Looking for effective strategies and best practices to break the cycle of ineffective school reform implementation? Author Grace Sammon takes a sobering look at the state of high school reform and identifies the elements that keep us "running in place", rather than making progress on a road to success. Battling the Hamster Wheel (TM) offers research-based insights and strategies, stories from the field, and humor to help lead change agents and school leaders in a reform process to build the school communities they seek to create. It also provides the skills to establish and sustain the critical elements for schools' success: Demonstrating high expectations and a matching vision Building capacity to create a true climate for success Thinking small and dreaming big Engaging in legitimate community support Thriving with strong, sustained, and shared leadership Effectively aligning and managing resources Understanding the importance of time This insightful resource includes a built-in book study and facilitator's guide for school boards, administrators, teachers, consultants, and students of education, and for professional development events.
Grace Sammon, president and founder of GMS Partners, Inc., is an educator, school reformer, consultant, "coach," speaker, and internationally recognized author. She has spent nearly twenty years working in one of the United States' toughest institutions, the American high school. She has inspired change and fostered improvement in schools, districts, and government organizations nationally through her upbeat advice and sound, practical recommendations. GMS Partners, Inc. is an educational consulting firm dedicated to enhancing school communities through a focused effort on vision, alignment of resources, planning, coaching, professional development, and a commitment to continuous improvement. Under Ms. Sammon's leadership, GMS Partners, Inc. has worked in thirty-two states across the nation, with a focus on whole-school improvement. She is the cofounding director of the National Career Academy Coalition (NCAC) and the Executive Director of the Business Institute for Educators. Her clients have included schools and school systems at the state and district level, nonprofits, and the U.S. Departments of Defense, Education, Health and Human Services, and Navy. Ms. Sammon has authored Battling the Hamster Wheel:TM Strategies for Making High School Reform Work, eight manuals on school-to-career transition, and articles on organizational change, school partnerships, and staff development. She created Metro MANIA: The Great Train Ride Through Washington, a board and street experience game to facilitate student use of public transportation while they gain an appreciation for the employment and cultural offerings of the nation's capital. She has also authored five integrated curricular pieces for use in middle schools and a teen pregnancy prevention curriculum and training manual. She earned her Master's Degree in Education at The Catholic University of America. She has ten years' experience in higher education administration and has served as an adjunct university professor and a long-term substitute teacher. Her professional notes include listings in Who's Who in American Education and being named Outstanding Business Person of the Year by Future Business Leaders of America. In the spring of 1996, she was appointed to the U.S. Secretary of Defense's Joint Civilian Orientation Council. She has two children, Brian and Kate Loewe, who continue to inspire her with their commitment to justice and equity, and to improving the communities they serve.
Preface Acknowledgments About the Author 1. The Battle Begins 2. The Skunk Is on the Table 3. D.U.C.K.S. Come in F.L.O.C.K.S 4. Glass Balls and Hedgehogs 5. The Simple Truth References Index Book Study and Facilitation Guide
"Battling the Hamster Wheel (TM) takes a hard and honest look at what is and isn't working in our schools. (The author's) humor, common sense, and research have real pay offs for those engaged in reform." -- Armando Alaniz, Assistant Superintendent for High School Improvement and Accountability "Battling the Hamster Wheel (TM) goes well behyond the sphere of eudcation, (which) is only a beginning point. The lessons have real applicability for all of our organizations and for ourselves." -- Sharon E. Barrett, Former Director for Minority and Women "Battling the Hamster Wheel (TM) provides just the right balance between looking at the real truth about our high schools and providing the motivation, skills, and abilities to make real change." -- Melba Kennedy, Louisiana State Department of Education ""Sammon's years of experience in the field as practitioner and consultant have resulted in real rewards for schools serious about the reform process. Her approach in Battling the Hamster Wheel (TM) provides us with a clear image and useful strategies for 'jumping off the wheel' and engaging in a productive process of effective reform." -- Patricia W. McNeil, Former Assistant Secretary "This is one of the few treatises that I have read over the past several years that is based on reality, rather than ideology; on collective learning, rather than philosophical imposition; on the grassroots, rather than that of top-down reformers; and on the 'lay of the land' rather than preconceptions." -- Arnold F. Fege, Director "A comprehensive approach to organizational change. Sammon presents readers with the motivation and strategies to engage in effective, meaningful change." -- Curriculum Connections, Fall 2006
