Control+Shift+Lead - ForwardEd cover art

Control+Shift+Lead - ForwardEd

Control+Shift+Lead - ForwardEd

By: Jim Wichman and Adam Busch
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About this listen

 Take Command. Drive the Shift. Lead the Way.Leadership in education is no longer about managing the status quo—it’s about navigating constant change with intention and agency. Control+Shift+Lead is the podcast for school leaders, administrators, and visionary educators who are ready to move from a "wait and see" mentality to a "plan to be" strategy.Hosted by Jim Wichman and Adam Busch, this show dives into the real-world complexities of K-12 leadership. From the exhaustion of the first week of school to the high-level shifts required to integrate AI in the classroom, Jim and Adam offer practical blueprints for resetting expectations, building school culture, and staying "mentally present" for students and staff. On this show, we explore:
  • Taking Control: How to stop reacting to the chaos and start defining your school’s future.
  • Driving the Shift: Shifting mindsets from traditional management to true mentorship and community building.
  • Leading with Presence: Strategies for boosting staff morale, reducing absenteeism, and recognizing the "whole child" in every student.
Whether you are a seasoned principal or an aspiring leader, Control+Shift+Lead provides the weekly boost you need to finish the year strong and lead your community forward.

Part of the ForwardEd Network: Advancing Voices, Shaping Education.AWB Education LLC - ForwardEd Network Personal Development Personal Success
Episodes
  • Leading with Teachers Shifting the Culture of School Observations

    Leading with Teachers Shifting the Culture of School Observations
    Mar 1 2026
    Is your feedback building professional capacity or simply creating anxiety? In this episode of Control Shift Lead, hosts Jim Wichman and Adam Busch sit down with school administrator Kanika Dorsey to dismantle the "gotcha" culture of school observations.Kanika shares her powerful framework for moving toward non-evaluative feedback, emphasizing that the most impactful leadership happens when you leave the laptop at the door and pick up a sticky note. We discuss the "Control" of the feedback loop, the "Shift" toward high-frequency, low-stakes walkthroughs, and how to "Lead" by empowering teachers to facilitate their own instructional rounds.Whether you are a seasoned principal or an aspiring leader, this conversation offers a blueprint for building a culture of trust, focusing on "one or two things" for sustainable growth, and keeping student achievement at the heart of every classroom visit. Kanika also shares her deeply personal journey of resilience—from a single parent in the Bronx to a powerhouse instructional leader—reminding us why leading with heart is non-negotiable in K-12 education. This is a ForwardEd Network production.

    Connect With Our Guest & Hosts

    Kanika Dorsey:
    • Instagram: @kanikadorsey
    Reach out to the Hosts:
    • Adam Busch: adam@awbeducation.org
    • Jim Wichman: inspirededification@gmail.com


    Thank You for Listening! This has been an episode from The FowardED Network—Where we are Advancing Voices and Shaping Education. We are dedicated to supporting everyone invested in K-12 success: teachers, leaders, parents, and community advocates.

    Want to keep the conversation going?
    • Subscribe: Never miss an insight. Hit the subscribe or follow button on your podcast app to automatically receive our next episode.
    • Share the Knowledge: If this episode provided value, please take a moment to rate and review us! Your five-star reviews help new teachers, parents, and leaders find our network.
    • Explore the Network: This show is just one part of the ForwardEd Network family. Head over to our network page to explore our full roster of interconnected podcasts, including CTRL Shift Lead, Vice Principal UnOfficed, From Carpool to College, and Your Morning Boost.
    • Connect with Us: Have a question or an idea for a future episode? Reach out to us at pillars.forwarded@gmail.com or find us on social media using the tag #theForwardEDnetwork.
    Ready for your next boost? Browse our catalog and discover your next great listen on The ForwardED Network.


    This episode includes AI-generated content.
    Show More Show Less
    36 mins
  • Be Where Your Feet Are: The Power of Presence

    Be Where Your Feet Are: The Power of Presence
    Feb 1 2026
    In the mid-winter stretch of the school year, it’s easy for leaders to feel the weight of "the woes"—that heavy, gray season where the list of tasks grows faster than the daylight.

