Aurora Meyer: Crafting Meaningful Connections

In Season 2 of the SchoolCEO podcast we have had some of the brightest school leaders tell us about their work, inspiration, and strategies. Along the way, experts in influence, storytelling, culture building, hiring, and more from outside of K-12 have joined in to share additional perspectives. 

We’ve curated some of the very best comments and insights on how to build a high performing culture, the best way to reach your community, working with and across different generations, becoming a great leader, and how to hire teachers and staff. These insightful segments come from some of the most popular and most shared episodes.

Links to the full SchoolCEO Conversations Episodes:

E65: Neel Doshi

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E66: Jeff Mayo

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E70: Jonah Berger

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E72: Dr. Jeffrey Collier & Coty Kuchinsky

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E73: Julie Lythcott-Haims

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E76: Karen Eber

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E77: Jennifer Hines

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E78: Donald Killingbeck

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E80: Aurora Meyer

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E82: EDU Openings

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E84: Melissa Thompson

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E86: Michael C. Bush

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E89: Debbie Critchfield

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E90: Margaret Heffernan

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E91: Dr. Joe Sanfelippo

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E92: Andrew McPeak

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E94: Kim Lear

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E96: Paul Coakley

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E97: Greg Turchetta

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Subscribe to SchoolCEO at SchoolCEO.com for research, stories, and strategies for leading your schools. And if you have a story you’d like to share, email us at editor@schoolceo.com.

In this episode, Dr. Rafal-Baer discusses her work in addressing the gender gap in education leadership and various initiatives such as the Forum for Educational Leadership and Women Leading ED,  a national network of women education leaders she founded. She also highlights the importance of supporting current and aspiring education leaders, providing comprehensive project management and implementation support, and creating a powerful network to promote gender equality at the top of education systems.

You can learn more about the ILO Group and Dr. Rafal-Baer’s work at https://www.ilogroup.com/. You can learn more about Women Leading Ed at https://www.womenleadinged.org/. You can learn more about the Forum for Educational Leadership at  https://www.tffel.com/. 

You can also follow Dr. Rafal-Baer on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @juliarafalbaer.

Follow SchoolCEO on LinkedIn or X/Twitter @school_ceo. 

Subscribe to SchoolCEO at SchoolCEO.com for research, stories, and strategies for leading your schools. And if you have a story you’d like to share, email us at editor@schoolceo.com.

In this episode of SchoolCEO Conversations, we speak with Greg Turchetta, the Senior Chief Communications Officer for the Richland Two School District in South Carolina. In this conversation, we discuss the importance of storytelling, how every school staff member can contribute to your district’s story, and the power of transparency in schools.

Greg and his team are responsible for district-wide communication, marketing, media relations, and strategic partnership management for the 29,000 student school district. Before he began his K-12 career, Greg spent 4 years as Executive Director of Marketing and Media for Florida SouthWestern State College in Fort Myers, Florida were he executed a half million dollar brand campaign. Then, before even that, Greg had an award-winning 21-year television news career where he spent 12 of those years managing newsgathering efforts in some of the most prestigious newsrooms across the country including in Fort Myers, Atlanta, Orlando, Seattle, and Austin.

Follow Richland Two School District at https://twitter.com/RichlandTwo and Greg Turchetta at https://twitter.com/NewsBoss

Main Discussion Points:

- How every school staff member can contribute to storytelling and branding [00:31:54]

- Using social media and websites to share the "extraordinary" stories happening daily in schools that the public doesn't see [00:41:34]

 - De-escalation training for teachers as a teacher retention strategy to deal with difficult parent confrontations [00:51:23]

 - Creating an "environment that's more Ritz Carlton than it is DMV" for families [00:42:18]

Quotes:

“Our job is to move the needle and to move it fast, because honestly, in the education space, there's no time to waste.” [05:38]

“Transparency has to be your calling card. You have to do it at all cost. You cannot no comment things. The public takes that as an implied guilt.” [13:20]

“If parents are that fickle, that means we're doing a horrible job of proving the quality of what we do every day.” [41:37]

“Deescalation training is probably one of the best things you can do for teachers right now to keep them in your building.” [51:30]

“Urgency and quality. You have to use urgency to prove the quality of your district. You don't have time anymore.” [52:25]

Follow SchoolCEO on LinkedIn or X/Twitter @school_ceo. 

Subscribe to SchoolCEO at SchoolCEO.com for research, stories, and strategies for leading your schools. And if you have a story you’d like to share, email us at editor@schoolceo.com.

In this episode of SchoolCEO Conversations, we speak with Dr. Paul Coakley, the Superintendent of Multnomah ESD in Oregon. Dr. Coakley has spent a lifetime as an educator and as a school administrator. He shares how he united a community to pass the first successful bond in nearly two decades. He also shares his insights on the importance of leaving a legacy, building a personal brand, and knowing when to transition in your career. 

