Change, Leadership, and Work-Life Balance

Episode 40: Show Notes

The pandemic has shown that change is possible and that educators can serve high levels of instruction to students across a number of different modalities. As Dr. PJ Caposey explains in today’s episode, “your zip code shouldn’t determine the quality of your education.” An acclaimed keynote speaker and superintendent, today we speak with PJ about leadership, work-life balance, and how we can change our systems to offer a better education for all. After introducing PJ, we dive into how his district has handled the pandemic, along with the difficulties of leading a diverse team facing enormous strain. We then unpack the differences between cheerleading and leading, and why education is in crisis as it hasn’t evolved at the same rate as our society. PJ shares his insights into why it’s challenging to enact change before we explore the role of student voices when making decisions. We also discuss what keeps PJ up at night and how you can achieve a work-life balance — or as PJ calls it, a work-life fit. Near the end of the episode, PJ reflects on what the pandemic has taught him and how he remains hopeful. The pandemic has given us an incredible opportunity to innovate education. Tune in to hear PJ’s take on how we can make the most of it.

 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing Dr. PJ Caposey, superintendent of Meridian School District 223.
• Hear how PJ’s community has been dealing with the pandemic.
• PJ provides listeners with details on what makes his district unique. 
• Reflecting on the challenges of leading a district during difficult times.  
• Being a cheerleader versus being a leader. 
• Issues facing education and how we can push forward the future of education. 
• The “Tyranny of the Now,” and why it’s so difficult to enact change. 
• How the pandemic has led to a general loss of student voice. 
• Why superintendents need to capitalize on pandemic changes. 
•  Answering the question — how much student voice do we need? 
• Creating a work-life-fit to live a guiltless, joyous life. 
• Reconciling the different needs of your staff and pupils.
• Why the pandemic has been an incredible learning opportunity for educators.
• Hear PJ’s advice to listeners and how we can find hope in our situation. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: 

• Dr. PJ Caposey
• Dr. PJ Caposey on LinkedIn
• Dr. PJ Caposey on Twitter
• Dr. PJ Caposey Email
• Audible.com
• Wiredprofiles
• Sponsors | District Leader
• Meridian School District 223
• Edutopia
• ASCD
• NPR 
• The Washington Post
• HuffPost
• Illinois Principals Association
• PJ Caposey Ted Talk 
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People on Amazon