The Better Leaders Better Schools Podcast with Daniel Bauer

• Sam Feeney on Closing the Compliance Gap

  The Ruckus Report Quick take: The biggest legal risk most districts face isn't a headline-grabbing lawsuit — it's the hidden gap between the accommodations they promise and the ones students actually receive. Sam Feeney built a tool that collapses this compliance gap to 10 seconds and a single click. Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Sam Feeney has been an educator for twenty-five years as an English teacher, counselor, administrator, and consultant. He created Accommodate in response to his professional observations and his personal experience as a father. Sam and the team at Accommodate provide classroom supports for students with all kinds of learning needs so every teacher can maintain instructional integrity. In his spare time, Sam enjoys reading and collaborating with others to build something new. Sam, his wife, and his five children live in suburban Denver, where they enjoy sports and the outdoors. And—no—he doesn't ski. Breaking Down the Old Rules 🔨 In this episode, Sam Feeney challenges traditional education paradigms: Key Insight #1: Need Equals Permission What's broken: Waiting for perfect credentials or expertise before tackling problems you see The shift: Recognition of a need is your permission to solve it — start with passion, build expertise along the way Impact: Innovation happens when educators stop waiting for someone else to fix what's broken Key Insight #2: Hidden Non-Compliance Is Everywhere What's broken: Beautifully written IEPs, 504s, and ELL plans that vanish under the weight of crowded classrooms and overworked teachers The shift: Technology that transforms any lesson into student-specific accommodations at the push of a button Impact: Students get the support they're legally entitled to, teachers avoid guilt and burnout, districts avoid million-dollar settlements Key Insight #3: Time Is the Ultimate Gift What's broken: Teachers spending hours trying to accommodate across three different areas of expertise (special ed, ELL, gifted) The shift: 10-second accommodations that give teachers back their most precious resource Impact: Instructional integrity becomes sustainable, not just aspirational Quotable Ruckus "Need equals permission. If you see a need, that's your permission to go tackle it." – Sam Feeney Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Audit one accommodation plan — is it actually happening in the classroom, or just living on paper? This Month: Calculate the true cost of hidden non-compliance on your campus (teacher burnout, potential lawsuits, student outcomes) This Semester: Invest in tools that give your teachers back time while ensuring every student gets what they're legally entitled to Connect & Continue 🎯 Get the full episode transcript: [Link] 🔗 Follow Sam Feeney: LinkedIn 🌐 Learn more about Accommodate: accommodate.live 📌 Ruckus Makers Don't Just Listen — They Act If education ain't a bit disruptive, then what are your students really learning? This show isn't about doing school better. It's about Doing School Different — and joining a growing movement of bold, creative school leaders who reject legacy models and reimagine what's possible. 🧠 Here are four ways we can help you on your Do School Different journey 📬 Subscribe to the Free Newsletter — An opportunity to Do School Different 3x a week. Tools, mindset shifts, and strategies that actually work: ruckusmakers.news 🗞️ Read Ruckus Makers — Exclusive content on Substack. Premium leadership insights, AI prompts and custom gpts, new books before the bookshelf. ruckusmakers.media 💥 Join The Ruckus Maker Club — Our private network + workshops, The Automatic School tools, AI Prompt Library, and more: ruckusmakers.club 🧨 Apply to the Mastermind — Weekly coaching, peer mentorship, and our proven leadership system (The Ruckus Maker Flywheel) to help you transform your campus: Apply Now Every tool, community, and coaching program we offer is built to help visionary school leaders play the new game — one where leadership is creative, tech-enabled, and unapologetically student-centered. 🎙️ The podcast is your starting point. The movement is just getting started. Today's RUCKUScast in Partnership with: IXL Meet your students where they are and take them where they need to go. Join over 1 million teachers who trust IXL to drive data-informed excellence in their classrooms. 🔍 Learn more: ixl.com/leaders Expressability K12 Your inbox isn't a task manager. Your mind isn't for storing mundane processes. It's time to break free. With Expressability K12, Ruckus Makers can prioritize student success by offloading time-sucking tasks. 🔍 Learn more: k12ability.com ODP Business Solutions Stop letting compliance paperwork kill innovation. Some leaders are transforming special education support with technology that turns accommodation promises into reality. 🔍 Learn more: odpbusiness.com/education Twelve Practices LLC © 2025 | If Education Ain't a Bit Disruptive, Then What Are Your Students Learning?

