Ever wonder what makes a truly exceptional school leader? Bill Curry, recently named Nebraska's 2025 Middle School Principal of the Year, offers a refreshing perspective that might surprise you.
Curry's journey into education began unexpectedly when a high school crush asked for help with algebra. That simple tutoring session revealed his natural teaching ability and set him on a path through classroom teaching, college basketball coaching, and ultimately school leadership. His candid admission that he secured his first principalship partly by agreeing to drive the school bus reveals a leadership philosophy grounded in humility and service—do whatever it takes to make your school successful.
At Boone Central Middle School, Curry and his team have created what they call "The Cardinal Way," a framework that transformed a struggling school culture into one of shared purpose and consistent achievement. Through intentional systems designed to withstand leadership turnover (the school has had five superintendents in six years!), they've created remarkable stability and success for students. Their approach focuses on three core values: building character, creating opportunities, and striving for success.
What's most striking about Curry's leadership is his passionate belief that credit belongs to his teachers. "They don't give coach of the year honors to coaches who coach mediocre teams," he explains. "Teachers have a way of making principals look pretty good." This perspective underscores a crucial truth about educational leadership—supporting excellence in others creates the conditions for everyone to thrive.
For aspiring leaders, Curry offers practical wisdom: identify your personal strengths, build a strong support network, and learn from mentors who've positively influenced you. Rather than trying to be someone you're not, leverage your authentic self to connect with students and staff.
Ready to rethink what makes an award-winning school leader? Listen now to discover how genuine relationships, sustainable systems, and a commitment to celebrating success can transform educational communities.
Connect with Bill Curry:
Email: bcurry@boonecentral.esu7.org
Click Here: to be a Bus Driver in Nebraska
Teach Better Mid Roll Network Ad
Connect with Principal JL Click Here:
Want to be a guest on Educational Leadership with Principal JL?
Send Principal JL a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1742787866678447e5bdb89c1
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Principal JL (00:00):
Today I am honored to be joined by Bill Curry, the
2025 Nebraska Middle SchoolPrincipal of the Year.
Bill has had a remarkablejourney in education, starting
as a middle school teacher atKearney to coaching basketball
at the University of Nebraska,Kearney, to leading schools
through growth andtransformation.
(00:21):
Growth and transformation.
He is currently the principalat Boone Central Middle School,
where he and his team are makingbig impacts on students' lives
through what they call theCardinal Way.
Now let's get to ourconversation with Bill Curry.
Welcome back, everybody toanother episode of the
(00:49):
Educational Leadership Podcast.
Today I have my partner cryingfrom Seattle.
Yes, that's right, we met outin Seattle.
We were driving around ourelectric scooters and bikes
together, having a great time atthe United Principals
Conference.
So today, on today's show, I'mbringing in Bill Curry from
(01:10):
Boone Central Middle School.
Bill, welcome to the show, heygreat to be here.
Bill Curry (01:16):
When you invited me on, I was like, well, who's
going to want to hear about mystory?
But then I started listening toyour podcast and, wow, you've
had some really cool people onhere, so I'm pretty honored that
I get to be, I get to be a partof this.
This is a cool thing you gotgoing.
Principal JL (01:34):
Yeah, bill, thank you very much.
Thank you for listening.
I'm going to get into the veryfirst question.
I asked everybody that comes onthis show what inspired you to
become an educator.
Bill Curry (01:47):
Well, I was in high school we were in an Algebra 2
class.
I remember this veryspecifically and all of us were
struggling, like this is a toughclass.
We were having a hard timeunderstanding the concepts and
this girl that sits in front ofme, that you know, I kind of had
(02:08):
.
I kind of like, oh man, she'scute, she turns around and goes
Bill, do you understand thisstuff?
And I said, yeah, I had no idea, like I'm just as much lost as
everybody else.
But I said, oh yeah, it's easy,she goes the best words ever.
Well, oh yeah, it's easy, shegoes the best words of it.
(02:34):
Well, can you teach it to me?
Yes, I can.
And so I I took that night andI worked, I studied it, I
figured it out, and then we gottogether on a little study date,
went to the library, helped herkind of figure it out.
She ended up getting a B on thetest.
Well, then she tells all hercute friends hey, bill can teach
this stuff better than theteacher can.
And that turned into we'd get agroup of us going down to the
(02:58):
library and we had algebra dates, we had calculus dates, we had
we had count parties at thelibrary.
Like how nerdy is that?
Well, we had a group of peoplethat get together and just study
together.
That shaped my idea to go intocollege.
I thought, if I can do thiswith my friends, maybe there's a
(03:19):
living in it.
And I found out I had a gift toteach.
That's what got me intoeducation and I've loved it,
like I've just found a.
I found a niche and I feel likeI'm making a difference.
Very rewarding and I've reallyenjoyed my journey.
Principal JL (03:35):
Hey, that's a first right.
You got into education becauseof girls.
Bill Curry (03:39):
There's a hot chick that wanted help with algebra,
like I'm in.
Principal JL (03:43):
There you go.
Hey, that's awesome.
So what did you teach when yougot in and once you finished
college?
What?
What's subjects?
Bill Curry (03:53):
So I be.
I became a math and PE teacheris what I studied to be.
And then I decided to get I wasgoing to be a high school math
or PE teacher.
To get into my middle schoolendorsement they needed at the
time I needed three differentdisciplines and looking at my
credits, oh, I'm pretty close tosocial studies endorsement.
So I had, I got my math.
(04:15):
Social studies PE was what wason my teaching certificate.
And then I student taught inKearney at Sunrise Middle School
and did a little bit of studentteaching in social studies and
math.
My cooperating teacher took ajob as a principal.
They hired me to fill his spotand that's how I got my foot in
(04:38):
the door and I became a mathteacher.
Principal JL (04:40):
Awesome.
Now we kind of have a littlebit similar.
I was math, PE and DORS, so Ihad those.
I did a new social stay.
I'll do three.
I wasn't going that far, butoutside of that that's kind of a
unique connection that we havefor sure.
So you're in the math room,you're teaching, you know at the
time.
So what are some lessons orwhat are some experiences you
(05:01):
had as a math teacher thathelped you become an educational
leader down the road?
Bill Curry (05:09):
I think I just I liked the, I liked the, the idea
that I was helping kids figurethings out right, like just
there's just that aha moments.
There's a lot of personalsatisfaction seeing kids have
those aha moments.
I think one of the things Ithink about is just being
intentional with what matters,right, like when I, as a teacher
(05:32):
, what do successful teachershave in common?
They're very intentional withwhat they want to do.
And when you see that thoseconnections you're making with
kids I don't care if it'steaching, if it's coaching, if
it's administration beingintentional with what matters,
being a good listener, beingempathetic, being able to give
(05:55):
support, those things make adifference.
That is very rewarding.
Principal JL (06:03):
Now you also did some coaching.
I understand you were abasketball coach, so coaching
how did that help you?
What are some things youlearned as a coach as well, to
help you with your leadership?
Bill Curry (06:22):
So just a crazy, how do you go from being a eighth
grade math teacher to being theassistant women's basketball
coach in UNK for a couple ofyears?
What a journey, right, like I'dlike to say that they saw my
expertise in coaching, teachingor coaching third grade, or
teaching C team girls basketball.
And then all of a sudden butjust connections it was, you
know, my connections with CoachStevens at the time was the head
(06:44):
coach there.
I did get to do a little bit ofcoaching.
Funny story my last year at UNKwe had a graduate assistant,
amy Gusso, and who is now AmyWilliams, who is our head
women's basketball coach for theHuskers.
And so my story is I at onepoint in my life we shared an
(07:08):
office in the bottom of thehealth and sports center at UNK
and I actually had the biggerdesk because she was the GA.
She went on the same unfortunateand is having a fantastic run
for the Huskers.
I went a different direction.
I coached junior high girls andgot myself into school
administration.
But you know what, when you'rearound highly driven people,
(07:33):
when you're around people who dothings at a high level, they
can get frustrated with thestatus quo.
And, as a leader, I've got somehighly motivated, highly
successful teachers.
What am I doing to support themand helping them become even
better?
Like?
Those are the teachers thatit's easy to forget about, right
(07:54):
, like, oh, they're good,they're doing what they're
supposed to do.
I don't have to worry aboutthem.
No, it's not about worryingabout them or not worrying about
them.
These are people that are verygood at their craft.
What can I do to bring themmore joy, or what can I do to
support them and help thembecome even better?
And that's what I really enjoyabout leadership right now.
(08:15):
It's not about who needs thehelp.
It's about what can I do foreverybody and how can I be that
support person for the peoplethat I work with.
Principal JL (08:23):
You bet.
Bill Curry (08:34):
That's probably why you're probably middle school
principal of the year as well,right?
No, no, no.
I think I've taken all theother applications and thrown
them in the trash, so minemight've been the only one that
made it across the table.
Principal JL (08:43):
I bet you I'm pretty sure you had some people
supporting you along the way aswell.
But you know you talk aboutsupporting teacher, especially
the teachers that are reallygood.
Right, what can you do to helpthem?
It's just like in the classroomwhere you have a kid that's
like excelling how do you pushthem to become better?
You do the same thing withteachers.
(09:04):
Like excelling how do you pushthem?
They become better?
You do the same thing withteachers.
Yeah, we spend some time withour you know novice teachers and
helping them and supportingthem, but we can't forget about
our seasoned teachers.
And how do we support them?
Because they're the rock starsand we also don't want to put
more on their plate than theyneed just because they're good.
So that's another thing you gotto think about when you're
(09:25):
talking about those rockstarteachers.
We don't want to burn them out,we want to keep them.
We want to make sure they stayright.
Bill Curry (09:33):
Why are we giving 90% of our work to the 10% of
our teachers?
You know the great ones arehighly like oh, we need somebody
to do.
We need somebody on the schoolimprovement team?
Oh, let's go, let's put that ontheir plate.
Oh, we need somebody to do.
We need somebody on the schoolimprovement team?
Oh, let's go, let's put that ontheir plate.
Oh, we need somebody on an MTSSteam?
Let's ask them, because youknow they're going to do a good
job.
But, like you said, I thinkthat's a great point they don't
(09:54):
want to put more on their plate.
What are we doing as leaders tohelp them be successful?
Them be successful.
That's the.
That's the.
That's a shift in in ourapproach to leadership.
That, I think, is creating somereally cool opportunities that
we're having here and when youthink about schools that are
successful.
Listening to some of theeducators and leaders that you
(10:16):
have on your podcast, I hear acommon thread about that support
that you're trying to give thepeople that you work with.
Principal JL (10:23):
Yeah, but you know you went from math teacher to,
you know coaching basketball andwe kind of got into some of
your principalship a little bit.
But do you have a story of whatmotivated you to pursue
becoming a principal?
What was that journey like foryou, going from the classroom
(10:45):
into your first principal job?
Bill Curry (10:48):
Yeah, that's a great question.
After coaching at UNK I got ajob as a math teacher at Color
Middle School in Lincoln.
