Episode Details

A quick note to listeners: 

Before this week’s interview, Jen Schwanke and Will Parker answered a listener question in a 5-minute response. 

—- The Question of the Week is supported by Summer Pops Math Workbooks.

Principals, when students practice math over the summer, math scores go up. What’s your summer math plan this year? A great way to start is by ordering FREE summer workbook samples at https://summerpopsworkbooks.com/ —-

The question is: How can leaders address the issue of teachers expecting every office referral to lead to a disciplinary situation and improve classroom management?

Listen in for our response and thank you for doing what matters!

Meet Joshua Yeager

Principal Joshua Yeager, a graduate of Mississippi State University, is a dedicated researcher with over a decade of leadership experience. He is the principal of Perry Central High School in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, which serves 400 students. In his third year as principal, Josh is proud to know every student by name. Under his leadership, the school has increased its graduation rate by 18% and raised its accountability scores by 100 points. The average daily attendance rate is 93%.

Principal Yeager has also directed public and private educational institutions throughout the South, including facilities for those with special needs. A turn-around principal, he uses innovation to maximize student and stakeholder potential.  A Hattiesburg resident, he collaborates with Mississippi’s associations for school leaders, and he is actively writing his first book, “Turning Poverty into Riches: Rural Education At Best.”. In addition to being a principal, Joshua is the pastor of a local church within his community. He loves to coach people and maximize their greatness. He is the proud father of Makenlee Grace, a junior at Union High School in Mississippi.

Leading in a rural community:

When asked what he was most proud of in regard to the outcomes at Perry High School, Joshua talked about the rise in school spirit among his students. He noted that consistency is key for students, especially in rural communities. When Joshua first got to Perry High School, school spirit was really dry, but the students were eager to have pep rallies and engage in other forms of school spirit. Another outcome Joshua is proud of at Perry High School is how his school went from having a 70% graduation rate to a 90% graduation rate. As the graduation rate has increased, Joshua has seen parents becoming more active in the community through enrolling themselves in community college or by completing their GEDs. Overall, Joshua states that what he is most proud of are the smiles he gets to see on his students’ faces every day. 

Flexible Schedules:

Joshua says that it is important for school leaders to view teachers as practitioners; the best teachers are good at “diagn