Do You Really Have Your Teachers' Backs?

Glad to be back in your inbox. 👋🏼

Every school leader has said it:

“I’ve got your back.”
“I’m here for you.”
“Whatever you need, I’ve got you.”

We say it to calm nerves.
To build trust.
To reassure teams that they’re not alone.

But here’s the hard truth:
If your decisions don’t reflect that support — your words don’t mean much.

And the people in the building know it.
They feel it when you say one think in PL and do another in planning.
They feel it when policies roll downhill with no regard for classroom reality.
They feel it when the pressure’s high — and they look behind them, and no one’s there.

The Reality: Culture is Built on Decisions, Not Declarations

Teachers don’t need another motivational poster.
They need leadership that supports the conditions for them to thrive.

That means…
🍏 Not adding another initiative
🍏 Protecting planning time like it’s gold
🍏 Stepping in when students cross lines — not shifting blame
🍏 Listening to feedback, not just collecting it
🍏 Saying “no” to the things that break your staff - even if it costs you

Having your teachers’ backs doesn’t mean you say yes to everything.
It means you lead in a way that says:

“I see you.
I value your work.
And I won’t make decisions that burn you out while pretending I care.”

What This Looks Like in Action

Leaders who truly support teachers show it in the small moments:

✅ You shield your staff from top-down chaos.
If the district sends you 10 new priorities, you distill them into 2.

✅ You use your calendar to prove what matters.
If you say coaching is important, you’re in classrooms. No just in the office.

✅ You defend your team — publicly.
If a parent or outsider criticizes a teacher unfairly, you don’t cave. You step up.

✅ You listen when the data and the people tell different stories.
And you don’t always side with the spreadsheet.

✅ You say “no” when it counts.
Because every “yes” affects someone’s capacity.

Leadership Moves You Can Make This Week

Ask, “What’s one thing we’re doing that’s making your job harder than it has to be?
And mean it. Don’t defend. Just listen.

Review your last 5 major decisions.
How many truly considered your teachers’ lens?

Write a public email or memo that names what your teachers are doing well.
Call it out. Shine light on it. Leadership is amplification.

Say no to something unnecessary.
Protect your team from the avalanche of “extras” that add nothing to student learning.

Audit your calendar.
How much of your week is spent is support of teachers? Make it visible.

Final Thought: If They Don’t Feel Supported, They Won’t Stick Around

You can’t build a great school without great teachers.
And great teachers won’t stay where they feel blamed, burned out, or ignored.

So this week — look at your leadership through their eyes.
Ask yourself:

Would I want to work here under me?

Because culture isn’t built on what you say.
It’s built on what your team experiences.

📩 What’s one way you’ve had your team’s back this year? I’d love to hear how you’re building culture through action, not just intention.

Need a Partner in Leadership?

Every month I open a few spots for 1:1 coaching.

You bring your biggest challenge — culture, systems, time, whatever’s on your plate.
I’ll help you cut through the noise and build the moves you can make next week.

👉🏼 Book your session here!

New Episode of The Principal School Podcast…

After year's leading at the national level, I made the decision to return to the work that matters most — the principalship. In this episode, I share the why, the moment that brought it all home (spoiler: it involves history and Rome), and what I’ve already learned by stepping back into the arena.

If you’re in the think of it, this episode is for you.

🎧 Listen to the Episode

🔥 Know another leader who’s in the arena? Forward this their way.