Schools of Excellence: The No. 1 ECE & Private School Leadership Podcast

Hosted by Chanie Wilschanski

Entrepreneurship Education

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300

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Jun 2026

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About the show

If you are an Early Childhood director or childcare owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies - equipping school leaders to improve staff retention, increase teacher motivation, grow parent partnerships, create a collaborative culture, and enjoy a beautiful quality of life. Every week, Chanie shares the truth about childcare and early childhood school leadership for those striving towards excellence. If you are an early childhood or childcare school leader looking for strategies to grow your school, that are working TODAY, The Schools of Excellence Podcast is for you. In addition to weekly solo episodes, she'll also be inviting childcare and early childhood industry leaders to discuss the most pressing issues facing school leaders today. Don't miss an episode; subscribe today for everything you need for your school leadership journey!

Listen to episodes

60 recent

July 2, 202622 min

297. The Two Drama Symptoms That Kill School Success

Two of the trickiest drama symptoms to spot -- and the eight traits of leadership that replace them.In this episode, Chanie finishes the drama symptoms series with a look at manipulation and inconsistent actions and behaviors. Key topics include:The cost framework for deciding when it is time to let a toxic employee goWhy grief is a natural and valid part of removing drama from your cultureHow inconsistency creates hypervigilance on your teamThe difference between inconsistency and intentional discernmentThe 8 characteristics of a drama-free leader -- and how to apply them when hiring and coachingIf you have been holding onto someone you know you should let go, or leading a team that cannot predict what is coming next, this episode is your next step.Resources Mentioned:This Can't Be Normal by Chanie Wilschanski: https://thiscantbenormal.comAccess Chapter One of This Can’t Be Normal for Free: https://thiscantbenormal.com/chapter-one Connect With Us:Let's Chat on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chaniewilschanski/Join us on Substack: https://chaniewilschanski.substack.com/ Mentioned in this episode:Chapter One of This Can't Be NormalDownload Chapter One of This Can't Be Normal for free here: https://thiscantbenormal.com/chapter-one

June 30, 202639 min

296. From Survival Mode to Sustainable Excellence: A School Owner's Real Story

Sharon Jayakumar owns a Reggio-inspired school of nearly 200 children in Philadelphia and a few years ago, she almost walked away from all of it. Not because her school was failing. Because growing without infrastructure was taking everything she had.In this episode, Sharon and Chanie talk about what changed when she stopped going it alone. Key topics include:Building infrastructure that holds as your school growsWhat standards actually are -- and how to return to them after driftHow one month of one-on-ones eliminated call-outs at her schoolWhy buy-in comes after deployment, not beforeWhat it looks like to hire from a place of partnership instead of rescueIf you have been asking whether your school can ever really run without you, this one is for you.Resources Mentioned:This Can't Be Normal by Chanie Wilschanski: https://thiscantbenormal.comAccess Chapter One of This Can’t Be Normal for Free: https://thiscantbenormal.com/chapter-one Connect With Us:Let's Chat on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chaniewilschanski/Join us on Substack: https://chaniewilschanski.substack.com/ Mentioned in this episode:Chapter One of This Can't Be NormalDownload Chapter One of This Can't Be Normal for free here: https://thiscantbenormal.com/chapter-one

June 25, 202626 min

295. Is Drama Destroying Your School Culture? Here Are the Signs

Is drama quietly draining your school culture? In Part 2 of the Decoding Your Culture series, Chanie breaks down three signs that drama has taken root in your center, using real stories from real school leaders.In this episode:What drama actually looks like in a childcare center (it's rarely the big blowups)Why criticizing and complaining spreads from one person to an entire teamHow one director transformed her culture by addressing gossip in her own life firstWhat victim mentality looks like in leadership and how to shift itWhy you cannot separate who you are at home from who you are at workTune in for the stories and insight that will help you see your culture more clearly.Resources Mentioned:This Can't Be Normal by Chanie Wilschanski: https://thiscantbenormal.comAccess Chapter One of This Can’t Be Normal for Free: https://thiscantbenormal.com/chapter-one Connect With Us:Let's Chat on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chaniewilschanski/Mentioned in this episode:Chapter One of This Can't Be NormalDownload Chapter One of This Can't Be Normal for free here: https://thiscantbenormal.com/chapter-one

