#413 Fostering Student Leadership with Muriel Summers (pt.1)

About this episode

Muriel Summers discusses redefining leadership in K-12 education and its foundational role in student development.

What if the leadership crisis everyone's talking about isn't a talent problem—but a systems problem? In this episode of Teach Me, Teacher , I sit down with Muriel Summers, founding principal of the first Leader in Me school and a global voice in transforming how schools think about leadership. From her work at A.B. Combs Elementary—twice named the top magnet school in America—to influencing thousands of schools worldwide, Muriel has helped redefine what leadership actually looks like in K–12 education. We dig into a bold idea: leadership isn't a title or a personality trait—it's a set of habits that can be taught, practiced, and lived by every student. In a time when schools are navigating staff shortages, budget pressures, and questions about student readiness, this conversation challenges the idea that leadership development is "extra." Instead, it makes the case that it's foundational. Muriel shares real stories, hard truths, and practical insight on how schools can move beyond surface-level student voice and build cultures where every kid sees themselves as a leader. If you've ever wondered why students disengage—or what it really takes to prepare them for life beyond…

People in this episode

Host: Teach Me, Teacher

Guest: Muriel Summers

Topics covered

• student leadership
• K-12 education
• leadership development
• school culture
• student engagement

Keywords

• leadership
• education
• student voice
• school systems
• engagement
• A.B. Combs Elementary
• Leader in Me

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: A.B. Combs Elementary, Leader in Me

More episodes of Teach Me, Teacher

• Reflective Readers with Travis Crowder (pt.2) - Greatest Hits · June 12, 2026 · 30 min
• Reflective Readers with Travis Crowder (pt.1) - Greatest Hits · June 2, 2026 · 30 min
• 10 Tips to Get Hired as a Teacher · May 26, 2026 · 35 min
• #415 On Endings, Failure, and Growth · May 18, 2026 · 27 min
• #414 The Leader in Me (Muriel Summers pt.2) · May 11, 2026 · 36 min
• #412 Achieving Universal Child Care in New York (Cordero & Gardner pt.2) · April 28, 2026 · 39 min