    In this episode, 32-year veteran educator Bob Long joins us to discuss a simple but transformative leadership standard: being exactly where your feet are.Designed for school administrators and lead learners, this conversation explores how to balance the "business" of education with the human needs of our students and staff. We dive into the reality of "precipitating factors"—the invisible burdens our community carries—and why the most effective leadership move you can make today is simply catching someone doing something right. You'll walk away with a renewed perspective on presence and a reminder that you don't have to be a hero; you just have to be present.

    Subscribe for your weekly dose of leadership perspective and share this with a colleague who needs a mid-winter boost.

    Thank You for Listening! This has been an episode from The FowardED Network—Where we are Advancing Voices and Shaping Education. We are dedicated to supporting everyone invested in K-12 success: teachers, leaders, parents, and community advocates.

    Want to keep the conversation going?
    • Subscribe: Never miss an insight. Hit the subscribe or follow button on your podcast app to automatically receive our next episode.
    • Share the Knowledge: If this episode provided value, please take a moment to rate and review us! Your five-star reviews help new teachers, parents, and leaders find our network.
    • Explore the Network: This show is just one part of the ForwardEd Network family. Head over to our network page to explore our full roster of interconnected podcasts, including CTRL Shift Lead, Vice Principal UnOfficed, From Carpool to College, and Your Morning Boost.
    • Connect with Us: Have a question or an idea for a future episode? Reach out to us at pillars.forwarded@gmail.com or find us on social media using the tag #theForwardEDnetwork.
    Ready for your next boost? Browse our catalog and discover your next great listen on The ForwardED Network.


    This episode includes AI-generated content.
    Show More Show Less
    50 mins
  • From Points to Pointers: Shifting the Grading Paradigm

    From Points to Pointers: Shifting the Grading Paradigm
    Jan 5 2026
    Welcome to the first show of 2026! We are kicking off the New Year with a "heavy hitter" in the world of education. In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Matt Townsley, an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Northern Iowa and the acclaimed author of Making Grades Matter.If you have ever felt that traditional grading systems—driven by points, percentages, and "extra credit Kleenex boxes"—don’t accurately reflect what your students actually know, this conversation is for you. Dr. Townsley challenges us to move from a culture of "earning" to a culture of "learning."

    Key Highlights:
    • The Power of Redos and Retakes: Why honoring different learning paces is essential for student success and how to implement a plan that avoids the "end-of-semester dump."
    • The 21-Point Inspection: A brilliant analogy for shifting grading from vague percentages to detailed, standard-based feedback.
    • Communication Over Compliance: How to move away from using grades as "carrots and sticks" and start using them as a clear map for student growth.
    • Practical Leadership: Tips for principals on how to affirm teachers who are already innovating in their assessment practices.
    Stop chasing points and start focusing on evidence of learning. Tune in to learn how to diagnose the "holes in the bucket" and provide meaningful interventions that truly help students master their goals.

    Connect with Dr. Matt Townsley:
    • University Profile: University of Northern Iowa Faculty
    • Book: Making Grades Matter


    Thank You for Listening! This has been an episode from The FowardED Network—Where we are Advancing Voices and Shaping Education. We are dedicated to supporting everyone invested in K-12 success: teachers, leaders, parents, and community advocates.

    Want to keep the conversation going?
    • Subscribe: Never miss an insight. Hit the subscribe or follow button on your podcast app to automatically receive our next episode.
    • Share the Knowledge: If this episode provided value, please take a moment to rate and review us! Your five-star reviews help new teachers, parents, and leaders find our network.
    • Explore the Network: This show is just one part of the ForwardEd Network family. Head over to our network page to explore our full roster of interconnected podcasts, including CTRL Shift Lead, Vice Principal UnOfficed, From Carpool to College, and Your Morning Boost.
    • Connect with Us: Have a question or an idea for a future episode? Reach out to us at pillars.forwarded@gmail.com or find us on social media using the tag #theForwardEDnetwork.
    Ready for your next boost? Browse our catalog and discover your next great listen on The ForwardED Network.


    This episode includes AI-generated content.
    Show More Show Less
    48 mins
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