# 388. Empowering School Leaders to Be Math Leaders: Featuring Thomas O’Brien

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/aspire-to-lead-881344/388-empowering-school-leaders-to-be-math-leaders-featuring-thomas-o-brien
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/aspire-to-lead-881344/388-empowering-school-leaders-to-be-math-leaders-featuring-thomas-o-brien.md
Podcast: [Aspire to Lead](https://stenobird.com/podcast/aspire-to-lead-881344)
Published: 2026-07-19T02:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://joshstamper.com/empowering-school-leaders-to-be-math-leaders-featuring-thomas-obrien
Audio file: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/cfff7501-3c70-43ab-b96c-c9923c999df9.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/aspire-to-lead-881344/episodes/388-empowering-school-leaders-to-be-math-leaders-featuring-thomas-o-brien
Duration seconds: 1850

## Resource

Why is it still so common for people to say, “I’m not a math person,” and how can school leaders help change that narrative? In this week's episode of Aspire to Lead, Joshua Stamper sits down with Thomas O’Brien to explore why leaders are uniquely positioned to shape math culture, support stronger instruction, and create environments where both teachers and students see themselves as capable math learners. Thomas also shares why leading math instruction does not require a math background, and how the best coaches are not always the best players. Together, they discuss what leaders and coaches should actually look for when walking into a math classroom, how to support teachers in meaningful ways, and what it means to assist with math projects and instructional coaching at a high level. Thomas also highlights his upcoming book, Empowering All Leaders to Be Math Leaders , releasing August 14, 2026 from Routledge with a foreword by Dr. T.J. Vari, and his weekly writing on How Math Saves the World on Substack, where he continues to share practical ideas for math instruction and school leadership. About Thomas O’Brien Thomas O’Brien partners with schools, districts, and after-school programs nationwide to turndata and practice into college and career opportunities. An award-winning math teacher andformer nationally recognized high school principal, he brings deep instructional-leadership experience and a passion for continuous improvement to his work. Follow his writing on substack about education, math instruction, and school leadership. His book Empowering All Leaders to be Math Leaders comes out in August. Follow Thomas O’Brien Website: www.thomasobrien.xyz Twitter (X): thomas_g_obrien Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/obrien-thomas/ Substack: https://howmathsavesthew…

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