Dr. Coakley discusses topics such as: how to brand yourself effectively to gain community trust, when the right time to pass on the leadership baton is, the importance of knowing your “WHY” as a leader, and so much more.

Dr. Paul Coakley has over 20 years of experience in education as a teacher, principal, human resources director, and superintendent and is currently the Superintendent of the Multnomah Education Service District (ESD) in Oregon. Dr. Coakley holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership and recently published his memoir, "A Reason for Every Season: Memoirs of a Black Superintendent” which we discuss in this episode.

You can pick up your copy of “A Reason for Every Season: Memoirs of a Black Superintendent” from Amazon or Barnes & Noble

Main Discussion Points:

Shifting Your Why Over Time (04:43)

Building Relationships to Lead an Organization (21:11)

Making Difficult Decisions as a Leader (29:46)

When to Transition in Your Career (40:40)

Advice for Superintendents Feeling Isolated (53:53)

Key Quotes: 

“One of the most important things for all school leaders and educators in general is to know your why and to understand what it is.” (02:44)

“If we are constantly working and we don’t make time for ourselves, we actually are less effective than when we’re rested.” (26:06)

“One of the things that I always say is the way you measure a healthy culture is: it’s how long does it take for a group of people to stop talking about a problem and start addressing it?” (48:05)

Follow SchoolCEO on LinkedIn or X/Twitter @school_ceo. 

Subscribe to SchoolCEO at SchoolCEO.com for research, stories, and strategies for leading your schools. And if you have a story you’d like to share, email us at editor@schoolceo.com.

In this episode of SchoolCEO Conversations we speak with Julie Sweetland, a sociolinguist and senior advisor at the Frameworks Institute. She shares how leaders and advocates can use strategic framing and communications to have more productive conversations around complex issues. You’ll learn practical strategies for framing issues, understanding different audiences and viewpoints, avoiding common communications pitfalls, and making conversations with your community more constructive. 

Julie Sweetland, Ph.D. (@jsw33ts) serves as a senior advisor at the FrameWorks Institute, a nonprofit organization that studies how issues are framed in public conversations and how that impacts outcomes. She has over a decade of experience in education as a teacher, instructional designer and teacher educator focused on issues of language, race, learning and professional development. Julie holds an MA and PhD in Linguistics from Stanford University. 

FrameWorks has a number of valuable, actionable resources on their website including these:

• Framing 101
• Changing the Narrative on Public Education
• Reframing Family, School, and Community Engagement
• Reframing the Education Conversation through a Core Story Approach
• Talking Teachers and Teachers’ Unions

Main Discussion Points:
- What framing is and why it’s important for driving productive public conversations (07:00)
- Common barriers to communication (e.g. not understanding your audience’s assumptions) (11:15)
- Strategies for overcoming polarization and partisanship (18:15)
- Don’t remind people of misconceptions or problems you want them to forget (25:50)
- Using the “bridge and pivot” technique to redirect conversations (31:10)
- Core framing narratives: individualism, fatalism and otherism (35:45)
- Why crisis framing rarely motivates action and change (40:10)
- Leading with solutions vs introducing problems first (43:47)
- Using stories to illustrate systems, not just individuals (hero vs landscape framing) (48:44)
 

Key Quotes:
“Framing is about making intentional choices about how ideas are presented.” (7:31)
“Never remind someone of something you want them to forget.” (25:47)
“Crisis framing is not helpful unless it is an action you need somebody to take right that moment, and they only need to do it, like one time.” (39:29)
“People do not generalize from that hero to the support systems around us.” (on hero framing stories) (50:35)

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Subscribe to SchoolCEO at SchoolCEO.com for research, stories, and strategies for leading your schools. And if you have a story you’d like to share, email us at editor@schoolceo.com.

Generational researcher Kim Lear re-joins SchoolCEO on the podcast to discuss how you can better understand and communicate with the different generations that make up your school community—from students to teachers to parents to members within the community.. Learn about the key events and cultural shifts that have shaped each generation along with their communication preferences.

Join this conversation and learn about:

- Understanding the societal events and cultural moods that shape each generation’s values and perspectives (00:06:21)

- How baby boomers are aging differently with more vibrancy, energy and tech adoption (00:11:44)

- The rise of skepticism and desire for transparency among Gen X (00:14:39)

- How overwhelmed and anxious millennial parents feel about “doing what’s right” for their kids (00:18:23)

- Communication preferences for reaching different generations (00:27:55)

- Delivering feedback that motivates (instead of paralyzes) (00:42:00)

- Being clear about desired outcomes when gathering input to avoid mismatched expectations (00:35:11)

- Fostering mentor relationships by spotting potential and proving yourself as a mentee (00:46:57)

- And so much more

About Kim Lear:

Kim Lear is a writer and researcher who explores how emerging trends impact the future of our workforce and marketplace. She is known for her ability to use a mix of data, storytelling, humor, and actionable takeaways to discuss the trends that most impact the bottom line of organizations. Previously, Kim was the content director at a research firm dedicated to generational and Millennials trends. Her undergrad research is around Baby Boomers and longevity. Her post-grad work is around Millennials and social media networks.

