MESPA PrincipalCast Minnesota Elementary School Principals' Association (MESPA)

Dr. Brad Gustafson, principal of Greenwood Elementary School in Wayzata, is our latest podcast guest! Brad is not only a principal and active MESPA member but also an accomplished author and will be the closing keynote speaker at Institute 2022. Hear about Brad's latest book, The 6 Literacy Levers, and how embracing reading and challenging his own thoughts about literacy have made him a better leader.

Don't miss Brad's keynote on Friday, Feb. 4th at Institute 2022! Click here to register and come back together with MESPA.

Go to bradgustafson.com to see a list of Brad's books and learn more about his work.

Our opening thought leader for Institute 2022, Adam Welcome, joins Bret on the podcast! Adam talks about his career journey and his philosophy of simplifying your plans for a greater chance of success. Hear about the inception of "Kids Deserve It" and Adam's approach to making an impact on educators as a speaker. Don't miss Adam's keynote on Wednesday, Feb. 2nd at Institute 2022! Click here to register and come back together with MESPA.

Go to mradamwelcome.com to see a list of Adam's books, and connect with him online via @mradamwelcome across social media platforms.

It's a first for MESPA PrincipalCast! Bridgewater Elementary School principal Nancy Antoine returns to the podcast to speak with Bret about receiving the 2021 MN NAESP National Distinguished Principal Award. Listen for Nancy's approach to difficult conversations about equity, and what it means to be a Nationally Distinguished Principal. The 2022 NDP award is open for applications! Visit mespa.net/NDP to learn more and download an application.

In this episode, Jen Olson—principal at Humphrey & Winsted Elementary Schools in the Howard-Lake-Waverly-Winsted School District—talks about what it's like to be a principal of two schools at the same time, work/life balance, being a female leader in her community, and the advocacy efforts of principals that go on at a state and national level.

Welcome back to the MESPA PrincipalCast! In this episode, Gabe Hackett—elementary school principal in Monticello—talks about his journey to the principalship, the power of finding support through social media, and tips for how to create a positive and productive school culture. You can find Gabe on Twitter @LME_Principal or read his blog at gabehacket.edublogs.org.

In this encouraging episode, Dr. Brad Gustafson, elementary school principal in Wayzata, former National Distinguished Principal, and author of "Renegade Leadership" and "Reclaiming our Calling" discusses the shift we're seeing in education with another period of Distance Learning looming on the horizon. While Distance Learning isn't ideal, Dr. Gustafson and Bret Domstrand have a candid conversation about what is going right, the realities of being a principal during this time, and different ways to approach this challenge. You can find Dr. Gustafson on Twitter @GustafsonBrad or visit his website, bradgustafson.com.