Schurtz and Ties: A podcast about education and culture

About 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. You can find out more about Brian and Kasey, discover resources, and enjoy more content on their website, SchurtzandTies.com.

Publisher

Schurtz&Ties

Category

education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

30 Sept 2022

Latest episode

1 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

157 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   1 Oct 2026

   Episode 145: The Rhythm of Real Leadership with Joe Sanfelippo

   What happens when the person you say you are as a leader actually matches the experience people have with you? Joe Sanfelippo joins Kasey and Brian for a conversation about leadership, relationships, storytelling, and the difference between building a culture and simply managing an image. They dig into what happens after the difficult conversation, why the small interactions matter so much, how leaders can own their mistakes without losing credibility, and why your position enters the room before your personality does. Joe also shares his thinking about leadership rhythms, building trust before you need it, telling stories that are real instead of performative, and leading from who you actually are. There are also broken boomboxes, questionable jokes, celebrity principals, camping slander, and a surprisingly deep conversation about whether leadership should feel more like music. At the center of it all is a simple question: Do the people you lead experience the same person you claim to be? #SchurtzAndTies #JoeSanfelippo #Leadership #EducationalLeadership #SchoolCulture #AuthenticLeadership #LeadFromWhoYouAre #RelationshipsMatter #LeadershipDevelopment #EducationPodcast #SchoolLeadership #CultureAndEducation

2. 

   14 Sept 2026

   Episode 144: We’re All on the Same Sideline: Loneliness, Connection, and Being a Witness

   Are we actually lonelier than we used to be? In Episode 144, Kasey and Brian wade into loneliness: why so many people feel disconnected even when they are surrounded by people, why independence may not be the strength we’ve made it out to be, and how technology can give us more ways to connect while leaving our relationships increasingly shallow. Kasey argues that we’ve been sold three promises that haven’t quite delivered: work hard and you’ll have what you need, independence will make you strong, and technology will bring us closer together. Brian describes the “monster” we’ve created: a world so efficient that we can meet almost every need without actually needing another person. But this isn’t an episode about diagnosing the problem and walking away. They talk about asking people for help, giving others opportunities to be useful, finding people who will celebrate with you, turning whatever work you do into service, and intentionally becoming a witness to the people around you. See people. Notice them. Celebrate them. Let them help you. Let yourself be known. We may not have the perfect answer to loneliness. Maybe we don’t need one. Maybe we just need to remember that we’re all standing on the same sideline. Loneliness is everywhere, but admitting that you’re lonely can feel different than admitting you’re stressed, anxious, or struggling. Kasey and Brian explore what has changed about the way we live, work, communicate, and depend on one another, and why genuine connection requires more than simply being around people. Why loneliness can exist even when we are surrounded by people The three “failed promises” of work, rugged individualism, and technology What Frankenstein can teach us about the monster of isolation we’ve created Why efficiency isn’t always a human good The difference between being alone and being lonely How social media creates wide but shallow streams of connection Why comparison and constantly editing ourselves can make real connection harder The importance of asking other people for help, even when we could figure it out ourselves Why allowing people to be useful to one another builds relationships “Will you think out loud with me?” as an invitation to connection How asking parents, colleagues, and friends for help can put us on the same team Why belonging requires intentionality Finding people you can call when you need help and when you have something worth celebrating Turning any job into a service job The importance of being a witness to someone else’s work, joy, struggle, and success Why waiting for the perfect solution can become an excuse to do nothing Choosing the process of connection even when we can’t control the outcome The reminder that we are all experiencing the human condition together We spend a lot of time looking for a big solution to loneliness because loneliness feels like a big problem. Maybe the response is smaller. Ask for help. Let somebody help you. Celebrate someone. Call somebody with good news. Notice what another person is doing and tell them specifically what you saw. Be useful to one another. Be a witness. Connection doesn’t happen accidentally. We have to keep choosing it. Show NotesIn this episode:A few moments along the way:The Big Idea

3. 

   1 Sept 2026

   Episode 143: Get on the Line and Stop Punishing Personalities

   Season five is here. Probably. Kasey and Brian return to discuss what “back to basics” looks like in school leadership. They explore why leaders sometimes need to get on the line with their people, how screens may interfere with learning, why behavior should be treated as something students can be taught, and why educators must stop punishing personalities that do not fit neatly into the classroom. Along the way, they detour through Taco Bell, restorative practices, handwritten notes, principal titles, paddles (not really), and the fine line between helping others and doing everyone else’s job. The big ideas: Leaders build trust by sharing the work, accountability should lead to learning, and every student’s identity needs room to exist in school. Kasey shares what a crowded Taco Bell taught him about leadership: Sometimes leaders have to stop managing from the sidelines and get on the line. Brian explains why his school is going “back to basics,” including more intentional use of technology, direct communication with families, and a renewed focus on relationships. The conversation also examines behavior as instruction. Rather than relying on punishment, rewards, or the latest packaged program, educators must identify the skills students need and intentionally teach, practice, and reinforce them. Brian offers a particularly important challenge: Stop punishing personalities. The qualities that frustrate an adult in one setting may become a student’s greatest strengths when they are understood and refined. Topics include: Getting on the line as a school leader Building credibility and trust by sharing the work Knowing when a leader needs to get off the line and repair the system Returning to hands-on, paper-and-pencil learning Using technology to access or communicate information without allowing it to replace learning Treating reading, mathematics, and behavior as equally important areas of instruction Accountability versus punishment The limitations of consequences, rewards, and stickers Restorative practices and protecting students from being revictimized Separating a student’s behavior from the student’s identity Refusing to punish students simply because their personalities challenge us Rebuilding relationships with families through phone calls, face-to-face conversations, and handwritten notes Episode timestamps: 00:07 – Welcome back and the beginning of season five 01:15 – Kasey’s new role and why leaders must “get on the line” 05:52 – Sharing the work to build relationships and trust 08:53 – Brian’s back-to-basics approach 09:23 – Rethinking technology during the learning process 12:05 – Screens, distraction, boredom, and student behavior 15:20 – Can behavior be taught? 17:12 – Accountability, intervention, and behavior as instruction 19:39 – Restorative practices: Is the problem the practice or its implementation? 24:21 – Returning to the basics of discipline 25:00 – Stop punishing personalities 28:11 – Leadership, authority, and what staff should call the principal 30:20 – Direct communication and reconnecting with families 32:20 – Final takeaways 33:35 – Getting on the line without staying there forever Key takeaway: Students should be held accountable for meeting reasonable expectations, but accountability must include instruction. Our job is not to punish away who students are. It is to help them develop the skills to use who they are successfully.

Who has been a guest on Schurtz and Ties: A podcast about education and culture

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Jimmy Casas
• David Chalk
• John Corcoran

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.9 / 5

18 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

7 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 59 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

90

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

71

Contact Schurtz and Ties: A podcast about education and culture

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.