Read by Example Newsletter

Photo by Chris Lawton on Unsplash 👋 Hi, it’s Matt. Today, I explore how curriculum programs promise to make teaching easier, even if easier isn't what students are asking for. When one ELA team let student voice data challenge their assumptions, they learned kids don't want convenience; they want purpose, depth, and connection, and no program can manufacture that on its own.

👋 Hi, it’s Matt. I am taking a break from this newsletter for a couple of weeks. I hope you can find time for yourself too! Below are my favorite books so far this year, along with a reflection on my reading life. Take care, -Matt P.S. If you are a principal, or you know a school leader who wants to get into classrooms more, I am hosting a free webinar on August 11, 2026 at 4pm CST. RSVP here or below.

Image: Texts on display from local booksellers "The blessing is next to the wound" - Old African proverb On Monday, June 22, 2026, eleven teachers and library media specialists gathered on a summer afternoon to select books for their students and respective libraries. Each educator would receive an allocation of money to purchase texts with their students.

Last Sunday, I worked my usual shift at our local independent bookstore. June is surprisingly a slower month for sales. (Nice weather? Graduation parties?) To improve traffic, the owners created a bookshop quest. Participants travel to one of the 35 participating stores to receive a stamp. Ten stamps = one free audiobook. There are also bonus stamps for additional prizes, such as for bookstores with pets.

Current time: 0:00 / Total time: -30:49 Audio playback is not supported on your browser. Please upgrade. 👋Hi, it’s Matt. This week, I spoke with Jen Schwanke, former principal, current deputy superintendent, and author of Trusted. (Full subscribers can watch the video of our conversation below.) Enjoy! Also, my feedback survey closes soon. If you have a few minutes to spare, I’d love to know more about your experience here.

Thank you for your support of Read by Example. This is a video recording of my conversation with Dr. Jen Schwanke, author of Trusted and other books for school leaders, available only to full subscribers like you. Take care, -Matt Jen Schwanke has spent her career inside schools as a teacher, a building leader, and now a deputy superintendent in Ohio. She is the author of five ASCD books, including her most recent, Trusted: Trust Pillars, Trust Killers, and the Secret to Successful Schools.

Hi, it’s Matt. Thank you for your readership and leadership. If you haven’t already, please provide feedback on Read by Example here. Your insights are appreciated! “Every student is not the same, nor is every context.

Hi, it’s Matt. If you haven’t already, please provide feedback on Read by Example. Your insights and shared experience will help make this space even better for readers and literacy leaders. Thank you in advance! Join me for a conversation with Jen Schwanke, author of Trusted. Monday, June 9 at 1:30pm CST Jen Schwanke has spent her career inside schools as a teacher, a building leader, and now a deputy superintendent in Ohio.

Plus a request for feedback Hi, it’s Matt. If you have a few minutes, I am looking for feedback on Read by Example. The link is below.

On what I learned in 2012 as a new elementary principal Hi, it’s Matt. This article is an update to a blog post I wrote in 2012. You can read the original here. Thank you for your leadership and readership! In 2012, I was in my second year as an elementary principal. Like all job changes, I was still figuring out what I was supposed to be doing (this generally takes me three years). Upon my arrival in 2011, the school had already embarked on a multi-year literacy initiative.