The Authority Podcast — Expert Insights and Fresh Ideas for Education Leaders

On today’s episode we’re thrilled to welcome Dr. Peter DeWitt to discuss his latest book, De-Implementation: Creating the Space to Focus on What Works.

Peter and Ross discuss: 

- The concept of de-implementation and how Peter began to study it 
- How to understand what’s working and what’s not 
- The benefits of focusing on “fewer things, greater depth” 
- What surveys show educators are interested in de-implementing 
- How de-implementation or “strategic abandonment” can create more time for effective instruction to take place 
- “In fact, it is not possible to create tomorrow unless one first sloughs off yesterday” - Peter Drucker

De-Implementation is published by Corwin. Find it  HERE.

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About today’s guest

Peter M. DeWitt, EdD is a former K–5 teacher (eleven years) and princi­pal (eight years). He is a school leader­ship coach who runs competency-based workshops and provides keynotes nationally and internationally, focus­ing on school leadership (collaborative cultures and instructional leadership), as well as fostering inclusive school climates. Peter writes the “Finding Common Ground” column for Education Week and co-created _Education Week_’s “A Seat at the Table” series, where he moderates con­versations with experts around the topics of race, gender, sexual orienta­tion, research, trauma, and many other educational topics. Learn more at https://petermdewitt.com or connect on Twitter @PeterMDeWitt 

About the host

Ross Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies LLC, a consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K–12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Twitter @RossBRomano

Learn more about today's sponsor, Playworks:

We’re proud to be sponsored by Playworks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with evidence-based practices that help schools improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play.

If you’re a school or district leader struggling with the challenge of chronic absenteeism, as so many are across the U.S., you may not realize that structured recess is a research-backed approach to keep kids in school. In fact, a UC Berkeley study of Title I schools found that those partnering with Playworks had significantly lower chronic absenteeism rates. Further, Mathematica research demonstrated that Playworks schools spent 27% less time transitioning from recess back to learning, saving teachers valuable instructional time. 

These results are possible for your students, too. Learn how Playworks can help you improve student-educator relationships, belonging, and attendance by signing up for a quick no-obligation conversation.