It was kind of an inner citymiddle school.
52nd and Vine was there forfive years or so.
Loved that job, like those kids.
There was just a differentlevel of need and really felt
(11:11):
like you're making a difference.
But teaching there I had severalof my colleagues you know, they
just conversations you have inthe hallways and stuff Well gosh
, are you going to get youradmin degree?
And there was just some peoplethat I respected as teachers,
some of the principals I workedwith.
They thought I'd do well inthat role.
(11:33):
Hey, have you thought aboutgoing back to getting your admin
?
So that peer encouragement whenyour colleagues recognize some
things, that some of your skillsets that maybe would be
successful in an area you listento that right, if I didn't have
those people telling me, hey,man, you should think about this
(11:54):
, I'm not sure if I'd had thecourage to take that jump I did
when I was at UNK.
I thought you know, maybeleadership's in my future,
because I had a personal desireto kind of have a bigger
footprint on what I could do topositively influence people
around me.
(12:14):
You know, as a teacher, I had alot of influence on my
classroom.
As a principal, I have a lot ofinfluence on all the classrooms
in my building.
That's a bigger footprint.
That was something I wanted todo and now as a principal I've
(12:35):
been a principal for 19 years, Iget to do that but it was that
reaffirming and, I think, forpeople getting into the business
, I think you need to belistening for when people that
you respect, people, you trustthe mentors in your life, when
they're saying things like wow,you're a really good listener,
or man, I just appreciate howyou approach these tough
(12:58):
situations.
You should think about this.
When people are saying thosethings, you need to listen
because they're seeing somethingin you and that was enough for
me to make that jump.
Principal JL (13:11):
All right, that's a great story, yeah, when people
see things in you that youdon't maybe see in yourself at
the time and you just get a lotof validation.
So that's really a really neatstory there, bill.
Now, bill, you decided, hey,I'm going to go become a
principal.
What was the journey like?
Did you have to do a bunch ofinterviews?
Did you get denied a bunch ofjobs?
(13:33):
How did you land on that firstprincipal ship at Shelby and
Rising City?
Gosh, that's a great question.
Bill Curry (13:43):
I remember back then we kind of were trying to
figure out where we wanted to be.
We didn't know what that wasgoing to look like.
We prayed about it.
But my job in Shelby it was thefirst job I applied for.
It was the first interview Ihad and I got it.
(14:04):
It's not supposed to be thateasy, but I'll tell you a secret
, and those of you that arelistening to this podcast I'm
going to give you a cheat codeto get your first job.
Can I do that?
Is that okay?
If I do this, yeah, go ahead.
Okay, listen up, this is acheat code on how to get your
foot in the door During myinterview at Shelby.
(14:29):
It's a small school, right D1size school.
They're asking me questionsabout leadership and being a
principal.
Well, then they get to theother duties as assigned.
Hey, I see you did somecoaching in your day.
Would you be willing to help uswith some coaching?
I said yes.
They said, hey, we need asenior class sponsor.
Could you do that?
(14:49):
I said yes, hey, we could use alittle bit of help.
Like we need some.
We're one period short on PEteaching, if you think I have
time to do this here.
Yes, the two board members thatwere in the.
I had the.
This was the part of theinterview.
I had two board members in thesuit.
The one guy says to me, bill,can you drive a bus?
(15:15):
And they both looked at eachother and laughed and I said,
well, I have my CDL, so if youneed a substitute as a driver, I
suppose I could go down and getmy sub.
Like, I could be a sub for you,guys, I could get my bus
endorsement and be a sub for you.
They looked at each other.
I really believe that I got thejob because I said I was willing
(15:38):
to drive a school bus.
There's your cheat code, likebe willing to do the things that
other people aren't willing todo, get your foot in the door
and then be faithful with thejobs that you need to do.
Right, but I did not go to thatexpecting to drive a bus.
But here I am, like I uh, I hada CDL because, as a teacher in
(16:00):
Lincoln, my summer side gig wasworking at a fireworks warehouse
and packing up fireworks andputting them in a budget truck.
And then I was.
I got a CDL so I could drivefireworks to different stands
across the state.
Very simple I'll go down andget my bus endorsement.
I drive fireworks to differentstands across the state.
Very simple I'll go down andget my bus endorsement.
I think that's what got me thegig.
Principal JL (16:21):
Yeah, that's one thing we have in common.
I actually drove a bus before Ibecame a principal.
So one time a superintendent atmy first place at Twin Rivers
was like hey, would you bewilling to get your CDL and bus
driver's license?
We need help with bus routes.
And then it turned into oh, weneed you to drive your football
(16:42):
team to games, you know.
So, yeah, I started drivingbuses at my first job.
My dad carried over to Hershey.
When I get into Omaha they werelike, ah, you don't need to
worry about that, but I stillhave my CDL.
They were like, ah, you don'tneed to worry about that, but I
still have my CDL.
I'm at Hastings and they doknow that I can drive a bus.
They haven't asked me yet.
If they said, hey, we need yourhelp, I would do it At the time
(17:06):
.
You know we don't need it atthis time, but that's kind of
cool.
You know we both kind of havethat.
So did you drive the bus?
Did you do all those thingsthat?
Bill Curry (17:15):
they asked you to do .
I drove route.
We actually had to let a drivergo.
It wasn't a safe driver andit's hard to fire a bus driver
when you don't have another one.
And so I really struggled atthat point because I had to
drive the morning and afternoonroute.
I was driving activities.
And then when do I have timefor IEP meetings?
(17:36):
When can I have my staffmeetings?
When do I meet with parents andkids before and after school?
And so it motivated me to findanother driver.
But you know, I was.
I love, I love driving a bus.
Now, could I?
Could I do that at a largerschool where I have more
responsibility?
Probably not, but in Shelby itworked for me and I got to, I
(18:00):
got to know, I knew where allthe kids lived.
I took kids home on routes,like to just kind of see that
part and know where they'recoming from.
I think helped me in some of myconversations that I had with
some of those kids and I don'tknow.
I just.
And so, small town, small world, but I'm telling you, for
(18:20):
people that want to get theirfoot in the door, be willing to
do what they need, just bewilling to do it and then figure
out a way to make it happen.
Principal JL (18:29):
Bill, I want you to kind of take us through each
stop on your principalship.
You started in Shelby and youended in Boone Central as their
middle school principal.
So kind of tell us, hey, whatdid you learn at your stops
along the way that got you toBoone Central?
Bill Curry (18:45):
Sure, in Shelby I learned that leaders have to be
willing to do anything.
But I also learned you can't doeverything right.
Oh, we need a sub.
I'll jump in the classroom.
(19:06):
Oh, we need.
We had a spill in the hallway.
I got it.
Oh, oh, we need you to drivethe.
We need you to drive thevolleyball team to Clarkson.
Okay, I tried to take on toomuch and it made it really I
wasn't being faithful with thethings that mattered because I
was trying to do so much.
So I guess my first job.
(19:28):
I learned a lot of differentparts of school and how they
operated and what everythingneeded.
But I also learned you can't doeverything for everybody.
I also remember you know we hada lot of successes in Shelby.
There were a lot of highlightsand, and you know, I got to.
(19:49):
I remember when I, when I movedor when I told my staff that I
was taking another job, I wasjust looking in the room during
my meeting and the room was fullof middle high school teachers
and looking across from I I had.
I've been there 12 years and in12 years I think I had hired
everybody, but maybe two orthree people in that room Like
(20:09):
those.
Those are the people we'reworking with, like we're in the
trenches day in, day out.
The move to Boone was kind ofbittersweet for me.
I'm going to get just kind ofreal with you for a second.
And my jump from Shelby toShelby, rising City.
Great things happened there.
(20:30):
I got to be a part of a merger,like I got to help the
community of Shelby and RisingCity come together.
We created or started a middleschool, a small town middle
school.
We kept a building in risingcity.
There were some really coolthings that happened there.
All those things.
The year before I applied toBoone central, I remember
(20:54):
telling my superintendent youknow, I'm just at a point where
I feel like my best isn't goodenough and I was so burned out,
not necessarily, but just I wasempty, my tank was empty and I
really did.
I felt like my best, I'm givingthis school my best, and I
(21:14):
didn't feel like it was goodenough.
I didn't know what to do.
I didn't know like, am I goingto be one of those statistics
that you know leaders don't last?
For very long I started lookingat well, maybe education's not
for me, prayed a lot about it,had a lot of hard conversations
with my wife Thought maybe justa change of scenery would be
(21:35):
good.
So then we started looking atwhat jobs are out there.
This one ended up being a greatfit.
And then from going fromfeeling like your best isn't
good enough to having a lot ofsuccesses and getting some
really cool accolades and, youknow, building, kind of just
(21:56):
building your network andfeeling like you are making a
difference, wow, like what awhat a change.
And so here in Shell and Boone,at Boone Central, you know we
we've had our share of strugglestoo.
Been here six years, been heresix years.
This is our fifthsuperintendent.
My first year here we had COVID.
(22:19):
My second year here we moved amiddle school from Petersburg.
It's been operating there for20 years.
The board decided to do a buildand we moved everything under
one building and so we closeddown Petersburg middle school,
you know, and brought it toAlbion, and the emotions that
went with that and the and thedifficulties and the but to try
(22:42):
to, you know, for the good ofthe district faced a lot of
different things.
Through that, though, I've had agreat administrative team.
I love the people that I workwith.
I feel satisfaction and rewardworking with great teachers,
great paras, I go in and havemeals with the cooks and I just
(23:04):
I joke with them.
I love the collegiality we haveat Boone Central, very
rewarding, like I could seemyself wanting to be here for a
long time because there's agreat deal of satisfaction
that's coming with how thingsare.
You know what I have controlover and what support I have
with my colleagues and myteachers and my, my
(23:25):
superintendent, all those kindsof things.
So I don't know what the nextstep is, but I that's kind of it
was just an interesting jump.
And you know you go fromteacher to college basketball to
teacher to principal toprincipal.
And then it's not just me, it'smy family.
(23:46):
My kids had to move, my kidshad to make new friends.
They did.
They're better for it.
Just kind of an interestingjourney.
And here we are, and now I gofrom nobody knowing where Shelby
is to talking to you andgetting to be on a list of some
pretty great administrativeleaders that you've talked to on
a podcast.
(24:06):
It's crazy.
Principal JL (24:08):
It's kind of awesome how, like everybody's
journey, how we all cross paths.
Bill, I'm pretty sure you wereat shelby rising city when I was
at twin river.
As I was at twin river from 07through 2012, I was the head
football coach there, and so wemight have crossed paths, not
even know it.
You know, but also, living ingenoa is not far from albion
(24:31):
either so yeah, we had ourbattles in river and shelby.
Bill Curry (24:36):
There were some good .
There were some good games.
Principal JL (24:39):
Yeah.
Bill Curry (24:40):
Well, yeah, I remember coaching up in that
cracker box of a gym and I justremember some battles on the
football field.
Oh yeah, that was good stuff.
Principal JL (24:49):
Yeah, no, it's been, it's been.
Yeah, so it's kind of crazy,kind of like even us, you know,
through our journeys we haveprobably crossed paths doesn't
even really know, and until weconnected at Seattle this summer
, and now here we are doing apodcast.
And so, Bill, this past yearyou were out in Seattle, you
were named the 2025 NebraskaMiddle School Principal of the
(25:13):
Year Nebraska middle schoolprincipal of the year.
So what I want to know is howdid they break the news?
How did you find out that youbecame the Nebraska middle
school principal of the year?
Bill Curry (25:23):
First of all, absolutely not on my bingo card.
Right Like that is, those kindsof accolades are saved for
people that have a presence at astatewide level.
You know there's a handful ofpeople and it's an.
It's a tight network, rightLike.
We know the people that we knowthe names of the people that
(25:45):
have kind of a presence or areputation of being outstanding
leaders.
So I never thought this wasgoing to happen, put in the
application, wrote some thingsdown, right, but I kind of was
at a point where I felt likegosh, just even being in the
conversation was pretty cool.
(26:06):
There was one.
It was I think it was aSaturday Patrick Moore,
principal at Blue Hill, I thinkhe at the time he's the state
coordinator on the NCSAexecutive board.
He gives me a call.
He says, bill, are you sittingdown Because I got some good
news?
And he tells me.
And then there's just like thislong pause.
(26:28):
I didn't, I couldn't believe it.
I'm like is he pulling my chainhere?
And it was just kind of likeI'm just processing, like you
gotta be kidding me.
Well then I went from kind ofquiet and processing to like wow
, that's so cool.
And here we are, right, likeand and and then getting to,
(26:52):
what does it really mean, though?
I don't know.
You know, I think personallyit's a cool thing.
Let's be honest, like you, youhope to be recognized by your
peers for doing a good job, andto me that's kind of what this
is Like.
This is a re, this is arecognition, but not just what
I'm doing.
I feel like it's a recognitionfor the good things that are
(27:17):
happening in Boone Central.
I remember telling our schoolboard president well, when he
called to congratulate me, Isaid well, they don't give coach
of the year honors to coacheswho coach mediocre teams.
And you're a football coach, ifyou had a 500 season, you're
not getting coach of the year.
(27:38):
But if you win a statechampionship, you get coach of
the year.
Your players have a way ofmaking you look pretty good.
Teachers have a way of makingus principals look pretty good.
Teachers have a way of makingus principals look pretty good,
and I've been fortunate to bearound some pretty amazing
teachers.
So I kind of look at the, atthe recognition, more as the
(28:06):
great things that are happeningat Boone Central, like it's a.
It's a validation that we'redoing some things right, we're
doing some things well and likewe, we celebrate together, we
celebrated together.
It is, it is pretty special.
Principal JL (28:24):
I think that's great.
I mean, I love how you know,yeah, you got the award.
But it does take a team effortand it does take everybody
working together to accomplishthe things you accomplish at the
building level.
You know you get to be the guyat the top of that building but
you need everybody underneathyou to support the things, the
(28:45):
vision, the mission that you layout for them.
So with that, I want you toreally kind of brag on Boone
Central.
What are some things thatyou're proud of at Boone Central
Middle School that you wouldlike to share with other people?
I'll give you a chance to kindof brag on them a little bit.
Bill Curry (29:02):
All right.
Well, you know what I'm goingto start with.
I'm going to start with a failand then I'm going to turn that
into kind of a brag.
So just a couple years ago,climate and culture were not
great.
It kind of felt like an usversus them kind of thing.
As an admin team, we weren'tmeeting the needs and there were
(29:26):
some real challenges on ourhands.
We weren't meeting the needs ofour teachers in a way that we
needed to, so we had to focus onclimate and culture.
Well, that's exactly what wedid.
So we went back to the drawingboard, we had a retreat, we went
(29:48):
and sought the wisdom of somepeople that do climate and
culture.
Well, we reached out to mikelucas west side.
We reflected on the things thatmake boone central great, we
reflected on what people areproud of, and then that kind of
morphed into the cardinal wayand we tried to articulate the
(30:13):
mission, vision and values ofwhat we want to be and we put it
on paper and then we tried tokind of make a little graphic
about it in the cardinal way.
Well, from that we are able tokind of start to identify or at
(30:33):
least rethink, instead offocusing on the negative through
the cardinal way.
Now we're focusing on thepositive and we're focusing on
the things that we're very proudof.
So climate and culture haveimproved.
I'm very proud of that and whatwe've been able to improve here
at Boone Central over the lastfew years.
I'm very proud of the fact thatwe've been able to put some
(30:54):
systems in place that helpdeliver consistent, high quality
support to our staff.
We've had five soups in sixyears.
Those systems that we've put inplace have been able to help us
keep what we're offering at avery high level.
It's not contingent upon theperson that sits in that chair.
I'm proud of that.
(31:14):
Curriculum review cycles,school improvement, esu supports
.
We ask ourselves now if we'regoing to do something like well,
what are we going to do at ournext PD?
Does it fit into our motto ofbuilding character, creating
opportunities or striving forsuccess?
How is what we're doing fitinto one of those three areas?
(31:39):
If it's not building character,if it's not creating
opportunities and if it's notstriving for success, then the
answer is no, we're not going todo it.
And that has helped us kind ofhone in to try not to be
everything for everybody but toreally dive into what's
important.
Well, now our scope is narrowedup a little bit.
(32:03):
We're doing a better job withwhat we need to do.
We like our motto buildingcharacter starts with B,
creating opportunities startwith C, and striving for success
is S, so B, c, s.
Boone Central Schools building,creating, striving it's kind of
(32:23):
a lettering thing, but that'swho we are, that's who we are
and I'm proud of those things.
Let's be honest Our NSCASscores have been consistently
high, even when we've had somevarious class dynamics that
would make it difficult.
Very proud of that.
I'm going to brag on ourcounselor, mrs Nelson.
(32:45):
Every year she puts togetherthis character retreat where she
takes eighth graders off siteand spends the day doing
character education, sometimeseven bringing in guest speakers.
It's phenomenal.
Phenomenal Like.
That's so easy to support.
We've got middle school speechgoing.
Our varsity speech team is verygood.
(33:06):
Well, not everybody has middleschool speech.
And not only are we doingjunior middle school speech, but
we're letting our sixth gradersparticipate.
That's something they can do.
Seventh and eighth graders getto do the sports Sixth graders
are looking at.
Well, what can we do?
You can go out for speech.
That has kind of fallen into.
(33:27):
Well, now they want to go outfor speech in high school.
It's a sustaining program andthen just individual.
Like little successes and thisone isn't little, this is big.
Last year we had the fewestnumber of missing assignments as
a middle school in the sixyears that I've been here.
We didn't do a good enoughcelebration of that, but that's
(33:48):
a very big deal.
Like kids are starting to dotheir work.
How nice would it be for you ifkids started to do their work
at a much higher level.
All of a sudden, some of theseproblems aren't so big of
problems anymore.
That's a big deal.
We figured it out a little bitlast year.
Well, we're trying to build onthat this year and but we want
(34:09):
to.
Those are some things I thinkthat we're doing well here, or
at least I'm proud of, and it'sokay to be proud of that.
Like we don't do a good enoughjob in education, of celebrating
our own successes.
That's not.
That's not tooting our own hornso much as it is recognizing
that there's a lot of goodpeople doing a lot of good
(34:31):
things and there's nothing wrongwith that.
Principal JL (34:37):
No, I'm right there with you, bill.
I know public education getsbeat up in the national media.
So it's up to us to, you know,drive our own narrative from all
the great things that we dohave going on, like you're able
to tell people on this podcastall the great things that are
happening have going on, likeyou're able to tell people on
this podcast all the greatthings that are happening at
Boone central middle school.
I'm able to kind of toot thehorn of Hastings high school
(34:59):
because, I'll tell you, peoplehad a bad perception of Hastings
high school and I showed uphere and I was like no, you guys
don't understand all the greatthings that actually happen here
and the great people that dowork here and do the day-to-day
grind.
And I see those things.
I want to celebrate, I wantpeople to know those things.
Get it out there so peoplecould see all the great things.
Guess what, over the last threeyears now going to my fourth
(35:21):
year here, the perception ofHastings High has changed, it's
flipped and it all comes down toyou know, controlling your
narrative and showing andcelebrating the great things
that are happening, becausepeople see the negatives and
they dwell on that, but thenwhen you just blitz them with
all these positive things,they're like well, this one, the
(35:42):
negative thing comes up.
You have too many positivethings to to counteract some of
those things.
So I think that's great thatyou've got some great things
going.
I think creating systems isimportant.
You kind of talk about that alittle bit, but I also believe
you can't get to academicsuccess without the culture
being right.
If your culture is right,academic successes will come.
(36:04):
And you're kind of seeing someof those things, even though you
probably had some academicsuccesses before, but now you've
probably even taken it toanother level of that.
So I think thank you forsharing that piece of wisdom and
what you've learned over thelast few years and the things
that you guys have in place.
I think the systems part isimportant because, like you said
(36:25):
, no matter who's sitting inthat superintendent seat or
maybe even someday, bill, whenyou're not there if they have
systems, they have the car inthe way, they have the way they
need to operate and no matterwhat happens, they understand
what they have to do to besuccessful.
So I think that's awesome andthank you for sharing that.
(36:46):
So, bill, you and I met out atthe Seattle President of the
United Conference, and we gotsome good conversations there.
I would love to hear some ofyour biggest takeaways from the
United Principal Conference thatwas hosted by the NASSP and the
NAESP this past summer.
(37:08):
What are some big takeaways youtook from that?
Bill Curry (37:12):
be this past summer.
What are some big takeaways youtook from that?
Well, this is going to soundsimilar to the conversation we
had, maybe over a beverage ortwo, driving our little electric
motor scooters down to a localestablishment.
But I love this.
I've never been able to go to anational conference before, so
being able to do that was a waskind of a special thing for me.
(37:34):
I think the biggest takeawayfor me was that I got to see
Nebraska.
Schools are doing things at anational level.
You know how you always lookthe grass is greener.
On the other side, the guy thatwon the national middle school
(37:55):
principal of the year reallykind of had a coach Carter kind
of story.
Like I'm not competing withthat, like that guy's like he's
amazing.
Well, guess what?
When we actually get to sitdown and talk about what's going
on and have real talk at thetable, to sit down and talk
about what's going on and havereal talk at the table, we're
(38:15):
doing things in Nebraska at anot just Boone, central,
hastings, across the board.
We're doing things in Nebraskaat a very high level and there's
a lot of those big timeeducators that would love to
have the opportunities and thesupport that we have here in
Nebraska, and so I think thatwas one big takeaway.
(38:37):
Like you know what, we cancompete with the big boys
because we are doing some thingswell, but professionally too.
