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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
The Work Between the Conferences
People often ask what it's like to attend education conferences. The answer is usually the same. You come home with pages of notes, a suitcase full of ideas, and enough inspiration to carry you into the next school year. This year was different. I came home with something even more valuable. Validation. Over the past two weeks, Dr. Stephanie Nardi and I have traveled thousands of miles, beginning at the Innovative Schools Summit in Las Vegas, where we had the privilege of pre
Melissa France
Jul 124 min read
The Quiet After the Storm
The storm has passed. The answers are submitted. Somewhere, the scores already exist. Here we are walking hallways that feel different, carrying a weight we can’t act on, replaying moments we can’t change. This is the part no one talks about. Not the push, not the pressure, not the performance. The wait. The space where effort turns into uncertainty, where “almost” lingers, and where the only question left is the one you can’t answer yet: Was it enough?
Stephanie Nardi EdD
Apr 194 min read
Spring Break Is Not a Pause. It Is a Reset.
There is a moment every spring break when the noise finally quiets. The bells stop. The emails slow down. The constant urgency softens just enough to hear your own thinking again.
Melissa France
Mar 194 min read
When Turnaround Holds Its Breath
Tonight, my chest feels tight. My emotions are swirling. Not because it is the night before another week of school. Not because I do not know what to do tomorrow on Day 1 of testing. But because I know exactly what is at stake. As a TOSA and the leader of our AZELLA testing team, my mind keeps circling the same questions again and again. Did I do enough to prepare them? Are the teachers ready? Are the students ready? Are they all prepared to do their best?Could I have done mo
Melissa France
Feb 223 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
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
Weathering the Storms
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?”
Stephanie Nardi EdD
Jan 24 min read
Leading From the Middle: Lessons From the Classroom to Administration
Leadership doesn’t always come with a title—but it always begins with people. In this reflection, I share what stepping between the classroom and administration taught me about trust, presence, and the quiet work of rebuilding school culture. It’s a story about leading from the middle, listening first, and how real change starts long before authority ever enters the room.
Melissa France
Dec 27, 20253 min read
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