Mastering Parent Phone Calls: A Dean's Guide to Building School-Family Partnerships
Release Date: 01/20/2025
Leadership Burnout & Community Support with Sara Katz Razzaghi & Jabari Peddie
Deans' Roundtable
Leadership Burnout & Community Support with Sara Katz Razzaghi & Jabari Peddie As educators step into another challenging school year, many leaders are carrying the weight of recent years - burnout, isolation, and constant pivoting. This episode offers an honest conversation about recognizing when you're struggling, building authentic support systems, and creating sustainable leadership practices that serve both you and your students. Sara Katz Razzaghi, Executive Director of Inspiring Educators, brings expertise in adaptive leadership development focused on presence, communication,...
info_outline
Managing Up in Schools: Navigating Authority Changes with Julie Faulstich
Deans' Roundtable
Managing Up in Schools: Navigating Authority Changes with Julie Faulstich Managing authority transitions requires strategic relationship building and clear communication. Join Bridget Johnson with Julie Faulstich, founder of Stony Creek Strategy and former head of school, for essential insights on navigating leadership changes in educational settings. Julie shares practical strategies for building trust with new leadership while maintaining professional integrity. Drawing from 25+ years in educational leadership roles from department chair to head of school, she offers actionable advice on...
info_outline
Nervous System Awareness for Student Life Leaders with Alan Brown
Deans' Roundtable
Nervous System Awareness for Student Life Leaders with Alan Brown Ever wonder why some situations leave you completely drained while others energize you? In this transformative episode, resilience educator and former dean Alan Brown shares how understanding your nervous system can revolutionize your effectiveness as a student life professional. Diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome in sixth grade, Alan spent years trying to control his body before discovering a different path through mindfulness and nervous system-informed practices. His journey from overwhelmed dean to resilience educator offers...
info_outline
Immunity to Change: Breaking Through Hidden Barriers to Personal and Organizational Transformation
Deans' Roundtable
Immunity to Change: Breaking Through Hidden Barriers to Personal and Organizational Transformation Why do 6 out of 7 people fail to make important changes—even when their lives depend on it? Join host Bridget Johnson as she explores this compelling question with Richard Lawrence and Peter Green, experts in the powerful Immunity to Change framework developed by Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey. This episode reveals how hidden competing commitments and unconscious assumptions act like an internal immune system, protecting us from perceived threats while simultaneously preventing the growth we...
info_outline
Student Mental Health Crisis Prevention with SchoolPulse's Iuri Melo
Deans' Roundtable
Student Mental Health Crisis Prevention with SchoolPulse's Iuri Melo Discover how one Licensed Clinical Social Worker transformed student mental health support from reactive crisis intervention to proactive prevention, reaching hundreds of thousands of teens nationwide. Join Bridget Johnson as she speaks with Iuri Melo, co-founder of SchoolPulse, about his revolutionary approach to student wellness that emerged from tragedy in his Utah community. After experiencing multiple teen suicides, Iuri helped create a text-based support system that now serves over 300 schools in 25+ states, providing...
info_outline
Youth Health Crisis: Dr. John Lucas on Fentanyl, Marijuana & School Safety
Deans' Roundtable
Youth Health Crisis: Dr. John Lucas on Fentanyl, Marijuana & School Safety Join host Bridget Johnson with Dr. John Lucas, licensed family physician and veteran educator, for an essential discussion on the critical health challenges facing today's students. Dr. Lucas brings a unique dual perspective to youth health challenges - he's both a licensed family physician and an experienced educator with over 15 years in the classroom, graduating from Georgetown University Medical School and completing his family medicine residency at Fairfax Family Practice in Virginia. This episode addresses the...
info_outline
Data-Driven Student Wellbeing: Millbrook's Revolutionary Approach
Deans' Roundtable
Data-Driven Student Wellbeing: Millbrook's Revolutionary Approach Discover how Millbrook School is revolutionizing student wellbeing through innovative data integration and relationship mapping. This groundbreaking episode features Billy Thom (LCSW), Eve Whitehouse (Academic Dean), and JJ Morrissey (Dean of Student Engagement and Well-Being) sharing their transformative approach to moving from reactive to proactive student support. Learn how this exceptional team developed their data-driven methodology after years of feeling like they were "playing Whack-a-Mole" with student issues. They...