June 23, 202613 min

294. You Hired a Team. Why Are You Still Carrying Everything?

You hired a team so you wouldn't have to carry it all — so why does it feel like you're carrying more than ever?In this episode, Chanie Wilschanski breaks down the ownership gap that keeps school leaders stuck and alone, no matter how big their team gets. You'll learn:Why delegation and ownership produce completely different outcomesThe four-part infrastructure — Standard, Ownership, Rhythm, Response — that creates real shared leadershipWhy there will always be a reason the standard doesn't get met, and how to build systems that hold anywayHow protecting your team from hard work is actually working against both of youIf you're ready to stop being the emergency plan for your own school, this episode is where to start.Resources & Links Mentioned:Download Chapter One of This Can't Be Normal for free: https://thiscantbenormal.com/chapter-oneThis Can't Be Normal: What to Do When Success Starts to Feel Like Survival by Chanie Wilschanski — https://thiscantbenormal.comConnect With Us:Let's Chat on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chaniewilschanski/Mentioned in this episode:Chapter One of This Can't Be NormalDownload Chapter One of This Can't Be Normal for free here: https://thiscantbenormal.com/chapter-one

June 18, 202625 min

293. The Hidden Forces Shaping Your School's Culture

Your school has a culture right now. The question is whether you actually know what it's saying.In Part 1 of the Culture Decoder series, Chanie Wilschanski breaks down what company culture actually is, what it isn't, and how to start reading the emotional data already showing up in your building. You'll learn:- Why perks and team events are not culture (and what actually is)- How to identify your school's core cultural tension- Why negative emotions are your most valuable data- The first step of the Culture Decoder framework- Why building stronger culture starts with observing yourself, not your teamResources MentionedDownload Chapter One of This Can't Be Normal for free: https://thiscantbenormal.com/chapter-oneThis Can't Be Normal: What to Do When Success Starts to Feel Like Survival by Chanie Wilschanski — https://thiscantbenormal.comConnect With UsLet's Chat on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chaniewilschanski/Mentioned in this episode:Chapter One of This Can't Be NormalDownload Chapter One of This Can't Be Normal for free here: https://thiscantbenormal.com/chapter-one

June 16, 202611 min

292. Why Your Team Can't Take Accountability (And What to Do Instead)

Accountability conversations going sideways in your school? The problem might not be your staff — it might be where you're starting the conversation.In this episode, Chanie Wilschanski breaks down why most accountability problems are actually identity problems — and why gratitude is the missing foundation. You'll learn:- Why feedback feels like a personal attack (even when it isn't)- How identity and worth impact your team's ability to hear hard truths- Why gratitude and accountability are two sides of the same coin- The question that changes how you approach every difficult conversationIf your accountability conversations keep blowing up, this episode will show you exactly where to start instead.Resources MentionedDownload Chapter One of This Can't Be Normal for free: https://thiscantbenormal.com/chapter-oneThis Can't Be Normal: What to Do When Success Starts to Feel Like Survival by Chanie Wilschanski — https://thiscantbenormal.comConnect With UsLet's Chat on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chaniewilschanski/Mentioned in this episode:Chapter One of This Can't Be NormalDownload Chapter One of This Can't Be Normal for free here: https://thiscantbenormal.com/chapter-one

