The Ruckus Report Quick take: From middle school gum empire to innovative children's author, Mr. B reveals how embracing uniqueness and real-world learning can transform education from standardized to remarkable.

Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Mr. B is a multi-faceted creative and entrepreneur, blending Hip-Hop music, live-streaming, and children's storytelling into his unique brand. Known for his viral rhymes and as the creator of What Rhymes With Orange?, Mr. B brings fans into real-world experiences with his innovative 'Find Me IRL' live-streamed events and music concerts. He's on a mission to connect people, both in-person and online, with a fresh mix of freestyle rap, humor, and creative flair.

Breaking Down the Old Rules 🔨 In this episode, Mr. B challenges traditional education paradigms:

Key Insight #1: Real-World Learning Beats Standardization

• What's broken: Schools focus on standardized formats and rigid rubrics

• The shift: Enable students to engage in real-world business and creative projects

• Impact: Mr. B's middle school gum business generated over $1,000 in 2.5 months, teaching vital lessons about supply, demand, and credit

Key Insight #2: Pattern Breaking Creates Opportunities

• What's broken: Traditional teaching methods crush creativity and innovation

• The shift: Encourage unique approaches and celebrate different ways of learning

• Impact: Students develop confidence in their uniqueness and learn to innovate

Key Insight #3: Beauty, Innovation, and Respect Transform Learning

• What's broken: Sterile environments and hierarchical relationships

• The shift: Create beautiful spaces and authentic connections between staff and students

• Impact: Students take themselves more seriously and operate at a higher level

Quotable Ruckus "Change is going to come from the kids, not the adults." – Mr. B

Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here:

1. Tomorrow: Sit with students at lunch and engage in genuine conversation

2. This Month: Create opportunities for students to publish or monetize their school work

3. This Semester: Design a program that lets students explore entrepreneurship within your school

Connect & Continue

• 📚 Get Mr. B's book "What Rhymes With Orange?": https://a.co/d/cPcq47B

• 📷 Follow Mr. B on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrbinspire

• 📧 Contact: mrbinspire@gmail.com

• 💪 Join the Ruckus Maker Movement: https://ruckusmakers.club/join

Do you Subscribe to the Ruckus Maker Newsletter? Do School Different 3x a Week. Join for FREE here.

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: IXL.com/leaders

Class Composer: Want to know why Ruckus Makers love Class Composer? Because it turns the dreaded end-of-year class placement meetings into a streamlined, data-driven process. Your teachers will save hours of time while ensuring that nothing is overlooked, including student separations. 🔍 Learn more here.

Twelve Practices LLC © 2025 | If Education Ain't a Bit Disruptive, Then What Are Your Students Learning?

The Ruckus Report Quick take: Start 2025 strong with three game-changing frameworks that help school leaders move from traditional planning to actionable transformation.

Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Danny Bauer is the founder of Better Leaders Better Schools and host of the top 1% education leadership podcast worldwide. His mission is helping Ruckus Makers "Do School Different" by reimagining education even within traditional systems.

Breaking Down the Old Rules 🔨 In this episode, Danny challenges traditional education paradigms:

Key Insight #1: Simplicity is Velocity

• What's broken: 28-page improvement plans that gather dust and don't guide real work

• The shift: The RISE Method (Reimagine the possible, Identify current reality, Select strategic strikes, Execute with energy)

• Impact: Clear, actionable one-page strategies that excite stakeholders and drive real change

Key Insight #2: Staff Success Requires Differentiation

• What's broken: Generic hiring checklists and standard operating procedures

• The shift: Creating unique Staff Success Scorecards that define excellence in your context

• Impact: Attract and retain top talent by clearly articulating your school's unique value proposition

Key Insight #3: Reflection Drives Innovation

• What's broken: Reinventing the wheel each year without learning from experience

• The shift: Regular reflection using tools like the Year in Review framework

• Impact: Breakthrough insights that help leaders work smarter, not harder

Quotable Ruckus "Strategy answers three fundamental questions: Where are we now? Where do we aspire to go? And how can we credibly get there?" – Danny Bauer

Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here:

1. Tomorrow: Download the Do School Different Scorecard and honestly assess your current reality

2. This Month: Create your school's Staff Success Scorecard with your leadership team

3. This Semester: Implement the RISE Method to transform your strategic planning

Connect & Continue

• 🎯 Get the Principal Checklist: betterleadersbetterschools.com/principal-checklist

• 🔗 Subscribe to the newsletter: ruckusmakers.news

• 💪 Join the Ruckus Maker Movement: https://ruckusmakers.club/join

Do you Subscribe to the Ruckus Maker Newsletter? Do School Different 3x a Week. Join for FREE here.

Today's RUCKUScast in Partnership with: Quest Food Management Services: Creating joyful learning environments starts in the cafeteria. Quest brings 40 years of expertise in crafting scratch-made meals that nurture both body and community spirit through innovative student engagement programs. 🔍 Learn more: www.questfms.com

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: IXL.com/leaders

Twelve Practices LLC © 2025 | If Education Ain't a Bit Disruptive, Then What Are Your Students Learning?

