This second part of the interview with Tom Whitford delves deeper into the great things he is doing. We discuss the following:

  • Working with 3 different schools
  • How he manages dealing with all that they have going on.
  • Dealing with the new teacher evaluation system using the Danielson model
  • What he has been focusing on as a leader in the three schools: PBIS and RTI.
  • What RTI looks like on a day-to-day basis in his school(s).
  • What ICE looks like at his school(s). What data they use, and how fluid their groups are.
  • Why some students might get less support by entering Special Education than if they stay in their intervention groups.
  • How to create opportunities for fluid movement and appropriate support between groups to meet the needs of the students.
  • WADITW (We’ve Always Done it this Way)
  • What advice would he give to principals? Relationships
  • How being out in the hallways is beneficial (even during parent teacher conferences).
  • What is in his office to motivate him? Great sayings in his office and his kids.
  • Voxer usage helping him communicate with other principals.
  • Shoutout to @gcouros and @mmiller

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This week’s interview is with Tom Whitford, an amazing principal of 3(!) schools in Wisconsin.

  • His mentor that taught him a lot about how to be a leader and how to push yourself and others to be better, book reads, and more.
  • Professional Learning Communities in Tom’s ideal world.
  • PLCs require a whole philosophy change to be effective.
  • How to set the stage to be successful in having discussions with teachers. Power of change comes from stories.
  • Create opportunities for conversation.
  • How can administrators tell stories? Start with true stories. (Don’t make things up.) Provide opportunities for real conversation.
  • What can we do to make this work, and what will prevent us from being successful?
  • It is too easy for things to get said behind closed doors, and we need to address challenges early on, and then address issues as they arise.
  • Focus the conversations on continuous improvement on faculty meeting time.
  • “Jumpstart Fridays” - aides and others work with kids so they can do collaboration times.
  • How Tom gets teachers to feel comfortable sharing their stories with Tom and the other teachers.
  • Speed of Trust” By Stephen M.R. Covey
  • We don’t get better, unless we can talk about the mistakes that we made.
  • How Tom figured out that his faculty did not like his strategy for getting them to have fun with his emails. (Background blog post - “Learning with your mistakes”)

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I don't like the kind of people they are becoming!

I was talking to a student today about what kinds of things she thought needed to happen in her school with the new year coming up. 

She said something so insightful, that I could not believe that it was a 7th grader saying it to a bunch of adults. She elaborated on a concept that many teachers do not yet grasp. The clarity and simplicity with which she came to her conclusions was astounding. 

She said (a little paraphrasing from my memory), "We need to do something about the discipline at our school. When I see what these kids who have to go into ISS (in-school suspension) become…well I dot like the kind of people they are becoming. Going to ISS doesn't help them do anything different and that makes me sad."

I asked her what she thought should happen and she said, "I don't know what the best thing to do is, but I know ISS is not working for the kids at my school, because it doesn't make them change anything." 

We were then able to have a discussion about what we, as adults, can do to help kids who make mistakes learn how to make better decisions. This girl was a little sheepish to say these things to a bunch of educated adults, but she was right on the money in her assessment of the situation. 

I admire this girl for saying what she believed. I admire her for being perceptive and aware of the situation. 

Have a Good Life. 



My second part interview with the great Alice Peck. In this episode we focus on her new assignment as a principal of a Title I school in our district.

  • What is Alice going to take with her to her new Title I school?
  • What is Alice anxious about in going to her new school?
  • Why Alice is excited about change.
  • “If you’re not nervous, you probably shouldn’t be doing this!”
  • How Alice is going to overcome her fears.
  • “The greatest way to overcome fear is to face it and address it!”
  • How Alice will deal with building trust as fast as she can. Hint: you can’t speed up trust.
  • The importance of visibility as a school leader.
  • Modeling the kind of work ethic she wants her staff to have.
  • What advice does Alice have to be a transformative principal? Surround yourself with smart people.
  • What helps Alice focus on what is most important? (I forgot to take a picture before I left her office! I’ll see if you can send me one.)

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New Episode of @TrnFrmPrincipal


Today, I have the pleasure of introducing you to Alice Peck, one of the best principals I have ever worked with. You’ll love to get to know her in this episode.

  • How she came to be where she is at.
  • What she noticed coming from Texas to Utah.
  • What she really enjoys about how things have changed since she came to her current position.
  • How she got her staff on board right from the beginning with PBIS.
  • The art program at Oakdale.
  • The process of starting PBIS at her school. Practical advice of how to get things going.
  • How important it is to have the whole staff involved in school-wide initiatives (speaking of PBIS specifically).
  • Why an actual form for Office Discipline Referral form is important.
  • Where to go when processes are established and ready to maintain.

Sanebox

Sponsor: Sanebox

Web Site

Transformative Principal on Stitcher

Refer A Principal


New Episode of @TrnFrmPrincipal


Sanebox

Sponsor: SaneboxWeb Site

Transformative Principal on Stitcher

Refer A Principal

Best Tools for Busy Administrators Survey

  • How to manage time on social media with being a principal, doctoral student, etc. How to connect with others.
  • It is about connections that is most beneficial.
  • Connecting with Bill Ferriter and John Pederson
  • It isn’t about the tech itself, it is about the real.
  • Technology just helps you connect with others.
  • What Curt is most proud of that is happening at his school right now.
  • Remodeling his school thanks to a funding referendum his community.
  • Student-produced newscast. (Led by Crystal Brunelle)
  • His school’s Facebook page
  • Going out in the school and snapping pictures.
  • International Happy Day “Wouldn’t this be cool to do?” - said a teacher at his school.
  • People make stuff up on the Internet
  • Humility - Curt is constantly deferring praise to others and deflecting praise and comments to his staff and other people around him.
  • Strengths-Based Leadership Great book!
  • Great leaders need to be excellent listeners.
  • How Curt grew to learn about himself. Evaluating others.
  • Giving feedback that is based on what is seen in other classrooms, rather than, “When I was a teacher…”
  • We have to notice others around us.
  • Spend time to get to know people. Make sure you’re winning hearts and minds before you try to do anything.
  • We aren’t a bunch of independent contractor.
  • Techlandia podcast. And on Twitter - If you listen to this on Sunday, you’ll find something that you can put to use on Monday.
  • How to be a Transformative Principal: Be well read.
  • What motivates him: Nice notes from teachers, parents, students.
  • “You are responsible for the energy you bring into this space.”

Shoutouts: Bill Ferriter Solution tree Crystal brunelle


New Episode of @TrnFrmPrincipal