Authors:
- Bridges the traditional divide between the generalizations of social science research and theory on the one hand and the world of practice on the other
- Challenges governments and school boards to rethink their approach to educational reform
- Focuses on school district leadership that is a much neglected field of study in educational administration
- Provides a practical example of how the empirical evidence can guide leadership practice
Part of the book series: Studies in Educational Leadership (SIEL, volume 8)
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Table of contents (8 chapters)
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Front Matter
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Back Matter
About this book
School District Leadership Matters challenges policy makers, administrators, and academics in the field of educational leadership to reassess their traditional approaches to learning, working, and planning. The authors believe that government restructuring, standards-based reforms, and centrally imposed strategic planning have been painfully ineffective. As a consequence, student learning has become increasingly superficial and inauthentic.
This book bridges the traditional divide between the generalizations of social science theory on the one hand and the world of educational practice on the other. It argues that a more promising approach to education reform is through effective school district leadership. Sheppard, Brown and Dibbon draw on their collective experience both as educational leaders and researchers of leadership, having spent five years researching and working in one school district. Here, they show how a district superintendent can successfully navigate the paradoxes and challenges of facilitating collaborative leadership in a school district with a traditionally hierarchical organizational structure.
As a conclusion to their work, the authors highlight what they call five ‘recognitions’ that deepen readers’ understanding of school district leadership. They illuminate, too, ways that senior level practitioners can apply theory to practice in order to break down the traditional hierarchical bureaucracies that inhibit learning, and create professional learning communities.
School District Leadership Matters urges researchers, graduate students, practitioners, and policymakers to focus on improving authentic learning for all students and argues that the best hope rests with effective school district leadership. This empirically-based yet practical book provides new insights and questions for academic researchers and will inspire policy makers and practitioners to imagine what could be and to work towards it.
Authors and Affiliations
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Fac. Education Prince Philip Drive, Memorial University, St. John’s, Canada
Bruce Sheppard, Jean Brown, David Dibbon
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: School District Leadership Matters
Authors: Bruce Sheppard, Jean Brown, David Dibbon
Series Title: Studies in Educational Leadership
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9747-8
Publisher: Springer Dordrecht
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and Law, Education (R0)
Copyright Information: Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2009
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-4020-9746-1Published: 31 March 2009
Softcover ISBN: 978-90-481-8198-8Published: 28 October 2010
eBook ISBN: 978-1-4020-9747-8Published: 08 March 2009
Series ISSN: 1572-3909
Series E-ISSN: 2543-0130
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: X, 144
Topics: Administration, Organization and Leadership, Learning & Instruction