Dr. Michael Gaskell Web site is Principal at Hammarskjold Middle School in East Brunswick, NJ. following experience as a special educator and assistant principal in Paramus, NJ. He continues to model the pursuit of lifelong learning as he serves to mentor new principals through the New Jersey Leaders to Leaders program. An NJPSA Stars recipient, he has been published in over 2 dozen articles in education journals and blogs, including eSchoolNews, NASSP, Edtech and ASCD Smartbrief, he has made the most-read section of ASCD Smartbrief numerous times. Mike had a book published in October, 2020 (Microstrategy Magic), and a second book publishing in September 2021 (Leading Schools Through Trauma). Dr. Gaskell works tirelessly to support instructional excellence and student success, for his school community, and most importantly, for the wellness and equity of all children.

• Teachers need day-to-day strategies.
• Gamification - helps in powerful and subtle ways
• Small wins.
• Moving in the right direction.
• We need data - when you test kids, it creates anxiety
• Teacher greeting at the door.
• One-sentence intervention
• Even if it is small, it can still make a difference.
• Coffee talk - background noise to calm kids.
• Getting a perfect amount of slight background noise.
• Distracts you enough from other distractions.
• Right-size seating
• When you move the body you move the mind.
• Breathing exercises - 4–5–8 breathing exercise
• Goal setting - What are my goals for becoming better. 4% outside their comfort zone.
• Build on small wins over time.
• How to be a transformative principal? Listen to everyone.

Sponsors

Transformative Principal Mastermind

Lead a school everyone can be proud of.

Being a principal is tough work. You’re pulled in all kinds of directions. You never have the time to do the work that really matters. Join me as I help school leaders find the time to do the work they became principals to do.

I help you stop putting out fires and start leading.

Learn more at https://transformativeprincipal.com

John Catt

Today’s Transformative Principal sponsor, John Catt Educational, amplifies world-class voices on timeless topics, with a list of authors recognized globally for their fresh perspectives and proven strategies to drive success in modern schools and classrooms.

John Catt’s mission is to support high-quality teaching and learning by ensuring every educator has access to professional development materials that are research-based, practical, and focused on the key topics proven essential in today’s and tomorrow’s schools.

Learn more about professional development publications that are easy to implement for your entire faculty, and are both quickly digestible and rigorous, by visiting https://us.johncattbookshop.com/. Learn more about some of the newest titles: - The Coach’s Guide to Teaching by Doug Lemov

• The Feedback Pendulum: A manifesto for enhancing feedback in education by Michael Chiles

• Putting Staff First: A blueprint for revitalising our schools by John Tomsett and Jonny Uttley

• 10 Things Schools Get Wrong (And How We Can Get Them Right) by Jared Cooney Horvath and David Bott

• Let’s Talk About Flex: Flipping the flexible working narrative for education by Emma Turner

• A Parent’s Guide to Powerful Teaching by Patrice Bain

John Catt is also proud publisher of the new book from Transformative Principal host Jethro Jones: SchoolX: How principals can design a transformative school experience for students, teachers, parents – and themselves Visit this page to learn more about bulk orders and how to bring John Catt’s research-based materials to your school: https://us.johncattbookshop.com/pages/agents-and-distributors

New Episode of @TrnFrmPrincipal

Activism - Activities that students engage in that are in the scope of the first amendment.
- News Item
- #2022–01–11 A CNY gay teen shares his ‘biggest challenge’; school’s response sets off a storm
“https://www.syracuse.com/schools/2022/01/a-cny-gay-teen-shares-his-biggest-challenge-schools-response-sets-off-a-storm.html”
- #2022–01–10 Crisis in the Classroom: Gay high school senior censored by school publication
“https://cnycentral.com/news/local/crisis-in-the-classroom-gay-tully-high-school-senior-censored-by-school-publication”
- Gay student named Tyler Johnson chosen for a senior spotlight profile in school newspaper
- One question was to identify his biggest challenge
- “So, I said that my biggest challenge was essentially growing up gay and having to navigate through bullying and navigate through life itself, and like, all the negative experiences I’ve had from that,” said Tyler.
- High school principal asked him to change his answer or it would not be printed
- Johnson said the interaction with the principal illustrated his point
- Johnson made a TikTok video describing the incident, which has been viewed by thousands of people
- https://www.tiktok.com/@_tylerrayjohnson_/video/7050249865988771119
- Shortly afterwards, the district’s superintendent overruled the principal, saying that Johnson’s original answer would be published. He also promised several initiatives to better support LGBTQ+ students.
- The American President Final Speech
- Question: How have smartphones and social media changed the power dynamic in schools?
- Anecdote
- Fred’s underground high school newspaper
- Positives
- Activism
- Education
- Accountability
- Negatives
- Distraction
- False Allegations
- Hate Speech / Threats
- Radicalization
- Legal Concerns
- 1st Amendment
- Privacy
- Resources
- #2022–01–14 Students, seeing lax coronavirus protocols, walk out and call in sick to protest in-person classes
“https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/01/14/students-walkout-covid-safety/”
- #2021–12–27 ‘My perspective matters’: Students say activism helped them find their voice
“https://www.wbur.org/news/2021/12/27/boston-quincy-student-activism-power-change”
- #2020–11–05 Student Voice: How young people use social media to engage civically
“https://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/student-voices/student-voice-how-young-people-use-social-media-to-engage-civically/”
- #2021–06–07 While Students Use Social Media to Speak to Power, Schools Tutor Them in Slavish Sycophancy
“https://thewire.in/education/students-social-media-modi-cancel-board-exams-schools-sycophancy”
- #2021–05–13 ‘Make them listen’: Baltimore-area students use social media to campaign for change
“https://www.baltimoresun.com/education/bs-prem-md-students-social-media-activism–20210506–20210513-vuisz4a6bjg63evswcbl7lqk5a-story.html”
- #2020–07–06 Can students use social media to make positive change?
“https://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/daily-videos/can-students-use-social-media-to-make-positive-change/”
- #2018–03–19 Can Schools Discipline Students for Social Media Use Outside of School?
“https://www.edweek.org/education/opinion-can-schools-discipline-students-for-social-media-use-outside-of-school/2018/03”
- #2018–01–06 Teach Students To Use Social Media (The Right Way) And The Possibilities Are Endless
“https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2018/01/26/579955559/teach-students-to-use-social-media-the-right-way-and-the-possibilities-are-endle”
- #2017–12 How Social Media is Reshaping Today’s Education System
“https://csic.georgetown.edu/magazine/social-media-reshaping-todays-education-system/”
- #2017–03–10 SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE STUDENT/TEACHER RELATIONSHIP: THE PROS AND CONS OF ESTABLISHING CONNECTIONS WITH A GRADE SCHOOL STUDENT
“https://www.theedadvocate.org/social-media-and-the-studentteacher-relationship-the-pros-and-cons-of-establishing-connections-with-a-grade-school-student/”
- #2016–10–13 Infographic: The Use of Social Media in School
“https://www.powerschool.com/resources/blog/infographic-use-social-media-school/”

