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.

Deans and chairs, like other leaders everywhere, often rely on narrow views of their organizations that capture only part of the real picture. As a result, they miss out on a rich array of options available to them. Peak Performance for Deans and Chairs molds deans and chairs into better leaders by teaching them a new way of thinking about their universities, colleges, and departments. Reframing is the ability to examine a situation through multiple lenses, which not only enhances understanding of challenges leaders face but also suggests strategies for moving forward. Entertaining and realistic scenarios show deans and chairs grappling with common problems as they attempt to implement change, manage the faculty, deal with budget cuts, and win over the 'higher-ups.' Some leaders are successful; others fail. This book analyzes the behavior of chairs and deans through the political, structural, human resources, and symbolic frames. Lessons learned from the negative as well as the positive scenarios are highlighted, enabling deans and chairs to easily adapt them to their own situations.

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.

Discover how social networks can foster learning communities and promote school improvement! Social networks reflect the usually invisible relationships that control the power and flow of information within a school. This resource for school leaders examines types of networks-related to tasks, friendships, power, and culture-and provides tools for maximizing networks' positive schoolwide influence. You will find: - Samples of social network maps that illustrate the relationships among players in various types of networks - Steps for developing your own social network maps using interviews, surveys, and data analysis - Strategies and practical advice for managing social networks in support of school goals

Adventures of Charter School Creators takes the reader inside the world of individual educational entrepreneurs who have created charter schools from scratch and lived to tell about it. Drawn from examples across the country, individuals (and a few teams) tell their stories of the victories they enjoyed and the defeats they overcame to create their schools. They include an Episcopal priest working in the Pico-Union community of Los Angeles, a corporate attorney in Miami, a manpower training specialist in East Saint Louis, the chief financial officer of a major African American church in New York City, a retired military officer in North Carolina, as well as experienced school teachers and administrators. From these stories Deal and Hentschke extract and examine the issues of school leadership that are peculiar to those school leaders who have chosen to create schools from scratch. This book: Examines entrepreneurial leadership as a concrete manifestation of school leadership. Sheds light on the concrete differences between leadership in relatively autonomous start-up charters and the relatively dependent traditional schools. Anchors charter school leadership within the context of general (non-education) leadership and distinguishes it from what is typically associated with school leadership today. It describes: The general forces in society which are pushing public K-12 education into market-based initiatives. The general leadership issues of any break-away or start-up enterprise. Will be of interest to all educators.

The most trusted guide to school culture, updated with current challenges and new solutions Shaping School Culture is the classic guide to exceptional school leadership, featuring concrete guidance on influencing the subtle symbolic features of schools that provide meaning, belief, and faith. Written by renowned experts in the area of school culture, this book tackles the increasing challenges facing public schools and provides clear, candid suggestions for more effective symbolic leadership. This new third edition has been revised to reflect the reality of schools today, including the increased emphasis on high-stakes testing, federal reforms such as No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), state sponsored improvement programs, and other major issues that impact organizational culture and the role of school leaders. Each chapter features new examples and cases that illustrate persistent problems, spelling out key cultural implications and offering concrete examples of overcoming the challenges while maintaining a meaningful learning environment. The chapter on toxic schools continues to provide the field's most trusted advice on navigating this rocky terrain, and the discussion's focus on how to manage negativity remains especially integral to besieged school administrators across the U.S. Recent years have jolted the nation's school system with a number of new developments that spell problems for the cultural tapestry of schools. This book provides expert perspective and sage, doable advice for administrators tending to external pressures while sustaining�or evolving�a more positive school culture. Navigate new challenges including Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and waning confidence and faith Turn around a toxic school culture with confidence and success Foster a culture of passion, purpose, and meaning Adopt a more active form of symbolic leadership to support students, faculty, staff, parents, and community Test scores as the primary metric, relentless reforms, waning public support, and timid initiatives wrapped in bureaucratic packaging: while among the most prominent issues administrators face are only the tip of the iceberg. Shaping School Culture charts a route through competing pressures to help educational leaders hew a positive learning environment for schools.

This book is filled with the words and wisdom of two seasoned veterans: Margaret Juhl, a master teacher, and Brenda Connors, a wise and warm veteran principal. Though both are fictional, they are deeply rooted in the real-world life of contemporary schools. They've been there, and they know what they're talking about because of wisdom gleaned from experience. They are exemplars of countless teachers and principals who are blessed with unusual leadership skills and savvy.

Using actual case histories that readers can apply directly to their businesses, two experts in organizational behavior, corporate culture, and customer service demonstrate how to dramatically improve a company's overall performance by motivating behind-the-scenes workers. Deal is the bestselling author of Corporate Cultures, which has sold 75,000 copies.

Two specialists in organizational management offer an antidote to the decline in company spirit. From marking milestones to recognizing accomplishment, the authors document the powerful effect simple ceremonies can have on revitalizing morale and raising performance. 50 illustrations.

'This book is wonderful. My colleagues often state that the joy has been taken out of teaching. This book is a wake-up call that should be read by lawmakers at every level. Today I am celebrating the childhood of my students-something that we forget to do.' - Christine Zajac, Principal Lt. Clayre Sullivan School, Holyoke, MA There is more to education than teacher-proof curricula and scores on high-stakes tests! Educators know that genuine teaching involves caring, compassion, and building character-principles that can sometimes take a back seat to short-term goals of standardized performance. This inspirational volume for practicing teachers, student teachers, and school leaders champions the heart and soul of teaching and emphasizes how teachers can influence, inspire, and touch the lives of learners. The book explores the central themes of teaching practice and offers perspectives on: - Teaching as an art that promotes creativity, character, and imagination in students - Balancing testing and accountability with the art and passion of teaching - Authentic being and authentic teaching - Reform from the ground level, where educators are making a difference in the lives of their students - New directions for accountability mandates A motivating and empowering guide, this book reminds educators why they went into teaching in the first place!

Discover how social networks can foster learning communities and promote school improvement! Social networks reflect the usually invisible relationships that control the power and flow of information within a school. This resource for school leaders examines types of networks-related to tasks, friendships, power, and culture-and provides tools for maximizing networks' positive schoolwide influence. You will find: - Samples of social network maps that illustrate the relationships among players in various types of networks - Steps for developing your own social network maps using interviews, surveys, and data analysis - Strategies and practical advice for managing social networks in support of school goals