Historians of urban education have concentrated their attention on the cities of the Northeast, leaving a major gap in the historiography of American schooling. This work, the first to focus on southern cities, makes an important contribution to the field. It presents case studies of growth and change in the public school systems of six cities in the deep South, together with several essays that place the southern experience in a comparative historical and historiographical context. Plank and Ginsberg examine the impact of conditions that have shaped public education in the urban South from the antebellum era to the present time, including racism, segregation, evangelical Protestantism, poverty, ruralism, and the slow pace of industrialization. Among the issues explored are struggles over progressive school reforms in both curriculum and administration, continuing battles for financial support and organizational autonomy, the impact of city politics, and the politics of black education. This book opens a new area of historical research and provides fresh perspectives on political and racial issues that continue to challenge American educators.

Despite the ubiquitous nature of emotions as part of the human psyche, the emotional side of leadership is largely ignored in formal and informal training of managers, often resulting in miscommunication and contributing to stress in the workplace. Though concepts such as emotional intelligence have entered the mainstream, they are often marginalized in managerial practice. This book argues that without acknowledging the powerful influence of emotions-your own as well as others'-managers are doomed to fail in their interactions with employees, peers, and bosses, and ultimately in their ability to manage and lead effectively. Ginsberg and Davies draw from primary research, including interviews with managers in a variety of settings, to introduce readers to the emotional side of leadership and demonstrate its positive effects on individual and organizational performance. They present practical tools for honing emotional navigation skills and applying them toward decision making, problem solving, communication, feedback, and performance improvement. Any management decision that involves people (in other words, any management decision) has an emotional component. Given the ubiquitous nature of emotions as part of the human psyche, one would expect leaders and managers to be well-trained and equipped to deal with emotions in the workplace. On the contrary, the emotional side of being a leader is largely ignored in formal and informal training programs, often resulting in miscommunication between managers and their employees, and contributing to workplace stress. Though concepts such as emotional intelligence have entered the mainstream, systematic development of skills in managing emotions in the workplace have yet to emerge, and are often relegated to the touchy-feely end of the spectrum. This book argues that without acknowledging the powerful influence of emotions-their own as well as others'-managers are doomed to fail in their interactions with employees, peers, and bosses, and ultimately in their ability to manage and lead effectively. Ginsberg and Davies draw from primary research, including interviews with managers in a variety of settings, to introduce readers to the emotional side of leadership and demonstrate its positive effects on individual and organizational performance. They present practical tools for honing emotional navigation skills and applying them toward decision making, problem solving, communication, feedback, and performance improvement.

The editors have collected original papers dealing with the impact of commissions on educational policy and reform. This book is a combination of the perspectives of practitioners directly involved with writing or reacting to commission reports, and scholars analyzing the significance and impact of educational policy. Chapters are written by some of the country's leading authorities on education. This book will prove to be a valuable resource for educators, administrators, political scientists, sociologists, and others interested in the state of education. Includes a foreword by Paul E. Peterson of Harvard University.

With dwindling funds and resources, tougher state and federal standards, and fatigue from more regulations and testing, many school administrators are giving up_or 'crashing' and leaving their posts. This book examines the process of sustaining and retaining quality leaders at the school and district levels. Beginning with a foreword by Michelle D. Young on the importance of administrative leadership in schools, subsequent chapters address: six steps of critical organizational supports for leaders; the need for socializing assistant principals into their roles; administrators' perceptions of their administrative teams; school routines and rituals; the need for administrator mentoring of Latina/Latino leaders; the relationship between superintendent leadership and principal job satisfaction and efficacy. Concluding with thoughts about retaining and sustaining the best leaders in dynamic environments, the various chapters offer contemporary views on retaining and encouraging school administrators throughout the life cycle. The chapters provide needed insight into what should and must be done to grow the best leaders for U.S. schools.

With dwindling funds and resources, tougher state and federal standards, and fatigue from more regulations and testing, many school administrators are giving up_or 'crashing' and leaving their posts. This book examines the process of sustaining and retaining quality leaders at the school and district levels. Beginning with a foreword by Michelle D. Young on the importance of administrative leadership in schools, subsequent chapters address: six steps of critical organizational supports for leaders; the need for socializing assistant principals into their roles; administrators' perceptions of their administrative teams; school routines and rituals; the need for administrator mentoring of Latina/Latino leaders; the relationship between superintendent leadership and principal job satisfaction and efficacy. Concluding with thoughts about retaining and sustaining the best leaders in dynamic environments, the various chapters offer contemporary views on retaining and encouraging school administrators throughout the life cycle. The chapters provide needed insight into what should and must be done to grow the best leaders for U.S. schools.