Nearly a year ago, Dr. Kelly Hastings interviewed Jethro on this show to talk about Saboteurs. It’s high time we get her on the show to talk about her work.

• SCALE Framework:
• Set the vision and team with clarity and purpose
• Create the script that drives aligned, actionable change
• Act and communicate effectively with your entire community
• Learn, listen, and linger to build momentum and avoid burnout
• Empower and elevate your team so the work lasts beyond one leader or school year
• You can’t always make a vision happen in a single year.
• Principals must set the vision, but they can’t do it alone.
• Smallest possible action, aligned with what we are already doing
• Communicate with everyone about how they can support the initiative.
• The power of “Shadow a Student”
• Teaching teachers how to be leaders - so powerful.
• Power of Permission -
• How to change mindsets - Vertical Development
• How to be a transformative principal? Listen to what your good teachers are saying.

Dr. Kelly Hastings brings over 28 years of dedicated service to public education, most recently as a middle school principal. Since retiring from her role in public schools, she has continued to impact the field by coaching and supporting school leaders in implementation and leadership development. Dr. Hastings is married and the proud mother of four children and grandmother to four grandchildren, ranging in age from 8 to 16. Living nearby, she delights in cheering them on in their many activities—from baseball and dance to taekwondo and more. Join her facebook group.

Get her book: Leading Change that Lasts

LinkedLeaders: You need support. Get just-in-time mentoring at LinkedLeaders.com

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.

Naphtali Hoff is an executive coach, organizational consultant, trainer, writer & speaker.

• How to come back from making a mistake.
• Think big picture.
• If you don’t create the right foundation, then you will spend far less time helping kids than
• When elephants fight, it’s the grass that gets trampled. - Rick Lavoie
• Where you can support the vision
• Everything flows from the foundation.
• We make decisions based on the emotional connection.
• Trust shields you from other problems.
• How to be a transformative principal? Continue to invest in yourself. You can’t give what you don’t have.

In this episode, Jethro and Danny continue their "Reject the Premise" series, a collaborative book-writing and podcast project. They discuss challenging traditional assumptions in education, focusing on reimagining school leadership, student development, and the real purpose of education.

Links to Parts 1-3:
Reject the Premise 1: Podcasts Link
Reject the Premise 2: Podcast Link
Reject the Premise 3:

Eric Chagla Episode

LinkedLeaders: You need support. Get just-in-time mentoring at LinkedLeaders.com

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 interviews Derek "DC" Crager, a passionate advocate for making artificial intelligence accessible, especially for the neurodiverse community. DC shares his personal experiences as an autistic individual and discusses how AI can empower people with autism, ADHD, and dyslexia to enhance their skills and independence. The conversation explores the unique challenges neurodiverse individuals face, the importance of supportive AI interfaces, and how technology can provide cognitive equity and a patient, understanding companion. DC also explains his work with Practical AI and AI for Autistics, offering insights into building inclusive tools and communities that help neurodiverse people thrive in education and employment. The episode highlights the transformative potential of AI as both a mentor and a bridge for communication, learning, and self-advocacy.

• Neurodiverse vs. neurotypical
• AI gives “us” someone to talk to
• Voice interface to be a patient anthropomorphic voice
• Speak with ourselves
• Those of us with ADHD are either at 50,000 feet or deep in the weeds
• Cognitive Equity is what AI enables for people with disabilities to have a voice when they didn’t before
• Genius Within - spikey profile
• Lack of control over the words can be seen as ignorance or stupidity
• How to make sure that the AI is helpful and context aware
• Guardrails on the AI - for example, as a subject matter expert
• Navigating the community and context instead of just
• GPS navigating vs. talking on the phone navigating
• Anyplace that a human can be offering mentorship
• 1:1 virtual mentor:student relationship
• Conversationally know and communicate about students
• Reach out to DC about free resources

Derek “DC” Crager, a passionate advocate for making artificial intelligence approachable and accessible, particularly for individuals within the neurodiverse community. As someone who is autistic, Derek has dedicated himself to fostering a supportive environment where people with autism, ADHD, and dyslexia can leverage AI to enhance their skills and income. Through his work at Practical AI, he emphasizes clarity and support, ensuring that users can navigate AI without being overwhelmed by its complexities.

Derek has also achieved notable success in his career, having developed Amazon's top-rated employee training program, which focuses on simplifying complex concepts for better understanding and application. His community, now boasting over 6,060 members, thrives on the principles of shared learning and earning, making it a valuable resource for educators and leaders alike. He is poised to share insights drawn from his journey and the impactful initiatives at Practical AI, promising to engage and inspire any audience.

LinkedLeaders: You need support. Get just-in-time mentoring at LinkedLeaders.com

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 Transformative Principle, host Jethro Jones welcomes back Dr. Chad Dumas, international consultant and author of "The Teacher Team Leader Handbook." Together, they explore the crucial distinction between who you are and what you do as a leader, emphasizing the importance of authenticity, integrity, and coherence in educational leadership. Chad shares practical advice for new teacher team leaders, highlighting the foundational responsibilities of creating psychological safety, building team capacity, and doing the work. The conversation delves into actionable strategies—like the power of the pause and using a "third point" in meetings—to foster trust and effective collaboration. Listeners will come away with insights on aligning intentions with actions and building long-term, meaningful professional relationships.