info_outline
Data-Driven Student Wellbeing with Authentic Connections Leaders
Deans' Roundtable
Data-Driven Student Wellbeing with Authentic Connections Leaders Discover how schools can transform their approach to student mental health through comprehensive data collection and relationship-focused interventions. Nina Kumar and Nicole Hager from Authentic Connections share insights on moving beyond crisis response to proactive wellbeing strategies that support entire school communities. This episode explores the critical shift from reactive dean work—constantly "putting out fires"—to strategic, data-informed decision making that addresses root causes of student struggles. Learn how...
info_outline
Supporting School Leaders: From Dean of Students to Process Consultant
Deans' Roundtable
Supporting School Leaders: From Dean of Students to Process Consultant Discover how to build effective support systems for education leaders in this essential conversation between Bridget Johnson and veteran educator Lukie Wells. With 35+ years in independent schools, Lukie shares invaluable insights on the unique challenges facing deans of students, the critical importance of authentic feedback for heads of school, and strategies for creating accountability while maintaining collaborative culture. This episode explores the often-overlooked support needs of school leaders, from the isolation...
info_outline
Beyond Zero Tolerance: How Student Voices Are Revolutionizing School Substance Prevention with Soundcheck Prevention Network
Deans' Roundtable
Beyond Zero Tolerance: How Student Voices Are Revolutionizing School Substance Prevention with Soundcheck Prevention Network Discover how centering student voices can transform substance use prevention in schools. Will Straughan and Lee Bergeron from share their innovative approach to creating healthier school environments through authentic engagement and evidence-based programming. Both guests bring personal recovery journeys to their professional work, offering unique perspectives on breaking down barriers between adults and students. Their nonprofit organization develops student-centered...
info_outlineMastering Parent Phone Calls: A Dean's Guide to Building School-Family Partnerships
The dreaded parent phone call - it's a challenge that even seasoned educators face with trepidation. Join host Bridget Johnson and veteran student life leader Wendy Skinner for an essential conversation about transforming these often-difficult interactions into opportunities for collaboration and growth.
Drawing from her extensive experience across institutions from Dana Hall School to King's Academy in Jordan, Wendy offers unique insights from both sides of the conversation - as a dean making the calls and as a parent receiving them. Together, they explore strategies for managing anxiety, maintaining professionalism during emotional discussions, and building stronger school-family partnerships.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- How to prepare for challenging conversations
- Techniques for staying calm when emotions run high
- Ways to build empathy and foster connection
- Strategies for post-call reflection and growth
- Tips for maintaining professionalism while showing compassion
Featured Guest: Wendy Skinner has served as Dean of Student Life/Residential Life at various prestigious institutions, including Dana Hall School (MA), Shady Side Academy (PA), Western Reserve Academy (OH), and King's Academy in Jordan. Her unique perspective as both an experienced dean and parent provides valuable insights into the parent-school partnership.
Recommended Resources:
- "The Parents Are Not All Right" - The Daily Podcast https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/09/podcasts/the-daily/parenting-stress.html
- U.S. Surgeon General's Report on Parenting https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/priorities/parents/index.html
- "Hopes and Fears: Working with Today's Independent School Parents" by Dr. Michael Thompson and Dr. Rob Evans https://www.amazon.com/Hopes-Fears-Working-Independent-Parents/dp/163115043X
Join the Deans' Roundtable Community: https://bit.ly/drt-community-profile
Check out Deans' Roundtable "Office Hours": https://bit.ly/drt-eventbrite
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/deans-roundtable
Connect with Bridget Johnson: [email protected]
Connect with Wendy Skinner: www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-skinner
The Dean's Roundtable: Where student life professionals connect, learn, share, and grow together.