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

A Quick Note to Listeners:

Before each week’s episode Jen Schwanke and I answer a listener question. This week’s question is:

I had so many important intentions and priorities for this school year, but my day-to-day still feels like mostly putting out fires. How do I get back to the priorities we said this year would be about?

Listen in to hear our response!

Systems Coaching with Matt Renwick:

In this week’s episode of Principal Matters, Jen Schwanke has the pleasure of catching up with her long-time colleague, author, and former award-winning elementary school principal, Matt Renwick. Currently a systems coach for CESA #3 in Wisconsin and a PhD student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Matt has spent time sitting in nearly every seat in education. They explore how his extensive background informed his transition into system-level coaching.

The conversation centers on the profound shift from building principal to instructional coach, highlighting the delicate balance between structural management and human connection. Matt openly shared that transitioning out of an authority role wasn’t automatic, requiring humility, deep listening, and a commitment to earning trust within the districts he supports. We tackled the inherent paradox of modern school leadership—how striving for systemic change can inadvertently distance leaders from the very classrooms they want to impact—and explored actionable ways to reclaim that vital proximity to teaching and learning.

Key Takeaways:

Shifting from Authority to Partnership: Transitioning from the principal’s office to systems coaching requires a foundation of humility and active listening. True instructional coaching is built on earning the right to partner with teachers through consistency, visibility, and supportive, non-evaluative feedback.

De-Siloing Student Support via MTSS: Effective systems coaching focuses on the whole child by breaking down traditional barriers between academics and behavior. By evaluating systemic hurdles rather than attempting to “fix” individual students, schools can uncover gaps in professional learning and data usage.

The Power of Distributive Leadership: School leaders face a direct path to burnout if they try to shoulder every burden alone. True systemic impact happens when principals empower teacher-led instructional teams and cultivate student voice, giving everyone ownership over the school’s culture and environment.

Navigating Modern Tools with Integrity: While structural policies and rigid regulations move too slowly to keep pace with rapid innovations like AI, leaders can focus on protecting professional growth. The priority must remain on teaching students and staff how to use modern tools ethically while keeping core human learning and authentic thinking at the center of education.

Final Thoughts:

Managing the modern school building can easily become an isolating endeavor, trapping well-intentioned leaders in the constant firefighting of daily administrative demands. Matt’s closing perspective serves as an essential reminder that we must intentionally build networks of professional community—whether through formal coaching or authentic local mastermind groups—to pull ourselves up to the “balcony level” for a clearer view. By anchoring our practice in clear, shared beliefs, prioritizing human connections, and pacing our leadership with intention, we can protect our well-being and stay focused on the purpose that brought us to education in the first place.

Staying Connected:

If you would like to learn more about Matt Renwick, you can connect with him on Substack or Linkedin.

The post Systems Coaching with Matt Renwick – PMP523 appeared first on Principal Matters.

This week on Monday Matters, Jen Schwanke and I discuss a recent newsletter of Jen’s entitled, “Protect Your Perimeter”. She begins the conversation by stating that “your perimeter” is the space around you that you need to be mentally and emotionally healthy. Educators often mistakenly fall into the mindset that they are an educator first and foremost, when the reality is that you do not benefit from wearing your education hat everywhere. Protecting your perimeter means allowing yourself the space to be someone besides an educator, and it’s important to surround yourself with people who allow you to be that person.

Protecting your perimeter also looks like being mindful that you cannot diagnose an education problem from a school that is not your own. Sometimes educators feel pressure to answer education questions about schools or districts that they know nothing about. But the reality is, there are a thousand moving parts behind every school decision that none of us could possibly know from the outside. Letting other leaders lean into their own wisdom to solve the problems their school or district may be facing is a good way to protect your perimeter and keep yourself from being stretched too thin.

Now it’s Your Turn:

Taking off your educator hat is easier said than done. As a way to practice protecting your perimeter, ask yourself the following two questions:

What’s something you’re learning that excites you or has made the world seem more amazing to you?

What’s something you’re currently still trying to learn or really struggling to understand or figure out?

Listen into the full conversation for more takeaways! And, as always, thank you for doing what matters!

The post MONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Protect Your Perimeter appeared first on Principal Matters.

