Episode 415

full
Published on:

4th Jul 2025

Using Data to make Hard Choices to Turn Around an Elementary School

Summary: Join C.T. and guest Jeremy “Paco” Furlan, Principal of John Muir Elementary School in Berkeley, California, as they explore the remarkable turnaround that transformed a school deeply impacted by the challenges of COVID-19 into a nationally recognized model of excellence. This insightful conversation delves into how John Muir, a diverse, Title I school serving students from over 21 language backgrounds and a wide socioeconomic spectrum, overcame significant struggles in math, ELA, reading, and chronic absenteeism to earn both the US Department of Education Blue Ribbon Award and the California Distinguished School Award in just three years.

Key Takeaways:

  • Focused Leadership: Paco applied the “hedgehog concept” by concentrating on one clear priority—mastering a guaranteed, viable curriculum in reading and math—to drive schoolwide improvement.
  • Data Transparency: Sharing honest, disaggregated data with staff and families helped build a shared understanding of challenges and galvanized community support.
  • Collaborative Resource Allocation: Reallocating resources, including funding additional reading and math specialists, required tough conversations but was essential for targeted student support.
  • Master Scheduling: Creating a master schedule that coordinated specialist push-ins and interventions ensured consistent, effective instruction for all students.
  • Community Rebuilding Post-COVID: Emphasizing relationship-building, reopening the school as a community hub, and implementing positive behavior systems helped restore trust and engagement.
  • Addressing Chronic Absenteeism: Persistent communication with families, attendance tracking tools, and incentives reduced chronic absenteeism from over 20% to 7%.
  • Restorative Discipline Practices: Moving away from suspensions toward restorative justice and coordinated support teams improved school climate and kept students engaged.
  • Academic Gains: Through focused efforts, student achievement increased by approximately 20 percentage points, closing achievement gaps and earning prestigious awards.



Chapters:

00:00 Introduction: Turning Challenges into Triumphs

00:38 Meet the Principal: Jeremy Paco Furlan

01:37 The Diverse Community of John Muir Elementary

03:16 COVID-19 Impact and Initial Challenges

07:59 Strategic Planning and Data-Driven Decisions

10:46 Implementing Changes: Curriculum and Scheduling

16:34 Building Community and Overcoming Obstacles

23:15 Recognizing Success: Awards and Achievements

25:37 Improving Attendance and Behavior

30:54 Staff and Community Engagement



Connect with CT: linkedin.com/in/cheetung



Whether you're currently wearing the principal badge, aspiring to the big chair, or teaching while secretly taking notes on what you'd do differently, Principal Office Hours delivers actionable strategies you can implement faster than a student being sent to detention.


Subscribe now and join the faculty lounge conversation that's too real for the school board meeting. New episodes drop every week.


Warning: May cause spontaneous leadership growth and occasional inappropriate laughter during staff meetings.

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About the Podcast

Principal Office Hours
Real principals. Real talk. No hall passes required.
Finally—a podcast that proves school principals have personalities (and killer insights, too). Every week, join us for candid conversations with K-12 principals who are navigating the beautiful chaos of educational leadership without losing their minds or sense of humor.

Each 40-minute episode features real principals sharing what actually works in school leadership—from handling helicopter parents and budget nightmares to building school culture that doesn't make everyone roll their eyes. Consider this your professional development that doesn't feel like professional development.

Our guests aren't afraid to share their epic fails alongside their victories. They'll tell you about the initiative that spectacularly bombed during assembly, right before revealing how they turned their school's reading scores around. It's educational leadership with the BS filter turned off.

Whether you're currently wearing the principal badge, aspiring to the big chair, or teaching while secretly taking notes on what you'd do differently, Principal Office Hours delivers actionable strategies you can implement faster than a student being sent to detention.

Subscribe now and join the faculty lounge conversation that's too real for the school board meeting. New episodes drop every week. Warning: May cause spontaneous leadership growth and occasional inappropriate laughter during staff meetings.

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.