Schurtz and Ties: A podcast about education and culture

Episode 142: Why Are We Building a Bike Shed? with Mr. Rupp

In Episode 142, Kasey and Brian sit down with Mr. Rupp, a high school English teacher and creator known for his sharp, funny, and thoughtful videos about rhetoric, fallacies, and how we think. The conversation moves from logical fallacies to grading, leadership, parent communication, and the complicated realities of teaching. Mr. Rupp breaks down ideas like the bike shed effect, the Nirvana fallacy, and hostile attribution bias, while pushing educators to think more clearly about the systems, assumptions, and reactions that shape our schools. This episode is funny, challenging, and deeply practical. It is a reminder that education does not need to be perfect to be good, but it does require us to keep thinking. Follow Mr. Rupp: YouTube — MR RUPP™️ [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBvQnVhlI3cQcmViuI_RrMA?utm_source=chatgpt.com] TikTok — @hashtagjrupp Instagram — @hashtagjrupp [https://www.instagram.com/hashtagjrupp/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Find Schurtz & Ties: Schurtz & Ties Website [https://schurtzandties.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Podcast Episodes [https://schurtzandties.com/episodes?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/schurtz-and-ties-a-podcast-about-education-and-culture/id1650100083?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Teach Better Podcast Network [https://www.teachbetterpodcastnetwork.com/show/schurtz-and-ties-a-podcast-about-education-and-culture/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] #SchurtzAndTies#EducationPodcast#TeacherLife#CriticalThinking#EducationLeadership

Episode 141: Hunting in a Farmer’s World with John Dini

In Episode 141, Kasey and Brian sit down with John Dini, author of Hunting in a Farmer’s World, for a conversation about entrepreneurs, systems, leadership, education, and the students who do not always fit neatly into the routines of school. Together, they explore the difference between “hunters” and “farmers,” what happens when visionary people are placed inside highly managed systems, and how this applies to business owners, school leaders, teachers, and students. The conversation moves from entrepreneurship and exit planning to classroom routines, student autonomy, leadership vision, and the challenge of handing something you care deeply about over to someone else. This episode is about seeing people more clearly, leading with vision, and making space for the students and adults who may not be broken, but may simply be wired to hunt in a farmer’s world. Listen and learn more at http://www.schurtzandties.com [http://www.schurtzandties.com] Hashtags: #SchurtzAndTies #EducationLeadership #StudentEngagement #LeadershipDevelopment

🎙️ Episode 140: Casey Watts on Clarity, Complexity, and the Work That Actually Moves Us Forward

Why do smart leaders make things more complicated than they need to be? In Episode 140, Kasey and Brian sit down with Casey Watts, author of The Craft of Clarity, for a conversation about leadership, initiative fatigue, and the kind of clarity that goes beyond simply communicating more. Casey reminds us that hard work cannot overcome a lack of clarity. Sometimes the work that creates the most clarity is slower, more reflective, and more uncomfortable than simply adding another program, person, meeting, or initiative. The conversation explores why leaders often solve the wrong problem, why “simple” does not mean “easy,” and why action is sometimes what helps us gain the clarity we keep waiting for. A few big ideas from the episode: ✅ We often complicate problems because we are replicating systems we grew up in. ✅ Hard work matters, but it cannot replace clarity. ✅ Leaders sometimes “idolize clarity” and wait too long to act. ✅ Simple solutions often require deeper thinking, not less thinking. ✅ Staff ownership begins by asking better questions and listening without defending. ✅ Before launching the next thing, leaders should ask: Do we have to? And yes, there were technical difficulties. A frozen screen. A disappearing guest. Possibly a blown transformer. Maybe someone owes someone coffee. But somehow, the chaos made the clarity even better. This one is for teachers, leaders, instructional coaches, and anyone trying to make meaningful work feel less like “one more thing” and more like the right next thing. #SchurtzAndTies #Episode140 #CaseyWatts #TheCraftOfClarity #EducationalLeadership #InstructionalLeadership #SchoolLeadership #TeacherLeadership #ClarityInEducation #PLC #InstructionalCoaching #LeadershipDevelopment #SchoolImprovement #TeacherClarity #EducationPodcast #EduPodcast #LeadWithClarity #LessButBetter #NotMoreWorkMoreIntentionalWork

Episode 139: Celebrity Principal or Real Principal with Jedd Hefer

What happens when educational leadership starts looking more like social media performance than authentic service?In this episode of the Schurtz & Ties podcast, Kasey Schurtz and Brian T. Miller are joined once again by educator and consultant Jed Hafer for a candid, funny, and deeply honest conversation about the rise of the “celebrity principal.” Together, they wrestle with an important question:When does sharing great school leadership become more about the leader than the students?The conversation dives into:Greeting students at the doorFilming school interactions for social mediaRemoving students from classroomsDelayed Learning Opportunities (DLOs)Instructional leadership vs. performative leadershipWhy behavior should be taught like academicsThe danger of “easy answers” in school disciplineAuthenticity, vulnerability, and ego in leadershipWhy professional development still mattersThis episode is equal parts reflective, practical, and entertaining, with plenty of moments that educators will immediately recognize from their own schools.Whether you are a principal, teacher, instructional coach, or simply passionate about education, this conversation challenges us to think carefully about what truly helps students and staff grow.🎙️ Schurtz & Ties Podcastwww.schurtzandties.com📚 Learn more about behavior and instructional systems athttps://www.behavioralleadership.com/#education #schoolleadership #principal #teachers #behavior #classroommanagement #instructionalleadership #educationpodcast #edchat #teacherlife #schoolculture #leadership #DLO #studentbehavior #professionaldevelopment #SchurtzAndTies #ErvinEducation

Episode 138: Cordelia Fine on Gender, Schools, and the Stories We Tell About Boys and Girls

Psychologist, researcher, and author known for her work on gender, social norms, and the myths that shape how we understand boys, girls, men, and women. In this conversation, Cordelia Fine joins Schurtz & Ties for a careful discussion about gender in schools, the assumptions educators make about boys and girls, and why treating students as individuals matters more than leaning on stereotypes. The conversation moves through classroom expectations, masculinity, boys and purpose, gender roles, economic shifts, and the tension between equality, identity, and opportunity. Rather than offering simple answers, this episode explores why some of education’s hardest questions often live in the gray. 🎙 Schurtz & Ties Podcast Follow the show for more conversations about education, culture, and learning. #SchurtzAndTies #EducationPodcast #CordeliaFine #SchoolCulture #TeachingAndLearning #EducationConversation Website: http://www.schurtzandties.com