're quietly doing at home to fill the gaps. When families are buying workbooks, hiring tutors, or spending weekends reteaching fractions, that's feedback more honest than any survey we could.

Some of the better school leaders I've met don't just manage curriculum and staff, they architect the cognitive conditions for learning throughout the building. They understand how to systematically create environments where information moves from working memory into long-term.

Excellence scales through systems, not inspiration. The best schools don't just happen to have amazing teachers - they've built systems that help good teachers become great and ensure breakthrough practices spread to every classroom. You can't culture your way out of structural.

The more I think, the more I realize the distance between what we know works and what we actually do in classrooms is the space where kids lose years of learning. Implementation is everything.

RT @kellyanng_dodd: @CalvinFJohnson Such a powerful reminder — clarity and focus are game-changers in school leadership.

I really love worked examples but the devil’s in the selection. Novices follow the noise, not the signal, so irrelevant surface features derail learning. Start with the structural core: teach the logic before the decoration. Then layer back in context deliberately to show when.

I think more leaders should ask before adopting anything new: Will this help teachers get better at what we've already committed to, or will it split their attention? Fragmented focus creates fragmented results.

The best school leaders spend 60%+ of their time on instruction, not discipline or operations. They're in classrooms daily, analyzing student work with teachers and coaches, and making data-driven decisions about curriculum and teaching. Everything else is secondary to.

Direct instruction is highly intentional—every component serves a specific purpose in helping students master content efficiently. The "drill and kill" criticism often comes from people conflating direct instruction with mindless repetition, when in reality it's quite.

I've been reflecting on this lately: Direct instruction isn't "drill and kill"—it's precision teaching. When teachers model skills, provide guided practice, and offer immediate feedback, students learn faster and retain more. We need to stop apologizing for clear, structured.

RT @SGentzke: @CalvinFJohnson Interested!.

Educational leadership can feel like standing in a crowded room and still feeling completely alone. We get good at the performance—knowing the right answers, delivering the hard messages, keeping it together. But here's the truth:. There are days when you have no idea if you're.