Six Principles Guiding Schools Where Inequity Is Not an Option
Now is the time for Breakthrough Leadership This book was borne out of urgency. We face the consequences of a raging pandemic, coupled with an unprecedented call to end racial injustice. COVID-19 has exposed longstanding structural inequities, while at the same time offering a rare "breakthrough" opportunity to dismantle inequitable systems that have harmed our most marginalized students for generations. Breakthrough Leadership is rooted in moral courage and calls us to act upon a new discovery, or epiphany about a fundamental truth that challenges previous beliefs. While this book offers examples of schools that were "beating the odds" pre-COVID-19 as well as strategies for changing those odds in the future. Breakthrough Leadership also spotlights professionals now leveraging crises like this to shape local and national priorities toward a more equitable and healthy society for our children in order to: Create and sustain Equitable Learning Communities (ELCs) that are grounded in relational trust Establish comprehensive systems to ensure that all students thrive Implement cutting-edge principles of effective curriculum, instruction, and assessment including culturally responsive teaching, trauma-informed practice, and blended learning Meaningfully engage families and community Leadership from the classroom to the board room is needed to advance an agenda of equitable and successful outcomes for our students. The facts stakes couldn't be starker. Good leadership saves lives both in pandemics, and in our profession. "The critical variable that determines whether or not our schools can respond adequately to the numerous challenges that they and their children face is leadership. . . This book is about the work of such leaders. In big cities, small towns, and rural areas, a small number of principals and superintendents are showing that progress can be made when leaders have the resourcefulness and courage to address equity challenges directly. The educational leaders profiled in this book have a clear sense of how to systematically build the capacity of teachers and schools to meet the needs of the students they serve. I urge other leaders to learn from them so that great schools that serve all children well, will be the norm, rather than the exception." ~Pedro Noguera "With all its devastation, COVID-19 also presents the opportunity of the century to transform the public education system that, to say the least, has become stalled and stagnant in the past 50 years. . . . Breakthrough Leadership makes a significant contribution to our next phase, which must be one of definable and targeted transformation of equity-based learning. ~Michael Fullan
6 Principles That Advance Student Achievement in Highly Effective Schools
School improvement that lasts: find out how with this masterful guide! Common Core requirements, merit-based pay, new teacher evaluations, project-based learning-21st-century learning is a demanding and rapidly changing landscape. Advance from overwhelmed to empowered with Alan Blankstein's Failure Is Not an Option, used by more than 350,000 educators to create schools that sustain success for every student. New case studies and field-tested techniques uncover indispensable insights into successful school change. Develop high-performing leadership teams through Powerful engagement strategies and capacity-building questions to help staff and students leverage what's working and target measurable goals New real-world examples to help stakeholders maintain collaborative cultures in the face of new teacher evaluations and merit pay, sustain successful RTI and Common Core initiatives, thrive in diverse settings, and promote community engagement New tools, forms, and video segments on a companion website Use this handbook to discover what makes results-oriented, enduring school improvement models work! Praise for the Second Edition: "An overwhelming body of research shows that educational change and improvement must come from the inside. Here is a practical road map for improving the climate and culture of schools in ways that are meaningful and enduring. We must be open to new ideas, new strategies, and new opportunities. School transformation is something you do with educators, not to them. This book will show you how." -Dennis Van Roekel, President National Education Association
6 Principles for Making Student Success the ONLY Option
Demonstrate how six powerful principles can help ensure that failure is never an option! An ideal companion to the second edition of the bestseller, Failure Is Not an Option (R), this step-by-step guide provides staff developers and workshop facilitators with all the tools to help school leaders create successful, sustainable high-performing schools. Aligned with the chapters of Alan M. Blankstein's award-winning book, these activities, discussion questions, and field-tested resources demonstrate how to avoid 10 common routes to failure and are designed around six guiding principles: Common mission, vision, values, and goals Achievement for all students through prevention and intervention systems Collaborative teaming focused on teaching for learning Data-based decisions for continuous improvement Active family and community engagement Building sustainable leadership capacity Reflecting the updated edition's greater emphasis on diversity, assessment for learning, intervention and support for students at risk, and schooling as a community endeavor, the facilitator's guide features Field-tested resources referenced in Failure Is Not An Option (R), Second Edition, including tools for applying the six principles Workshop activities Discussion questions Chapter content summaries Suggestions for further reading and reflection A workshop evaluation form The Facilitator's Guide to Failure Is Not an Option (R), Second Edition is ideal for staff developers or anyone leading groups of any size-pairs, small workshops, or large seminars.
