Essential Renewal of America's Schools

Carl Glickman is professor emeritus of education at the University of Georgia and coauthor of Leading for Powerful Learning: A Guide for Instructional Leaders. Ian M. Mette is an associate professor in the educational leadership program at the University of Maine and is founding editor of the Journal of Educational Supervision.

• Prologue ixPreface xiAcknowledgments xiii1. Introduction: Recapturing the Essence of Schools 1The Fork in the Road 1Whipping American Public Schools with External Control 2Being Real 3Recapturing the Goal of American Public Schools 4A Reframing of the Work 6Ordinary Good People Doing Extraordinary Good Work 7PART I: A RENEWED FRAMEWORK FOR DEMOCRATIZING SCHOOLS FROM THE INSIDE OUT2. The Promise: Establishing Common Principles of Teaching and Learning 11Schools as Successful Organizations 12Traditions of (Mis)Education 15Existing Conditions as a Forum for Discussion: Types of Schools 17Developing the Promise 19Principles of Learning 21What to Do with the Promise 233. The Pledge: Creating a Commitment to Make Decisions as a Community 24Developing a Decisionmaking Process 25Guiding Rules of Decisionmaking 25Locus of Control 26Factors Impacting Democracy in Schools 27The Ideal Governing Rules 29Navigating Between Ideal and Reality 32What Type of Governance? 33Representative, Direct, and Hybrid Governance 34Why Do This? 35If Not Us, Then Whom? 37Focus on Governance 38A Final Note About Formality and Procedures 384. Problem Solving: Community-Based Action Research to Drive Student Learning 40The Critical Self-Study Process 41Raising Community-Based Questions to Drive Action Research 41Data Sources for Self-Study 42An American Tendency: Action Without Study 45Infusion of Information 46Ways to Gather Information 47Giving Voice 49PART II: THE WORK OF SCHOOL RENEWAL5. Educational Priorities and Organizational Application 53Curriculum Development and Implementation 54Staff Professional Development 56Instructional Coaching 57Student Assessment and Outcomes 58Instructional Resources 59Implementing New Practices 61Stages of Concern 62Blurring of Tasks 63Departmental and Grade-Level Plans 646. Becoming an Educative Community 66Change and the Shadows of Our Own Caves 66Understanding (De)Motivating Factors: Approaches to School Change 67Developmental Needs 69Sociocultural Differences 71Getting Started 73The Need to Identify and Act on Inequity 747. Dealing with Tough Questions of Practice 75With Freedom Comes Responsibility 76Moral Authority; Not Imposed Formal Authority 79Diversification vs. Competition 80The Ability of a Principal to Mobilize 82Opportunities to Engage the Larger Community 83Why Opportunities Are at the Heart of Renewing American Schools 84The Continuum of Renewal 868. Supporting School Renewal: Important Signals from the District 88The Politics of a School Board and District Personnel 88Opportunities to Empower 89An Age-Old Issue: Equality vs. Equity 91Democratic Use of Economic Principles 92Developing a District Plan for School Renewal 93Fade Away or Facilitation? 96Issues in Developing District Policies 96The Morality of Decentralization 98PART III: MOVING BEYOND IDEAS AND INTO ACTION9. Dilemmas of Good Schools: Pinpointing and Moving On 103The Issue of Time 103External Regulations 104Voice 106Coordinating with Other Schools 108Dependence on External Authorities 109Sequence, Emphasis, and the Pace of Educational Change 110Dysfunctional Behavior 112Dilemmas and Decisions 11410. Conclusion: If Not Now, Then When? 115How to Take This Book and Run with It 116Restructuring Policy 118A Sobering Appraisal of the Need to Focus 119Believing 120Appendix A: Sample Pledge to Democratic Governance 123Appendix B: The Peakview School Pledge 129Appendix C: A Sample of a Process for Decentralizing Authority to Local Schools by a District and State Invitational Policy 131References 135Index 139About the Authors 145