Organizational excellence isn’t a buzzword—it’s the path to #studentsuccess. In this DHP Virtual panel, Superintendents @broberson10 (@OxfordSD, MS), @jnlowery (@TeaAreaDistrict, SD), and @DavidShimer1 (@BurtonSchools, CA) share how aligning systems helps eliminate barriers for students and creates a culture of #continuousimprovement.
📍 Want more conversations like this? Join us in Chicago, July 22–23, 2025, for our Destination High Performance (DHP) K12 Leadership Conference—designed for district and school leaders who are focused on creating great places to work, learn, and succeed.
Missed DHP Virtual? You can still register to access every session on demand.
👇 Learn more + register for both at:
🔗 https://t.co/oaGt5KdPtN
#DHPK12 #edleaders #organizationalexcellence
Your top performers elevate your entire district, and their passion actively drives student success forward. You can retain these incredible educators by conducting in-person 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘴.
Schedule a dedicated, one-on-one conversation with your most engaged team members to discover what keeps them working with you. 𝐀𝐬𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩.
These conversations provide a clear roadmap to support, develop, and retain your best people. Who will you schedule a 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 with this month?
The culture of your district doesn't happen by accident. It is built on your vision and your ongoing commitment to your people.
Carrying the weight of ensuring both educators and students thrive is a massive responsibility. That is exactly why carving out time to focus on the big picture is so vital.
Today, step away from the daily demands for just 30 minutes to do exactly that. 𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐚𝐭 12:00 𝐏𝐌 𝐄𝐃𝐓 for a highly actionable session on elevating your district's culture.
During this brief session, he will walk you through the practice of Rounding. This proactive strategy allows you to 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐟𝐟, 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐢𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.
Take a short pause today to design the highly supportive workplace your team deserves.
The strongest districts build culture through consistent conversations with employees. They listen with intention, recognize great work, and act on what they learn.
Those actions build trust. Trust strengthens engagement. Engagement drives results.
Leadership habits shape organizational culture. When leaders create regular opportunities to connect with employees, they gain valuable insights, strengthen relationships, and reinforce what matters most.
The 90-Day Leadership Engagement Program helps district leaders establish a practical, repeatable approach to employee engagement. Working alongside a Studer Education coach, leaders develop the habits that strengthen communication, build trust, and create lasting cultural impact.
Strong cultures are built one conversation at a time.
As an educational leader, every decision you make centers on supporting your students.
To do that effectively, your daily actions must align with what they actually want and need.
But how do you discover exactly what those needs are?
𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠.
At the recent 2026 Destination High Performance Higher Education Conference, Dr. Brendan Kelly shared a powerful reminder about the importance of centering the student voice.
In this week’s episode of the Accelerate Your Performance podcast, Dr. Janet Pilcher reflects on Dr. Kelly's message and explores how you can put these ideas into action. She shares practical ways to listen to your students and use that feedback to shape their daily educational journey.
This episode covers:
• 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Using student rounding to gather authentic, actionable feedback.
• 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: Matching student expectations with their actual campus experiences.
• 𝐄𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭: Building a culture where every student feels heard and valued.
Listening directly to students empowers your team to design an experience that truly serves them.
#StudentExperience #SchoolLeadership #Education #StudentVoice #ContinuousImprovement
The heart of your district is the people who show up for the kids.
Caring for them is the most profound leadership strategy you can employ.
By prioritizing their well-being, you actively cultivate a positive, supportive, and trusting work environment where everyone thrives.
To ensure your efforts are making the greatest impact, take a moment to see exactly how your district's culture systems currently support your educators.
Our leadership assessment measures the specific pillars that drive team engagement and excellence.
Building a great district culture requires intentional, consistent connection.
Oxford School District recognized that actively supporting their educators is the best way to elevate student success.
They transformed their daily operations by implementing a powerful routine of brief, one-on-one check-ins.
By simply taking the time to listen and clear operational barriers, Oxford leaders built immense trust with their teams.
The resulting data highlights the true value of these conversations.
▪️Staff members who receive monthly check-ins report an 87.4% favorable rate of recommending their workplace.
▪️For employees without regular check-ins, that rate sits at 50.2%.
We love seeing Oxford administrators put in the dedicated effort needed to truly support their staff. It is an honor to equip them with the tools to guide those interactions.
Student achievement follows staff engagement. Consistent leadership practices strengthen culture, and strong communication builds organizational trust.
Estacada School District in Oregon experienced a magnificent transformation by anchoring their leadership in these principles. Superintendent Dr. Ryan Carpenter notes, "𝘐𝘯 2017 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘢 54% 𝘰𝘯-𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦. 𝘐𝘯 2019 𝘸𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺."
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭 𝐬𝐚𝐰 𝐚 37% 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐧-𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 92%.
You can equip your cabinet with the identical coaching Estacada used to drive continuous improvement. Our 90-Day Leadership Engagement Program walks your leaders through a complete rounding cycle to strengthen communication and outcomes.
Your teachers and staff pour their hearts into their work, creating magic in the classroom every single day. A handwritten thank-you note is one of the most valuable ways to honor their dedication.
You can elevate this practice by mailing the note directly to their home, multiplying the joy when families see their loved one recognized by district leadership. Be specific in your message by describing the exact behavior you observed and how it made a meaningful difference.
This tangible expression of gratitude builds lasting, supportive relationships. Who will receive a handwritten note from you this week?
Transforming a school district shouldn't rely on luck or a few isolated "bright spots." It requires a system.
After 38 years in public education, Dr. Pat Greco found the exact formula to blend strong instructional habits with operational excellence—creating a system that is actually doable and replicable at scale.
Bring your leadership team to Harrisburg, PA on June 17-18 for PASA’s Leading for Impact workshop. Dr. Greco will guide your team through the tools needed to heal broken processes, remove hidden barriers, and accelerate your district's performance. (Plus, attendees can earn up to 40 Act 45 hours).
Keeping great educators in the classroom is the absolute foundation of district excellence, and we know that employees truly thrive when they feel heard and valued.
To foster that environment, leaders must be intentional. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠—engaging employees consistently, listening with intention, and acting on what they hear—𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞. In fact, Studer Partner Districts nationwide maintain a 94.5% employee retention rate, actively outperforming the 93% national benchmark.
This success is no accident. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐭: 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬.
Now, you can install these exact disciplines in your own district. The 90-𝑫𝒂𝒚 𝑳𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝑬𝒏𝒈𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎 provides the coaching, platform access, and materials necessary to completely transform your culture.
A strategic plan thrives when it lives in your daily conversations.
Dr. Kristine Strickland and her team at Fletcher Technical Community College are a perfect example of this in action.
They use scorecards to create clear, visible accountability for their collective goals.
In episode 436, Dr. Strickland joins Dr. Janet Pilcher to share exactly how her campus brings their strategic plan to life every single day.
Listen to hear how Dr. Strickland and her team:
▪️Use scorecards to track strategic progress
▪️Align daily work directly to their biggest goals
▪️Keep key priorities at the forefront for all stakeholders
𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐝𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧'𝐬 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬.
Check out the full episode to hear exactly how Dr. Strickland is leading the way for her students and staff.