In this episode, Jethro Jones hosts Erin Bailey, Vice President of Literacy Programs and Research at Reading is Fundamental, to discuss the importance of reading in children's development. They delve into how reading fosters connections, the impact of screen time on reading habits, and effective strategies for schools and families to encourage reading. The episode also touches on the role of AI in literacy and mental health education through books.

• How To Help Families Find Joy In Reading with Dr. Erin Bailey Transformative Principal 586
• Focused on language components - material and affective component.
• Sitting side-by-side and face-to-face with a child.
• When kids want to read the books a hundred times in a row!
• Gen Z Parents Not Reading to their Kids
• Quick attention. Training your brain to only be able to pay attention
• Missing out on opportunities to bond with children when reading.
• Reading can take you places, and you can escape.
• Family education
• Meet families where they are at.
• Schools cutting back on read-aloud time.
• Accessible guides.
• Teaching in Hong Kong
• Cognitive Debt Research
• How to Train Your Amygdala

We’re thrilled 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 technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve 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.

In this episode, host Jethro Jones interviews Barb Solish, the National Director of Innovation for the National Alliance on Mental Illness. They discuss the importance of mental health awareness, early intervention, and the impact of literacy in shaping children's futures. Barb shares insights into the Macy's and NAMI partnership, the importance of building strong connections through reading and other activities, and the crucial role of community support in mental health care.

For the interview between Barb and Erin, go here: https://transformativeprincipal.org

• Half of all mental health issues start before 14.
• Only half of those who need it are getting the help they need.
• Distinct warning signs. https://nami.org/signs
• Looking for changes.
• Call a pediatrician
• Conversation starters
• Find a support group
• When you are not alone, you have hope.
• Cathleen Beachboard on Resilient Schools talking about hope.
• Trauma Awareness Training
• Kids are a lot stronger than we give them credit for.
• Outcomes for students - what are the outcomes we want.
• Mental health education is health education.
• Focus on connection not perfection.

Barb Solish: National Alliance on Mental illness

Barb Solish is NAMI’s National Director of Innovation. She is passionate about mental health awareness, education, and advocacy, especially after the loss of a friend to suicide. Barb’s lived experience developing a mental health condition as a young person also motivates her work improving outcomes for young people with mental health concerns.

In her time at NAMI, Barb has led NAMI’s Youth and Young Adult Initiatives team, developing new resources for kids, teens, young adults, educators, and caregivers. She also led the creation of new initiatives, including the virtual version of the NAMI Ending the Silence presentation program for middle and high school students and NAMI Next Gen, NAMI’s young adult advisory group. In addition to youth and young adult work, Barb oversees NAMI’s Workplace Mental Health Initiatives, including NAMI StigmaFree Workplace. Barb believes strongly that not only is creating a mentally healthy workplace the right thing to do, it’s an economic imperative.

We’re thrilled 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 technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve 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.

In this episode, host Jethro Jones welcomes Amber Dembowski, creator of the Teacher Well app, to talk about teacher wellness. They discuss the importance of self-care for educators, the challenges teachers face, and how the Teacher Well app provides tools and resources to help teachers manage their wellbeing. Amber shares insights on mental fitness, recovery time, and how the app fosters support and resilience among school staff.

Link to Amber’s episodes on Transformative Principal

• Bringing Humanity Back to Schools
• Four mistakes instructional leaders make

Notes:

• Had everything, but things were still falling apart.
• Workplace wellbeing - too expensive, geared for corporate.
• Resilience from BigImpactMixer.com.
• Resilience is being the little light that encourages you to take the next step.
• 3 main things that the app provides.
• Athletes - Their job is to do a physical activity. What being a Division 1 Athlete really looks like
• Recovery is important too.
• We all have different experiences and knowledge, because not one thing is going to work the same for everyone.
• Apps, challenges, and resources to help teachers with mental fitness.
• Within the group plan, principals can help prescribe
• The power of check in.
• Teachers are exhausted, and they need help!
• Dragging their bag to the car, and it totally makes sense.
• “I can’t do one more thing!”
• Most of the content is audio so people can listen when they are doing something else.
• Wellbeing has to come before school improvement.
• We can do so much more than we think we can.

About Amber Dembowski

Amber Dembowski is a dynamic leader in school improvement and educator wellness, and the driving force behind Dembowski Consulting EDU, EudoLeadership, and the TeacherWell app. With 27 years of experience in public education, Amber is passionate about reshaping schools into thriving communities through human-centered, innovative approaches. Her newsletter and downloadable app offers actionable insights and inspiration for educators looking to prioritize well-being and empowerment.

