The EdLeadership Pair: Unfiltered Conversations for Today’s School Leaders

The Leadership Work No One Sees | What Great Principals Do Before Summer Starts - Ep 20

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2572464/fan_mail/new] Hosts: Courtney Acosta & Mario Acosta Bios: https://www.theedleadershippair.com/about-us [https://www.theedleadershippair.com/about-us] Podcast: The EdLeadership Pair – Unfiltered Conversations for Today’s School Leaders 🎧 Episode Overview The school year may be winding down, but for principals, the work is not slowing down. While teachers and students are counting down to summer, school leaders are carrying the pressure of making sure August does not begin in chaos.    In this episode, Courtney and Mario talk about the hidden leadership window that happens between the end of school and the start of summer break. They unpack what principals should be thinking about right now, including hiring, reflection, prioritization, leadership retreats, staff confidence, and the systems that need to be clarified before everyone returns.    The central message is clear: a smooth August does not happen by accident. It is built through intentional planning before summer begins. 💡 Big Ideas From This Episode • Principals don’t really shut down in summer.  • The end of the year is a hidden planning window.  • Don’t try to fix everything at once.  • Hiring still matters most.  • Choose the few high-leverage priorities.  • Confidence comes before change.  • Leadership retreats should build more than logistics. 🧠 Leadership Takeaways 1. Brain dump before you build.  2. Use three questions to guide planning.  3. Build the runway before summer.  4. Filter your priorities.  5. Decide what to own, shape, or delegate. 🔥 Powerful Quotes From This Episode “A smooth start in August is not accidental.”    “Leaving ambiguity in June brings chaos in August.”    “A rushed hire might solve your vacancy problem, but it might create a culture problem.”    “Confidence precedes change.” 📚 Resources / Tools Mentioned • Reflection protocols  • Running agendas  • SmartSheets  • AI tools for yearly analysis  • Leadership retreats  • 30/60/90 planning  • Hiring rubrics  • Episodes 15, 16, and 18 🎯 Final Thought The leaders who enjoy summer most are often the ones who do the right strategic work before they leave. When principals use this time to reflect, prioritize, hire carefully, build confidence, and prepare their teams, August does not have to begin in chaos.    The work leaders do now becomes the runway for next year. 🔗 Connect With Us 📸 Instagram: @edleadership_pair ▶️ YouTube: The EdLeadership Pair 🎥 TikTok: @theedleadershippair 🌐 Website & Newsletter: www.theedleadershippair.com Join our growing community of school leaders navigating today’s challenges together.

Don’t Let Weak Preparation Cost You the Job | How Great Leaders Actually Get Hired - Ep 19

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2572464/fan_mail/new] Hosts: Courtney Acosta & Mario Acosta Bios: https://www.theedleadershippair.com/about-us [https://www.theedleadershippair.com/about-us] Podcast: The EdLeadership Pair – Unfiltered Conversations for Today’s School Leaders  🎧 Episode Overview Most leaders prepare for interviews the wrong way. They memorize questions. Practice polished answers. Study accountability ratings. Try to sound impressive. But the leaders who actually get hired prepare differently. In this episode, Mario and Courtney break down the mindset and strategy behind successful leadership interviews. From clarifying your core beliefs to researching organizational culture, they unpack what separates leaders who simply apply for jobs from leaders who sound ready for the role they want next. The conversation explores why leadership interviews are really about identity, vision, and alignment—not rehearsed answers—and introduces The EdLeadership Pair Interview Framework, a four-part process leaders can use to prepare for their next opportunity with clarity and confidence. If you are a teacher aspiring to leadership, an assistant principal pursuing the principalship, or a current leader preparing for the next level, this episode provides practical guidance you can immediately apply. 🎯 LEADERSHIP ACTIONS ✅ Write out your core leadership beliefs before preparing for interview questions. ✅ Create 3–4 leadership themes that consistently anchor your responses. ✅ Research the organization deeply before interviewing. ✅ Practice verbalizing answers out loud—not just writing notes. ✅ Use stories from real leadership experiences to demonstrate readiness. ✅ Prepare to speak like the role you want next—not the role you currently hold. ✅ Slow yourself down during interviews and think before responding. ✅ Pay attention to everyone sitting at the interview table and connect your responses to their perspectives. 🎯 FINAL THOUGHT Leadership interviews are not performances built on memorized answers. They are opportunities to clearly communicate: *  what you believe,  *  how you lead,  *  and why you are prepared for what comes next.  The strongest leaders walk into interviews with clarity, composure, and a deep understanding of both themselves and the organization they hope to serve. 🔗 Connect With Us 📸 Instagram: @edleadership_pair ▶️ YouTube: The EdLeadership Pair 🎥 TikTok: @theedleadershippair 🌐 Website & Newsletter: www.theedleadershippair.com Join our growing community of school leaders navigating today’s challenges together.