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• Rethinking School Leadership: From Problem-Solver to Capacity-Builder

    Mitch Weathers on Breaking the Bottleneck Leadership Trap The Ruckus Report Quick take: Most principals think they're the chief problem solver—but that mindset is actually what's breaking their schools. When you're the go-to for every fire, you're not leading, you're enabling dependence. Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Mitch became a gifted teacher because he was a mediocre student. Mitch rarely felt comfortable in the classroom. In fact, it took him 7 years to graduate from college. Choosing to become a teacher, Mitch was fortunate enough to experience school as if it was happening all around him. He was unsure how to jump into his learning with confidence. There is a loneliness to experiencing your education as a passive object as opposed to an active subject. From the moment he entered the classroom, Mitch relied on his personal experiences as a learner. He recognized that what we teach—the content or curriculum—is secondary. We must first lay the foundation for learning before we can get to teaching. Mitch designed Organized Binder to empower teachers with a simple but research-backed strategy to teach students executive functioning skills while protecting the time needed for content instruction. The secret is found in establishing a predictable learning routine that serves to foster safer learning spaces. When students get practice with executive functions by virtue, we set them up for success. Learn more in his recent book Executive Functions for Every Classroom: Breaking Down the Old Rules 🔨 In this episode, Mitch Weathers challenges traditional education paradigms: Key Insight #1: The Problem-Solver Trap What's broken: Principals positioning themselves as the chief problem solver for every issue, fire, complaint, and question The shift: Moving from being the bottleneck to building capacity in your staff so the school runs without you in every room Impact: Sustainable leadership that doesn't burn out the principal and creates independent, empowered teams Key Insight #2: Preparing Students for Unknown Jobs What's broken: Teaching rigid, content-heavy curricula when we don't even know what jobs will exist in 10 years The shift: Focusing on transferable knowledge, transferable skills, and executive functioning competencies that adapt across any future role Impact: Students equipped with the dexterity to thrive in an evolving job market where AI skills and human connection become differentiators Key Insight #3: The Boundaries Crisis in Education What's broken: An unhealthy culture that treats being "completely out of balance" as a badge of honor—first one in, last one out mentality The shift: Deliberate boundary setting that prioritizes sustainability and recognizes that self-care isn't district care Impact: Educators who can sustain their passion long-term without sacrificing family, health, or effectiveness Quotable Ruckus "When you're the go-to for every issue, every fire, every complaint, every question you're not leading, you're enabling dependence." – Mitch Weathers Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Identify one problem you consistently solve for your staff. Instead of solving it, ask them what they think the solution should be. This Month: Audit your daily schedule. What percentage of your time is spent firefighting vs. capacity building? Set a goal to flip that ratio. This Semester: Implement one systematic change that reduces dependency on you as the decision-maker. Create protocols that empower others to act without your approval. Connect & Continue 🎯 Get the full episode transcript: [Link] 🔗 Follow Mitch Weathers: LinkedIn 📖 Get his book: Executive Functions for Every Classroom: https://bit.ly/42pCMbq 📌 Ruckus Makers Don't Just Listen — They Act If education ain't a bit disruptive, then what are your students really learning? This show isn't about doing school better. It's about Doing School Different — and joining a growing movement of bold, creative school leaders who reject legacy models and reimagine what's possible. 🧠 Here are four ways we can help you on your Do School Different journey 📬 Subscribe to the Free Newsletter — An opportunity to Do School Different 3x a week. Tools, mindset shifts, and strategies that actually work: ruckusmakers.news 🗞️ Read Ruckus Makers — Exclusive content on Substack. Premium leadership insights, AI prompts and custom GPTs, new books before the bookshelf: ruckusmakers.media 💥 Join The Ruckus Maker Club — Our private network + workshops, The Automatic School tools, AI Prompt Library, and more: https://ruckusmakers.club/join 🧨 Apply to the Mastermind — Weekly coaching, peer mentorship, and our proven leadership system (The Ruckus Maker Flywheel) to help you transform your campus: Apply Now Every tool, community, and coaching program we offer is built to help visionary school leaders play the new game — one where leadership is creative, tech-enabled, and unapologetically student-centered. 🎙️ The podcast is your starting point. The movement is just getting started. Today's RUCKUScast in Partnership with: IXL Meet your students where they are and take them where they need to go. Join over 1 million teachers who trust IXL to drive data-informed excellence in their classrooms. 🔍 Learn more: ixl.com/leaders Expressability K12 Your inbox isn't a task manager. Your mind isn't for storing mundane processes. It's time to break free. With Expressability K12, Ruckus Makers can prioritize student success by offloading time-sucking tasks. 🔍 Learn more: expressability.com/ruckus ODP Business Solutions "Our STEAM program is too complicated" = Code for "We're doing it wrong." Stop letting fear kill innovation. Some leaders are transforming STEAM with a three-part framework that’s not what you think. 🔍 Get the playbook: here Twelve Practices LLC © 2025 | If Education Ain't a Bit Disruptive, Then What Are Your Students Learning?