"The answer is not always in the room. Sometimes it's in the room next door. But help is often much closer than you think. Drawing on inspirational yet practical examples of health reform in Vietnam, courageous change in South Africa, and authentic improvements that get results in a range of American schools, Alan Blankstein demonstrates that throwing random reforms into the room through the door, or shouting at people in the room from up on the roof, are not ways that make positive change happen. Blankstein knows his people, knows his schools and knows what brings about positive, professionally driven change. This brilliant little book not only shows what works, it dignifies the overly criticized professionals who make it all happen." -Andy Hargreaves, Author and Thomas More Brennan Chair in Education Boston College, MA "When the well-being of children is at stake, people of all stripes are called upon to put aside personal agendas, find the humility and courage to do what is right, and let go of what has not worked. This book provides compelling reasons for doing this in education, as well as a powerful new methodology for success and a pathway to a brighter future." -Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu 1GOAL Education for All, Cape Town, South Africa "With tools and techniques provided in Alan Blankstein's new book, educators have the potential to uncover the answers to complex issues in education." -Deborah Childs-Bowen, Assistant Professor Alliance for Leadership in Education, Samford University, Birmingham, AL Learn the secrets of successful schools Citing wisdom from top educational experts and building on what is already working, award-winning author Alan M. Blankstein offers tools for finding excellence in schools, scaling these practices across learning communities, and transforming low-performing schools into high-performing schools. His five-step process includes: Identifying and assessing excellence Creating an action plan Assigning resources such as time, materials, etc. Transferring excellence in the form of knowledge and skills throughout the school and district Sustaining the excellence Also included are effective strategies for sustaining student gains, closing gaps within and between schools, building leader capacity, and increasing community commitment.
"This indispensable volume provides a wealth of answers from the country's foremost educators and researchers." -Dennis Shirley, Professor Boston College Lynch School of Education, MA Keys to building socially just schools where achievement soars Research shows that students' sense of belonging in their school communities is critically linked to academic achievement. This ninth and final book in The Soul of Educational Leadership series offers practical strategies for promoting socially responsible school cultures that foster greater student engagement and democratic values. A joint publication with the American Association of School Administrators and the HOPE Foundation, with contributions from renowned educators Bonnie Davis, Linda Skrla, Randall Lindsey, and others, this book explores the key concepts of respect, equity, and character, and examines tough issues such as: Reflecting on our backgrounds and assumptions Modeling socially responsible behavior Teaching students to discern injustice Enacting a zero-tolerance policy toward bullying Students will shape tomorrow based on what they learn today. This compact guide equips educators to implement democratic practices, act in socially just ways, and impart democratic values to the citizens of the future.
"Establishing school-family-community partnerships to promote the social, emotional, and academic learning of students is the most important challenge for 21st-century education. In this volume, leading practitioners and researchers compellingly convey the rationale and inspiration for these partnerships. They also share many practical, innovative, and effective strategies that readers can readily implement to engage partners in raising knowledgeable, responsible, caring, and contributing children." -Roger P. Weissberg, Liberal Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor University of Illinois at Chicago Making schooling a community endeavor! Because schools are the heart and soul of a community, educational leaders have a responsibility to bring the community into the school, as well as to make the school a part of the surrounding community. This volume in the Soul of Educational Leadership series goes beyond administrative skills to examine educators' pivotal role of leading family and community involvement in school success. With articles written by leading authorities and practitioners in the field, this resource discusses how school leaders can build successful family and community partnerships that flourish even in trying circumstances and over time. Readers will find: Contributions from Alan M. Blankstein, Pedro A. Noguera, Mavis G. Sanders, Paul D. Houston, Edward H. Moore, and others Inspiring and unique perspectives on the interplay of family and community in school success Ideas for engaging families as partners
Use the power of data-and the insights it provides-to enhance your leadership practice! Offering key concepts about how the informed use of data can translate into highly effective school leadership, this seventh volume in The Soul of Educational Leadership series demonstrates how educational leaders can apply data strategically to strengthen school leadership and significantly improve professional learning, students' learning experiences, and schoolwide performance. Copublished with the HOPE Foundation and the American Association of School Administrators and featuring state-of-the-art contributions from Jesse Rodriguez, Lorna M. Earl, Steven Katz, Eileen Depka, Kay Burke, and other experts, this compact book combines research, practice, and innovative thinking to help readers determine what kind of data they need and how to use their findings to: Create a culture of professional inquiry that drives staff development Redefine curriculum, instruction, and assessment in standards-based classrooms Raise student achievement Determine best uses for technology to benefit administrators, teachers, and students Regularly fine tune the decision-making process
Meet the challenges of today's changing schools through shared leadership! Today's rapidly changing schools and educational trends present administrators and school leaders with unique challenges. This fifth volume in the Soul of Educational Leadership series offers inspiring articles that examine how to sustain the achievements of school communities while building shared leadership to carry on the work of school improvement, even when facing tight budgets or a change in leadership. Bringing together a powerful group of leading educational thinkers such as Michael Fullan, Dennis Sparks, Linda Lambert, Dean Fink, Alma Harris, and many others, this volume explores a variety of timely topics for reflection, discussion, and practice, including: The characteristics and nature of effective leadership Sustainable leadership built on shared vision Improving classroom teaching and student learning Large-scale reforms that benefit the entire school community Recruiting and developing new leaders, and much more! This book is an ideal reference for busy administrators dedicated to continued educational excellence.
The sixth volume in the Soul of Educational Leadership series offers key ideas on effective diplomacy and communication strategies for school leaders. With contributions from top leadership figures like Paul Houston, John R. Hoyle, Rich Bagin, and Daniel Pink, among others, this book combines research and thought-provoking ideas for improving practice. Readers will find articles on:Creating a dynamic, effective districtwide communication systemHow superintendents can respond to district challenges and issuesUsing blogs as a communication toolThe importance of educating studentsafora'high-concept and high-touch' qualities such as imagination, joyfulness, and social dexterity
