Introducing ...

The Ruckus Maker Club

Learn how to Do School Different.

The Ruckus Maker Club is now closed. Join the waitlist below and be "first in line" when we reopen the doors.

If education ain't a bit disruptive, then what are the students really learning?

The Ruckus Maker Club is the first online community built exclusively for Ruckus Makers in education.

Unlike other online communities —with endless advertisements, spammy consultants, colleagues sharing poor advice, and other principals content with the status quo — The Ruckus Maker Club is a dedicated online space connecting visionaries, innovators, and rebels in education who want to Do School Different™.

In order to Do School Different™ we make shifts FROM old, traditional, and often broken ways of educating TO new, different, and creative ways. No shift is too big or too small. These shifts matter because they elevate the learning experience for students on campus.

The Ruckus Maker Club is not a traditional online community—it’s a transformative learning experience.

Create a meaningful school experience, without spending decades climbing the central office ladder or taking on debt for an EdD.

Master Do School Different™ design skills—from creating focused 90-day plans to running your first innovation lab.

Here are a few resources you'll have access to in The Ruckus Maker Club:

Community Fueled Confidence (Value $1000)

The most valuable aspect is the community itself. We’re all better together. See what it’s like to participate in the most generous space on the internet — freely share resources and tools, engage in thoughtful conversations, and make a friend or two.

The Automatic School™ Tools (Value $1200)

The Automatic School™ is made up of three parts:

• The Lead Domino Stage: Mastering Self-Leadership
• The Ripple Effect Stage: Building a World-Class Culture
• The Big Picture Stage: Applying Systems Level Thinking, Mental Models, and Strategy

Implementing these stages creates a highly functioning campus — one that basically runs itself. Get access to these tools to upgrade each stage on your campus.

The Automatic School™ Monthly Coaching Call (Value $1200)

Monthly, the Ruckus Maker team will facilitate a coach call based on The Automatic School™ tools. This is your space to practice implementing the tool, see how other Ruckus Makers use the tool, and getting coaching and feedback from expert Ruckus Makers.

Accountability Space (Value $100)

The quickest path to building trust on campus is simply doing what you say you’ll do. In the Accountability space you are on the hook. No one can do your work for you. Show us on Monday what your One Big Thing is and tell us Friday if you did it or not. This space will help you stay focused on what’s most important and follow through on your word.

Innovation Labs (Value $1500)

This is a new experiment we are running at Ruckus Maker HQ. In the past we’ve run challenges, workshops, and courses. When you join The Ruckus Maker Club, you’ll get access to quarterly innovation labs. Think of these as quarterly virtual events.

The Ruckus Maker Book Club (Value $500)

Read along with mastermind members and join the conversation on books that are helping us Do School Different™. We’ll read a book every two months and have asynchronous chats inside the club.

Total Value of The Ruckus Maker Club = $5500

As a reward for being an inaugural member of The Ruckus Maker Club, you’ll also unlock the following BONUSES...

Ruckus Makers Substack (Value $200)

Each month we write mini-books on the Ruckus Makers Substack. Think of it as our online publishing house, where we can then turn our best ideas into proper books. You can get access to our latest in-depth thinking here.

Private Podcast Feed (Value $200)

Listen to the world’s most downloaded show in educational leadership — the Better Leaders Better Schools Podcast —without any sponsor advertisements. Bonus content formerly shared on the The School Leadership Series feed, is now shared on this private feed as well.

Bonus Ruckus Maker Workshops (Value $1200)

In addition to The Automatic School™ monthly coach call, we will run occasional and different leadership workshops based on Ruckus Maker super powers. For example, Chris “Doc” Jones has a super power where he turns his chief critics into cheerleaders. Learn from “Doc” and other Ruckus Makers to take your leadership to the next level.

Mastermind Jam Sessions (Value $1200)

The Ruckus Maker Mastermind™ will always be our flagship support structure. In order to really over deliver to our Club members, we’ll run a monthly “jam” session where you can get a taste of what the mastermind is all about. During the jam session, our coach and members will run through as many “hot seats” as possible. Come and get your #1 challenge solved and learn how other elite Ruckus Makers think and approach school leadership.

Bonus Course Content (Value $500)

Over the years, we’ve created a number of helpful courses and challenges. Here are a few that you will have access to with your Ruckus Maker Club membership:

• The Delegation Masterclass. Learn what to delegate, the 6-levels of delegation, and a tried-and-true process for guaranteeing results in advance.
• Decision Making Masterclass. Jonathan Haidt says, “The emotional tail wags the rational dog.” Learn an objective multi-step process for navigating your most crucial decisions.
• The Remarkable Vision Formula Virtual Workshop. A 2-day virtual experience Ruckus Makers went through to establish their 3-year remarkable vision for campus.
• The Ideal Week. Learn how to optimize your schedule and balance your family and work life once and for all.
• Maximize Your Margin. Implement a variety of tools that will create more space in your day so you can focus on what’s most important.

Total Value of The Ruckus Maker Club + Bonuses = $8800

Learn how to lead your school like a Ruckus Maker

What is school for? Being a Ruckus Maker isn't for everyone. But once you "get" it, you’ll forever have a different lens on education and life. That's because it's not just a leadership strategy—it’s a way to design the future of education. Get ready to push the boundaries of conventional thinking and create the campus experience of your dreams.

