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Sponsor: Sanebox

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Transformative Principal on Stitcher

Refer A Principal

A few weeks ago I had the great pleasure of interviewing Tony Sinanis. Little did I know, that he would be named the New York Elementary Principal of the Year! So, I interviewed him before he was famous. Tony Twitter is a great principal and one who is eager to share what he is doing well. He is also incredibly humble and self-aware. I hope you enjoy his interview. I sure learned a lot from him. Here is his BrandED podcast

• Tony discusses his background and how he is a first-generation college graduate, and not only that, he is working on his PhD and already has two Masters!
• Tony still keeps in contact with his first year’s class. Wow!
• Moving into his first school. Tony’s humility recognizing that he wasn’t the right fit for the school.
• Separating Tony the principal from Tony the Person.
• Recognizing that his cultural perspectives that were wrong for his school.
• The difference between white guilt and recognizing differences.
• Education is more than just the Common Core and High-Stakes Testing. We are disconnected from what the real world is.
• We try to make kids fit into this little box, totally discongruent to how the world works.
• He calls himself the Lead Learner, not the principal, because there is a real difference between the two.
• How Cantiague gives voice to the students.
• He demonstrates his learning whenever he can. He pushes himself out of his comfort zone as often as he can.
• The post about the term Lead Learner by Pernille Ripp

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. 

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