Principal Center Radio Podcast – The Principal Center

Justin Baeder

The Principal Center's mission is to build capacity for instructional leadership. In each episode of Principal Center Radio, Director Justin Baeder interviews education thought leaders and authors.

  • 24 minutes 51 seconds
    Louise Selby—All About Dyslexia

    Get the book, All About Dyslexia: A Practical Guide for Primary Teachers

    Get the book, All About Dyslexia: A Practical Guide for Secondary Teachers

    Visit Louise's website, LouiseSelbyDyslexia.com

    About The Author Louise Selby is a dyslexia specialist trainer, consultant, author, assessor and teacher. She has 25 years’ experience of working with SEND within Hertfordshire local authority in teaching, special needs coordinator and advisory roles. She now works freelance, providing training and consultancy for schools as well as dyslexia assessment. Louise believes in partnership and collaboration and this is at the heart of all that she does. She is the author of Morph Mastery: Morphological Intervention for Reading, Spelling and Vocabulary and All About Dyslexia: A Practical Guide for Primary Teachers and All About Dyslexia: A Practical Guide for Secondary Teachers.

     

    This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12.

    Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data.

    Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.   

    12 December 2025, 11:01 pm
  • 23 minutes 28 seconds
    Rich Czyz—Autopilot: Practical Productivity for School Leaders

     

    Get the book Autopilot: Practical Productivity for School Leaders

    Visit the 4 O'Clock Faculty Website

    Follow Rich on Twitter @RACzyz

    About The Author

    Rich is a principal and former teacher and instructional coach, and he's the author of four books, including Autopilot: Practical Productivity for School Leaders

    7 December 2025, 2:52 am
  • 44 minutes 35 seconds
    Timothy Shanahan—Leveled Reading, Leveled Lives: How Students’ Reading Achievement Has Been Held Back and What We Can Do About It

    Get the book, Leveled Reading, Leveled Lives: How Students’ Reading Achievement Has Been Held Back and What We Can Do About It

    Visit Timothy's website, www.ShanahanOnLiteracy.com

    About The Author Timothy Shanahan is distinguished professor emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He served as the director of reading for the Chicago Public Schools, is the former president of the International Literacy Association, and served on the advisory board of the National Institute for Literacy under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. In 2007, he was inducted into the Reading Hall of Fame.

     

    This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12.

    Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data.

    Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.   

    29 November 2025, 3:00 pm
  • 20 minutes
    Erin Lehmann & Bill Barnes—Leading Educator Wellness: Six Critical Actions to Support All Staff

    Get the book, Leading Educator Wellness: Six Critical Actions to Support All Staff

    About The Authors Bill Barnes is the superintendent of the Howard County Public School System in Maryland. He has served in leadership roles with the Maryland and National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and has won a number of state and national teaching awards. Barnes holds a master of science in mathematics and science education from Johns Hopkins University, and has served as an adjunct professor for Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland–Baltimore County, McDaniel College, and Towson University.   Dr. Erin Lehmann is an associate professor for the University of South Dakota. She has experience as an elementary principal at a Title I school, as well as being a math teacher, math coach, and curriculum specialist. Dr. Lehmann is the author or co-author of several books, including Teaching Mathematics Today. She is a frequent speaker at national conferences, advocating for mathematics and grading practices. She holds EdD in educational leadership from the University of South Dakota.
    21 November 2025, 11:27 pm
  • 29 minutes 50 seconds
    Brig Leane—Singletons in a PLC at Work®: Navigating On-Ramps to Meaningful Collaboration

    Get the book, Singletons in a PLC at Work®: Navigating On-Ramps to Meaningful Collaboration 

    Visit Brig's website, www.BrigLeane.com

    Follow Brig on X @BrigLeane

    About The Author Brig Leane is an education consultant and former principal of Fruita Middle School in Colorado, which under his leadership became a national Model Professional Learning Community. A veteran of the United States Coast Guard, he began his 2nd career as an educator in 2000, and has served as a principal, assistant principal, and teacher at the middle and high school levels in inner-city, suburban, and rural schools. He has also been an adjunct professor at Colorado Christian University. Brig's work has been published in Phi Delta Kappan, Principal Leadership, and elsewhere, and he's the author of The PLC Dashboard: Implementing, Leading, and Sustaining Your Professional Learning Community at Work as well as Singletons in a PLC At Work.    

    This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12.

    Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data.

    Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.   

    18 November 2025, 6:44 pm
  • 22 minutes 30 seconds
    Bob Sonju, Dr. Anisa Baker-Busby & Kim Monkres—The Handbook for Highly Effective Teams in a PLC at Work®: Essential Actions for Tackling Critical Issues

    Get the book, The Handbook for Highly Effective Teams in a PLC at Work®: Essential Actions for Tackling Critical Issues

    About The Authors Bob Sonju is an award-winning educational leader, author, and nationally recognized speaker celebrated for his engaging style and practical approach to school improvement. He has led two schools to achieve National Model PLC at Work® recognition—one of which also earned the prestigious National Breakthrough School Award from the National Association of Secondary School Principals. Named Utah Principal of the Year and a finalist for National Principal of the Year, Bob’s leadership and insights have been featured in numerous Solution Tree publications, including the recently released Simplifying the Journey, as well as in Principal Leadership magazine.

     

    Dr. Anisa Baker-Busby is a distinguished elementary administrator with over 20 years of experience, passionate about driving student achievement by building high-performing collaborative teams.  Dr. Baker-Busby specializes in helping educators and leaders effectively implement the Professional Learning Community (PLC) at Work® process, focusing on using data from common assessments to guide real-time instructional decisions. Her commitment led to both Lindsey Elementary and Shirley Hills Elementary being honored as National Model PLC at Work schools by Solution Tree. Dr. Baker-Busby is also the co-author of the newly released The Handbook for Design in 5: Assessment Tools and Protocols for Teachers and Teams.

