500 principals couldn’t answer this simple question

OFF CAMPUS

• 🎤 21 Kids on the roster and 3 show up: And how Rob Barnett went from wanting to quit teaching to creating a consistently engaging classroom. Plus a very cool and very free AI tool for classroom teachers. Must watch pod here.

• 🎮 Leadership on your terms: I've spent the last 10 years figuring out what separates principals who thrive from those who just survive. The difference isn't talent or luck — it's knowing how to play your own game instead of everyone else's.

• 🤔 Are you playing the district game, the comparison game, or your game? Read this post if you feel like you’re performing instead of leading.

• 🏆 Is your team set up for success? I took a 1-on-1 coaching convo and turned it into content for you. Read this post to set your team up for success.

• 💻 Plus a custom gpt that gives feedback on your 90-day entry plan.

• 💃 Principal Jordan continues her story … building a “culture of noticing.”

DO SCHOOL DIFFERENT

Stop Playing by Someone Else's Rules (Here's How to Write Your Own)

Last week, I asked a room of 500 school leaders a simple question:

"Can you tell me, on command, the rules to the game you're playing as a leader?"

Crickets.

Not one hand went up.

Here's what I told them next: “If you can't tell me the rules to your game, then you're not playing your game. You're playing someone else's.”

And I don't know about you, but I'd rather play a game where I write the rules for how to win.

The Problem with Playing Someone Else's Game

Right now, most school leaders are trapped in a game they never agreed to play:

• Someone else's definition of success (test scores, compliance metrics, district initiatives)

• Someone else's schedule (back-to-back meetings, reactive firefighting, endless emails)

• Someone else's vision (maintaining the status quo instead of creating the future)

The result? You're exhausted, frustrated, and wondering if this is really what you signed up for when you became a principal.

Plot twist: It's not.

You didn't get into education to be a compliance officer. You got in to Make a Ruckus and Do School Different.

What If You Could Rewrite the Rules?

Imagine walking into your school every day knowing exactly:

• What game you're playing (and why it matters)

• How you define winning (beyond what the district tells you)

• What moves you'll make (instead of just reacting to whatever fires pop up)

This isn't some fantasy. It's what happens when you stop playing someone else's game and start playing your own.

Introducing: Play Your Game

I'm piloting something I've never done before.

It's a 8-week leadership reset called Play Your Game, and it's designed for one thing: Helping you burn the old playbook and build a leadership operating system that actually works for YOU.

This isn't another program about raising test scores or improving teacher evaluations.

This is about something much more fundamental: Learning to lead on your terms.

Here's What We're Going to Do:

Weeks 1-2: Reboot

Audit where you are, align with where you want to go, and craft a vision that's actually yours (not borrowed from someone else's PowerPoint).

Weeks 3-5: Redesign

Build your Do School Different blueprint and create an implementation engine that turns your vision into reality without burning you out.

Weeks 6-7: Reinforce

Lock in the systems and rhythms that'll keep you playing your game — even when the chaos hits.

Why This Matters More Than Ever

The education system is designed to produce compliance, not innovation. Even from its leaders.

But here's the thing about Ruckus Makers — we don't do compliance. We do transformation.

And transformation starts when you stop asking "What does the district want?" and start asking "What do my students need?"

That shift? That's when you start playing your own game.

The Details

• 8 live coaching calls (Thursdays at 6pm ET … replays if you miss)

• Private Ruckus Maker Club access

• All the tools, templates, and frameworks I use with coaching clients

The best part? You can get started for just $50. Stay as long as you're getting value. Leave anytime if you're not. No contracts, no penalties, no BS.

I'm keeping this small — only 35 spots at this price. Not because I have to, but because I want to make sure everyone gets the attention they deserve.

One Last Thing

You have two choices:

1. Keep playing someone else's game — Follow the district manual, check the compliance boxes, hope things get better someday.

2. Start playing your own game — Define success on your terms, build systems that work for you, and create the kind of school experience that makes students (and you) excited to show up.

The choice is yours.

But if you're ready to stop being told how to lead and start leading how you choose...

TIP OF THE WEEK

The 10-Second Leadership Audit

Before your next decision, ask yourself: "Am I doing this because it's required, or because it's right for my students?"

If you can't immediately answer "right for my students," you're probably playing someone else's game.

The best principals I coach have one thing in common: They can articulate their leadership rules in under 30 seconds. They know exactly what game they're playing and why.

Your turn: Can you name three non-negotiable leadership principles that guide your decisions? If not, it's time to write your own rulebook.

The game changes when you know the rules.

ALBA