Episode 30 - Dr. Scott McLeod: The School for Superintendents

Podcast Episodes

Episode:

30

guest episode

May 15, 2025

Dr. Scott McLeod: The School for Superintendents

Leadership in Education

Educational Innovation

Education Reform

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In this episode, Dr. Scott McLeod discusses the transformative power of mindset in education, emphasizing that the biggest barrier to change is not resources but rather deeply embedded beliefs about schooling. He explores the concept of deeper learning, where students are empowered and engaged through inquiry, relevance, and voice. McLeod shares insights from his extensive experience visiting schools that embody these principles, highlighting the importance of leadership in creating environments conducive to trust and innovation. The conversation also touches on the evolving role of technology in education, advocating for its use as a liberating force rather than a controlling one. In this conversation, Scott McLeod discusses the transformative role of principals in deeper learning schools, the challenges of creating sustainable change in education, and the importance of mindset over resources. He emphasizes the need for structural changes to foster innovation and the significance of creating safe spaces for diverse learners.

resources

4 Shifts Protocol (formerly known as trudacot)

book recommendations

"In Search of Deeper Learning" by Jal Mehta and Sarah Fine
- A thoughtful, research-based book that explores what deeper learning looks like across various types of schools.

"The Shift to Student-Led" by Catlin Tucker and Katie Novak
- A practical guide offering ten classroom shifts to empower students, blending universal design for learning and blended learning strategies.

About The Guest

Dr. Scott McLeod

A Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Colorado Denver, Scott McLeod, J.D., Ph.D., is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading experts on P-12 school leadership, deeper learning, technology, and innovation. He is on a mission to make students’ day-to-day learning less boring and more meaningful and relevant. Scott is the Founding Director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE), the only university center in the U.S. dedicated to the technology needs of school administrators, and is the co-creator of both the wildly popular video series, Did You Know? (Shift Happens), and the 4 Shifts Protocol for lesson and unit redesign.

Scott has worked with hundreds of schools, districts, universities, and other organizations and has received numerous awards, including the 2016 global Award for Outstanding Leadership from the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). Scott blogs about leadership and innovation at Dangerously Irrelevant and is a frequent keynote speaker and workshop facilitator at regional, state, national, and international conferences. Scott also hosts two occasional podcasts, LeaderTalk and Redesigning for Deeper Learning.

Scott currently serves as a Distinguished Educator Fellow for PDK International, a Fellow for the NAESP Center for Innovative Leadership, an ISTE Community Leader, an InnEdCO Ambassador, and on NAESP’s Professional Learning Advisory Council. He also recently served as a Senior Fellow for Getting Smart. He has written or edited 4 books and 170 articles and other publications, and is one of the most visible education professors in the United States.

additional information

Books