Brad discusses his family and pastimes and his music sideline (1:50)
Brad talks about his career in education, which he’s been in for over 20 years (3:30)
Deciding to make the move from teaching into administration was a gradual process (4:50)
Brad discusses his journey from teaching into administration while juggling class with a full work load and being a husband and father (7:15)
Some of the most difficult challenges Brad has experienced as an administrator and how he dealt with them, such as being told that half the staff at his school was going to be fired and replaced (10:50)
Some important lessons Brad took away from that experience (14:55)
Brad shares one of the greatest achievements of his education administration career (17:55)
Some advice and tips for empowering and encouraging teachers (22:10)
How and why the impact a teacher has is not the same as the impact an administrator has, and some of the adjustments you’ll need to make as you move from teaching to admin (26:48)
The importance of patience in education administration (28:41)
Brad’s book recommendations for aspiring school administrators (32:05)
Some tools and apps Brad uses (32:40)
A great quote about education that influences Brad on the job (34:05)
Brad’s advice for working with students (36:13)
Brad’s advice for working with teachers (36:49)
The advice Brad wishes he had had when he was first starting on his educational administrator career path (40:15)
Books mentioned in this episode
Motion Leadership: The Skinny on Becoming Change Savvy by Michael Fullan
The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction by Sean Cain and Mike Laird
Apps and tools mentioned in this episode
Connect with Brad Weston
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Educators Lead Episode # 23
School Administration is a Servant Leadership Opportunity to Empower and Develop the People in Your School
Show Notes: http://www.educatorslead.com/bradweston/
“Make sure you appreciate and are grateful for the fact that you have this opportunity to do what you do in the most critical profession in the room when you know approach school administration. As a servant leadership opportunity where it’s our responsibility to them power and develop. The people in our institution which is our school.”
Jay Willis: Hello educators Jay Willis here and I’m excited introduce our featured guest today Brad Weston Brad. Are you ready to launch?
Brad Weston: absolutely Jay Let’s do it.
Jay Willis: Brad Weston has served as teacher, coach, counselor, athletic director, assistant principal and principal over his career in education. He was hired in the summer of 2011 as a turnaround principal at fair Delhi school’s focus on improving instruction as a collective practice has led to substantial gains for the school. Brad was named the 2015 Jefferson County public schools administrator of the year is just a brief introduction, Brad but tells a little bit more about yourself.
Brad Weston: I’ve been in education for over 20 years. Been married to the same wonderful lady for 24 years with 2 great children. 1 child just graduated from college he started out in the world confiding that about the best that and then I have a our youngest child, a daughter, and now Mary State University in her junior year, so we we are recent empty nesters
Jay Willis: how is that working out?
Brad Weston: it’s nice of course you you’re your children but there are a lot of positives also.
Jay Willis: yeah… so what’s something that is unique about you that most people wouldn’t know?
Brad Weston: people are always surprised to find out that I enjoy when I said I enjoy music, but that play live music in the in bands when I have time that is something to relax and enjoy myself. In addition to the really enjoying at about just anything outdoors
Jay Willis: so what instrument you play.
Brad Weston: I play guitar is sing and I mess around with the few others drums a little bit bass I can play a lot of instruments but I’m not good with any of it.
