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Artwork for Principal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast

Principal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. Parker

Principal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. Parker
Education
Leadership
School Leadership
Professional Development
Educational Leadership
School Culture
Education Leadership
Trust
Instructional Leadership
Community Engagement
Teacher Retention
Teaching Strategies
Leadership Development
Leadership In Education
Mental Health
Student Engagement
Student Achievement
Conflict Management
School Administration
Growth Mindset

With William D. Parker and Friends

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes500Founded11 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Education

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Artwork for Principal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast

Latest Episodes

A Quick Note to Listeners:

Before each week’s interview, Jen Schwanke and I spend some time answering a listener question. This week’s question is:

How do you coach and support teachers at different levels in their experience? For instance, new t... more

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The Power of Negative Thinking: Turning Worry into Productive Planning by William D. Parker

When I was a new assistant principal, I was excited and nervous about teacher observation and evaluation. The idea of sitting in other classrooms for extend... more

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A Quick Note to Listeners:

Before this week’s episode, Jen Schwanke and I take some time to answer a listener question. This week’s question is:

What do I do if I have a colleague who views collaboration as an opportunity to hand me work that is... more

YouTube

This week, Jen Schwanke and I talk about a recent post she made, “The Loudest Room in the Building.” I especially loved this quote:

But it’s also the heartbeat of the school day—messy, loud, and entirely human…

Jen explains how the one place ma... more

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Recent Guests

Don Smith
Director of Professional Services at FIRST Educational Resources and former principal
FIRST Educational Resources
Episode: Building Principal and Collective Efficacy with Don Smith & Jenni Donohoo – PMP525
Jenni Donohoo
Author, speaker, and researcher focused on collective teacher efficacy, school improvement, and leadership
FIRST Educational Resources
Episode: Building Principal and Collective Efficacy with Don Smith & Jenni Donohoo – PMP525
Casey Watts
Education consultant, former teacher and instructional leader, and founder of Casey Watts Coaching & Consulting.
Casey Watts Coaching & Consulting
Episode: The Craft of Clarity with Casey Watts – PMP524
Matt Renwick
Systems coach, former award-winning elementary school principal, author, and PhD student
CESA #3
Episode: Systems Coaching with Matt Renwick – PMP523
Tony Bornhorst
Veteran educator, coach and athletic administrator; author of Thinking About Coaching High School
Dublin-Coffman High School / author
Episode: PMP522: Lessons from Coaching High School with Tony Bornhorst
Darren Melton
Head of School at Lincoln Christian School
Lincoln Christian School
Episode: Fill the Gap with Trust with Darren Melton – PMP521
Patrick Erwin
Educator, speaker, leadership development specialist; curriculum director for Maxwell Leadership Foundation
Maxwell Leadership Foundation; Growing Leaders
Episode: I Love This Place with Patrick Erwin – PMP520
Robyn Hamasaki
Managing Director of Leadership Development for National Principals Association
National Principals Association
Episode: Creating Belonging, Experience, and Memories with Robyn Hamasaki – PMP519
Mara Tieken
Author and researcher focusing on rural education and college access
Bates College (lecturer); author of Educated Out, Educated Out, Why Rural Schools Matter
Episode: Why Rural Schools Matter with Dr. Mara Tieken – PMP518

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 146 ratings
  • Good listen

    Will and Jen provide some good information. There are some nuggets in their stories. Aside some content I would urge Will to fix the audio level. His volume is so low compared to Jen’s - sometimes really hard to hear.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Loreleijane
    United Statesa year ago
  • Excited about new content for school leaders!!

    Jen and Will are piloting unique episodes for school leaders on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in 2025. Check it out and share with other education leadership friends!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    williamdparker.com
    United States2 years ago
  • Great reflective coach

    Thanks for the WWPN 2023 shout out in your December episode Will! Will helps leaders reflect on their practice. He also walks the walk and regularly practices his own reflection. I appreciate how he guides our admin team through reflection so that we build stronger connection which leads to us better serving our staff and students. Wishing Will and his team a wonderful 2024. I look forward to continuing to learn and grow with you.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    CaTeamPA
    United States3 years ago
  • Celebrating 1.2 million downloads

    Thank you listeners for the the ongoing learning we are doing together!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    williamdparker.com
    United States3 years ago
  • the podcast was informative. Sometimes it is difficult to decide what feedback is most valuable.

    Audible
    5
    Davidb734
    United States4 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Long-time listeners appreciate the community feel and mentorship mindset from hosts and guests.
Listeners praise practical, actionable leadership insights and relatable hosts.
Some feedback notes audio consistency issues but overall high regard for content and guest quality.
Audiences highlight the show as a reliable resource for school leaders seeking strategies they can implement.
A few criticisms mention shifts in focus or balance between spirituality and leadership content.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Building Principal and Collective Efficacy with Don Smith & Jenni Donohoo – PMP525
Q: What should they do to build efficacies in their teams?
Donohoo recommends starting with a small team and a concrete shared goal tied to student learning, trying new practices, and making the resulting impact visible. Successful mastery experiences help build both teachers' and principals' confidence.
Building Principal and Collective Efficacy with Don Smith & Jenni Donohoo – PMP525
Q: Collective efficacy gets talked about a lot, but it's often misunderstood. How do you define it?
Donohoo defines it as a shared belief that staff can positively affect student outcomes despite barriers. It is grounded in evidence, influences how teams think and act, and grows through successful shared experiences rather than being mandated.
The Craft of Clarity with Casey Watts – PMP524
Q: What is one conversation or reflective process a principal could start this week with teachers or teams to help them get more clarity?
Watts recommends listening tours: ask teachers questions and listen carefully, then use what they share to refine priorities and plan clear, consistent critical steps.
The Craft of Clarity with Casey Watts – PMP524
Q: When people feel pulled in different directions and instructional expectations are unclear or inconsistent, what is step one toward creating clarity without overwhelming them?
Casey Watts recommends that leaders build an instructional leadership team including coaches, counselors and teacher leaders, then identify one high-impact area of focus to prioritize together.
Systems Coaching with Matt Renwick – PMP523
Q: How can school leaders build enough trust for teachers to view instructional coaching as supportive rather than a critique?
Renwick recommends consistent, brief, non-evaluative classroom visits, active listening, paraphrasing, and positive feedback, then offering constructive coaching as trust develops.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
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Age Range
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Frequently Asked Questions About This Podcast

What is This Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show centers on educational leadership, focusing on practical, field-tested strategies for principals and district leaders. Episodes frequently explore building trust, culture, and instructional quality, with how-to frameworks for PLCs, MTSS, relational leadership, and sustainable school improvement. Guests include experienced principals, district leaders, and authors who share actionable approaches, from rural leadership to large high schools, often tying leadership practices to real-world outcomes for students and staff. A notable pattern is pairing leadership theory with personal stories and tangible steps that listeners can implement, plus recurring collaborations with a co-host team that foregrounds servant leadership and relation... more

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Which podcasts are similar to this podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with this podcast:

1. The Cult of Pedagogy Podcast
2. The Jon Gordon Podcast
3. The Assistant Principal Podcast
4. Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast
5. Transformative Principal

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this podcast launched 11 years ago and published 500 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on this podcast?

Recent guests on this podcast include:

1. Don Smith
2. Jenni Donohoo
3. Casey Watts
4. Matt Renwick
5. Tony Bornhorst
6. Darren Melton
7. Patrick Erwin
8. Robyn Hamasaki

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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