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On Educators Lead, Jay Willis interviews some of today's most effective, engaging, innovative leaders in education. Dave Burgess, Amy Fadeji, George Couros, Dr. Jenny Grant Rankin, Joe Sanfilippo, Todd Nesloney, Kim Marshall, Peter DeWitt, Eric Sheninger, Theresa Stager, Dr. Robert Dillon, and Jon Corippo are just a few of the 80+ guests to date. This show is for you if you are interested in educational leadership as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, superintendent, or someone who hopes to be a classroom, school, or district leader one day. @Educators_Lead offers inspiration and practical, actionable advice to help you lead more effectively. Guests share why and when they made the d…
Based on 5 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Jay Willis turns education leadership interviews into concrete guidance on teaching, coaching, staff development, and student ownership.
Jay Willis builds Educators Lead around extended conversations with people who have taught, coached, administered schools, or developed education programs.
The elephant in the classroom is the learning gap your favorite lesson doesn't fix.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
Student ownership and educator integrity, with practical leadership ideas from Tim Elmore.
Tim Elmore and Jay Willis spend the conversation on a simple but useful idea: learning matters most when students start owning it themselves. That thread holds the episode together, along with Elmore's points about creativity, leadership habits, and what it looks like to take…
Practical leadership and child care growth ideas with a steady focus on authenticity.
The episode keeps a clear center of gravity: vulnerability can help a leader build trust, and the conversation stays useful for educators. Chris Murray is framed as a business coach and marketing consultant for the early childhood industry, so the discussion remains grounded in…
A grounded conversation about making teaching and coaching clearer, simpler, and more effective.
Chris Trieste and Jay Willis keep the focus on a plain but sturdy idea: complex teaching lands better when it is reduced to simple concepts and clear language.
Practical educator talk rooted in the habit of noticing what students actually need.
Matt Bardeen's story is less about polished leadership theory than about paying attention to what a student actually needs, then teaching to that.
Leadership reads more clearly when timing and patience lead the way.
Connie Hamilton's conversation with Jay Willis settles into a thoughtful, practical look at leadership and timing. Her path through elementary teaching, middle school ELA, instructional coaching, principal work, and her current role as a K-12 curriculum director gives the…
School leadership notes and a firm case for public schools
Steady counsel for school leaders.
Clear thinking about education’s next turn.
Jay Willis sits down with Tim Elmore to talk about how learning changes when students truly own it.
Jay Willis talks with Chris Murray about leadership, authenticity, and how a little vulnerability can make a team trust a shared vision.
Jay Willis opens the conversation with a simple idea.
Matt Bardeen starts with the student problem.
Jay Willis frames the episode around patience and timing.
An interview with a new assistant principal discussing her journey and advice for aspiring educational leaders.
An interview with retired principal Randy Delling about staying calm and observant in educational leadership.
Host Jay Willis interviews school principal Kermit Ward about his leadership journey and turning around underperforming schools.
Host Jay Willis interviews Dr.