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🎙️ New episode of The Courageous Edge is here! I'm joined by two people I've known since my superintendent days — Emily Lipe and Lisa Thomas from Scholastic. We're diving into something every family and educator wrestles with: how do we support reading not just in the classroom, but at home? This conversation is packed with practical, courageous insight for anyone who cares about kids and reading — parents, teachers, and leaders alike. 🎧 Listen now: [link] #CourageousEdge #

Purpose: Map the contexts where vulnerability strengthens your leadership versus where it creates risk.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/12AjTnxvrpN2S2SVTiscMYU40V6SSSl_K/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=109337924270828805570&rtpof=true&sd=true

Written by: Barbara Zwadyk On February 25th, just days after a massive blizzard had slowed New York City to a crawl, over a thousand educational leaders walked into a conference ready to learn. They didn't have to be there. They could have stayed home. They could have made excuses. But they showed up. That decision—to show up despite the conditions, despite the exhaustion, despite everything else demanding their attention—tells you everything you need to know about the kind o

The Courage to Say Yes: Your Leadership Story Matters February brings a question that stops educational leaders in their tracks. Leadership blogger Dan Rockwell posed it to two young American men returning from service in Beirut: "How would you like others to be different after hearing your story?" One of them, Tyler, answered without hesitation: "I want them to be ready to say yes. Take chances. Don't put things off." This is what makes that response so powerful for educatio

By Dr. Barbara Zwadyk Leading with Vision into 2026 There's something magical about January—that collective deep breath we all take as one chapter closes and another begins. For educational leaders, this moment isn't just about turning a calendar page. It's about asking yourself the most courageous question you'll face all year: What kind of leader do I want to become in 2026? The start of a new year offers educational leaders a rare gift: permission to reimagine everything.

https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/play/9H5X8JLh_GbYg3yNVid2XR0AurXB_pJ7sWs8g7tK14sIGIu3rlyxru0wX29H_lhWluXufAJAMd30u1A5.C979zGEbiAKJMSAo?autoplay=true Learning to be a Courageous Leader!

Written By: Dr. Barbara Zwadyk Why You're More Courageous Than You Think Here's something that might surprise you: you perform acts of extraordinary courage almost every day, but you've become so accustomed to them that you don't even notice anymore. While you're busy looking for grand gestures and dramatic moments of leadership bravery, you're missing the quiet heroism that defines educational leadership. Every time you have a difficult conversation with a struggling teacher

The Courage to Lead with Your Heart There's a moment in every educational leader's career when someone tells them they care too much....

The most successful educational leaders are also often the most spectacular failures.

Your weirdness isn't a weakness to overcome—it's a strength to embrace. Lead like you. Blog 2:The Leadership Superpower You Already Have...

Blog 1: The Courage to Be Ridiculously Optimistic Why Educational Leaders Need Unreasonable Hope Picture this: You're sitting in, yet,...