Check out this episode!

Becca Silver coaches school administrators in the leadership and communication skills needed to “close the adult knowledge gap”, we started to see school wide culture shifts, relationships strengthening and higher teacher satisfaction and resilience.
Empower instructional coaches to impact educators in a way that increases their resilience, efficacy and satisfaction.

• WHy teachers are burning out?
• Why do we have a teacher shortage?
• What can we do about it.
• Empower our coaches?
• Interview iwth Danielle Nuhfer
• Lots of new with the pandemic
• There is a role to help teachers.
• Skills are different for coaching and teaching.
• How do you influence adults.
• Elevated out of their skill set - Peter Principle
• programs and tiering and structures
• How do you relate to someone else’s humanity?
• Are they missing knowledge, skills, or mindset?
• Coaches need to learn to listen.
• Advice monster
• Patiently waiting
• Reflective listening - yes, and; physical reaction.
• We are constantly hearing words come at us.
• Reluctant teachers.
• How to be a transformative principal? Listen for what they need. Seek out your coaches and admin team.

Sponsors

Transformative Principal Mastermind

Lead a school everyone can be proud of.

Being a principal is tough work. You’re pulled in all kinds of directions. You never have the time to do the work that really matters. Join me as I help school leaders find the time to do the work they became principals to do.

I help you stop putting out fires and start leading.

Learn more at https://transformativeprincipal.com

John Catt

Today’s Transformative Principal sponsor, John Catt Educational, amplifies world-class voices on timeless topics, with a list of authors recognized globally for their fresh perspectives and proven strategies to drive success in modern schools and classrooms.

John Catt’s mission is to support high-quality teaching and learning by ensuring every educator has access to professional development materials that are research-based, practical, and focused on the key topics proven essential in today’s and tomorrow’s schools.

Learn more about professional development publications that are easy to implement for your entire faculty, and are both quickly digestible and rigorous, by visiting https://us.johncattbookshop.com/. Learn more about some of the newest titles: - The Coach’s Guide to Teaching by Doug Lemov

• The Feedback Pendulum: A manifesto for enhancing feedback in education by Michael Chiles

• Putting Staff First: A blueprint for revitalising our schools by John Tomsett and Jonny Uttley

• 10 Things Schools Get Wrong (And How We Can Get Them Right) by Jared Cooney Horvath and David Bott

• Let’s Talk About Flex: Flipping the flexible working narrative for education by Emma Turner

• A Parent’s Guide to Powerful Teaching by Patrice Bain

John Catt is also proud publisher of the new book from Transformative Principal host Jethro Jones: SchoolX: How principals can design a transformative school experience for students, teachers, parents – and themselves Visit this page to learn more about bulk orders and how to bring John Catt’s research-based materials to your school: https://us.johncattbookshop.com/pages/agents-and-distributors

New Episode of @TrnFrmPrincipal

Dr. Glenn Lipson, a diplomate in forensic psychology, has spent three decades preventing different forms of violence. He works with the district attorneys, schools, and civil cases where there were claims of abuse by such individuals as the clergy and teachers. As an expert witness, speaker, and advisor, he has testified in court martials, regulatory hearings and submitted briefs through counsel to the United States Supreme Court.

