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Laws that feel distant in a statehouse become very real in a classroom. We sit down with Dr. Mike Dulaney of the Nebraska Council of School Administrators and consultant Tim Heckenlively to map what the new legislative session actually means for students, teachers, and leaders, and how your voice can change it. From a projected $470M budget shortfall to hot-button bills on option enrollment and school surveillance, we walk through the decisions most likely to hit your building and the strategies that help you influence them.

We dig into school finance pressures and the hard truth that education sits among the largest appropriations, making it vulnerable when revenue dips. Mike and Tim outline why one-size-fits-all mandates fail districts with very different realities, and how to frame a clear, local case for flexibility, especially on complex issues like accepting high‑needs students when services are already at capacity. We also explore a potential shift in retirement rules from a 180‑day to a 120‑day separation, the strong funding status of Nebraska’s plan, and what that means for contributions and staffing.

Safety and privacy take center stage in a thoughtful look at cameras, data governance, and parent expectations. You’ll hear why coalitions among administrators, boards, and teachers drive credibility, and how term-limited senators create urgency around legacy proposals, including culture-war topics likely to resurface. The conversation closes with solutions to the teacher shortage: practical grow‑your‑own pathways that pair content expertise with structured, on‑the‑job training so schools can staff hard‑to‑fill roles without lowering standards.

The throughline is agency. Invite your senator to tour classrooms. Share specific impacts, not abstractions. Keep it civil, local, and actionable. Subscribe for more policy-to-practice conversations, share this with a colleague who cares about schools, and leave a review to help others find these insights. Your story can steer the next vote.

Connect with NCSA (Nebraska Council of School Administrators):

NCSA Website:

NCSA Legislative Website:

Email Dr. Mike Dulaney: mike.dulaney@ncsa.org

Email Tim Heckenlively: tim.heckenlively@ncsa.org

New and Improve

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A 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

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Ready 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 Tovar

Episode 39: Dr. Dana Goodier

Episode 40: Erin Jones

Episode 41: Jerry Mack

Episode 42: Jayme Braida

Episode 43:Bill Curry

Episode 45: Beyond the Classroom: Dr. Donovan Smalls II

Episode 46: Shannon Seale

Episode 48: Dr. Salome Thomas-EL

Episode 49: Tony Cattani

Episode 51: Dr. James Lane

Episode 53: Dr. Chris Jochum

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This 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 Mo

Episode 18: Angela Kelly

Episode 21: Dr. Joe Sanfelippo

Episode 22: Kurtis Hewson

Episode 23: Coach Tony Kimble

Episode 26: Dr. Josh Wilken

Episode 28: Dr. Cynthia Rapaido

Episode 29: Dr. Rachel Edoho-Eket

Episode 31: Dr. Darrin Peppard

Episode 32: Leroy Slanzi

Episode 33: Dr. Frank Buck

Episode 34:Josh Rowan

Episode 35:Todd Bloomer

Episode 36: Casey Watt

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What 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)

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Culture 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:

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A trumpet, a baton, and a blueprint for real school change. James Lane went from touring musician to teacher, principal, superintendent, state chief, and ultimately a senior leader at the U.S. Department of Education and he never lost sight of the same question: what happens the moment a student struggles? This conversation turns that question into a repeatable system any school can use.

We start with the early days: a tiny band program that grew into half the school, superior ratings, and national trips. That success wasn’t magic it was structure. James shares the seven-step framework behind his book, Leading with Laser Focus: align curriculum to the test blueprint, be maniacal about talent, use common assessments that actually measure what you teach, run tight data cycles, deliver timely intervention, strengthen PLCs, and wrap it all with smart technology and family partnerships. The core test for leaders is simple: can every adult explain exactly what happens when a student falls behind?

From there, we zoom out. As Virginia’s state superintendent, James navigated policy, politics, and the hardest pivot of a generation closing and reopening schools during COVID. He breaks down how a state agency translates laws and executive orders into guidance districts can act on, and why showing up in communities matters more than perfect memos. Then we head to Washington, where James led K-12 at the U.S. Department of Education, accelerated ESSER spending, and focused resources on tutoring, mental health, staffing, and safe operations to get schools open and keep them open.

The throughline is belief and execution. James reframes teacher efficacy as academic optimism: when teachers believe they make the difference—and leaders remove barriers outcomes move. He also shares breaking news on his new CEO role tackling teacher shortages and high-dosage tutoring, turning leadership principles into capacity schools can feel. If you lead a classroom, a building, or a district, you’ll walk away with practical steps and a renewed sense of what’s possible.

Enjoyed the conversation? Subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a quick review telling us the one system you’ll strengthen this month. Your reflection might spark someone else’s breakthrough.

Connect with Dr. James Lane:

Email: james.lane@gmail.com

Leading with Laser Focus: The Seven Steps to School Success: (Amazon)

University Instructors:Dr. James Lane

University Instructors Website:

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A single question changed the way we lead: what do we know now that we wish we knew then? From the emotional roller coaster of a school year to the small habits that keep us grounded, we unpack practical moves that help educators stay energized, avoid the disillusionment dip, and create momentum that lasts.

We start by mapping the phases many teachers and leaders feel from high August anticipation to the late-fall slide into survival mode and share a simple, repeatable antidote: find the joy. Not the fluffy kind, but the deliberate practice of spotting small wins, naming impact, and using those bright spots to fuel honest reflection. Then we dig into reflective routines that actually stick: quick look-backs on what worked, what missed, and one change to try tomorrow, so the post-holiday reset becomes a launchpad, not a scramble.

Isolation is the quiet enemy of growth, so we make a case for getting out of silos. Hear how classroom learning walks, cross-discipline visits, and principal-to-principal exchanges unlock ideas you can use the same week. We widen the lens to building a real professional network; local meetups, state associations, national conferences and stacking free PD through podcasts, newsletters, and webinars. Along the way, we talk about why audio books count, how Atomic Habits powers 1 percent daily gains, and where online communities like Teach Better and coaching groups can extend your practice with feedback you can trust.

If you’re ready to trade burnout for better systems, this conversation gives you a blueprint: joy as fuel, reflection as routine, collaboration as default, and networks as your growth engine. Subscribe to stay energized every week, share this with a colleague who needs a boost, and leave a review to tell us what landed. What’s one habit you’ll improve by 1 percent today?

Educational Leadership Website:

Atomic Habits:

Connect with Adam Lane, Leading Lane Website:

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