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Transformational Educators Podcast  |  Hosted by Dr. Matthew Flippen

The conversations that sharpen
the leaders who change schools.

Real principals. Real campuses. Real lessons from the work of transformation. Every week, a new conversation with a leader whose story will challenge and encourage you to go further.

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Reflect on where you are as a leader today. We will send it to your inbox right away.

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    Your Host

    Dr. Matthew Flippen

    Founder & President, Gracelyn University  ·  National Leader in Education Workforce Development

    Dr. Flippen is the Founder and President of Gracelyn University, an accredited, affordable online institution built to serve those already working in schools. A national leader in education workforce development, he has helped districts across the country turn overlooked talent into licensed teachers.

    He started the Transformational Educators podcast because he kept meeting principals who had built something remarkable, and whose stories were not being told widely enough. Every episode is his attempt to change that.

    📚
    #1 Best Seller  ·  Win With Your Talent Pipeline

    A proven blueprint for turning paraprofessionals and school support staff into certified, high-impact teachers. Available now on Amazon.

    Get the Book →
    📖
    Coming September 2026  ·  Lead With Trust

    A transformational educational leadership playbook drawn from the stories of real principals who changed their schools. The conversations from this podcast are at its heart.


    Why Education Leaders Listen

    The most important conversations in education are rarely the loudest ones.

    The principals who transform struggling campuses are not usually the ones filling conference keynote slots. They are the ones doing the quiet, relentless work of building trust, developing people, and staying present. This podcast finds those leaders and asks them to tell the truth about what it took.

    Grow Your Own Leadership

    Each episode is a peer-to-peer conversation grounded in what actually worked. The strategies, the turning points, and the convictions that carried real leaders through the hardest seasons of their work. Practical insight you can use the week you hear it.

    Strengthen Your Team

    The schools featured on this podcast have something in common: their leaders invested deeply in the people already in the building. Listening here is the first step toward seeing your own staff differently and giving them the path they deserve.

    Build Your Leadership Pipeline

    The best leaders are already thinking about who comes next. Every conversation here carries something that sharpens the way you see your teacher-leaders, your assistant principals, and the people on your campus who are ready for more.


    Free Resource

    Start with an honest look at
    where you are.

    The Leadership Self-Assessment was built for principals, superintendents, and campus leaders who take their growth seriously. It gives you a clear picture of where you stand across the dimensions that matter most, and where your next 30 days should focus.

    It is yours, free. We will send it to your inbox the moment you request it.

    • Five leadership dimensions with honest scoring
    • A score interpretation guide that tells you where to focus next
    • A reflection prompt to carry into your week
    • Delivered to your inbox immediately

    Get the Free Leadership Assessment

    Fill in your details and we will send it right away.

      🔒No obligation. Your information is secure.


      The Conversations

      Latest Podcast Videos.

      From a 4 to a 98: Dr. NaTasha Crain on Relational School Turnaround thumbnail
      Transformational Educators Podcast

      From a 4 to a 98: Dr. NaTasha Crain on Relational School Turnaround

      New principals who prioritize systems over relationships risk cratering campus culture before improvement ever begins. Dr. NaTasha Crain, first-time principal...

      Watch Episode →
      How Root Cause Analysis Transforms Struggling Schools thumbnail
      Transformational Educators Podcast

      How Root Cause Analysis Transforms Struggling Schools

      What if the key to transforming a struggling school is not a bigger initiative, but a clearer diagnosis? In this...

      Watch Episode →
      Why Half Your Students Can't Read Even at an A-Rated School thumbnail
      Transformational Educators Podcast

      Why Half Your Students Can't Read Even at an A-Rated School

      What does it really take to lead a school with courage, clarity and care when everyone is watching? In this...

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      The Small Changes That Keep Great Teachers From Walking Out the Door thumbnail
      Transformational Educators Podcast

      The Small Changes That Keep Great Teachers From Walking Out the Door

      What does it take to retain great teachers, support school leaders and build a stronger leadership pipeline when education is...

      Watch Episode →
      6 Steps Every School Leader Needs for Clarity | Casey Watts thumbnail
      Transformational Educators Podcast

      6 Steps Every School Leader Needs for Clarity | Casey Watts

      What if the reason your team is not moving forward is not resistance, but a lack of clarity? In this...

      Watch Episode →
      He Sang to His Teachers on Day One (Here's Why) | Kevin Dougherty thumbnail
      Transformational Educators Podcast

      He Sang to His Teachers on Day One (Here's Why) | Kevin Dougherty

      What if transforming a struggling school was not about control, but about hope, trust, and community? In this episode of...

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      The Conversations

      Real leaders. Real campuses. Real transformation.

      Every episode features a principal, superintendent, or education leader who faced something difficult and led through it. Filter by topic to find the conversation most relevant to where you are right now.

      Episode 1 thumbnail
      Transformational Educators Podcast

      Can Servant Leadership Save Struggling Schools?

      Dr. Karen Engle · Superintendent of Clear Creek ISD

      Why every student at Clearview was considered "at-risk"

      Watch Episode →
      Episode 2 thumbnail
      Transformational Educators Podcast

      How One Principal REBUILT a Broken School Culture?

      Jim Vasquez, Superintendent of Socorro ISD

      Why Horizon Heights Elementary was stuck in a cycle of leadership turnover

      Watch Episode →
      Episode 3 thumbnail
      Transformational Educators Podcast

      What Builds Culture (It’s Not Rules)

      Dr. Rachel Edoho-Eket, Principal of Waterloo Elementary

      The power of humility and humor in school leadership

      Watch Episode →
      Episode 4 thumbnail
      Transformational Educators Podcast

      How to Raise the Bar for Education

      Dr. Katrise Perera

      Building trust before accountability

      Watch Episode →
      Episode 5 thumbnail
      Transformational Educators Podcast

      The Real Story Behind a 92% Graduation Rate

      Dr. Rick Surrency, 2023 National Superintendent of the Year

      Why student engagement is a key measure of instructional quality

      Watch Episode →
      Episode 6 thumbnail
      Transformational Educators Podcast

      Why student engagement is a key measure of instructional quality

      Dr. LaTonya Goffney, Superintendent of Aldine ISD in Houston, Texas

      Why hope is essential in school transformation

      Watch Episode →

      Stay in the Conversation

      One insight, every Thursday.

      Each week, a short digest of the latest episode's most applicable idea, with one question to carry into your week. Drawn from the conversations on this podcast and grounded in what actually worked for real leaders in real schools.

      One email per week. Unsubscribe any time.

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