Educational Leadership with Principal JL

Episode 56: Lindsey Allen’s Leadership Journey: How a Principal Scaled Influence, Protected Teacher Time, and Boosted Student Achievement

Send us a textA school changes course when leadership starts by listening and then protects what matters most: time, clarity, and opportunity. We sit down with Lindsey Allen, Georgia’s 2025 Principal of the Year and principal of Walnut Grove High School, to unpack the simple, rigorous moves that drive real results. From ten years in the classroom to district hearings and a Title I turnaround, Lindsey shows how credibility is earned, standards are set, and culture shifts when you hire for belief and hold the line with care.We dig into his three-part rallying cry, every student should have a meaningful school experience, graduate on time, and leave enrolled, enlisted, or employed, and how it reshaped decisions. That led to expanding AP from five to eighteen courses so students could truly compete for UGA and Georgia Tech, while growing career pathways in construction, healthcare, and engineering to match Georgia’s job market. The goal isn’t a handshake at graduation; it’s a real plan for the next step.Lindsey also shares why safeguarding teacher time is a leadership superpower: purposeful pre-planning, fewer and better meetings, and a calendar built to be canceled when staff need margin. We talk about mentoring new leaders, reading as a non-negotiable habit, hiring to complement your blind spots, and using tools like StrengthsFinder and DiSC to build a balanced team. Looking ahead, we explore AI as a practical classroom ally, returning hours to teachers, supporting differentiation, and elevating the human work of feedback and relationships.If you care about educational leadership, teacher time, AP access, college readiness, workforce pathways, and using AI to improve instruction, this conversation is a blueprint you can use tomorrow. Subscribe, share with a colleague who needs a lift, and leave a review telling us the one change you’ll make this week.Connect with Lindsey Allen:Email: lindsey.allen@walton.k12.ga.us  Teach Better Mid Roll Network Ad Support the showClick Here to Connect with Principal JL:

Episode 55: Year-In-Review 2025 (Part 2): Leadership Lessons From 12 School Leaders

Send us a textReady for a fast, no-fluff leadership reset that actually translates? In this 2025 Year in Review, we highlight twelve standout leaders and the single move from each that shifted trust, culture, and learning in real schools.You’ll hear how visibility strengthens belonging, why behavior is communication, and how a “no visible student” mindset transforms climate. We unpack the systems that steady culture—clear expectations, reinforced routines, and a peer-observation engine that generated thousands of teacher visits to boost collective efficacy.We also explore the inner work: identity statements that keep you authentic, deep listening that accelerates trust, and purpose that protects your passion when the job gets hard. Plus, stories from classroom leaders who prove you don’t have to leave to lead and student models that turn responsibility into a shared habit.Walk away with a simple plan: pick one idea, make it visible, make it consistent, then stack the next one. Leadership shifts through compounding wins—not big gestures. What’s the one action you’ll take first?Episode 37: Josh TovarEpisode 39: Dr. Dana GoodierEpisode 40: Erin JonesEpisode 41: Jerry MackEpisode 42: Jayme BraidaEpisode 43:Bill CurryEpisode 45: Beyond the Classroom: Dr. Donovan Smalls IIEpisode 46: Shannon SealeEpisode 48: Dr. Salome Thomas-ELEpisode 49: Tony CattaniEpisode 51: Dr. James LaneEpisode 53: Dr. Chris Jochum Teach Better Mid Roll Network Ad Support the showClick Here to Connect with Principal JL:

Episode 54: Year-In-Review 2025 (Part 1): Leadership Lessons From 14 School Leaders

Send us a textThis episode distills one powerful insight from each of our standout guests this year, practical moves you can use the moment you’re back in the building. From consistency and clarity to purpose, recognition, and sustainable habits, these strategies strengthen culture and improve outcomes fast. If it helps, share with a colleague and subscribe for Part 2 of our Year-End Review Series.Click below to listen to all the Part 1 episodes mentioned:Episode 14: Principal MoEpisode 18: Angela KellyEpisode 21: Dr. Joe SanfelippoEpisode 22: Kurtis Hewson Episode 23: Coach Tony KimbleEpisode 26: Dr. Josh WilkenEpisode 28: Dr. Cynthia RapaidoEpisode 29: Dr. Rachel Edoho-EketEpisode 31: Dr. Darrin PeppardEpisode 32: Leroy SlanziEpisode 33: Dr. Frank BuckEpisode 34:Josh RowanEpisode 35:Todd BloomerEpisode 36: Casey Watt Teach Better Mid Roll Network Ad Support the showClick Here to Connect with Principal JL:

