1st Edition
The Elements of Education for School Leaders 50 Research-Based Principles Every School Leader Should Know
What skills are needed to ensure success as a school leader today? How do you ensure great teaching and learning is happening in your school? How do you build leadership capacity within your teams? To answer these questions, the authors combined up-to-date research with their own leadership experiences to assemble fifty essential principles that will help school leaders focus on what is most important.
This book provides clear, concise, and valuable advice for school leaders and their leadership teams. Each principle is paired with a case study that places each one in a real-life context. The Elements of Education for School Leaders is an essential resource for anyone who wants to lead an effective school.
Acknowledgements Meet the Authors Introduction 1. Admissions 2. Assessment 3. Attendance 4. Change Management 5. College Counseling 6. Communication Excellence 7. Community Engagement 8. Co-Teaching 9. Crisis Leadership 10. Crisis Management 11. Curriculum Leadership 12. Data-Driven Decision-Making 13. Death and Bereavement 14. Developmental Coaching 15. Differentiation 16. Discipline 17. Double-Loop Learning 18. Ethical Misconduct 19. Faculty Evaluation 20. Goal Setting 21. Grading 22. Hiring 23. In-the-Moment Feedback 24. Inclusivity and Diversity 25. Innovation Leadership 26. Instructional Coaching 27. Instructional Rounds 28. Leadership Team 29. Meeting Facilitation 30. Mentorship 31. Mission and Vision 32. Networking 33. New Teacher Induction 34. One-on-One (O3) Meeting 35. Operational Excellence 36. Piloting Crazy Ideas 37. Principal Practices 38. Prioritization 39. Professional Development 40. Progress Over Perfection 41. Safety and Security 42. Scheduling 43. School Climate 44. Situational Decision-Making 45. Special Education 46. Strategic Retention 47. Succession Planning 48. Termination 49. Turnaround Leadership 50. Union Partnerships
Biography
Julia Chun is the director of global education at Avenues The World School. She also was the founding principal of the New Visions Charter High School for Advanced Math and Science, the first in a network of ten charter high schools in New York City.
Tyler Tingley has led four American independent schools: Kingswood-Oxford School in Connecticut, the Blake School in Minnesota, and Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, as well as co-head of Avenues The World School in New York City. He is currently a strategic advisor at Avenues The World School.
William Lidwell is the chief research and development officer of the Tiger Works research and development team at Avenues The World School. He is the author of several books, including the best-selling Universal Principles of Design.
"Our principals face some of the toughest challenges of any profession. Pressed for time, and stretched to their limits, our leaders need a go-to guidebook that’s straight to the point and meets the moment – The Elements of Education for School Leaders is that book. Take it with you on your leadership journey." —Jean S. Desravines, CEO of New Leaders
"This book is a brilliant distillation of essential school leadership principles and skills that are critical for everyone interested in the field. It helps us tune out the noise and remain focused on building a collaborative, compassionate, student-centered learning environment. An incredibly useful must-have tool to get and remain leadership smart and sharp!"—Rhonda Perry, Principal, The Salk School of Science
"Leading a school well—whether public, private, or charter—has never been more challenging. Or essential. The best teachers are good storytellers, and this volume—like a well-versed mentor—offers sound, actionable guidance interspersed with tales of what daily leadership looks and feels like today, with its complexities, agendas, and hard-won successes. Though fictional, the challenges presented here are as familiar as tomorrow’s faculty meeting and as hard to ignore as the reporter outside the door. The Elements of Education for School Leaders can be a trusted and ready companion to any school leader."—Jeffrey C. Bradley, Director, New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc.
"Just as Strunk & White’s The Elements of Style has been a constant companion throughout my academic and professional life, I will now also keep The Elements of Education for School Leaders close at hand. It is a fantastic reference covering a range of highly pertinent topics in a clear and succinct manner. The Elements of Education for School Leaders has become my "go to" starting place when I need quick assistance and when I aspire to be more effective and inspiring as a leader. It’s like having an experienced consultant or coach in my office at all times."—David Perry, Director, American Embassy School, New Delhi
"The practical explanations of each of the extensive list of leadership concepts, coupled with the engaging case studies crafted to illustrate them, make The Elements of Education a must-read for all new and aspiring school leaders. The book’s structure cleverly allows the reader to do a comprehensive study of the concepts or just dip into those areas in which they feel they need to grow."—Sheena Nabholz, Director of School Relations, Search Associates (former Head of Lincoln Community School), Ghana
"This book is a great outline and overview to all the elements leaders must address in their difficult job of running a school. And what a list it is! Leadership positions are difficult and stressful—yet they are also the most rewarding. This book helps you navigate a wide variety of areas that all leaders must consider. The outline, which ranges from misconduct to community engagement and from admissions to crisis management, offers advice and case studies that help those in leadership positions examine the best path forward. It also recommends some outstanding resources. Kudos to Julia Chun, Tyler Tingley, and William Lidwell from Avenues, The World School-New York City for publishing this resource."—Laura Light, Executive Director, The Association for Advancement of International Education (AAIE)
