Episode 382

full
Published on:

13th Mar 2025

How to Run a School District with Straight ‘A’s - and it’s not what you think

Summary: Join C.T. and guest Michael Lamb, Superintendent of Little Elm Independent School District in Texas, as they explore the strategies behind running a school district with "straight A's." In this engaging conversation, Michael shares insights into managing growth, fostering relationships, and balancing quantitative rigor with human connection.

Key Takeaways:

  • "Straight A's" Philosophy (Simplified): Focus on Athletics, Arts, Academics, and Acquired Skills (CTE).
  • Data-Driven (Concise): 50 metrics tracked with a "heat map" (green, yellow, red) to monitor progress and identify areas for improvement across the "A's."
  • Team Delegation: Lamb delegates metric oversight to his leadership team (athletic director, etc.) for efficient management.
  • Data Enhances Relationships (Core Message): Lamb, a former math teacher, emphasizes using student data to enhance relationships. He states, "I know you when I know your data," meaning data informs personalized teaching. It's about insight, not just numbers.
  • Transparency: Presents metrics quarterly to the board for feedback and alignment.


Chapters:

0:00 Introduction and Little Elm ISD Overview

4:30 The Four A's Framework

8:30 Quantifying Progress: The 50 Metrics

13:00 Managing the Metrics: Delegation and Heat Maps

18:00 Evaluation Cycle and Board Engagement

21:00 Balancing Quantitative Rigor with Human Connection


Connect with CT: linkedin.com/in/cheetung

Connect with Michael Lamb: www.littleelmisd.net

Music Credit: Shake it Up - Fesliyanstudios.com - David Renda



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Principal Office Hours
Real principals. Real talk. No hall passes required.
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About your hosts

CheeTung Leong

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Jim Kanichirayil

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Your friendly neighborhood talent strategy nerd is the producer and co-host for The HR Impact Show. He's spent his career in sales and has been typically in startup b2b HRTech and TA-Tech organizations.

He's built high-performance sales teams throughout his career and is passionate about all things employee life cycle and especially employee retention and turnover.