xiPreface
Does anyone need another book on educational leadership? Probably
not. Yet, when we consider that few talented educators want to become
principals or department chairs or assistant principals or even supervisory
master teachers, perhaps we should wonder if the current literature on
leadership actually reflects what teachers see in their schools. And when
we consider the high turnover rate (i.e., failure rate) for school leaders,
we should wonder if all the books and articles are providing them with
adequate preparation. This comes at a time when the need for talented
school leaders has never been greater.
Why is this book different? How will it convince the most talented
teachers to become school leaders? How will it lower the supervisory
failure rate?
This is not an ivory tower book. Not that coming from academia is a
negative, but sometimes the university can be divorced from the day-to-
day reality of the school. There are forty years of actual experience in this
book, covering the gamut from classroom instruction to principal to even
college adjunct. The content is not based on a set of theories or research
studies, but on the real experiences of a teacher and school leader. The
suggestions and advice are direct and practical.
This book is not about statistically defined schools or students or the
“average” teacher. It has a cast of real people. There is humor, pathos,
tragedy, as there is in your school, your extended family.
Most texts on educational leadership provide generalizations based
on research and theory. You are then asked to extrapolate specifics from
them. This book provides the specifics and eschews the generalities. As