Jay Willis: is there a specific genre like. What kind of music you play usually
Brad Weston: no as a matter-of-fact. The name of the band that I play with. We name ourselves “old to the new” we play everything from George Jones to guns and roses and everything in between. So,
Jay Willis: wow, that’s fun! So tell us a little but about your career path
Brad Weston: I started as a teacher in 1991. The uneven backing up a little bit in college I didn’t start in education. I was a student athlete in high school and like a lot of students athletes, my coaches really play a big part in my life, and were really influential and then I started coaching during college and in teaching through the athletic side. I realize how much that I enjoy teaching young people and decided to go in education all started in 1991 as a teacher and I joke a little bit. I had just about every position you could have in education other than a custodian cafeteria worker. I’m their math teacher, coach, counselor of brief tenant as athletic director, assistant principal and the now principal
Jay Willis: wow, I bet you actually pitch in with some of those other roles occasionally too custodian to…
Brad Weston: Yeah you know when you’re at school, you have to do it all, and you have to be whatever it takes type of person so you do develop a lot of skills
Jay Willis: Some that you wouldn’t put on your resume but. So at what point along the journey did you make the decision to move into school leadership is there a specific point in time we made that decision
Brad Weston: You know I don’t know that there was one specific event or time it kind of happened overtime and it seems like opportunities just presented themselves. I had a lot of encouragement from people transpose that I worked for that. But I thought I needed to go into administration and. I got to a point in my certification where I had to take more classes and receive more college hours to maintain my certification so at that point I made a decision that I would get my Master’s in school counseling and to be honest it was for no other reason I really enjoyed teaching you coaching but it was it was a program that was available close to home and was just convenient. You know it’s like. Sometimes we don’t know. What’s leading us to the area where we end? But just things over time I had a better principal during that same time frame that just continued encourage me towards administration in looking at Administration so. After working as a counselor. Continue my education I decided to get my rank one in school administration. And things just kept as I got into same school wide view I realized that I had some strengths in there that people saw in me before I did it myself and kept moving towards the principled position.
Jay Willis: So that kind of happen sometime when you while you were a counselor that you think that transition took place.
Brad Weston: Yeah I think when I got into counseling office that’s when you first really get introduced to a school wide view. And administrative systems within the building and how they impact all students and. That made me want to be involved in that more I felt like I would be able to impact more students. As a principal and. You know if I had to name a specific event. It would be in that time frame as a counselor.
Jay Willis: So tell us about that journey a little bit more I mean I know you’ve obviously talked about. You know what took you from college to where you are now but like. During that time. Had I mean, you’ve been married for twenty four years you said?
Brad Weston: yes
Jay Willis: wow it’s awesome so were you married at that time like had forgotten married. When you started taken some of your master’s classes.
Brad Weston: Yes. Yes and that’s is something my wife has been extremely supportive through the process and. You know when you are working in a school and you’re taking classes. I definitely wasn’t the only person making sacrifices you know my wife was probably sacrificing More than I was and played a huge part in was extremely supportive and you know I tell people all the time if you’re if you’re going to if you’re going to get in school administration. The school has to pretty much. Be a huge part of your life. You know who are our dates were high school basketball games and band performances and our children grew up as gym rats and it all types of school events.
Jay Willis: Yeah. So how did you find the time to juggle all that like between the classes and you know just trying to be a good husband and teaching at the time right so how did you find time. Like how did you juggle all of that?
Brad Weston: You look and see what classes fit in your schedule best and make plans with your family to make that work. You know at that time it meant going to the classroom and sitting in class where I think now we have the benefit of all of a lot more online and that may help some but you really just have to have a passion for education. You know you have to you have to love what you’re doing. And you have to appreciate me grateful for the opportunities that you have within the end. I tell people all the time the education or profession is the most critical and important profession in the world. It really is if you if you think about the impact you make at certain stages of people’s lives where that impact is extremely important to set and all the right Path. You have to have that passion and just and just commit and make the timeline we all do and it’s action and just make it happen just do work.
Jay Willis: Yeah. It sound like your wife is a really big support for you as well.
Brad Weston: Oh absolute she’s never been anything more supportive and there’s no way I would be here without her support.
Jay Willis: Yeah. I’m in the same boat. My wife and I’ve been married for 10 years now. Going on 11 and us. Yeah it’s the same with me she’s been there in his been my biggest support through everything and you know. Through I think we moved like 9 times in our first 5 or 6 years marriage it is really crazy yeah. And she was right there with me. You know the whole time encouraging me and all that so.
Brad Weston: Yeah that’s extremely important
Jay Willis: Yeah. So I guess along that journey. As you were moving from teacher to becoming a school administrator. I’m sure you had some challenges a lot of struggles obviously we’ve kind of talk a little bit about just the time management. Doing that effectively. But what other challenges did you face as you were moving from teacher to school administrator.
