The School Leaders Our Children Deserve

George Theoharis draws on the experiences and words of successful public school principals committed to advancing equity, social justice, and school reform to show why social justice leadership is needed and how it can be effective. Although facing tremendous barriers, these principals made important strides toward closing the achievement gap in their schools through the use of humane and equitable practices. Featuring a mix of theory and practical strategies, this timely book portrays how real school leaders seek, create, and sustain equitable schools, especially for marginalized students. The author identifies seven “keys” that are crucial for social justice leadership: Key 1: Acquire Broad, Reconceptualized Consciousness/Knowledge/Skill Base Key 2: Possess Core Leadership Traits Key 3: Advance Inclusion, Access, and Opportunity for All Key 4: Improve the Core Learning Context - Both the Teaching and the Curriculum Key 5: Create a Climate of Belonging Key 6: Raise Student Achievement Key 7: Sustain Oneself Professionally and Personally

"This is an updated edition of the best-selling, seminal book on school leadership, equity, and social justice. George Theoharis draws on the experiences and words of successful public-school principals committed to advancing equity and social justice. Through the work of these principals, Theoharis shows why social justice leadership is needed and how it can be effective in creating more equitable schools. Although facing tremendous barriers, these principals made important strides toward closing both the outcome and opportunity gaps in their schools through the use of inclusive, and equitable practices. Updated with examples and frameworks for today's leaders, this edition features a mix of theory and practical strategies. In current context of national resistance to issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion, this timely book portrays how real school leaders seek, create, and sustain equitable schools, especially for marginalized students. The author identifies seven "keys" that are crucial for social justice leadership: Key 1: Acquire Broad, Reconceptualized Consciousness/Knowledge/Skill Base Key 2: Possess Core Leadership Traits Key 3: Advance Inclusion, Access, and Opportunity for All Key 4: Improve the Core Learning Context - Both the Teaching and the Curriculum Key 5: Create a Climate of Belonging Key 6: Increase Student Learning Key 7: Sustain Oneself Professionally and Personally"--

Achieve system wide progress --

This timely and essential book provides a comprehensive guide for school leaders who desire to engage their school communities in transformative systemic change. Sharon I. Radd, Gretchen Givens Generett, Mark Anthony Gooden, and George Theoharis offer five practices to increase educational equity and eliminate marginalization based on race, disability, socioeconomics, language, gender and sexual identity, and religion. For each dimension of diversity, the authors provide background information for understanding the current realities in schools and beyond, and they suggest "disruptive practices" to replace the status quo in order to achieve full inclusion and educational excellence for every child. Assuming that leadership to create equity is a unique practice, the book offers * Clear explanations of foundational terms and concepts, such as equity, systemic inequity, paradigms and cognitive dissonance, and privilege; * Specific recommendations for how to build support and sustainability by engaging colleagues and other stakeholders in constructive dialogues with multiple perspectives; * Detailed descriptions of routines and roles for building effective equity-leadership teams; * Guidelines and tools for performing an equity audit, including environmental scans; * A change framework to skillfully transform your system; and * Reflection activities for self-discovery, understanding, and personal and professional growth. A call to action that is both passionate and practical, Five Practices for Equity-Focused School Leadership is an indispensable roadmap for educators undertaking the journey toward an education system that acknowledges and advances the worth and potential of all students.

Research shows school improvement initiatives are most effective when they come from the district level, rather than the state. While there is no one solution to school improvement that holds true in every classroom every time, there are two clearly identified aspects that improve the odds of school success: implementing a curriculum focused on developing knowledge, and supporting a culture where every teacher improves.In Creating the Schools Our Children Need, Dr. Dylan Wiliam outlines a framework for evaluating new district initiatives, and guides school boards, administrators, and district leaders through a breakdown of why what we¿re doing right now isn¿t working, and what we need to be doing instead.

