Dr. Carmen Maring, National Distinguished Principal and vice president of NAESP, shares her journey from school counselor to middle school principal—and now national leader. She unpacks the power of systems thinking, the importance of hiring for culture, and how belonging is the foundation of both student and staff engagement.
Topics Discussed:
• Transitioning from counselor to administrator
• Building school culture through daily interactions and hiring
• The importance of belonging—for students, staff, and families
• The role of national networks in educational leadership
• “Happy chickens lay eggs”—why staff wellness matters
• Patrick Lencioni’s Hungry, Humble, Smart hiring model
• Why instructional leadership begins with clarity: What are we teaching? How are we teaching it?
• Work-life alignment and the glass vs. plastic ball metaphor