Episode 44: A Principal’s Perspective on Society’s Issues in Schools

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Ever feel like the weight of the world lands squarely on your school's doorstep? You're not alone. Principal JL takes a rare solo moment to speak candidly about the reality educational leaders face when national events and societal tensions inevitably filter into school hallways.

The truth about public education often gets lost in inflammatory headlines. Drawing from experiences in both small rural schools and larger districts, Principal JL dispels the myth that educators are indoctrinating students: "We are not sitting here indoctrinating students. From the seat I sit at, we do not do that." Instead, he paints a picture of education as a place where diverse individuals come together to learn and grow, where critical thinking is prioritized over ideology.

What happens when society loses the ability to engage in healthy debate? Principal JL laments the deterioration of discourse into shouting matches rather than evidence-based discussions. He challenges leaders to create environments where disagreement doesn't mean disrespect where "you may come to a conclusion where you guys agree to disagree, and that's okay." This approach requires consistency, resilience against criticism, and the courage to make unpopular decisions when necessary. The most powerful takeaway? Educational leaders must seize control of their own narrative. "Don't let other people tell your story," Principal JL urges, calling on fellow educators to highlight the positive impacts happening in their schools daily. By sharing these successes, we can collectively shift the conversation around public education and remind communities of the vital work happening behind school doors. Share this message if it resonates with you, and remember to always stay curious and strive to be 1% better every day.

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Episode Transcript

Principal JL (00:00):
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Now let's get back to theepisode.
Welcome back, everybody, toanother episode of the

(00:27):
Educational Leadership Podcast.
I am your host, principal JL.
Hey, I am on my own today.
I'm doing a little solo episode, mainly because I'm in between
some guests.
I got more guests coming up I'mreally excited about and I'm
really looking forward tosharing those episodes.
But this episode is going to bekind of unique.

(00:48):
It's going to be a shorter one,just because there's some
things I just want to get off mychest as an educational leader.
I think as educational leaders,we know what's going on out in
the world guys.
We are not turning a blind eyeto anything, and the thing that
I want to touch base on is as aprincipal, as someone that works

(01:13):
in the field in educationalleadership, on the day-to-day,
seeing how the world outside ofus impacts our building guys,
how the world outside of usimpacts our building guys, like,
no matter what the issue is, nomatter what is happening on in
our nation, in America, itaffects our kids, it affects our

(01:35):
staff and, as principals.
There is no guide to help usmanage those things and to guide
those things into you know how,to you know, basically go
through those issues as theyhappen live Now.
Today's episode is basically tomaybe give you a few tips on
how to approach issues out therethat come to your doorstep,

(01:58):
because we always say we getsociety's doors at our doorsteps
when it comes to publiceducation.
Now, this may not be true inother places, but where I'm at,
as a person that's been inpublic education which, by the
way, isn't as bad as thenational media may say it is or

(02:19):
they think it is because here inNebraska I think we have
outstanding public education andI believe it's much, much
better than you can get in aprivate school situation as well
.
But that's my biased opinion.
Private schools are greatschools too.
There's great people that Iknow in those private schools

(02:39):
and they do a good job.
But I just say you know, ifyou're in public education,
you're going to get a goodquality education here in the
state of Nebraska, and I knowthat may not be true in other
states out there.
And so when things happen, youknow, like national things
happen and they come into ourbuildings we have to deal with

(03:02):
it Right, and so some thingsthat I really look at is I try
to make sure my staff's okay, mystudents okay, and we try to
work through things as much aspossible.
Now, just so you guys know, Ido have a belief system.
I am a believer, but at thesame time, I'm not going to use

(03:22):
my faith and my beliefs and I'mnot going to protect them on the
people as a principal, assomebody that sits in that seat,
because that's not my job.
My job is to help people learn.
My job is to help people becomereally good at education so
they can become the bestteachers and staff members they
can be, but also be best forthose students, so those

(03:45):
students can learn.
And some of the things thatwe're losing out there in
education is the ability toallow kids to critically think
and our adults to criticallythink.
What that means is you got tobe able to take information.
You got to be able to take twosides of an argument and look at
it and really understand whatthis person is saying, what this

(04:08):
other person is saying, butalso make up your own mind.
A lot of the times people thinkout there public education
they're indoctrinating students.
We are not sitting thereindoctrinating students From the
seat I sit at.
We do not do that.
Now there could be in someplaces that's happening and
those are far few in between.
But guess what?
That's what.
The national media is going toblow up on you and say, hey,

