Happy Monday!

There has never been a time when instructional leaders were more important. Our educators are working too hard not to have better results, and they need more support through ongoing professional learning, high-quality instructional materials, accessible technology, and time and space for collaboration and consultation with colleagues. They also need feedback to help them build collective efficacy. Great principals can make all this happen! I loved George Couros's latest book, "What Makes a Great Principal: The Five Pillars of Effective School Leadership." What made the book even more special was that the principal who led the hiring committee that hired me as an assistant superintendent of schools contributed a chapter (shout out to Liz Garden!). What a small, fabulous world.

 🔊 Something to Listen to:

I am thrilled to launch my first podcast, The Education Table. This micro podcast provides a collective space for exploring inclusive and innovative education in 10 minutes or less. Each episode offers a mix of stories, statistics, and strategies designed to establish balance for educators and enhance outcomes for all learners. I am so excited to be able to bring this to life —and I am launching it with you! Listen in:

• The Education Table Show Page
• Episode One: Show Page

Can't wait to hear what you think! Leave a review—the good, the bad, the ugly, I'm here for all of it 😀! If you like what you hear, be sure to hit subscribe.

📺 Something to Watch:

The NFL and WNBA drafts were in April, and the NBA draft is coming up in June. If you haven't seen it, watch the "Teacher Draft" skit by Key and Peele. This skit imagines teachers as the stars of an elaborate, highly publicized draft event, receiving the high stakes and celebrity treatment typically associated with professional sports. Goodness gracious - you ALL deserve this treatment. Oh, we can dream. ❤️

🛠️ Something to Do:

As we close the school year, one important task is to send out a school- or district-wide survey. In the survey, ask teachers and staff, "What professional development opportunities would be the most meaningful to you for next school year, based on the core values of our school and our student needs?"

Once you have aggregated the survey results and finalized your PD needs for next year, post them! Engage your team by asking for their recommendations for PD facilitators or put out a call to action for team members to apply to lead the sessions. This a great way allow exemplary educators to step into leadership roles and provides options for collaboration and community within your team.

Jo Baeler is one of my all-time favorite educators. I recently came across this piece from her, and it is both a great and scary read.  In it, she shares:

"As disinformation and misinformation about world events proliferate through social media, we should all do more to honor, uplift and protect scientific knowledge and the researchers who produce it. People may disagree with each other’s ideas, as civil disagreement is the hallmark of a democratic society, but when knowledge is suppressed, we don’t get to have the discussion. That, to me, is a problem we should all care about."

As a UDL practitioner who believes in the power of choice and voice, it is devastating to know that such a brilliant woman, who believes that all students can succeed in math, is being silenced. Let's be brave enough to speak our own truth and curious enough to listen to others.

In January, I signed up to complete a 50-mile race. As the day approached, I didn’t feel ready and contemplated pulling out. But then I realized something: it wasn’t the fear of running the race getting to me, but the fear of failure. So I went for it and I learned a few things along the way! Check it out.