Randy has got quite a CV – he got drafted right out of high school during the Vietnam era, after leaving the Army founded his own construction company and had 35 employees at the age of 21, at age 30 was diagnosed with bladder cancer, went back to school for five years to become a teacher, taught for 13 years, coached baseball and basketball, moved into school administration where he spent many years, and then retired not long ago. And to top it all off, he recently finished earning a law degree! (2:03)
He’s got 15 grandkids, loves riding Harleys, surfing, kite surfing, cooking, baking and traveling, and hopes to use his law degree to stick up for the interests of children in bitter divorces (6:40)
How a persistent administrator motivated Randy to move from teaching to admin (10:05)
How Randy developed his own set of guiding principles for himself and his staff (17:00)
The importance of being considerate and holding crucial, collaborative conversations (19:24)
Making deals with troubled students to help them succeed in school and graduate (28:20)
Successful admins are driven by a powerful need to fight for children (31:05)
One of Randy’s secrets for accomplishing so much is waking every day at 5 AM (33:00)
There were some dark days, literally, during Randy’s bout with bladder cancers, but they made him a much better person and administrator (39:55)
If you can’t stand up for what’s right, don’t take the job (44:11)
Why Randy doesn’t recommend any books for school leaders (44:10)
Kids will know if you genuinely like them (48:30)
No matter what – Stay calm. Stay calm. Stay calm. Even when a kid who’s been stabbed is dumped out of a car in front of your school (49:00)
Being open and collaborative with teachers is one of the keys to a great school (54:03)
If Randy had a time machine, here’s the advice he would go back and give his younger self when he was just starting out in administration (59:00)
Connect with Randy Delling
randalldelling(at)outlook.com
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 three days a week 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.
