In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. George Philhower, Superintendent of Eastern Hancock Schools in Indiana since 2021. Previously he was an administrator for 13 years at Western Wayne Schools, another rural Indiana district. He holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary and special education from Cardinal Stritch University, a master’s in educational leadership and administration from the University of Indianapolis, and both an Ed.S. and Ph.D. from Indiana State University.

Some Questions We Ask:

• Tell us more about your career as a superintendent. (01:33)
• What brings you joy in being a superintendent? (03:32)
• What are your thoughts regarding the 2022 and 2023 RAND research, and how do you cope with stress in your career? (05:01)
• How has scrutiny of the superintendency changed over the years? (07:02)
• How are your experiences similar to other K-12 school leaders across the nation? (08:52)
• What is the best way to illuminate the humanity of district leaders? (10:16)
• In what ways have you developed a shared vision for your district with your community? (12:02)
• What is your advice for someone who’s just starting as a superintendent, and how can they build their community? (14:54)
• What advice can you give to superintendents who might be struggling with that? (15:51)
• As advocates for K-12 education, how can we truly support superintendents today? (17:12)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Dr. Philhower’s career in education (01:45)
• The joys of being a superintendent (03:42)
• His point of view on the RAND research and his strategies for coping with stress (05:25)
• Change in scrutiny of the superintendency (07:08)
• His experiences as a superintendent compared to others across the nation (09:16)
• Developing a shared vision for the district (12:07)
• His advice for superintendents who are just starting to build their communities of support (15:13)
• Different ways of rallying a community through storytelling (16:24)
• Advice for struggling superintendents (16:00)
• How supporters can all advocate for superintendents (17:28)

Quotes:

“I just really believe that if we do nothing, the gravity of the work we're doing, the gravity of the world, is not pulling us towards a place of joy. So if we're going to get there, it's got to be intentional. And that intentionality comes from just looking for things that bring you joy and looking for opportunities to cause moments of joy.”

“A face-to-face conversation or a phone call when you have questions or concerns is 100% the best way to resolve an issue.”

“We do what we call CAFE meetings. It stands for community and family engagement. We do those quarterly. We've got a network of employee partners and community leaders and anybody that's willing to sit down and chat with us that we meet with. And we'll get over 100 people at those meetings sometimes.”

Stay in touch with Dr. George Philhower:
Eastern Hancock Schools
LinkedI

Stay in touch with Sarah Williamson:
Free Case Study Guide
SWPR GROUP Website
LinkedIn

Stay in touch with Chad Bolser:
LinkedIn

About "The Secret to Transformational Leadership," which Sarah co-authored with Dr. Quintin Shepherd:
Transformational Leadership Secret website
Purchase the print or ebook

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. Rainey Briggs, the superintendent of the Baraboo School District in Baraboo, Wisconsin.. In 2022, he was recognized as one of the 48 Most Influential Black Leaders in Wisconsin. Dr. Briggs and his wife, Julie, who is also an educator, are the co-founders of Meraki Consulting, which offers seminars, workshops, professional development, coaching, mediation, and other services centered on equity and inclusion. Dr. Briggs works collaboratively with organizations such as North Star Consulting Services, where he partners to provide equity institutes to school districts around the country. In their spare time, the Briggses enjoy going to sporting events and traveling with their three teenage daughters: Rayna, Rylee, and Reagan.

Some Questions We Ask:

• Tell us more about your career. (01:25)
• Do you agree with the RAND research showing that superintendents have one of the most stressful jobs in America, and how did you cope with stress in your own career? (04:51)
• How has scrutiny of the superintendency changed over the years? (08:30)
• How did your experiences compare with other superintendents across the nation? (10:24)
• What brings you joy and what do you love about your job? (12:15)
• What have you found is the key to bringing people together to see your vision as a leader and cultivate community support? (14:39)
• In what ways are you using storytelling to connect with educators, families and the broader community? (16:14)
• What advice can you give to superintendents who might be struggling with divisiveness and building a community? (18:06)
• Why is it important for the community to see superintendents as real human beings? (20:11)
• What can community advocates do better to support K-12 leaders? (23:50)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• About Dr. Briggs’ career (01:33)
• His perspective on job stress and coping strategies (05:22)
• Changes in scrutiny of the superintendency (08:52)
• His personal experiences as a superintendent as compared to others (10:38)
• About what brings him joy in his work (12:39)
• Keys to bringing people together and cultivating community support (15:01)
• Different ways of rallying a community through storytelling (16:24)
• Advice for superintendents struggling with divisiveness (18:21)
• The importance of communities’ viewing superintendents as real human beings (21:05)
• Suggestions on advocating for K-12 leaders (24:32)

