Full Description
Learn to make the best decisions for your school!
Essential to inspiring and improving schools, principals make complex decisions on a daily basis. This invaluable resource offers extensive case studies to explore how expert principals manage crises, navigate tough choices, and support school environments. You will find:
Problem-solving strategies and cases focused on data analysis and competing stakeholders
Easy-to-use checklists, robust reflection questions, and a framework to define your own professional core values
Tools to coach and evaluate teachers, and bolster struggling students
A former elementary and secondary school site administrator, the author presents a highly sensible, cohesive, and research-based approach to decision-making that will greatly benefit school principals at any career stage.
"I have never seen or heard of an excellent school that did not have an excellent principal. In this important new book McLaughlin helps us to understand what it takes to become a genuine expert as a school leader by closely examining how they navigate the challenges involved in leading schools during these turbulent times."
-Pedro A. Noguera, Peter L. Agnew Professor of Education, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Development
Executive Director, Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools, New York University
"This book is a rare blend of practice and solid academic work. Dionne McLaughlin's writing shows that she 'talks the talk' because she has 'walked the walk.'"
-Fenwick W. English, R. Wendell Eaves Senior Distinguished Professor of Educational Leadership
School of Education, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
"McLaughlin describes a sensible and cohesive approach to decision making and includes case studies of actual situations faced by real principals. Insights is a valuable resource for new and aspiring principals as well as experienced principals."
-C. Diane Payne, Director
Principal Fellows Program, Center for School Leadership Development, Chapel Hill, NC
Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Part I: Factors Expert Principals Consider in Decision Making
1: Weighing Options
2: Recognizing and Connecting to Core Values
3: Considering the Culture Before Introducing Change
4: Examining the Whole Picture
Part II: Making Difficult Decisions
5: Decisions About Student Consequences
6: Decisions About Faculty and Staff
7: Decisions About Practices, Policies, and Programs
8: Decisions That Improve African American and Latino Student Achievement
References
Resources
Classroom Walkthrough Form
Current Bell Schedule
Proposed Bell Schedule
Principal Interview Questions
Resources
List of Tables
List of Case Studies
Glossary
Index
