THE MAIN IDEA Podcast: Books for the Busy School Leader

Jenn David-Lang
  • 4.9 (33)
  • Education
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Welcome to THE MAIN IDEA Podcast: Books for the Busy School Leader. I am Jenn David-Lang, your host, and also the educator behind the book summary subscription, THE MAIN IDEA. I absolutely believe it’s essential for the leaders to be learning – when the leaders are learning, the whole school community benefits. However, I know that the role of school leader is one of the most demanding jobs out there. So that’s where I come in. My goal is to save you time with your professional reading and help you get more out of your professional reading at the same time.

  1. Aug 19

    Leadership Teams That Transform Schools with Joe Johnson and Anna DeJesus

    What separates the highest-performing schools from the rest? According to Joe Johnson, it's an exceptional leadership team. In this episode, I got to sit down with Joe Johnson, founder of the National Center for Urban School Transformation (NCUST) and co-author of Leadership Teams in America's Best Schools, and Anna DeJesus, principal of the award-winning Caton School in Brooklyn, New York. Drawing from decades of research into America's most successful schools, Joe shares the six "gears" that consistently drive student success, while Anna offers a behind-the-scenes look at how her instructional leadership team turns those ideas into daily practice. From analyzing data and coaching teachers, to building a culture where educators feel supported, this conversation includes lots of practical strategies for school leaders who want to strengthen both their teams and student outcomes. Walk away with MAIN IDEAs… 1 MAIN IDEA: While every leadership team looks different, the bottom line is how are you going to shape your leadership team to help teachers and other personnel feel supported and that the leadership team is on their side. When teachers feel they have that support, they’re more likely to roll up their sleeves and strive to make a powerful difference for all the children they serve. 1 HIGH-LEVERAGE FIRST STEP TOWARD BUILDING YOUR LEADERSHIP TEAM: Take a close look at your staff to decide who should be part of your instructional leadership team. Then the leader really needs to model how they should work together as a team.   Connect with Joe Johnson and Anna DeJesus: Find them on LinkedIn, Instagram, or X, or visit Anna’s school (P.S. 249, The Caton School, 18 Marlborough Rd, Brooklyn, NY). You can also learn more at the NCUST website. The Book: Leadership Teams in America’s Best Schools   Connect with Jenn: Jenn@TheMainIdea.net Get monthly book summaries from Jenn (The Main Idea) Join an outstanding PL experience for leaders: Jenn’s Mastermind If you have a colleague who wants to work on their leadership team, I hope you’ll share this podcast with them. Thanks!

  2. Aug 5

    Top 10 Tips for New Admin with Lee Kyler

    Lee Kyler first reached out to me a few years ago to ask if I would do an episode with tips for new school leaders. At the time, I shared advice from a veteran leader.  We tend to turn to veterans for advice, but how much do they really remember the grimy obstacles and daily highs of being a new leader? So I decided to bring Lee back to the show to share his newly minted advice as a principal who just finished his third year on the job. He’s  much closer to the experience of going through those first few years as a leader.  I asked Lee to compile his top tips, and that’s what we discussed for you today.  Whether you're stepping into your first leadership role or you've been leading for years, I think you'll find wisdom in Lee's practical, thoughtful approach to creating schools where both students and adults can thrive. And if you’re wondering, here are the top 10 tips below:  1. Relationships are the most important curriculum 2. Being present is not being engaged; Engage more than you think you are and geography matters 3. Lead with empathy, but maintain accountability 4. Culture is built through small decisions 5. Everyone has a story and a backpack (including you) 6. Attack the problem, not the person 7. Your first solution Is rarely your best solution 8. Data tells only part of the story 9. Don't die on every hill 10. Build and empower your teams 1 HIGH-LEVERAGE ACTION to START: Recognize that students and staff are all carrying around something – everyone has a backpack. Give them grace when it’s appropriate and holding people accountable is equally important. This will make it easier to move forward with every other initiative that you have. 1 RESOURCE: The best resource you have is to network and then pick up the phone or message people for advice. Connect with Lee Kyler on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lee-kyler-438523226/   Connect with Jenn: Jenn@TheMainIdea.net Get monthly book summaries from Jenn (The Main Idea) Join an outstanding PL experience for leaders: Jenn’s Mastermind If you learned something from what you heard, I hope you'll subscribe to this podcast. Thanks!

