SUMMARY: In this episode, Kirsten interviews Stacy Winslow, Superintendent of Derry Township School District. She shares her journey from a seven-year-old who knew she'd be a life-long teacher to leading one of Pennsylvania's most innovative districts. She opens up about stepping into the superintendent role just months after COVID shut everything down, why she implemented one of the area's first cell phone bans, and how her team uses data and the "five-person rule" to separate noise from real concerns. The conversation covers belonging, transformation, and the courage it takes to make unpopular-but-right decisions. Derry Township was one of the first districts in the region to implement a bell-to-bell cell phone ban, which she calls a game-changer for student engagement. Stacy led the district through and out of COVID, successfully. Stacy shares, "Everything's a season. And you have to take care of yourself in the season because there's going to be stuff on the other side of it." The conversation highlights some important lessons for leaders, including: · Frameworks let you innovate within constraints. You don't have to blow up the system to transform it. · Remember that every hard season has another side. Take care of yourself in the season, not after. · Be courageous, not fearless. Fear is fine. Do the right thing anyway. · Don't let people live rent free in your head. Easier said than done—but essential for longevity. · Triangulate your data. Don't trust one survey or one source. Look for patterns across multiple inputs before acting. · You cannot over-communicate. Say it until they mock how you say it. That's when it's starting to land. · Your kid's life unfolds in chapters. One hard chapter doesn't make a bad book. Help them title it and move on to the next one. Stacy Winslow BIO: Dr. Stacy Winslow is the Superintendent of schools for Derry Township School District. The 2024-25 school year is the start of her 4th year in this role and her 12th year in the district. She has 32 years of experience in education, with 14 of these years serving as an administrator. Dr. Winslow began her career as a social studies teacher at Manheim Township School District where she taught in grades 7-12 and a multitude of subjects throughout her 19 years in the classroom. Dr. Winslow has a passion for curriculum and building strong systems in schools that allow all students to have opportunity for rigorous coursework and instruction. She has worked to ensure that professional learning is an integral part of the districts she has served to ensure that adult learning remains innovative and continuous, thus enhancing student learning. Dr. Winslow earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Studies Education from Elizabethtown College, a Master’s Degree in Teaching and Learning from Penn State University and her Doctoral in Educational Leadership from Immaculata University. As the Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Winslow is dedicated to providing the highest quality of education, promoting innovation, and remaining fiscally responsible to the community she serves. Dr. Winslow is happily married and the proud mother of two adult daughters. She enjoys time in nature, hiking and biking, re KIRSTEN YURICH BIO: Kirsten is a licensed behavior analyst, speaker, author, and retired CEO who partners with business leaders to help them achieve more of what matters most to them. Kirsten’s clients are high performing CEOs, founders, and executives looking to “level up” in life and business. Kirsten share’s her expertise in leadership, performance management, and learning with executives through coaching or consulting, peer groups, and speaking. For more info, check out Kirsten Yurich HERE.