Episode 53: You Don't Have to Leave to Lead: Dr. Chris Jochum's Leadership Journey

Send us a textWhat if the most powerful leaders in a school aren’t the ones with the titles? We sit down with Dr. Chris Jochum department chair, coach, and author of You Don’t Have To Leave To Lead, to unpack how everyday teachers can move culture, improve learning, and lift colleagues without stepping out of the classroom.Chris traces his journey from rural roots and language classrooms to higher education, highlighting mentors who asked bigger questions at pivotal moments. We break down the research connecting teacher leadership to student achievement, morale, and retention, then translate it into concrete practices: craft a clear personal mission, align core values to daily actions, navigate conflict with calm, and use small, compounding habits to build a resilient culture. You’ll hear why shared leadership outperforms command-and-control, and how a coaching mindset, support, feedback, and trust frees teachers to take smart risks.For Principals and APs, Chris lays out practical moves you can implement this week. Know your roster so you can align strengths and goals. Run stay interviews to get ahead of attrition. Celebrate small wins, coach privately, and make data human by pairing outcomes with experience. For teachers weighing their next step, we explore the bell curve test: are you one tough day from quitting or ready to serve at a larger scale? Either way, a personal leadership mission can anchor your choices and multiply your impact.If you care about teacher retention, school culture, and student success, this conversation offers a clear playbook. Listen, take one habit into practice tomorrow, and watch the 1% gains add up. If the ideas resonate, follow Chris at cjleadership.com, share this episode with a colleague, and leave a quick review so others can find the show.Connect with Dr. Chris Jochum:Dr. Chris Jochum's Website:email: chris@cjleadership.com Dr. Chris Jochum's Books:You Don't Have to Leave to Lead: A Practical Guide to Teacher Leadership (Amazon)The Department Chair: A Practical Guide to Effective Leadership (Amazon) Teach Better Mid Roll Network Ad Support the showClick Here to Connect with Principal JL:

Episode 52: The Principal’s Playbook: Building Trust, Retaining Teachers, and Driving Change (Unfiltered)

Send us a textCulture is not a poster on the wall, it’s the engine that determines whether any strategy, policy, or program actually works. We walk through a practical, field-tested playbook for principals who want to build trust, retain great teachers, and lead lasting change without burning out or micromanaging.First, we break down a 60–90–30 transition plan that starts with a building-wide listening tour. You’ll hear how five-minute conversations with every staff member surfaced the real patterns, wandering halls, phone distractions, and inconsistent expectations; and how a representative school improvement team turned those insights into smart, co-created systems. Together we launched an e-hall pass, hall monitor duty, and a personal device policy that removed phones from instructional time and restored focus. Because teacher leaders owned the rollout, buy-in came from the ground up.We also go inside the practices that kept momentum: PLCs that compare learning by target and swap strategies, daily emails that create clarity, and a simple mantra, Be 1% Better, that encourages responsible risk-taking. The impact was measurable and human: higher daily attendance, a sharp drop in chronic absenteeism, calmer hallways, safer classrooms, and teachers who feel seen, valued, and trusted. You’ll learn how tiered attendance supports engage deans, liaisons, diversion partners, and families to reframe accountability as care. Along the way, we share retention moves you can use tomorrow—protecting workdays from unnecessary meetings, honoring veteran expertise, and investing in appreciation that brings teams together.If you lead a rural 7–12 or a thousand-student high school, the sequence scales: listen widely, co-create solutions, define purpose, communicate clearly, and let staff lead. Grab the free toolkit and templates, try the 60–90–30 day transition plan, and start one change that compounds. If this playbook helps, share it with a colleague, subscribe for more leadership episodes, and leave a quick review so others can find us. What’s the first system you’ll strengthen this week?Principals' Playbook Toolbox:Podcast Recommendations: Teach Better Mid Roll Network Ad Support the showClick Here to Connect with Principal JL: