The Better Leaders Better Schools Podcast with Daniel Bauer
The BETTER LEADERS BETTER SCHOOLS podcast is in the TOP 0.5% most downloaded shows of over 2 million podcasts across the world. The BLBS show was created for RUCKUS MAKERS in education -- those out-of-the-box school leaders making change happen. Launched in 2015, this category-defining podcast in educational leadership has helped over 1 MILLION leaders LEVEL UP. Each week host DANIEL BAUER has a conversation with a leadership expert and invites you to listen in. Turn your commute, chores, or workout into professional development and then GO MAKE A RUCKUS! BLBS is the #1 downloaded podcast for school leaders.
Episodes
Jethro Jones on Breaking the Robot Principal Playbook
The Ruckus Report
Quick take: Most school leaders are trained to lead like emotionless robots. But students aren't spreadsheets and staff don't need a boss with a checklist — they ...
The Ruckus Report
Quick take: The biggest legal risk most districts face isn't a headline-grabbing lawsuit — it's the hidden gap between the accommodations they promise and the ones students actually receive. Sam Feeney built a tool that collapses this compliance gap to 10 seconds and a single click.
Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker
Sam Feeney has been an educator for twenty-five years as an English teacher, counselo...
Mitch Weathers on Breaking the Bottleneck Leadership Trap
The Ruckus Report
Quick take: Most principals think they're the chief problem solver—but that mindset is actually what's breaking their schools. When you're the go-to for every fire, you're not leading, you're enabling dependence.
Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker
Mitch became a gifted teacher because he was a mediocre student. Mitch rarely felt comf...
The Ruckus Report
Quick take: The "lone wolf" leader is a toxic myth that's burning out school administrators and failing students. Veronica Holyoke proves that transformational leadership happens in community, not isolation — and one hour a week can change everything.
Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker
Veronica Holyoke is a 25-year education veteran and Utah's 2024 Assi...
The Ruckus Report Quick take: Most districts are dumping water into leaky buckets while wondering why they can't fill them. Nate Eklund shows us why we've been solving the wrong problem — and how "punching the shark" creates the workplace conditions that make educators want to stay.
Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Nate Eklund is the founder and CEO of Vital Network, a national organization foc...
The Ruckus Report Quick take: If your school has beautiful values painted on the walls but nobody's living them, you're running a theater, not a school. Jimmy Casas exposes the brutal difference between what we say and what we do.
Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Jimmy Casas has been an educator for over 30 years, serving twenty-two years as a school leader. Under his leadership, his school was...
The Ruckus Report
Quick take: Most principals manage buildings instead of transforming lives. Dr. Chris Jones flips the script by putting teachers at the center of every decision, creating scheduling magic that serves everyone — and proves that embracing resistance makes you stronger.
Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker
Chris Jones has been an educator in Massachusetts fo...
The Ruckus Report Quick take: Award-winning Superintendent Dr. Nick Polyak reveals why the most innovative school leaders aren't just adding new programs—they're actively tearing down outdated practices to make room for transformational student experiences.
Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Dr. Nick Polyak is the proud superintendent of the award-winning Leyden Community High School District 212...
The Ruckus Report
Quick take: Visionary school leaders don’t follow dusty rulebooks. In this episode, Jethro Jones joins Danny Bauer to burn the old manual and co-create a new playbook for Ruckus Makers — one bold idea at a time.
Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker
Jethro Jones, 2017 NASSP Digital Principal of the Year, is a former principal from Fairban...
The Ruckus Report
Quick take: Award-winning Principal Demetrius Ball reveals how intentional leadership, strategic decision-making, and being consistently present creates a school culture where students feel more connected than ever before.
Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker
Demetrius Ball was born and raised in Ohio. He is a graduate of the United States Military Academ...
The Ruckus Report Quick take: International school leader Jennifer Bertram reveals how trusting your intuition can lead to unexpected leadership opportunities, and how joining a supportive community of fellow leaders transforms professional growth.
Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Originally from Canada, Jennifer's teaching journey began in Montevideo, Uruguay, followed by many years at Escola ...
The Ruckus Report
Quick take: When traditional approaches to school improvement aren't working, the answer may not be more control - but rather more connection. Dr. Mitchell reveals how transformative leadership starts with listening and building authentic relationships.
Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker
Dr. Derek Mitchell serves as the CEO of Partners in School I...
The Ruckus Report Quick take: This experimental episode explores emerging educational trends with Mitch Weathers, diving into AI's impact on teaching, the evolution of education's purpose, and whether teaching remains a recommendable profession.
Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Mitch became a gifted teacher because he was a mediocre student. Despite taking seven years to graduate college, he na...
The Ruckus Report
Quick take: The factory model of education is dead. This school leader transformed a failing campus into a Blue Ribbon award winner by reimagining intervention through WIN Time - and now she's showing thousands of leaders worldwide how to do the same.
Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker
Stephanie is a veteran school leader, author, and owner of Principal Principles...
The Ruckus Report
Quick take: In a system built for efficiency rather than connection, Dr. Godfrey shows how one district is creating space for what truly matters—from targeted reading interventions to wellness days for staff—proving that even large districts can make the human element their highest priority.
Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker
Dr. Anthony Godfrey is the ...
The Ruckus Report
Quick take: Schools only account for 20% of a child's waking hours. Reschool co-founder Amy Anderson reveals how innovative partnerships with families and communities can transform the other 80% into powerful learning opportunities that create more equitable education for all.
Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker
Amy Anderson is the Executive Director and...
The Ruckus Report
Quick take: When transforming struggling schools, following the traditional playbook isn't enough. Learn how effective turnaround leaders strategically break rules, build relationships, and create rapid improvement while working within traditional systems.
Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker
Amy Galloway serves as Exec...
The Ruckus Report
Quick take: In this special episode, Danny shares his journey from rule-following student to educational disruptor, then delivers key updates on everything happening at Ruckus Maker HQ in 2025 that can help you transform your leadership.
Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker
Danny Bauer is the founder of Better Leaders Better Schools and host of the most d...
The Ruckus Report
Quick take: Missouri Superintendent Dr. David Buck shows how real-world learning experiences are transforming education from standardized "assembly lines" into dynamic pathways that prepare students for a future even educators can't predict.
Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker
Dr. David Buck has been an educator for 28 years, serving as a teacher of ever...
The Ruckus Report Quick take: A veteran educator shares powerful insights on building trust, implementing anchor practices, and creating a school culture where both teachers and students want to show up every day.
Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker
A middle school principal with 14 years of experience in education transitions from teacher...
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