Dr. Lipson founded MRC (Making Right Choices) and the NASDTEC Academy, offering online courses that address interpersonal violence and prevention. As a public speaker, he has presented for the US State Department and US Army. He has received the Doug Bates Award from NASDTEC for his international contribution to making schools safer.

• Glenn’s previous podcast episode

• Background on the shooting in Michigan

• Hindsight bias - we can look back and see all the ways they handled it incorrectly.

• Procedures that have been in place.

• Have particular training involved.

• Handbook of threat assessment

• Jim Cawood

• RAGE-V

• What role does that game play in the formation of someone’s identity?

• Coolidge effect- highly stimulating encourages us to continue to engage in that behavior.

• GVRO - Gun Violence Restraining Orders

• People are trained within their area of expertise.

• Trauma-informed schools

• not punitive but facilitative reactions to kids

• NTAC secret service

• Ways to do things that.

• No child is safe if every student is not safe.

• The weapons effect

• Polyvagel theory

• CASEL

• Minister of Loneliness in UK

• The Trevor Project

• If you’re not connecting with someone in person, you’re going to connect more with people online.

Check out this episode!

layout: podcast title: Creating a school kids are dying to attend with Andrew Marotta Transformative Principal 464 comments: true date: 2022-01-16 categories: middle, student driven learning, mindset, permalink: https://jethrojones.com/podcast/episode464

Social Media: Do your teachers want the information or do they want the inspiration? via @andrewmarotta21

Andrew Marotta is an energetic and enthusiastic leader who has put his positive imprint on his beloved Port Jervis HS, in Port Jervis, NY. With the release of his first book, “The Principal: Surviving and Thriving”, Andrew is expanding his impact on the education leadership community.  The 2nd edition, The School Leader, Surviving & Thriving was released in November 2020.

• Surviving & thriving a keep rolling mindset, & the power of storytelling
• ADHD is not a disability, it's a superpower.
• Moving from High School to Middle School.
• Change is good.
• Right move for me to have a different challenge while staying in the same district.
• The kids are amazing. Extremely impressionable.
• Kids rally around excitement.
• The importance of direction.
• How the power of impressionable kids matters
• If we're not pushing out fun things on social media, the kids will pay attention to the other stuff.
• Amazing after school experience.
• Amazing school culture happens 30 seconds at a time.
• School's gotta be fun.
• That kid's going to learn to love it when they have real audiences.
• Still trying to get kids back into the school.
• Mid-lesson checkins to help know where kids are at.
• Do your teachers want the information or do they want the inspiration?
• Always working on just one move in wrestling.
• Only looking at it as a weakness. Mikey the wrestler story.
• When your weakness becomes a strength.
• How to be a transformative principal? Spend time investing in your staff. Now, more than ever, teachers need our support.

## Sponsors ### [Transformative Principal Mastermind](https://transformativeprincipal.com) Lead a school everyone can be proud of. Being a principal is tough work. You're pulled in all kinds of directions. You never have the time to do the work that really matters. Join me as I help school leaders find the time to do the work they became principals to do. I help you stop putting out fires and start leading. Learn more at [https://transformativeprincipal.com](https://transformativeprincipal.com) ### [John Catt](https://us.johncattbookshop.com) Today’s Transformative Principal sponsor, John Catt Educational, amplifies world-class voices on timeless topics, with a list of authors recognized globally for their fresh perspectives and proven strategies to drive success in modern schools and classrooms. John Catt’s mission is to support high-quality teaching and learning by ensuring every educator has access to professional development materials that are research-based, practical, and focused on the key topics proven essential in today’s and tomorrow’s schools. Learn more about professional development publications that are easy to implement for your entire faculty, and are both quickly digestible and rigorous, by visiting https://us.johncattbookshop.com/. Learn more about some of the newest titles: - _[The Coach’s Guide to Teaching](https://us.johncattbookshop.com/products/the-coach-s-guide-to-teaching?_pos=2&_sid=0405c747f&_ss=r)_ by Doug Lemov - [_The Feedback Pendulum: A manifesto for enhancing feedback in education_](https://us.johncattbookshop.com/collections/frontpage/products/the-feedback-pendulum-a-manifesto-for-enhancing-feedback-in-education) by Michael Chiles - _[Putting Staff First: A blueprint for revitalising our schools](https://us.johncattbookshop.com/products/putting-staff-first-a-blueprint-for-revitalising-our-schools?_pos=1&_sid=7dc3400e3&_ss=r)_ by John Tomsett and Jonny Uttley - _[10 Things Schools Get Wrong (And How We Can Get Them Right)](https://us.johncattbookshop.com/collections/frontpage/products/10-things-schools-get-wrong-and-how-we-can-get-them-right)_ by Jared Cooney Horvath and David Bott - _[Let’s Talk About Flex: Flipping the flexible working narrative for education](https://us.johncattbookshop.com/collections/frontpage/products/let-s-talk-about-flex-flipping-the-flexible-working-narrative-for-education)_ by Emma Turner - _[A Parent's Guide to Powerful Teaching](https://us.johncattbookshop.com/products/powerful-teaching-a-guide-for-parents?_pos=1&_sid=7bf6ec56e&_ss=r)_ by Patrice Bain John Catt is also proud publisher of the new book from Transformative Principal host Jethro Jones: [SchoolX: How principals can design a transformative school experience for students, teachers, parents – and themselves](https://us.johncattbookshop.com/collections/frontpage/products/schoolx-how-principals-can-design-a-transformative-school-experience-for-students-teachers-parents-and-themselves) Visit this page to learn more about bulk orders and how to bring John Catt’s research-based materials to your school: https://us.johncattbookshop.com/pages/agents-and-distributors

New Episode of @TrnFrmPrincipal

Dr. Glenn Lipson, a diplomate in forensic psychology, has spent three decades preventing different forms of violence. He works with the district attorneys, schools, and civil cases where there were claims of abuse by such individuals as the clergy and teachers. As an expert witness, speaker, and advisor, he has testified in court martials, regulatory hearings and submitted briefs through counsel to the United States Supreme Court.