Quick take: From humble beginnings in Greenfield to becoming an award-winning superintendent, Dr. Galván shares powerful insights on leading with empathy, building authentic relationships, and preparing students for an AI-driven future.

Dr. Zandra Jo Galván serves as Superintendent of Salinas UHSD, is CALSA Immediate Past President (California Assoc Latinx Sups & Admin), was named ALAS National Superintendent of the Year 2023-2024, and recognized as a Top 100 National Influencer for District Administration 2024.

In this episode, Dr. Galván challenges traditional education paradigms:

Key Insight #1: Authentic Leadership Transforms School Culture

• What's broken: Traditional hierarchical leadership creating barriers between administrators and staff

• The shift: Leading with vulnerability, genuine presence, and intentional relationship-building

• Impact: Staff feel valued, seen, and supported, leading to stronger engagement and better student outcomes

Key Insight #2: Wellness Must Be Systemic

• What's broken: Stigma around self-care and mental health in education

• The shift: Implementing district-wide wellness initiatives including mental health days, beach cruiser bikes, and blender bikes

• Impact: Created a culture where taking care of oneself is celebrated and supported

Key Insight #3: Future-Ready Education Requires Innovation

• What's broken: Preparing students for jobs that won't exist

• The shift: Embracing AI, creating innovative pathways, and focusing on future skills

• Impact: Students develop entrepreneurial mindsets and are better prepared for emerging careers

"I'm a very authentic person and vulnerable, and I'm okay with that. And a title is not going to change who I am for the virtue of position." – Dr. Zandra Jo Galván

Ready to implement these ideas? Start here:

1. Tomorrow: Start your day in classrooms, connecting with students and teachers

2. This Month: Implement one wellness initiative for your staff

3. This Semester: Identify future-ready skills and begin planning innovative pathways

• 🎯 Get the full episode transcript: [Link]

• 🔗 Follow Zandra on LinkedIn

• 💪 Join the Ruckus Maker Movement: https://ruckusmakers.club/join

Do School Different 3x a Week. Join for FREE here.

Quest Food Management Services: Creating joyful learning environments starts in the cafeteria. Quest brings 40 years of expertise in crafting scratch-made meals that nurture both body and community spirit through innovative student engagement programs. 🔍 Learn more: www.questfms.com

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: IXL.com/leaders

Twelve Practices LLC © 2024| If Education Ain’t a Bit Disruptive, Then What Are Your Students Learning?

Quick take: Discover how a veteran superintendent transforms traditional power structures into collaborative leadership, proving that giving away authority actually strengthens your impact as a leader.

Dr. Tricia Mooney brings 30 years of educational experience to her role as Superintendent of Hermiston School District. A relentless advocate for student achievement, she's dedicated to creating multiple education pathways for students both in the classroom and beyond graduation.

In this episode, Dr. Mooney challenges traditional education paradigms:

Key Insight #1: Reimagining Positional Power

• What's broken: Traditional hierarchy where titles create barriers and centralize decision-making

• The shift: Intentionally giving away power and maintaining approachability ("I'm still just Tricia")

• Impact: Created a more collaborative culture where team members feel empowered to innovate and take ownership

Key Insight #2: Trust-Based Leadership

• What's broken: Micromanagement and the superintendent's need to "know everything"

• The shift: Building strong teams and trusting specialists to lead in their areas of expertise

• Impact: Developed a system that runs smoothly even in leader's absence, with increased innovation and specialized excellence

Key Insight #3: Strategic Resource Allocation

• What's broken: Prioritizing budgets over community needs

• The shift: "We budget our priorities, we don't prioritize our budget"

• Impact: Successful implementation of innovative programs like the Think Big Space and comprehensive summer programs serving the community's unique needs

"Your job is to develop another leader. If a sniper takes me out tomorrow, what's going to happen? The system should run so well that you don't notice whether or not I'm here." – Dr. Tricia Mooney

Ready to implement these ideas? Start here:

1. Tomorrow: Identify one decision you can delegate to empower your team

2. This Month: Map out your team's strengths and begin aligning roles with natural abilities rather than traditional expectations

3. This Semester: Launch one innovative partnership program, starting small and building based on community needs

• 🎯 Get the full episode transcript: Link

• 🔗 Follow Dr. Mooney: LinkedIn | Email: tricia.mooney@hermistonsd.org

• 💪 Join the Ruckus Maker Movement: https://ruckusmakers.club/join

Learn how to Do School Different 3x a Week. Join for FREE here. ruckusmakers.news/subscribe

Quest Food Management Services: Creating joyful learning environments starts in the cafeteria. Quest brings 40 years of expertise in crafting scratch-made meals that nurture both body and community spirit through innovative student engagement programs. 🔍 Learn more: www.questfms.com

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: IXL.com/leaders

Twelve Practices LLC © 2024 | If Education Ain't a Bit Disruptive, Then What Are Your Students Learning?

