Bill Barnes is the superintendent for the Howard County Public School System in Maryland. Bill was a recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching and has served on the board of directors for the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics.

Erin Lehmann, EdD, currently serves as an associate professor for the University of South Dakota. She is an author, leader, and facilitator, advocating for leading instructional improvement.

Today, they join the show to talk about their book, Leading Educator Wellness: Six Critical Actions to Support All Staff.

Our discussion covers:

• The tangible challenges educator wellness is meant to address—attrition, shortages, effectiveness, and more
• Starting with leader wellness first
• Moving from self-care to systems-care
• SMART wellness goals
• Demonstrating authentic commitment to wellness combined with high standards of excellence
• Practical actions leaders can take today

Get Leading Educator Wellness from Solution Tree.

About the host

Ross Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn

I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt

My guest today is author, speaker, and podcaster Casey Watts. Casey’s book is The Craft of Clarity: Six Steps to Bridge Gaps, Foster Commitment, and Create Sustainable Alignment.

We talk about:

• “Not Another Unrealistic Book of Complicated Ideas”
• Misaligned perspectives between teachers and leaders - living in different worlds
• “Clarity precedes capacity.” What does that mean for leaders?
• Strategy is simple. Clarity is complex.
• Many teams think they’re collaborating, but really they’re just coordinating. What’s the difference, and how can leaders move their people from faux collaboration to true collaboration?
• When a team is stuck in silos or cycles of dysfunction, what’s one practical move a leader can make right now to start turning things around?

Get Casey’s book, The Craft of Clarity.

Learn more about Casey

• www.catchingupwithcasey.com
• www.linkedin.com/in/catchupwithcasey
• www.instagram.com/catchupwithcasey

About today’s guest

Casey Watts is a passionate speaker, author, and thought leader in team leadership with over 20 years in education and 10 years of experience coaching educators, entrepreneurs, and leaders. She is the creator of the Clarity Cycle Framework, helping leaders bridge gaps, foster commitment, and create sustainable alignment. Casey is also the founder and host of The Catching Up with Casey podcast, where she and her guests bring clarity to the seemingly small things in leadership that make a big difference.

About the host

Ross Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn

I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt

Today’s guest is my friend and fellow podcaster, Jeff Bradbury. Jeff is an educator, ISTE award-winning digital learning strategist, educational broadcaster, public speaker, entrepreneur, and triplet dad. His powerful message has inspired thousands of educators through the TeacherCast Educational Network.

Jeff’s new book is Impact Standards: Designing District Systems That Power K–12 Learning.

We talk about:

• Digital learning: the “have to” vs. the “want to”
• Is all learning digital?
• The Digital Learning Strategic Plan: why do we need a plan and how do we get buy-in?
• How instruction is like music
• What is a Digital Learning Curriculum?
• Curriculum mapping
• Instructional Coaching - what is it, what are the relationships, what does the coach do?
• Making the learning visible to the community

Get Impact Standards from X Factor Edu.

Learn more about Jeff

• https://jeffreybradbury.com
• https://teachercast.net

About the host

Ross Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn

I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt