Increase student learning by developing teacher leaders! Research over the years has consistently identified leadership as a critical component of school change and, as initiatives to reform the educational system have emerged, one significant line of work emphasizes teachers assuming greater leadership roles within their organizations. Connecting Teacher Leadership and School Improvement is the first book to synthesize theoretical, empirical, and practice-based literature in order to provide a comprehensive look at what is known about teacher leadership and what works to support it. The first part of the book explores the core concepts of teacher leadership, while the second part shows readers how to establish the context in their school or LEA to cultivate and support teacher leaders. A vital piece of equipment in the school improvement toolbox, this book covers such important topics as: * The headteacher's critical role in supporting teacher leadership * Cultivating teacher leadership through professional development * Overcoming organizational barriers that hinder teacher leadership * How teacher leadership can help advance school improvement efforts Presenting a comprehensive model of this successful change strategy, author Joseph Murphy examines the ideological and empirical basis of teacher leadership and offers strategies to help teachers and headteachers create productive relationships that will strengthen our nation's schools.
Joseph F. Murphy is the Frank W. Mayborn Chair and associate dean at Peabody College of Education at Vanderbilt University. He has also been a faculty member at the University of Illinois and The Ohio State University, where he was the William Ray Flesher Professor of Education. In the public schools, he has served as an administrator at the school, district, and state levels, including an appointment as the executive assistant to the chief deputy superintendent of public instruction in California. His most recent appointment was as the founding president of the Ohio Principals Leadership Academy. At the university level, he has served as department chair and associate dean. He is past vice president of the American Educational Research Association and was the founding chair of the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC). He is co-editor of the AERA Handbook on Educational Administration (1999) and editor of the National Society for the Study of Education (NSSE) yearbook, The Educational Leadership Challenge (2002). His work is in the area of school improvement, with special emphasis on leadership and policy. He has authored or co-authored 18 books in this area and edited another 12. His most recent authored volumes include Understanding and Assessing the Charter School Movement (2002), Leadership for Literacy: Research-Based Practice, PreK-3 (2003), Connecting Teacher Leadership and School Improvement (2005), Preparing School Leaders: Defining a Research and Action Agenda (2006), and Turning Around Failing Schools: Lessons From the Organizational Sciences.
Preface About the Author Part I: Unpacking the Concept 1. Introduction to Teacher Leadership 2. Forces Supporting Teacher Leadership 3. Teacher Leadership: A Theory in Action 4. The Skills, Attributes, and Knowledge of Teacher Leaders 5. Pathways to Teacher Leadership Part II: Overcoming Barriers and Capturing Opportunities 6. Confronting Organizational and Cultural Barriers 7. Promoting Teacher Leadership From the Principal's Office 8. Developing Teacher Leaders 9. Conclusion References Index