  3. Jul 22

    How Teams Become Highly Effective, Part 2 with Bob Sonju, Anisa Baker-Busby, & Kim Monkres

    You probably already have teacher teams in your school or district. But how many of them are having a significant impact on student outcomes? I’m a big believer in the power of teacher teams to boost student achievement. I also know teams don’t always see that impact, and that can be frustrating for teachers and leaders alike. That’s why I loved the book The Handbook for Highly Effective Teams. I genuinely think it can relieve the frustration by sharing concretely what it is that highly effective teams DO. In Part 2 of my conversation with Bob Sonju, Anisa Baker-Busby, and Kim Monkres, we explore what separates highly effective teacher teams from groups that simply meet together. The answer isn't more meetings or more data, it's having the right conversations and using evidence to improve teaching, together. If you missed Part 1, we discussed the first two roles of highly effective teams (below), and Part 2 now explores the final two roles: 1. Build a highly effective team foundation (don’t skip this!) 2. Outline the essentials of what all students should learn 3. Effectively use assessments and data 4. Provide extra time and support when students don’t learn Walk away with MAIN IDEAs… 1 FIRST STEP: Have your teams assess themselves on the 15 critical actions that highly effective teams take (on pp.62-63 of the book or the Solution Tree website) to see where to start with this work. Here is a rough version of the self-assessment. 1 RESOURCE: Bring in the authors to come work with your school or district — Bob Sonju, Anisa Busby-Baker, Kim Monkres Book: The  Handbook for Highly Effective Teams     Connect with Jenn: Jenn@TheMainIdea.net Get monthly book summaries from Jenn (The Main Idea) Join an outstanding PD experience for leaders: Jenn’s Mastermind

  4. Jul 9

    How Teams Become Highly Effective, Part 1 with Bob Sonju and Kim Monkres

    At this point, most schools have teacher teams, but not every teacher team is highly effective. In this episode, I got to sit down with Bob Sonju and Kim Monkres, co-authors of The Handbook for Highly Effective Teams, to explore what separates groups of educators who simply meet from teams that genuinely improve teaching and learning. Bob and Kim explain why collaboration isn't something educators automatically know how to do well and why creating a strong team foundation is essential before diving into curriculum, assessments, and student data.  They share practical strategies for building trust, establishing meaningful team commitments, navigating conflict, and creating a shared understanding of what students truly need to learn. I loved this conversation (and their book!) because of all of the actionable ideas, templates, tools, and protocols to help teams move beyond meetings and toward meaningful collaboration that benefits every student. Note that highly effective teams perform FOUR roles, and this podcast covers the first two (see the next podcast for the last two).  HIGHLY EFFECTIVE TEAMS: 1. Build a strong foundation 2. Outline the essentials of what all students should learn 3. Effectively use assessments and data 4. Provide extra time and support when students don’t learn   Walk away with MAIN IDEAs… 1 FIRST STEP: Have your teams assess themselves on the 15 critical actions that highly effective teams take (on pp.62-63 of the book or the Solution Tree website) to see where to start with this work. Here is a rough version of the self-assessment. 1 RESOURCE: Bring in the authors to come work with your school or district — Bob Sonju, Anisa Busby-Baker, Kim Monkres Book: The  Handbook for Highly Effective Teams     Connect with Jenn: Jenn@TheMainIdea.net Get monthly book summaries from Jenn (The Main Idea) Join an outstanding PL experience for leaders: Jenn’s Mastermind My 1-pager for this book If you got something out of this podcast, I hope you’ll follow me so you can listen to Part 2. Thanks!