Brad Weston: Well you know I don’t think that you’ll ever are completely ready for that new position. You know whether be assister principal or a school principal until you get in that seat. You know the courses that you take in the preparation that your district may provide you. They help a lot. But until you did not exceed it’s just really on the job training that’s where you really learn what this position is about. So a lot of times you just you just have to remind yourself. You know there’s going to be ups and downs. And you know you have to you have to realize I’m going to be happy in good times and I’m going to be happy in bad times and I’m going to keep moving I’m you know do the work. Let it go, always do your best and just let it be. And I don’t really like to use this word because misinterpreted sometimes but there has to be a detachment sometimes for some outcomes that might not be what you were looking for and by detachment and by no means mean that you don’t care you have to care a lot. But you have to see outcomes and results for what. Just what they are their outcomes results where you have good outcomes or results. You learn from those and decide how you’re going to move forward the plan of action. When you have bad outcomes or results you learn from those and decide are you going to move forward make a plan of action. Yeah.
Jay Willis: Was there any one specific point that you can think of that was along the journey that was maybe one of the most difficult that you could share.
Brad Weston: Absolutely you know when I first started as principal in 2011. We were undergoing the turnaround. Re-staffing option under No Child Left Behind which meant. Everybody every employee of the school had to re- interview for their position and we had to replace 50% of the staff and. You know it was just gut ranching you know you have the first few might be easy and. There might be better schools are better places for people to go but when you’re given a set number and say that these are the employees that you have to replace. You get into people that you know. You could work with. And they could be effective. And it was just really very difficult process.
Jay Willis: So how did you overcome that?
Brad Weston: Just like I talked before you know when you. You just start to work. You know you have a plan you talk to each person who is re- interviewing and. And I reminded myself all the time and I need to be very respectful if the situation that these people are in and very respectful of this process and make sure I never forget that as you’re going through 130 Interviews over a short period of time and make sure you give each person the respect and attention they deserve. And go through do the work then move forward with. You know with your actual plan you know and you just have to move on once you get through that process and start the start the work you there to do.
Jay Willis: Yeah. So I know that. That is kind of unique situation but even throughout your times principal and probably even through the journey. I mean just in life in general there’s always things that just are outside of your control. But especially speaking to our listeners as a school leader like. How did you overcome? Like better question I guess what you think are some of the biggest lessons that you took away from that experience I mean I can imagine having that thin out and having to replace 50% of the people that work for you so what did you learn from all of that.
Brad Weston: Well I think that I probably learned that you have to keep in mind. Just in life and in this position or nothing is ever you hear this a lot you know in different variations nothing’s ever as good as it seems and nothing’s ever as bad as it seems. And then you know. Things always change. Remember what. What’s your mission in your vision is now. Remember what you’re committed to and the behaviors that go along with that need to be in placed. You continue to meet that vision and you’re sharing that with everybody that’s part of your school.
Jay Willis: Yeah. So when. During those down times where there are certain things that you did to help get yourself kind of re-centered on that focus because I’m sure that there had to be some times or that was just really emotional and difficult. So what did you do to get yourself re- center back to that place?
Brad Weston: Well with one thing really simple for me is I found that I need exercise you know that’s one thing you know to Tell people all the time you can’t. I really have a desire. And I think it’s important and say as a principal I really have a desire to want to help others around me be the best that they can be. And for me to effectively be able to do that I have to make sure I’ve taken care of myself. So you know you. You have to be. Beware make sure that you are taking care of yourself and continue to make sure that you are trying to make all of your team member lives easier and put them in a position to do the best job that they can and continue to grow up so
Jay Willis: yeah I love it so to help other people. Be the best that they can be you really have to be the best you can be.
Brad Weston: Oh absolutely.
Jay Willis: Yeah. You have to set that example.
Brad Weston: Yes you have to you have to make sure that you are in the right place. And it you’re modeling the right behaviors and you’re living back. Our agreed upon collectively our agreed upon commitments to to build this vision that we have for our school.