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• Veronica Holyoke on Breaking the Myth of Solitary Leadership

    The Ruckus Report Quick take: The "lone wolf" leader is a toxic myth that's burning out school administrators and failing students. Veronica Holyoke proves that transformational leadership happens in community, not isolation — and one hour a week can change everything. Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Veronica Holyoke is a 25-year education veteran and Utah's 2024 Assistant Principal of the Year. A former 5th grade teacher with master's degrees in Curriculum and Instruction and Educational Leadership, she's spent her fourth year as an elementary Assistant Principal in Jordan School District. Beyond her accolades, Veronica has navigated supporting her husband through serious disability while excelling in her leadership role — proving that community support transforms both professional and personal resilience. Breaking Down the Old Rules 🔨 In this episode, Veronica Holyoke challenges traditional education paradigms: Key Insight #1: Imposter Syndrome Isn't Permanent What's broken: Leaders believing they must have all the answers and can't show vulnerability or uncertainty The shift: Embrace community support where every voice matters, regardless of title or experience level Impact: Confidence grows, authentic leadership emerges, and the toxic cycle of isolation breaks Key Insight #2: Weekly Support Beats Yearly Burnout What's broken: The expectation that school leaders should figure everything out alone while pouring into everyone else The shift: Prioritize one hour per week for consistent community support and professional growth Impact: Leaders go to bed happier every Tuesday, face challenges with renewed energy, and sustain their passion for the work Key Insight #3: Personal Growth Drives Professional Excellence What's broken: Separating personal wellness from professional performance, leading to unsustainable leadership practices The shift: Invest in whole-person support that addresses both home and work challenges Impact: When leaders are cared for, they can better care for staff and students — creating award-winning school cultures Quotable Ruckus "I could only take care of my staff and students because I was being taken care of because of the mastermind group." – Veronica Holyoke Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Make a list of things you do weekly to "fill your bucket" — where does community support rank? This Month: Find one hour per week to connect with other leaders outside your system for growth and support This Semester: Build or join a community where you can be 100% authentic about your challenges and victories Connect & Continue 🎯 Get the full episode transcript:here 🔗 Follow Veronica Holyoke: [email protected] 💪 Join the Ruckus Maker Movement: https://ruckusmakers.club/join Do you Subscribe to the Ruckus Maker Newsletter? Do School Different 3x a Week. ✉ Join for FREE: here Today's RUCKUScast in Partnership with: IXL Meet your students where they are and take them where they need to go. Join over 1 million teachers who trust IXL to drive data-informed excellence in their classrooms. 🔍 Learn more: here Expressability K12 Your inbox isn't a task manager. Your mind isn't for storing mundane processes. It's time to break free. With Expressability K12, Ruckus Makers can prioritize student success by offloading time-sucking tasks. 🔍 Learn more: here ODP Business Solutions "Our STEAM program is too complicated" = Code for "We're doing it wrong." Stop letting fear kill innovation. Some leaders are transforming STEAM with a three-part framework that's not what you think. 🔍 Get the playbook:here Twelve Practices LLC © 2025 | If Education Ain't a Bit Disruptive, Then What Are Your Students Learning?

