School is becoming more hyper-localized. Parents’ choice is expanding, and public schools are already having to court new families to choose them, and this is going to become even more important as time goes on. John Mihalyo joins me to discuss how to improve your school’s branding. 

• Your identity and brand is an individualized school decision. 
• How to look at a school from a parent perspective
• What is the last parent perspective? 
• If you have a problem with enrollment, retention, and engagement, it might actually be a branding problem. 
• What are your teachers’ elevator pitch? 
• Give them topics of conversation. 
• Give people opportunities to discuss great things happening in your school. 
• Kids who start at your school want to finish at your school! 
• Two ways to look at things: “Tuition is so expensive” and “I’m getting all that for just $X in Tuition? Sign me up!”
• Word of mouth opportunities. 
• If you are not telling your story effectively
• Chaos to alignment to integration! 
• How to be a transformative principal? Ask this question: What is causing things to not go well? 

About John Mihalyo:

John Mihalyo is a distinguished education professional and the visionary founder of Elementary Advancement Solutions, a premier consulting firm dedicated to empowering Catholic and faith-based school leaders, and host of the excellent Catholic School Leaders Podcast. 

With over 20 years of administrative experience and 15 years as a Catholic school principal, John has become a trusted expert in navigating the complexities of Catholic education, including leadership development, advancement, and enrollment growth.

Throughout his career, John has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to supporting Catholic school leaders as they address the unique challenges of faith-based education. His extensive collaborations with pastors, bishops, superintendents, and dioceses across multiple states highlight his ability to develop innovative strategies that align with Catholic mission and values while driving measurable success.

John’s expertise in advancement is evidenced by his instrumental role in establishing two successful Advancement Offices, securing over $1.8 million in funding, and leading impactful initiatives such as a $6 million renovation project. Under his leadership, schools have experienced transformative growth, including an average enrollment increase of 24%, all while building stronger communities rooted in faith and mission.

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.

🎯 What’s in This Episode?

I’m on the lookout for 10 beta testers to join me in shaping the future of the SchoolX Book Study. This isn’t just another course—I’m transforming the live book study into an asynchronous, self-paced experience, and I’d love for you to be part of the process.

💡 Why Should You Join as a Beta Tester?

• Early Access: Get hands-on with the SchoolX Book Study before anyone else.

• Behind-the-Scenes Insights: See how I’m using AI to refine and enhance the content.

• Direct Feedback Opportunities: Your input will help shape the final product.

• Personal Touchpoints: Exclusive one-on-one check-ins with me to discuss your growth and feedback.

I released SchoolX back in 2020 (yes, during the height of the pandemic), and revisiting it recently blew me away. The content is still incredibly relevant, and the feedback so far has been phenomenal—one participant even watched a 2-hour recording and sent me a 1,000-word response! 🤯

Here’s the two videos I mention in the episode: 

Original Video and Refined Video

💸 Bonus Perk:

As a thank-you, beta testers will receive a $50 discount (regular price: $200). You’ll also get full access to worksheets, frameworks, and bonus content.

📝 How to Join:

Spots are limited (max 20 participants), so if you’re interested, head over to Jethro.site/beta  to sign up!

🎧 Don’t miss this chance to be part of something transformative.

Thanks for listening—and as always, thank you for being part of this journey with me. ❤️

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 chats with Mike Caldwell, the founder of LinkEd Leaders. They discuss the importance of on-demand mentorship for school leaders, the benefits of having an outside perspective, and the significance of creating a brave space for vulnerability and growth. Mike shares insights on the unique challenges faced by principals and the power of peer-to-peer mentoring.

• Telecoaching for school leaders
• Helpful to have a detached leader
• A place to go and be real
• Safe space vs. brave space
• Being vulnerable sometimes leads to being excluded from opportunities. 
• In 30 minutes, you can have affirmation, support, and clear goals for going forward.
• Retention problem at the school level. 
• Exhausterwhelmulated
• Needs change over time. 
• Power in curiosity
• Understanding Principal Turnover
• 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 Jones interviews Dr. Nason Lollar, author of 'The Five Principles of Educator Professionalism'. They discuss the erosion of trust in the education system, the impact of educational fads, and the importance of professional development and teacher morale in rebuilding trust.

