Proud Principals Podcast with Tony Cattani

Proud Principals Podcast - State Principal of the Year Series (1) - Alabama's Dr. Matt Epps - Empowering Student Agency & Leadership to Inspire Student Led Initiatives

Alabama's 2025 Principal of the Year, Dr. Matt Epps of Career Technical School in Columbiana, Alabama shares his strategies of personalizing a students' educational journey through student voice and leadership. The personal inventory assessment was intentional to gain insight to the students' perception of their skill sets and the school's role in helping them better achieve their goals. The results have been incredibly insightful for student and staff growth., and this was in 1 year of Dr. Epps' tenure at C-Tech. Can't wait to see year 2 and beyond!
See some the survey tools utilized during this process. 
Contact Dr. Epps for more information:
Instagram - Drmathewcoachepps
X/Twitter - @drMatCoachEpps
Student Self Assessment
Student Culture Survey
NASSP’s 2025 State Principals of the Year

Proud Principals Podcast 20 - Jen Cimaglia - Struggle to Strength - Journey of Wilson Reading

In this inspiring episode of the Proud Principals Podcast, we sit down with Principal Jen Cimaglia, from Hardyston Elementary, Franklin, NJ who saw a critical learning gap in her school and took bold, informed action to close it. Jen shares the story behind her decision to implement the Wilson Reading System — a structured literacy program designed to support students with language-based learning difficulties.
Listen as she walks us through the “why” and “how” behind this game-changing initiative, the impact it's had on student achievement and confidence. The results have been transformative, changing the trajectory of students' academic lives and bringing a renewed sense of purpose and success to educators.
This episode is a must-hear for any educational leader searching for practical, proven ways to support struggling readers. Jen Cimaglia’s thoughtful leadership and dedication to doing what’s best for kids shine through every step of the process.
If you're interested in learning more about how the Wilson Reading System could benefit your school community, don’t hesitate to reach out to Jen directly — she’s eager to support fellow educators looking to make a difference.
Contact Jen Cimaglia at @Hardyston_principal on Instagram

Proud Principals Podcast - Josh Tovar - Creating Culture through Celebrations.

Proud Principal Josh Tovar exudes energy and pride for his students and staff of Memorial Pathway Academy in Garland, Texas. He celebrates their success every day in every way. This positive approach creates a culture of ALL stakeholders being seen and celebrated for their daily work. 
We all want to promote student and staff success. Listen to how Josh Tovar does it like no other we have heard on Proud Principals Podcast. 
You are encouraged to contact Josh to learn more.
X - @JTSPOTLIGHTS  or @MPA_GOJAGUARS
YouTube - @JTSPOTLIGHTS     Instagram - JTSPOTLIGHTS
 

Proud Principals Podcast - Kevin Carroll - MLK Week of Community Service

Kevin Carroll is the Proud Principal of Waldwick High School in New Jersey. Kevin shares an amazing community service opportunity for his students and staff. 
The Martin Luther King Jr. Week of Service is as a powerful reminder of the impact of service and the importance of giving back to the Waldwick community. He believes that participating in the MLK Week of Service fosters growth in his students while contributing to the betterment of our community.Last year, over 320 students and 30+ staff members participated in various service activities. It was a strong start, and this year, he is excited to expand the opportunities and aim for even more student involvement.The Waldwick HS Social Studies Department leads this initiative.  Their goal is for every member of the WHS community to engage in some form of service during the MLK Week of Service.
Interested in implementing community service into your school, contact Kevin Carroll at Waldwick High School  carrollk@waldwickschools.org 
X- @Kevin_Carroll_
 

Proud Principals Podcast - Rich Czyz - Student Recognition Program

Rich Czyz of Yardville Elementary School in New Jersey shares his proudest student recognition program. If you want to develop better people through meaningful recognition. Come up with an annual theme with specific monthly traits your school wants to encourage within their student behaviors. Need a Positive Culture Builder,  then listen to Rich's share. 
Rich Czyz is the author of the following books:
The Four O’Clock Faculty - A Rogue Guide to Revolutionizing Professional Development
The Secret Sauce - Essential Ingredients for Exceptional Teaching
Rogue Leader - Make the Rules, Inspire Others, and Take control of of your own Professional Development Destiny
Upcoming Book in the Spring 2025 - Autopilot: Practical Productivity for School Leaders

Proud Principals Podcast - Derek Cantrell - Building Culture, Better Together!

Proud Principal Derek Cantrell of Alleghany HS in Virginia, led the consolidation of two history-rich high schools into a single institution. This journey required building a shared identity, strengthening relationships, and creating excitement for a unified vision of success. Through this process, he learned that a positive school culture doesn’t just happen—it’s built intentionally with clear strategies, consistent communication, and collaboration at every level.
Listen and Learn about Culture - Better Together!

Proud Principals Podcast - Andy Farley - Developing School Core Values - Academic & Human Excellence

Andy Farley, Proud Principal of Brookfield East HS, Wisconsin and NASSP 2024 Principal of the Year shares how his school created and supports their core values of Academic and Human Excellence. Brookfield East is the Number 1 ranked public school in Wisconsin for the past 4 years and one of eight Blue Ribbon schools in the state. Andy's active approach and well-developed process is refreshing and inspiring to all educational leaders. Help your students and staff change the world, do not miss this opportunity to grow as a leader. 

Proud Principals Podcast - Jay Billy - Leading with Culture and Bold Decisions (2)

This is the second episode of Jay Billy's interview. Jay shares another proud effort of altering his elementary school's schedule to build in teacher prep periods, student recess, and better instructional time segments to maximize learning. If you want to make your school better, Jay will discuss his informed decisions, calculated risks, and not waiting for someone else to make it happen. Jay's leadership is genuine and refreshing. Don't miss this episode. 

Proud Principals Podcast - Jay Billy - Leading with Culture and Bold Decisions (1)

Proud Principals Podcast features the proud principal of Bear Tavern Elementary School, Jay Billy. Jay shares his proudest effort of making bold and informed decisions to departmentalize his 3rd grade level staff to maximize their instructional strengths and student outcome. "People don't tear down houses they help build". Don't miss this episode. 

Proud Principals Podcast - Scott Wisniewski - Mental Health First Aid Program

Listen to Scott Wisniewski of Pompton Lakes HS in Pompton Lakes, NJ share the benefits of a Mental Health First Aid program in his school community. Scott is passionate about providing opportunities for his staff and students to gain knowledge and a skill set to help one another. He shares his blueprint for training staff and students. Don't miss out on this opportunity to get one step closer to bringing a Mental Health First Aid program to your school.