I went to a session that Dr Tomashe's a middle school assistant
principal at Miller she did asession on navigating tough
conversations.
Wow, I'm telling you if youcould get her on your podcast,
(39:00):
she brought it and she has somegreat, great perspective.
I got a lot out of that,thinking about situational
versus systemic conversations,thinking about how we need to be
an ally for all kids, and then,in those tough conversations,
(39:20):
understanding perspective.
Wow, like, okay, this isn't I'mright, you're wrong.
I need to understand yourperspective so that we can come
together and move forward.
Mind shift.
That was fantastic.
And then, I guess, the otherone that stuck out for me Jim
Knight, big name in education,been around for a long time,
(39:43):
wrote in a lot of books, got tolisten to him in person and
here's what he said Engagementis the number one reason kids
stop coming to school.
They disengage physically,emotionally and cognitively.
To figure out a way to improveattendance, for principals are
(40:13):
trying to figure out a way todeal with truancy and
absenteeism.
What if you approach it from alevel of engagement?
How do we engage these kids?
How do we get these kids tofeel engaged?
How do we get them to plug inand want to be here?
And then let's see if thatdoesn't take care of itself.
So I just I I found thatfascinating.
(40:35):
You know, he went on to talkabout instructional coaching and
some other things and theeffect size that has on on what
we're doing.
But I just loved that ideabecause I'm a big, big
engagement guy.
When I do walkthroughs, I talkabout engagement.
When I do my observations, it'sall about engagement.
(40:56):
How are you engaging kids?
How are we engaging each other?
Because I feel like you do thatwell, everything else kind of
falls into place.
But then to hear Jim Knighttalk about well, that's actually
the reason kids don't want tocome to school, because they
don't feel engaged oh, that wasa good takeaway for me.
So there are a couple of thingsaside from finding this goofy
(41:18):
looking guy in a Nebraskat-shirt uh, just walking around
all by himself, looked, lookedlost, borderline, homeless, felt
sorry for him, but he had aNebraska t-shirt on, so I came
up and said hi, and then all ofa sudden we struck up a
conversation and and then wewent on an adventure and took an
electric scooter downtown.
(41:38):
And now here I am talking tohim on a podcast, like that's
kind of a cool thing.
Principal JL (41:43):
Well, thanks for calling me homeless.
I don't think I look that bad.
You certainly didn't have thefancy socks and shirt and tie
and jacket on at the time.
But you know, I played it down,man, I played it down.
I was in like chill mode right.
It's like, hey, let's go tothis nassp event.
You know that was a great event, that was fun.
(42:05):
But I do know dr anatoma.
I've known her for a while.
I've had, I've listened to hersessions, you know, at the
nebraska state conferences aswell and so yeah, she's a great
person.
She's at, you know, millernorth middle school in the
miller district.
I actually was at millard atone point in my career at miller
north high school.
So I I kind of know the lay ofthe land there.
(42:27):
But yeah, she's a great personand he had a chance to talk to
her and yeah, I, I'll probablywill ask her to come on
eventually.
I just haven't done it yet.
But when it comes down to it,bill, those are great insights.
I really appreciate you sharingout those things.
So, bill, what gets you excitedabout continuing the work as a
(42:48):
principal?
What is something that's comingup that goes?
You know what this was.
Bill Curry (42:52):
Keep me going as a principal you know, before I
answer, that I'm going to say ifyou make her the next person on
your podcast, don't do that tome.
Man, like I gotta, you gotta,give a few like can you find
kind of like a soft few people,that few like can you find kind?
Principal JL (43:13):
of like a soft few people that no, I'm just
kidding.
Bill Curry (43:15):
No, seriously, though, what?
What gets me excited tocontinue the work that we're
doing?
It's relationships, right, butit's not.
That's not cliche.
I love.
I love coming to work because Ilove connecting with kids.
I genuinely enjoy buildingrelationships with kids.
(43:36):
I enjoy talking to the adults.
I see myself as a supportsystem for the people that I'm
around.
So, because I feel supported, Ihave a great admin team.
I look forward to havingconversations with our admin
(43:57):
team about doing things at adistrict level and not
challenging and encouraging eachother.
Like I love the collegialitythat we have on our in our
middle school and our staff.
It's a fun working environment.
That gets me excited.
You know, if I'm at a pointwhere I feel like my good isn't
good enough, yeah, it's kind ofhard to get excited to come to
(44:17):
work every day, right, but whenyou feel supported and you are
supported and you're aroundgreat people, great things
happen, and that's been true inmy case.
I've been lucky to be able tofind great people when we need
jobs.
I've been fortunate to workwith some pretty great people
(44:38):
and and that leads to some greatconnections we have with kids,
and I think that's probably thebiggest thing that gets me
excited to come into work isjust getting to have those
conversations, relationshipbuilding, getting to know what
makes them go, hearing theirsuccesses and just being excited
for them.
(44:59):
And that makes you a good busdriver too.
Like just hey, I heard you hada great game the other night.
That's awesome.
Like celebrating in theirsuccesses.
Principal JL (45:09):
I love it, I love it, I love it.
Those are all great things.
You know a lot of those thingsI get excited for too.
You know I love going to work.
I love what I do.
If there ever comes a time I'mnot loving it, then it's
probably time for me to stepaway, but I don't see that
happening anytime soon for me aswell.
You know we've had a reallygreat conversation, Bill, and so
(45:30):
I want you to be able to impartsome wisdom on to people that
might be thinking about becomingan administrator.
So what would you tell peoplethat are thinking about becoming
a principal?
What would you advise them on?
What's some wisdom that youwould give them?
Bill Curry (45:48):
Well, you know, I talk about all the things that
are cool and the things I enjoy,but it's not all, pollyanna,
we've got to have toughconversations.
I don't always like theconversations I have with the
kids in my office, right Likethose are tough things to have
happen.
You know, when you're dealingwith difficult situations.
We had to.
We had to make a call to ourschool attorneys today, like not
(46:09):
everything is great, you getthrough those things.
So I'd say maybe, maybe justsome some thoughts.
If you're thinking about being aleader, reflect on what your
personal strengths are and thenuse that to your advantage.
If you're a relationship person, be a relationship leader.
If you're a data-driven person,be a relational leader that
(46:34):
uses data to make informeddecisions.
That's not a bad thing.
Find your strengths.
Be intentional with leveragingthose strengths to be who you
are as a leader, and then you'regoing to find success.
If you try to be somebodyyou're not, you're going to be
disappointed.
(46:55):
So I think that think aboutyour personal strengths, think
about how you can use those tobe a great leader.
I'd also say build your networkof support to be a great leader
.
I'd also say build your networkof support, like when you get
that first job, who are threepeople you can call after hours
if you need help.
That's the start of yournetwork.
And then go from there, thinkabout here's the other one.
(47:18):
Think about who the mentors arein your life.
You know, if you were coming tome saying, hey, I'm going to be
a, I'm going to be a principal,if I told you, think about the
mentors that are in your life,there's a few people that come
to mind.
Well, what were they to you andwhat did they do differently
(47:41):
than other people in your life?
Well, they took a real interestin me.
They seemed to care what I hadto say.
Oh, be that in your first job,reflect or think about the
things that you liked, aboutthose mentors which will shape
(48:03):
the way you are as a leader,those traits, those relationship
building characteristics, thethings that made you a great
teacher, the things that youaspire to be in the mentors that
were in your life.
That carries over toadministration.
Yeah, there's the toughconversations, there's the not
(48:25):
so fun stuff.
There is a higher burnout inadministration because it's hard
.
We're not always supported asleaders, but you can be
successful if you know who youare, are, you have a network of
(48:50):
support and you try to reflectthe things that worked for you
and the leaders that yourespected, and try to become
that.
That will help you in yourprocess to being successful.
I have no doubt about it.
It's worked for us.
Principal JL (49:01):
Yeah, I love it.
I mean, for me, I learned fromthe people that were in
leadership positions.
I took things from them and Ialways say, like, if I could
take this from this person, thisfrom this person and apply
those things, that's going tohelp me become better.
But yet I am who I am.
I am my authentic self and I'mnot going to change who I am.
(49:24):
I am my authentic self and I'mnot going to change who I am.
But at the same time, I learnedfrom other people.
Like Bill, I'm sitting herelearning from you right now, and
so there's some things like Ihave man right on, they do some
things.
Maybe I can think about gettingbetter as well.
So I really appreciate you know, the insights there and, like
you said, this is a tough job.
But we also got to look atfinding the joy in the job,
(49:45):
finding the joy in what we do,and that's something I talked to
my staff about like, hey, thisjob's not easy.
It's tough sometimes, so let'sfind the joy in what we do and
let's attack each day in a waythat we're trying to help kids
and do what's best for kids.
So those are some things thatyou know I've talked to my staff
about and just some, some justa mindset that we try to have
(50:09):
here at Hastings High School, aswell as other schools do the
same stuff.
So, you know, we don't want toreinvent wheels.
We want to take from otherpeople and apply those things,
cause when you do the thingsthat other great people in this
position do, you're going to besuccessful at it, and so I think
those are some great takeaways,bill.
So, bill, you know it's been agreat conversation.
(50:32):
If people wanted to connectwith you, how could they do that
?
Bill Curry (50:36):
Well, they could sign up for my bus driving class
.
Learn to be a bus driver.
I teach classes for theNebraska Safety Center.
I'm trying to help districtsmeet the needs they have for van
a bus driver.
I teach classes for theNebraska safety center.
I'm trying to help districtsmeet the needs they have for van
and bus drivers.
So take my class and become abus driver.
No, actually I don't have a verystrong media presence I.
That's an area that of growth Ineed to do a better job at.
(50:58):
They can email me.
I am on Twitter X at Mr BillCurry.
I listen and follow a lot ofeducational things.
I don't post a lot of stuff.
I'm a taker, not a giver, sothis has been a step out for me
a little bit.
But you know what, when youasked me to do this, I thought
(51:19):
to myself you know, I rememberconversations I have with kids.
I remember conversations I havewith kids.
You tell kids who do you want tobe.
Put people in your life thatyou want to be like and you're
going to be a better person.
Put good people around youProfessionally.
Let's do the same, right?
I'm open, but I'll tell you myhits and I'll tell you my misses
(51:42):
, I'll tell you my successes andI'll tell you my fails, but put
people in your life.
Great people when great.
When you're, when you surroundyourself great people, great
things happen.
And yeah, I, you can follow me,you can email me.
I'm not sure you're going toget anything more than you.
(52:02):
You can listen to the PrincipalJL podcast, right, you bet
there's a lot of ways there, butthis has been great.
It doesn't even we've beentalking for almost an hour.
It doesn't feel like it.
It just feels like one of thoseconversations we had over a
beverage in Seattle and man,it's just what a cool thing.
I just appreciate thisconnection and wish you much
(52:24):
success this year.
Wish you and your listenershave a great, great year.
Principal JL (52:30):
Awesome.
Well, bill.
