The Principal Leadership Lab Membership
Improve Student Outcomes.
Grow Your Teachers.
Lead Well — AND Still Have a Life Outside of School.
What's the difference between principals who survive and thrive long-term and those who burn out early?
Join us in the Principal Leadership Lab and find out how to be the instructional leader you school needs NOW AND still have time to show up in your personal life!
GET YEAR-ROUND ACCESS, GROWTH, RESOURCES, AND SUPPORT FOR LESS THAN THE COST OF ONE SUMMER CONFERNCE!
Join Today as a
Founding Member and SAVE!
$47
Just $37/month
...for the resources, coaching support, and clarity you need to lead learning in your school AND have a life!
AND...You can get your CPE hours knocked out each year and never leave campus!
24/7 ACCESS TO THE COMMUNITY.
NO CONTRACTS. CANCEL ANYTIME.
But when the doors closed and the real decisions landed on my desk, I was largely figuring it out on my own.
And like most principals, I did what high-achieving, responsible leaders do:
I took on too much.
Too fast.
With almost no boundaries.
The job consumed my thoughts during dinner.
It followed me to my kids’ events.
It sat heavy in my chest at 10:00 p.m.
It became my identity...and not in a healthy way.
And here’s what no one tells you:
You can care deeply about instruction and still spend most of your time putting out fires.
Discipline issues.
Angry parents.
Staff conflict.
Compliance deadlines.
Urgent emails.
Meanwhile, the instructional leadership work (the work that actually moves a campus forward) keeps getting squeezed to the margins.
It took me years (and I mean years!) of reading, studying effective leaders, seeking additional training, watching what the strongest principals did differently, and making plenty of mistakes before I began to understand:
Not all work belongs to the principal.
Not every fire deserved my oxygen.
And instructional leadership must be protected, or it disappears.
I slowly built better boundaries.
I learned what only I could do...and what had to be delegated.
I created systems instead of reacting emotionally to every problem.
I stopped trying to be the fixer and started building leadership capacity in others.
And here’s a vulnerable share:
It took me nearly a decade to really figure it out.
By the time I had clarity, confidence, and systems that worked… I was closer to retirement than to my first principalship.
That realization stayed with me.
Because I know how many talented, mission-driven principals are still overwhelmed, exhausted, deeply committed to kids, but unsure how to lead learning and survive the job.
After more than 30 years in public education, serving as an elementary and middle school principal and later as Director of Learning & Teaching, I now coach principals to figure these things out much sooner than I did.
So they can:
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Improve outcomes for students
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Grow the capacity of their teachers
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Build consistent systems for instruction
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And still have a life outside of school
Because research consistently shows that schools improve when strong principals stay.
And principals only stay when the work becomes sustainable.
The Principal Leadership Lab is the support space I wish I had during those first ten years.
It brings together:
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The systems I refined as a campus leader
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The instructional frameworks that actually transfer to classrooms
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Practical, ready-to-use tools
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Ongoing coaching
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And a community of principals who understand the weight of this role
This isn’t about adding more to your plate.
It’s about leading learning more intentionally…
Building capacity instead of carrying everything yourself…
And creating a version of this job that allows you to succeed, and still enjoy your life.
If you’re ready to lead with greater clarity, confidence, and sustainability, I’d be honored to support you inside the Principal Leadership Lab.
Jodie
Hi, I’m Jodie Villemaire!
And like most principals, I walked into my first principalship thinking I was ready. I had experience. I wanted to improve outcomes for kids. I had leadership training. I cared deeply about instruction and believed in teachers.
But I can still remember standing in my office during those first few weeks… looking around the room… and thinking:
What is the actual work of this job?
No one had really prepared me for it.
Yes, I had mentors assigned.
Yes, I had district meetings.
The Resource Library is the Heartbeat of the
Principal Leadership Lab.
Inside, you’ll find professionally designed, immediately usable tools you can bring straight into classrooms, PLCs, leadership meetings, and staff development sessions — without starting from scratch.
No fluff. No theory without application.
Just practical leadership resources that help you:
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Improve Tier 1 instruction
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Strengthen teacher practice
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Focus your campus on what matters most
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Save hours of planning time every single month
And new resources are designed and added every single week!
Classroom & Instructional Tools
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Classroom Impact Tracker Dashboard
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PLC Walkthrough Look-For Tool
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Learning Walks Toolkit
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Tools for Data Talks
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Checks for Understanding Toolkit
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Mathematical Discourse Strategy Toolkit & Sentence Stems
Tier 1 Instruction: Best First Instruction Series of Ready-to-Use PD
A complete professional learning series you can use with your staff, including:
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Cognitive Interest Cues
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Student Goal Setting & Monitoring
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Vocabulary Instruction
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Strategy Instruction & Modeling
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Visualization & Concrete Examples
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High-Level Questions & Student Explanations
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Guided Initial Application with Feedback
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Peer-Assisted Consolidation
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Retrieval Practice
Systems & Planning Resources
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Campus Planning Toolkit
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Principal Prompting Primer
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Mid-Year Check-In Tools
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Getting Teacher Voice & Choice in Professional Learning
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Student-Led Conferences Toolkit
Student Success Supports
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Chronic Absenteeism Resource Pack
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Additional Absenteeism Tools
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Student Goal Setting Systems
Culture & Staff Leadership Resources
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Autumn Staff Appreciation Guide
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Holiday Celebration Resources
Here’s What You Get When You Join The Principal Leadership Lab Today...
The Instructional
Leadership Shift Course
The Instructional Leadership Shift is a comprehensive, self-paced course designed specifically for principals who want to move from managing initiatives to leading meaningful instructional improvement.
This isn’t theory-heavy leadership talk.
It’s a practical, research-informed roadmap that helps you:
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Focus your campus on the right instructional priorities
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Lead professional learning that actually transfers
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Coach teachers toward real growth
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Build systems that support collaboration
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Improve student outcomes
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And do it all without sacrificing your personal life
What Makes This
Course Different?
This course doesn’t just teach leadership strategies.
It helps you build:
✔ A focused instructional vision
✔ A repeatable system for implementation
✔ Coaching habits that empower teachers
✔ Collaborative structures that sustain growth
✔ Personal leadership habits that prevent burnout
By the end of this course, you won’t just have more knowledge. You’ll have a clear system for leading learning ...one that improves outcomes for students and makes your job more sustainable.
Module 1: From Managing PD to Leading Learning
Shift your mindset from event-planner to instructional leader.
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From Managing PD to Leading Learning
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Why Buy-In Matters More Than Initiatives
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Focusing on What Matters Most
Module 2: How Adults Learn (And Why Teachers Disengage)
Understand what actually motivates adult learners — and what shuts them down.
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Adult Learning Fundamentals for School Leaders
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Why PD Often Misses the Mark
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Designing Learning That Fosters Teacher Engagement
Module 3: Planning Learning That Leads to Practice
Move from good ideas to classroom implementation.
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Identifying What Teachers Actually Need
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Designing Professional Learning That Transfers
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Facilitation Moves That Increase Engagement
Module 4: Building Buy-In Without Burning Out
Lead change in a way that builds ownership instead of resistance.
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Building Buy-In Without Burning Out
Module 5: Coaching Teachers
Toward Growth
Transform feedback conversations into growth opportunities.
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From Evaluator to Instructional Coach
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Building Trust in Coaching Relationships
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Feedback That Leads to Change
Module 6: Creating Systems for Collective Learning
Build structures that sustain improvement over time.
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Creating the Conditions for Effective PLCs
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Learning Walks as Collective Inquiry
Module 7: Sustaining a
Culture of Learning
Keep momentum strong — without losing yourself in the process.
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Sustaining Learning Through Daily Leadership
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Yeah… but how do I find the time to be an instructional leader?”
The Principal Leadership Lab Community
Because You Shouldn’t Have to
Figure It All Out Alone
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The principalship can be isolating.
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You’re the final decision-maker.
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You carry the weight of outcomes.
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You absorb the stress of parents, staff, and district expectations.
And most of the time you don’t have a safe space to say:
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“This isn’t working.”
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“I’m not sure what to do next.”
