The Better Leaders Better Schools Podcast is the most-downloaded principal podcast in the world. Hosted by Danny Bauer since 2015, the show ranks in the top 0.5% of 3 million+ global podcasts and has produced 500+ weekly episodes for school leaders learning to Do School Different. Sponsors have included the Harvard Graduate Schools of Education and Business, SMART Technologies, TeachFX, and Organized Binder.
Watch every episode on YouTube. Subscribe so you never miss a Wednesday drop.
New to the show? These four 2026 episodes are the fastest way to understand what Ruckus Maker leadership sounds like in practice. Each one tackles a different lever: leading yourself, leading culture, leading vision, and leading the future of schooling.
With Joël McLean. If you're leading from an empty tank, you're not leading at all. Why transformational leadership starts within — and the roadmap to get there.
With Joe LaTorre. What if the key to student achievement wasn't curriculum coverage — but trust? How relationships first turns discipline referrals to zero.
With Lena Martinez Kalilian. Reimagining school with Fusion's micro model — what happens when you stop trying to scale the broken thing and design something better.
With Micah Ali. The longest-serving Compton USD board president dismantles outdated mindsets about urban education and shows what's actually possible.
Watch all clips on YouTube. New ones drop alongside every full episode.
Subscribe Now. Do School Different. Every Wednesday.
New episodes drop every Wednesday. Hit subscribe on the platform you actually use — YouTube and Spotify deliver full video conversations, Apple delivers the audio for your commute.
School Culture
Teacher Retention
First-Year Principals
Difficult Conversations
Leadership Mindset
AI & Innovation
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The Better Leaders Better Schools Podcast is a weekly conversation about how to Do School Different and create a campus experience worth showing up for. Since launching in 2015, the show has become the most-downloaded podcast in educational leadership.
Host Danny Bauer brings 10+ years of coaching top-performing school leaders to every episode. He's interviewed hundreds of principals, superintendents, authors, and visionaries — translating their best ideas into tools Ruckus Makers can use Monday morning.
If you've accepted permission-based development your whole career, this show is the off-ramp. Ruckus Makers don't wait for approval to grow. They learn the art and science of Selfmentorship — and the BLBS podcast is one of the engines.
of 3 million+ global podcasts
weekly episodes since 2015
coaching top-performing school leaders
new episode every week, video + audio
The Better Leaders Better Schools Podcast is a weekly show for school principals and educational leaders learning to Do School Different. Hosted by Danny Bauer since 2015, episodes feature in-depth conversations with principals, authors, and education innovators about leadership mindset, school culture, teacher retention, difficult conversations, and the art and science of Selfmentorship. Episodes drop every Wednesday.
Sponsorships are $10K per quarter, with a 10% discount for companies that invest for the year. You get a short pre-roll and longer mid-roll on each Wednesday episode. A dedicated founder episode offers 30–40 minutes of thought leadership, brand storytelling, and evergreen discoverability — we only offer a few per quarter, and the investment begins at $10K.
Sponsors are guaranteed at least 2,000 downloads per episode over a 4-6 week release period. We're usually booked solid (many sponsors have been with us multiple years), but if you'd like to explore an opportunity, send Danny an email or book a call.