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Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best #PrincipalPLN episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to #PrincipalPLN for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite #PrincipalPLN episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

We’re thrilled to introduce Sideline Sessions, the newest original series on the Be Podcast Network.
Designed for coaches, parents and other stakeholders in the world of youth, scholastic, and amateur sports, this show brings you interviews with leaders at the highest levels of their respective sports. Hear about their motivations, philosophies, and strategies for success, and take away actionable insights to support the athletes in your life.
My first guest on Sideline Sessions is Dr. Jenifer Welter, a trailblazing athlete and coach. In 2015, Welter became the first female coach in NFL history when she coached linebackers for the Arizona Cardinals. She was also the first woman to play a contact position in men’s professional football when she signed as a running back with the Texas Revolution, a professional indoor football team.
It’s an honor to share our conversation with listeners of The Authority. If you’d like to subscribe to Sideline Sessions, use this link to find it on your preferred platform: https://sidelinesessions.transistor.fm/subscribe
In this episode, hear about:
- Jen’s journey to playing and coaching football
- How she prepared herself for the opportunity to coach — before even knowing it was possible
- Shattering the “glass sideline” (in both the NFL and Madden 2020)
- The power of authentic leadership
- Keeping players physically and mentally healthy
- The state of women’s football and Grrridiron Girls flag football
- What difference can coaches make in changing opportunities for their athletes and future coaches?
About today’s guest
Coach Jen Welter is best known as the first female to coach in the NFL as an assistant LBs Coach with the Arizona Cardinals. However, what most people don’t know is that Coach Jen broke into men’s football as the first female to play running back in men’s pro football. From that experience with the Texas Revolution, Coach Jen started her coaching career.
Following the NFL, Welter became the Head Coach of the first Australian Women's National Team fielded in July 2017; joined the advisory board of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Game for Life Academy, and wrote her first book Play Big: Lessons in Living Limitless from the First Woman to Coach in the NFL.
Prior to joining the men's game, Coach Jen had an amazing career in women's football which included two gold medals with Team USA, four world championships, and eight all-star selections. While playing football, Dr. Jen obtained her PhD in Psychology and a Master’s in Sport Psychology. Dr. Jen also has a BS in Business from Boston College.
About the host
Ross Romano is co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and also hosts The Authority Podcast. He began his career in the pro sports industry before becoming a leading communications, marketing, and management expert working with education companies. He is founder and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. He also works directly with professionals at all levels, in all industries, coaching them in their pursuit of success.
Connect on Twitter @RossBRomano or LinkedIn.
We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.
IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
- Simplify and streamline technology
- Save teachers’ time
- Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
- Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

The Authority: Nolan Bushnell and Dr. Leah Hanes on ExoDexa and Shaping the Future of Education
#PrincipalPLN
12/02/23 • 51 min
We're pleased to share this special episode from The Authority Podcast, part of the Be Podcast Network.
The Authority is hosted by Ross Romano, a leadership coach, storytelling strategist and edtech advisor. He interviews leading authors from the education world and beyond to draw out their invaluable insights on leadership, culture-building, transformation, and student & educator success. Subscribe to The Authority here: https://authoritypodcast.net/subscribe
My guests are Nolan Bushnell — the “father of electronic gaming” who has founded 20+ companies, including Atari, Chuck E. Cheese’s, and Catalyst Technologies — and Dr. Leah Hanes, CEO of the Two Bit Circus Foundation (2BCF).
Nolan and Leah are currently working together on the new gamified education company ExoDexa and have co-authored the book Shaping the Future of Education: The ExoDexa Manifesto.
Ross talks with Nolan and Leah about:
- How Nolan got interested in tackling education
- Steve Jobs: “What if you’re in a room and everybody thinks you’re wrong, but you think you’re right and you’ve thought more deeply about it than anybody?”
- The vision and goals of the school of the future
- What it really means to be designed around students first
- Artificial intelligence (AI) and why we should embrace it
- Entrepreneurship in the classroom
- “Competing” with video games vs. leaning into their organic ability to support learning
- “Games should be easy to learn but difficult to master.” Are schools focusing enough on mastery?
