In this episode, Jenn David-Lang interviews Jenice Pizzuto and Steven Carney about their book Implement with IMPACT: A Strategic Framework for Leading School and District Initiatives. The discussion focuses on their strategic framework for effectively implementing school and district initiatives using research-based practices. They emphasize the importance of including stakeholders, meticulous planning, professional learning, and a human-centered approach to change.

The conversation highlights the common pitfalls in implementation, particularly the often-skipped "plan and prepare" stage, and offers actionable insights for educators and leaders looking to close the gap between knowledge and practice. They also introduce their acronym 'IMPACT' as a guide for keeping the human elements in mind during implementation.

If you want to learn more, Steven Carney will be doing a workshop on how to make your initiatives and changes go well on September 17, 2025 free for subscribers to THE MAIN IDEA. Consider becoming a subscriber: TheMainIdea.net

Additionally, if you're deeply committed to your school's initiatives and want to truly make an IMPACT, tune in to understand the science behind successful implementation and how to apply it in your setting!

Jenice Pizzuto's website: https://www.impactleadsucceed.com/

Steven Carney's website: https://www.impactlearnandlead.com/

If you have questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes—including great non-education books with lessons for school leaders—email us at Dr.mike.doughty@gmail.com. Please consider leaving a rating and review on Spotify or iTunes to support the show. Every bit helps! And if you found this episode helpful, share it with your colleagues.

Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Contact Mike directly at Dr.mike.doughty@gmail.com. To explore insightful summaries of top leadership books, connect with Jenn David-Lang at Jenn@TheMainIdea.net or visit TheMainIdea.net.

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang sits down with renowned educator and turnaround Principal Kafele to discuss his latest—and most personally significant—book: “What Is My Value Instructionally to the Teachers I Supervise?”

This conversation zeroes in on the principal’s role as an instructional leader. Principal Kafele makes it clear that the core focus of his message—and his latest book—is on how and why principals themselves must strengthen and own their role as instructional leaders.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why the principal must lead instructionally

• How self-reflection can transform your leadership practice

• The 4 levels of reflection: Self-Reflection, Self-Assessment, Self-Adjustment, Self-Improvement

• How your school culture either enables or prevents instructional leadership

• Why now—at the end of the school year—is the best time to reflect deeply on your role as instructional leader

This episode is a powerful call to action for principals to ask the right questions, assess their impact, and return with greater clarity and purpose next year.

Learn more about Principal Kafele and his work: principalkafele.com

If you have questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes—including great non-education books with lessons for school leaders—email us at Dr.mike.doughty@gmail.com. Please consider leaving a rating and review on Spotify or iTunes to support the show. Every bit helps! And if you found this episode helpful, share it with your colleagues.

Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Contact Mike directly at Dr.mike.doughty@gmail.com. To learn more about Jenn's insightful book summaries and work, reach out at Jenn@TheMainIdea.net or visit TheMainIdea.net.

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang took the reins and had a fascinating conversation with Michael McDowell, author of Rigor Redefined: 10 Teaching Habits for Surface, Deep, and Transfer Learning.

Listen to the podcast to hear how Michael challenges our traditional understanding of rigor. Apparently, rigor isn't just about things being "hard" or doing a lot of work quickly. Instead, it's defined as a balance between surface, deep, and transfer learning, and importantly, it's a taxonomy, not a hierarchy. This means you don't have to master knowing facts (surface) before you can relate ideas (deep) or apply learning to new situations (transfer).

Jenn and Michael also discussed how this balanced approach can and should be accessible to all students, not just those in advanced classes. A key takeaway seems to be that embedding rigor consistently is about implementing small, doable routines in our daily practice. They even shared examples of routines for fostering deep (like a three-able turn and talk) and transfer learning (like "spot the difference" problems). I'm particularly interested in the advice on how leaders can observe for rigor, focusing on what students are actually doing and saying.

Are you rethinking what rigor looks like in your classroom or school? Listen to this episode to learn more about redefining rigor and discover practical habits you can implement today!

To learn more about Michael McDowell's work and services, visit his website: hingeeducation.org.

If you have questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes—including great non-education books with lessons for school leaders—email us at Dr.mike.doughty@gmail.com. Please consider leaving a rating and review on Spotify or iTunes to support the show. Every bit helps! And if you found this episode helpful, share it with your colleagues.

Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Contact Mike directly at Dr.mike.doughty@gmail.com. To learn more about Jenn's insightful book summaries and work, reach out at Jenn@TheMainIdea.net or visit TheMainIdea.net.