268 - The Return: Leading Systems Towards Healing with Love with Kristi Dominguez and Ellen Dorr

<p><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">In today’s episode, Kelly Niccolls, Learning Design Manager from the Getting Smart team, is joined by Kristi Dominguez and Ellen Dorr for a follow-up podcast on leading school systems towards healing with love.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">Building upon their first discussion in episode 252, Ellen and Kristi focus on the commitment of leadership practices and tending to the exhaustion of students, staff, and stakeholders. In addition to the uncertainty of the pandemic, Kristi and Ellen also talk about the current state of the nation and how they are taking action as leaders to ensure all students and their families know that they are seen, heard, and loved.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">This episode dives into the depths of leading with love; that love is truth, love is commitment, love is being clear and direct, and that love is making tough decisions. This relentless love is what Kristi and Ellen lead with to ensure that all students are the center of decision-making and that they continue to work towards the future of school systems that will heal better. In their conversation, they talk through the leadership challenges of planning for the return to school this fall, in light of COVID-19 safety regulations, discuss the ways that they are learning, how they are leading practices towards anti-racist outcomes, and how they have been finding ways to nurture through such times of pain and peril.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><strong>Key Takeaways:</strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">[:10] About today’s episode.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">[2:22] Kelly Niccolls welcomes Kristi and Ellen to the podcast!</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">[4:33] What preparing for the fall semester looks like from dealing with the unknowns to continuing to do the right things for kids and providing rel