Aug 28, 2026
IASP Members,
What does it look like to open a brand-new school while also navigating the priorities, initiatives, and expectations facing school leaders across Indiana?
On this week’s IASP Advocacy Podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Jane Bitting, principal of the new Willow Creek Middle School, for a wide-ranging conversation about leadership at the start of a new school year. We begin with Jane’s experience opening a new building and use Dr. Katie Jenner’s latest weekly update as a jumping-off point to talk about what principals are paying attention to—and how leaders keep their school’s culture and priorities at the center of the work.
From there, we turn to an important academic conversation. Indiana has a lot to celebrate when it comes to literacy. Five consecutive years of growth on IREAD didn’t happen by accident. So, what can we learn from that success as we turn our attention to math and numeracy?
We talk about:
- The opportunities and challenges that come with opening a brand-new school
- What principals take away from Dr. Katie Jenner’s weekly updates and statewide priorities
- How school leaders can protect and preserve a strong school culture as new initiatives and expectations are introduced
- What Indiana got right in its focus on literacy
- What it could look like to bring that same intentionality and focus to math and numeracy
Thank you to Dr. Bitting for joining me and sharing her perspective on leadership, culture, and the work of keeping student learning at the center of it all.
Have a great weekend!