Leadership isn't a straight line. It's a continuous journey of learning, adapting, and growing. Over the years, as a principal, district leader, leadership coach, and facilitator, I've learned that meaningful growth doesn't happen by simply pushing harder. It happens when we intentionally create space to pause, reflect, and make thoughtful choices about how we move forward. That's why I developed the Sabbaticalize Framework. Rather than viewing renewal as something we earn af

What a children’s hospital can teach us about everything we’re getting wrong in education As I drive home along a major highway in my hometown, there’s a moment, easy to miss, where two buildings sit side by side on a hillside. One is a children’s hospital.The other is a juvenile detention facility. From the highway, they almost blur together.Concrete. Structure. Containment. And yet inside, two entirely different stories are unfolding. In one building, children are fighting

Across the country, there’s excitement in schools, districts, and policy circles about career pathways. Students are being offered internships, technical certifications, and “work-ready” programs that promise immediate employability. At first glance, it seems like progress—preparing students for the real world, meeting labor market demands, and giving young people skills they can use right after graduation. But I can’t help but feel uneasy. I can’t help but wonder if this foc

“Remember you must die.” — Memento Mori , Depeche Mode When Depeche Mode released Memento Mori , their haunting melodies transformed mortality into meditation. In the wake of a global pandemic, the phrase felt less like a warning and more like a whisper: Pay attention. None of this is forever. That whisper has echoed through my life in unexpected ways — in a classroom, in a hospital room, and in the quiet spaces between who I was and who I am becoming. When the Mirror Turned