  5. Jun 17

    What best accelerates learning? With Doug Fisher

    In this episode I got to talk to Doug Fisher about one of his most recent books, The Illustrated Guide to Visible Learning, co-authored with John Hattie, Nancy Frey, and John Almarode. Doug shares how he and his co-authors took John Hattie’s research about what works in schools, and turned it into an illustrated book. But the book doesn’t simply include illustrations of the “top 10” research-based strategies. Instead, Doug describes how it groups similar strategies together into clusters so teachers don’t have to figure out how to implement a set of random strategies! The result? A powerful set of strategies that most accelerate student learning! In the podcast we talk about three of those sets of strategies: -Improving classroom and school climate -Teaching students to drive their own learning -Collective teacher efficacy Doug is both inspirational and shares practical ideas — it’s worth listening to him!   Walk away with MAIN IDEAs… 1 HIGH-LEVERAGE ACTION: Review the book’s Table of Contents and assess, “Where are we strong?” Then based on that, decide on the logical next place to go and start with that chapter. And by the way, school climate is the prerequisite: we always say, “Climate first, learning second,” so make sure the climate is in place before diving into any of the other chapters. 1 RESOURCE: Another book by similar authors: Teaching Students to Drive Their Learning   Connect with Doug Fisher: https://fisherandfrey.com/ and he posts a lot of content to LinkedIn Book: The Illustrated Guide to Visible Learning: An Introduction to What Works Best in Schools    Connect with Jenn: Jenn@TheMainIdea.net Get monthly book summaries from Jenn (The Main Idea) Join an outstanding PL experience for leaders: Jenn’s Mastermind See Jenn’s list of 4 Summer Books for Teachers — Let your teachers choose! I always learn something from Doug Fisher! If you did, too, please share this podcast with others. Thanks!

  6. Jun 3

    AI will replace tasks, not teachers with Peter Nilsson

    I appreciated talking to Peter Nilsson about the book he co-wrote with Maya Bialik, Irreplaceable: How AI Changes Everything (and Nothing) in Teaching and Learning. Why? Because he’s an extremely thoughtful educator who knows what matters most: teaching, learning, and the deeply human work educators do every day. AI comes after that.  Peter says that AI may change how educators work, but it does not change the fundamental realities of teaching and learning. Great teaching is still relational, creative, emotional, and deeply human — and that’s exactly what makes it irreplaceable. This episode is ultimately less about technology — and more about what great teaching has always been.  In our conversation Peter describes the secondary AI can play for teachers as a Research Assistant, Planning Assistant, and Feedback Assistant. If you’re skeptical about AI (as I am!) it’s worth listening to this and also reading the book.   Walk away with MAIN IDEAs… 1 MAIN IDEA: This book is about teaching and learning first, and about AI as it supports that. 1 HIGH-LEVERAGE ACTION: Research shows the best PL for teachers involves providing ongoing structures for teachers to try things out and talk with each other and share what they find. So create a space for teachers to talk about pedagogy and how AI can support their pedagogy. 1 RESOURCE: To dive deeply into the tech side the podcast The AI Daily Brief     Connect with Peter Nilsson or Maya Bialik or check out Peter’s newsletter, Educator’s Notebook Book: Irreplaceable: How AI Changes Everything (and Nothing) in Teaching and Learning   Connect with Jenn: Jenn@TheMainIdea.net Get monthly book summaries from Jenn (The Main Idea) Join an outstanding PL experience for leaders: Jenn’s Mastermind My 1-pager for this book: 3 Ways AI Can Assist Teachers   If you have a colleague who is skeptical about AI, or a teacher who would like to learn more, I hope you’ll share this podcast with them. Thanks!