Jay Willis: Yeah. That’s great. Yeah if you doing your best that’s the best you can do. And then just kind of let the results. Fall where they may but do the best you know control what you can do your best and. And what happens then at least you can feel good about. You doing what you’re supposed to do
Brad Weston: right.
Jay Willis: That’s good. So you’ve been in a stray she’d been an education for a while I’m sure that you have some amazing stories. Just of the impact that you’ve had a chance to make personally or be a part of it in some way. What would you say is when your best moments as administrator.
Brad Weston: That’s a really tough question and not because it’s tough to come up with a good moment to stop to come up with a best moment because you know this this profession that we are in. There are so many great moments and. You know I think if I try to think of a best moment. Again it’s kind of something that happened. From 2011 until now you know. The last day of school last year. We made sure there were constantly staying results oriented we’re looking at data to make sure that we’re measuring what’s working for us what’s not working. And those things that may go along with that. And the last day of school last year we looked at a piece of data that we look at quite a bit which is college readiness. Which in Kentucky are our primary college readiness. Benchmark. There’s 3 areas English math and reading on a.c.t. So the last day of school last year we looked at in 2011. We had fourteen students. That left our school. Totally college ready in those three areas. And this is the co-counsel post-secondary education you know they’re saying if you’re ready in these areas you have. Higher percentage chance of earning a senior or higher college level courses. So 14 students in 2011 to last year we had 136 students ready to roll. In which you know Nearly 10x as many which is great but you know what really made a special is you know. It is important that we stay results oriented and data oriented but you know when you’re looking at numbers a lot of times. You lose that that individual student piece you know we’re talking about 90% vs. 70%. So I asked one of our teachers to take each of those 136 students and make a slideshow of their pictures and we watched that as a staff. And just really powerful that we do have to to impact the lives of our students. You know just a great feeling to be able to see that and good named names with that data.
Jay Willis: Yeah yeah. That’s great that’s a neat idea. I thought I would think it be important for use an administrator. Probably to hear but especially since you’re kind of in leadership to be able to give that to your teachers just to acknowledge the things that they’re doing right because I’m sure that kind of similar to the position that you’re in you may not hear a whole lot of feedback that’s good. Like you definitely hear the bad. But you don’t always hear people coming to you and saying “hey you are doing a good thing. Thank you so much for what you’re doing” so for you to be able to do that for the teachers and to show you know 336 just. These are the kids you’ve really made an impact with. I’m sure that was really powerful.
Brad Weston: Absolutely. And you know I think when you think about potential school administrators. I think it’s important to stress that as a school administrator. You can’t you can never forget that teachers are the frontline teachers are the most important piece. You know the school Prince were gets way too much credit when things go well. Yeah. It’s always the teachers that take what we’re doing and make sure that it hits the desk of every student in our school and you can never lose that or forget that and I don’t think. I don’t think most of us ever do. But just like you were saying that it’s important that we celebrate those successes with our teachers who are in front line every day.
Jay Willis: Yeah. So what are some. Maybe specific things that you do you to empower in courage. Your teachers.
Brad Weston: Well definitely involve teachers in decision right you know what I found out about myself. I’m not great coming up with original ideas. My strength is listening to other people putting together an idea from a lot of different ideas that. That fits our school will help us move forward and. So you know I like to involve teachers. And I value their input tremendously. They know what’s going to work for the school. And then I think you just you know I always make sure that I let teachers know how much. I do appreciate them and how much. I do realize the work that they put in to what they’re doing. And then my responsibility is make sure that I make that work and is easy as possible for them and I like to know you hear Different ways but I like to have a “culture of Yes” around here for teacher comes to me with a need. I want them to know in feel like they’re going to hear yes Of Course you can always say yes and I’m going to work to get as close to a Yes for them as we can and I think teachers really appreciate that. It’s fair if you know you talk to the mentioned earlier about making sure we always try our hardest you know I tell the teachers all the time if you care and you try. Will continue to improve if you do those 2 things and if I have people into building that do care about their profession in the end what they do. And they’re trying to always improve and it’s my responsibility to make sure we have things set up where we can all improve collectively.
