This is Water - This is a great piece for anyone learning to define who they are and what they value. Only once did David Foster Wallace, an American writer and university instructor, give a public talk on his views on life, during a commencement address given in 2005 at Kenyon College. The speech captures Wallace's electric intellect as well as his grace in attention to others. It is twenty minutes long and takes a bit to get going but I promise after listening it will move you as it did me.

Meet Mr. Positive: Superintendent Stu Henry - Superintendent Stu Henry of the Red Deer Public Schools in Alberta, Canada has a different staff member guest post every day, filling in his Twitter feed with upbeat and cool news about their schools. Check out Red Deer’s project spotlights, colleague shout outs, and exceptional students, among other accomplishments. How do you use Twitter to showcase your district’s accomplishments?

Do People See You as a ‘Positive Disruptor’ or Just Disruptive? - As superintendents, we seek to be ‘Positive Disruptors.’ This article from Forbes offers a reminder that even positive disruption is often viewed negatively by individuals who have a natural aversion to risk and change. The solution? Don’t “overdrive your headlights” or, in other words, don’t move too far, too fast. Do you have any strategies to share for keeping the pace of change in line with the capacity of your staff and community stakeholders to accept disruptions?

Shed a Little Light - Earlier this week, we paused as a nation to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a legacy of hope, justice, fearlessness and compassion that can serve as a touchstone for the work we do and the goals we have for our students. This video, featuring a moving and joyous acapella version of James Taylor’s “Shed a Little Light,” captures a little of that spirit. I guarantee this video will put a smile on your face and a spring in your step.