Product Description

From Good Schools to Great Schools reflects the leadership concepts presented in James C. Collins' influential book, Good to Great, and explores how Collins' research and identified effective leadership characteristics can be applied to the public school arena. Susan P. Gray and William A. Streshly show how we can rethink the way headteachers are trained and illustrate how to incorporate key leadership qualities into administrative preparation curriculum and ongoing professional development for leaders. The book focuses on the specific leadership qualities of school principals that positively affect student achievement and meet school improvement mandates and presents profiles of six successful headteachers that demonstrate how to actualize these qualities in practice. (20070402)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #411841 in Books
• Published on: 2008-01-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 184 pages

Review
"A useful resource for programs dedicated to training new administrators as well as for principals who want to improve the collaborative cultures of their schools. It will drive the thinking of principals and teachers who are committed to school improvement." (John Pieper, Fifth-Grade Teacher 20070402)

"Lots of food for thought. The ideas and strategies will nudge people in the right direction and help administrators be brave enough to either bring about change or resist change. This would be a good book for a principal study group." (Mary Johnstone, Principal 20070401)

"Links Jim Collins’s work to success in the school setting. The examples of the school leaders who were able to lead effective, systemic change are powerful." (Brenda Dean, Assistant Director of Curriculum and Instruction 20070401)

"This book is timely and hits all the hot topics." (Ted Zigler, Professor 20070522)

"These successful principals move beyond platitudes and optimistic denial and learn to face the facts of what is necessary to improve schools-then they do it. Among other things, these star principals learn to work with their teachers and their union rather than around them." (Charles Taylor Kerchner, Hollis P. Allen Professor 20080424)

"The authors present evidence that supports a new paradigm for apprenticing school administrators-one that differs from the traditional model of un-researched best practices and standards. School leaders can use this book to inspire activities that will transform their schools and reframe their professional behaviors." (Sirreadalot.org, March 2008 20080528)

"From qualities shared by superior schools and leaders to applying leadership principles and school-tested routines, this book is packed with insights." (The Bookwatch, April 2008 )

About the Author
William A. Streshly is Professor of Educational Administration at San Diego State University. He has twenty-five years of experience in public school administration, including more than thirteen years as district superintendent, five years as high school principal, five years as vice principal, and two years as counselor and student activities adviser. Currently, he teaches school law and finance in addition to coordinating San Diego State University’s Administrative Credential Program. He has published articles on character educa­tion, staff development, curriculum development, competency testing, school finance, school labor relations, restructuring schools, and managing change. He is the coauthor of two other books, The Top Ten Myths in Education and Teacher Unions and TQE. A fourth book on teacher unions is scheduled to be released in the fall of 2001. He has served as speaker and consultant for xviii Avoiding Legal Hassles     more than thirty state and national conferences, school districts, and professional organizations, in addition to scores of speaking engagements for community service clubs, chambers of commerce, alumni clubs, and political groups. He has served as a leader in numerous community/civic organizations and has served as an educational adviser to county, state, and federal officials.   John Walsh is an attorney with Best Best & Krieger LLP in Riverside, California. His practice includes school law, public agency law, and general litigation. He graduated cum laude from Loyola Law School and was elected to the Order of the Coif, an international academic honor association. While in law school, he received American Jurisprudence Awards for his studies of contracts and trial advocacy. He also holds a doctorate in history from the Clare­mont Graduate University, Clare­   mont, California; a master’s degree in history from American Uni­versity, Washington, D.C.; and an undergraduate degree in politics and history from Queen’s University, Ontario, Canada, where he graduated with honors. He represents a wide variety of school districts, colleges, and public agencies and also writes and gives presentations on legal issues of importance to his school dis­trict clients. His article on peer sexual harassment appeared in the Hastings Women’s Law Journal. Prior to practicing law, he taught history and American studies at Claremont McKenna College (Claremeont, California), Occidental College (Los Angeles), and in the Rancho Santiago Community College District.

Susan Penny Gray, PhD has been an educator for more than 40 years in Indiana and California, including 15 years as Director of Curriculum Services for the San Marcos Unified School District in San Marcos, California and 7 years as a member of the Educational Leadership faculty at San Diego State University. During her tenure as Director of Curriculum Services she was responsible for the development, implementation, and maintenance of exemplary programs recognized throughout California in Reading/Language Arts, Mathematics, History-Social Science, and Science for grades K through 12. She was also responsible for effective teacher and principal support strategies that during the years under her direction evolved into a powerful system of coaches and facilitators of staff development. Dr. Gray has “walked the talk” in helping principals become truly effective instructional leaders. Her insights give down to earth, practical meaning to the research discussed in this book.

Dr. Gray serves on the San Diego State University (SDSU) Educational Administration Preparation Programs Advisory Committee. In her capacity on this committee and as a current member of the faculty of the Educational Leadership Department in the School of Education at SDSU, she has assisted in implementing changes in that school’s administration preparation program. She has designed and currently teaches an administrative course on instructional improvement through evaluation and supervision. In this course students participate in a walk-through supervision practicum, formal evaluation exercises, and the design of teacher and administrator evaluation systems. In addition, Dr. Gray teaches and coordinates the advanced administrator credentialing program at SDSU and supervises the fieldwork for administrative credential candidates at all levels.

In addition to her involvement with the faculty of Educational Leadership at San Diego State University, Dr. Gray serves as an officer on the Board of Directors of California Curriculum Management Systems, Incorporated (CalCMSi). She is certified to train administrators and teachers in Conducting Walk-Throughs for Higher Student Achievement and has implemented this training in several states across the country. She has also served as an external evaluator of schools and is a certified School Assistance Intervention Team leader for the State of California. She received curriculum management audit training from the California Curriculum Management Audit Center in Burlingame, California, in 1998. Since then she has served on school district audits in California, Washington, Texas, Ohio, Arizona, Maryland, New York, and Pennsylvania. She has also served on academic achievement teams conducting comprehensive on-site assessments of the educational operations of school and community college districts in California.

Dr. Gray earned her undergraduate degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and her master’s degree from San Diego State University. In 2006, she received a doctoral degree in educational leadership through the Claremont Graduate University/San Diego State University Joint Doctoral Program.