     

    Kim Monkres is the principal of Crimson Cliffs High School located in St. George, Utah. She began her career almost 25 years ago as a high school English and communications teacher and has coaching experience as well. Kim has been fortunate to work in many capacities and has a passion and appreciation for the collaborative process in education. She has served as a learning coach, assistant principal, athletic director, middle school principal, and state activities director. Kim has experience with creating high-functioning collaborative teams, professional learning communities, curriculum development, curriculum design and mapping, instructional coaching, and RTI.

     

    They are the authors, with William Ferrier, of the acclaimed new book The Handbook for Highly Effective Teams.
    8 November 2025, 2:00 pm
  • 27 minutes 13 seconds
    Margaret Sullivan Marcus—Dual-Language Immersion Programs & Teacher Pipelines

    Visit the Sullivan Family Charitable Foundation Website

    Read The Century Foundation Report "How to Grow Bilingual Teacher Pathways: Making the Most of U.S. Linguistic and Cultural Diversity"

    About The Author Maggie Marcus, PhD is the Executive Director of The Sullivan Family Charitable Foundation. She has taught high school Spanish and elementary English in Puerto Rico, then worked for the United Nations as well as the CIA before returning to the classroom in Washington, D.C. as a Spanish Dual Language first and second-grade teacher. She also worked as an instructional coach for Spanish literacy in a bilingual charter school. Maggie has a Master in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts, and a Ph.D. from the Applied Linguistics and Language Education program at the University of Maryland, College Park. Her dissertation research, titled, “Bilingual in a Monolingual District: Stakeholder Perspectives on Equitable Access to Dual Language Programs” explored the similarities and differences of parents, policy-makers, and school leaders and access to dual language education (DLE) programs in a local school district.   

    This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12.

    Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data.

    Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.   

    1 November 2025, 3:00 pm
  • 29 minutes 16 seconds
    Jean Twenge—10 Rules for Raising Kids in a High-Tech World

    Get the book, 10 Rules for Raising Kids in a High-Tech World

    Visit Jean's Website, JeanTwenge.com

    About The Guest Jean M. Twenge, PhD, a professor of psychology at San Diego State University, is the author of more than 190 scientific publications and several books based on her research, including Ten Rules for Raising Kids in a High-Tech WorldGenerationsiGen, and Generation Me. Her research has been covered in TimeThe Atlantic, NewsweekThe New York TimesUSA TODAY, and The Washington Post. She has also been featured on TodayGood Morning AmericaFox and Friends, CBS This MorningReal Time with Bill Maher, and NPR. She lives in San Diego with her husband and three daughters.
    25 October 2025, 3:00 pm
  • 36 minutes 17 seconds
    Brig Leane—The PLC Dashboard: Implementing, Leading, and Sustaining Your Professional Learning Community at Work®

    Get the book, The PLC Dashboard: Implementing, Leading, and Sustaining Your Professional Learning Community at Work®

    Visit Brig's website, www.BrigLeane.com

    Follow Brig on X @BrigLeane

    About The Author Brig Leane is an education consultant and former principal of Fruita Middle School in Colorado, which under his leadership became a national Model Professional Learning Community. A veteran of the United States Coast Guard, he began his 2nd career as an educator in 2000, and has served as a principal, assistant principal, and teacher at the middle and high school levels in inner-city, suburban, and rural schools. He has also been an adjunct professor at Colorado Christian University. Brig's work has been published in Phi Delta Kappan, Principal Leadership, and elsewhere, and he's the author of Singletons in a PLC At Work as well as the new book The PLC Dashboard: Implementing, Leading, and Sustaining Your Professional Learning Community at Work.  

    This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12.

    Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data.

    Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.   

    18 October 2025, 3:01 pm
  • 27 minutes 49 seconds
    Aly Murray—UPchieve: Free Online Tutoring & College Counseling

    Read Aly’s post on AI vs human tutors

    Visit Upchieve's School Partnership page

    Math scores study

    About The Guest Aly Murray is the Founder and Executive Director of UPchieve. She’s also a proud Latina, math nerd, and community college grad. After earning an associate’s degree, Aly transferred to the University of Pennsylvania where she graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Mathematics. Following Penn, Aly worked on the trading floor at J.P. Morgan for two years before leaving to commit to UPchieve full-time. Her personal experience as a low-income student drives her to fight for educational equity and work towards a world in which all students have an equal opportunity to achieve upward mobility. To date, UPchieve has provided free tutoring to more than 60,000 students nationwide and matched nearly 200,000 tutoring requests— and for her work on UPchieve, Aly has been featured on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in Education (2021) and honored as a Roddenberry Fellow (2021).
    12 October 2025, 12:38 am
  • 33 minutes 51 seconds
    Barbara Blackburn—Rigor & Assessment in the Classroom: Strategies & Tools, 2nd Edition

    Get the book, Rigor & Assessment in the Classroom: Strategies & Tools, 2nd Edition

    Visit Barbara's website www.BarbaraBlackburnOnline.com

    About The Author Barbara Blackburn, PhD is the author of more than 38 books and a full-time consultant who works with schools around the world to help raise the level of rigor and motivation for professional educators and students alike. Dr. Blackburn has been repeatedly named to the Top 30 Education Gurus and Top 10 Professional Development Programs by Global Gurus.  

    This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12.

    Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data.

    Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.   

    4 October 2025, 5:33 pm
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