Guest: Paul Klimza

Principal at Reeths-Puffer Elementary School

Paul Klimza brings over three decades of experience to the table, specializing in school culture, special education, and alternative learning. His leadership philosophy is rooted in his own experience as a student who felt “unseen,” driving him to create an environment where every student is given an opportunity to shine.

Key Discussion Points

The “Underdog” Mentality: Paul discusses his early career in special education and alternative centers, explaining how those experiences shaped his “no child unseen” philosophy.

The Timeline of Culture: Why it takes 7–9 years to truly turn a building around and the importance of leadership longevity.

Trauma-Invested vs. Trauma-Informed: A deep dive into meeting families where they are, providing practical resources (like school pantries and laundry facilities), and removing barriers to engagement.

Radical Visibility: The impact of the “bus loop” greeting and why the principal should be the first face students see every morning.

High-Impact Leadership (HIL): How “jumping in with both feet” to new systems and maintaining fidelity to literacy coaching and instructional rounds transformed their building data.

Leading Through Crisis: Lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and the “wake-up call” of realizing which students were at risk of falling through the cracks.

Memorable Quotes

“We might have someone walking the halls that’s going to cure cancer… all they need is opportunity. They need somebody to care for them, somebody to believe in them, and somebody to give them a chance.”

“Culture is hard to define, but it’s something you can feel… everything starts with the relationships.”