1st Edition
Leading Schools to Learn, Grow, and Thrive Using Theory to Strengthen Practice
Leading Schools to Learn, Grow, and Thrive provides a unique approach to preparing prospective education leaders by combining theory, research, and practice. Grounded in organizational and leadership theory, this book helps leaders understand their schools and districts from multiple perspectives and develop their own leadership aspirations, approaches, and missions. Well-known authors Brazer, Bauer, and Johnson present authentic practical problems, illuminate them with appropriate theory and research, and give readers opportunities to solve common puzzles as a means to grow wisdom about how to lead, especially when confronted with complex challenges. This book is an invaluable resource for aspiring leaders, one that readers will reference as they proceed through their leadership coursework and keep close at hand throughout their leadership career.
Special Features:
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eResources—complementary resources for instructors and students, including a set of authentic role-playing scenarios accessible from https://www.routledge.com/9781138039100
- Vignettes—introduce the reader to real-life dilemmas that impact teaching and learning and provide a central reference point for discussions of theory, research, and practice.
- Theory and Research—frameworks and examples inform common leadership challenges, helping readers expand their knowledge and experience base to explore situations similar to their own contexts.
- Puzzles—real-world situations test knowledge and provide opportunities to practice ideas for effective leadership.
- Thought Partner Discussions (TPCs) and Extended Web Activities (EWAs)—additional thought activities, opportunities for reflection, and suggestions for discussion provoke puzzle solving.
ContentsList of Figures
List of Tables
Preface
Acknowledgments
Part 1 Understanding Organizations
Chapter 1 Understanding Schools and Districts as Organizations
Chapter 2 Schools as Open Systems: There’s a Whole World Out There
Chapter 3 School Leadership as Organized Anarchy: Taming the Untamable Beast
Chapter 4 Organizational Learning
Chapter 5 What Do Leaders Do?
Part 2 Leading Schools
Chapter 6 Transformational Leadership and Change
Chapter 7 Leading Instruction
Chapter 8 Leading With Others: Distributed Leadership and its Conceptual Ancestors
Chapter 9 Epilogue: Where We Stand at This Moment
Biography
S. David Brazer is Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at Stanford University, USA.
Scott C. Bauer is Professor of Education and Associate Dean of Advanced Education and Doctoral Programs at the University of Colorado, Denver, USA.
Bob L. Johnson, Jr. is Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Alabama, USA.
"This book is a major resource for principal preparation programs that avoids simple management platitudes while providing thought provoking examples of dilemmas of leadership practice for discussion. The integration of organization theory and real cases will engage both instructors and students."
--Karen Seashore Louis, Regents Professor, Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development, University of Minnesota"This text provides a range of theoretical and historical perspectives on school organizations relevant to the work of educational leaders and engages readers in experiences intended to demonstrate the value of such perspectives for their practice. This is a very ambitious undertaking which is mostly quite successful."
--Kenneth Leithwood, Emeritus Professor, University of Toronto