A Quick Note to Listeners:

Before each week’s interview, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke take some time to answer a listener question. This week’s question is:

What do I do when I become aware of conversations in the teacher’s lounge – about my lack of support, for example – that filter their way back to my office?

Listen in to hear their response!

Meet Tony Bornhorst:

A veteran educator, coach, and athletic administrator with over three decades of hands-on experience, Tony Bornhorst has dedicated his career to shaping high school athletic and academic communities across multiple distinct school districts. After earning his undergraduate degree from Ohio Wesleyan University and his Master’s degree from Miami University, Tony spent seven years teaching and coaching at Riverside-Brookfield High School in Illinois, followed by five years at Jackson High School in Ohio, before settling in Dublin Ohio as a teacher, coach, and assistant athletic director for the past 21 years. Over the course of his career, he has coached a wide array of sports—including basketball, cross country, football, and tennis—and has channeled that extensive sideline wisdom into his essential guide, Thinking About Coaching High School? Read This First. Using basketball as a medium, his book pulls back the curtain on the profession to offer prospective coaches a realistic, story-driven glimpse into the daily responsibilities and complex dynamics of education today.

Lessons from Coaching High School:

In this episode of Principal Matters Podcast, Jen Schwanke sits down with Tony Bornhorst to discuss his what lead him to write his book. He reflects on how coaching serves as a perfect microcosm of school administration, emphasizing that both roles require immense dedication, endless communication, and the courage to navigate difficult conversations. Whether managing playing-time complaints from parents or supporting a struggling program, Tony explains how setting boundaries with empathy builds foundational trust. He challenges school administrators to prioritize hiring coaches who are also full-time teachers in the building, noting the immeasurable impact a coach has when they are accessible to students throughout the instructional day.

A Few Takeaways from the Episode:

The Power of Parallel Leadership: Coaching and school administration are fundamentally parallel; a leader is only as good as their team, and maintaining the dignity of your staff or players is paramount.

The Six Ps: Success in both the classroom and on the court relies on a core philosophy: proper, preparation, prevents, pathetically, poor, performance.

Building-Based Coaching: Whenever possible, principals should hire coaches who also teach in the building. Having an educator-coach present during the school day allows for proactive mentoring and seamless support for student-athletes.

Deflecting Blame, Sharing Credit: Exceptional leaders own the losses to protect their team from outside scrutiny, but step aside to give others full credit when celebrating a victory.

The Impact of Affirmation: Small gestures from upper administration—like a supportive arm around the shoulder after a tough situation or an unannounced note of praise—can completely revitalize an educator’s morale.

Defining Long-Term Success: The true reward of leadership is not found in the final score or a win-loss record, but in the lifelong relationships built with every student, parent, and player, long after they leave the school.

Tony wraps up the episode with a powerful reminder for all school leaders, teachers, and coaches to find value in their daily grind and remember the profound weight of their purpose. For school leaders looking to support their athletic staff or looking for an impactful gift for their coaches, Tony’s book is a highly practical, story-driven resource. You can purchase your copy of Thinking About Coaching High School? Read This First on Amazon.

Contact information:

If you would like to contact Tony, you can email him at tjborn58@aol.com.

The post PMP522: Lessons from Coaching High School with Tony Bornhorst appeared first on Principal Matters.

A few weeks ago, Jen Schwanke and I talked about the term “proflection”. Proflection is a term, coined by Jen, that combines reflection and proactivity. It means reflecting on past experiences in order to make changes to future practices. This week, Jen and I spend some time proflecting about work we have done recently. Jen shares some lessons that she presented at a conference in Louisiana, where she talked about the history of public education and the challenges that school leaders face in today’s educational landscape. I proflect on some lessons that I have been learning in my work in leadership and coaching sessions.

A theme that emerged during our time spent proflecting is that a lot of US school leaders are dealing with the same issues, no matter where they live. The solution to their problems are going to be different depending on the person and the setting in which they serve, but it can be helpful for school leaders to remember that they are not the only person dealing with their problems. As we wrap up the episode, we challenge listeners to spend time proflecting on whatever challenges they are facing this school year. Don’t miss the opportunity to grow from whatever you are experiencing today!

Listen to our full conversation for some more great takeaways! And, as always, thank you for doing what matters!

The post MONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Let’s Proflect Together appeared first on Principal Matters.