Kim has written whitepapers on the topics of generational wealth transfer in the finance sector, retirement trends in the hospitality industry, and Gen Z’s impact on higher education.

A researcher to the very core, Kim employs eye-opening statistics to accentuate her points and mixes them with stories and case studies to make her message come alive.  She is a sought-after expert and has been featured on NPR as well as national publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The Huffington Post, USA Today, TIME Magazine and more. Kim is currently in her fifth year of a longitudinal study on leadership.

You can follow Kim Lear on X/Twitter @KimLear or subscribe to her exceptional newsletter "Kids These Days."

Follow SchoolCEO on LinkedIn or X/Twitter @school_ceo. 

Subscribe to SchoolCEO at SchoolCEO.com for research, stories, and strategies for leading your schools. And if you have a story you’d like to share, email us at editor@schoolceo.com.

Dr. Pete Hannigan, Superintendent of Hawthorn School District 73, and Samantha Cook, Communications Director, discuss generational differences in the workplace, effective communication strategies to engage their community, and the importance of strong school culture. Join a light-hearted conversation with practical suggestions about bridging generational divides, leveraging social media, and creating a positive school experience. 

Follow Hawthorn 73 at https://twitter.com/District_73 and Dr. Hannigan at https://twitter.com/petehannigan

And be sure to check out the latest Hannigan's Shenanigan video here.

About Dr. Peter Hannigan

Dr. Peter Hannigan is an accomplished educational leader with a strong commitment to ensuring quality education for all. He holds a Doctorate in Educational Administration, an Educational Specialist degree, and a Master of Science in Education, all from Northern Illinois University. He began his career as an elementary school teacher, and his passion for education led him to assume various leadership roles.

Dr. Hannigan's administrative experience includes serving as the Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources in the Schaumburg Consolidated Community School District 54. In this role, he oversaw a district with 15,000 students and 28 schools. Prior to that, he held principal positions at schools ranging from kindergarten through eighth grade.

As the Superintendent of Hawthorn School District 73, Dr. Hannigan is dedicated to the mission of 'Ensuring learning for all.' He leads a diverse student population of approximately 4,200 students across nine schools, providing equitable opportunities and a world-class, whole-child education. Hawthorn District 73 has earned recognition for its academic and extracurricular achievements, including National Blue Ribbon Awards and the 'Whole Child Award' from the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

About Samantha Cook

Samantha Cook is the Communications Specialist at Hawthorn School District, responsible for overseeing communications for all nine elementary schools within the district. She plays a vital role in supporting the District's mission through effective internal and external communications, including the creation of impactful videos for Hawthorn School District as a key component of her work. With a background as a former television reporter specializing in delivering stories on education, Samantha brings a wealth of media expertise to her current role. She holds a degree in communications from DePaul University.

As a Communications Specialist, Samantha values families and believes in fostering a love for education. She is passionate about ensuring that Hawthorn students receive a quality education while forming meaningful, impactful relationships with the amazing teachers in the district.

Samantha is a proud bilingual Black Latina. Her goals goals include showcasing students' achievements, celebrating the district's dedicated staff, and fostering a sense of community among parents and community members. With her dedication and creative communication skills, she plays a crucial role in making Hawthorn School District a welcoming and vibrant educational community.

Follow SchoolCEO on LinkedIn or X/Twitter @school_ceo. 

Subscribe to SchoolCEO at SchoolCEO.com for research, stories, and strategies for leading your schools. And if you have a story you’d like to share, email us at editor@schoolceo.com.

Andrew McPeak is a millennial speaker and Vice President of Content for Growing Leaders. His experiences as a researcher, speaker, and content designer have led him to become well versed in communicating to and about the next generation. In this conversation, he discusses Generation Z and how educators can better prepare their students for real life. 

As part of a mini-series on generations, Andrew explores how school leaders can think critically about what is best for students today and beyond their K-12 years. Andrew is the author of Ready for Real Life: Unpacking the Five Essential Soft Skills Great Leaders Instill in Their Students and the co-author of Generation Z: Unfiltered. Both books are practical and academic— or as he puts it “prac-ademic.” 

This episode is centered on students and yet still highlights an opportunity for school leaders to market their schools to their community from parents to businesses as they prepare students for the right soft skills to be successful in real life.