It’s Harder Than Ever to Hire Educators | Don’t Let Weak Systems Make It Worse – Ep 18

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2572464/fan_mail/new] 🎧 Episode Overview A great interview does not guarantee a great hire. In this episode, Courtney and Mario break down one of the most overlooked leadership failures in education: how schools hire the wrong people and why it keeps happening. Most leaders think the problem is a weak candidate pool.  But the truth is more uncomfortable: 👉 The problem is the hiring process. From hiring based on “gut feeling” to mistaking personality for competence, leaders are unintentionally making decisions that cost them: * Time  * Team trust  * Instructional quality  * And ultimately… student outcomes  This episode challenges leaders to stop hiring for comfort and start building systems that actually identify the right people.   🔥 Big Ideas from This Episode 💡 1. A Good Interview ≠ A Good Hire 👉 Leaders often fall in love with: * Personality  * Chemistry  * First impressions  But confuse those with: ✔️ Competence  ✔️ Cultural alignment  ✔️ Long-term impact Result: Bad hires that damage teams and momentum 💡 2. The Real Hiring Problem Isn’t the Pool, It’s the Process Yes, teacher shortages are real: 👉 1 in 8 positions are unfilled or underqualified  👉 74% of districts struggle to fill roles But even with that reality: 👉 Weak systems, not weak candidates cause poor hiring decisions  💡 3. Hiring on “Feel” Is the Fastest Way to Miss Truth: 👉 Feelings cloud judgment 👉 Evidence drives results 💡 4. You Must Define What You’re Hiring For 👉 Without clarity, every candidate “feels right” 💡 5. Structured Interviews Predict Performance Research shows: 👉 Structured, rubric-based interviews are strong predictors of success 💡 6. Stop Asking Questions, Start Requiring Performance Traditional interviews are shallow. 👉 Don’t ask what they would do 👉 Make them show you  💡 7. Culture Fit Matters More Than Comfort The best hire is not: ❌ The most impressive resume  ❌ The most charismatic candidate 💡 8. Hiring From Within vs Outside Requires Strategy 👉 The key is NOT preference  👉 The key is evidence-based selection  💡 9. Passive Hiring Will Fail You Waiting for applicants is not a strategy. 👉 Great schools don’t wait, they recruit 🧠 Leadership Actions ✅ 1. Build a Hiring Rubric ✅ 2. Add Performance Tasks ✅ 3. Involve Multiple Perspectives ✅ 4. Recruit Actively ✅ 5. Make the Final Decision with Confidence 🎯 Power Quotes “A good interview is not the same as a good hire.” “Leaders don’t need to become better judges, they need better hiring systems.” “When you hire on feeling, you miss what actually matters.” “It costs far more to fix a bad hire than to take the time to make a good one.” 🎙️ Closing Thought 👉 Hiring isn’t about finding someone you like.  👉 It’s about building a system that finds the right people every time. 🔗 Connect With Us 📸 Instagram: @edleadership_pair ▶️ YouTube: The EdLeadership Pair 🎥 TikTok: @theedleadershippair 🌐 Website & Newsletter: www.theedleadershippair.com Join our growing community of school leaders navigating today’s challenges together.