Dr. Lipson founded MRC (Making Right Choices) and the NASDTEC Academy, offering online courses that address interpersonal violence and prevention. As a public speaker, he has presented for the US State Department and US Army. He has received the Doug Bates Award from NASDTEC for his international contribution to making schools safer.

• Glenn's previous podcast episode
• Background on the shooting in Michigan
• Hindsight bias - we can look back and see all the ways they handled it incorrectly.
• Procedures that have been in place.
• Have particular training involved.
• Handbook of threat assessment
• Jim Cawood
• RAGE-V
• What role does that game play in the formation of someone's identity?
• Coolidge effect- highly stimulating encourages us to continue to engage in that behavior.
• GVRO - Gun Violence Restraining Orders
• People are trained within their area of expertise.
• Trauma-informed schools
• not punitive but facilitative reactions to kids
• NTAC secret service
• Ways to do things that.
• No child is safe if every student is not safe.
• The weapons effect
• Polyvagel theory
• CASEL
• Minister of Loneliness in UK
• The Trevor Project
• If you're not connecting with someone in person, you're going to connect more with people online.

Check out this episode!

• Show Notes

  • News Item:

    • Florida representative from Naples, FL files HB 1055, which would require schools to consider and vote on a plan to install cameras at the front of every classroom
    • Any installed system would have the ability to record audio and video throughout the classroom, except any area in which children might change clothing.
    • Schools would be required to maintain video archives for at least three months, after which the video could be destroyed unless a request to review was made, or other legal proceeding.
    • Schools would required to blur the faces of any children not part of an "incident" under investigation.
    • Video may not be used to evaluate teachers
    • No provision for funding

  • Motivations for Camera Proposals

    • Student Safety
    • Teacher Safety
    • Parental Surveillance of Teaching Methods and Curricula
    • Teacher Evaluations

  • Potential Downsides

    • Financial and Logistical

      • Installation of Surveillance Systems Can Be Expensive
      • Video Storage Requirements Can Be Large

    • Legal

      • New duty of care for schools

        • Was video system properly installed?
        • Was video properly archived?
        • If system was not running, why not?

      • Possible evidence in myriad proceedings

      • Further temptation for obstruction of justice and spoliation

    • Privacy

      • Once Data Has Been Collected, It Is Very Difficult to Limit Its Use and Misuse
      • We Should Always Be Reluctant to Collect Data in the First Place
      • Will video be used to evaluate which students are friends or dislike each other?
      • Will cameras be powerful enough to read papers, notes, passwords being entered into devices, etc.
      • Risk of voyeuristic misuse

    • Mission Creep

      • Use of video to evaluate teachers
      • Will Students Be Graded on Attentiveness?
      • Anti-cheating tool?

    • Broader social issues

      • Trust in teachers and the educational system
      • Over-empowering small but highly vocal groups within the community
      • Furthering the culture of surveillance
      • Training children to accept surveillance as a constant fact of life (corporatist approach)

    • Has Dystopia Already Arrived?

      • Extensive surveillance already in schools (but typically not in classrooms)
      • Classrooms are already filled with potential "surveillance" cameras
      • Remote instruction has emboldened some parents

  • Resources

    • Florida HB 1055
      https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022/1055/BillText/Filed/PDF
    • #2021-12-30 Proposal Would Lead to Surveillance Cameras in Every Classroom, and Teachers to Wear Microphones
      https://flaglerlive.com/171423/florida-gop-bill-cameras/
    • #2021-07-20 The Absurd Proposal to Put Bodycams on Teachers Is ... Feasible?
      https://www.wired.com/story/the-absurd-proposal-to-put-bodycams-on-teachers-is-feasible/
    • #2021-07-08 Tech Companies Are Already Building Tucker Carlson’s School Surveillance Fever Dream
      https://www.vice.com/en/article/bvzyaa/tech-companies-are-already-building-tucker-carlsons-school-surveillance-fever-dream
    • #2021-07-08 Tucker Carlson calls for teachers to wear body cameras to prevent critical race theory teaching
      https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/tucker-carlson-teachers-race-theory-b1879886.html
    • #2021-06-11 ‘Watchdog’ group wants teachers to wear bodycams to assure they don’t teach Critical Race Theory in Nevada district
      https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ny-bodycam-school-teachers-critical-race-theory-nevada-20210611-3zqbbhzmprbqxpbwk6mbsjjxvy-story.html
    • #2021-06-11 Nevada group is pushing for teacher BODY CAMERAS to make sure they're not teaching students critical race theory
      https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9677295/Nevada-group-wants-teachers-wear-body-cameras-stop-CRT.html
    • #2017-02-09 I would never wear a body camera while teaching in school. Here’s why
      https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/feb/09/never-wear-body-camera-in-school-teaching
    • #2017-02-08 Should schools give teachers body cams?
      https://nypost.com/2017/02/08/should-schools-give-teachers-body-cams/
    • [n.d.] Calla Body Worn Cameras
      https://www.calla.co/

Check out this episode!