Hey, I appreciate you being onthe show and I'll get your
information in the show notes sopeople can connect with you.
If you would like, I'll putdown the information of.
I'll be coming to bus driver inthe episode too, as well.
So that's you know what I coulddo for you to try to help, you
know, maybe create some more busdrivers in the state of
Nebraska.
So, hey, bill, it was greathaving you on the show.
(52:52):
I appreciate everything.
You know.
I will talk to you down theroad.
Have a great evening.
Bill Curry (52:58):
You too.
Thanks for having me on what agreat conversation with Bill
Curry.
Principal JL (53:03):
It is clear that his leadership dedication to
building a positive schoolculture has transcended through
his staff and students.
If this episode resonates withyou, please share it with
someone who needs to hear it.
And don't forget to subscribeto the podcast on your favorite
podcast platform so you won'tmiss another powerful episode to
(53:25):
fill up your cup.
Until next time, be curious and1% better.
Today I am honored to be joined by Bill Curry, the
2025 Nebraska Middle SchoolPrincipal of the Year.
Bill has had a remarkablejourney in education, starting
as a middle school teacher atKearney to coaching basketball
at the University of Nebraska,Kearney, to leading schools
through growth andtransformation.
(00:21):
Growth and transformation.
He is currently the principalat Boone Central Middle School,
where he and his team are makingbig impacts on students' lives
through what they call theCardinal Way.
Now let's get to ourconversation with Bill Curry.
Welcome back, everybody toanother episode of the
(00:49):
Educational Leadership Podcast.
Today I have my partner cryingfrom Seattle.
Yes, that's right, we met outin Seattle.
We were driving around ourelectric scooters and bikes
together, having a great time atthe United Principals
Conference.
So today, on today's show, I'mbringing in Bill Curry from
(01:10):
Boone Central Middle School.
Bill, welcome to the show, heygreat to be here.
Bill Curry (01:16):
When you invited me on, I was like, well, who's
going to want to hear about mystory?
But then I started listening toyour podcast and, wow, you've
had some really cool people onhere, so I'm pretty honored that
I get to be, I get to be a partof this.
This is a cool thing you gotgoing.
Principal JL (01:34):
Yeah, bill, thank you very much.
Thank you for listening.
I'm going to get into the veryfirst question.
I asked everybody that comes onthis show what inspired you to
become an educator.
Bill Curry (01:47):
Well, I was in high school we were in an Algebra 2
class.
I remember this veryspecifically and all of us were
struggling, like this is a toughclass.
We were having a hard timeunderstanding the concepts and
this girl that sits in front ofme, that you know, I kind of had
(02:08):
.
I kind of like, oh man, she'scute, she turns around and goes
Bill, do you understand thisstuff?
And I said, yeah, I had no idea, like I'm just as much lost as
everybody else.
But I said, oh yeah, it's easy,she goes the best words ever.
Well, oh yeah, it's easy, shegoes the best words of it.
(02:34):
Well, can you teach it to me?
Yes, I can.
And so I I took that night andI worked, I studied it, I
figured it out, and then we gottogether on a little study date,
went to the library, helped herkind of figure it out.
She ended up getting a B on thetest.
Well, then she tells all hercute friends hey, bill can teach
this stuff better than theteacher can.
And that turned into we'd get agroup of us going down to the
(02:58):
library and we had algebra dates, we had calculus dates, we had
we had count parties at thelibrary.
Like how nerdy is that?
Well, we had a group of peoplethat get together and just study
together.
That shaped my idea to go intocollege.
I thought, if I can do thiswith my friends, maybe there's a
(03:19):
living in it.
And I found out I had a gift toteach.
That's what got me intoeducation and I've loved it,
like I've just found a.
I found a niche and I feel likeI'm making a difference.
Very rewarding and I've reallyenjoyed my journey.
Principal JL (03:35):
Hey, that's a first right.
You got into education becauseof girls.
Bill Curry (03:39):
There's a hot chick that wanted help with algebra,
like I'm in.
Principal JL (03:43):
There you go.
Hey, that's awesome.
So what did you teach when yougot in and once you finished
college?
What?
What's subjects?
Bill Curry (03:53):
So I be.
I became a math and PE teacheris what I studied to be.
And then I decided to get I wasgoing to be a high school math
or PE teacher.
To get into my middle schoolendorsement they needed at the
time I needed three differentdisciplines and looking at my
credits, oh, I'm pretty close tosocial studies endorsement.
So I had, I got my math.
(04:15):
Social studies PE was what wason my teaching certificate.
And then I student taught inKearney at Sunrise Middle School
and did a little bit of studentteaching in social studies and
math.
My cooperating teacher took ajob as a principal.
They hired me to fill his spotand that's how I got my foot in
(04:38):
the door and I became a mathteacher.
Principal JL (04:40):
Awesome.
Now we kind of have a littlebit similar.
I was math, PE and DORS, so Ihad those.
I did a new social stay.
I'll do three.
I wasn't going that far, butoutside of that that's kind of a
unique connection that we havefor sure.
So you're in the math room,you're teaching, you know at the
time.
So what are some lessons orwhat are some experiences you
(05:01):
had as a math teacher thathelped you become an educational
leader down the road?
Bill Curry (05:09):
I think I just I liked the, I liked the, the idea
that I was helping kids figurethings out right, like just
there's just that aha moments.
There's a lot of personalsatisfaction seeing kids have
those aha moments.
I think one of the things Ithink about is just being
intentional with what matters,right, like when I, as a teacher
(05:32):
, what do successful teachershave in common?
They're very intentional withwhat they want to do.
And when you see that thoseconnections you're making with
kids I don't care if it'steaching, if it's coaching, if
it's administration beingintentional with what matters,
being a good listener, beingempathetic, being able to give
(05:55):
support, those things make adifference.
That is very rewarding.
Principal JL (06:03):
Now you also did some coaching.
I understand you were abasketball coach, so coaching
how did that help you?
What are some things youlearned as a coach as well, to
help you with your leadership?
Bill Curry (06:22):
So just a crazy, how do you go from being a eighth
grade math teacher to being theassistant women's basketball
coach in UNK for a couple ofyears?
What a journey, right, like I'dlike to say that they saw my
expertise in coaching, teachingor coaching third grade, or
teaching C team girls basketball.
And then all of a sudden butjust connections it was, you
know, my connections with CoachStevens at the time was the head
(06:44):
coach there.
I did get to do a little bit ofcoaching.
Funny story my last year at UNKwe had a graduate assistant,
amy Gusso, and who is now AmyWilliams, who is our head
women's basketball coach for theHuskers.
And so my story is I at onepoint in my life we shared an
(07:08):
office in the bottom of thehealth and sports center at UNK
and I actually had the biggerdesk because she was the GA.
She went on the same unfortunateand is having a fantastic run
for the Huskers.
I went a different direction.
I coached junior high girls andgot myself into school
administration.
But you know what, when you'rearound highly driven people,
(07:33):
when you're around people who dothings at a high level, they
can get frustrated with thestatus quo.
And, as a leader, I've got somehighly motivated, highly
successful teachers.
What am I doing to support themand helping them become even
better?
Like?
Those are the teachers thatit's easy to forget about, right
(07:54):
, like, oh, they're good,they're doing what they're
supposed to do.
I don't have to worry aboutthem.
No, it's not about worryingabout them or not worrying about
them.
These are people that are verygood at their craft.
What can I do to bring themmore joy, or what can I do to
support them and help thembecome even better?
And that's what I really enjoyabout leadership right now.
(08:15):
It's not about who needs thehelp.
It's about what can I do foreverybody and how can I be that
support person for the peoplethat I work with.
Principal JL (08:23):
You bet.
Bill Curry (08:34):
That's probably why you're probably middle school
principal of the year as well,right?
No, no, no.
I think I've taken all theother applications and thrown
them in the trash, so minemight've been the only one that
made it across the table.
Principal JL (08:43):
I bet you I'm pretty sure you had some people
supporting you along the way aswell.
But you know you talk aboutsupporting teacher, especially
the teachers that are reallygood.
Right, what can you do to helpthem?
It's just like in the classroomwhere you have a kid that's
like excelling how do you pushthem to become better?
You do the same thing withteachers.
(09:04):
Like excelling how do you pushthem?
They become better?
You do the same thing withteachers.
Yeah, we spend some time withour you know novice teachers and
helping them and supportingthem, but we can't forget about
our seasoned teachers.
And how do we support them?
Because they're the rock starsand we also don't want to put
more on their plate than theyneed just because they're good.
So that's another thing you gotto think about when you're
(09:25):
talking about those rockstarteachers.
We don't want to burn them out,we want to keep them.
We want to make sure they stayright.
Bill Curry (09:33):
Why are we giving 90% of our work to the 10% of
our teachers?
You know the great ones arehighly like oh, we need somebody
to do.
We need somebody on the schoolimprovement team?
Oh, let's go, let's put that ontheir plate.
Oh, we need somebody to do.
We need somebody on the schoolimprovement team?
Oh, let's go, let's put that ontheir plate.
Oh, we need somebody on an MTSSteam?
Let's ask them, because youknow they're going to do a good
job.
But, like you said, I thinkthat's a great point they don't
(09:54):
want to put more on their plate.
What are we doing as leaders tohelp them be successful?
Them be successful.
That's the.
That's the.
That's a shift in in ourapproach to leadership.
That, I think, is creating somereally cool opportunities that
we're having here and when youthink about schools that are
successful.
Listening to some of theeducators and leaders that you
(10:16):
have on your podcast, I hear acommon thread about that support
that you're trying to give thepeople that you work with.
Principal JL (10:23):
Yeah, but you know you went from math teacher to,
you know coaching basketball andwe kind of got into some of
your principalship a little bit.
But do you have a story of whatmotivated you to pursue
becoming a principal?
What was that journey like foryou, going from the classroom
(10:45):
into your first principal job?
Bill Curry (10:48):
Yeah, that's a great question.
After coaching at UNK I got ajob as a math teacher at Color
Middle School in Lincoln.
It was kind of an inner citymiddle school.
52nd and Vine was there forfive years or so.
Loved that job, like those kids.
There was just a differentlevel of need and really felt
(11:11):
like you're making a difference.
But teaching there I had severalof my colleagues you know, they
just conversations you have inthe hallways and stuff Well gosh
, are you going to get youradmin degree?
And there was just some peoplethat I respected as teachers,
some of the principals I workedwith.
They thought I'd do well inthat role.
(11:33):
Hey, have you thought aboutgoing back to getting your admin
?
So that peer encouragement whenyour colleagues recognize some
things, that some of your skillsets that maybe would be
successful in an area you listento that right, if I didn't have
those people telling me, hey,man, you should think about this
(11:54):
, I'm not sure if I'd had thecourage to take that jump I did
when I was at UNK.
I thought you know, maybeleadership's in my future,
because I had a personal desireto kind of have a bigger
footprint on what I could do topositively influence people
around me.
(12:14):
You know, as a teacher, I had alot of influence on my
classroom.