A Quick Note to Listeners:

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

I’m a Secondary leader now tasked with coaching and supporting Elementary leaders. What advice do you have for me when I’m sometimes out of my comfort zone with their unique challenges?

Listen in to hear our response!

Meet Darren Melton:

This week on Principal Matters Podcast, I sit down for a conversation with Darren Melton. Darren serves as Head of School at Lincoln Christian School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he has led since 2023. A veteran educator, coach, and administrator with more than 30 years of experience, Darren is known for his relational leadership style, commitment to Christ-centered education, and practical wisdom in building healthy school culture.

Prior to returning to Lincoln Christian, he served as Executive Director of Athletics for Broken Arrow Public Schools. Earlier in his career, he spent 17 years at Lincoln Christian as Head Football Coach and Athletic Director, leading the football program to a 142–38 record.

Darren has also coached at Jenks Public Schools and Owasso Public Schools and has served on the board of directors for the OSSAA. He is passionate about leadership development, strong parent partnerships, and creating school environments built on trust, accountability, and care for students.

Hiring People Who Truly Care About Kids:

We begin by discussing one of Darren’s core beliefs about hiring and team development: “We don’t hire people who take things out on children.” Darren explains how difficult it can be to evaluate emotional maturity and relational health during the hiring process, but emphasizes the importance of surrounding students with people who genuinely love kids and want to build relationships with them. He reflects on the joy of seeing former students become strong leaders, parents, and educators themselves—and why character matters just as much as competency in school leadership.

Filling the Gap with Trust, Not Suspicion:

One of the central themes of the episode comes from a phrase Darren often uses: “Fill the gap with trust, not suspicion.” Darren shares how leadership teams can easily fall into unhealthy assumptions when communication is incomplete, but healthy organizations choose trust first. He explains how strong leadership cultures are built when teams feel safe enough to disagree, wrestle with hard conversations, and still walk away united around what is best for students and families. The conversation highlights the importance of humility, healthy conflict, and assuming positive intent.

Building Parent Partnerships Before Conflict Happens:

We also explore how school leaders can strengthen partnerships with parents before problems arise. Darren explains why schools must proactively communicate expectations “upstream” rather than waiting until conflict surfaces. From admissions conversations to parent meetings and athletic programs, he shares how clarity and consistency help families better navigate challenges when they come. Darren emphasizes that conflict is inevitable in schools, but trust and preparation can make those conversations healthier and more productive.

“Kids Are the Managers of Information”:

Another powerful part of the conversation centers on Darren’s statement that “kids are the managers of information.” He discusses how students naturally tell stories from their own perspective, and why parents and schools must work together carefully to pursue truth instead of reacting emotionally to incomplete information. Darren explains that discipline should ultimately be about restoration, growth, and helping students fail forward while still knowing they are loved and supported by the adults around them.

Getting Upstream from Problems:

We also discuss the importance of getting “as far upstream as possible” from problems. Darren shares practical examples from coaching, athletics, and school leadership about why leaders must clearly define expectations early and often. Whether it’s teaching procedures, communicating standards to parents, or preparing students for responsibility, he explains how intentional systems prevent unnecessary confusion and conflict later. Leadership, he argues, is often about managing small details with consistency and care.

Leading with Humility and Support:

As the episode closes, Darren reflects on the importance of surrounding yourself with great people and building cultures where staff members know their leaders genuinely have their backs. He speaks candidly about leadership challenges, reviewing systems honestly, learning from mistakes, and continuing to grow alongside trusted teams. Throughout the conversation, Darren models a leadership style grounded in humility, courage, accountability, and deep care for people.

Now It’s Your Turn:

As you reflect on this conversation, consider these questions for your own leadership:

Where might you be filling gaps with suspicion instead of trust?

Have you clearly defined expectations for your staff, students, and families “upstream” before conflict occurs?

Do your team members genuinely know that you have their backs?

How are you building a culture where healthy conflict and honest conversations can happen safely?

In what ways could you better communicate care and support before addressing problems or performance?

Thank you for doing what matters as you lead with practical wisdom and powerful reminders about trust-based leadership and healthy school culture!

You can learn more about Lincoln Christian School at their website. Connect with Darren Melton via email at: darren.melton@lincolnchristianschool.com.

The post Fill the Gap with Trust with Darren Melton – PMP521 appeared first on Principal Matters.