Transformative Principal
by Jethro Jones
Latest episode
Stop Owning Their Improvement: Put the Ball in Their Court
Stop Owning Their Improvement: Put the Ball in Their Court
About this podcast
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.
Episodes
The newest 50 of 874 episodes
- Stop Owning Their Improvement: Put the Ball in Their Court · 16 min · Season 13 Episode 740Summary Improvement plans often create a second job for the principal: tracking every action, checking every artifact, and carrying the responsibility for someone else's growth…
- Project paideia · 20 min · Season 13 Episode 741Jethro Jones shares why Project Paideia is helping teens build useful things with AI, take ownership of their learning, and solve problems they care about. We discuss the…
- Developing the Leader Within with Christopher Grode · 46 min · Season 13 Episode 735Developing the Leader Within with Christopher Grode School leaders can spend an entire day solving problems and still have little time for the leadership work they want to do…
- How Play Builds Belonging and Resilience with Elizabeth Cushing · 27 min · Season 13 Episode 739Summary Elizabeth Cushing, CEO of Playworks, joins Jethro Jones to talk about how play builds belonging, emotional resilience, leadership, and attendance at school. They discuss…
- ISTE 2026: Inside the iSTAR Writing Tool · 50 min · Season 13 Episode 738Recorded live at a conference session, Suzanne "Suzie" Myers, Jocelyn Washburn, and Bonnie Palysak from the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning introduce I-STAR…
- Lessons from Dozens of Charter School Visits with Nanette Merrill · 48 min · Season 13 Episode 736Mike Caldwell talks with Nanette Merrill, executive director of the Idaho Charter School Association, about her path from stay-at-home mom to teacher, principal, and now…
- ISTE 2026: Ready to Lead with AI with Kip Glazer · 18 min · Season 13 Episode 733In this episode, live at ISTE, Jethro D. Jones talks with Kip Glazer, principal at Mountain View High School, about her book "Ready to Lead with AI: A Practical Guide for School…
- ISTE 2026: Practical Tools for Teacher Collaboration with Kevin Donohue · 18 min · Season 13 Episode 732Jethro D. Jones interviews Kevin Donohue, a Catholic school leader turned FACTS Education Solutions consultant, at ISTE 2026. Kevin shares his path from teacher to principal…
- ISTE 2026: Inside Thinkering's Mission to Empower Teachers with Evin Schwartz · 20 min · Season 13 Episode 731Jethro D. Jones sits down with Evin Schwartz (co-founder of Thinkering) at ISTE/ASCD 2026 to discuss the partnership between Thinkering and the BE Podcast Network. They dig into…
- ISTE 2026: Building a Reading Culture with Dr. Erin Bailey · 10 min · Season 13 Episode 730In this episode, Jethro sits down with Dr. Erin Bailey, VP of Literacy Programs and Research at Reading Is Fundamental, to explore two exciting 2026 developments. Erin shares the…
- Coaching and Leadership Studios with Kate O'Connell · 36 min · Season 13 Episode 734Kate O'Connell, an international education consultant and leadership coach based in Cambodia, joins the podcast to discuss her journey from classroom teacher to headship across…
- ISTE 2026: ClassVR's Vision for VR in Education · 11 min · Season 13 Episode 729Jethro D. Jones sits down with Simon and Jill from ClassVR at ISTE 2026 to talk about the company's newest VR innovations in education. They dive into Thrive, a sensory…
- ISTE 2026: Rethinking Career Readiness with Jamie Candee · 27 min · Season 13 Episode 728Jethro D. Jones interviews Jamie Candee, President & CEO of Edmentum, about bridging the gap between K-12 education and career readiness. They discuss how AI is reshaping the…
- ISTE 2026: Hugging Porcupines with Mike Anderson · 18 min · Season 13 Episode 727At ISTE 2026, Jethro Jones sits down with Mike Anderson to discuss his new book, Hugging Porcupines: Practical Strategies for Supporting Kids Who Struggle with Behavior in…
- ISTE 2026: Reaching Kids Who Don't Fit in the Box with Pete Hall · 11 min · Season 13 Episode 726Pete Hall joins Jethro Jones live at ISTE 2026 to discuss his new book, Reaching and Teaching Kids Who Don't Fit in the Box. They dig into the five core reasons students…
