Spotify
Apple
Amazon
Episode #53 Mastering Teacher Onboarding for Lasting Impact With Keith Vigraham, VP of HR at Vertex Education
SHOW NOTES
3 min read
SHOW NOTES
GUEST INFO
Episode Guest:
Jill Dunchick, Founder Jill Dunchick Consulting
Website:
EPISODE SUMMARY
Great operations leaders don’t just get things done—they build teams that trust each other, communicate clearly, and move fast together.
In this episode, Jill Dunchick—veteran educator, school leader, and leadership coach—joins Daniel Casselli to deliver one of the most practical, tactical conversations yet. Jill shares how charter school ops leaders can create aligned, high-functioning teams by investing in trust and organizing their time wisely.
From building psychological safety using Brene Brown’s BRAVING framework to running truly intentional meetings, this episode gives school executives a playbook for developing stronger ops teams—starting now.
EPISODE TAKEAWAYS
- People + Systems + Cohesion = Results: Jill’s formula for high-performing ops teams.
- Trust is a skill, not a vibe: Learn how the BRAVING framework helps teams define and develop trust across 7 core behaviors.
- Meeting types that matter: Why every school ops leader needs a rhythm of ops team meetings, huddles, and 1:1s—and how to structure each one for maximum impact.
- The “Go First” Strategy: A coaching move that builds confidence and capacity in your team, while keeping you out of micromanagement mode.
- Avoiding Slack chaos: How quick daily or bi-daily huddles reduce noise and keep communication tight.
- Authentic connection in 1:1s: A simple 3-part framework for balancing personal check-ins, project management, and professional growth.
- Check for understanding without the cringe: Using "probes" effectively to ensure your team gets it—and can execute.
RESOURCES
Dare to Lead by Brené Brown (BRAVING framework)
Crucial Conversations by Patterson, Grenny, McMillan & Switzler
Nonviolent Communication by Marshall Rosenberg
The 5 Personality Patterns by Steven Kessler (Recommended types: Aggressor & Rigid)
JillDunchick.com – Learn more about Jill's coaching and leadership development work
Imagination Library – Dolly Parton’s free book program, mentioned in the episode
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction and Background
05:09 Building Trust in Teams
16:10 Effective Team Meetings
19:40 Effective Meeting Structures
23:51 Intentional Team Meetings
27:33 Maximizing One-on-One Meetings
32:23 The Power of Huddles
34:01 Coaching Strategies: Work Time and Go First
39:45 Direct Tells vs. Probes
ABOUT OUR GUEST
Jill Dunchick (she/her) provides high impact, mission-driven leadership training and coaching to leaders in the education, non-profit and for profit sectors. For the past 9 years Jill has served as the Senior Director of Leadership, LENS, building a nationally recognized program in Leadership Training. Prior to BES Jill worked in New Orleans as the Executive Director for New School Development at the Recovery School District and as the Managing Director for Leadership Development for New Leaders for New Schools, and led student support services for two schools in the School District of Philadelphia. Jill’s school leadership experience includes turnaround work as an Assistant Principal and Principal at Mastery Charter Schools in Philadelphia. Under her leadership, Jill’s schools twice earned the prestigious EPIC award for student achievement and growth and 84% of her students scored proficient/advanced on state assessments. She has taught in general and special education classrooms in middle, high, and alternative placement schools, and was a Teach For America corps member in New Orleans.
Jill holds a Principal Certification from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Education and a reading specialist certification from the University of New Orleans, and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and American Studies from Dickinson College. Jill holds a national certification for special education from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Jill holds an Energy Healing Practitioner certification (2013) from the Barbara Brennan School of Healing, a massage therapy certification, and is currently a student in the Advanced Studies Program to become a Brennan Integrative Practitioner at Barbara Brennan School of Healing.
ABOUT OUR HOST
Daniel Casselli is a life-long learner whose passion for education has driven his professional endeavors. He is a former classroom teacher and youth ministry director whose entrepreneurial spirit landed him in the world of education technology. At EVERFI Inc., Daniel helped run the business development efforts for EVERFI’s Financial Education Program and the company was eventually sold to Blackbaud for $750M in 2021. Shortly before EVERFI’s acquisition, Daniel joined Class Technologies as one of the earliest sales hires and went on to lead K12 Enterprise Sales and helped the company land its first 100+ K12 customers across public, charter, and private schools. Daniel brings his unique experiences to BuyQ where he is focused on growth, operational excellence, business strategy, and client satisfaction. He is a graduate of Grove City College where he studied Religion and History.
You can listen to Charter School Insider: Lessons from the Nation's Top Charter School Operators on your favorite podcasting platform...