  7. May 20

    From Behaving to Belonging with Julie Causton and Kate MacLeod

    Punishing students just doesn’t work. I think anyone who works in schools can see that this doesn’t change student behavior. And teachers are feeling beaten down by challenging student behaviors that seem to be on the rise. That’s why I appreciated chatting with Julie Causton and Kate MacLeod, co-authors of From Behaving to Belonging. They deeply believe we need to rethink how we address student behavior and instead approach it from a lens of love, connection, and inclusion. Together, they share why traditional discipline systems often fail students, how behavior is actually communication, and what schools can do instead to create environments where every student feels safe, valued, and connected. Our conversation is full of practical strategies for teachers and leaders that include mindset shifts, relationship-building practices, de-escalation techniques, and collaborative problem-solving approaches.   Walk away with MAIN IDEAs… 1 MAIN IDEA: We’ve been wrong about behavior. It’s essential to feel belonging to behave in ways that are prosocial. 1 HIGH-LEVERAGE ACTION: Take this book and do a book study with staff. Spend meaningful time with staff cultivating community and care so you can reframe and help staff understand that behavior is communication and that belonging is the foundation.  1 RESOURCE:  A book about inclusion specifically for school leaders by the same authors: The Way to Inclusion: How Leaders Create Schools Where Every Student Belongs   Connect with Julie and Kate: Julie (inclusiveschooling.com) and Kate (kate.macleod@maine.edu) Book: From Behaving to Belonging: The Inclusive Art of Supporting Students Who Challenge Us The 4 books I recommend for teachers for summer reading: https://www.themainidea.net/wp-content/uploads/Teacher-Handout-4-Summer-Books-for-Teachers.pdf Connect with Jenn: Jenn@TheMainIdea.net Get monthly book summaries from Jenn (The Main Idea) Join an outstanding PL experience for leaders: Jenn’s Mastermind If you know other school leaders who want help in meeting the needs of students with challenging behaviors in a more productive way, I hope you’ll share this podcast. Thanks!

  8. May 6

    Reading the Word & Reading the World in Turbulent Times: with Michele Caracappa

    I appreciated this powerful conversation with education leader Michelle Caracappa about the deeper purpose of literacy in today’s complex and often turbulent world. Drawing on her Substack Reading to Lead and her work in literacy and leadership, Michele challenges educators to rethink literacy — not just as a set of skills, but as a tool for understanding, agency, and transformation. In the podcast we explore what it means for school leaders to “stay awake” during times of social change, and how literacy can help both students and educators make sense of, and shape, the world around them. A Few Key Takeaways: 1. Literacy is more than reading — it’s about power and purpose Michelle emphasizes that literacy is not just about decoding text (“reading the word”), but also about interpreting and engaging with the world (“reading the world”). Both are important. 2. The question leaders must ask: “Literacy for what?” Beyond test scores and proficiency, leaders should reflect on the ultimate goal of literacy instruction. Is it just to “play the game”or to empower students to change it? 3. Staying “awake” as leaders matters more than ever Referencing Rip Van Winkle and Martin Luther King Jr.’s idea of “remaining awake through a great revolution,” Michele challenges leaders to stay conscious and responsive to the realities shaping their communities. 4. Literacy builds agency, and agency reduces overwhelm When students (and adults) use literacy to process, respond, and act, they move from feeling powerless to empowered. Writing, speaking, and reading become tools for action—not just academics. Walk away with MAIN IDEAs… 1 MAIN IDEA: Literacy isn’t just a skill — it’s a form of agency. And supporting teachers to teach it well may be one of the most powerful acts of leadership we have.  1 HIGH-LEVERAGE ACTION: · Reflect on your school’s current approach to literacy: Does it prepare students to both read the word and read the world? RESOURCES: Gloria Ladson-Billings — Culturally Relevant Pedagogy: Asking a Different Question Michele’s Framework for Equity-Focused Literacy Improvement Connect with Michele Caracappa Michele’s Substack: Reading to Lead     Connect with Jenn: Jenn@TheMainIdea.net Get monthly book summaries from Jenn (The Main Idea) Join an outstanding PL experience for leaders: Jenn’s Mastermind If you got something out of this podcast, I hope you’ll share it with a colleague. Thanks!

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Welcome to THE MAIN IDEA Podcast: Books for the Busy School Leader. I am Jenn David-Lang, your host, and also the educator behind the book summary subscription, THE MAIN IDEA. I absolutely believe it’s essential for the leaders to be learning – when the leaders are learning, the whole school community benefits. However, I know that the role of school leader is one of the most demanding jobs out there. So that’s where I come in. My goal is to save you time with your professional reading and help you get more out of your professional reading at the same time.

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