Kim Bearden is the cofounder and a language arts teacher at the highly acclaimed Ron Clark Academy, an innovative middle school and educator-training facility in Atlanta. Each year, over 15,000 educators from around the world visit Kim’s classroom and attend her workshops to learn better ways to engage students, build relationships, foster creativity, enhance communication, and create a climate and culture for success.

In 2016, Kim was honored at the White House for being inducted into to the National Teachers Hall of Fame. She was selected from over 70,000 nominations to be honored as the Disney American Teacher Awards Outstanding Humanities Teacher, and the Milken Family Foundation selected her to receive the Award for Excellence in Education. She is the winner of the InfluencHer Award, the University of Georgia Outstanding Educator Award, and the Turknett Character Award for Servant Leadership. Mercedes-Benz recognized her in their Greatness Lives Here campaign, and Women Works Media Group has named her one of Georgia’s Most Powerful and Influential Women.

Over the past thirty-four years, she has been a teacher, instructional lead teacher, curriculum director, school-board member, staff-development trainer, and middle-school principal. Kim is a bestselling author of three books: Fight Song: Six Steps to Passion, Power, Peace, and Purpose; Talk to Me: Find the Right Words to Inspire, Encourage, and Get Things Done; and Crash Course: The Life Lessons My Students Taught Me. Additionally, Kim shares her passion and love for her craft with audiences around the world as a keynote speaker and professional development trainer.

Kim resides in Atlanta with her husband Scotty. Her three sons attend college, and her married daughter Madison lives close by.

• How we handle this time. Relationships, books,
• Shared beliefs with Ron Clark
• Open doors to RCA.
• RCA is a gift to teachers everywhere.
• Student engagement
• Low expectations are the manifestation of what you believe.
• Susan Barnes is not a table jumper!
• When you exude passion, people are drawn to it.
• We like to sprinkle magic.
• Meeting the needs of many kids.
• RCA-isms - give them attention to who is speaking - hand can’t be raised when someone is talking.
• Every child is seen
• Respect looks very different to different people.
• Summer orientation, meeting everyone in the building.
• How to be a transformative principal? You must exude what you hope to create.

Sponsors

Transformative Principal Mastermind

Lead a school everyone can be proud of.

Being a principal is tough work. You’re pulled in all kinds of directions. You never have the time to do the work that really matters. Join me as I help school leaders find the time to do the work they became principals to do.

I help you stop putting out fires and start leading.

Learn more at https://transformativeprincipal.com

John Catt

Today’s Transformative Principal sponsor, John Catt Educational, amplifies world-class voices on timeless topics, with a list of authors recognized globally for their fresh perspectives and proven strategies to drive success in modern schools and classrooms.

John Catt’s mission is to support high-quality teaching and learning by ensuring every educator has access to professional development materials that are research-based, practical, and focused on the key topics proven essential in today’s and tomorrow’s schools.

Learn more about professional development publications that are easy to implement for your entire faculty, and are both quickly digestible and rigorous, by visiting https://us.johncattbookshop.com/.
Learn more about some of the newest titles:
- The Coach’s Guide to Teaching by Doug Lemov

• The Feedback Pendulum: A manifesto for enhancing feedback in education by Michael Chiles

• Putting Staff First: A blueprint for revitalising our schools by John Tomsett and Jonny Uttley

• 10 Things Schools Get Wrong (And How We Can Get Them Right) by Jared Cooney Horvath and David Bott

• Let’s Talk About Flex: Flipping the flexible working narrative for education by Emma Turner

• A Parent’s Guide to Powerful Teaching by Patrice Bain

John Catt is also proud publisher of the new book from Transformative Principal host Jethro Jones: SchoolX: How principals can design a transformative school experience for students, teachers, parents – and themselves
Visit this page to learn more about bulk orders and how to bring John Catt’s research-based materials to your school: https://us.johncattbookshop.com/pages/agents-and-distributors

New Episode of @TrnFrmPrincipal

Paul Shaw received his doctorate from University of South Carolina.

He has served as a teacher, coach, assistant principal, principal, Dean of Men at St. Leo College, assistant superintendent, and superintendent. 

In 2000, he Was recognized as State Superintendent of the Year in South Carolina and State Superintendent of the Year in Georgia in 2010. 

Served on the Executive Board for the American Association of School Administrators, teach part-time for Piedmont University, and currently serve as Director of Educator Ethics for the Georgia Professional Standards Commission. 

Paul is married to Cindy and we have a son (Brian), daughter (Ashley) and 4 grandchildren-Madison, Rogers, Keegan, and Shaw.