As a principal, I have a lot ofinfluence on all the classrooms
in my building.
That's a bigger footprint.
That was something I wanted todo and now as a principal I've
(12:35):
been a principal for 19 years, Iget to do that but it was that
reaffirming and, I think, forpeople getting into the business
, I think you need to belistening for when people that
you respect, people, you trustthe mentors in your life, when
they're saying things like wow,you're a really good listener,
or man, I just appreciate howyou approach these tough
(12:58):
situations.
You should think about this.
When people are saying thosethings, you need to listen
because they're seeing somethingin you and that was enough for
me to make that jump.
Principal JL (13:11):
All right, that's a great story, yeah, when people
see things in you that youdon't maybe see in yourself at
the time and you just get a lotof validation.
So that's really a really neatstory there, bill.
Now, bill, you decided, hey,I'm going to go become a
principal.
What was the journey like?
Did you have to do a bunch ofinterviews?
Did you get denied a bunch ofjobs?
(13:33):
How did you land on that firstprincipal ship at Shelby and
Rising City?
Gosh, that's a great question.
Bill Curry (13:43):
I remember back then we kind of were trying to
figure out where we wanted to be.
We didn't know what that wasgoing to look like.
We prayed about it.
But my job in Shelby it was thefirst job I applied for.
It was the first interview Ihad and I got it.
(14:04):
It's not supposed to be thateasy, but I'll tell you a secret
, and those of you that arelistening to this podcast I'm
going to give you a cheat codeto get your first job.
Can I do that?
Is that okay?
If I do this, yeah, go ahead.
Okay, listen up, this is acheat code on how to get your
foot in the door During myinterview at Shelby.
(14:29):
It's a small school, right D1size school.
They're asking me questionsabout leadership and being a
principal.
Well, then they get to theother duties as assigned.
Hey, I see you did somecoaching in your day.
Would you be willing to help uswith some coaching?
I said yes.
They said, hey, we need asenior class sponsor.
Could you do that?
(14:49):
I said yes, hey, we could use alittle bit of help.
Like we need some.
We're one period short on PEteaching, if you think I have
time to do this here.
Yes, the two board members thatwere in the.
I had the.
This was the part of theinterview.
I had two board members in thesuit.
The one guy says to me, bill,can you drive a bus?
(15:15):
And they both looked at eachother and laughed and I said,
well, I have my CDL, so if youneed a substitute as a driver, I
suppose I could go down and getmy sub.
Like, I could be a sub for you,guys, I could get my bus
endorsement and be a sub for you.
They looked at each other.
I really believe that I got thejob because I said I was willing
(15:38):
to drive a school bus.
There's your cheat code, likebe willing to do the things that
other people aren't willing todo, get your foot in the door
and then be faithful with thejobs that you need to do.
Right, but I did not go to thatexpecting to drive a bus.
But here I am, like I uh, I hada CDL because, as a teacher in
(16:00):
Lincoln, my summer side gig wasworking at a fireworks warehouse
and packing up fireworks andputting them in a budget truck.
And then I was.
I got a CDL so I could drivefireworks to different stands
across the state.
Very simple I'll go down andget my bus endorsement.
I drive fireworks to differentstands across the state.
Very simple I'll go down andget my bus endorsement.
I think that's what got me thegig.
Principal JL (16:21):
Yeah, that's one thing we have in common.
I actually drove a bus before Ibecame a principal.
So one time a superintendent atmy first place at Twin Rivers
was like hey, would you bewilling to get your CDL and bus
driver's license?
We need help with bus routes.
And then it turned into oh, weneed you to drive your football
(16:42):
team to games, you know.
So, yeah, I started drivingbuses at my first job.
My dad carried over to Hershey.
When I get into Omaha they werelike, ah, you don't need to
worry about that, but I stillhave my CDL.
They were like, ah, you don'tneed to worry about that, but I
still have my CDL.
I'm at Hastings and they doknow that I can drive a bus.
They haven't asked me yet.
If they said, hey, we need yourhelp, I would do it At the time
(17:06):
.
You know we don't need it atthis time, but that's kind of
cool.
You know we both kind of havethat.
So did you drive the bus?
Did you do all those thingsthat?
Bill Curry (17:15):
they asked you to do .
I drove route.
We actually had to let a drivergo.
It wasn't a safe driver andit's hard to fire a bus driver
when you don't have another one.
And so I really struggled atthat point because I had to
drive the morning and afternoonroute.
I was driving activities.
And then when do I have timefor IEP meetings?
(17:36):
When can I have my staffmeetings?
When do I meet with parents andkids before and after school?
And so it motivated me to findanother driver.
But you know, I was.
I love, I love driving a bus.
Now, could I?
Could I do that at a largerschool where I have more
responsibility?
Probably not, but in Shelby itworked for me and I got to, I
(18:00):
got to know, I knew where allthe kids lived.
I took kids home on routes,like to just kind of see that
part and know where they'recoming from.
I think helped me in some of myconversations that I had with
some of those kids and I don'tknow.
I just.
And so, small town, small world, but I'm telling you, for
(18:20):
people that want to get theirfoot in the door, be willing to
do what they need, just bewilling to do it and then figure
out a way to make it happen.
Principal JL (18:29):
Bill, I want you to kind of take us through each
stop on your principalship.
You started in Shelby and youended in Boone Central as their
middle school principal.
So kind of tell us, hey, whatdid you learn at your stops
along the way that got you toBoone Central?
Bill Curry (18:45):
Sure, in Shelby I learned that leaders have to be
willing to do anything.
But I also learned you can't doeverything right.
Oh, we need a sub.
I'll jump in the classroom.
(19:06):
Oh, we need.
We had a spill in the hallway.
I got it.
Oh, oh, we need you to drivethe.
We need you to drive thevolleyball team to Clarkson.
Okay, I tried to take on toomuch and it made it really I
wasn't being faithful with thethings that mattered because I
was trying to do so much.
So I guess my first job.
(19:28):
I learned a lot of differentparts of school and how they
operated and what everythingneeded.
But I also learned you can't doeverything for everybody.
I also remember you know we hada lot of successes in Shelby.
There were a lot of highlightsand, and you know, I got to.
(19:49):
I remember when I, when I movedor when I told my staff that I
was taking another job, I wasjust looking in the room during
my meeting and the room was fullof middle high school teachers
and looking across from I I had.
I've been there 12 years and in12 years I think I had hired
everybody, but maybe two orthree people in that room Like
(20:09):
those.
Those are the people we'reworking with, like we're in the
trenches day in, day out.
The move to Boone was kind ofbittersweet for me.
I'm going to get just kind ofreal with you for a second.
And my jump from Shelby toShelby, rising City.
Great things happened there.
(20:30):
I got to be a part of a merger,like I got to help the
community of Shelby and RisingCity come together.
We created or started a middleschool, a small town middle
school.
We kept a building in risingcity.
There were some really coolthings that happened there.
All those things.
The year before I applied toBoone central, I remember
(20:54):
telling my superintendent youknow, I'm just at a point where
I feel like my best isn't goodenough and I was so burned out,
not necessarily, but just I wasempty, my tank was empty and I
really did.
I felt like my best, I'm givingthis school my best, and I
(21:14):
didn't feel like it was goodenough.
I didn't know what to do.
I didn't know like, am I goingto be one of those statistics
that you know leaders don't last?
For very long I started lookingat well, maybe education's not
for me, prayed a lot about it,had a lot of hard conversations
with my wife Thought maybe justa change of scenery would be
(21:35):
good.
So then we started looking atwhat jobs are out there.
This one ended up being a greatfit.
And then from going fromfeeling like your best isn't
good enough to having a lot ofsuccesses and getting some
really cool accolades and, youknow, building, kind of just
(21:56):
building your network andfeeling like you are making a
difference, wow, like what awhat a change.
And so here in Shell and Boone,at Boone Central, you know we
we've had our share of strugglestoo.
Been here six years, been heresix years.
This is our fifthsuperintendent.
My first year here we had COVID.
(22:19):
My second year here we moved amiddle school from Petersburg.
It's been operating there for20 years.
The board decided to do a buildand we moved everything under
one building and so we closeddown Petersburg middle school,
you know, and brought it toAlbion, and the emotions that
went with that and the and thedifficulties and the but to try
(22:42):
to, you know, for the good ofthe district faced a lot of
different things.
Through that, though, I've had agreat administrative team.
I love the people that I workwith.
I feel satisfaction and rewardworking with great teachers,
great paras, I go in and havemeals with the cooks and I just
(23:04):
I joke with them.
I love the collegiality we haveat Boone Central, very
rewarding, like I could seemyself wanting to be here for a
long time because there's agreat deal of satisfaction
that's coming with how thingsare.
You know what I have controlover and what support I have
with my colleagues and myteachers and my, my
(23:25):
superintendent, all those kindsof things.
So I don't know what the nextstep is, but I that's kind of it
was just an interesting jump.
And you know you go fromteacher to college basketball to
teacher to principal toprincipal.
And then it's not just me, it'smy family.
(23:46):
My kids had to move, my kidshad to make new friends.
They did.
They're better for it.
Just kind of an interestingjourney.
And here we are, and now I gofrom nobody knowing where Shelby
is to talking to you andgetting to be on a list of some
pretty great administrativeleaders that you've talked to on
a podcast.
(24:06):
It's crazy.
Principal JL (24:08):
It's kind of awesome how, like everybody's
journey, how we all cross paths.
Bill, I'm pretty sure you wereat shelby rising city when I was
at twin river.
As I was at twin river from 07through 2012, I was the head
football coach there, and so wemight have crossed paths, not
even know it.
You know, but also, living ingenoa is not far from albion
(24:31):
either so yeah, we had ourbattles in river and shelby.
Bill Curry (24:36):
There were some good .
There were some good games.
Principal JL (24:39):
Yeah.
Bill Curry (24:40):
Well, yeah, I remember coaching up in that
cracker box of a gym and I justremember some battles on the
football field.
Oh yeah, that was good stuff.
Principal JL (24:49):
Yeah, no, it's been, it's been.
Yeah, so it's kind of crazy,kind of like even us, you know,
through our journeys we haveprobably crossed paths doesn't
even really know, and until weconnected at Seattle this summer
, and now here we are doing apodcast.
And so, Bill, this past yearyou were out in Seattle, you
were named the 2025 NebraskaMiddle School Principal of the
(25:13):
Year Nebraska middle schoolprincipal of the year.
So what I want to know is howdid they break the news?
How did you find out that youbecame the Nebraska middle
school principal of the year?
Bill Curry (25:23):
First of all, absolutely not on my bingo card.
Right Like that is, those kindsof accolades are saved for
people that have a presence at astatewide level.
You know there's a handful ofpeople and it's an.
It's a tight network, rightLike.
We know the people that we knowthe names of the people that
(25:45):
have kind of a presence or areputation of being outstanding
leaders.
