Transformative Principal

Jethro Jones
  • 4.6 (101)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Weekly

Jethro Jones interviews instructional leaders from around the nation to learn and teach what it takes to become a transformative principal. Episodes address topics like Response to Intervention (RTI), Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS), Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), the latest advances in educational research, standards-based grading, and interviews with industry leaders like Bill Daggett, Rick Wormeli, Todd Whitaker and even people outside the education like Seth Godin, JeVon McCormick, Liz Wiseman, and more.

  1. 5d ago

    The Nonlinear Path with Bill Knous

    Mike Caldwell sits down with Bill Knous, Senior Director of Quality and Growth at the Colorado League of Charter Schools and co-founder of Gran Via, a micro school in the Denver area. Bill shares his winding path into education — from a history degree and living abroad in Australia and Spain, to teaching multilingual learners in Denver and Philly, to leading classrooms and schools in Colombia. He and his wife co-founded Gran Via in 2020, growing it from six students to 30 while navigating a patchwork of micro-school funding in Colorado. Bill makes a passionate case for scrapping seat-time requirements as the primary accountability metric, arguing the system is designed for adult compliance rather than student motivation. He also reflects on what gives him hope — a rising generation of learners who experienced the pandemic and are pushing back on the one-size-fits-all model. The episode closes with Bill's take on transformative leadership: the ability to influence and motivate a diverse group of people around a singular mission. We’re proud to be sponsored by IXL.  IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more: Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments 🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

    50 min

  2. May 17

    Addition Through Subtraction with Robert Dillon

    In this episode, host Jethro interviews Robert Dillon, author and director of Bright Bytes, about the transformative power of learning spaces. Robert argues that reimagining physical classroom environments is one of the few true "big levers" of disruption in education — alongside grades and schedules. The conversation covers practical, low-cost strategies for redesigning spaces, including removing clutter, adding writable surfaces, varying seating arrangements, and leveraging hallways. Robert emphasizes designing with students rather than for them, using a phased purchasing approach (30/40/30), and embracing iteration over perfection. The episode also touches on the cultural shifts that come when spaces signal something different — making learning feel like a place where process matters more than product, and where hard work can actually be fun. We’re proud to be sponsored by IXL.  IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more: Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments 🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

    31 min

  3. May 10

    Developing Teacher Leaders with Kyle Palmer

    In this episode of the Transformative Leadership Summit, Jethro sits down with Kyle Palmer, principal of Lewis and Clark Elementary, to explore how school leaders can develop teacher leaders and build a culture of trust and innovation. Kyle shares the story of how his school evolved from a single maker space initiative—sparked by library teacher Angela Rosheim's genius hour instruction—into a school-wide culture of student-centered learning, STEM integration through Project Lead The Way (PLTW), and maker spaces throughout the building. Central to the conversation is Kyle's philosophy of tight/loose leadership: being firm on learning outcomes and collaborative team expectations while giving teachers genuine autonomy in how they get there. He discusses the power of highly functioning PLCs, the importance of developing leaders (not just followers—a concept drawn from John Maxwell), and why trust, listening, and consistent feedback are the keys to empowering staff. Kyle leaves principals with a simple but powerful action step: go ask your best teachers what they think. We’re proud to be sponsored by IXL.  IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more: Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments 🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

    27 min

  4. May 3

    Building Relationships That Outlast Leadership Transitions with Danny Bauer

    In this episode from the Transformative Leadership Summit, Jethro Jones sits down with Daniel Bauer, host of the Better Leaders, Better Schools podcast, to explore why relationships are the cornerstone of transformative leadership. Daniel shares a candid, real-time example: his principal's unexpected departure and how a culture of trust and connection shaped how the school community responded to the news. He makes a compelling case for succession planning — not as a contingency, but as an ongoing leadership responsibility. We’re proud to be sponsored by IXL.  IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more: Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments 🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

    31 min

  5. Apr 26

    Read to Lead with Kimberly Miles

    In this 'From the Vault' episode of the Transformative Leadership Summit, Jethro sits down with Kimberly Miles, principal of East Gresham Elementary School, to explore her remarkable approach to reading as a leadership practice. Kimberly shares how she strategically selects books — only picking them up after hearing multiple recommendations — and then digs deep using a layered annotation system of underlining, highlighting, color-coded tabs, and 3x5 index card summaries she keeps on hand for professional conversations. She discusses why leaders need to be diverse readers beyond education titles, how she uses books like Make It Stick and Thomas Friedman's work to broaden her thinking, and why she spent two years reading a single book with her staff — and why that was the right call. Whether it's leading book clubs with her leadership team, reading alongside her own adult children, or listening to audiobooks on her commute, Kimberly makes the case that intentional, slow, deep reading is one of the most powerful tools a leader can have. We’re proud to be sponsored by IXL.  IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more: Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments 🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