• 1/2 a percent of teachers are reported for teacher misconduct
• Just a few educators that put a black eye on Atlanta public schools and teachers
• Better monitoring now than before.
• Difference between model code of ethics and a code of conduct.
• Georgia code of ethics is a list of “thou shalt not’s”
• The experience of COVID–19 has helped us be prepared.
• Worked with a lot of HR people in the state to help make better guidelines.
• Teachers should be professional at all times.
• Ethical behavior is doing what’s right even when nobody is looking.
• Teach the kids, protect the kids, conduct ourselves appropriately.
• If in doubt, at least talk it over with someone.
• Teachers are quick to go to social media.
• You could lose your effectiveness in the classroom because of your political view, and so you need to be careful when they’re known as a teacher rather than something else.

Check out this episode!

• The Problem

• https://twitter.com/kalane99/status/1471847077810515972

• In the wake of virtually every school shooting, dozens (if not hundreds) of copycat threats are made to schools around the country.

• Thanks to prevalence of mobile devices, threats are being made by students in virtually all grade levels

• Such threats can initially be anonymous, although law enforcement has resources that can often reveal the initial poster

• Threat can originate from anywhere in the world

• A significant problem is ease with which such threats are reshared

• School districts face problem that they cannot be wrong once about seriousness of threat

• The intent of the poster (“just a joke”) or the poster’s inability to carry out the threat are NOT defenses

• Vectors for Threats

• Phone / Voicemail

• Email

• Social Media
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Snapchat
  • WhatsApp
  • TikTok
  • Etc.

• Why Is This Happening?

• Makers of copycat threats seek notoriety and enjoy the chaos they cause

• Correlation between size of tragedy and number of copycat threats

• Parents have a responsibility to supervise their children and warn about the potential consequences of making threats of violence

• Effects

• Disruption of routine

• School cancellations

• Mental health Issues

• How Can We Reduce This Behavior?

• Culture of cybersafety

• Teachable Moments
  • Students
  • Parents
  • School Community

• Cooperation between schools and law enforcement

• Increased police presence?

• What Are Social Media Platforms Doing?

• https://twitter.com/TikTokComms/status/1471572096111239175

• Algorithms and Human Inspection of Possible TOS violations

• Automation to take down content that violates guidelines

• Safety teams that coordinate with law enforcement

• Can social media respond quickly enough?

• Consequences for Children Who Make Threats

• School sanctions

• Counseling

• Criminal proceedings
  • Fines
  • Jail Time

• Resources

- #2021–12–18 At least a dozen students are ARRESTED nationwide following ‘school shooting TikTok challenge’ after copycat Ethan Crumbley massacre threats
“https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article–10324583/A-dozen-students-ARRESTED-nationwide-following-Michigan-copycat-school-shooting-TikTok-challenge.html”
- #2021–12–17 Copycat threats after Oxford school shooting leave juveniles facing drastic consequences
“https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2021/12/17/oxford-school-shooting-copycat-threats/8932506002/”
- #2021–12–17 Threats of school violence on TikTok spur educators into action
“https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Education/2021/1217/Threats-of-school-violence-on-TikTok-spur-educators-into-action
” - #2021–12–17 Amid alleged TikTok school shooting threats, here’s what we know about app’s response
“https://www.recordonline.com/story/tech/2021/12/17/tiktok-alleged-school-threat-guidelines/8937761002/”
- #2021–12–16 School threats and their impact on students’ mental health
“https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/michigan/school-threats-and-their-impact-on-students-mental-health”
- #2021–12–16 School threats posted on TikTok deemed not credible; security beefs up across nation
“https://www.recordonline.com/story/news/nation/2021/12/16/tiktok-violence-threats-schools-united-states-security/8933323002/”
- #2021–12–13 Extra officers at JL Mann high school after threatening Snapchat post
“https://www.wyff4.com/article/greenville-county-school-district-responds-to-threatening-post/38496240”
- #2021–12–10 What’s behind all the ‘non-credible’ school threats in Virginia?
“https://www.wtvr.com/news/local-news/law-enforcement-responds-to-school-threats”
- #2021–12–08 Multiple students charged in string of copycat threats after Oxford High shooting
“https://abcnews.go.com/US/multiple-students-charged-string-copycat-threats-oxford-high/story?id=81623370”
- #2021–12–08 Two people in custody, charged with threatening metro Atlanta schools
“https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/loganville-high-school-atlanta-public-schools-student-arrested-threats/85–23e5e8ec–3f51–499b-b361–45ddd5109579”
- #2021–12–08 Richview Middle student arrested over threat posted to social media
“https://clarksvillenow.com/local/richview-middle-student-arrested-over-threat-posted-to-social-media/”
- #2021–12–08 Police arrest 13-year-old after second threat on Maple Valley Schools this week
“https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/2021/12/08/police-arrest–13-year-old-after-another-threat-maple-valley-schools/6431790001/”
- #2021–12–03 Since Oxford Shooting, At Least 519 Schools Have Closed Nationwide Due to Threats
“https://www.newsweek.com/since-oxford-shooting-least–519-schools-have-closed-nationwide-due-threats–1655897”
- #2021–12–03 13-year-old in custody after threat on Holt Junior High School
“https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/2021/12/03/13-year-old-custody-after-threat-holt-junior-high/8855537002/”
- #2021–12–02 Copycat threats of violence force some school districts in Michigan to close Thursday
“https://www.wtvr.com/news/national/copycat-threats-of-violence-force-some-school-districts-in-michigan-to-close-thursday”
- #2021–11–20 Threats against school were hoaxes to create ‘fear and panic,’ Wayne County officials say
“https://www.cbs17.com/news/local-news/wayne-county-news/threats-against-high-school-were-hoaxes-to-create-fear-and-panic-wayne-county-officials-say/”
- #2018–02–20 Copycat school threats boil over following major shootings; how do we stop them?
“https://www.cleveland19.com/story/37552106/copycat-threats-following-school-shooting-web/”
- #2018–02–16 Copycat Threats and Jittery Nerves Force School Shutdowns Across the U.S.
“https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/16/us/school-threats-closings.html”
- Safe Kids Inc.
“https://safekidsinc.com/”