So I never thought this wasgoing to happen, put in the
application, wrote some thingsdown, right, but I kind of was
at a point where I felt likegosh, just even being in the
conversation was pretty cool.
(26:06):
There was one.
It was I think it was aSaturday Patrick Moore,
principal at Blue Hill, I thinkhe at the time he's the state
coordinator on the NCSAexecutive board.
He gives me a call.
He says, bill, are you sittingdown Because I got some good
news?
And he tells me.
And then there's just like thislong pause.
(26:28):
I didn't, I couldn't believe it.
I'm like is he pulling my chainhere?
And it was just kind of likeI'm just processing, like you
gotta be kidding me.
Well then I went from kind ofquiet and processing to like wow
, that's so cool.
And here we are, right, likeand and and then getting to,
(26:52):
what does it really mean, though?
I don't know.
You know, I think personallyit's a cool thing.
Let's be honest, like you, youhope to be recognized by your
peers for doing a good job, andto me that's kind of what this
is Like.
This is a re, this is arecognition, but not just what
I'm doing.
I feel like it's a recognitionfor the good things that are
(27:17):
happening in Boone Central.
I remember telling our schoolboard president well, when he
called to congratulate me, Isaid well, they don't give coach
of the year honors to coacheswho coach mediocre teams.
And you're a football coach, ifyou had a 500 season, you're
not getting coach of the year.
(27:38):
But if you win a statechampionship, you get coach of
the year.
Your players have a way ofmaking you look pretty good.
Teachers have a way of makingus principals look pretty good.
Teachers have a way of makingus principals look pretty good,
and I've been fortunate to bearound some pretty amazing
teachers.
So I kind of look at the, atthe recognition, more as the
(28:06):
great things that are happeningat Boone Central, like it's a.
It's a validation that we'redoing some things right, we're
doing some things well and likewe, we celebrate together, we
celebrated together.
It is, it is pretty special.
Principal JL (28:24):
I think that's great.
I mean, I love how you know,yeah, you got the award.
But it does take a team effortand it does take everybody
working together to accomplishthe things you accomplish at the
building level.
You know you get to be the guyat the top of that building but
you need everybody underneathyou to support the things, the
(28:45):
vision, the mission that you layout for them.
So with that, I want you toreally kind of brag on Boone
Central.
What are some things thatyou're proud of at Boone Central
Middle School that you wouldlike to share with other people?
I'll give you a chance to kindof brag on them a little bit.
Bill Curry (29:02):
All right.
Well, you know what I'm goingto start with.
I'm going to start with a failand then I'm going to turn that
into kind of a brag.
So just a couple years ago,climate and culture were not
great.
It kind of felt like an usversus them kind of thing.
As an admin team, we weren'tmeeting the needs and there were
(29:26):
some real challenges on ourhands.
We weren't meeting the needs ofour teachers in a way that we
needed to, so we had to focus onclimate and culture.
Well, that's exactly what wedid.
So we went back to the drawingboard, we had a retreat, we went
(29:48):
and sought the wisdom of somepeople that do climate and
culture.
Well, we reached out to mikelucas west side.
We reflected on the things thatmake boone central great, we
reflected on what people areproud of, and then that kind of
morphed into the cardinal wayand we tried to articulate the
(30:13):
mission, vision and values ofwhat we want to be and we put it
on paper and then we tried tokind of make a little graphic
about it in the cardinal way.
Well, from that we are able tokind of start to identify or at
(30:33):
least rethink, instead offocusing on the negative through
the cardinal way.
Now we're focusing on thepositive and we're focusing on
the things that we're very proudof.
So climate and culture haveimproved.
I'm very proud of that and whatwe've been able to improve here
at Boone Central over the lastfew years.
I'm very proud of the fact thatwe've been able to put some
(30:54):
systems in place that helpdeliver consistent, high quality
support to our staff.
We've had five soups in sixyears.
Those systems that we've put inplace have been able to help us
keep what we're offering at avery high level.
It's not contingent upon theperson that sits in that chair.
I'm proud of that.
(31:14):
Curriculum review cycles,school improvement, esu supports
.
We ask ourselves now if we'regoing to do something like well,
what are we going to do at ournext PD?
Does it fit into our motto ofbuilding character, creating
opportunities or striving forsuccess?
How is what we're doing fitinto one of those three areas?
(31:39):
If it's not building character,if it's not creating
opportunities and if it's notstriving for success, then the
answer is no, we're not going todo it.
And that has helped us kind ofhone in to try not to be
everything for everybody but toreally dive into what's
important.
Well, now our scope is narrowedup a little bit.
(32:03):
We're doing a better job withwhat we need to do.
We like our motto buildingcharacter starts with B,
creating opportunities startwith C, and striving for success
is S, so B, c, s.
Boone Central Schools building,creating, striving it's kind of
(32:23):
a lettering thing, but that'swho we are, that's who we are
and I'm proud of those things.
Let's be honest Our NSCASscores have been consistently
high, even when we've had somevarious class dynamics that
would make it difficult.
Very proud of that.
I'm going to brag on ourcounselor, mrs Nelson.
(32:45):
Every year she puts togetherthis character retreat where she
takes eighth graders off siteand spends the day doing
character education, sometimeseven bringing in guest speakers.
It's phenomenal.
Phenomenal Like.
That's so easy to support.
We've got middle school speechgoing.
Our varsity speech team is verygood.
(33:06):
Well, not everybody has middleschool speech.
And not only are we doingjunior middle school speech, but
we're letting our sixth gradersparticipate.
That's something they can do.
Seventh and eighth graders getto do the sports Sixth graders
are looking at.
Well, what can we do?
You can go out for speech.
That has kind of fallen into.
(33:27):
Well, now they want to go outfor speech in high school.
It's a sustaining program andthen just individual.
Like little successes and thisone isn't little, this is big.
Last year we had the fewestnumber of missing assignments as
a middle school in the sixyears that I've been here.
We didn't do a good enoughcelebration of that, but that's
(33:48):
a very big deal.
Like kids are starting to dotheir work.
How nice would it be for you ifkids started to do their work
at a much higher level.
All of a sudden, some of theseproblems aren't so big of
problems anymore.
That's a big deal.
We figured it out a little bitlast year.
Well, we're trying to build onthat this year and but we want
(34:09):
to.
Those are some things I thinkthat we're doing well here, or
at least I'm proud of, and it'sokay to be proud of that.
Like we don't do a good enoughjob in education, of celebrating
our own successes.
That's not.
That's not tooting our own hornso much as it is recognizing
that there's a lot of goodpeople doing a lot of good
(34:31):
things and there's nothing wrongwith that.
Principal JL (34:37):
No, I'm right there with you, bill.
I know public education getsbeat up in the national media.
So it's up to us to, you know,drive our own narrative from all
the great things that we dohave going on, like you're able
to tell people on this podcastall the great things that are
happening have going on, likeyou're able to tell people on
this podcast all the greatthings that are happening at
Boone central middle school.
I'm able to kind of toot thehorn of Hastings high school
(34:59):
because, I'll tell you, peoplehad a bad perception of Hastings
high school and I showed uphere and I was like no, you guys
don't understand all the greatthings that actually happen here
and the great people that dowork here and do the day-to-day
grind.
And I see those things.
I want to celebrate, I wantpeople to know those things.
Get it out there so peoplecould see all the great things.
Guess what, over the last threeyears now going to my fourth
(35:21):
year here, the perception ofHastings High has changed, it's
flipped and it all comes down toyou know, controlling your
narrative and showing andcelebrating the great things
that are happening, becausepeople see the negatives and
they dwell on that, but thenwhen you just blitz them with
all these positive things,they're like well, this one, the
(35:42):
negative thing comes up.
You have too many positivethings to to counteract some of
those things.
So I think that's great thatyou've got some great things
going.
I think creating systems isimportant.
You kind of talk about that alittle bit, but I also believe
you can't get to academicsuccess without the culture
being right.
If your culture is right,academic successes will come.
(36:04):
And you're kind of seeing someof those things, even though you
probably had some academicsuccesses before, but now you've
probably even taken it toanother level of that.
So I think thank you forsharing that piece of wisdom and
what you've learned over thelast few years and the things
that you guys have in place.
I think the systems part isimportant because, like you said
(36:25):
, no matter who's sitting inthat superintendent seat or
maybe even someday, bill, whenyou're not there if they have
systems, they have the car inthe way, they have the way they
need to operate and no matterwhat happens, they understand
what they have to do to besuccessful.
So I think that's awesome andthank you for sharing that.
(36:46):
So, bill, you and I met out atthe Seattle President of the
United Conference, and we gotsome good conversations there.
I would love to hear some ofyour biggest takeaways from the
United Principal Conference thatwas hosted by the NASSP and the
NAESP this past summer.
(37:08):
What are some big takeaways youtook from that?
Bill Curry (37:12):
be this past summer.
What are some big takeaways youtook from that?
Well, this is going to soundsimilar to the conversation we
had, maybe over a beverage ortwo, driving our little electric
motor scooters down to a localestablishment.
But I love this.
I've never been able to go to anational conference before, so
being able to do that was a waskind of a special thing for me.
(37:34):
I think the biggest takeawayfor me was that I got to see
Nebraska.
Schools are doing things at anational level.
You know how you always lookthe grass is greener.
On the other side, the guy thatwon the national middle school
(37:55):
principal of the year reallykind of had a coach Carter kind
of story.
Like I'm not competing withthat, like that guy's like he's
amazing.
Well, guess what?
When we actually get to sitdown and talk about what's going
on and have real talk at thetable, to sit down and talk
about what's going on and havereal talk at the table, we're
(38:15):
doing things in Nebraska at anot just Boone, central,
hastings, across the board.
We're doing things in Nebraskaat a very high level and there's
a lot of those big timeeducators that would love to
have the opportunities and thesupport that we have here in
Nebraska, and so I think thatwas one big takeaway.
(38:37):
Like you know what, we cancompete with the big boys
because we are doing some thingswell, but professionally too.
I went to a session that Dr Tomashe's a middle school assistant
principal at Miller she did asession on navigating tough
conversations.
Wow, I'm telling you if youcould get her on your podcast,
(39:00):
she brought it and she has somegreat, great perspective.
I got a lot out of that,thinking about situational
versus systemic conversations,thinking about how we need to be
an ally for all kids, and then,in those tough conversations,
(39:20):
understanding perspective.
Wow, like, okay, this isn't I'mright, you're wrong.
I need to understand yourperspective so that we can come
together and move forward.
Mind shift.
That was fantastic.
And then, I guess, the otherone that stuck out for me Jim
Knight, big name in education,been around for a long time,
(39:43):
wrote in a lot of books, got tolisten to him in person and
here's what he said Engagementis the number one reason kids
stop coming to school.
They disengage physically,emotionally and cognitively.
To figure out a way to improveattendance, for principals are
(40:13):
trying to figure out a way todeal with truancy and
absenteeism.
What if you approach it from alevel of engagement?
How do we engage these kids?
How do we get these kids tofeel engaged?