Quotes:

”When you start to judge, you lose out on curiosity, right? That curiosity of really wanting to know and understand what's happening or how you can even support others is really important.”

“Knowing your values, your worth, your beliefs, and what you stand for is the number one piece of advice that I would give.”

Stay in touch with Dr. Rainey Briggs:
Baraboo School District Website
Meraki Consulting, LLC
LinkedIn

Stay in touch with Sarah Williamson:
Free Case Study Guide
SWPR GROUP Website
LinkedIn

Stay in touch with Chad Bolser:
LinkedIn

About "The Secret to Transformational Leadership," which Sarah co-authored with Dr. Quintin Shepherd:
Transformational Leadership Secret website
Purchase the print or ebook

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. Sandy Husk. During her remarkable 48-year career, she has served at every level, from classroom teacher and school counselor to superintendent to interim CEO and executive director for ACSD (the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, a nonprofit with more than 125,000 members in 128 countries). She is currently the advisor to the CEO for MindPrint Learning; a member of the board of directors at Wayfinder and at Abl; and a board member and advisor for Husk Consulting. As a district leader, she has helped prepare students for graduation all across the U.S., including Oregon, Tennessee, and Colorado, learning each state’s idiosyncrasies.

Some Questions We Ask:

• Tell us more about your career. (01:22)
• What have been the most rewarding aspects of your work in education? (02:47)
• Do you agree with the RAND research showing that superintendents have one of the most stressful jobs in America, and how did you cope with stress in your own career? (04:05)
• How has scrutiny of the superintendency changed over the years? (06:03)
• How did you unify communities to see your vision for the district–especially during times of budget cuts? (06:51)
• How did your experiences compare with other superintendents across the nation? (09:28)
• How are you able to rally people around storytelling and communications opportunities? (11:05)
• What advice can you give to superintendents having difficulties building relationships within a divisive community? (12:21)
• Why is it important for the community to see superintendents as real human beings? (14:53)
• What can community advocates do better in supporting K-12 leaders? (16:25)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• About Dr. Husk’s career (01:31)
• Rewarding aspects of her career serving districts in multiple states (03:01)
• Her perspective on stress and coping strategies (04:30)
• Changes in scrutiny of the superintendency (06:12)
• How to promote a unifying vision for a district (07:12)
• Her personal experiences as a superintendent as compared to others (09:45)
• Different ways of rallying a community (11:24)
• Advice for superintendents today (12:29)
• The importance of communities’ viewing superintendents as real human beings (15:03)
• Suggestions on advocating for K-12 leaders (16:46)

Quotes:

“Every employee and every connected leader needs to be working towards the same communications so that you can get that confidence and the belief up. I have said this many, many times: I can get up and make a speech, and a whole bunch of people aren't going to believe it—but if the teacher and the bus driver and the secretary are saying it, now you've got momentum.”

“One thing I learned over the many years is I had to get some rules for myself on work-life balance.”

“You have to keep focusing on the vision. We want to feel good about each other even when we're making really, really tough decisions.”


Stay in touch with Dr. Sandy Husk:
LinkedIn

Stay in touch with Sarah Williamson:
Free Case Study Guide
SWPR GROUP Website
LinkedIn

Stay in touch with Chad Bolser:
LinkedIn

About "The Secret to Transformational Leadership," which Sarah co-authored with Dr. Quintin Shepherd:
Transformational Leadership Secret website
Purchase the print or ebook