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• Punching the Shark: Why Teacher Retention Beats Recruitment Every Time

    The Ruckus Report Quick take: Most districts are dumping water into leaky buckets while wondering why they can't fill them. Nate Eklund shows us why we've been solving the wrong problem — and how "punching the shark" creates the workplace conditions that make educators want to stay. Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Nate Eklund is the founder and CEO of Vital Network, a national organization focused on improving educator retention and well-being through workplace improvements. A former classroom teacher and author of How Was Your Day at School? Improving Dialogue about Teacher Job Satisfaction, Nate brings deep experience and research-backed insight to the conversation on creating sustainable, joyful workplaces for educators everywhere. Breaking Down the Old Rules 🔨 In this episode, Nate Eklund challenges traditional education paradigms: Key Insight #1: We Don't Have a Recruitment Problem — We Have a Retention Problem What's broken: Districts frantically recruiting new teachers while ignoring why good ones leave The shift: Focus on the "leaky bucket" — in Minnesota, there are more licensed teachers NOT teaching than teaching (enough to fill the Vikings stadium) Impact: When you fix workplace conditions instead of just hiring more people, you solve the math problem at its source Key Insight #2: Burnout Isn't a Personal Failing — It's Environmental What's broken: Treating burnout as individual weakness ("eat more kale, get more sleep") The shift: Recognize burnout as systemic depletion that no amount of self-care can overcome — you can't "kale your way out of your fifth reading curriculum in two years" Impact: Leaders stop blaming teachers and start designing better workplace conditions that prevent burnout Key Insight #3: There Are Two Versions of Every Educator What's broken: Accepting that some educators are just "difficult" or "burned out" The shift: Understanding that everyone has a "fired up" version and a "deflated" version — external factors determine which one shows up Impact: Instead of writing people off, leaders create conditions where the best version of every educator can thrive Quotable Ruckus "You can dump a lot of water into it and invest a lot of energy getting the water into the bucket, but if the bucket's leaking, you've got a fundamental math problem." – Nate Eklund Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Ask yourself: "What external factors are keeping my best educators from showing up as their best selves?" This Month: Survey your staff about workplace conditions — not just morale, but actual day-to-day systems and decision-making processes This Semester: Implement one "Punch the Shark" moment — tackle an uncomfortable workplace issue head-on with your team Connect & Continue 🎯 Get the full episode transcript:here 🔗 Follow Nate Eklund: Twitter 🔗 Vital Network: www.vitalnetwork.com 🔗 Follow Vital on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/vitalnetwork 💪 Join the Ruckus Maker Movement: https://ruckusmakers.club/join Do you Subscribe to the Ruckus Maker Newsletter? Do School Different 3x a Week. Join for FREE here:here Today's RUCKUScast in Partnership with: IXL Meet your students where they are and take them where they need to go. Join over 1 million teachers who trust IXL to drive data-informed excellence in their classrooms. 🔍 Learn more:here Expressability Your inbox isn't a task manager. Your mind isn't for storing mundane processes. It's time to break free. With Expressability, Ruckus Makers can prioritize student success by offloading time-sucking tasks. 🔍 Learn more:here ODP Business Solutions Stop letting compliance kill innovation. Some leaders are transforming their campuses with flexible solutions that actually work for modern learning environments. 🔍 Learn more:here Twelve Practices LLC © 2025 | If Education Ain't a Bit Disruptive, Then What Are Your Students Learning?

