Collaborative Team Meetings: The Missing Piece with Kurtis Hewson – PMP515

A Quick Note to Listeners:

Before each week’s interview, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke take some time to answer a listener question. This week’s question is:

I’m new to my role as a principal after years as an AP, and I’ve set my calendar for what I believe are the most important priorities. How do I prepare for the unknowns — those responsibilities or expectations I won’t be aware of until they happen for the first time?

Listen in to hear their response!

Meet Kurtis Hewson:

Kurtis Hewson is an award-winning educator, former teacher and administrator, and a respected post-secondary instructor. He is the co-founder of Jigsaw Learning and works with schools and districts across North America and internationally to design and implement Collaborative Response frameworks that improve outcomes for all learners.

Known for his practical, systems-level approach, Kurtis supports thousands of educators each year in strengthening collaboration, assessment, and responsive instruction. He and his wife, Lorna Hewson, have an upcoming book, Collaborative Team Meetings: The Piece Connecting PLCs and MTSS, focused on helping schools build powerful collaborative team meetings—an essential structure within the Collaborative Response framework that empowers educators and directly impacts student success.

Joining us from Lacombe, Alberta, Canada, Kurtis brings both classroom experience and leadership insight to help schools create systems that truly support every learner. He previously joined me on Principal Matters in 2024. You can listen to that episode here.

Moving from Groups to Teams:

One of the most powerful themes from our conversation was the distinction between working in groups and working as a team. Kurtis reflected on lessons learned from Richard DuFour and explained that many schools operate as collegial groups where people enjoy one another, share ideas, and support each other. While those qualities are valuable, true collaboration requires something deeper. Teams are willing to challenge assumptions, examine practices openly, and engage in conversations that can sometimes feel uncomfortable because they are focused on growth rather than simply maintaining harmony.

The schools that make the greatest progress are not necessarily the schools with the most programs. They are the schools that intentionally build trust, safety, and structures that allow adults to learn together. As Kurtis put it, collaboration often means becoming comfortable being uncomforta