Follow Andrew McPeak on X/Twitter here and learn more about him, his writing, and the Growing Leaders organization here:

https://readyforreallifebook.com/

https://growingleaders.com/

https://www.andrewmcpeak.com/

Follow SchoolCEO on LinkedIn or X/Twitter @school_ceo. 

Subscribe to SchoolCEO at SchoolCEO.com for research, stories, and strategies for leading your schools. And if you have a story you’d like to share, email us at editor@schoolceo.com.

In this conversation with SchoolCEO, Dr. Sanfelippo discusses how he changed the narrative within his school district, keys to culture, and how to lead authentically. 

Dr. Joe Sanfelippo is a frequent keynote speaker at education conferences around the country because of his passion, energy, and experience. He spent the last 12 years as the Superintendent of the Fall Creek School District in Fall Creek, WI. The Fall Creek School District was named an Innovative District in 2016 and 2017 by the International Center for Leadership in Education. 

He co-authored The Power of Branding-Telling Your School's Story, Principal Professional Development: Leading Learning in a Digital Age and Hacking Leadership: 10 Ways Great Leaders Inspire Learning That Teachers, Students and Parents Love.

As mentioned in the interview, you can watch Dr. Sanfelippo’s 1 Minute Walk to Work on YouTube.

Dr. Sanfelippo was selected as 1 of 117 Future Ready Superintendents in 2014 and 1 of 50 Superintendents as a Personalized Learning Leader in 2016 by the US Department of Education. He attended summits at the White House for both distinctions. Education Dive named Joe 1 of 5 K-12 administrators to watch in 2018 and their National Superintendent of the Year in 2019. He has been a featured speaker in multiple states in the areas of Advancing the Use of Social Media for School Leaders, Telling Your School Story, Creating a Culture of Yes, and Personalized Professional Growth for Staff.  Go Crickets!!

Joe holds a BA in Elementary and Early Childhood Education from St. Norbert College, a MS in Educational Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, a MS in Educational Leadership, and a PhD in Leadership, Learning, and Service from Cardinal Stritch University.  Joe is also an adjunct professor in the Educational Leadership Department at Viterbo University. Joe has taught Kindergarten, 2nd Grade, and 5th Grade.  He was also a school counselor and high school coach prior to taking on an elementary principal position in 2005.  He has served as a principal in suburban and rural Wisconsin.  
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Join one of the best episodes of Season 2 with author, CEO and TED speaker Margaret Heffernan. 

This episode can help any school leader that is looking to better drive change, build a stronger culture, and ultimately to build the best possible district and school.

• How small, frequent changes can be more effective for organizations than big, sudden transformations
• The importance of constructive conflict and different perspectives within collaborations
• Strategies for open communication and honesty within organizations
• The value of social connections and relationships (social capital) in schools and businesses
• Why efficiency can sometimes undermine effectiveness in complex human systems
• Preparing students and organizations to be adaptable, resilient, and manage uncertainty

Key Quotes & Timestamps

"What truly changes organizations are small choices made by everyone." [00:04:04]

"Collaboration often requires constructive conflict and debate to reach the best ideas." [00:07:21]

"Taking 5 minutes to talk to somebody before or after a meeting can really help you get to know people in the round." [00:29:40]

"The teacher or executive that takes a personal interest in somebody - it is probably the most potent tool they have." [00:40:11]

Guest Bio:

Dr. Margaret Heffernan produced programs for the BBC for 13 years. She then moved to the U.S. where she spearheaded multimedia productions for Intuit, The Learning Company and Standard & Poors. She was Chief Executive of InfoMation Corporation, ZineZone Corporation and then iCast Corporation, was named one of the “Top 25” by Streaming Media magazine and one of the “Top 100 Media Executives” by The Hollywood Reporter. 

The author of six books, Margaret’s third book, Willful Blindness : Why We Ignore the Obvious at our Peril was  named one of the most important business books of the decade by the Financial Times. In 2015, she was awarded the Transmission Prize for  A Bigger Prize: Why Competition isn’t Everything and How We Do Better, described as “meticulously researched…engagingly written…universally relevant and hard to fault.” Her TED talks have been seen by over 13 million people and in 2015 TED published Beyond Measure: The Big Impact of Small Changes. 

Her most recent book, Uncharted: How to map the future was published in 2020. It quickly became a bestseller and was nominated for the Financial Times Best Business Book award, was one of Bloomberg’s Best Books of 2021 and was chosen as the “Medium Best of the Best” business book. She is a Professor of Practice at the University of Bath, Lead Faculty for the Forward Institute’s Responsible Leadership Programme and, through Merryck & Co., mentors CEOs and senior executives of major global organizations. She chairs the board of DACS and is a parish councillor. Learn more about Margaret and her work at www.mheffernan.com

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Subscribe to SchoolCEO at SchoolCEO.com for research, stories, and strategies for leading your schools. And if you have a story you’d like to share, email us at editor@schoolceo.com.