Principals as Maverick Leaders: Rethinking Democratic Schools

by Michael Chirichello, Sharron Goldman Walker

Overview

After her school wins the coveted United States National Secondary Education Award, a school principal embarks upon an educational odyssey. The principal discovers that the reasons for winning the award are a sham! As her school falls apart, she begins to reflect on the stagnant school organization and the ineffective prescriptions for improvement. She wonders why as a democratic nation, American schools do not model the practice of democracy for students. The principal begins her quest to unearth the flaws in her own thinking about the way schools work in her quest to create more democratic schools. Endeavoring to understand how systems really work, the principal puts her new ideas into practice and shares with the reader the lessons learned from past practices. This book presents a guide for principals in the form of rules that suggest that educational leaders must ask themselves why they do what they do. It also takes readers through a series of vignettes focused on how principals can practice democracy in the schoolhouse, while challenging themselves and their school community.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781610483490
Publisher:	R&L Education
Publication date:	06/09/2011
Pages:	266
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Michael Peter Chirichello was a teacher, principal, superintendent of schools, and college professor for four decades. He is currently visiting professor at Northern Kentucky University, where he teaches aspiring doctoral students. Sharron Goldman Walker was a public school teacher and principal for almost four decades. She continues to write books and articles about the practice of democracy in the schoolhouse in order to preserve freedom.

Table of Contents

Introduction ix

Part I The Principal as Classical Mechanic 1

Rule 1 Ask Yourself Why Society Schools Children 3

Rule 2 Flush Out Your Theory of Organization 13

Rule 3 Probe the Mechanical Universe 23

Rule 4 Examine How You Know What You Know 33

Rule 5 Modify the Theory of the Mechanical Universe 45

Rule 6 Know Thyself 55

Rule 7 Understand the Ontology of Control 67

Rule 8 Never Accept the Convenience of Control 77

Rule 9 Know the Difference between Parts and Wholes 89

Rule 10 Understand Interactions: People, Data, Systems, and Theory 97

Part II Taking the Quantum Leap 107

Vignette 1 Drive Fear from the Workplace 111

Vignette 2 Conversation Leads to Dialogue 119

Vignette 3 Build Culture through Shared Beliefs 129

Vignette 4 Listen to the Shareholders 141

Vignette 5 It's All about the Whole Thing 149

Vignette 6 The Yin in the Yang 159

Vignette 7 Unbundling Structures to Fit Students 169

Vignette 8 Understand Interactions: People, Data, Systems, and Theory 179

Vignette 9 Use Data to Uncover Deep-Seated Dilemmas 187

Vignette 10 Sketch a Human Face over the Data 197

Vignette 11 Transform Possibilities into Actualities 205

Vignette 12 Get Buy-In from the Shareholders 215

Vignette 13 The Collective Approach Triggers Success 225

Vignette 14 The Flaw in Every Plan 235

Epilogue 243

References 247

About the Authors 251

Editorial Reviews

A provocative guide to leading school change and to transforming schools into democratic learning communities.

Robert Evans

A revolutionary look from inside our school system. When the people who really care about our schools read this book, they might bring about the very changes needed to make our public schools what they were originally intended to be—a democratic institution. What a concept!

Jona Henry

If you have ever reflected upon our schools as complex structures and questioned the reasons our schools have evolved into stagnant organizations, this is a book that will have immense meaning for you. Chirichello and Walker have written an inspirational book of stories and reflections that capture the essence of schools as democratic, integrated, and complex organizations. It is relevant, real-life, and provides hope for those who have asked, 'Why am I doing this?' It is a must read for current and future school leaders and anyone else truly interested in improving the culture of schools and the teaching-learning process. I plan to use this book as required reading in my graduate leadership and organizational culture classes.

George F. Sharp

This book features a compelling guide for principals in navigating the '10 rules' of educational leadership while helping to define a new, comprehensive role for principals as 21st century school leaders. It offers a practical balance between theory and practice and as such, is sure to be extremely useful for novice and experienced principals alike. In addition, it presents an inspiring narrative that champions the role of education in preserving democracy and freedom.

Gail Connelly

At last! 'The road less traveled' takes us on a fresh, new approach to the education of our children. Wonderful ideas that will strengthen and secure our democracy.

Roslyn Fallick

This book is a MUST read for all potential school administrators; especially those who see themselves as 'trailblazers', 'risk takers', or 'innovators' who are truly interested and committed to reform. As a principal and superintendent, I would put this book on the required reading list for all of the administrators in my district. It is an outstanding practical guide for those who wish to become a successful educator.

George Blek

The narrative structure of Principals as Maverick Leaders guides readers to re-think classical theories in terms of the challenges of contemporary school reform strategies. Those principals who embark on this journey through interdisciplinary intersections will find that they have created a roadmap for their enriched professional reflection and have arrived at a new vision of integrated nature of meaningful transformation of our educational organizations.

Marylu A. Coviello

Principals as Maverick Leaders is itself maverick-like. It offers a non-traditional view on the art and practice of leading schools. The concepts addressed are linked to many years of experiential practice but are viewed through the lens of the classical thinkers and philosophers. The conversational dialogue is an interesting medium for linking today's realities of leading schools with the great philosophers. This book would serve as a good resource in higher education for an educational philosophy course or an organizational theory course.

Gerald N. Tirozzi