It's the first week of school, the handbook says doors open at 8:00, and a mom is standing outside a locked door at 8:04 wondering if your school means what it prints. In this episode, John talks about the side of integrity that never makes it onto a banner in the front hallway: doing exactly what you said, exactly when you said you'd do it. From faculty meetings that actually start at 3:30 to fundraising dollars that go where you promised they'd go, John walks through why the small, unglamorous promises you keep, or don't, are quietly building or breaking trust with your parents, teachers, and donors. He's upfront that integrity shows up in the big, costly decisions too, that's not in question, but this episode is about the promises nobody's watching for. John also flips the conversation around. Starting on time only earns you the right to be worth showing up for. He shares what it looks like to run a faculty meeting your staff actually wants to attend, not just tolerate, and why that's the same muscle as keeping your word. LINKS AND RESOURCES Work with John If you want help building the kind of trust that grows enrollment and advancement in your school, reach out at elementaryadvancement.com If this episode was helpful, subscribe and share it with another Catholic school leader in your network. Thank you for the integrity you bring to your building every day, especially in the moments nobody's watching.

Technology promises to make learning faster, easier, and more personalized. But what happens when convenience begins to replace the experiences students need to grow? David Cicero talks with Jonathan Strecker, Head of School at Valley School of Ligonier and author of Emergence, about the difference between achievement and development, why struggle and even boredom matter, and how AI can support learning without doing the learning for students. The conversation explores Strecker’s five dimensions of human development—intellectual, social, emotional, ethical, and physical—and what schools should consider as technology becomes increasingly capable of removing friction from students’ lives.

Community Engagement—Building Relationships, Strengthening Our Schools, Together A thriving school isn't built only by what happens inside its classrooms—it grows stronger through the relationships it builds with the people and businesses around it. In this episode, Thomas and Becky explore practical ways schools can become active members of their neighborhoods instead of simply existing within them. From partnering with local restaurants and businesses to collaborating with neighboring schools, senior centers, and community organizations, they share real examples of how authentic relationships create opportunities that benefit students, families, staff, and the broader community. You'll discover how community engagement strengthens enrollment through word-of-mouth, creates meaningful learning opportunities, provides valuable resources, and helps schools become trusted neighborhood institutions. Most importantly, you'll be encouraged to take small, intentional steps that can lead to lasting partnerships and a stronger sense of belonging for everyone connected to your school.Whether you're looking to improve marketing, enrich student experiences, or simply become a more visible presence in your community, this episode offers practical ideas you can begin implementing right away. If you need help with developing your community engagement plan, please schedule a time to talk with us today. https://bit.ly/Build-IT-Better-Together To receive a copy of the Catholic School Excellence Toolkit - A Reflective Workbook for Visionary Catholic School Leaders,  click here. It is the companion to the podcast: In Search of Catholic School Excellence. Becky Wong has been a teacher, admin, tech coordinator and innovator in Catholic Schools for over 25 years.  She not only assists schools as part of the Tech Team but has been instrumental in guiding the Archdiocese of San Francisco as it navigates the edtech decisions and ever-changing landscape of classroom technology.  The In Search of Catholic School Excellence Podcast is brought to you by I Love My Tech Team. When technology doesn’t work, Catholic school leaders lose time, trust, and momentum. We partner with schools to restore reliable systems, empower teachers, and create the foundation for innovative learning centered on students. Lead Your School Into What’s Possible with I Love My Tech Team. Restoring What’s Broken. Advancing What’s Possible.Find out more at https://ilovemytechteam.com dailyjoltofjoy.com

Have we ever been this divided as a country?  Were we able to resolve our differences?  Can we do that today with all of our differences?

Many school clinicians know executive functioning is important.  They also know that their entire team should be supporting it across general and special education settings.  But they don’t always know what exactly that looks like in practice… And if they do, they don’t know HOW they can change the practices of classroom teachers.  There are a lot of unanswered questions.  …How can I find time to think about changing teacher’s practices when I barely have time to manage my own workload?  …What is my role if students don’t “qualify” for services on an IEP?  …Doesn’t adding executive functioning to my plate open up a whole can of worms I’ll never be able to manage as a related service provider?  …Even if I should be involved, how do I get teachers and administrators to “buy in?” In this episode, I share how I help school clinicians not just answer these questions, but actually get executive functioning support in place… Even if they’re not administrators… Without taking them away from their existing responsibilities or causing role confusion… And, even if they don’t have “buy in” from everyone on their team that they SHOULD be involved with executive functioning.  As you listen, I invite you to consider that you MIGHT NOT need to get buy-in to start.  The buy in comes with the process because it helps to “stack” the evidence you need to gain traction along the way.  And…the reason that no one can give you a clear answer on how or what your role is because a clear framework doesn’t exist.  People don’t give you an answer because most people don’t know HOW executive functioning support should look in schools.  That’s an opportunity for YOU to define how that looks. Which you are one of the most qualified people in your building to do if you’re an SLP, social worker, psychologist, counselor, or other related service provider.  And if you do it the right way, it can save you time and get better support for students in place at the same time.  I share why that’s the case in episode 265 of De Facto Leaders.   In this episode, I mentioned my free training where I share three mistakes professionals make when supporting executive functioning (that result in prompt-dependence and dysregulation).  In this training, I cover the following: ✅ Already working on executive functioning, and not seeing results? It could be because you're NOT truly working on executive functioning, even though you think you are. Learn how to make the subtle shifts that make all the difference. ✅ Are severe behaviors preventing ANY true skill development? Learn the common mistakes school teams make (related to executive functioning) that create prompt-dependence and dysregulation, and what to do instead. ✅ Are students struggling with peers, even though you're working on social skills? I'll share why "social skills groups" rarely result in good skill-transfer, and how to shift your service-deliver model to help students self-advocate and form relationships. ✅ Not sure your team will buy-in to supporting executive functioning in classrooms? Learn the 3-part framework I teach SLPs, social workers, psychologists, counselors, and other interventionists that helps them implement building-wide executive functioning intervention, even with a huge caseload. You can sign up for this training here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/efleadership In this episode, I mentioned School of Clinical Leadership, my program that helps related service providers design scalable executive functioning interventions to ensure students get the scaffolding they need across the school day.  You can learn more about the program here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/clinicalleadership