Schurtz and Ties: A podcast about education and culture
Inspired by the classroom, Kasey Schurtz and Brian T. Miller wrestle with how to become better teachers, leaders, and people.
Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivePD.com and is a proud member of the TeachBetter Podcast Network.
Recent Episodes
Dec. 10, 2025
Ep. 123: Beyond the Gap: Grade-Level Access, Scaffolding, and What Today’s Learners Need, with John Almarode
In this episode, we sit down with Dr. John Almarode , an internationally recognized expert in student engagement, visible learning, and the science of how the brain learns best. With years of research, countless publications,...
Dec. 8, 2025
Schurtz Shorts: Emotionally Sound Leadership: What to Share, What to Hold, and Why it Matters
Emotions are complex. For leaders, they’re even more so. Left unfiltered, they can become dangerous—for both the leader and the people they lead. Over-filtered, they create distance—leaders risk becoming hollow, disconnected ...
Dec. 1, 2025
Ep. 122: People, Curriculum, and the Ocean Between.
Public education is living in a strange moment. Polls show trust and confidence in our K–12 system at an all-time low — a record 26% of Americans believe schools are headed in the right direction. And yet every day, inside cl...
Nov. 25, 2025
Schurtz Shorts: When Your Best Strategies Stop Working
Most of our go-to strategies work because—well—they work for most kids. But every educator knows the moment when a trusted approach suddenly falls flat. So what do we do when the strategy that helps 90% of students leaves the...
Nov. 20, 2025
Ep. 121: Doing the Inner Work, with Jennifer Abrams
In this follow-up conversation with international consultant and author Jennifer Abrams , we go deeper than strategies and surface-level “tips” for conflict resolution. This episode is about the inner work —the courage, humil...
Nov. 10, 2025
Schurtz Shorts: Solving PD Time
Welcome to the first Schurtz Short — a behind-the-scenes look at how Brian and Kasey actually do the work. These mini episodes pull back the curtain on real-time problem solving, where ideas are messy, honest, and alive. In t...
Nov. 6, 2025
Ep. 120: Skill or Will? And the gaps that divide.
Is it a skill issue—or a will issue? And should we treat every behavior like it’s a skill that can be taught? In this episode, Brian and Kasey dive into the heart of classroom management and motivation—exploring why so many c...
Oct. 31, 2025
Ep. 119: Broken Windows and Measured Responses
In 1969, psychologist Philip Zimbardo left two identical cars in two very different neighborhoods—one in the Bronx, one in Palo Alto. Both looked abandoned. Within hours, one was destroyed. The other sat untouched—until Zimba...
Oct. 22, 2025
Ep. 118: Closing the Divide — Building Bridges Between Admin and Staff
Why does it sometimes feel like teachers and administrators are on opposite sides of the same mission? Why is there friction when we all want the same thing? To do what's best for kids - for people - and to do it well! Becaus...
Oct. 15, 2025
Ep. 117: Education is complicated. Keep it simple.
Education, like the NFL Combine, is flooded with data. Numbers, charts, metrics, and measures. And too often, we focus on the wrong ones. Somewhere along the way, our obsession with data turned into overcomplication—wasted ti...
Oct. 8, 2025
Ep. 116: Unintentional Culture Killers, with Darron Pepperd
Sometimes, it’s not the big decisions that break a school’s culture — it’s the quiet ones. The rolled eyes in the hallway. The half-hearted “sure” in a staff meeting. The slow erosion that happens when we stop believing the b...
Sept. 29, 2025
Ep. 115: "Yes, And…" Lessons from Improv expert Bob Kulhan
What can the rules of improv teach us about life and education? Tons. In this conversation with Bob Kulhan—improv veteran, executive educator, and founder of Business Improv —we take “Yes, and…” off the stage and into real li...
Sept. 18, 2025
Ep. 114: Surviving the Evergreen Shooting: One story, many warnings - a conversation with a mom and son
On April 20, 1999, Columbine shattered America’s sense of safety in schools. Since then, more than 400 school shootings have followed — each new number added to a grim tally, each headline fading too quickly. But behind every...
Sept. 15, 2025
Ep. 113: Traits of Cool, characteristics of a bully, and the thin line between.
Bullies get things done—but do they create lasting value? Most often, no. So why do they still attract followers? Because they often embody the Six Traits of Being Cool : extraverted, hedonistic, powerful, adventurous, open, ...
Sept. 8, 2025
Ep. 112: Culture by Design—the Upper Arrow with Sydne Jacques
Today, we're honored to host a distinguished guest—someone who navigates the crossroads of leadership, culture, and transformation with both strategy and soul. Please welcome Sydney Jacques , a Next Level Leadership Strategis...
Sept. 1, 2025
Ep. 111 : The Lost Key to Life and Leadership: A Conversation with John Dickson
Bullies can get things done. But humble leaders? They’re the ones who inspire lasting change—and the ones we actually remember. In this conversation, John Dickson pulls us back to the heartbeat of life and leadership: humilit...
Aug. 25, 2025
Welcome to season 4!
Welcome to Season 4 of Schurtz and Ties ! Each season, we’ve tried to dig a little deeper into the stories, voices, and questions that shape education, leadership, and life. And we are thrilled to get back after it again! Whe...
June 16, 2025
Ep. 109: Season 3 Takeaways!
As Season 3 of Schurtz and Ties comes to a close, we’re taking a moment to reflect on the powerful conversations, unexpected insights, and inspiring guests that have shaped this season. From bold truths about leadership to he...
May 22, 2025
Ep. 108: Ignoring principals and building culture, with Jimmy Casas
If you want to talk about education and culture, the conversation must include Jimmy Casas. Mr Casas served twenty-two years as a school leader, is a best-selling author, speaker, leadership coach, and a state and national aw...
May 6, 2025
Ep. 107: Get Outside, with Court Rustmeyer
Spring is (mostly) here! Which means students and teachers need to get outside. This week, we head to Alberta, Canada to talk with outdoor enthusiast Court Rustemeyer about something every educator should hear: how just five ...
May 2, 2025
Ep. 106: Responsibility Monkeys, with Todd Whitaker
Mr. Whitaker is a familiar voice in education. The author of bestsellers such as What Great Teachers Do Differently , What Great Principals Do Differently , and, most recently, How to Get All Teachers to Become Like the Best ...
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