School Principals

The school principalship is one of the most demanding and misunderstood jobs in American education. This professional reference offers practical advice on how to perform that job successfully. The volume overviews the efficient management of resources, the importance of strategic planning, and the legal and business concerns that principals must face. The book also emphasizes the role of the principal as a leader in the educational community.

A Blueprint for Developing Tomorrow's School Leaders "A penetrating analysis of today's whopping school leadership crisis, and a wake-up call for a revolution in principal preparation. Filled with provocative ideas on how to address the demands for unprecedented improvement in student performance." _ Jerome Murphy, professor of education and former dean, Harvard Graduate School of Education "The Principal Challenge does a brilliant job of chronicling the failure of our school districts and our schools of education to prepare school principals for the job ahead. This book is both a stimulus for action and a handbook of new models for leadership development. Everyone who wants public education to succeed should read it." _ John C. Fryer, Jr., superintendent, Duval County Schools, Florida and former commandant, National War College "This panoramic view of the principalship is powerful. Not only does this book present issues few are willing to openly discuss, it lays out solutions. It is a must-read for everyone interested in the future of our kids." _ Patricia A. Harvey, superintendent, Saint Paul, Minnesota Public Schools "For too long, the heart of educational leadership has been neglected. This book provides a welcome transfusion. The coeditors are obviously well grounded in both theory and practice. Their critique of schools of education is right on target." _ Terrance Deal, Irving R. Melbo Scholar, Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California "The Principal Challenge represents a ray of hope and a voice of reason for principals, who are under enormous pressure from states, localities, and communities to produce results in demanding circumstances. There are few jobs today with as many and as divergent responsibilities as that of a principal. A new vision of the principalship is required, and The Principal Challenge delivers." _ Maria Tukeva, principal, Bell Multicultural High School, Washington, D.C.

Webster's points are: (1) the principal must teach teachers using an informed vision of the school as an ideal setting for learner growth, (2) teaching the universe of discourse and its skills are the most important activities in schools because discourse is the "master switchboard" of all teaching and learning, and (3) effective principalship is eclectic and pragmatic. The focus of the book includes educationally sound, legally defensible teacher evaluation that has been developed with other principals who have perfected the science of "writing up" teachers. Innovations in Webster's method involve approaches to staff development, different portrayals of the authoritative basis of the principalship, and the evaluation of teaching from the point of view of discourse among practiced and inexperienced teachers.

Dismissing current books and courses which neatly compartmentalize the ideal principalship, Donaldson examines the everyday realities of the position. Drawing from his own experience and contemporary studies, he identifies three crucial functions of high school leaders: choosing activities that serve the school's purposes; identifying and enlisting capable partners; and developing and maintaining productive relationships. As expectations for principals and schools rise and as current literature prescribes unrealistic principal roles, Learning to Lead is a rich hands-on source for the examination of the organizational dynamics of secondary schools and leadership.

The author provides long-needed evidence challenging widespread claims about the supposed shortcomings and weak impact of educational research. The study is based on interviews with principals sampled from major types of schools in two nations: the United States--a highly populated country where research knowledge is often distributed through secondary sources but policy decisions may be made at the local level--and Australia--a less-populated country where research knowledge may be distributed directly to users but policy decisions are more often made at the state and federal levels.

This groundbreaking study fills a significant gap in educational research literature as it explores the problem of persistent and pervasive underachievement by African-American students in the public schools of the United States. Teacher quality, school resources, socio-economic status of students, cultural relevance of curriculum, and school leadership are a few of the factors that contribute to achievement or the lack of it by these students. Lomotey focuses on the impact of the African-American principal's leadership, its effect on the academic achievement of African-American students, and the day-to-day activities associated with school leadership.

Presents what is known about attracting and retaining school administrators, including the factors that influence people's decisions to pursue an administrative career, and concludes that there is no national shortage of qualified people for school administrative positions.