How do we get them to plug inand want to be here?
And then let's see if thatdoesn't take care of itself.
So I just I I found thatfascinating.
(40:35):
You know, he went on to talkabout instructional coaching and
some other things and theeffect size that has on on what
we're doing.
But I just loved that ideabecause I'm a big, big
engagement guy.
When I do walkthroughs, I talkabout engagement.
When I do my observations, it'sall about engagement.
(40:56):
How are you engaging kids?
How are we engaging each other?
Because I feel like you do thatwell, everything else kind of
falls into place.
But then to hear Jim Knighttalk about well, that's actually
the reason kids don't want tocome to school, because they
don't feel engaged oh, that wasa good takeaway for me.
So there are a couple of thingsaside from finding this goofy
(41:18):
looking guy in a Nebraskat-shirt uh, just walking around
all by himself, looked, lookedlost, borderline, homeless, felt
sorry for him, but he had aNebraska t-shirt on, so I came
up and said hi, and then all ofa sudden we struck up a
conversation and and then wewent on an adventure and took an
electric scooter downtown.
(41:38):
And now here I am talking tohim on a podcast, like that's
kind of a cool thing.
Principal JL (41:43):
Well, thanks for calling me homeless.
I don't think I look that bad.
You certainly didn't have thefancy socks and shirt and tie
and jacket on at the time.
But you know, I played it down,man, I played it down.
I was in like chill mode right.
It's like, hey, let's go tothis nassp event.
You know that was a great event, that was fun.
(42:05):
But I do know dr anatoma.
I've known her for a while.
I've had, I've listened to hersessions, you know, at the
nebraska state conferences aswell and so yeah, she's a great
person.
She's at, you know, millernorth middle school in the
miller district.
I actually was at millard atone point in my career at miller
north high school.
So I I kind of know the lay ofthe land there.
(42:27):
But yeah, she's a great personand he had a chance to talk to
her and yeah, I, I'll probablywill ask her to come on
eventually.
I just haven't done it yet.
But when it comes down to it,bill, those are great insights.
I really appreciate you sharingout those things.
So, bill, what gets you excitedabout continuing the work as a
(42:48):
principal?
What is something that's comingup that goes?
You know what this was.
Bill Curry (42:52):
Keep me going as a principal you know, before I
answer, that I'm going to say ifyou make her the next person on
your podcast, don't do that tome.
Man, like I gotta, you gotta,give a few like can you find
kind of like a soft few people,that few like can you find kind?
Principal JL (43:13):
of like a soft few people that no, I'm just
kidding.
Bill Curry (43:15):
No, seriously, though, what?
What gets me excited tocontinue the work that we're
doing?
It's relationships, right, butit's not.
That's not cliche.
I love.
I love coming to work because Ilove connecting with kids.
I genuinely enjoy buildingrelationships with kids.
(43:36):
I enjoy talking to the adults.
I see myself as a supportsystem for the people that I'm
around.
So, because I feel supported, Ihave a great admin team.
I look forward to havingconversations with our admin
(43:57):
team about doing things at adistrict level and not
challenging and encouraging eachother.
Like I love the collegialitythat we have on our in our
middle school and our staff.
It's a fun working environment.
That gets me excited.
You know, if I'm at a pointwhere I feel like my good isn't
good enough, yeah, it's kind ofhard to get excited to come to
(44:17):
work every day, right, but whenyou feel supported and you are
supported and you're aroundgreat people, great things
happen, and that's been true inmy case.
I've been lucky to be able tofind great people when we need
jobs.
I've been fortunate to workwith some pretty great people
(44:38):
and and that leads to some greatconnections we have with kids,
and I think that's probably thebiggest thing that gets me
excited to come into work isjust getting to have those
conversations, relationshipbuilding, getting to know what
makes them go, hearing theirsuccesses and just being excited
for them.
(44:59):
And that makes you a good busdriver too.
Like just hey, I heard you hada great game the other night.
That's awesome.
Like celebrating in theirsuccesses.
Principal JL (45:09):
I love it, I love it, I love it.
Those are all great things.
You know a lot of those thingsI get excited for too.
You know I love going to work.
I love what I do.
If there ever comes a time I'mnot loving it, then it's
probably time for me to stepaway, but I don't see that
happening anytime soon for me aswell.
You know we've had a reallygreat conversation, Bill, and so
(45:30):
I want you to be able to impartsome wisdom on to people that
might be thinking about becomingan administrator.
So what would you tell peoplethat are thinking about becoming
a principal?
What would you advise them on?
What's some wisdom that youwould give them?
Bill Curry (45:48):
Well, you know, I talk about all the things that
are cool and the things I enjoy,but it's not all, pollyanna,
we've got to have toughconversations.
I don't always like theconversations I have with the
kids in my office, right Likethose are tough things to have
happen.
You know, when you're dealingwith difficult situations.
We had to.
We had to make a call to ourschool attorneys today, like not
(46:09):
everything is great, you getthrough those things.
So I'd say maybe, maybe justsome some thoughts.
If you're thinking about being aleader, reflect on what your
personal strengths are and thenuse that to your advantage.
If you're a relationship person, be a relationship leader.
If you're a data-driven person,be a relational leader that
(46:34):
uses data to make informeddecisions.
That's not a bad thing.
Find your strengths.
Be intentional with leveragingthose strengths to be who you
are as a leader, and then you'regoing to find success.
If you try to be somebodyyou're not, you're going to be
disappointed.
(46:55):
So I think that think aboutyour personal strengths, think
about how you can use those tobe a great leader.
I'd also say build your networkof support to be a great leader
.
I'd also say build your networkof support, like when you get
that first job, who are threepeople you can call after hours
if you need help.
That's the start of yournetwork.
And then go from there, thinkabout here's the other one.
(47:18):
Think about who the mentors arein your life.
You know, if you were coming tome saying, hey, I'm going to be
a, I'm going to be a principal,if I told you, think about the
mentors that are in your life,there's a few people that come
to mind.
Well, what were they to you andwhat did they do differently
(47:41):
than other people in your life?
Well, they took a real interestin me.
They seemed to care what I hadto say.
Oh, be that in your first job,reflect or think about the
things that you liked, aboutthose mentors which will shape
(48:03):
the way you are as a leader,those traits, those relationship
building characteristics, thethings that made you a great
teacher, the things that youaspire to be in the mentors that
were in your life.
That carries over toadministration.
Yeah, there's the toughconversations, there's the not
(48:25):
so fun stuff.
There is a higher burnout inadministration because it's hard
.
We're not always supported asleaders, but you can be
successful if you know who youare, are, you have a network of
(48:50):
support and you try to reflectthe things that worked for you
and the leaders that yourespected, and try to become
that.
That will help you in yourprocess to being successful.
I have no doubt about it.
It's worked for us.
Principal JL (49:01):
Yeah, I love it.
I mean, for me, I learned fromthe people that were in
leadership positions.
I took things from them and Ialways say, like, if I could
take this from this person, thisfrom this person and apply
those things, that's going tohelp me become better.
But yet I am who I am.
I am my authentic self and I'mnot going to change who I am.
(49:24):
I am my authentic self and I'mnot going to change who I am.
But at the same time, I learnedfrom other people.
Like Bill, I'm sitting herelearning from you right now, and
so there's some things like Ihave man right on, they do some
things.
Maybe I can think about gettingbetter as well.
So I really appreciate you know, the insights there and, like
you said, this is a tough job.
But we also got to look atfinding the joy in the job,
(49:45):
finding the joy in what we do,and that's something I talked to
my staff about like, hey, thisjob's not easy.
It's tough sometimes, so let'sfind the joy in what we do and
let's attack each day in a waythat we're trying to help kids
and do what's best for kids.
So those are some things thatyou know I've talked to my staff
about and just some, some justa mindset that we try to have
(50:09):
here at Hastings High School, aswell as other schools do the
same stuff.
So, you know, we don't want toreinvent wheels.
We want to take from otherpeople and apply those things,
cause when you do the thingsthat other great people in this
position do, you're going to besuccessful at it, and so I think
those are some great takeaways,bill.
So, bill, you know it's been agreat conversation.
(50:32):
If people wanted to connectwith you, how could they do that
?
Bill Curry (50:36):
Well, they could sign up for my bus driving class
.
Learn to be a bus driver.
I teach classes for theNebraska Safety Center.
I'm trying to help districtsmeet the needs they have for van
a bus driver.
I teach classes for theNebraska safety center.
I'm trying to help districtsmeet the needs they have for van
and bus drivers.
So take my class and become abus driver.
No, actually I don't have a verystrong media presence I.
That's an area that of growth Ineed to do a better job at.
(50:58):
They can email me.
I am on Twitter X at Mr BillCurry.
I listen and follow a lot ofeducational things.
I don't post a lot of stuff.
I'm a taker, not a giver, sothis has been a step out for me
a little bit.
But you know what, when youasked me to do this, I thought
(51:19):
to myself you know, I rememberconversations I have with kids.
I remember conversations I havewith kids.
You tell kids who do you want tobe.
Put people in your life thatyou want to be like and you're
going to be a better person.
Put good people around youProfessionally.
Let's do the same, right?
I'm open, but I'll tell you myhits and I'll tell you my misses
(51:42):
, I'll tell you my successes andI'll tell you my fails, but put
people in your life.
Great people when great.
When you're, when you surroundyourself great people, great
things happen.
And yeah, I, you can follow me,you can email me.
I'm not sure you're going toget anything more than you.
(52:02):
You can listen to the PrincipalJL podcast, right, you bet
there's a lot of ways there, butthis has been great.
It doesn't even we've beentalking for almost an hour.
It doesn't feel like it.
It just feels like one of thoseconversations we had over a
beverage in Seattle and man,it's just what a cool thing.
I just appreciate thisconnection and wish you much
(52:24):
success this year.
Wish you and your listenershave a great, great year.
Principal JL (52:30):
Awesome.
Well, bill.
Hey, I appreciate you being onthe show and I'll get your
information in the show notes sopeople can connect with you.
If you would like, I'll putdown the information of.
I'll be coming to bus driver inthe episode too, as well.
So that's you know what I coulddo for you to try to help, you
know, maybe create some more busdrivers in the state of
Nebraska.
So, hey, bill, it was greathaving you on the show.
(52:52):
I appreciate everything.
You know.
I will talk to you down theroad.
Have a great evening.
Bill Curry (52:58):
You too.
Thanks for having me on what agreat conversation with Bill
Curry.
Principal JL (53:03):
It is clear that his leadership dedication to
building a positive schoolculture has transcended through
his staff and students.
If this episode resonates withyou, please share it with
someone who needs to hear it.
And don't forget to subscribeto the podcast on your favorite
podcast platform so you won'tmiss another powerful episode to
(53:25):
fill up your cup.
Until next time, be curious and1% better.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Herd with Colin Cowherd
The Herd with Colin Cowherd is a thought-provoking, opinionated, and topic-driven journey through the top sports stories of the day.