About the Book
"At last, we have a book that provides practical, day-to-day advice for administrators to consider when establishing a learning community. Daresh helps school leaders both understand the importance of their personal values about shared leadership and appreciate how individuals within the school, district, and community are essential to building a shared learning community. The wealth of examples and school-based scenarios illustrate how these ideas translate into practice. A wonderful resource for a book study for teachers and principals."
—Bruce Barnett, Professor
University of Texas at San Antonio
"Daresh continues his legacy of bridging scholarship and practice within a context of strengthening school cultures by supporting positive interactions between all the people who interact within and around them. As usual, his tone is friendly and approachable, and his points to ponder are both practical and compelling. Aspiring, new, and experienced principals will benefit from the structured opportunity afforded by this book to reflect on their own values and how these values shape their leadership."
—Mary Beth Cunat, Assistant Principal
Burley School, Chicago, NY
Raise student achievement by building a community of ALL stakeholders—both within and around your school!
Written for both new and experienced principals, this resource provides a blueprint for building visionary learning communities that improve student learning not only by shaping the internal school community—faculty and staff—but also by creating a partnership with the external community—district educators, families, community organizations, and service agencies.
Reflecting contemporary research and the authors′ extensive work with principals, the book includes scenarios that illustrate the work of real principals in elementary, middle, and secondary schools. Administrators will find invaluable assistance from Practical Tips that offer strategies for implementation, Points for Practice that highlight critical concepts, and Points to Ponder that promote reader reflection. Each chapter encourages school leaders to consider what community building means for their own schools and provides guidance for:
Building a vision based on your personal and professional values
Shaping a school culture that supports teamwork
Honoring school staff members at all levels
Examining and understanding the external environment
Drawing effectively on community support services
Collaborating with district staff
Improve Learning by Building Community helps principals bring together all stakeholders to create the kind of schools that can ensure success for every student.
Table of Contents:
Preface
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
1. It All Begins With You
General Information About Educational Platforms
A Normative Use of a Platform
Returning to Motley Elementary School
Points for Practice
References
2. Creating a Shared Vision
Developing a Vision
Articulating the Vision
Implementing the Vision
Monitoring the Vision
Creating a Vision: Returning to Carpenter Middle School
Chapter Summary
Points for Practice
References
3. Foundations for Community Building
Definitions
Operationalizing Community Beyond Structure
Returning to the Administrative Team at Ridgmoor Middle School
Chapter Summary
Points for Practice
References
4. Focusing on Culture Is More Than Good Manners
On Climate and Culture
Development of Culture and Climate Research
Putting the Theory Into Practice
Returning to Manchester
Chapter Summary
Points for Practice
References
5. Studying Your External Environment
Analytic Framework
Historical Thumbnail for the Riverport Community and Hilley High School
Structural Dimension of Riverport
Human Resource Dimension of Riverport
Political Dimension of Riverport
Symbolic Dimension of Riverport
Back to Pete
Chapter Summary
Points for Practice
References
6. Working With Community Groups and Parents
Parent Concerns
Community Concerns
Returning to Cheshire School
Chapter Summary
Points for Practice
Reference
Additional Suggested Resources
7. Seeing Your Invisible Heroes
Security Staff
Office Workers
Custodial Staff
Food Service Workers
Chapter Summary
Points for Practice
References
8. Services in the Community
Students in Physical Danger
Drug or Substance Abuse
Student Mental or Physical Health
Family Turmoil
Returning to La Casa Blanca Schools and Bustamente Elementary
Chapter Summary
Points for Practice
9. Support From Central Administration
What Makes It Hard to Change Schools?
Key People to Keep Informed
Chapter Summary
Points for Practice
References
Index
About the Author :
John C. Daresh is professor of educational leadership at the University of Texas at El Paso. Over the years, he has held faculty or administrative appointments at the University of Cincinnati, The Ohio State University, the University of Northern Colorado, and Illinois State University. He has also worked as a consultant on high school reform and administrator professional development for universities, state departments of education, national and state professional associations, and individual schools and districts across the United States, and also in Barbados, Canada, France, Holland, Israel, Turkey, South Africa, and Taiwan. By far, the bulk of Daresh’s international service has been in the United Kingdom where he served an advisor and trainer for the School Management Task Force that developed and promoted support programs for beginning headteachers, the National College for School Leadership, the Welsh Office of Education, the North West Network for Diploma Development in Cheshire, Manchester Metropolitan University, the University of Lincoln, the University of Hull, CREATE Consultancies, and literally dozens of Local Education Authorities and individual schools across England and Wales.
Daresh recently completed three years of service as the lead consultant on principal mentoring programs for the Chicago Public Schools as that megadistrict was faced with the challenge of bringing in mostly inexperienced principals to serve in nearly of the school system’s elementary and high schools.
Jane Lynch currently serves as the faculty leader of the Department of Business, Information Technology, and Enterprise at All Hallows Catholic College in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England. Prior to this appointment, she served as a teacher at Sandbach High School in Cheshire. Her route to the field of education did not follow a traditional path. Her undergraduate degree at Keele University was in law and economics, resulting in a career as a solicitor supported by postgraduate study at Christleton Law College in Chester.
Her interest in working more directly with young people led to a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education in Business Studies (Secondary) at Manchester Metropolitan University, where she later pursued advanced graduate work in educational management. She left the world of law and business to follow her strong interest in education, and the last 21 years of her professional life have been devoted to that focus. Lynch’s work in program development in business and enterprise has become increasingly recognized across England, where she has been invited to serve on a number of panels and committees seeking to forge stronger links among schools and the world of business. She was recently provided with a leave from her work at Macclesfield to support educational program planning with the Cheshire County Educational Office.
She has also continued her national role of participating in numerous projects dedicated to developing young people’s employment skills. She serves as a consultant in enterprise education in Cheshire; as the leader of the Northwest England Business, Administration, and Finance (BAF) Diploma Network; as the Enterprise Learning Partnership coordinator for Cheshire and Warrington; and as the chair of the BAF Diploma County Forum.
Review :
"At last, we have a book that provides practical, day-to-day advice for what school administrators need to attend to when establishing a learning community. Daresh helps school leaders understand the importance of their personal values about shared leadership as well as the individuals within the school, district, and community who are essential to building a shared learning community. The wealth of examples and school-based scenarios illustrate how these ideas translate into practice. A wonderful resource for a book study for teachers and principals."
"Daresh continues his legacy of bridging scholarship and practice, within a context of strengthening school cultures by supporting positive interactions between all the people who interact within and around them. As usual, his tone is friendly and approachable, and his points to ponder are both practical and compelling. Aspiring, new, and experienced principals will benefit from the structured opportunity afforded by this book to reflect on their own values and how these values shape their leadership."
"An invaluable guide for fostering learning communities, Daresh’s work provides a ten-thousand foot view of schools. Of particular interest to educational leaders are strategies to engage parents, business leaders and the often ′forgotten stakeholders′—staff members such as secretaries and custodians. Each chapter immediately engages the reader through humor, reflection, and analysis. Vivid, authentic scenarios capture the realities and complexities of today’s schools. We are invited into the minds of school leaders as they work through the change process and are reminded of the importance of continually reassessing our values. This book is not only a must-read, but a must-do for every principal whose goal is to enhance learning communities."