- Building Iowa's Charter School Movement from Scratch with Mike Huguelet · 49 min · Season 13 Episode 725In this episode, Mike Caldwell interviews Mike Huguelet, Executive Director of the Iowa Coalition of Public Charter Schools, about building Iowa's charter school movement from…
- Burn the Script with Jo Lein · 31 min · Season 13 Episode 724In this episode, host Mike Caldwell sits down with Jo Lane, an educator support and instructional coach with 16 years of experience, who is currently a principal coach based in…
- Rejection Proof Career with Jason Leshowitz · 34 min · Season 13 Episode 716In this episode of the Transformative Principal podcast, host Mike Caldwell talks with Jason Leshowitz, a New Jersey arts administrator and founder of Rejection Proof Career…
- Life Ready Students with Glenn Robbins · 27 min · Season 13 Episode 723In this vault episode of Transformative Principle, host Jethro Jones interviews Glenn Robbins, principal of Northfield Community School in New Jersey and NASSP Digital Principal…
- Listening to Students to Transform School Culture with Amy Fast · 32 min · Season 13 Episode 722In this vault episode of Transformative Principal, Jethro Jones revisits an interview with Amy Fast, then assistant principal at McMinnville High School in Oregon, originally…
- Let the Learners Lead with Rachael Thrash · 49 min · Season 13 Episode 721In this episode, Rachael Thrash — educator, author, and Senior Director at Big Bad Boo Studios — joins Mike Caldwell to challenge the gap between student voice and student…
- Small Schools, Big Vision with Scott Bess · 51 min · Season 13 Episode 720Mike Caldwell sits down with Scott Bess, President of the Indiana Charter Innovation Center and a member of the Indiana State Board of Education, for a wide-ranging conversation…
- Making Mondays the Best Day of the Week with Jonathon Wennstrom · 26 min · Season 13 Episode 719In this episode of Transformative Principle, Jethro Jones sits down with Jonathan Wennstrom, principal of Rosedale Elementary in Livonia, Michigan, to discuss the power of…
- The Nonlinear Path with Bill Knous · 45 min · Season 13 Episode 718Mike 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…
- Addition Through Subtraction with Robert Dillon · 28 min · Season 13 Episode 717In this episode, host Jethro interviews Robert Dillon, author and director of Bright Bytes, about the transformative power of learning spaces. Robert argues that reimagining…
- Developing Teacher Leaders with Kyle Palmer · 24 min · Season 13 Episode 715In 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…
- Building Relationships That Outlast Leadership Transitions with Danny Bauer · 28 min · Season 13 Episode 714In 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…
- Read to Lead with Kimberly Miles · 29 min · Season 13 Episode 713In 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…
- Unleash Aliveness with Alisha De Lorenzo · 39 min · Season 13 Episode 712In 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…
- Better Together with Derek Cantrell · 43 min · Season 13 Episode 711Derek 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…
- The Science of Kindness with Dr. Chris Culver · 33 min · Season 13 Episode 710Dr. 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…
- Instructional Coherence with Dr. Gene Kerns · 26 min · Season 13 Episode 709Gene Kerns, Vice President and Chief Academic Officer at Renaissance Learning, joins the show to discuss instructional coherence—a trending concept in education that asks whether…
- Executive Functions for Every K-3 Classroom with Mitch Weathers & Sarah Oberle · 55 min · Season 13 Episode 708In this episode, first grade teacher Sarah Oberle and Organized Binder creator Mitch Weathers discuss their new book, Executive Functions for Every K-3 Classroom. They explain…
- How to Lead Change Without Leaving Your Team Behind with Dr. Kristilynn Turney · 33 min · Season 13 Episode 707In this episode, Mike Caldwell sits down with Dr. Kristilynn Turney, an educational consultant, speaker, and former school principal with 27 years in education. Kristilynn shares…