Jay Willis: Yeah something I tell my team frequently they probably get tired of hearing this. It’s. I am completely ok with you failing because I think it’s important for people to feel OK with that and not just feel like. Because a lot of times if they’re not willing to fail that means they’re not really willing to try. Because you know there’s a billion things that could go wrong you know you’re you know idea could fail. But so I try to encourage the team. It’s totally OK to fail. It’s just we’re going to fail at something new next time so like anytime there’s a failures like it’s going to be a new mistake that we make next time a new failure not. We’re just not going to make the same one twice.
Brad Weston: Right and you can learn. You can often learn more from something that did not work than something that. Does. And that’s huge in education and educators have to be willing to take risk.
Jay Willis: Yeah.
Brad Weston: Well me I mean you hear all the time. Classrooms look. Way too much like they don’t like they look 200 years ago. And now we’re here we have to stretch out we have to have to take risks try new things and then it kind of goes back to what I was talking about earlier is. Don’t attach yourself to outcomes. If something doesn’t work. And we don’t get the outcome that we were looking for. That’s OK. And they have to know that that’s OK to me. What we have to look at OK here is the outcome. We got from this what are we going to do with that. You know how do we move forward and learn from this success or that failure.
Jay Willis: yeah. So what would you say is the biggest difference in impact that you have now. Administrator versus the impact that you had as a teacher.
Brad Weston: Where you have the potential to impact more students. You know as a as a classroom teacher your impact is primarily with those students that are in your classroom at the desk. Every day. As a principal you’re working to impact more students through the teachers that you have in your building and I think the big piece that we often miss in schools is we have to make sure that we’re trying to improve our instruction as a collective practice. And that the teachers are regularly. Getting feedback and coaching. On how we can and how we can improve collectively. You know its teaching is we know what works in teaching we have a lot of research particularly. You know starting in the in the 90’s. That tells us what works. And we need to try to make sure when we find things that work and be good at that that we replicate that. Across the board so students are getting high level. Instruction in every classroom.
Jay Willis: So how do you. I mean it was an adjustment going from being a teacher to I mean I guess. Teacher and then counselor and then as school administrator. Was there an adjustment to that I know that I’ve heard before. You know as a classroom teacher you have a chance to kind of make really significant personal impacts on. Just a small group of students and then of course you go from that to where it’s a larger scale but maybe not as deep a connection. And so was that an adjustment at all and if so how did you how did you adapt to that?
Brad Weston: I think the biggest thing is you have to make sure that you still make people the primary focus of your job. You know as a teacher the bell rang students are coming in and you are with your students just by the structure of the day. If you’re not careful as a principal. You can get caught up in a lot of the paperwork. And then find yourself. At your desk instead of out with students and teachers and other people in the building so you know the biggest the biggest adjustment is making sure that you have their I mean I schedule m6 day every day to get in to classrooms and make sure I make that a priority to be in classrooms every day. Where as a teacher. Your classroom to come into you.
Jay Willis: Yeah you have to be more proactive I would guess to keep this relationships. Yeah. So I’m going to roll through some rapid fire questions if you’re ready for those?
Brad Weston: Sure
Jay Willis: First off what’s the best leadership advice you’ve ever received.
Brad Weston: For me that would be patience. You know you have to be patient you know sometimes when you’re when you’re looking at change. Speeding up positive change can kind of be like carrying a scab of a wound and you just ended up right back where he started I was told early on. Youknow sometimes you just have to be patient and. I remind myself of that often.
Jay Willis: What so what are some specific areas that are maybe you found more challenging to be patient in
Brad Weston: Well and just in general I tend to want things to happen more quickly than they can. You know you have to remind yourself that you have a lot of people involved in this change and we all need to move together to make this work. So sometimes you just have to slow down to be faster. You know.
Jay Willis: So what would you say is your biggest strengths as a school administrator?
Brad Weston: I think I learned to this little bit earlier about I think can take the complexity of a lot of different problems or issues and be able to simplify a complex and create next steps that I can share and make it easily understood.