- The St. Crispin’s Day Speech and the “band of brothers”
Shaping the Future of Education is available on Amazon. Learn more at https://www.exodexa.com.
About today’s guests
In 1972, Nolan Bushnell created an industry when he founded Atari and gave the world Pong, the first blockbuster video game. Today his design credo―that games should be “easy to learn and difficult to master”―is inspiring a new generation of developers. A prolific entrepreneur, Bushnell has started more than 20 companies, including Chuck E. Cheese’s Pizza Time Theater; Catalyst Technologies, the first Silicon Valley incubator; and Etak, the first in-car navigation system. In the process, he pioneered many of the workplace innovations that have made Silicon Valley a long-standing magnet for creative talent. Bushnell was the first and only person ever to hire Steve Jobs, which he details in his 2013 book, Finding the Next Steve Jobs.
Leah Hanes, PhD, is CEO of the Two Bit Circus Foundation (2BCF). During her tenure, first as executive director and then CEO, 2BCF has developed a strong voice in the current STEAM education discourse. Bringing potent creative play allies like T4T.org, STEAM Carnival, Imagination.org, and LA Makerspace under the 2BCF big top helped increase both reach and impact in education.
About the host
Ross Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Twitter @RossBRomano or LinkedIn.
Are you a professional looking for insights to reach the next level, find a fulfilling new career, or achieve peak performance? You may be a candidate for performance coaching. Schedule an introductory chat here.
We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.
IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
- Simplify and streamline technology
- Save teachers’ time
- Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
- Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Best of #PrincipalPLN: Social Emotional Learning
#PrincipalPLN
08/02/23 • 46 min
#PrincipalPLN is now part of the BE Podcast Network and we're replaying some of the great episodes from the vault. Hope you enjoy this blast from the past. Be sure to see all the great shows on the BE Podcast Network.
In this episode, Theresa and Jessica discuss what they're up to with welcome staff back to school. Jessica finally tried out Flipgrid thanks to Eric Ewald's encouragement when she attended his session at the National Principals Conference. Here's a quick video Jessica made to show her staff how to do this: Flipgrid intro. Theresa shared some other awesome ideas she's seen Flipgrid used for.
As they talked about Social Emotional Learning, here are links to some of the resources/programs mentioned:
- Second Step Curriculum
- Zones of Regulation
- Pyramid Model
- Playworks
- Handle with Care Referral
- The Fire Within book
- Fostering Resilient Learners book
- Lavonna Roth
- Web and Link Crew from The Boomerang Project
- Playspent.org Poverty simulation
We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.
IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
- Simplify and streamline technology
- Save teachers’ time
- Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
- Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Best of #PrincipalPLN: Jethro Jones
#PrincipalPLN
07/26/23 • 57 min
#PrincipalPLN is now part of the BE Podcast Network and we're replaying some of the great episodes from the vault. Hope you enjoy this blast from the past. Be sure to see all the great shows on the BE Podcast Network.
We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.
IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
- Simplify and streamline technology
- Save teachers’ time
- Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
- Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Best of #PrincipalPLN: The Principled Principal
#PrincipalPLN
07/19/23 • 30 min
#PrincipalPLN is now part of the BE Podcast Network and we're replaying some of the great episodes from the vault. Hope you enjoy this blast from the past. Be sure to see all the great shows on the BE Podcast Network.
In this episode we are fortunate to be joined by Jeff Zoul and Anthony McConnell, the authors of the hot new book, The Principled Principal: 10 Principles for Leading Exceptional Schools.
The Principled Principal examines ten guiding principles, using stories and real-life examples to make them relevant and applicable for every school leader.
You’ll learn . . .
What to prioritize and what to eliminate from your to-do list
How to empower your staff and students
How to hire the right people for your school
Why and how to keep calm in a crisis
How to recognize and avoid “culture crushers”
How to create a positive culture for your school community
Implement the strategies and practices in The Principled Principal, and fast-track your way to becoming the leader your school needs.
The list of what you'll learn goes on, along with stories from practicing principals in each chapter.