(04:31):
these teachers areindoctrinating all these people.
Now you guys got to understand.
I've taught and been aprincipal at a small rural
school and I've also taught aswell as a principal in larger
districts, and you're going tohave people of all different
walks of life, faith, it don'tmatter Cultural things.
There's you know what Educationis, where we all come together

(04:53):
and we all learn together and weall strive to become better
human beings.
And I think that's the thingpeople forget is, in this role
as an educator, as a leader of aschool building, my job is not
to tell you what I believe.
That's not my job.
My job is to help you make upyour mind or what you believe in

(05:16):
.
But also, at the same time, wegot to be able to have healthy
debates and we got to be able tohave healthy dialogue and
discourse with each other,because we're living in a world
right now where, if you disagreewith somebody, all you're doing
is calling people names andyou're not having a dialogue.
All you're doing is having ashouting match.
You look like a bunch ofchildren having a tantrum.

(05:36):
But if you can come with factsand you can come with actual
data that supports your side ofthe story, that's what you want
to hear.
And the thing is is you maycome to a conclusion where you
guys agree to disagree, andthat's okay.
I think that's lost as aprincipal.
Disagree, and that's okay.

(05:58):
I think that's lost as aprincipal.
There are conversations I havewith parents, with students,
with staff members.
We won't agree on stuff, andthat's okay.
You, but we still are going tohave a good dialogue and a good
discussion about those things.
A lot of times, as a principal,you know I get called all kinds
of names because I can make halfthe people happy and half the
people not happy, and I get itfrom all over Right, and so my

(06:21):
job is to basically make thebest decision with the
information I have for thepeople involved, and that's it.
And the thing is it may lookdifferent from one case to
another, but my goal is to beconsistent as a leader when I
make those decisions and I'm notgoing to make everybody happy.
I have people out there callingme names and saying I'm

(06:43):
terrible at certain thingssometimes, and that happens, but
I don't let that affect mebecause in the end of the day, I
got to be able to go home, laymy head down at night and said
you know what I did?
The very best that I could do.
Now, with this said, asprincipals, what we need to be
able to do is we need to be ableto change the narratives of the
negativity that surrounds oureducation and our public

(07:06):
education, and we got to be ableto tell our stories.
That's what this podcast is for.
This podcast is to tell otherpeople's stories so we can learn
, grow from each other and getbetter.
We're not going to do it on ourown.
We're not going to be able todo the work by ourselves, but we
have people that are around usthat can help us.
Let's plug into those things.
In a time where you feel likeour country is really divided,

(07:30):
let's try to unite.
I have a ton of people that Iwork with that we don't have the
same faith.
We don't have the same beliefs,we don't have the same
political beliefs as well, like,but that's okay, because our
jobs isn't to be political, andI always say, as a principal or

(07:51):
as an educator if people knowyour beliefs inside your school,
I don't know if that's a greatthing for people to know,
because I don't want you to beable to persuade people because
you believe a certain way.
Your goal, your job as aneducator is to present
information and let those peopledecide on their own, because

(08:16):
they have what we call free.
They have the ability to dothat.
We're not here to tell peoplehow to believe or how to live or
how to do any of that, but atthe same time, we are here to
support and to help people growand learn into those things so
they could be a contributingmember of society.
So, when it comes down to it,guys, like you know, there's a

(08:39):
lot out there, a lot ofnegativity, but I'm really
calling the action here.
You know, what are we doing toshow the great things that are
happening in our school?
What is the narrative thatyou're putting out?
Are you putting out positivethings about your school, about
your staff, Like?
I know we're going to havestruggles, we're going to have
our ups, we're going to have ourdowns, but, at the same time,

(08:59):
don't let other people tell yourstory.
You got to be able to tell thestory of all the great things
that are happening in yourschools, because there's a lot
of great things out there, anddon't let things dissuade you
from those things, becausethere's going to be people out
there that are going to try tosay one thing or another or, you
know, try it.
At the same time, you knowwhat's right, you know what

(09:22):
you're doing is right.
That's all that matters.
So with that all said,everybody this, like I said, is
going to be a short one.
I really took some out of thisepisode.
I really appreciate everybodythat has tuned in and listened
to the Educational LeadershipPodcast.
If this message resonates withyou, please share it with
somebody out there.
And until next time, everybodyalways be curious and 1% better.