June 9, 202612 min

291. Why School Leaders Still Feel Burned Out After Summer Break

You survived the school year. So why doesn't summer feel like relief? In this episode, Chanie pulls from her book This Can't Be Normal to talk about why rest alone can't fix exhaustion — and what school leaders really need to recalibrate.- Why your nervous system is still bracing after the school year ends- The difference between achievement and integration- What it means to mortgage your identity to your school- The question that shifts everything about how you experience summer- How rhythms and anchors create stability without removing the chaosIf you've built something meaningful and still feel like you're carrying more than you were meant to hold, this episode is for you. Tune in.Resources Mentioned:Get Chanie's book, This Can't Be Normal: https://thiscantbenormal.comFollow Chanie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chaniewilschanski/Join the Schools of Excellence Lounge on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolsofexcellenceloungeMentioned in this episode:Chapter One of This Can't Be NormalDownload Chapter One of This Can't Be Normal for free here: https://thiscantbenormal.com/chapter-one

June 2, 202614 min

290. You Survived the Year - At What Cost?

Summer hits every school. The leaders who make it through without spiraling are the ones who built something before the season arrived.In this episode, Chanie breaks down why summer disruption is completely predictable — and why most school leaders keep getting blindsided anyway. She walks through the real financial cost of enrollment dips and staffing misalignment, explains why better systems and checklists won't solve the core problem, and introduces the Standards Installation Toolkit for leaders ready to stop being the centralized shock absorber in their school.In this episode:- Why your school runs at the speed of your capacity (and what that costs)- The math behind summer revenue loss and labor overlap- What standards actually are — and how they remove you from the moment of impact- How to build infrastructure that holds before the season hitsTune in to learn how to lead your school through summer without losing yourself in the process.Resources Mentioned:Access the Standards Installation Toolkit: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/standardAccess the Staff Culture Infrastructure Vault (only 100 spots!): https://schoolsofexcellence.com/vaultGet Chanie's book, This Can't Be Normal: https://thiscantbenormal.comFollow Chanie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chaniewilschanski/Join the Schools of Excellence Lounge on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolsofexcellenceloungeMentioned in this episode:Chapter One of This Can't Be NormalDownload Chapter One of This Can't Be Normal for free here: https://thiscantbenormal.com/chapter-one

May 26, 202628 min

289. The Missing Layer in Your School's Culture: Why Staff Training Infrastructure Changes Everything

If you've ever rebuilt the same staff training from scratch, paid for a speaker who inspired everyone for two weeks and then disappeared, or stayed up late wondering what to train on next — this episode is for you.Chanie breaks down the four training patterns that keep school leaders stuck in activity instead of infrastructure, explains why most staff culture problems are predictable skill gaps (not personality issues), and introduces the Staff Culture Infrastructure Vault — a decade of field-tested, ready-to-use training assets available to only 100 schools before it's permanently retired.In this episode:- The four training traps and why none of them build lasting culture- Why one-time events don't change behavior — and what actually does- The teachable skills most teachers were never formally trained on- What training infrastructure looks like and how to deploy it across your school yearTune in and stop reinventing the wheel.Resources Mentioned:Get Chanie's book, This Can't Be Normal: https://thiscantbenormal.comExplore the Staff Culture Infrastructure Vault: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/vaultApply for Leadership HQ: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/applyFollow Chanie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chaniewilschanski/Join the Schools of Excellence Lounge on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolsofexcellenceloungeMentioned in this episode:Chapter One of This Can't Be NormalDownload Chapter One of This Can't Be Normal for free here: https://thiscantbenormal.com/chapter-one

May 21, 202617 min

288. The 5 Fears That Keep Leaders From Investing In Their Team

If you've ever hesitated to invest in your team, this episode is for you.It's not that you don't believe in professional development. It's that you've invested before, hoped before, and been disappointed before.In this bonus episode I walk through the five specific fears that keep directors and owners from investing in their teams, and why every single one of them makes complete sense.Because until you name what you're actually afraid of, you can't move past it.Staff Culture Infrastructure Vault — https://schoolsofexcellence.com/vaultMentioned in this episode:Chapter One of This Can't Be NormalDownload Chapter One of This Can't Be Normal for free here: https://thiscantbenormal.com/chapter-one