Hickory Flat Principal Corey Burt Featured on National Podcast

The Hickory Flat principal, Corey Burt, is the featured guest on a new episode of the Proud Principals Podcast, a show for school leaders that, according to the school, reaches listeners in 46 states and 10 countries. Hickory Flat Attendance Center announced the episode on Saturday, Nov. 14, saying it is a chance to put the small Benton County school “on the map.”

Hickory Flat Principal Talks School Culture

In the episode, Burt talks about what makes the culture at Hickory Flat Attendance Center special, including the relationships, traditions and people who, in the school’s words, make Hickory Flat “more than just a school.”

Host Tony Cattani introduced the episode by saying Burt would explain the “creative and intentional ways” he and his staff build a positive school culture. He encouraged listeners not to miss it.

The school summed up its view of the moment in one line: “Small school. Big culture. Far-reaching impact.”

About the Host: A National Principal of the Year

Cattani has led Lenape High School in Medford, New Jersey, since 2007. The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) named him its 2025-26 High School National Principal of the Year, and he was also New Jersey’s 2025 Visionary Secondary School Principal of the Year. When NASSP announced the honor, it pointed to his work building a positive, inclusive school culture where students and staff feel valued and supported.

He uses the Proud Principals Podcast to connect school leaders across the country, celebrate creative leadership and share practices that work in schools. Guests come from schools of every size, so an episode about a rural Mississippi attendance center gives listeners a look at a very different setting from a large suburban high school.

Why It Matters for Benton County

Hickory Flat Attendance Center serves students from kindergarten through 12th grade in one of the smaller communities in the Benton County School District. In its announcement, the school said it has always believed some of the best ideas come from educators learning from one another, and that the podcast lets it share a little of what makes Hickory Flat special with educators nationwide.

It’s not the only recent sign of that pride. The school’s Facebook page regularly celebrates student achievements, athletics and community events, and it ended its announcement with a promise to keep “putting #TheFlat on the map, one story at a time.”

How to Listen

According to the school, the episode is available on these platforms:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• Amazon Music
• iHeartRadio
• Podbean

Search for “Proud Principals Podcast” on any of them to find the episode with Corey Burt.

More local education news: Ripley Coach Jamal Braddock Named to Tomorrow’s 25 Fellowship and Blue Mountain Juniors Tour Toyota Mississippi Plant.

Source: Hickory Flat Attendance Center (Facebook); NASSP