• Chasing fads leads to a lack of trust. 
• COVID exacerbating issues. 
• Technology could be a fad.
• Take ownership of our own morale. 
• Morale is a personal decision, but admin still have an impact. 
• Negatives vs. Negativity.
• Damon and I made a commitment to never complain about our leaders. 
• The ways to create a positive culture.
• Don’t entertain negativity. 
• Looking for problems is easy. 
• Strong collaboration to stay away from negativity
• Isolation is the enemy of improvement - Richard Elmore
• How to be a Transformative Principal? Get teachers to share where they need support. Listen to them and have empathy. 

About Nason Lollar:

Having served twenty-four years in the field of education, Dr. Nason Lollar has leveraged those experiences into his first book, The Five Principles of Educator Professionalism. 

  Nason began his career in the classroom, serving as a high school math and social studies teacher and as a baseball coach for fourteen years. He then transitioned to administration, serving as a high school assistant principal for nine years. He is currently serving in his 2nd year as principal at the Madison Career & Technical Center in Madison, Mississippi.

 His journey as a student of Educational Leadership began with graduate work at Mississippi College, and culminated with a Doctorate of Education from William Carey University in 2018. In 2023, Nason was honored by the Mississippi Association of Secondary School Principals as state Assistant Principal of the Year.

  Connect with Nason: On X, @nasonlollar, through his Facebook page, Personal Development, or on his blog, nasonlollar.wordpress.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 Jones interviews Dr. Layne Dillard, an educational leader with over 27 years of experience in transforming schools and empowering leaders. Dr. Dillard shares insights on achieving 100% reading proficiency among third graders, the importance of teaching at grade level, and strategies for effective school improvement.

• Cast a vision, shoot for the moon, maybe you’ll hit the stars
• With 37% special education students. 
• We realized we just changed lives. 
• First state report card was an F. 
• Looking at our “Why” 
• Going to have to do things that are hard for adults and right for kids. 
• Tier 1 at grade level. 
• How can we expect them to be proficient if they never see that content?
• Every year they don’t see grade level, they’re even further behind. 
• Fill in gaps from last year, then you never get to current year. 
• Look at data like blood work, not personal. 
• Data can feel like we’re blaming people. 
• Data can be used as a weapon. 
• True differentiation is…
• Intentional grouping of students. 
• Teaching a skill. 
• Knowing your data. 
• Your data is like skeleton. 
• Nobody is a queen bee. 
• How to be a transformative principal? Get a clipboard and go down the halls and look for everything in your building going right. 

Dr. Layne Dillard
Transformative Educator | School Turnaround Strategist | Creator of the LEAD Framework

Dr. Layne Dillard (X, LinkedIn, Web Site) has dedicated over 27 years to transforming schools and empowering leaders to create environments where students thrive. With 18 years of experience as a principal, she led a high-poverty school from an "F" to a "B" on the state report card, earning recognition as a CLAS Banner School and a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. Under her leadership, all 3rd graders at her school achieved 100% proficiency in reading on state assessments.

Layne’s extensive career spans every level of education, from Pre-K to high school seniors. She has also served as the principal of an alternative school, where she worked to ensure that even the most at-risk students could succeed.

Her journey inspired the creation of the LEAD Framework—a student-centered, research-backed approach designed to help schools make meaningful, sustainable progress. Currently serving as an Educational Administrator in the Office of School Improvement with the Alabama State Department of Education, she specializes in data-driven strategies, leadership development, and building positive school cultures.

Layne is a passionate speaker who loves motivating districts, schools, and educators to be the absolute best they can be every single day—because students deserve nothing less. Her mission is to help principals turn challenges into opportunities and imagine the possibilities for their schools and students.

Layne earned her B.S. in Secondary Education and an M.A. in Educational Leadership and Administration at the University of North Alabama. She earned a Doctor of Education in Learning Organizations and Strategic Change from Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee

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 podcast episode, Joel Lavin and Jethro Jones discuss transition services for students with disabilities as they mature out of the K-12 schooling program. We talk about combining CTE and Transition Services to make sure students are prepared for life, independence, self determination, communication, and living on their own. See Joel’s previous interview on Transformative Principal episodes 258 and 259.

