I spent much of 2025 not just leading a school (Odyssey Leadership Academy) but intentionally sharing at conferences, leading workshops, and having great one-off conversations with amazing educators and school leaders from around the world

I got to interact with incredible people doing wonderful work in Switzerland, Bangladesh, Toronto, Alabama, Boston, Chicago, Idaho, New Hampshire, Australia, Cleveland and beyond

Great, hardworking, brilliant, kind, thoughtful, innovative educators and school leaders who, when they were at their most honest and vulnerable, told me the exact same thing:

We spent our short week or weekend together surrounded by hundreds of other educators and school leaders, all nodding along to the same presentation, all scribbling the same notes, all planning to implement the same strategies when we returned to our schools.

We smiled at each other during coffee breaks. We exchanged numbers. We promised to "stay in touch."

Then we got on planes, went back to our buildings, rarely to speak again

These were all outstanding human beings leading and teaching in beautiful ways across the world…yet the gnawing hunger, the deep need they communicated with me wasn’t just for more strategy or data

It was for deeper, richer, more engaged, authentic community

A place where they as school leaders and educators could feel safe, seen, heard, valued, and valuable

Sound familiar?

Let me share some numbers that probably won't surprise you, especially if you’ve been reading me for a while:

85% of principals report experiencing job-related stress regularly.

48% of school administrators are dealing with symptoms of burnout.

30% of principals leave the profession within their first five years.

But here's the statistic that hit me this summer:

According to research from the National Association of Secondary School Principals,

Professional isolation is one of the top reasons principals cite for leaving the profession.

Not the long hours.

Not the difficult parents or challenging students.

Isolation.

The feeling that you're the only one carrying the weight of these decisions.

The sense that no one else truly understands what you're dealing with.

The exhaustion of always being "on" without anyone to process with, vent to, or learn from who actually gets it.

Don't get me wrong. I've spoken at conferences all around the world. I believe they have value.

Heck, I’m even trying to convince some of you to let me come share my work on mattering, community, innovation, and belonging with your school communities (something I LOVE doing!!!)

You consume content. You take notes. You leave.

But you don't build relationships deep enough to reach out to someone when you're wrestling with a gut-wrenching personnel decision.

You don't create trust sufficient to admit how afraid you really are of the choices you have to make when you return to your school

You don't develop the vulnerability required to say, "I think I'm failing and I don't know what to do."

The keynote speaker doesn't know your school. Your community. Your constraints.

The breakout session facilitator isn't familiar with your board politics, your family dynamics, or your budget realities.

And there's no one to help you translate the ideas to your context because everyone disappears when the conference ends.

You get inspired on Tuesday. You're overwhelmed by Thursday.

By the following Monday, you've forgotten half of what you learned and the other half feels impossible to implement alone.

There's no follow-up. No accountability. No one checking in to see how it's going or helping you troubleshoot when you hit obstacles.

Conferences give you strategies. But the crisis in school leadership isn't a strategy problem.

It's a sustainability problem.

You don't need another framework for instructional rounds or a new approach to PLCs (though those can be helpful).

You need someone to help you not quit.

You need a community that reminds you why you started this work when you've forgotten.

You need peers who can say, "I've been there. Here's what helped me. You're not alone."

Here's what the research shows about ongoing professional learning communities for school leaders:

A study in the Journal of Educational Administration found that principals who participate in ongoing peer learning communities are 3x more likely to implement and sustain new leadership practices compared to those who only attend one-time professional development events.

A longitudinal study published in Educational Management Administration & Leadership found that principals with regular peer support systems report significantly lower levels of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization—the two key indicators of burnout.

The Center for Creative Leadership's research demonstrates that leaders who engage in regular peer consultation generate more creative solutions to complex problems than those who problem-solve in isolation.

Perhaps most compelling: principals who participate in ongoing professional learning communities are significantly more likely to remain in the profession beyond five years and report higher career satisfaction.

Real community for school leaders isn't about adding one more thing to your impossibly full plate.

It's about creating space for:

Not once a year. Not even once a quarter.

Monthly connections that provide a consistent time on your calendar when you know you'll be with people who understand.

Not networking. Not small talk.

Real conversations about the things that keep you up at night:

Not just theory. Not just research.

Lived experience from people in the trenches.

"Here's what I tried. Here's what worked. Here's what flopped. Here's what I learned."

The kind of wisdom that only comes from doing the work, making the mistakes, finding the way through.

Someone who asks, "How did that difficult conversation go?"

Someone who reminds you of the commitment you made to prioritize your well-being.

Someone who celebrates the small wins that no one else notices.

Someone who won't let you quit when it gets hard.

Imagine this:

It's the third Tuesday of the month.

You log into a Zoom call with a dozen other school leaders from across the country.

Some you know well by now. Others are newer to the group.

For 30 minutes, you dive into expert coaching on "Creating Psychological Safety in Schools”

Then you break into small groups. You and three other principals process what you just learned through the lens of your actual contexts.

You share the impossible decision you're facing. They ask clarifying questions. They share similar experiences. Together, you think through options you hadn't considered.

Finally, you come back together for Q&A. You ask about the specific challenge you're wrestling with. The facilitator responds, but so do your peers. Multiple perspectives. Different contexts. Collective wisdom.

You log off feeling:

And you know you'll be back next month.

Not a conference. Not a one-time workshop.

A year-long journey with a tribe of school leaders who refuse to let each other quit.

We meet live once a month, every month for 60 minutes:

Every session is recorded. You get lifetime access to all content. You'll receive a complimentary copy of The Flourishing School Leader's Field Guide.

But the real value isn't the content.

It's the community.

The relationships you'll build with other leaders who:

I want you in this community.

So here's what I'm offering:

That's essentially two free months…forever!

Less than $35/month for a year-long leadership transformation.

This is your professional development, your support system, and your strategic thinking partner all rolled into one.

The first session on "How to Lead a Future-Proof School" kicks off January 30th

Plus, you can bring your leadership team (3+ from the same school) for a discounted team rate per person! That way, your entire leadership team can experience the power of deep connection, insight, wisdom, care, and inspiration this community will foster

**Just email me at [email protected] for the team rate

I had an epiphany this summer as I talked with hundreds of educators and school leaders all desperate for the same thing…authentic, genuine human connection

That’s when I realized:

We don't need another conference.

We need each other.

Not for three days in a convention center.

But for the whole journey.

Monthly. Consistently. Vulnerably. Authentically.

We need expert guidance, yes. Research-backed strategies, absolutely.

But more than anything, we need community.

People who will still be there in March when the inspiration from January's conference has faded and you're drowning in the daily grind.

People who won't let you quit.

That's what the Flourishing School Leaders Community Cohort is.

Your spot is waiting.

Let's do this.

Together.

Scott Martin

P.S. Still wondering if this is for you? Ask yourself: When was the last time you had a real conversation with another school leader about what you're actually struggling with? If it's been a while (or never), that's your answer.

P.P.S. There is a special rate for school leadership teams. If you want to register your entire leadership team, just let me know!

“Moving from teacher to principal has been overwhelming. I have a thousand questions and nobody to ask who won't judge me for not knowing. When I discovered the Flourishing School Leaders Community Cohort, I immediately thought, "This is it." A monthly gathering where I can learn from experienced leaders, ask my burning questions, and build relationships with people who are in the trenches with me?Starting 2026 with this kind of support feels like exactly what I need to not just survive, but truly flourish in this role”