Do School Different Part 1

Quick take

Visionary school leaders don’t follow dusty rulebooks. In this episode, Jethro Jones joins Danny Bauer to burn the old manual and co-create a new playbook for Ruckus Makers — one bold idea at a time.

First time reading? Sign up here and join 5,422 Ruckus Makers Doing School Different 🎉

A MESSAGE FROM ODP BUSINESS SOLUTIONS®

Want to know why 67% of STEAM programs fail?

Hint: It's not the budget. After researching many schools, ODP Business Solutions® uncovered three make-or-break factors that determine STEAM success. The best part? You probably already have what you need.

Want to know more? 👇

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🏴‍☠️ BREAKING DOWN THE OLD RULES

In this episode, Jethro Jones challenges traditional education paradigms:

Key Insight #1: Learning Is Not Linear

• What’s broken: The assumption that learning progresses in a straight line, within four walls, at the same pace for all

• The shift: Honor that all learning is personal and non-linear; value what students learn outside of school, too

• Impact: Schools begin to partner with families and communities — not just invite them to partner with schools

Key Insight #2: Change Something in Year One

• What’s broken: “Don’t change anything your first year” — the most paralyzing advice for new leaders

• The shift: Make small, strategic changes that align with your vision from day one

• Impact: Greater momentum, better clarity, and staff trust because you’re not waiting to lead

Key Insight #3: First In, Last Out Is a Trap

• What’s broken: Hustle culture that measures effectiveness by time on campus

• The shift: Shift to value-based leadership — do the right work, not all the work

• Impact: Leaders reclaim time, model healthy boundaries, and lead more sustainably (without burning out)
  

✌️ YOUR DO SCHOOL DIFFERENT CHALLENGE

Ready to implement these ideas? Start here:

1. Tomorrow: Stop collecting a meaningless report or form you never read — free up your staff and your schedule

2. This Month: Draw your “Do School Different Scorecard” — list the top 8 areas of campus life and define where each needs to go

3. This Semester: Redesign how your school values time — for yourself, your staff, and your students

✅ CONNECT AND CONTINUE

🎯 Get the full episode transcript: here
🔗 Follow Jethro Jones: LinkedIn | Twitter/X
💪 Join the Ruckus Maker Movement: ruckusmakers.club/join

🤝 TODAY’S RUCKUScast IN PARTNERSHIP WITH:

• IXL: Meet your students where they are and take them where they need to go. Join over 1 million teachers who trust IXL to drive data-informed excellence in their classrooms. 🔍 Learn more here

• Expressability K12: Your inbox isn't a task manager. Your mind isn't for storing mundane processes. It's time to break free. With Expressability K12 Ruckus Makers can prioritize student success by offloading time sucking tasks. Visit Expressability K12 to learn how here

• ODP Business Solutions:  "Our STEAM program is too complicated" = Code for "We're doing it wrong"   Stop letting fear kill innovation. While some schools struggle with integrating STEAM, other leaders are using a 3-part framework to transform their programs. The secret? It's not what you think.  Get the playbook: here

Podcast created by Danny. Audio engineered by Dragan. Show notes written by Christina. Email sent by Soniya