Jay Willis: Yeah. That was really powerful.
Brad Weston: keep us rolling in the same direction.
Jay Willis: Right, right. Yeah. Simplifying things that’s really what a great teacher does right takes a complicated concept or something it’s unknown and make it something that’s known by using things that they can already relate to.
Brad Weston: Right right. And making sure that everything we do there’s a connection we don’t have a lot of disjointed initiatives there’s youknow this is connected to that. And we’re doing this because of that and make sure that it’s understood and makes sense.
Jay Willis: Yeah. Yeah you know I found it’s easier to get people behind an idea if you explain why.
Brad Weston: Absolutely!
Jay Willis: yeah I got myself into trouble. Before I just kind of say hey we need to do this and then if they don’t understand why it’s really difficult for them to get behind it.
Brad Weston: So what and you have to be careful you know when you when you start anew. When you’re creating new ideas. Sometimes the first people you need to talk to are your teacher leaders. Then your administrative staff. And you have a lot of conversations. And you have to remember when you take that school wide but they haven’t had these hours and hours of conversations behind this. That we have. So you know we have to make sure there were able to provide clarity on what we’re trying to do. And it can. We clear to everyone.
Jay Willis: Yeah. So do you have a book or two that you’d recommend for other school leaders that have made an impact on you?
Brad Weston: I really like “Motion leadership” by Michael Fullan it’s kind of a handbook of mine you know I think it’s simple, very relevant and You know can keep your leadership, Ideas and theory, Philosophy where it needs to be. Another really practical. Book for a school principal was “The Fundamental 5” by Sean Cain and Mike Laird
Jay Willis: is there a technology tool like an apple or software that you recommend for other school leaders.
Brad Weston: Well I bet you hear this all the time but definitely Twitter. I tell people all the time Twitter has been. It’s probably the best professional development tool. I have ever come across you know That’s where I stay on top of most of my educational reading through articles and blogs and things that I come across on Twitter from the professional community that I follow. And then kind of in that same area. Would be. Flipboard. You know recently change I used to that I used to use site and now it’s Flipboard. You know I have on there that my interest is education and they sent the latest Articles research blogs in education through Flipboard. So those are two.
Jay Willis: Yeah so that’s email to you or this is something you log in.
Brad Weston: It’s an app on my phone when you first set it up they asked you what you were interested in and. And they send you. Those items of interest.
Jay Willis: I’ll check that out.
Brad Weston: its sorts through the many many blogs and articles and things that come out every day for you.
Jay Willis: OK that’s a new one I hadn’t heard that one yet, I hadn’t check that one out. What would you say your favorite educational quote.
Brad Weston: Well I have a lot and this is another one that I think you probably you hear the variation of this a lot but it’s just “you never know the moment or situation that you may change to pay at the student is on or or make keep them on the same positive path.”
Jay Willis: Yeah. I think this so powerful if you can just kind of get yourself to that place. And really it all comes down to getting outside of yourself and changing the focus from like “me me me” to the people around you and especially in your case like the kids and the teachers that you’re serving. I know it’s just easy sometimes especially when there’s life situations going on to get kind of all caught up in yourself that I could quote that I heard that kind of helps remind me of this is when you’re all wrapped up in yourself you make a pretty small package which might be kind of cheesy but it like it really helps me kind of think “OK yeah I’m my world is small right now “. Only because I’m focused a 100% on myself and I’m not making impact like I could. I need to really get outside of myself and focus on other people.
Brad Weston: Right I think we have to understand how influential we are known or you know I remember I don’t remember where I saw this but I saw a really large survey results of that today they asked people who are the most influential people in your life and parents. They were number one and then a close second. Was coaches and teachers.
Jay Willis: Yeah yeah. there have been a lot of teachers throughout my schooling. That have made just a significant impact at different points we know when I needed at the most. And that really I’m sure shaped the person that I am today.
Brad Weston: Exactly. They may or may not know that they had that impact or knew that particular day.
