Jimmy Casas has been an educator for over 30 years, serving twenty-two years as a school leader, including fourteen years as Principal at Bettendorf High School. Under his leadership, Bettendorf was named one of the Best High Schools in the country three times by Newsweek and US News & World Report.
Jimmy was named the 2012 Iowa Secondary Principal of the Year and was selected as runner-up NASSP 2013 National Secondary Principal of the Year. In 2014, Jimmy was invited to the White House to speak on the Future Ready Schools pledge. Jimmy is also the author of nine books, including the best-selling books Culturize, Live Your Excellence, Handle with Care, and Recalibrate the Culture. Jimmy is the owner and CEO of J Casas & Associates, where he serves as a professional leadership coach for school leaders across the country.
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Cale Birk is a former Head of Innovation from British Columbia, Canada and Imagineer and co-author of Navigating Leadership Drift, PLC 2.0 - Collaborating for Impact in Today's Schools, The PLC 2.0 Toolkit, Changing Change Using Learner-Centered Design and now his latest work, Words on the Wall - Culturizing Your Classroom For Observable Impact with Jimmy Casas.
An educator and high school principal in the public school system for more than 25 years, Cale’s school was named one of the first model PLC schools in Canada after increasing student success rates across all grades and subject areas for five consecutive years. As Head of Innovation, Cale developed the Observable Impact Model that districts and schools across North America now use to answer the question, "What is our observable impact?" – the observable changes in practice that make the difference for all learners. Using the lens of “impact” rather than “action”, Cale has helped district leaders, school leaders and teachers reimagine and implement strategic plans, school plans and collaborative team plans that have a direct ‘line of sight’ to where it matters the most–in classrooms with students and teachers.
In addition to his work as an author and facilitator, Cale is a TED talker and has been the keynote/featured speaker at national conferences and workshops in Canada, the United States, Asia, New Zealand and Australia.
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Words on the Wall by Casas and Birk is the perfect expansion pack to Culturize your classroom. Readers will find inspiration, relevant examples, and strategies to operationalize culture at the classroom level. A lightweight, reflective, and collaborative approach to change, this is a must-have for any change agent ready to carry the banner and be a champion for students.
–Laura Williams | 21st Century Learning Specialist
Words on the Wall is a must-have guide for leaders and teachers looking to transform school cultures with intention and collaboration. Filled with practical strategies, this book emphasizes clear expectations, shared responsibility, and actionable frameworks to create positive environments where culture is the responsibility of each of us.
—Jennifer Womble | Chief Learning Officer, FETC and District Administration