INTRO: Hop on the Energy Bus for our latest podcast episode! This week, we're thrilled to have Dr. Jim Van Allan, a nationally recognized speaker and co-author of The Energy Bus for Schools, take the wheel. Jim shares his expertise on school leadership, student engagement, and the power of positivity in education.

In this episode, discover how Jim's journey and dynamic approach can transform a school's culture. Whether you're an educator, administrator, or just passionate about positive change, this conversation is packed with valuable insights and practical tips, include:

• Part 1: We dive into the themes of the book, especially in the post-pandemic world.

• Part 2: In our "Imperfect Leadership in After Action" segment, Jim shares a humorous, yet insightful story about a speaking engagement mix-up in Wyoming. 🤦‍♂️ His anecdote highlights the importance of flexibility and problem-solving in leadership.

Don't miss out on this enlightening and entertaining ride with Dr. Jim Van Allan! Tune in and get ready to fuel your school leadership with enthusiasm and positivity.

BIO: Dr. Jim Van Allan is the co-author of The Energy Bus for Schools (a companion to The Energy Bus, a best seller his co-author, Jon Gordon wrote, having sold over 3 million copies). In addition to being the President of the Energy Bus for Schools program, Jim is a Professor of Communication Studies at Keiser University. He holds a Ph.D. in Education Leadership where he studied the impact of The Energy Bus for Schools curriculum on a model school.

INTRO: Welcome to today's episode of An Imperfect Leader, where we sit down with Dr. Peter Dillon, a superintendent in Western Massachusetts. Peter shares his experiences working in a rural region serving, at one time, two school districts and the lessons he learned along the way.

In this episode, he shares insights on leading multiple districts, the challenges and rewards of serving small communities, and the process of redesigning what it means to be a high school student in a post-COVID world. Don't miss this conversation about harvesting collective wisdom, overcoming budget crises, and fostering student voice and engagement. Dr. Peter Dillon shares his story and lessons learned, embodying the spirit of an imperfect leader.

BIO: Dr. Peter Dillon is the superintendent of schools for the Berkshire Hills Regional School District—serving the towns of Stockbridge, West Stockbridge and Great Barrington, Mass. At one point, he also served, simultaneously, as superintendent of the Shaker Mountain School Union, which serves Richmond, Hancock and New Ashford. Previously, Peter was executive director of policy in the Office of Portfolio Planning at the New York City Department of Education, where he helped to create and sustain more than 150 new schools. He was the principal of the Heritage School in East Harlem and he taught in New York and in the Republic of the Marshall Islands as a Peace Corps volunteer.

INTRO: In my third year as a superintendent, the AVID classes at one of my high schools invited me to the school library at 7:30 in the morning. That is EARLY for high school students accustomed to starting school at almost 9 o’clock, so it had to be important. Over donuts and juice, it was the students who led an activity called Philosophical Chairs. The topic? Weighted grades. Our school district didn’t offer weighted grades and the students saw this as a distinct disadvantage. They were prepared for my argument to maintain the status quo. I reasoned, “Why would we need weighted grades? The research is really clear. If you complete an AP course, even with a C, you’re more likely to complete college.”

In Philosophical Chairs, after each statement, participants can choose to move in proximity to the person making the statement. I didn’t sway anyone. A student then stated, “I hear the argument that completing an AP course shows me that I can handle a college course, and that it becomes more likely I will finish college, but I need to GET into college first, and I need to get a scholarship to pay for it, and a peer who takes a less rigorous course and gets an A gets accepted to college and gets a higher scholarship.”

She was right (we verified this with our local University and they weren’t stripping weighted grades from transcripts). I was won over. I wish I could say that this change happened immediately. Getting 4 votes from the school board took some time, but we got there. My guest, Dr. Melvin Brown, shares his experience with a decision he made about weighted grades in Montgomery, Alabama.

In Part 1, Melvin Brown talks about the importance of reclaiming the narrative in Montgomery Public Schools. He talks about how enduring change will take time. He talks about recognizing the systems that exist, persist, and ways to RESIST. We discuss the ways external partners like EdConnective can support leadership development. We talk about the goal of increasing opportunities like algebra at middle school and the systems thinking approach that will be necessary to do that.

In Part 2, we talk about weighted grades, how AP courses and honors courses earned the same full point on a transcript, and the unintended consequences on a student’s future (scholarships and such). Dr. Brown lived the role of a lead learner.

It’s a great episode. Also, this episode had one of my favorite lines ever! I laughed out loud when Dr. Brown described himself as a student. He said, “Summa Cum Laude? No, it was more like, thank you, Laude!” I edited out my outburst!

BIO: Dr. Melvin Brown is the Superintendent of the Montgomery Public Schools in Montgomery, Alabama, a position he has held since 2022. Previous to that, he served as Superintendent of the Reynoldsburg City School District in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. And before that he served as a Superintendent in Residence and Visiting Professor at The Ohio State University. And before that, he held various leadership roles: as Deputy Superintendent, as Director of Human Resources, as an Associate Superintendent, and as both an elementary middle school principal.