Jay Willis: Yeah. I try. To make it a point to go back to those people but I haven’t done the best at that I’m sure there are still others that I still need to go back to and let him know what kind of impact. They did make
Brad Weston: Yeah I’m sure they would greatly appreciate that.
Jay Willis: Yeah. So what advice would you have for school administrators working with the students that they serve?
Brad Weston: the first thing that might come in mind kind of goes along with our discussion we just had is you can never give up on a student. We truly are going to impact. Students every day, every day you come in and do your job you’re going to impact students. And it’s our responsibility to make sure our impact is positive.
Jay Willis: Yeah that’s great. What kind of along those lines. What advice would you have for a school administrator working with the teachers in the building.
Brad Weston: I think that goes back you definitely have to have as a school principal you have to develop and implement a system that is going to allow for instructional crewmen as a collective practice through feedback and coaching and you know we do this a lot as administrators. With educators who may be struggling. But it needs to be for everybody in your building. How we are going to improve. Because coaching and feedback. You can get the biggest bang for your buck from your master teachers sometimes you know I say all the time you know it’s you look a professional athletes. We don’t have to be better teachers. Than the people we coach. Just like professional athletes have coaches that they’re definitely not going to be able to win a contest with the people they coach. But we need to have a system that provides. What teachers what we need as educators to continue to improve and the other side is that we have to have that same accountability for ourselves. I need to continually make sure that I am improving my practice.
Jay Willis: So are there any systems that you have in place in your school that kind of help to regulate provide that feedback. In coaching.
Brad Weston: Yes we have a system where I have about 12 Instructional coaches in the building. And it’s quite different from other lot of buildings it’s everything from resource teachers to librarian to that athletic director. Which surprises a lot of people to counselors too. And you know we become well go to the experts because we get into a lot of classrooms. We do 5000 Walkthroughs a year which when you say that you know. There’s probably not too many schools in the. A nation that do that many walk through it but we’ve created a culture where the people who are building know that this data collection is about our students and about us as a collective and improving our instruction to make sure we are increasing learning for our students and takes a lot of effort to build that. That trust and confidence and then we will meet individually as collaborative teams and school by just kind of look at those. And what we’re looking for is there just a research based practices and making sure that the frequency of those practices are more often in our school.
Jay Willis: It’s great. So what’s the best way for a listener wants to reach out after the show what’s the best way to connect with you.
Brad Weston: I like Twitter @principalfhs . That’s probably the best way. I try to get on Twitter every day and use that as a tool to communicate. Things that are happening in our school and keep in touch with education around the nation through the people I follow.
Jay Willis: Yeah. So. Last question I have. If you had a time machine. And you could jump in and go back to the point in time. When you had just made the decision to go into school leadership. And you could give some advice to your younger self what advice would you give.
Brad Weston: I believe I have more on an appreciation now. I guess advice would be. Make sure that you appreciate and are grateful for the fact that you have this opportunity to do what you do in the most critical profession in the world. You know it’s really a great opportunity that we have probably the second piece of that as a school administrator. I think we need to understand. I think when you approach school administration. As a servant leadership opportunity where it’s our responsibility to empower and developed the people you know our institution which is our school.
Jay Willis: Great advice. Educators this has been a great interview today. For the show notes of today’s show and other resources visit educatorslead.com and type the word Brad to the search tool to find a show notes. Brad thank you for sharing your journey with us today.
Brad Weston: Thanks Jay for having me on I really appreciate it. I probably should tell you this this is my 1st podcast
Jay Willis: Well you did great! So, Thank you very much! And that wraps up another episode of Educators Lead.
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About EducatorsLead:
Educators Lead is a podcast created to help launch educators into the next level of leadership. This show is for you if you are interested in educational leadership as an assistant principal, principal, superintendent, teacher or someone who hopes to be a school leader one day. Educators Lead offers inspiration and practical advice to help you lead more effectively. Jay Willis interviews school leaders weekly to discuss why and when these educators made the decision to move into school leadership, challenges along the journey, and stories that made it all worthwhile. Educators Lead is a great resource for any educator looking to make a greater impact.
Educate. Inspire. Lead.
