Hey Reader! Yesterday I talked to 3 school leaders: two on calls and one I ran into at a bris. In all those convos, the feeling of this time of year came up--the finish line is in sight, yet the to-do list feels unending. End of year testing, field trips, graduations, ceremonies, staff plans changing for next year suddenly.... plus we've caught Knicks fever over here, and the NBA finals are keeping me up wayyyy past my bedtime. (Worth it but wow I am tired.) Some of you have ended the school...
27 days agoĀ ā¢Ā 3 min read
Hey Reader, Chances are high by now you've heard of May-cember: that busy time of year with end of year trips, performances, plays, recitals, .. all the joyful end of school year activities that on their own are great, but can add up to be a lot. As a solo parent with three kids who are all "seniors" at their schools (if 5th grade or 8th grade can be a senior), this year for me brings award ceremonies for all kids, new school orientations for the 3 new schools they are attending in the fall...
about 1 month agoĀ ā¢Ā 3 min read
Hey! Reader! How are all my Perennial Plus signs doing this last day of April? (whoa, right?) Since next week is the first full week of May that means it's Teacher Appreciation Week. (If you're a school leader and this just gave you a heart attack, I'm so sorry. I have a Teacher Appreciation Week Planning Guide here you can use that I promise you can work even as last minute as Sunday or Monday--DNR, but I've been in your shoes and get it!) I feel like šµš» saying this, but back when I first...
2 months agoĀ ā¢Ā 2 min read
Hey Reader,Anyone else stay up too late on Sunday night watching the Oscars? š„± I love movies, and cultural touchstones, and this hits bothā Sure, itās past my bedtime, but a great excuse to try and see as many Best Picture nominations as possible (I managed Sinners, One Battle After Another, Marty Supreme, and Frankenstein)-- and check out everyone dressed super glam while sitting on my couch in my sweats. Iāve been dragging a little all week, physically tired but also culturally connectedā...
4 months agoĀ ā¢Ā 2 min read
Dear Reader! What does leading a school or nonprofit have to do with leading a nation? A whole lot, it turns out. When I was in London last week with my kids for their mid-winter break, we went to the fascinating Churchill War Rooms. (Have you been? Iād love to hearāif not, I highly recommend a visit.) This quote describing the atmosphere of the team working on this seems like a descriptoon of a dream work environment to me! Over the last 16 months, Iāve kind of gotten into World War...
4 months agoĀ ā¢Ā 3 min read
Hi Reader! As I write this, I'm hurtling in a metal tube 34,980 feet above the Atlantic Ocean going 625 mph... wait, I'm scaring myself--oops. Deep breath. Hi from an airplane āļø as I take my kids on mid-winter break vacation. A few flight credits and a United sale means we're headed to London for a few days. š I'm excited! All carry-on bags and everyone was ready for the 5:45 a.m. Lyft 5 minutes early.. it's a new era in travelling with my kids and I'm ready for it (and hopefully did not...
5 months agoĀ ā¢Ā 2 min read
Hey Reader! In 2016, the school I founded hit a big milestone: we expanded into 8th grade and had to get our high school plan ready to launch. High school is pretty complicated especially when it comes to course offerings, credits and sequencingā So we took on a big change: new curricula for our 7th/8th grade core subjects. It made sense on paperā but in real life it was a hot mess. š¤¦š»āļø Not all at once, and not overnightā but having a lot of our staff (and students) trying to do something...
6 months agoĀ ā¢Ā 2 min read
Hey Reader! Itās a heavy time in the worldāMinneapolis-St. Paul is occupied, with five times as many federal agents as the number of police in the Twin Cities. Delivery drivers are being chased into homesā¦. people are being yanked from their car windows and beatenā¦ and of course a 37 year mother of three was shot at point blank range in her car earlier this month. It seems fitting, then, to share todayās Mini Moveācounterinuitive advice I tell my clients often. When things are big and heavy,...
6 months agoĀ ā¢Ā 1 min read
Dear Reader, I did not expect to get a #leadershipinthewild lesson from the NFL playoff games last weekend. But like leadership, the stakes were high: win-or-go-home. There was emotional baggage going into it (since 2016, Bears have won only 3 games in this division rivalry, compared to Packers 17. Oof.) My almost-11 year-old twins begged to stay up for the entire game, which started at 8:15 p.m. ET and I acquiesced. I was out with friends during the first half, and I kept checking the score...
6 months agoĀ ā¢Ā 3 min read