We’re thrilled 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 technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve 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.

In this episode, host Jethro Jones interviews Dr. Leslie Anway, the Director of Resilient Schools for the Pima County School Superintendent's Office. They discuss the nuances of creating safe learning environments, the importance of self-awareness and self-management in both students and staff, and the PRISM framework that Leslie developed to integrate proactive restorative practices in schools.

• Safety vs. self-awareness.
• A prescription for safety.
• We never ask the question, “What makes you feel safe?”
• Self-awareness: presence, values and identity.
• Focusing on polarizing things that make us different.
• Siloed efforts on SEL, PBIS, etc.
• More info about PRISM
• Start with adults first - to generate buy-in and help them learn how to do it also.
• We can use it better with kids when we
• Growth mindset - and other mindsets.
• It’s not a training, it’s a continual process.
• When we beef up the self-awareness skills
• Stem, Limbic system and cortex
• Kids who are living in their brain stem - constant state of toxic stress
• Regulation spaces and activities
• How to support families with self-awareness
• Provide educational opportunities for families.
• Social emotional skill building starts at home.
• The importance of partnering with families.

About Dr. Leslie Anway

Currently the Director of Resilient Schools for the Pima County School Superintendent’s Office, Dr. Leslie Anway’s biggest focus over the last several years has been on assisting with the creation of educational systems that streamline and integrate proactive initiative work to create foundationally safe learning spaces that foster belonging and connection and prioritize educator wellness. Leslie is a national presenter who trains and consults with practitioners, schools, and districts around the state, but she remains an educator at heart with over 25 years of direct experience in the schools as both a teacher and a school psychologist. She is the co-founder of Flourish Learning Group, LLC and PRISM© and she participates on multiple state and national committees. Leslie adores being a lifelong learner who learns on a daily basis from the hardworking humans and kindred spirits she interacts with, as well as from her three spirited grandchildren.

We’re thrilled 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 technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve 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.

In this episode, Jethro Jones interviews Alison Smith, an author, speaker, and coach dedicated to empowering leaders to build unshakeable resilience. Alison shares insights on how to foster deep-rooted confidence and create meaningful impact by aligning actions with core vision and values. The discussion dives into human-centered leadership, building trust, and defining success within schools. Alison also introduces her Thrive Design principles as a framework for building resilient schools.

• Thriving vs. Resilience
• Thrive: to grasp to oneself
• Thriving in the valleys.
• Resilience is thriving in the valleys.
• Centered or grounded.
• You’re in a bubble, and things are happening around you, but you’re doing it from the grounded place.
• Your well being is dependent on your bubble, not the circumstances around you.
• Mission, vision, values help teachers, students, and families connecting to the vision.
• Resilient schools are rooted in their purpose and values
• Clarity of purpose and courage to go forward when we are aligned.
• Burnout is a real barrier to resilience.
• How stress and ineffectiveness contribute to burnout.
• Feelings of “Things we do don’t matter” exist when our actions don’t align to our values.
• It’s the work of all of us to define success’
• We need to be concrete and explicit about what success looks like.
• High Trust - Brene Brown Daring to Lead - The Anatomy of Trust
• Being Reliable.
• Accountability
• Generosity
• THRIVE Design Principles - things that help us move from burnout to resilience.
• Trust
• Human centered
• Responsive (as opposed to reactive, and be curious)
• Incremental - next right action.
• Values driven
• Empowered - what you can control, not what you can’t control; let go of what you can’t control
• Go below the surface when there is friction to help you determine what issues are arising.
• Being clear takes away the judgment and distracting questions and justification.
• How to make staff feel valued.
• Look and watch and see what people are really doing, then give them appropriate praise.
• Part of resilience is awareness.
• Resilience comes back to self-awareness and community-awareness.
• Well-being continuum -10 to +10 how are you doing right now?
• School Leaders that THRIVE Summit

About Allison:
Alison Smith is an author, speaker, and coach dedicated to empowering leaders to build unshakeable resilience, foster deep-rooted confidence, and create meaningful impact by aligning their actions with their core vision and values. She helps her clients to leverage the power of small acts of resilience to design thriving personal and professional lives. Her work has been featured in various publications, and her book, “Drawing Your Line: Setting Boundaries Step by Step”, guides many to healthier living. Outside of work, she enjoys a good book with a glass of wine and spending time with her husband and two kids.