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“How are other principals handling this?”
The Principal Leadership Lab Community is that space.
Inside the Community, You’ll Experience:
✔ A private, principal-only space
✔ Honest conversations about real leadership challenges
✔ Resource requests you can actually make
✔ Shared wins and problem-solving
✔ Direct access to coaching and feedback
What Happens in the Community?
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Members share implementation updates and get feedback
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You can request specific tools or templates you need
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We discuss walkthrough trends, coaching challenges, and PLC wins
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I post prompts, frameworks, and leadership nudges to keep your focus sharp
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You stay aligned to your instructional priorities without chasing every new initiative
The Real Value?
When principals connect with other principals:
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You normalize the struggle
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You learn faster
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You avoid common pitfalls
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You feel less alone
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And you build confidence in your own leadership
This community is designed to strengthen both your instructional leadership and your resilience.
Because leading learning well is powerful.
But leading it alongside others?
That’s sustainable.
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Live Bi-Weekly
Coaching Calls
Because Even High-Performing Leaders Need a Coach
Every other week, we meet live.
Not for a lecture or theory...but for real-time leadership coaching focused on your actual school.
What Happens on These Calls?
✔ Bring a current instructional leadership challenge
✔ Get coaching on walkthrough patterns or PLC struggles
✔ Work through staff resistance
✔ Clarify your next instructional priority
✔ Think through tough decisions before you make them
You don’t have to have it perfectly articulated.
You just show up with what you’re wrestling with. And we work it through together.
What Makes These Calls Different?
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You’re coached by a 30-year public school veteran
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You’re supported by other principals who understand the role
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You leave with clarity — not more to-do lists
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You get specific next steps you can implement immediately
This is not generic advice. It’s focused, instructional leadership coaching grounded in real school life.
Why This Matters
Most principals:
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Don’t have an instructional leadership mentor
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Don’t have protected time to think strategically
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Don’t have a space to process decisions before they make them
That’s what these calls provide. Because when principals have space to think, they lead better.
And when they lead better,
students benefit.
And Let’s Be Honest…
If you hired a private executive coach,
you’d likely pay hundreds per hour.
Inside the Lab, you receive:
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Ongoing coaching
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Community input
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Practical tools
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And structured implementation support
For a fraction of the cost.
Founding Member Bonuses
When you join as a Founding Member, you’ll receive these exclusive bonuses which are only available during initial enrollment!
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Bonus #1:
The Principal’s Guide to Leading with AI
Work smarter. Lead sharper.
Save hours every week.
Artificial intelligence isn’t coming to education...it’s already here. The question isn’t if principals will use AI… it’s whether they’ll use it strategically.
Inside this bonus course, you’ll learn how to:
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Use AI to draft stronger, clearer campus communication in minutes
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Analyze student data faster and more effectively
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Create PD agendas, coaching scripts, and planning tools without starting from scratch
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Streamline repetitive tasks that steal your time
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Support teachers in using AI responsibly and effectively
This is not a generic “AI overview.” It’s a practical, principal-specific training designed to help you reclaim hours each week while making smarter instructional decisions.
Because when you save time on low-level tasks, you can reinvest that energy into what actually matters:
instructional leadership and student outcomes.
Bonus #2:
The Classroom
Impact Tracker
What gets measured
gets improved.
Principals consistently say:
“I need to get into classrooms more.”
But without a simple system to track patterns, visits turn into random walkthroughs, not strategic instructional leadership.
The Classroom Impact Tracker gives you:
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A ready-to-use walkthrough tracking tool
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A built-in dashboard that shows classroom visit trends by grade level and teacher
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A visual snapshot of where your leadership team is spending time
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A way to align walkthrough data with your instructional priorities
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A system that builds accountability...without micromanaging
Instead of guessing whether your campus focus is showing up in classrooms, you’ll see it.
Instead of reacting to isolated observations, you’ll identify patterns.
Instead of feeling scattered, you’ll lead with clarity.
This is the exact type of tool that helps principals move from “busy” to “strategic.”
If you can relate to any of these statements...