Rethinking How We Develop Beginning Teachers | The Leadership Moves That New Teachers Really Need with Dr. Tina H. Boogren – Ep 17

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2572464/fan_mail/new] Hosts: Courtney Acosta & Mario Acosta Bio: https://www.theedleadershippair.com/about-us [https://www.theedleadershippair.com/about-us] Guest: Tina H. Boogren https://www.tinaboogren.com/ [https://www.tinaboogren.com/] 🎯 Episode Overview Keeping teachers in the profession is one of the biggest challenges facing schools today—but here’s the uncomfortable truth: 👉 Most schools aren’t losing teachers because they can’t teach… 👉 They’re losing them because they don’t feel supported. In this episode, Courtney and Mario sit down with Dr. Tina Boogren to unpack what new teachers actually need—and why so many leadership teams unintentionally get it wrong. 👉 Overwhelming teachers is not the same as supporting them. 🔥 Big Ideas from This Episode 💡 We’re Not Failing New Teachers… We’re Overwhelming Them 💡 Teachers Stay When They Feel Successful 💡 Support Must Go Beyond Logistics 💡 New Teachers Need 4 Types of Support 💡 Instructional Coaching is the Game Changer 💡 One Mentor Model is Broken 💡 Retention Starts on Day One ⚡ Leadership Actions ✅ Audit Your Support System ✅ Separate Mentoring and Coaching ✅ Prioritize Instruction in Year One ✅ Help Teachers See Their Impact ✅ Simplify the First Year Experience 🎯 Power Quotes “We think we’re supporting teachers… but we’re actually overwhelming them.” “If a teacher doesn’t feel like they made a difference, they will quit.” “Instructional support—not just emotional support—is what keeps teachers in the profession.” “Make your teachers want to come back tomorrow.” 🎙️ Closing Thought Teacher retention is not about doing more… it’s about doing the right things well. 🔗 Connect With Us 📸 Instagram: @edleadership_pair ▶️ YouTube: The EdLeadership Pair 🎥 TikTok: @theedleadershippair 🌐 Website & Newsletter: www.theedleadershippair.com Join our growing community of school leaders navigating today’s challenges together.

Don’t Lose Your Best Teachers (Part 2) | What To Do About Sprouts & Shadows - Ep 16

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2572464/fan_mail/new] How to grow willing teachers and confront the ones destroying your culture 🎯 Episode Summary Supporting veteran teachers is one of the most complex and misunderstood responsibilities of school leadership. This episode breaks down Sprouts and Shadows and how to support or confront each to protect your culture. 🔥 Key Takeaway “If you don’t address shadows directly, they will infect your entire culture.” 🌱 Understanding Sprouts Sprouts are willing, values-aligned teachers who need confidence and skill development. “I’ll do it… but can someone show me first?” Leaders should pair sprouts with strong teachers and provide targeted support through collaboration. 🌑 Understanding Shadows Shadows are teachers who prioritize their own needs over the school and resist change for personal reasons. “Shadows don’t just resist… they reshape your culture if left unchecked.” ⚡ The 3 Leadership Options for Shadows 1. Earn the right to resist by being effective. 2. Get on board and grow with support. 3. Find a better fit outside the organization. “You either get better, get on board… or get out.” ⚠️ Critical Insight Not all shadows start that way; systems can create them through instability and turnover. 🎯 Final Leadership Shift Leaders are not the center; teachers are. Your role is to support and protect the culture. 🔁 Call to Action Share this episode and visit www.theedleadershippair.com to learn more. 🎙️ Closing Thought “The better you understand your people, the more powerful your leadership becomes.” 🔗 Connect With Us 📸 Instagram: @edleadership_pair ▶️ YouTube: The EdLeadership Pair 🎥 TikTok: @theedleadershippair 🌐 Website & Newsletter: www.theedleadershippair.com Join our growing community of school leaders navigating today’s challenges together.