• Education and Training, Employment, Independence, self determination and communication, planning for your future.
• Transition Vision Project. Including General Ed and CTE programs.
• Visioning process. The pathway process. North Star, positive and possible, enroll, stronger
• Why is CTE and Transition services so important for working together? Career Technical Education.
• Sometimes kids needing services in their IEP gets in the way of their opportunities to have more work experiences. 
• CTE: FutureBuild
• Unified Sports and other unified programs - if you don’t have this in your school, make it happen!
• Ryan- started in the pandemic as a freshman in charter school struggled, moved to the alternative school still struggled, finally moved to a program in one of our high schools focused on transition, still included in regular classes though it was regional, began to thrive in the setting, had an opportunity to access a centralized program called future build.Student continues to thrive as a senior. Is now a keynote speaker for the Oregon Statewide Transition Conference in March 2024.
• Transition Services take a lot of teamwork! 
• How to be a transformative principal? All staff need to be on board with inclusive practices.

About Joel Lavin

Joel is in his 15th year as an administrator and 25th year as a public educator. He is currently an equity and inclusion administrator for high schools in Eugene School District 4J. His job is focused on removing barriers for students in high school through age 21 who experience disabilities and autism. Joel has worked with students prekindergarten through age 21 in his career. He started teaching as a middle school science teacher and branched out to administration in 2009.

• Joel has two children, who are each about 3 years apart. They are currently in high school and college.
• His hobbies include camping with his family, gardening, running, cooking 
and martial arts.

His passions include: inclusive education, transition services, restorative justice, bilingual education and educational equity. He has been a facilitator for the CFEE Collaborative for 15 years, Coaching for Equity in Education Collaborative.

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 Dr. Sandy Breece, founder and superintendent of Telesis Center for Learning Incorporated. They discuss Dr. Breece's journey starting a school before the concept of charter schools existed, her commitment to small class sizes and individualized instruction, and her advice for those looking to start their own schools today. They also delve into the power of community and the importance of having a clear vision.

• Charter schools didn’t start until 1994, when the school was three years old. 
• The community needed choice. 
• Small class sizes.
• Individualization for everyone. 
• Advice for starting your own school. 
• Don’t wait, just do it! 
• Find community
• Ignore the naysayers. 
• Reach out to community members individually. 
• Power of Community book
• Advice for funding schools. 
• How to be a transformative principal - Call Sandy. 

About Dr. Sandy Breece:
Dr. Sandy Breece is the Founder and Superintendent of Telesis Center for Learning, Inc. founded in 1991 in Lake Havasu City, AZ which includes two tuition free public charter schools: Telesis Preparatory Academy for grades 9-12 and Telesis Preparatory for grades K-8 which she oversees and operates the non-profit corporation Telesis Center for Learning, Inc. with a staff of 48 and student enrollment of 350. Dr. Breece holds an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University. Dr. Breece also has her BS and MS degrees in Elementary Education with an Early Childhood endorsement and a double minor in Psychology and Zoology from Arizona State University. She has many years of experience as a teacher and administrator in K-12 education as first an elementary teacher with a focus on reading and Early Childhood Education and then school founder and director of a private and public school, ultimately becoming a certified principal and then certified superintendent all in Lake Havasu City, AZ where she has lived for 58 years. Telesis Preparatory Academy (grades 9-12) and Telesis Preparatory (grades K-8) are both accredited schools by Cognia Accreditation. Both schools have received A and B letter grades from the State of Arizona consistently each year. Dr. Breece added Paw Prints Preschool to the Telesis Center for Learning, Inc. complex in 2019, a tuition-based preschool program for 3 and 4-year-olds.

She most recently founded School Founders Academy to mentor others passionate about starting a school after publishing an anthology book titled “Power of Community” last March which became a #1 International Bestseller. Her chapter “From Vision to Reality: Navigating the Challenges of Starting a School” tells of some of the many challenges and how she solved them. Dr. Breece often does speaking engagements on educational topics which are listed on her speaker sheet on the School Founders Academy’s website. 

For more information visit schoolfounders.academy and like and follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn. 

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 Meira Koponen, a learning designer at Kahoot. They discuss the importance of game-based learning, the integration of AI to enhance classroom experiences, and innovative approaches to make learning more inclusive and engaging. Meira shares her experiences from Finland, her passion for education, and some exciting new features of Kahoot that support both teachers and students.

Meira Koponen is a Pedagogy and Didactics Manager (Learning Designer) at Kahoot!

See previous interviews about education in Finland with Pirjo Suhonen: Episode 183, and Episode 184

• What a learning designer at Kahoot! does. 
• Testing with teachers.
• Things must be designed in such a way that teachers can create
• AI Creator in Kahoot!
• On being the last place all the time.
• Team, classroom collaborative
• Playing at your own speed and level.
• Self-paced, different goal, 
• Being part of a community
• Kahootopia - Learning portfolio
• Learning doesn’t happen without effort.
• We put a lot of emphasis on Academic skills.
• We need to focus also on other skills. 
• Organic vs. Mechanistic skills
• Learning line upon line, little by little. 
• Fail often, that’s how you learn. 