Check out this episode!

To start out, a little review of highlights for the last year.
We released 86 episodes on the podcast. Because I left being a principal, I had more time to produce content. And so I did 3 to four interviews per week! It’s been great.
We also broke 1,000,000 downloads total with more than 200,000 thousand just this year.
I’d like to share some highlights from the top 5 episodes this year.

Also, I’m doing things a bit differently this year. The mastermind is amazing, but many need an asynchronous option, so that’s why I’m introducing something new today. It’s called How To Be a Transformative Principal and it is all about providing support to principals to help them become transformative principals.

This year, I’ll be releasing a new book, in about a quarter, and it’s called How to be a transformative principal. It’s been a labor of love doing this podcast for the last several years, and I’m honored to have John Catt Publish this book, as well. They are a sponsor of this podcast, and I’m very grateful for them.
I’ll share the highlights from this year at the end of the podcast. First, I’d like to share some of my thinking around support, which is our theme for how2be this month. how2be is a new offering that I’ve created to help principals.
Over the last five years, I’ve had a lot of people interested in the mastermind, but just couldn’t make work because of the time commitment of the meetings, or because they weren’t principals yet. The Mastermind is amazing for principals who have been in the position at least 3 years. I haven’t had a way to support people who are assistant principals, aspiring principals, or principals in their first three years. This program is just for you. It teaches you how to be a transformative principal, based on the many things I’ve learned from doing 461 episodes of this podcast.

Many have said they needed something asynchronous. So, that’s what I’m offering. here’s what you get as part of the How2Be a Transformative Principal program.
The first week is a teaching newsletter that explains the theme, based on a monthly theme from my upcoming book.
The second week is a coaching call with me about the same topic.
The third week, you’ll get a summary of the coaching call in your email, and if you join the tier that has an extra coaching call, you’ll have another coaching call.
Finally, during the fourth week, we’ll have a webinar with an expert on the topic for that month. You get all of this for less than a hundred bucks a month.
All of these events are exclusive to you as members. And there are some other bonuses I’m working as well. For example, a free copy of my book when it comes out later this year.
Now, if you’re listening to this podcast, but you haven’t joined the mastermind, this is for you! You can learn more at jethrojones.com/how2be.
![[IMG_A9ED9DA6EDA8–1.jpeg]]

Support

The theme this month is support. Today, I’m going to talk about you getting support, and in the coaching calls this month, I’ll take questions about you supporting teachers. Looking forward to having you join us!
Today I want to talk about the three kinds of support that you can seek out.
There are three sources of support, crowd-sourced, expert-sourced, professional-sourced.
Picture these as a 3-circle Venn Diagram.
Crowd-sourced support is what a PLN is and what this podcast is. It’s something that you don’t pay for but just search out.
Expert-sourced is where you get support from an expert, and it probably costs you something, either in money or some exchange of value.
Professional-sourced means that you are going to someone who is really going to focus specifically on you and help you be get the support you really need.

Bathroom fan example

Let’s look at an example here to help it make sense:
let’s say you need to repair something in your house, like I did, a fan in the bathroom.
First, I crowd-sourced it by looking up how to do it on youtube.
Second, I asked my buddy Casey to help me, and he did, so I bought him dinner.
What I should have done is hired someone to do it professionally, because it would have been done more effectively.

My wife’s example

If I can make this a little more personal, I’d like to share my wife’s story. A little over 10 years ago, my wife’s mom tragically passed away. She got some help from me and her friends to help, but as you know grief hits in different ways. That was crowd-sourced support. So, after about 5 years, we realized she needed more help. So we got her an appointment with a counselor. (professional-sourced support).
Then, after a few sessions, it was working. And she was doing much better. She didn’t think she needed counseling like that anymore, but still thought she needed support. So, she turned to an expert-sourced support: a life coach. The life coach still costs money, but the value my wife is getting in dealing with past emotions is way more than the financial investment she is paying.

