Dismantling the Culture of Apology.

Hey there! It is so good to chat again. 👋🏼

Next spring, I’ll be releasing a book I’ve been building for some time - a no-excuses framework for school leaders who are done settling for low expectations, broken systems, and the kind of culture that wears people down instead of lifting them up.

But before it hits shelves, I want to give you - the readers of The Progress Report - an exclusive preview of what’s inside. As we build up to the book’s release, I’ll be sharing Special Series articles that share the key themes that matter… and with the same kind of real talk, practical reflection, and leadership moves you count on every week.

Let’s start with the culture I walked into as a first-year principal - and the mindset I had to crush on day one.

What Are We Apologizing For?

The day I was appointed principal, a district leader shook my hand - and then apologized. Not for the weather. Not for the long meeting.

He apologized for “those kids” I was about to lead.
For the staff.
For the school.

In other words, he didn’t hand me the keys - he handed me a Culture of Apology.

I’ve never forgotten that moment. Because what I walked into wasn’t just a school. It was a system built on low expectations and softened standards. A place where excuses had become the language of survival.

And here’s what I learned fast: You can’t build excellence on apology.

The Shift: From Apology to No Excuses

In schools with a Culture of Apology, failure is expected. Not because teachers don’t care, but because the system teaches them that success is optional.

• District leaders lower the bar.

• Teachers (and everyone, really) talk about “those kids.”

• Parents pull back.

• Students internalize it all and stop trying.

And over time, the apology becomes the culture.

But here’s the thing: when you accept that culture, you become complicit in it.

So we did the opposite.
We stopped apologizing and started asking the only question that mattered:
👉🏼 What are we going to do about it?

What This Looks Like in Action

A Culture of No Excuses isn’t about being harsh. It’s about being honest.

It means:

• No more pity parties or woe-is-me moments.

• No more blaming the resources, the curriculum, or the parents.

• No more “if we only had…” conversations.

It’s not about ignoring challenges - it’s about refusing to let them define you.

And when the adults make that shift, students do too.
They stop asking for extensions and start asking for help.
They stop saying “I can’t” and start saying “Here’s what I need.”

That’s when the real change starts.

Leadership Moves You Can Make This Week

💥 Conduct an Excuse Audit
Listen closely this week. Where are excuses hiding in your school culture? Are they coming from staff, students, systems - or you?

💥 Ban Deficit Language
No more “those kids.” No more “they don’t care.” Reframe every conversation around what’s possible - not what’s broken.

💥 Tell the Better Story
When you talk about your school, stop starting with what’s wrong. Start with what you’re building. That shift matters more than you think.

💥 Model It Yourself
If you want your team to stop making excuses, start by owning your own. Publicly.

Final Thought: The Culture You Tolerate is the Culture You Create

You can’t out-instruct a culture that apologizes for itself.
You can’t out-discipline a culture that’s given up.
You can’t transform a school if adults are still saying sorry for the one they inherited.

The Culture of No Excuses starts with a single decision:
We’re not going to be defined by what has been. We’re going to be defined by what we will be.

And once you make that call? Everything changes.

On A Recent Episode of The Principal School Podcast…

I have something a little different for you this week… I will be joining my friend Casey Watts next Monday for a LIVE conversation on Why Consistency in Culture Matters. Check out Casey’s site and set a reminder to be sure to tune in! 🎧

As always, I continue to drop new episodes on The Principal School Podcast. The latest episode, What Moves the Needle on Student Learning, is available now on your favorite podcast platform.

🎧 Subscribe now!