Keith Fickel & Justin Baeder—Cultivate and Activate: Building Teacher Capacity for Instructional Leadership

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Guest Host: Barbara Blackburn

Barbara Blackburn, PhD is the author of more than 40 books and a full-time consultant who works with schools around the world to help raise the level of rigor and motivation for professional educators and students alike. Dr. Blackburn has been repeatedly named to the Top 30 Education Gurus and Top 10 Professional Development Programs by Global Gurus.

See all of Dr. Blackburn's guest appearances on Principal Center Radio

About The Guests: Keith Fickel & Justin Baeder

Keith Fickel is a retired middle school and high school principal in the southwest Houston, Texas, area. His focus during his decade as principal was to ensure that high levels of student learning, achievement, and personal development occurred in every classroom, every day. He accomplished these aims through the intentional empowerment of teachers and staff to effectively lead not only their classrooms but the school as a whole. Keith prioritized building and maintaining a strong bond with the school community through trust during his principalship.

He began his career in education in 1991, serving first as a classroom teacher and a band director for seventeen years, then as an assistant principal, associate principal, and campus principal during the second half of his career. His entire educational career was at the secondary level in both private and public school settings.

Keith has facilitated or cofacilitated professional learning sessions at the district, regional, and state levels on a variety of topics. He is a member of the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals and ASCD. In 2008, he was a campus Teacher of the Year, as well as a finalist for the Fort Bend ISD Secondary Teacher of the Year.

In 2022, he was named the Fort Bend ISD Secondary Principal of the Year, and he had the honor of serving as the founding principal of the district’s newest high school in 2023, prior to his retirement.

Keith earned both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in music education from Texas Tech University, and he completed his principal certification through the University of Houston. He resides in Sugar Land, Texas, with his wife, Anne, who was also a music teacher. Together, they have an adult daughter who is also in education.

Justin Baeder, PhD, is director of the Principal Center, where he helps school and district administrators build capacity for instructi