What Halloween, middle school behavior, and school turnaround have in common.

Sometimes life and school leadership collide in ways that leave even the most dedicated educators questioning how much more they can carry. Between staffing shortages, rising student behaviors, personal challenges, and the fear of losing hard-earned progress, October has lived up to its nickname: “Sucktober.” Yet amid the exhaustion and uncertainty, unexpected moments of kindness, student success, and community support remind us why we do this work. Turnaround isn't a straigh

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.

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.

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.

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.

Turnaround work is full of storms that test even the strongest leaders. One moment with an eighth grade student reminded me that sometimes the most powerful leadership begins with a simple question: “Are you okay?”