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Driving Into the Storm
The sky opened up on my way to work, and I could barely see the road ahead. It was one of those unusually dark Arizona mornings when the desert looks unfamiliar. Rain hammered the windshield. The wipers struggled to keep up. I slowed down, tightened my grip on the steering wheel, and focused on what I could see. And somewhere in that downpour, it hit me: this drive felt a lot like leading a turnaround school. Limited visibility. Uncertainty around the next corner. The respons
Melissa France
Oct 74 min read
Connection Before Compliance: But What Happens When the Teacher Goes Missing?
There is a part of the conversation about student engagement that we don't talk about nearly enough. What happens when the adult who built the connection isn't there anymore? Not because the relationship wasn't important. Not because the teacher didn't care. Sometimes the teacher simply disappears.
Stephanie Nardi EdD
Sep 137 min read
The Cost of Circumstance
There is already a nationwide shortage of qualified science teachers. Finding someone in July is difficult enough. Finding someone who wants to join a turnaround school, believes in its mission, and can immediately replace the trust this teacher built over an entire year is something else entirely. That isn't filling a vacancy. That is trying to replace a relationship.
Our school needs him. Our community needs him. Our students need him.
Stephanie Nardi EdD
Jul 25 min read
When the Needs Are Bigger Than the Staff: The Hidden Strain of Middle School Turnaround Work
In many high-need middle schools, the challenge isn’t just academics. It’s doing emotionally complex, relationship-driven work with too few adults, core classes of 38–40 students, and fewer student support roles than ever. When counselor positions are cut and staffing is stretched, prevention turns into triage. Turnaround work is still possible, but it cannot be built on minimal staffing. Adolescents need support systems, not just systems on paper.
Stephanie Nardi EdD
Feb 155 min read
Make STEM Core, Not Extra
In turnaround spaces, especially in communities where dropping out of high school is common and disengagement starts early, we cannot afford to treat engagement as fluff. High interest electives are not schedule decorations. They are attendance strategies. They are relationship builders. They are identity shapers. They are often the first place a student feels competent, needed, and successful.
Stephanie Nardi EdD
Jan 306 min read
Beyond the Resume: Recruiting Teachers for the Reality of Middle School
Some of the strongest teachers don’t have the longest resumes. They have the right mindset, the right heart, and the willingness to learn. That’s who changes schools.
#Coachability #TeacherLeadership #TurnaroundWork
Stephanie Nardi EdD
Jan 164 min read
Before the Strategy, There Are People
Before any strategy can work, people have to feel safe.
In my latest Turnaround Unscripted post, I reflect on Jubilee Ransome’s NAESP article on psychological safety and what it really looks like inside a school in the middle of change. When educators feel safe to speak, disagree, and own their growth, real improvement becomes possible. When they don’t, even the best plans stall.
Read why culture always comes before strategy.
Stephanie Nardi EdD
Jan 133 min read
Where Kids in Hoodies Fuel the Work
The school week has ended, but the weight of it hasn’t. This first week back from winter break reminded me why middle school is the messy middle. Guarded kids hide behind filters, and leaders keep showing up anyway. Behind those hoodies are students still becoming. They are why this work, even on the hardest days and after the longest weeks, still matters.
Stephanie Nardi EdD
Jan 106 min read
The Right Conversation at the Right Time
There is no pause button in turnaround work. On the first day back from break, we gathered a small group of teachers to focus on classroom management, relationships, and long-term growth over short-term compliance.
Stephanie Nardi EdD
Jan 53 min read
Celebrating Through the Turnaround: Let’s Keep Walking
On the last Friday of winter break, a quiet walk through empty classrooms revealed something powerful. Anchor charts with purpose. Student work displayed with pride. In a turnaround school, these small moments signal big change. Sometimes progress isn’t loud—it’s visible in the walls, the culture, and the realization that what once felt impossible is becoming normal.
S. Nardi and M. France
Jan 23 min read
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