This paper addresses theories of the avant-garde, especially but not exclusively in art and as part of a modernist aesthetic. The paper examines the ways in which avant-garde theory of the creative process can inform educational administration in the change process, as both a critique and an ideal. The argument adopted here is that if administration can be conceptualised as an art, then art's critical and creative traditions also speak to those aspects of professional practice that involve creative activity such as organisational design, leadership vision and strategic analysis. This is a possible way towards rethinking schools and educational systems.