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.

• Public Benefit Corporations
• Benefit of school leaders
• School is nestled within a community
• Being authentic in who they are so they can show up authentically. 
• Things happen for a reason. 
• Breaking inappropriate rules
• Truth vs. truth
• Theory of Development Bronfenbrenner, U. (1977). Toward an experimental ecology of human development. American Psychologist, 32(7), 513–531. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.32.7.513
• How to be a transformative principal? Be yourself

About Marcela Andrés
Marcela Andrés, a visionary leader in education and the President and CEO of designEDengagement, PBC. Marcela has dedicated her career to creating culturally responsive strategies that foster strong relationships between educators, families, and communities. She’s also the author of Purposeful Educator Connections: Five Principles to Strengthen Relationships with Students, a transformative guide that offers practical strategies to help educators deepen their connections with students and drive meaningful change in the classroom.

Marcela’s work is focused on empowering educators to go beyond compliance and embrace the power of relationships as a foundation for student success. Her book highlights key principles that allow educators to create high-quality learning environments, foster meaningful interactions, and partner with key stakeholders to support students in fulfilling their life’s purpose.

In today’s conversation, we’ll dive into Marcela’s approach to transforming the educational experience and explore how Purposeful Educator Connections can serve as a blueprint for educators looking to strengthen their relationships with students and make a lasting impact.

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.

Kevin would bring a deep passion and eagerness to discuss the impact of our latest project, the docuseries "What We Show Them" with the goal to engage your audience in a vital conversation about the future of learning, inspiring positive change in education through the power of media.

• DO I feel safe in this school? 
• Sign - All visitors need to report to main office
• Safety is the basic issue of a school. 
• Docuseries: What we Show Them
• Second Class Foundation - Improve the stories about education through the use of media. 
• Start with the problem
• Good stories - Bring in the community 
• Entertainment matters
• Fragmentation of schools is happening at an accelerated rate.
• Social interactions
• How did the vote turn out? 

About Kevin Stoller:

The Better Learning Podcast is hosted by Kevin Stoller, CEO of Kay-Twelve and author of Creating Better Learning Environments. The podcast is also associated with other organizations that are focused on improving education including the Education Leaders’ Organization (ELO) and the Second Class Foundation

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.

• The Power of ICU - focuses on giving kids what they need when they need it. 
• Bringing it all back to Tier 1. 
• ICU Menu
• Changing language - how can I help you, what can I do for you? 
• Lifeguards - 7 Lifeguards
• ICU time (Advisory/WIN/RTI time)
• 9 departments - every subject is involved and every subject matters. 
• 35 minute window - walk around helping students. Love beeps. 
• About 75 students per teacher. 10 or so might be heavy hitters 
• Teacher designed, for teachers by teachers. ICU Database. Parent communication. 
• Healthy grading - learning target that’s easy to identify for everyone involved.
• Tied to a learning standard. 
• Humans not heroes.
• This isn’t equitable when some teachers don’t have students. 
• Blitzes - getting additional support from the Tier 1 teacher. 
• Math access - Partial Teacher 550 hours in the school year. 
• Menu of support
• Depth of Knowledge - Maverik Education AI
• Safety is the cost of doing business, not the number 1 priority. 
• 100% completion rate of essential assignments.
• Blitz day - 90 minutes for ICU at the end of the day. 
• No homework school.
• Key Stats: 
• A/B Honor roll fall 2022: 248 students
• Fall 2023: 376
• Spring 2024: 439 kids
• ODRs reduced by 34%
• 70 Fs (75% decrease)
• 99% completion rate. 
• How to be a Transformative Principal? Servant Leadership - Serve your people better. 

About Garett Cook

Garett Cook has dedicated 15 years of his life to education, with nine of those years as a principal. His journey in education has taken him to various states, including Kansas, Missouri, and Texas, where he has left a lasting impact as an educator. Cook's core value is to be a positive influence on all individuals he interacts with, serving others through his actions. He strives to live out his faith in God through his daily walk, aiming to inspire and uplift those around him. Cook's passion for education and his unwavering commitment to serving others have made him a respected and valued leader in the field. See his previous interview here on Transformative Principal.

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.