Check out School Leaders that THRIVE Summit

We’re thrilled 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 technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve 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.

In this episode of the Resilient Schools podcast, we introduce you to Dr. Trish Stoll, a transformative leader who played a pivotal role in the Mississippi Miracle—a remarkable effort to improve child literacy rates in the state. Dr. Stoll will share her insights on how to empower teachers, build their capacity for literacy instruction, and create a culture of learning where all students can thrive. She'll discuss the importance of focusing on teacher capacity, providing ample training and support, and involving teachers in decision-making. Dr. Stoll will also share her thoughts on how principals can be transformative leaders by observing classrooms, learning from students, and creating a culture of continuous improvement. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in improving literacy outcomes for all students.

• Mississippi Miracle
• Prior initiatives
  • Barksdale Reading Academy
  • Reading Universe
  • Reading First - Literacy block was protected, pockets not the entire state
  • Literacy-Based Promotion Act - 3rd grade assessment
  • Mississippi Kindergarten Readiness
• Focus on Teacher Capacity on Literacy
  • State literacy programs
  • 3 Consortiums throughout the state to help teachers learn more
  • AIM Pathways partnering with the state
  • Lots of training and support for all teachers.
  • If we focus on learning to read from Pre-K to second
• Empowering Teachers
  • State literacy coaches were teachers
  • Teacher advisory committee - created by state supt.
  • Teachers take ownership of their professional learning
  • TEDx talk for teachers
• How to be a transformative principal? Go in classrooms and observe what students are doing and be a learner. Even district personnel are learners too

About Trish Stoll

Dr. Trish Stoll is a dedicated and experienced educator who currently serves as the ELA Curriculum Specialist for the Gulfport School District in Gulfport, Mississippi. With over two decades of experience in the field of education, Dr. Stoll has held various roles including general education teacher, Visual Arts Instructor, Literacy Coach and Instructional Coach. Her passion for implementing best practices in literacy education has made her a valuable asset in improving literacy for students in Mississippi and beyond. Dr. Stoll's commitment to continuous learning, research, and collaboration with other literacy professionals across the nation ensures that students receive the most effective literacy instruction possible. Holding an Ed. D in Educational Leadership, a Specialist Degree in Instructional Leadership, a Master of Science, and a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, Dr. Stoll has a strong educational background that informs her work in the field. Furthermore, Dr. Trish Stoll is a Middle and Early Childhood Art National Board Certified Teacher, showcasing her expertise and dedication to the field of education. With her wealth of experience and qualifications, Dr. Stoll continues to make a significant impact on the literacy education landscape, striving to enhance learning outcomes for students and promote excellence in education.

We’re thrilled 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 technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve 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.

Welcome to our National Literacy Month series of podcasts, presented in partnership between the Be Podcast Network and Reading Is Fundamental (RIF).

In this episode, Jethro welcomes Dr. Karen Dudek-Brannan, host of the De Facto Leaders podcast. They discuss the role of related service providers in literacy, avoiding black-and-white thinking in educational interventions, and the multifaceted nature of vocabulary and comprehension in literacy development. Dr. Dudek-Brannan emphasizes the importance of structured service delivery planning and shares insights from her research on vocabulary, syntax, and their impacts on reading and writing comprehension.

• Getting everyone on the same page from different service providers.
• We’re not ignoring your discipline!
• Service delivery planning vs. lesson planning.
• Having a lot of experiences is what kids need to build vocabulary
• Need to have about 90-95% of vocabulary
• Phonics are essential, but if you don’t give them that explicit instruction, it becomes very difficult.
• Biologically primary and biologically secondary - we are wired to speak
• Fluency is one way to measure automaticity.
• Syntax Queen - metacognition and vocabulary.
• Content and structure.
• Sentence Structure

About Dr. Karen Dudek-Brannan

Dr. Karen Dudek-Brannan is the founder and owner/operator of Dr. Karen, LLC, a company focused on empowering therapists and educators to design interventions that support language, literacy, and executive functioning. She has a doctorate in Special Education and Director of Special Education and Assistive Technology credentials from Illinois State University, as well as a master’s and bachelor’s from Illinois State University in speech-language pathology. She spent 14 years in the school systems and has held various roles in leadership and higher education teaching and mentoring clinicians. She is the host of the De Facto Leaders podcast, where she shares evidence-based practices, her own experiences, and guest interviews on topics relating to education and healthcare reform. She currently holds a management role with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

We’re thrilled 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 technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve 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.