Equity, From the Boardroom to the Classroom: Transforming Districts into Professional Learning Organizations

Equity, from the Boardroom to the Classroom discusses the need for districts to become Professional Learning Organizations (PLOs) which links the board’s role to Professional Learning Communities. In order to promote equity, it is vital that school boards build a culture in which all stakeholders contribute individually and collectively to accomplish district objectives. To foster a collaborative culture, boards must display “thermostat leadership” as opposed to “thermometer leadership.” “Thermostat leadership” is practiced when the board is actively involved in setting, maintaining, or adjusting district culture in order to ensure alignment with district priorities which PLOs promote. Comparatively, “thermometer leadership” is used when a board governs by a laissez-faire approach and seeks to mandate a specificculture without becomingly actively involved. The latter approach enable boards to be misinformed about its strategic initiatives. Research is clear: No school reform aimed at improving student learning will be successful without strong leadership and support from the school board. PLOs are a must for districts that desire to build a positive culture and seek to increase student achievement by way of a systemic process grounded in collaboration. Without leadership, support, and collaboration led by the school board, it is doubtful that any school reform will be successful regardless of how effective the reform may appear to be.

Table of Contents:
Foreword Preface Acknowledgements Introduction Chapter 1- Why Organizational Culture Matters Chapter 2- A Look at PLOs Chapter 3- A Look at PLC Teams Chapter 4- The Power of Informed Oversight and Systemic Governance Chapter 5- Benefits of Becoming a PLO Chapter 6- The Role of the Community Engagement Process in a PLO Chapter 7- Implementation Stages of Becoming a PLO: How to Sustain the PLO Culture Chapter 8- School Board and Superintendent Leadership is Essential Chapter 9- The Final Case on Why Districts Should Choose to Become PLOs Chapter 10- Concluding Thoughts Glossary References About the Author

About the Author :
Patrick Rice, PhD, is a Field Services/Equity Director for the Illinois Association of School Boards and is a former teacher, administrator, and professor.

Review :
Dr. Patrick Rice has risen to become one of education’s most transformative figures by challenging the traditional stakeholder's role and addressing the systemic approach to students’ success through Professional Learning Organizations ... this is a must-read for school administrators and boards looking to go to the next level. Collaborative leadership is essential to student achievement. School districts improve when its governance team understands and supports shared decision-making. When districts realize the value of becoming a PLO (Professional Learning Organization), any goals that are set can be reached. Dr. Rice has done such wonderful work at exhibiting the need for collaborative leadership. Boards that create an environment of collaboration usually experience better academic success for students. Dr. Rice has clearly identified the need for a system of constituent engagement focused on the collaborative development of a quality learning environment for all students. He has emphasized the importance of structuring a systemic opportunity where the representative constituencies can work together in forging a commitment to lead substantive, systemic change within the district to ensure the future viability of the educational system. Equity, from the Boardroom to the Classroom is a timely work by an innovative and passionate scholar who is making a path for a more collaborative and dynamic approach to board leadership. Equity, from the Boardroom to the Classroom provides the intellectual and organizational framework to engage the entire district and educational community in the process of finding and employing the best approaches to educating children in their district. The scope of Dr. Rice’s work in this book has great potential to be a leading model that school boards follow to improve their school system and better educate their students. America’s school boards are the engine for democracy in public education. Yet as education has become more and more complex in the modern world of rapidly expanding knowledge and changing technologies and expectations, the capacity of school boards to make wise decisions on behalf of students has been challenged. Dr. Patrick Rice vividly describes how school districts can solve this dilemma – becoming professional learning organizations that can represent a democratic voice and continually improve their capacity to find innovative solutions to the needs of today’s students and schools. Everyone who cares about democratically governed public education should read this book!