- Supporting School Leaders Through the Daily Grind with Marie Bordeleau · 37 min · Season 13 Episode 705In this episode, host Mike Caldwell sits down with Dr. Marie Bordeleau, a veteran Catholic and public school leader with over 25 years of experience, to discuss the realities of…
- The 3 Keys to Leading Every Human with Nick Pretasky · 46 min · Season 13 Episode 706In this episode, Nick Pretasky draws on his experience as an Alaskan backcountry guide to share three essentials for leadership: Bond, Mastery, and Belief. He explains why…
- Becoming an Innovative Leader with Brad Gustafson · 31 min · Season 13 Episode 702In this episode from the Transformative Leadership Summit vault, host Jethro Jones interviews Brad Gustafson, about becoming an innovative leader in education. Brad emphasizes…
- Jethro's Dissertation - How Principals who Use AI for Innovation Create Cognitive Equity · 1 h 8 min · Season 13 Episode 704In this special episode, Jethro Jones defends his doctoral dissertation on how school principals can use AI for innovation rather than just efficiency. The research challenges…
- A New Era of Transformative Principal with Mike Caldwell · 33 min · Season 13 Episode 703In this special handoff episode of Transformative Principal, host Jethro Jones announces he's passing the podcast to Mike Caldwell, founder of LinkedLeaders, as Jethro…
- Building Accountability Through Key Responsibility Areas with Will Parker · 31 min · Season 13 Episode 700In this vault episode from the Transformative Leadership Summit, host Jethro Jones interviews Will Parker, a high school principal from northeastern Oklahoma, about implementing…
- Learning Through Video Games at Alpha School with Benny · 31 min · Season 13 Episode 69915:19.5 In this episode of Transformative Principal, host Jethro Jones interviews Benny, a 16-year-old sophomore at Alpha School in Austin. Benny discusses his Alpha X project—a…
- The Power of Principal Self-Efficacy with Stan Koterba · 27 min · Season 13 Episode 698In this episode of Transformative Principal, host Jethro Jones speaks with Stan Koterba, an Ohio principal working on his doctorate in educational leadership. Stan shares his…
- Reject the Premise, Part 8 with Danny Bauer · 35 min · Season 13 Episode 697In this episode of Reject the Premise, Jethro and Danny challenge three common misconceptions in educational leadership. They argue that leadership development isn't a luxury but…
- Supporting Students and Families with ADHD with Mike Goldstein · 38 min · Season 13 Episode 695In this episode, Jethro Jones interviews Mike Goldstein, co-founder of Reset Teen Coaching and author of "I'll Do It Later." They discuss the challenges teens face with executive…
- The Jethro 2025 Episode · 1 h 1 min · Season 13 Episode 696In this special "reverse interview" episode of Transformative Principal, host Jethro Jones is interviewed by Mike Caldwell. Jethro reflects on his journey as a podcaster, the…
- Run the School Before It Runs You with Rich Czyz · 23 min · Season 13 Episode 694In this episode, Jethro Jones sits down with Rich Czyz, principal of Yardville Elementary and author of "Autopilot: Practical Productivity for School Leaders." They dive into…
- Reject the Premise, Part 6 with Danny Bauer · 37 min · Season 13 Episode 693In this episode, Jethro Jones and Danny Bauer continue their "Reject the Premise" series, challenging common assumptions in education. They discuss the importance of schools…
- Building Stronger, More Connected School Communities with Ben Downey · 24 min · Season 13 Episode 692Jethro Jones interviews Ben Downey, founder of Big Nest, about the vital role and challenges of parent teacher groups (PTAs/PTGs) in schools. They discuss how these groups are…
- Helping Educators Grow Through Technology and Community with Mike Caldwell · 27 min · Season 13 Episode 691Host Jethro Jones talks with Mike Caldwell, founder of LinkedLeaders, about building a platform that connects school leaders with mentors and peers for real-time support. They…
- AI Exposed the Lie of Schools, Let's Focus on Learning Again · 57 min · Season 13 Episode 690Welcome to Transformative Principal! In this thought-provoking solo episode, host Jethro Jones explores how artificial intelligence has revealed the weaknesses in our current…
