Episode Details

Jordan Collier, secondary principal of Central Arkansas Secondary School, a private Christian school in Little Rock, explains how relationships with students and parents shape a positive school culture. He treats discipline as correction, tells the school's story on social media, and stays visible in classrooms all day.

When an inappropriate tweet appeared over Labor Day weekend, two senior leaders had already told the account to stop. Collier also describes Access Gators, a whole-school day with 400 students cheering for special needs athletes, which led a family to enroll after seeing the video.

What you'll learn

• Build relationships with parents early, so conflict starts side by side instead of in an adversarial position.
• Treat discipline as correction and tell the student you love them and you are in it together.
• Put students in leadership roles and promote the good they do, so they set the tone before you have to.
• Be in classrooms all day, every day, to prevent problems and let kids feel comfortable telling you what they see.
• Turn a service club event into a whole-school event and post the video, because families notice.

Chapters

• 0:00 Why Jordan Collier listens to the podcast
• 1:34 Leading a private Christian secondary school
• 4:56 Discipline and relationships as correction
• 7:03 Telling your school's story on social media
• 8:15 How students handled an inappropriate tweet
• 11:58 Why being visible in classrooms matters
• 13:08 Access Gators and Mustang Missions service day
• 15:53 The video that drew new families

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Questions this episode answers

How do you handle student discipline at a small school?
Collier says most issues are minor, like dress code or chewing gum, and he approaches discipline as correction. He tells students he loves them and they will get through it together. Relationships with teachers are the number one deterrent, and Bible class gives time to talk through issues.

How should a school respond when students post something inappropriate on social media?
Collier says two seniors told the poster to stop, other students backed them, and he tweeted asking the account to message him. Three days later the account apologized and said it would delete itself. He puts it down to good kids, leadership roles and being visible.

How can a school attract new families through student service projects?
Collier says his school made Access Gators day a whole-school event and posted a two-minute video. Parents who knew nobody at the school enrolled their child after seeing it, saying they wanted a school that does that kind of thing.

About Jordan Collier

Secondary principal of Central Arkansas Secondary School, a private Christian school for grades 7 through 12 in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Links and resources

• Central Arkansas Secondary School
• Sam LeDeaux interview audio
• CAC Mustangs on Twitter
• Mustang Missions service club
• Sanebox email tool
• Sanebox sponsor page
• Transformative Principal website
• Transformative Principal on Stitcher

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