    32 min

  6. Apr 19

    Unleash Aliveness with Alisha De Lorenzo

    In this episode, Mike sits down with Alisha DeLorenzo, educator and consultant from New Jersey, to explore her powerful framework of "Unleash Aliveness." Alisha shares how a deeply personal encounter with loss sparked her mission to help schools move from feeling like a "zombie apocalypse" to places of genuine energy and engagement. Key Takeaways: Aliveness is created when people feel significant and heardChange doesn't come from big initiatives — it comes from small, community-led sprintsLeaders don't need all the answers; the wisdom is already in the buildingTransformative principals are positively disruptive, human-centered, and willing to get out of the wayLinks:LinkedIn: Alisha De LorenzoInstagram: @alishadelorenzoWebsite: alishadelorenzo.com We’re proud to be sponsored by IXL.  IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more: Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments 🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

    44 min

  7. Apr 12

    Better Together with Derek Cantrell

    Derek Cantrell, principal of Allegheny High School in Virginia, shares how he led the consolidation of two rival high schools after 40+ years of failed merger attempts. As the final principal of Covington High School, Derek navigated the emotional journey of closing one school while building excitement for a unified future. Key insights: The power of intentionality — Communication roadmaps, mingle sessions, scavenger hunts, and family tours helped staff and students from both schools build relationships before day oneBlending traditions thoughtfully — The new school kept Allegheny's name but adopted Covington's mascot (Cougars), merged school colors, and created fresh branding so everyone felt ownershipPut people first — Derek credits listening to concerns, valuing input on staffing and room selections, and involving stakeholders at every step as the keys to successful culture-buildingSmall wins create momentum — From staff eating lunch together voluntarily to scoring a touchdown on the first kickoff of the first football game, celebrating wins built community prideDerek's new book "Better Together" provides a leadership playbook for school consolidation, culture transformation, and recognition systems like their Breakfast Club of Champions program. Links:LinkedIn: Derek CantrellBook: Better Together: Building One School, One Culture, and One CommunityBetter Together Podcast We’re proud to be sponsored by IXL.  IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more: Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments 🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

    48 min

  8. Apr 5

    The Science of Kindness with Dr. Chris Culver

    Dr. Chris Culver, founder of Orange Sparrow, shares his journey from being bullied as a student to becoming an advocate for the science of kindness in education. After working in toxic school environments that led him to call an employee assistance helpline, Chris left traditional K-12 education to pursue a mission of making kindness go viral. Key takeaways: Kindness isn't just "kindergarten kindness" (sharing crayons, saying sorry) — it's a science backed by neuroscience that includes setting boundaries, honest communication, and empathyToday's Gen Z and Gen Alpha students crave human interaction but lack the skills — they need explicit modeling of collaboration and connectionSchools seeing improved test scores, decreased behaviors, and increased attendance when implementing kindness-based approachesLeaders should create clear cultural expectations, gather regular feedback (keep/start/stop surveys), and model vulnerabilityCulture-building isn't about pizza parties — it's about ensuring people feel seen, heard, valued, and respectedLinks: Orange SparrowScience of KindnessDr. Chris Culver LinkTreeLinked Leaders Bio We’re proud to be sponsored by IXL.  IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more: Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments 🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

    38 min
See All (851)

Trailer

4.6
out of 5
101 Ratings

About

Jethro Jones interviews instructional leaders from around the nation to learn and teach what it takes to become a transformative principal. Episodes address topics like Response to Intervention (RTI), Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS), Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), the latest advances in educational research, standards-based grading, and interviews with industry leaders like Bill Daggett, Rick Wormeli, Todd Whitaker and even people outside the education like Seth Godin, JeVon McCormick, Liz Wiseman, and more.

Information

  • Creator
    Jethro Jones
  • Years Active
    2013 - 2026
  • Episodes
    851
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2024 Jethro Jones
  • Show Website
    Transformative Principal

You Might Also Like