School leaders who succeed at creating a high-achieving learning community must also be committed to creating an equitable environment for all students. In this new book, key scholars across the content areas show how to put into practice a commitment to equity and excellence across the Pre-K12 spectrum. Readers learn directly from experts in each of the content domains (literacy, mathematics, science, social studies, music, early childhood, special education, English language learners, world languages, and physical education) how a commitment to social justice and equity can be grounded in core subject areas, why each has a place in the school, and what they need to know and do in each subject area. This book is a critical instructional leadership resource for new and veteran principals who want to see all students succeed. Contributors: Antonio J. Castro, Julie Causton-Theoharis, Virginia Collier, Katherine Delaney, Catherine Ennis, Virginia Goatley, Beth Graue, Rochelle Gutirrez, Kathleen A. Hinchman, Anne Karabon, Christi Kasa, Dave McAlpine, Mitchell Robinson, Victor Sampson, Sherry A. Southerland, and Wayne Thomas

Improve Schools and Transform Education In order for educational systems to change, we must reevaluate deep-seated beliefs about learning, teaching, schooling, and race that perpetuate inequitable opportunities and outcomes. Hatch, Corson, and Gerth van den Berg challenge the narrative when it comes to the "grammar of schooling"--or the conventional structures, practices, and beliefs that define educational experiences for so many children—to cast a new vision of what school could be. The book addresses current systemic problems and solutions as it: Highlights global examples of successful school change Describes strategies that improve educational opportunities and performance Explores promising approaches in developing new learning opportunities Outlines conditions for supporting wide-scale educational improvement This provocative book approaches education reform by highlighting what works, while also demonstrating what can be accomplished if we redefine conventional schools. We can make the schools we have more efficient, more effective, and more equitable, all while creating powerful opportunities to support all aspects of students’ development. "You won’t find a better book on system change in education than this one. We learn why schools don’t change; how they can improve; what it takes to change a system; and, in the final analysis, the possibilities of system change. Above all, The Education We Need renders complexity into clarity as the writing is so clear and compelling. A powerful read on a topic of utmost importance." ~Michael Fullan, Professor Emeritus, OISE/Universtiy of Toronto "I cannot recommend this book highly enough – Tom tackles long-standing and emerging educational issues in new ways with an impressive understanding of the challenging complexities, but also feasible possibilities, for ensuring excellence and equity for all students." ~Carol Campbell, Associate Professor, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto

"Fullan shows how moral leadership can reinvent the principalship and bring about large-scale school improvement. This is a masterfully crafted and accessible book by North America′s foremost expert on change." —Thomas J. Sergiovanni, Lillian Radford Professor of Education Trinity University, San Antonio, TX "Fullan challenges all who work in education to rethink the critical role of the principal as school leader in the current era of accountability. With clarity and insight, he offers a series of strategies to reshape the culture and context of leadership in schools to create learning communities where both students and teachers can excel." —Paul D. Houston, Executive Director American Association of School Administrators "Once again, the writing of Michael Fullan is a tour de force. The Moral Imperative of School Leadership is a must-read for those who want to make a difference!" —Gerald N. Tirozzi, Executive Director National Association of Secondary School Principals The time has come to change the context of school leadership! The role of the principal is pivotal to systemic school change. That is the fundamental message of The Moral Imperative of School Leadership, which extends the discussion begun in Fullan′s earlier publication, What′s Worth Fighting for in the Principalship? The author examines the moral purpose of school leadership and its critical role in "changing the context" in which the role is embedded. In this bold step forward, Fullan calls for principals to become agents as well as beneficiaries of the processes of school change. In an effort to make the position more rewarding and exciting, he shifts the principal′s role from one of a site-based superman or superwoman, and recasts it as one in which principals figure prominently both within their school and within the larger school system that surrounds them. Concepts explored in-depth include: Why "changing the context" should be the main agenda for the principalship Why barriers to the principalship exist Why the principal should be seen as the COO (chief operating officer) of a school Why the role of the principal should figure more prominently within the system What individuals and the system can do to transform school leadership to a powerful new force The challenge, and moral imperative, for today′s principal is to lead system transformations to resolve the top-down/bottom-up dilemma that exists in systemic change. To end the exodus from the principalship, and for great school leaders to evolve in large numbers, the time to redefine the position is now!