Caveat

I’m not here to say that a life coach is better than a therapist, but I am here to emphatically say that you need to choose what works best for you and how to get that. In some instances, crowd-sourced is the way to go. This podcast is an amazing resource. I tell people all the time you can get a PhD in ed leadership by listening to all 460+ episodes of this podcast.
In other instances, you need more support and it’s worth it to invest something in it.
Sometimes you need a little more support, so you find an expert. That’s what the How2be program is for: It’s an expert source to help you learn how to be a transformative principal.
Finally, maybe you need the mastermind or 1 on 1 coaching for you.

investment

Whatever kind of support you end up going with, you have to invest in that support. Support is not you finding someone to solve your problem for you. It is getting help to solve your own problem.
Sometimes that investment is low, as it is in PLNs, blogs, podcasts, youtube videos, and books.
Sometimes it is higher, as in life coaches, conferences, and courses.
Finally, sometimes you need to invest more like in 1 to 1 coaching, masterminds, or or more.
I intentionally offer something for everyone.
How long have you been listening to this podcast? Has it been a good level of support for you? If you’re listening today, I’m going to say that answer is yes.
Could you benefit from more support? Come check out jethrojones.com/how2be, or https://transformativeprincipal.com for the mastermind.

Highlights from the top 5 podcasts in 2021!

Where Teacher Evaluation Fails with PJ Caposey Transformative Principal 377
Let’s Put The C in PLC with Chad Dumas Transformative Principal 425
High Expectations vs Purposeful Expectations with Marisa Thompson Transformative Principal 376
Helping Kids Transition to College with Jen Sullivan Transformative Principal 421
Trust Based Observations with Craig Randall Transformative Principal 386

Sponsors

Transformative Principal Mastermind

Lead a school everyone can be proud of.

Being a principal is tough work. You’re pulled in all kinds of directions. You never have the time to do the work that really matters. Join me as I help school leaders find the time to do the work they became principals to do.

I help you stop putting out fires and start leading.

Learn more at https://transformativeprincipal.com

John Catt

Today’s Transformative Principal sponsor, John Catt Educational, amplifies world-class voices on timeless topics, with a list of authors recognized globally for their fresh perspectives and proven strategies to drive success in modern schools and classrooms.

John Catt’s mission is to support high-quality teaching and learning by ensuring every educator has access to professional development materials that are research-based, practical, and focused on the key topics proven essential in today’s and tomorrow’s schools.

Learn more about professional development publications that are easy to implement for your entire faculty, and are both quickly digestible and rigorous, by visiting https://us.johncattbookshop.com/. Learn more about some of the newest titles: - The Coach’s Guide to Teaching by Doug Lemov

• The Feedback Pendulum: A manifesto for enhancing feedback in education by Michael Chiles

• Putting Staff First: A blueprint for revitalising our schools by John Tomsett and Jonny Uttley

• 10 Things Schools Get Wrong (And How We Can Get Them Right) by Jared Cooney Horvath and David Bott

• Let’s Talk About Flex: Flipping the flexible working narrative for education by Emma Turner

• A Parent’s Guide to Powerful Teaching by Patrice Bain

John Catt is also proud publisher of the new book from Transformative Principal host Jethro Jones: SchoolX: How principals can design a transformative school experience for students, teachers, parents – and themselves Visit this page to learn more about bulk orders and how to bring John Catt’s research-based materials to your school: https://us.johncattbookshop.com/pages/agents-and-distributors

New Episode of @TrnFrmPrincipal

Nickie Bellini has been an educator for 19 years, five of those as a dual language principal. Loves Dual Language.

• Mastermind member for about a year.
• Loves the books we read in the mastermind.
• From Journalist to Principal
• Psychological Safety
• How to be a Transformative Principal? Get in classrooms. Is what I’m doing improving teaching and learning?

Sponsors

Transformative Principal Mastermind

Lead a school everyone can be proud of.

Being a principal is tough work. You’re pulled in all kinds of directions. You never have the time to do the work that really matters. Join me as I help school leaders find the time to do the work they became principals to do.

I help you stop putting out fires and start leading.

Learn more at https://transformativeprincipal.com

John Catt

Today’s Transformative Principal sponsor, John Catt Educational, amplifies world-class voices on timeless topics, with a list of authors recognized globally for their fresh perspectives and proven strategies to drive success in modern schools and classrooms.

John Catt’s mission is to support high-quality teaching and learning by ensuring every educator has access to professional development materials that are research-based, practical, and focused on the key topics proven essential in today’s and tomorrow’s schools.

Learn more about professional development publications that are easy to implement for your entire faculty, and are both quickly digestible and rigorous, by visiting https://us.johncattbookshop.com/. Learn more about some of the newest titles: - The Coach’s Guide to Teaching by Doug Lemov

• The Feedback Pendulum: A manifesto for enhancing feedback in education by Michael Chiles

• Putting Staff First: A blueprint for revitalising our schools by John Tomsett and Jonny Uttley

• 10 Things Schools Get Wrong (And How We Can Get Them Right) by Jared Cooney Horvath and David Bott

• Let’s Talk About Flex: Flipping the flexible working narrative for education by Emma Turner

• A Parent’s Guide to Powerful Teaching by Patrice Bain

John Catt is also proud publisher of the new book from Transformative Principal host Jethro Jones: SchoolX: How principals can design a transformative school experience for students, teachers, parents – and themselves Visit this page to learn more about bulk orders and how to bring John Catt’s research-based materials to your school: https://us.johncattbookshop.com/pages/agents-and-distributors

New Episode of @TrnFrmPrincipal