Dr. Chris Nagy on Transformational Educational Leadership

Quick take: In this paradigm-shifting conversation, educational futurist Dr. Chris Nagy reveals how superintendents can create innovative learning environments by embracing entrepreneurial mindsets and emerging technologies, challenging traditional educational frameworks while preparing students and staff for an AI-driven future.

Dr. Nagy is a retired school superintendent, co-founder of MagicEdX.ai, and founder of Nagy Education Group. As a transformational thought leader and educational futurist, he brings entrepreneurial thinking to education leadership. His work spans consulting, teaching doctoral programs, and creating content through his Leadership Sparks Series.

In this episode, Dr. Nagy challenges traditional education paradigms:

Embracing Emerging Technologies

• What's broken: Schools treating AI and immersive technologies as threats rather than opportunities

• The shift: Running toward obstacles and embracing emerging technologies as tools for innovation

• Impact: Students and staff becoming confident pioneers in using AI, VR, and other technologies to enhance learning

Fostering Entrepreneurial Mindsets

• What's broken: Traditional mindset of staying inside or thinking outside the box

• The shift: Creating environments where there is no box, fostering new neural pathways and creative thinking

• Impact: Teachers and administrators functioning as educational entrepreneurs, creating innovative learning experiences

Creating Innovation Spaces

• What's broken: Professional development that doesn't prepare for the future

• The shift: Creating "playground" spaces for staff to experiment with new technologies and approaches

• Impact: More engaged staff who feel empowered to innovate and adapt to changing educational landscapes

"We need to continue to become more and more uncomfortable territory so that we could push ourselves to grow and to take on new experiences." - Dr. Chris Nagy

Ready to implement these ideas? Start here:

1. Tomorrow: Create a simple experiment with AI tools in your administrative tasks

2. This Month: Develop a "playground" space where staff can safely explore and learn new technologies

3. This Semester: Draft and implement policies for emerging technologies that encourage innovation while maintaining educational integrity

• 🎯 Get the full episode transcript: Link

• Watch the Dr. Nagy Leadership Sparks Series: YouTube

• Read "Bringing the Future to the Present": NJ School Boards Magazine

• Read "The Next Disruption in Education is Here": Medium

• Contact Dr. Nagy: dr.chris.nagy@gmail.com

• 💪 Join the Ruckus Maker Movement: ruckusmakers.club/join

Learn how to Do School Different 3x a Week. Join for FREE at ruckusmakers.news/subscribe

Quest Food Management Services: Creating joyful learning environments starts in the cafeteria. Quest brings 40 years of expertise in crafting scratch-made meals that nurture both body and community spirit through innovative student engagement programs. 🔍 Learn more: www.questfms.com

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: IXL.com/leaders

Twelve Practices LLC © 2024 | If Education Ain't a Bit Disruptive, Then What Are Your Students Learning?

Quick take: Want to sleep well at night as a school leader? Dr. Jon Bartelt shares how embracing joy, listening deeply to students, and staying true to core values helps him lead with confidence through 23 years as superintendent.

Dr. Jon Bartelt serves as Superintendent of Bloomingdale School District 13 in Illinois, leading a PreK-8 district of 1,400 students. With 34 years in education and 23 as superintendent, he's guided by three core values: ensuring student learning, treating everyone with respect, and working collaboratively. A graduate of Valparaiso, Harvard, and Loyola University Chicago, Dr. Bartelt is active in educational leadership organizations while cherishing his role as husband, father of six, and grandfather of four.

In this episode, Dr. Bartelt challenges traditional education paradigms:

Leading with Joy Instead of Fear

• What's broken: Schools driven by anxiety, control, and "that's how we've always done it" mindsets

• The shift: Creating environments where students and staff find genuine joy in learning and teaching

• Impact: Students who cry on the last day of school because they don't want to leave

Embracing Student Voice

• What's broken: Adults making all decisions without student input

• The shift: Actively listening to students and implementing their ideas (like reviving competitive science programs)

• Impact: More engaged learners who feel ownership in their education

Making Bold Decisions

• What's broken: Leaders paralyzed by fear of public criticism

• The shift: Focusing on core values and student safety over public opinion

• Impact: Confident decision-making even when facing social media backlash

"It's not just a job, frankly, and it's not a vocation. It's life. It's the life I've chosen to lead." – Dr. Jon Bartelt

Ready to implement these ideas? Start here:

1. Tomorrow: Take a walk through your school focusing only on moments of joy

2. This Month: Create regular opportunities for students to share ideas directly with leadership

3. This Semester: Evaluate major decisions through the lens of your core values

• 🎯 Get the full episode transcript: [Link]

• 💪 Join the Ruckus Maker Movement: [Link]

Learn how to Do School Different 3x a Week. Join for FREE here.

Quest Food Management Services Creating joyful learning environments starts in the cafeteria. Quest brings 40 years of expertise in crafting scratch-made meals that nurture both body and community spirit through innovative student engagement programs. 🔍 Learn more: www.questfms.com

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: IXL.com/leaders

Better Leaders Better Schools © 2024 | If Education Ain't a Bit Disruptive, Then What Are Your Students Learning?