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• Building Culture That Goes Beyond the Wall

    The Ruckus Report Quick take: If your school has beautiful values painted on the walls but nobody's living them, you're running a theater, not a school. Jimmy Casas exposes the brutal difference between what we say and what we do. Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Jimmy Casas has been an educator for over 30 years, serving twenty-two years as a school leader. Under his leadership, his school was named one of the Best High Schools in the country three times by Newsweek and US News & World Report. Jimmy was named the 2012 Iowa Secondary Principal of the Year and was selected as runner-up NASSP 2013 National Secondary Principal of the Year. In 2014, Jimmy was invited to the White House to speak on the Future Ready Schools pledge. Jimmy is also the author of ten books, including the Washington Post's best-selling book CULTURIZE: Every Student. Every Day. Whatever It Takes, which has sold over 350,000 copies to date. Jimmy is the owner and CEO of J Casas & Associates, where he and his team serve as professional leadership coaches for school and district leaders across the country. Breaking Down the Old Rules 🔨 In this episode, Jimmy Casas challenges traditional education paradigms: Key Insight #1: Systems Beat Inspiration Every Time What's broken: Unorganized leaders who scramble and make their teams scramble, destroying credibility and culture The shift: Create systematic approaches like the "summer list" and culturized journal to capture what needs attention without losing momentum Impact: Leaders stay organized, teams trust the process, and nothing falls through the cracks Key Insight #2: Culture Is Behavior, Not Posters What's broken: Schools with beautiful mission statements on walls but no observable evidence of those values in action The shift: Ask "When I walk into your classroom, what will I see that tells me you're building relationships with kids?" Impact: Intentional observation leads to measurable culture change and real student achievement Key Insight #3: Excellence Is Your Responsibility What's broken: Settling for average because it's easier and letting others pull you down to status quo The shift: Walk in every day believing you can make an impact and help others find their way back when they lose direction Impact: Leaders create environments where children look forward to class and adults look forward to work Quotable Ruckus "Don't let anybody take away your excellence because the world is full of average." – Jimmy Casas Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Start a "summer list" with your team - every time something comes up that needs deeper attention, add it to the list instead of letting it consume your mental energy This Month: Pick one core value and define what you'll actually observe when you walk into classrooms - what will kids be doing? What will teachers be doing? This Semester: Create your own reflection system (journal, digital tool, or team process) to track meaningful experiences and undercurrents you're creating Connect & Continue 🎯 Get the full episode transcript:here 🔗 Follow Jimmy Casas: Jimmy Casas 💪 Join the Ruckus Maker Movement:here Do you Subscribe to the Ruckus Maker Newsletter? Do School Different 3x a Week. Join for FREE here. Today's RUCKUScast in Partnership with: IXL Meet your students where they are and take them where they need to go. Join over 1 million teachers who trust IXL to drive data-informed excellence in their classrooms. 🔍 Learn more: here Expressability K12 Your inbox isn't a task manager. Your mind isn't for storing mundane processes. It's time to break free. With Expressability K12, Ruckus Makers can prioritize student success by offloading time-sucking tasks. 🔍 Learn more: here ODP Business Solutions "Our STEAM program is too complicated" = Code for "We're doing it wrong." Stop letting fear kill innovation. Some leaders are transforming STEAM with a three-part framework that's not what you think. 🔍 Get the playbook: here Twelve Practices LLC © 2025 | If Education Ain't a Bit Disruptive, Then What Are Your Students Learning?

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