This book theorizes that models based on the classical sciences have misguided educational leadership. Dr. Rettig sees the open dynamics of twentieth-century science — specifically, quantum mechanics — as a better and more natural model, and describes what he sees as a method of leadership light years beyond those of today. Dr. Rettig illustrates his erudite critique of the contemporary school administration structure with the story of Leslie O'Connor, a fictional administrator, who makes her way through familiar-seeming training techniques. For anyone interested in the organization and administration of school systems, this book provides an original and compelling perspective.

As a professor of educational administration/leadership and as a former school leader, Perry Rettig found himself extremely dissatisfied with the dry, passive, and detached textbooks for such programs. He also found that the students in his programs had been disappointed, too. While traditional texts do a good job of detailing theory and conceptual models important to school leadership, these same theories and constructs are taught without any real-life and meaningful interaction. Practicing Principals is an interactive book that demands that students experience and thoughtfully analyze these theories and constructs in actual, real-life situations before they take on the job. Students, professors, school boards, professional organizations, and the administrators themselves are demanding that university programs become more authentic. With Practicing Principals, Rettig gives the novice the opportunity to practice how they would handle real-life situations and then analyze their work with their peers, their professors, and even their own building administrators.

American schools should be laboratories for modeling democratic concepts. However, our school systems are the antithesis of democratically run organizations. Teaching professionals, students and parents have very little power or genuine influence in decision making. Reframing Decision Making in Education begins by describing the current status of American schools and concludes with a description of the organizational structure, leadership, and decision making practices necessary to make our schools operate in a manner congruent with those democratic principles we espouse as a country. This book describe a democratic structure and a decision making matrix to help reform leaders begin such an endeavor. Woven through each chapter is a fictional story of Principal Samantha Levy. We see Ms. Levy’s struggles as she begins the process of making change in her high school and its impact on those around her.

The Quantum University begins with an analysis of the current state of higher education organizational structure and leadership based on classical scientific approaches. It then focuses briefly why the classical approaches are inappropriate for human organization, such as universities. From this baseline, the book shares descriptions of quantum physics, ecology, chaos theory, and other newer sciences. These sciences provide us important lessons for how we run our universities. These new sciences are a much cleaner fit and metaphor for our institutional structures and leadership models. The Quantum University finishes with a thorough investigation of what a new university structure would look like and the type of leadership it would need. Each chapter is accompanied with a guest essay written by different practitioners from across the nation. In addition, each chapter shares a fictitious story of “Leslie.” She is a new board of trustee member and struggles with her leadership role. By the end of the book, her insights have provided a new direction not only for herself, but also for the university.

Shared Governance begins with the premise that today’s higher education governance practices have lost their focus and vitality. By re-examining the original suppositions of shared governance, along with an infusion of seminal democratic values and principles, a contemporary model is envisioned. From historical perspectives on shared governance, the book then takes a view of current governance models through the lens of Critical Theory and Open Systems Thinking. Political, corporate, and school system models are briefly reviewed before moving on to application to colleges and universities. Each chapter concludes with a continuous story of a young and maturing college vice president as she grapples with a static and worn governance system at her institution. She strives to reinvigorate the notion of shared governance and to bring staff and students into the process. The final three chapters of the book each include an essay written by individuals who have served on the ground level of shared governance at their institution. These people include: an administrative assistant who helped to create a Staff Council; a Student Government Association president who took a nascent SGA and gave students a new voice; and, an associate dean who mentored students in this developmental process.

"This book offers aspiring and veteran school leaders insightful, practical, and proven strategies to successfully acquire and thrive in meaningful professional positions." —David Freitas, Professor Indiana University South Bend Build a dynamic career by design—not by default! Given the challenges of today′s educational environment, a school leader′s career is far from predictable—but it can be a purposeful and successful journey. This essential guide helps educators take charge of their careers, advance professionally, and leave a legacy of stronger schools and improved learning opportunities for children. Based on the best-selling author′s extensive school leadership experience, this book helps readers wisely navigate their careers and stay true to their values. The author addresses concerns for readers at every stage of professional life—from highly experienced administrators to those aspiring to leadership positions. Readers will find personal coaching on leading both oneself and others, including: The seven critical choices that shape school leadership, from setting goals to choosing the right battles Guidance on making tough calls and hard choices Advice on finding the right position and work environment and how to flourish personally and professionally Numerous real-life examples of how education leaders face and overcome challenges and build effective learning environments Take action today to build a purposeful career in school leadership and make a positive difference in children′s lives!

In The Coach Approach to School Leadership, Jessica Johnson, Shira Leibowitz, and Kathy Perret address a dilemma faced by many principals: how to function as learning leaders while fulfilling their evaluative and management duties. The answer? Incorporating instructional coaching techniques as an integral part of serious school improvement. The authors explain how principals can Master the skill of "switching hats" between the nonjudgmental coach role and the evaluative supervisor role. Expand their classroom visits and combine coaching with evaluation requirements. Nurture relationships with teachers and build a positive school culture. Provide high-quality feedback to support the development of both teachers and students. Empower teachers to lead their own professional learning and work together as a team. Drawing from the authors' work with schools as well as their conversations with educators across the globe, this thought-provoking book speaks to the unique needs of principals as instructional leaders, providing solutions to challenges in every aspect of this complex endeavor. The role of the principal is changing at a rapid pace. Let this resource guide you in improving your own practice while helping teachers master the high-quality instruction that leads to student success.

This book casts a refreshingly new light on current literature on school leadership, which has predominantly been viewed through Western lenses. Accordingly, key concepts and theories on leadership and school leadership have primarily been generated from thinking and research in the Western sphere. This is problematic, considering the fact that the leadership concept or construct, and its practices, are significantly influenced and shaped by contexts, and even situations. However, there are various contextual conditions and forces that can separately or collectively affect how school leadership is understood and practiced, including social, cultural, historical, geographical, economic and political conditions. In response, the book seeks to provide readers a better awareness of how the leadership construct or phenomenon is shaped by the varying contexts constantly affecting school leadership, while specifically focusing on the Asia Pacific region. In turn, it highlights various Asia Pacific contexts that shape school leadership, so as to ‘speak back’ to existing theories on school leadership.

Kappa Delta Pi is an international honor society in Education founded in 1911. This book chronicles the leadership of Kappa Delta Pi across the past century through a collection of short life stories about the 32 individuals who were elected by members to lead the Society. Through their work with their fellow officers, they helped keep alive the flame that called attention to the importance of highly qualified teachers in American schools, in the main, teachers whose academic credentials were very strong. These life stories attend to KDP presidents’ contributions to education, particularly with emphasis a) on high academic scholarship for educational professionals, e.g., teacher candidates, teachers at all levels, school administrators, college and university faculty members in education and in fields related to educational practice and knowledge; b) toward teacher candidates’ mindful learning in and the integration of liberal arts, education, and other fields of study; c) and in the support and fostering of scholarly endeavors, especially substantive research and creative developments in the educational processes of schooling – all or many related to the individual’s involvement in Kappa Delta Pi. A number of elements of Kappa Delta Pi’s purposes and practices during its first century are illuminated in this book. Many others remain obscured, neglected, or unknown. Readers reasonably may discover keys to increased understanding and wonderment as they read and think about the lives of these former presidents, particularly about their contributions to the continuance and strengthening of the Society. One impressive key surely is evident. Their presidencies not only helped Kappa Delta Pi to continue to exist. They also fostered the fruitful creation of this honor society in education. And so also will those members and leaders who, succeeding these former presidents, enter confidently into Kappa Delta Pi’s second century.