Restoring Trust After a Miss
Leadership in Motion: Navigating Change, Shaping Culture, and Driving Impact Opening Reflection Even the most disciplined leaders miss. A decision lands wrong. A message is unclear. A response comes too quickly, or not quickly enough. What felt aligned in the moment creates confusion, frustration, or unintended consequences. These moments are part of the work. But what happens next matters more than the miss itself. Trust is rarely lost because of the mistake…
Leadership in Motion | Rise Higher: What the Eagle and the Crow Teach About Leadership Focus
Navigating Change, Shaping Culture, and Driving Impact There is an old story about the eagle and the crow that carries a useful leadership lesson. The crow is one of the few birds bold enough to harass an eagle. It will land on the eagle’s back and peck at its neck, trying to provoke a reaction. The eagle does not fight the crow.It does not chase it. It does not waste energy trying to…
When Deepfakes Enter the Hallway: Navigating AI Impersonation in Schools
Students are sharing a video that appears to show the teacher saying something offensive. The teacher insists it never happened. The video was created overnight and posted online. By the time school begins, it is already circulating among students. Situations like this are beginning to appear in schools across the country. Artificial intelligence tools can now generate convincing images, audio, and video that make it appear as if someone said or did…
MASSP Leadership Advisory: AI Impersonation and Deepfakes in Schools
Leadership Considerations and Practical Guidance for Principals AI-generated impersonation and deepfake content are beginning to surface in schools, creating new leadership challenges for building principals. When manipulated media targets a student or staff member and begins circulating among students, the situation can escalate quickly, damage reputations, and disrupt the learning environment. These incidents are often emotionally charged, legally complex, and time-intensive for administrators to resolve. The challenge becomes even more complicated when…
Leadership in Motion | Leading Above the Line: How Principals Recognize Fear and Choose Better Responses
Leadership in Motion – Navigating Change, Shaping Culture, and Driving Impact Secondary school leadership places you under pressure almost daily. A frustrated teacher walks into your office after a difficult class. A parent emails demanding immediate action. A district directive arrives that will impact your master schedule. A staff meeting begins to drift toward tension and blame. In moments like these, something powerful happens inside every leader. Before we speak or act,…
When Student Walkouts Test Leadership: Setting the Climate Under Pressure
There are moments in a secondary school when the temperature rises quickly. A social media post spreads.Students organize.Parents call.Local media starts asking questions. By the end of second period, you can feel the pressure in the hallways. The question is not whether you feel it. You will.The question is what kind of leader you will be when you do. Student walkouts connected to immigration enforcement and other national issues are creating that…
Leadership in Motion | Stop Chasing the Snake
Healing, Not Hunting, Is How Leaders Protect Culture There is a story I return to whenever frustration starts to rise. A man is walking through the woods when a snake bites him. The bite hurts, but it is not fatal. If he walks back to the village for treatment, he will recover. Instead, anger takes over. He chases the snake down the path, determined to make it pay. Before long, the venom…
Leadership in Motion | Deposits, Withdrawals and Dividends
Navigating Change, Shaping Culture and Driving Impact Opening Reflection January has a way of pulling school leaders into reflection whether we plan for it or not. The first semester is behind us. The pace of fall has slowed just enough to take a breath, but not enough to forget how heavy it felt at times. At this point in the year, the most important leadership question is not what initiatives are next…
Leadership in Motion | Roots Before Branches: Building What People Cannot See
Navigating Change, Shaping Culture and Driving Impact Some leaders focus on what everyone can see. They chase immediate results, quick wins and public-facing success. But meaningful, sustainable impact in a school does not begin with the branches. It begins with the roots. Just like a tree, the strength of your leadership is determined by what lies beneath the surface. The public often pays attention to the visible branches of school leadership: test…
Section 27h Mentoring Grants Are Being Released: What Principals Need to Know
Districts that applied for Section 27h Mentoring and Induction funding will begin receiving individual notifications from the Michigan Department of Education starting Monday, November 17 and continuing through Friday, November 21. The Department needs to send these notices manually to all applicants, so districts may learn of the decision at different times throughout the week. A statewide press release from MDE will follow once all notifications have been sent. Payments for awarded…