A Different Kind of Professional Development

Most professional learning designed for principals has a manual. They teach you how to be an administrator and focus on incremental change. There you’ll turn to page 394 in the manual and learn to color inside the lines. This produces Play-It-Safe-Principals.

There is no manual for creating the future of education.

But we will share some helpful frameworks, tools, and experiences. Most importantly you’ll learn within a community, which nearly guarantees your success. Here are some themes we plan to touch on this year:

Some ideas for innovation labs we might run next year:

• Create your 90-day entry plan. Write and begin executing a solid plan for the start of school. Built on the template found in the bestseller: Build Leadership Momentum. The best part is you can do this 4x a year.
• Do School Different Design Experiment. Identify a shift you can make on campus FROM old, traditional, and often broken ways of educating TO new, different, and creative ways. No shift is too big or too small. Shifts matter because they elevate the learning experience for students on campus.
• Strategy Therapy: Set a simple course forward to stand out as a campus and create transformational outcomes for your stakeholders.
• Redesign your interview process. You won’t stand out as a campus if you interview the same way as everyone else. Apply the principles of Do School Different Design, and create a stand out experience that transforms your campus from a Talent Treadmill to a Talent Incubator.
• The Ruckus Maker AI Playbook. The worst thing you can do is create a policy that bans AI. Sticking your head in the sand, won’t make this technology go away. Just like during the pandemic where Ruckus Makers were leading how education could be, we’re now at the forefront of utilizing AI. Play and get comfortable with this technology during this innovation lab.

The Ruckus Maker Club is currently open and will close on August 31st.

(It will open again Summer 2025)

To be a Ruckus Maker requires commitment—and it’s not for everyone.

When you join The Ruckus Maker Club, you commit to and make the space generous, thoughtful, and inspirational by freely sharing your ideas and resources. By doing so, you'll experience transformative changes in your career and life.

Starting now means you'll be fully prepared to seize opportunities in the coming year. So, we’re limiting the opportunity to join from now until the end of August.

Why?

The Ruckus Maker Club is a new online space and we want to shift our focus from opening the space, to nurturing its development. In other words, we’re ready to get to work for you.

The Club is best for current and aspiring Ruckus Makers who have created (or want to create) shifts on their campus that lead to elevating the student experience.

Maybe you’ve made a curriculum or grading shift. Maybe you’ve made a shift in your mindset. Maybe you’ve made a shift in your leadership and created results no one else can achieve.

If you’re excited about the kind of shifts you can make on campus in the coming year and would like a solid community of Ruckus Makers in your corner, then now is the time to join.

Why do people struggle to become great Ruckus Makers?

There are 5 main challenges people run into when making the switch from traditional school leadership to being a Ruckus Maker.

Challenge #1: Resistance to Change.
Traditional educational systems are often entrenched in long-standing practices and mindsets that resist innovation. The Ruckus Maker Club will help you build a strong case for change and demonstrating the tangible benefits of innovative practices can help overcome this resistance.

#2 Isolation in Leadership.
Many school leaders feel isolated and lack a support network of like-minded peers who can offer guidance and encouragement. Joining communities like The Ruckus Maker Club provides a supportive environment where leaders can connect, share experiences, and collaborate on solutions.

#3 Overcoming Fear of Failure.
Stepping away from the status quo involves risk, and the fear of failure can be a significant barrier. Embracing a growth mindset and viewing failures as learning opportunities can help leaders take bold steps toward innovation.

#4 Balancing Innovation with Accountability
Innovating within a system that demands accountability can be difficult, as leaders must balance new approaches with meeting established standards and expectations. Developing a clear vision and strategic plan that aligns innovative practices with accountability measures can ensure that progress is both measurable and impactful.

#5 Lack of Resources and Support.
Innovating often requires additional resources, whether in terms of funding, time, or professional development, which can be scarce. Leveraging The Ruckus Maker Club to grow your network and freely swap resources within the community can help secure the support needed to drive change.

Is The Ruckus Maker Club right for you?

If any of these sound familiar, then The Ruckus Maker Club was built for you.

Connect With Legendary Ruckus Makers

Surround yourself with other visionaries, innovators, and rebels in educational leadership. Our hope is that if you have felt “different” all your life, you’ll feel right at home here.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you've made it this far, we know you're contemplating whether this journey is truly worthwhile.

Maybe you've been enjoying Ruckus Maker content for some time and learning about how to Do School Different™.

Yes, you could piece together fragments of content online and attempt to master Making a Ruckus on your own. Maybe you've even taken that path before, only to find the results falling short of your expectations. Chances are, you've witnessed countless others start their own school leadership career and succeed, building a legendary campus experience along the way.

Yet, here you are, with "Make a Ruckus" etched on your long-standing goals list.

Imagine looking back in 12 months, pointing to this very moment, this pivotal decision, as the catalyst for an extraordinary, life-altering year.

Picture your new campus taking shape, a flourishing career unfolding, deep and meaningful connections, and an entirely new personal trajectory carving its way into existence. All this and more is within your grasp—all you have to do is take control and create the future you want.

Right here, right now, is the path to transforming your professional and personal landscape.

So, Ruckus Maker, we have a question for you:

Will you seize this opportunity to join The Ruckus Maker Club, unlocking the boundless possibilities that lie ahead?

The winds of radical change are blowing, and The Ruckus Maker Club is here to help you chart a new and different course. So, join our group of radical thinkers and experience the transformative power of Making a Ruckus. The choice is yours. But rest assured, we’ll embark on this journey together.

Legendary, limitless horizons await.