We know you'll enjoy listening to Jeff and Anthony chat about their book just as much as we did! Want to tweet about the book? Use the hashtag #10principles to join in the conversation with others.
We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.
IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
- Simplify and streamline technology
- Save teachers’ time
- Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
- Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Best of #PrincipalPLN: Back to School
#PrincipalPLN
07/05/23 • 41 min
#PrincipalPLN is now part of the BE Podcast Network and we're replaying some of the great episodes from the vault. Hope you enjoy this blast from the past. Be sure to see all the great shows on the BE Podcast Network.
In this episode, Spike and Jessica catch up on what they’ve been doing to relax in the final days of summer and had a discussion about how we welcome kids back to school. As we’re seeing awesome back to school ideas, like rolling out the red carpet (Click here for the time RM Bacon literally rolled out the red carpet for the welcome back and tied it to the You Matter movement by Angela Maiers), our discussion may challenge your thinking about grand events. A post that started some interesting discussion on Twitter was: Your Back to School Message is Hurting Teachers.
Jessica shared Greg Wolcott’s idea of the Significant 72 and how important the first 72 hours (or 3 days) of school should be all about relationship building. And that also goes for the first 72 after a break. Read about the Significant 72 here: https://www.smore.com/ddc84-significant-72
We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.
IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
- Simplify and streamline technology
- Save teachers’ time
- Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
- Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

07/04/23 • 50 min
Today we're bringing you a special episode from The Authority Podcast. Subscribe to The Authority here: https://authoritypodcast.net
David Fleming is a senior writer at ESPN who has been one of the industry’s most prolific, versatile, and imaginative longform writers over the last three decades at Sports Illustrated, ESPN The Magazine, and ESPN. He has reported on everything from the Super Bowl and Steph Curry to the Musical Chairs World Championship and the NFL’s obsession with glutes.
His new book, Who's Your Founding Father? One Man’s Epic Quest to Uncover the First, True Declaration of Independence, was just released.
David and Ross discuss:
- The clues that led David toward writing this book
- The Mecklenberg Declaration of Independence (the MecDec!) — what it is who wrote it, and who signed it
- John Adams accuses Thomas Jefferson of plagiarism — the evidence and thee defense
- Why May 20, 1775 is such a noteworthy date
- Traveling to London to uncover an international conspiracy and discovering North Carolina’s Freedom Spring, previously lost for a century
- If 11 US Presidents along with Ken Burns, David McCullough, George Will and others acknowledged the MecDec, why haven’t we heard more about it?
- The South’s critical role in the American Revolution
- Thomas Jefferson...shockingly awful
- Captain James Jack, the Paul Revere of the South (only braver)
- One takeaway today’s students should learn in their history
- The playlist at the Musical Chairs World Championship, and more!
Who's Your Founding Father? is available from Hachette. Find it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or wherever you get your books: https://bit.ly/43Wt6F6
Read David’s 2013 ESPN story about the Musical Chairs World Championship here.
Subscribe to The Authority to get more deep-dive interviews with education authors. It’s available wherever you get your podcasts. Visit https://bepodcast.network to learn more about the Be Podcast Network for educators.
About our guest
David Fleming is a senior writer at ESPN. During the last three decades at Sports Illustrated, ESPN The Magazine and ESPN he has been one of the industry’s most prolific, versatile, and imaginative longform writers, traveling the globe while penning more than 35 cover stories and numerous groundbreaking pieces on everything from the Super Bowl and Steph Curry to the Musical Chairs World Championship and the NFL’s obsession with glutes. Fleming’s unique work has earned numerous national awards as well as a handwritten note from the White House.
He is also the author of two previous books, Breaker Boys: The NFL’s Greatest Team and the Stolen 1925 Championship and Noah's Rainbow: A Father’s Emotional Journey from the Death of his Son to the Birth of his Daughter. A native of Detroit, Fleming and his wife, Kim, live in North Carolina with their daughters.
Follow him on Twitter @FlemESPN
About the host
Ross Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry and beyond clarify their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Twitter @RossBRomano or LinkedIn.
We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.
IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
- Simplify and streamline technology
- Save teachers’ time
- Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
- Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

06/28/23 • 30 min
#PrincipalPLN is now part of the BE Podcast Network and we're replaying some of the great episodes from the vault. Hope you enjoy this blast from the past. Be sure to see all the great shows on the BE Podcast Network.
#PrincipalPLN Episode 48 - The Paperless Principal with Jethro Jones (audio) by Dr. Spike Cook, Jessica Johnson, Theresa Stager
We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.
IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
- Simplify and streamline technology
- Save teachers’ time
- Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
- Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Best of #PrincipalPLN: Planning for next year
#PrincipalPLN
06/21/23 • 41 min
#PrincipalPLN is now part of the BE Podcast Network and we're replaying some of the great episodes from the vault. Hope you enjoy this blast from the past. Be sure to see all the great shows on the BE Podcast Network.
In this episode, Theresa and Spike discuss how each school is focusing on planning for next year. They begin by describing the specific schedules for their middle school and high school. Theresa's school operates on a Trimester schedule and Spike's is on a block schedule.
As they plan for next year, both schools are looking at initiatives that will foster student learning and prepare students for the 21st century. How does this work in the confines of the school? How do you get buy-in? How much change is too much change? These are the questions that both ponder as they share their experiences.
In the podcast, Spike also referred to The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller. He learned about this last week when talking with Jethro Jones and it has already helped him as the school plans for next year.
We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.
IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
- Simplify and streamline technology
- Save teachers’ time
- Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
- Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Resilient Schools: How Adaptable Districts Can Reverse Chronic Absenteeism with Jen Perry
#PrincipalPLN
07/06/24 • 53 min
Today we're thrilled to bring you a timely episode from Resilient Schools. Host Ross Romano talks with Jen Perry, Senior Manager of Learning Design and Whole Learner at Edmentum.
Jen helps us identify the types and indicators of trauma present in many school districts, the causes of chronic absenteeism as well as the ongoing trends, the risk factors for disengagement, how to integrate educator and student engagement, and more.
Hear about:
- “Resilient Schools” means adaptive
- Key indicators of trauma within a school community
- How educator engagement and burnout relate to student engagement
- The call to bring students back from disengagement
- Measuring connectedness
- Lessons on chronic absenteeism from Rochester, NY
- Why chronic absenteeism hasn’t automatically fixed itself post-pandemic
- How the Whole Learner framework aligns with efforts to combat chronic absenteeism
- Career-connected learning and making school relevant
- Read Jen’s District Administration article, Connectedness is key: 3 ways to reverse chronic absenteeism
- Learn more about Edmentum: https://www.edmentum.com
About the guest
Jen Perry is Senior Manager of Learning Design and Whole Learner at Edmentum. Jen has worked over 30+ years with youth in educational and community settings. As a teacher, administrator, and trainer, her passion has been to help educators develop an understanding of the importance of social-emotional learning and build trauma-informed responses and systems. This work has included supporting youth, administrators, and schools in understanding behavior and implementing transformational change through strength-based approaches. Connect on LinkedIn
About the host
Ross Romano is co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. He has spent over a decade helping dozens of founders, C-level executives, and authors develop and distribute compelling thought leadership through a variety of media channels. Connect on Twitter @RossBRomano or LinkedIn
We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.
IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
- Simplify and streamline technology
- Save teachers’ time
- Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
- Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.
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FAQ
How many episodes does #PrincipalPLN have?
#PrincipalPLN currently has 176 episodes available.
What topics does #PrincipalPLN cover?
The podcast is about Teaching, Leadership, Startups, Podcasts, Edtech, Technology and Education.
What is the most popular episode on #PrincipalPLN?
The episode title 'The Authority: Nolan Bushnell and Dr. Leah Hanes on ExoDexa and Shaping the Future of Education' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on #PrincipalPLN?
The average episode length on #PrincipalPLN is 45 minutes.
How often are episodes of #PrincipalPLN released?
Episodes of #PrincipalPLN are typically released every 2 days, 14 hours.
When was the first episode of #PrincipalPLN?
The first episode of #PrincipalPLN was released on Aug 15, 2014.
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