• Two parts - who you are and what you do (being and doing)
• Give me a tool! Give me a process!
• Others did not perceive them as being genuine or authentic
• Coherence - striving to live a life of coherence - same person when I’m with anybody
• Clarity about the responsibilities - psychological safety, building capacity, doing the work
• Culture of Nice
• Social sensitivity - nonverbal communication
• Equity in turn taking -
• 4 quadrants for decision-making for a leader.
• 40 actions - here’s one: pause
• Another one: 3rd point - Michael Grinder
• What was most valuable to you today? From The Coaching Habit.
• How to be a transformative principal? Think about your intentions as a person and a leader and how you can

About Chad Dumas

Dr. Chad Dumas is a Solution Tree PLC and RTI at Work®, Assessment, and Priority Schools associate and international consultant, presenter and award-winning researcher. His leadership training and coaching focuses on building capacity for self, team, and system improvement. Having been a successful teacher, principal, central office administrator, professional developer and consultant in a variety of school districts, he shares his research and knowledge in his books, Let’s Put the C in PLC, An Action Guide to Put the C in PLC, and The Teacher Team Leader Handbook, and consulting that includes research, stories, hands-on tools, useful knowledge, and practical skills.

LinkedLeaders: You need support. Get just-in-time mentoring at LinkedLeaders.com

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 Transformative Principal, host Jethro Jones sits down with K.C. Knudson, MTSS Coordinator at the Northwest Educational Service District, to explore the critical distinction between coaching and evaluation in education. Drawing on research and real-world experience, K.C. shares why 98% of teachers need coaching—not evaluation—and how shifting from a culture of grading to one of growth can transform schools. The conversation covers the pitfalls of traditional evaluation systems, the power of collective efficacy, and practical strategies for principals to foster collaborative, learner-centered environments. Listeners will gain actionable insights on building effective teams, de-privatizing instructional practice, and making professional learning communities truly impactful.

• Coaching vs. Evaluation
• Pennsylvania training and assistance network
• Pennsylvania data - 98% of teachers are rated proficient
• Grow vs. Grade - 98% of your staff want to grow and get better.
• Gates foundation spent $212 Million to state that teacher evaluations do not provide meaningful growth, retain teachers, or help with student achievement
• Washington - research-based evaluation - targeted vs. comprehensive evaluation
• Need to teach our principals how to coach more effectively.
• Don’t spend a lot of time talking about quality instruction
• Precision over profusion - trying to add more seat time is profusion
• What do we need our teachers to be really good at.
• Instructional floor - Anthony Muhammed
• We’ve got to be good at our craft to get to the student learning part of it.
• Learner objectives - produce kids that know how to be seen and heard, how to function, how to thrive in the world.
• The Principal is Principle
• Schools change life trajectories
• Community Creates Equity
• Principal as the center of a wagon wheel vs. the principal as a node of a network
• Supportive leadership in the service of empowered teachers
• How to be a transformative principal? Deprivatize teaching: Sit down for 30 minutes and do a teams audit: When do I have people sitting down and focusing on student learning?

About K.C. Knudson

K. C. Knudson is currently the MTSS Coordinator at the Northwest Educational Service District. Prior to this role, he served as a Senior Educational Consultant, where he focused on facilitating the establishment of inclusive classrooms, schools, and districts to effectively cater to the diverse needs of all students. This work is deeply rooted in the strategic utilization of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guidelines and the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework. K. C. has extensive experience in providing professional learning, coaching, and technical assistance specifically aimed at supporting the implementation of inclusive practices using UDL and MTSS. His background in education leadership includes significant roles such as Director of Teaching and Learning, Assistant Superintendent, Executive Director, Principal, Assistant Principal, and Teacher.

LinkedLeaders: You need support. Get just-in-time mentoring at LinkedLeaders.com

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 Transformative Principal, host Jethro Jones interviews Kristian Golick, founder of EduCreative, about how schools can stand out by uncovering and communicating their unique culture and emotional truth. They discuss the importance of storytelling in school marketing, the process of identifying a school's key differentiator, and how a clear, emotionally resonant message attracts both families and staff who are the right fit. Kristian shares insights on the value of external perspective, the impact of belonging and engagement on students, and practical steps for principals to start collecting stories that define their school’s identity. The episode emphasizes that when a school’s message is clear and authentic, it fosters community, increases enrollment, and creates a virtuous cycle of pride and participation among students, staff, and families.

• Culture is just another word for reputation
• How do you figure out what the key differentiator of your school.
• Tell me a time when you were so proud to work at your school.
• Emotions and key ideas
• Kids will love school - Why?
• Your school is creating a sense of belonging in your students and families.
• Where kids want to congregate, rather than have to congregate.
• How having a good vision for your school helps recruit teachers
• It can be hard to see what is good in your school when you’re in the thick of it
• Anything created is a representation of your school’s experience.
• How to be a transformative principal? What’s an amazing thing that happened this week?

About Kristian Golick

At EduCreative, we help schools stop sounding like everyone else. Most schools talk about programs and preparation—but parents don’t choose schools based on that. They choose based on connection. We uncover the emotional truth behind what makes your school different, and turn that into strategic, story-driven video content, that resonates with the right families. Because when your message is clear and your story connects, enrollment follows.

LinkedLeaders: You need support. Get just-in-time mentoring at LinkedLeaders.com

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.