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The Work is Hard. Celebrate Anyway.
Turnaround work is hard, and some weeks feel heavier than others. But celebration matters—especially during those weeks. Our first schoolwide assembly reminded us that building a school isn’t only about academics, data, and improvement goals; it’s about creating a community where students and staff feel connected, supported, and excited to come back on Monday.
Melissa France
Aug 305 min read
Will We Be the School They Look for During a Storm?
Why, when confronted with pictures of my hometown devastated by a tornado, did I instinctively search for my schools? Connection? Safety? Belonging? Positive memories? Maybe all of them. And because I am an educator, eventually the personal reflection became a professional one.
Stephanie Nardi EdD
Aug 87 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
Stay a student. Always.
The strongest leaders aren’t the ones with all the answers. They’re the ones willing to keep learning.
Leaders who ask questions, invite challenge, and allow themselves to look like beginners build trust faster and create cultures where others feel safe to grow. That isn’t weakness or uncertainty. It’s rigor. It’s mastery. It’s confidence rooted in curiosity, not ego.
Stay a student. Always
Melissa France
Dec 29, 20252 min read
The Principal’s Back-to-School Tightrope: Exhausted and Exhilarated
In the weeks before the first bell. this reflection explores the strategic, emotional, and human work of leading a school through renewal, where master schedules, staffing decisions, and system-building intersect with culture, trust, and hope. This year, the work carries added weight as I watch my daughter begin her own journey as a special education teacher.
Stephanie Nardi EdD
Jul 22, 20253 min read
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