Then I created The Principal Leadership Lab for YOU...to help you strengthen your instructional leadership, support teachers effectively, and build a school culture where learning thrives and leadership is sustainable.
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You know instructional leadership matters, but it keeps getting pushed aside by urgent issues, emails, and meetings.
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You’ve invested time and money into PD or consultants, only to see little follow-through once they leave.
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You're exhausted and have little time for life outside of school...and both your school and home life show it!
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You want to coach teachers and support growth, but you don’t want to micromanage, or be the constant “fixer.”
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You feel the pressure to lead improvement, but you’re often doing it alone, without a trusted space to think out loud.
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You’re tired of starting initiatives strong and watching them fade because systems and support weren’t in place.
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You want practical tools you can actually use this week, not another theoretical framework.
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You want to be the kind of principal who leads learning confidently and consistently, not just when there’s time left over.
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You’ve thought, “I know what good instruction looks like, I just need support implementing it across my campus.”
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You don’t need more outsourced workshops...you need clarity, coaching, and community.
Let's Be Honest...This Is a Small Investment for the Level of Support, Training & Resources You'll Receive
The Principal Leadership Lab costs far less than what principals are often asked to spend on professional learning that doesn’t stick.
Instead of:
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Paying thousands for outside consultants
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Sitting through PD with little follow-through
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Designing everything yourself after hours
You get ongoing coaching, practical tools, and community support—for less than the cost of a single PD day.
The Real Deal
The Principal Leadership Lab costs far less than what principals are often asked to spend on professional learning that doesn’t stick.
Instead of:
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Paying $600-$1,000 for a 2-3 day conference
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Paying thousands for outside consultants to come to your school
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Sitting through PD with little follow-through
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Designing everything yourself on your own time
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Losing your remaining unspent PD money at the end of the budget year...
You get ongoing coaching, practical tools, CPE hours, and community support...for less than the cost of a single PD day.
Put It in Perspective
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One private coaching or consulting session typically costs $200+ per hour
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One consultant-led training can cost thousands
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One 2 or 3-day conference can cost $600+
Inside the Principal Leadership Lab, you get:
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Bi-weekly coaching
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A growing library of ready-to-use resources
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A full instructional leadership course
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A supportive principal community
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CPE Hours
All for $37/month as a founding member (about $1.25 per day) or a full year for only $369 (about $1.00 per day)!
Why This Membership Matters So Much to Me
By the time I retired from campus leadership, I was exhausted. Not because I didn’t love the work, but because the work had become unsustainable.
I cared deeply about instruction, teachers, and students. And yet, the constant pressure, the never-ending urgency, and the weight of trying to do everything well eventually took a toll. I saw too many talented principals burn out, step away, or feel like they were barely surviving instead of truly leading.
Here’s what’s hard to say out loud in education: Schools don’t just lose leaders when principals leave...students, teachers, and communities lose momentum.
Research consistently shows that when effective principals stay longer at a campus, student achievement improves year over year, teacher retention increases, and school culture stabilizes. Leadership continuity matters.
And yet, we’ve built a system that often makes it nearly impossible for principals to sustain the work.
That’s why the Principal Leadership Lab exists.
This membership isn’t about adding more to your plate. It’s about helping you lead longer and better in the seat you’re already in, so you don’t have to sacrifice your well-being to make an impact.
My mission is simple:
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Help principals lead learning with clarity instead of chaos
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Provide real support, not one-off solutions
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Build a community where principals don’t feel isolated
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Equip leaders to create systems that work...even when things get hard
Because when principals are supported, teachers thrive...
and when teachers thrive, students succeed.
And when leadership is sustained, schools get stronger over time.
This work matters too much and principals matter too much for you to have to do it alone.
FAQs
SAVE THOUSANDS OVER CONSULTANTS, TRAINERS, AND 1:1 COACHES!
Join Today as a Founding Member and SAVE!
$47
Just $37/month
...for the resources, coaching support, and clarity you need to lead learning in your school!
The best part? You'll become the instructional leader your school needs without
outsourcing to expensive consultants and coaches!
24/7 ACCESS TO THE COMMUNITY. NO CONTRACTS. CANCEL ANYTIME.