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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
This Is Our Super Bowl
There is a moment every spring when the building feels different.
You can hear it in the quieter laughter, see it in the way teachers hold eye contact just a second longer, feel it in the unspoken question sitting in every room. State testing is coming, and in a turnaround school, that does not feel like a date on a calendar. It feels like a verdict.
Stephanie Nardi EdD
Mar 283 min read
Setting the Bar High in Middle School Turnaround
In middle school, where identities are forming and narratives about capability are still fragile, disciplined clarity may be the most caring leadership move we can make.
Turnaround is unscripted, but the path to rigor is clear if we are willing to practice it relentlessly.
Stephanie Nardi EdD
Feb 285 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
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
Tier 2 Cannot Save a Broken Tier 1: The Hard Truth About Turnaround Work
When most students are minimally proficient, intervention systems are not the solution. That reality is hard to say out loud in turnaround work, but it matters. Tier 2 cannot carry what Tier 1 has not yet stabilized. Until core instruction is consistently aligned, rigorous, and coherent across classrooms, intervention will continue to do work it was never designed to do.
Stephanie Nardi EdD
Dec 29, 20254 min read
Flex Time That Actually Matters: Rethinking Recess and Reclaiming Purpose
There is a certain clarity that arrives when someone names out loud what you have quietly known.
Stephanie Nardi EdD
Dec 26, 20254 min read
Culture First Wasn’t the Detour. It Was the Path.
Sometimes the most meaningful leadership moments are the quiet ones. This post captures the day the data finally caught up to the work affirming a year spent rebuilding trust, restoring joy, and preparing a school to grow. It’s a reflection on resilience, criticism, and why people must come before metrics.
Stephanie Nardi EdD
Oct 21, 20254 min read
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