LINKEDleaders was founded by Mike Caldwell in 2024 in response to seeing droves of school leaders burned out and leaving the profession. Mike has spent nearly three decades in education as a high school math teacher, program director for a statewide online program, a high school vice principal, high school principal and as a mentor and coach for other school leaders. At it’s core, LINKEDleaders is about relationships and investing in professional connections. In a world that is centered on the advancement of technology and artificial intelligence, LINKEDleaders centers on Human Connection.
Our Mission: Empower education leaders through personalized relationships and human connection.
One could argue that there isn’t a more complex, challenging and exhausting line of work than that of a school leader. LINKEDleaders is a lifeline of sorts for those leaders in the trenches today. Through our community, we offer more than just encouragement, support, mentoring and coaching, we offer hope in a job that can seem hopeless. We believe that through our efforts, great leaders will stay in the profession longer, good leaders will become great and new and inexperienced leaders will have the support they need to have a long and rewarding career in school leadership.
When you go to “Our Community”, the value proposition for lonely, overwhelmed leaders is clear. Our community of experienced leaders is vast, diverse, highly experienced and passionate about supporting school leaders.
About Our Founder
With over 25 years in education, Mike Caldwell has served as a teacher, administrator and program director. In recent years, Mike served as the principal at Bishop Kelly High School in Boise, Idaho from 2014 to 2023. Prior to Bishop Kelly, Mike was a member of the executive team at the Idaho Digital Learning Alliance where he served as the Director of Development from 2008 to 2014 working with schools and districts all over Idaho implementing various technology based programs to provide equity and access in a very rural state. Most recently, Mike has worked for a non-profit organization that supports charter school development and growth in his home state of Idaho. Over his tenure as an educator and education leader, Mike has established himself as a prominent and well-respected forward thinker, innovator, and problem solver.
Mike grew up in a small rural town in Idaho and brings a passion for improving education specifically to the Gem State. Mike and his wife, Amy, have two daughters and one son and reside in the Treasure Valley.
For a bit more information on Mike’s background, read:
Beyond City Limits: How Mike Caldwell is Expanding Rural Education Opportunities in Idaho.
