In the United States, the umbrella term "rural education" applies to diverse place-based contexts ranging from remote mountain communities to midwestern agricultural areas to southwestern mesas and beyond. One thing these varied environments have in common is the need for creative, solutions-oriented leadership. In "The Resilient…

The job of a school leader is more challenging--and important--than ever. To be effective, administrators need to support their students and staff, but they also need to take care of themselves. Bestselling author Baruti K. Kafele brings this motivational message to the pivotal members of the leadership team who are too often overlooked: assistant…

A principal's skills, knowledge, and experience are important when it comes to leading schools. But whether interacting with staff, students, or parents, principals also need empathy--a key social-emotional skill--to be effective and drive continuous improvement. In this book, veteran school leader Thomas R. Hoerr makes the case for why schools…

This timely and essential book provides a comprehensive guide for school leaders who desire to engage their school communities in transformative systemic change. Sharon I. Radd, Gretchen Givens Generett, Mark Anthony Gooden, and George Theoharis offer five practices to increase educational equity and eliminate marginalization based on race,…

You are a school administrator--a principal or maybe a district leader. You're doing everything "right"--poring over data, trying new strategies, launching annual initiatives, bringing in outside trainers. So why do the outcomes you seek still seem so far away? The problem isn't you; it's that you were trained in school leadership, and…

Megan Kortlandt, Carly Stone, and Samantha Keesling have developed a flexible structure for collaborative professional learning that they call the "principal lab," in which K-12 principals learn with and from each other to become better instructional leaders. Each chapter walks through the foundational components of a successful…

What does it take to be a good school principal? No two principals work exactly the same way, but research shows that effective principals focus on a core set of factors critical to fostering success among all students. In this second edition of "Qualities of Effective Principals," James H. Stronge and Xianxuan Xu delineate these factors…

The NGSS [Next Generation Science Standards] reconceptualize science instruction by redefining the teacher as someone who helps students construct their own knowledge by "thinking like scientists" and engaging in discrete science practices. However, with STEM teachers in short supply and generalists often feeling underprepared to teach…

In "Forces of Influence," Fred Ende and Meghan Everette contend that schoolwide success starts with relationships--not only between students and adults, but also among all adults up and down the education hierarchy. It's by leveraging these relationships that educators can influence outcomes and effect real change. But how can educators…

Schools today face a crisis of relevance. Issues that people everywhere face--climate change, disease, hunger--require interdisciplinary solutions. Yet schools are still predominately organized by single-subject courses and narrowly focused high-stakes tests. By contrast, our students need to develop a range of academic, social, and emotional…

"Design is the rendering of intent." What if education leaders approached their work with the perspective of a designer? This new perspective of seeing the world differently is desperately needed in schools and begins with school leadership. Alyssa Gallagher and Kami Thordarson, widely recognized experts on Design Thinking, educational…

The Artisan Teaching Model merges the idea of "teamwork" with the concept of an "artisan-apprentice relationship." As in any apprenticeship, newer members of the profession work alongside experts ("artisans"). As apprentices become more skilled, they take on larger and more substantial roles and continue to work…

"Excellence Through Equity" is an inspiring look at how real-world educators are creating schools where all students are able to thrive. In these schools, educators understand that equity is not about treating all children the same. They are deeply committed to ensuring that each student receives what he or she individually needs to…

If some schools can overcome the powerful and pervasive effects of poverty to become high performing, shouldn't any school be able to do the same? Shouldn't we be compelled to learn from those schools? Although schools alone will never systemically eliminate poverty, high-poverty, high-performing (HP/HP) schools take control of what they can to…

When you want to succeed in the tough landscape of urban schools, you need more than just passion, faith in your own ability, and a sense of urgency. You need real skills. This book comes to your rescue with practical suggestions, examples of successful practices, ideas to support you and your team, and an inspirational message about how to be a…