Parents, lawmakers, supervisors, and unions are among the many constituencies that demand influence, if not control, of the educational process. How does the school administrator balance all the needs of the various groups and still remain true to the ultimate, though most powerless constituency: the students? Through case studies and anecdotes based on real-life experiences, the authors share the ups and downs of the educational world, seeking to find the balance that is most effective in ensuring success. School Leadership:Case Studies Solving School Problems details decision making and actions taken that dramatically affect the success of students and schools as well as school systems. This second edition continues and improves on the first edition with a series of new and timely school leadership case studies that require the reader to reflect on the variety of issues that cross the principal's desk every day. The reader will find the case studies and anecdotes highly absorbing. They are so real, fraught with complexity, and will require the reader to use a sophisticated decision-making process.

This book presents a series of related empirical studies about the thinking and problem solving processes of expert educational leaders. It describes the nature of expert thinking and provides substantial explanations for the cognitive processes associated with expert thinking. Differences in the thinking and problem solving of male and female; novice and experienced; elementary, secondary, district administrators are all explored. In addition, the book provides a glimpse of the school administrator's world from a problem solving perspective and clarifies the kinds of experiences that give rise to expert thinking.

Principals and teachers have very different perspectives, pressures, and struggles. As a result, problems of negativity, isolation, or censure often develop among staff members. This may cause principals and teachers to spend a tremendous amount of energy addressing these issues instead of focusing on their primary goal—improved student achievement. Creating a Positive School Culture provides strategies for understanding and solving staff problems, preventing conflicts, and enriching school climates. By combining therapeutic knowledge with day-to-day educational experience, the authors offer innovative solutions for overcoming many energy- and morale-sapping problems, including gossip, cliques, negativity, and competition. To help engage and inspire readers, this volume includes: - Teacher and principal interview excerpts - Concise case examples of school culture problems - Step-by-step guidance for school culture interventions - Best practices culled from the authors’ extensive research - Ready-to-use tools, including school culture surveys and staff development exercises Based on more than 200 surveys and interviews with principals and teachers, this practical guidebook clearly explains how administrators, teachers, parents, and staff can all work together to solve problems and build a culture of caring and respect.

In this book, award-winning educator Cathie West teaches readers how to confidently prepare for and respond to the challenges that come with being a school leader. Derived from professional experience and extensive research, the strategies can be put to work exactly as described or adapted to fit the unique situations that educators face in their schools. With more than thirty years of experience as a school principal, West provides tips for teacher leaders striving to expand their skills, brand new administrators looking for guidance, and experienced principals confronting the unfamiliar or looking for fresh problem-solving ideas.

Preparing Principals for a Changing World provides a hands-on resource for creating and implementing effective policies and programs for developing expert school leaders. Written by acclaimed author and educator Linda Darling-Hammond and experts Debra Meyerson, Michelle LaPointe, and Margaret Terry Orr, this important book examines the characteristics of successful educational leadership programs and offers concrete recommendations to improve programs nationwide. In a study funded by the Wallace Foundation, Darling-Hammond and the team examined eight exemplary principal development programs, as well as state policies and principals' experiences across the country. Using the data from the study, they reveal how successful programs are structured, the skills and knowledge participants gain, and what they are able to do in practice as school leaders as a result. What do these exemplary programs have in common? Aggressive recruitment; close ties with schools in the community; on-the-ground training under the wing of expert principals, and a strong emphasis on the cutting-edge theories of instructional and transformational leadership. In addition to highlighting the programs' similarities, the study also explains the differences among the programs and sheds light on the effectiveness of approaches and models from different states and contexts?East, West, North, and South; urban and rural; pre-service and in-service. The authors analyze program outcomes for principals and their schools, including illustrative case studies and educators' voices on the influence of programs' strategies for recruitment, internships, mentoring, and coursework. The ideas and suggestions outlined in Preparing Principals for a Changing World are presented with the goal of increasing the number of highly qualified, thoughtful, and innovative educational leaders.

Case studies enable aspiring administrators to refine their reaction skills as well as their critical-thinking skills by responding to a multitude of problems in a short time. Originally published in 1998, the case studies in this book provide a broad-based overview of the kinds of real problems that schools were facing at the time. The problems administrators face on a daily basis vary in scope and complexity. Short cases provide opportunities to address, analyse, and resolve problems encountered in the real working environment. Students must actively engage in a process of inquiry and problem solving. This book can be used over several years according to the case studies selected for class use. This is a multicourse, multiyear action case-study text.