In this episode, host Karen Borchert sits down with Shannon Shine, Superintendent of the Mohonasen Central School District in Rotterdam, New York, where servant leadership, shared decision-making, and human connection shape daily life.
Shannon has led Mohonasen since 2018, navigating extraordinary challenges including the pandemic, districtwide culture shifts, and the sudden arrival of 70 English language learners with almost no notice. Across every challenge, his leadership remains grounded in humility, listening, and care for people.
From recognizing bus drivers over breakfast to empowering teachers through bottom-up leadership, from welcoming vulnerable students during crisis to implementing a bold cell phone policy focused on student wellbeing, Shannon shows what it looks like to lead with purpose, trust, and kindness in action.
Together, Karen and Shannon explore how culture is built in the small moments, why servant leadership matters now more than ever, and how schools can remain joyful, successful, and deeply human.
đź’ˇ Little Wins in This Episode:
- Servant Leadership in Practice: How Shannon centers service, humility, and listening in every decision.
- Bottom-Up Decision Making: Why curriculum, policies, and big changes work best when teachers lead the process.
- Crisis Response with Care: Welcoming 70 newcomer students with almost no notice and rallying a community around them.
- Cell Phone-Free Schools: How removing phones transformed student engagement, relationships, and learning.
- Student Pride & Belonging: Building “Mohan Pride” through shared experiences and visible culture.
- Therapy Dogs at School: How Liesl and Fritz the miniature dachshunds bring joy and calm to the high school halls
Key Moments
01:19 Mohonasen’s community and district profile
03:02 From aspiring astronaut to educator
05:09 Why others saw teaching as Shannon’s calling
09:43 Defining servant leadership and its roots
12:36 What bottom-up leadership looks like in action
16:04 How staff would describe Mohonasen’s culture
18:21 Signs of pride, buy-in, and belonging
19:47 STEAM Night and cross-grade student leadership
21:50 Summer 2023 and the arrival of 70 newcomer students
24:09 Responding with urgency, empathy, and community support
29:50 Lasting impact of crisis leadership on staff culture
33:49 Rethinking cell phone use in schools
36:29 Implementing a new phone policy with shared leadership
39:16 Student engagement after phones were removed
42:30 Three words for culture: joyful, successful, purposeful
44:07 Little win: therapy dogs in schools
Connect with Shannon Shine
🧵 About the Podcast:
Little Wins is the podcast that digs into the small, deliberate actions school leaders are taking to build strong, human-centered cultures.
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What is Little Wins?
Little Wins is a podcast that shines a light on the small moments making a big impact in schools. Hosted by Karen Borchert, each episode features courageous conversations with principals, heads of school, and superintendents who are building trust, sparking belonging, and shaping culture—one hallway celebration, heartfelt gesture, or coffee-fueled conversation at a time.
Because in education, it’s the little things that often matter most—and they’re the reason people stay.