Waterfall Learning

08/04/2026

Forty-one slides on the science of reading. Nobody argued with a single one.
I thought that was the sound of persuasion. It was the sound of a room waiting for me to finish. They were already convinced. The second-grade teacher who finally raised her hand didn't need the why — she needed to know how to do it Monday. If you're building a welcome-back meeting right now, the question isn't whether your case is good. It's whether your staff finished with it a while ago and you haven't noticed.

Philosophy, process, implementation. My staff had moved on. I hadn't.

07/22/2026

A teacher said it in the middle of a data meeting. What you, as a leader, do in the next few minutes can determine if data will land as a verdict or a question…

A follow-up to The Purple Folder. A teacher said it in the middle of a data meeting. What you, as a leader, do in the next few minutes can determine if data will land as a verdict or a question…

04/07/2026

If you believe that public school leaders are the most underrated executives in the country, hit the "Like" button. 👍
If you believe they deserve more than "thanks" but actual, systemic support and resources, hit "Share." 🔄
Let’s flood the feed with some appreciation for the people leading our schools through the complexities of 2026 - especially this time of year!

my principal slid a purple folder across the desk and asked me to turn to the first page. It was a class photo — my students and me, arms around each other, everyone smiling. Then she said, "Turn the page."

03/07/2026

So grateful to spend another week with the amazing people who serve the Habematolel Pomo community of Upper Lake. I miss them all every time I come home to wonderful Colorado! For more than three years now, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside these incredible professionals all year long, in person and virtually, as they craft a true learning organization—one focused on deep, measurable learning for every student.

This week there was a lot to celebrate. From building clear learning intentions, to collecting evidence of student learning from student-facing success criteria, to whisper coaching right alongside teachers and students in the classroom—the results this team is achieving are truly incredible.

I’m deeply grateful for this new chapter in my life and for the opportunity to learn alongside such dedicated educators every single week.

01/01/2026

Strengthening Public Education — Thank You

Thank you for being a reader of Connecting Schools and being part of our mission to strengthen public education. We’re also grateful for the energy and insight shared during our November 6 Cheyenne Mountain CASE Conference breakout session. It was a privilege to deepen the conversation around classroom-based instructional coaching and the Upstream practices that build trust and clarity in leadership—especially:

- Developing Clarity: Knowing your “why” before you walk in the room
- Growing with Integrity: Aligning actions with values

🌟 Share Your Team’s Excellence

If your team is strengthening public education through deep collaboration or side-by-side coaching, we’d love to highlight your story.

How You Can Support Us:

📩 Submit your story to [email protected]

📰 If Connecting Schools is useful to you, please SHARE the newsletter with a colleague who might benefit.

Together, we can ensure every public school student experiences impactful learning.

has begun to resonate in the field of education, particularly among school principals. As leaders at the helm of their schools, principals often face challenging decisions, ethical dilemmas, and pressures that may conflict with their deeply held values. This article explores the concept of moral inj...

12/13/2025

Some hard-earned Upstream lessons drawn from my many years as a school principal. I hope the story resonates—please enjoy, and feel free to share if it does. ❤️

How Practicing Extreme Ownership in School Leadership Begins Upstream of the Work

12/10/2025

Years ago, a superintendent wrote a single line in my principal evaluation that hit harder than I expected:

“I feel there may be a tendency to do too much and overwhelm everyone.”

At first, I took it as a critique of my deepest value—my passion. I cared deeply. I was driven. I wanted big things for kids and teachers. How could that possibly be a problem? Later, when curiosity finally beat my ego, I understood what he meant. Read more:

How Practicing Extreme Ownership in School Leadership Begins Upstream of the Work

11/11/2025

Before coaching works, you have to be invited in.

You can have clear strategies, good data, and strong instincts…
But if trust isn’t in place, even the best support gets filtered through caution or defensiveness.

So here’s the real question:

🙋 What does it take to be trusted enough to be invited into someone’s classroom?
🙋‍♀️What are the daily moves that build that kind of trust—before any formal coaching begins?
🙋‍♂️What do you notice about how presence, consistency, or posture shape someone’s openness to learning with you?

We often focus on what to say during a coaching conversation.

But the real work might happen long before we ever open our mouths.

If you support adult learning—through coaching, leadership, or mentoring—I’d love to know:

🟢 What does Upstream work look like in your school?
🟢 What habits or mindsets have helped you earn the invitation into the classroom?

Please like or share to extend these questions to others!

Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gu4a2VPN

❤️We want everyone to have what it takes to move the learning needle for students❤️

11/07/2025

What an incredible group! 🙌
These Colorado School Leaders dove into deep dialogue around the Five Upstream Coaching Practices during my session at the CASE Conference at the Cheyenne Mountain Conference Center. Together, we explored how building ground floor clarity, focus, integrity, courage, and celebration across the team create the trust and alignment that open classroom doors and transform coaching from a fuzzy process into a clear partnership.
The energy, vulnerability, and insight in this room were inspiring — a reminder that the best professional learning happens when people feel safe enough to think deeply, challenge assumptions, and laugh together.
Here’s to every leader and coach doing the upstream work that earns the invitation into classrooms and hearts. 💧

https://waterfalllearning.com

08/28/2025

Hi friends,

I’m working on the Preface of my new book and wanted to share it here. The full draft is done, but I’ll spend this year editing and posting chapters on Substack where I anticipate helpful feedback.

If it interests you, subscribe and weigh in as new chapters roll out. Your insights could shape something valuable for future educators!

The Preface to Upstream: Inner Practices That Earn The Invitation to the Classroom