Episode Details

Sam LeDeaux is a principal at a K–5 school in metropolitan Chicago. His forté is working well with his parents and staff.

• 62 staff members and 869 parents working together to make things happen!
• Learning that people “somewhere” doing things were actually people who were doing these things right around him.
• Twitter and Social networking have been incredibly transformative and empowering. [#mannschool](https://twitter.com/MsKCairns/status/497443796661960704)
• Transparency is what makes him effective.
• Parents suggest and respond to ways to make his school better through social media.
• We can grow in ways that we never before thought was possible.
• Continuous sharing and positive collaboration makes technology transformative.
• You don’t need to have common planning periods to have time to collaborate.
• How to balance the difficult issues with being transparent.
• It is not about personal performance, it is about service to kids.
• When it is seen as a personal attack, you shut down when you are evaluated. When you see it as improving service to kids, you don’t get upset.
• Peer observations - invite and show the value.
• We do not let schedules get in our way of improving and service to students.
• What is the purpose of peer observations?
• Evaluations should be about growth.

Sponsor: Sanebox

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Learn more about today's sponsors, Playworks, IXL, and Renaissance Learning:

As a global leader in education technology operating in more than 110 countries, Renaissance is committed to providing educators with insights and resources to accelerate growth and help all students build a strong foundation for success. We believe that technology can unlock a more effective learning experience, ensure that students get the personalized teaching they need to thrive, and help educators and administrators to truly, fully, See Every Student. Learn more at renaissance.com.

We’re proud to be sponsored by Playworks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with evidence-based practices that help schools improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play.

If you’re a school or district leader struggling with the challenge of chronic absenteeism, as so many are across the U.S., you may not realize that structured recess is a research-backed approach to keep kids in school. In fact, a UC Berkeley study of Title I schools found that those partnering with Playworks had significantly lower chronic absenteeism rates. Further, Mathematica research demonstrated that Playworks schools spent 27% less time transitioning from recess back to learning, saving teachers valuable instructional time. 

These results are possible for your students, too. Learn how Playworks can help you improve student-educator relationships, belonging, and attendance by signing up for a quick no-obligation conversation.

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