The work of educational leaders depends on relationships with people--faculty and staff members, students, other administrators, parents, and community members. This book presents a new way of viewing leadership: how to become person-centered leaders. Rather than relying on outdated ways of managing schools, principals and other leaders must take up the challenge of paying attention to the people issues of the school. Through many examples, the authors show how school leaders must * consciously seek the appropriate type of data to respond to; * increase their capacity for empathy; * develop healthy personal self-concepts; and * learn how to develop healthy self-concepts in others, both students and teachers. School leaders also should be committed to a broad purpose for schooling, should be informed about how their beliefs and behavior influence the organization of the school, and should be able to participate in interactions with authenticity. They also must be able to help create authenticity in their school organizations. In these ways, school leaders will create schools that are learning organizations for everyone. Universities that prepare future school leaders should spend more time developing leaders who are person centered in their approach to leading schools. This new way of thinking will require leader preparation programs to change their priorities for curriculum, academic activities, and field experiences.
There are many master teachers who have excellent organizational and interpersonal relation skills who think about becoming assistant principals and principals. Becoming a School Leader is designed primarily for these master teachers as they contemplate the next step in their professional careers.
"A companion to Becoming a Globally Competent Teacher, this book helps school leaders become champions of and drive professional growth toward global competence, which is the set of knowledge, skills, mindsets, and values students and teachers need to thrive in a diverse, globalized society"--
Becoming a Successful School Leader critically considers what leaders need to help them support their schools and communities with the challenges and demands of learning. It presents readers with opportunities to develop their thinking and to generate personal strategies to manage situations through a series of structured exercises and tasks. Drawing on a range of accounts from professionals, case studies and reflective questions, this accessible text allows leaders to confidently guide their staff and students through the contested landscape of education. Focusing on key topics, chapters cover: education policy and leadership, governance and management of educational settings; changes to the employment market; inclusion in education, emerging moral dilemmas and legislative changes; the structure of education: new frameworks and models; quality assurance: responsibilities, liabilities and consequences; global dimensions and emerging ethical issues. This book will be essential reading for both practising and aspiring school leaders who have an interest in the challenges, policies and practices deployed in leading and managing change in a variety of educational settings.
On Becoming a School Principal originated as a study of a new open space elementary school and how it engaged faculty and staff in designing programs and procedures. Monthly planning sessions focused on the development of a school culture devoted to developing “good persons” within an atmosphere of cooperative teaching and collaboration. Considerable attention was focused on the principal and his history as a one room country schoolteacher at age seventeen. In recent history, public education has become highly politicized, with reforms focusing on test results as a measure of progress. With each new administration, the nation has taken on a new mantra, but the reforms have not significantly improved achievement. This book was written in the spirit of John Dewey and his advocacy for school-based research initiatives designed and implemented by practitioners. It is meant for educators and parents who want to help schools be the best that they can be. The narrative examines how one man rose from humble beginnings to lead a new, innovative school. It is an ethnography of a school principal and a group of teachers in the act of doing good things for children.
This is a no-nonsense guide to school management and leadership. Shaun Morgan covers everything you need to know about being an effective school leader, from managing your workload and inspiring confidence, right through to communicating your vision and delivering the goods. Accessibly and engagingly written, and packed with real-life examples, this book will prove essential reading for ambitious managers and leaders in school everywhere.
In this important new book, Geoff Southworth, a leading researcher in headship, specifically addresses how school size impacts on the role of the headteacher.
The Handbook of Research on the Education of School Leaders brings together empirical research on leadership preparation and development to provide a comprehensive overview and synthesis of what we know about preparing school leaders today. With contributions from the field’s foremost scholars, this new edition investigates the methodological foundations of leadership preparation research, reviews the pedagogical and curricular features of preparation programs, and presents valuable insights into the demographic, economic, and political factors affecting school leaders. This volume both mirrors the first edition’s macro-level approach to leadership preparation and presents the most up-to-date research in the field. Updates to this edition cover recent state and federal government efforts to improve leadership in education, new challenges for the field, and significant gaps and critical questions for framing, researching, evaluating, and improving the education of school leaders. Sponsored by the University Council of Educational Administration (UCEA), this handbook is an essential resource for students and scholars of educational leadership, as well as practitioners, policymakers, and other educators interested in professional leadership. .
Understanding the issues and the challenges faced daily by school leaders takes on a significant role when creating, managing, and sustaining high expectations and performance. With limited resources available on this industry specific topic, Cameron Curry has created a user-friendly guide to help emerging or seasoned school leaders focus on five key elements for school success.
Through a multi-country study, Comparative Perspectives on International School Leadership examines the current global spread of educational leadership, occurring rapidly and widely. Exploring five international case studies of leadership policy, preparation, and practice under the framework of policy borrowing and adaptation, Magno attempts to understand and account for commonalities and differences across country contexts. Rather than assuming a particular model or theory to leadership is best, Comparative Perspectives on International School Leadership takes a policy-oriented perspective and considers how and why certain approaches are being formulated and accepted, including an examination of motivations, influencers, actors, institutions, and implementation processes. Magno ultimately argues that efforts toward formalizing educational leadership reflect current global political objectives to improve schools by increasing accountability, transparency, and professionalism. This engaging book will be of interest to scholars and students in the fields of educational leadership and comparative education.
In face of increased scrutiny on the preparation of educational leaders, this book provides a much-needed resource, exploring the role and use of authentic performance assessment for evaluating leader readiness and performance. Framed by theory and research on school leader performance assessment, Designing Performance Assessments for School Leader Readiness provides an in-depth description of one fully tested performance assessment called the Performance Assessment for School Leaders (PAL). The authors explore how to assess four components of leadership proficiency -- developing a plan for an area of school improvement, creating a professional learning culture among school staff, supporting individual teacher development, and engaging families and community in improving student learning. This book provides real examples and practical guidance on designing and managing performance assessment for aspiring educational leaders, and how the PAL can be used in regional, state and local contexts.
This book explores what specialists are saying about system leadership for school improvement. Case studies examine innovative approaches to sharing leadership and to leadership development programmes for system improvement.
