Based on the findings in this study, the assumption could be made that central office administrators, along with school board officials may be a contributing factor that has affected the decision-making process of the principals and teachers; which in turn has negatively affected teacher morale. Implications from the findings suggest that the urban school district in this study move towards implementing the transformational leadership theory with fidelity. Current and prior research studies have shown the positive effects of this model. Implementation of transformational leadership strategies would assist teachers, principals, and central office administrators to improve morale in urban schools.
Leadership in America’s Best Urban Schools describes and demystifies the qualities that successful leaders rely on to make a difference at all levels of urban school leadership. Grounded in research, this volume reveals the multiple challenges that real urban elementary, middle, and high schools face as well as the catalysts for improvement. This insightful resource explores the critical leadership characteristics found in high-performing urban schools and gives leaders the tools to move their schools to higher levels of achievement for all students—but especially for those who are low-income, English-language learners, and from various racial and ethnic backgrounds. In shining a light on the essential qualities for exceptional leadership at all levels of urban schools, this book is a valuable guide for all educators and administrators to nurture, influence, support, and sustain excellence and equity at their schools.
A New York Times Best Seller "Essential reading for all adults who work with black and brown young people...Filled with exceptional intellectual sophistication and necessary wisdom for the future of education."—Imani Perry, National Book Award Winner author of South To America An award-winning educator offers a much-needed antidote to traditional top-down pedagogy and promises to radically reframe the landscape of urban education for the better Drawing on his own experience of feeling undervalued and invisible in classrooms as a young man of color, Dr. Christopher Emdin has merged his experiences with more than a decade of teaching and researching in urban America. He takes to task the perception of urban youth of color as unteachable, and he challenges educators to embrace and respect each student’s culture and to reimagine the classroom as a site where roles are reversed and students become the experts in their own learning. Putting forth his theory of Reality Pedagogy, Emdin provides practical tools to unleash the brilliance and eagerness of youth and educators alike—both of whom have been typecast and stymied by outdated modes of thinking about urban education. With this fresh and engaging new pedagogical vision, Emdin demonstrates the importance of creating a family structure and building communities within the classroom, using culturally relevant strategies like hip-hop music and call-and-response, and connecting the experiences of urban youth to indigenous populations globally. Merging real stories with theory, research, and practice, Emdin demonstrates how by implementing the “Seven Cs” of reality pedagogy in their own classrooms, urban youth of color benefit from truly transformative education.
Abstract: This dissertation explores the existence of relational trust as defined by Bryk and Schneider (2002) in an urban school with an identified effective principal. Specific attention is given to principal-teacher relationship dynamics. Bryk and Schneider (2002) posited that relational trust exists between principals and teachers when teachers feel respected as professionals by their principals, see their principals as competent school managers, perceive their school-site administrators as having integrity, and when teachers believe that their principals have a genuine interest in their personal well being. A literature review on leadership in general, effective educational leadership, and appropriate headship for schools undergoing restructuring is presented. Moreover, included is a distinction between urban schools and their rural and suburban counterparts, highlighting the unique and complex challenges faced by students in inner-city public educational centers. Employing a mix-method approach within a case study design, teachers completed a questionnaire on their perception of their principal. Observations were conducted for a seven month period as well as relevant documents were analyzed. Drawing from the review of the literature, survey findings, notes from observations and from the gathered relevant files, questions were developed for a teacher focus group session and a principal interview. The points made in the focus group discussion also informed the principal interview instrument. Findings revealed that teachers in the study had high relational trust in their principal and that he conveyed trustworthiness in numerous ways. Furthermore, respecting the integrity of qualitative research, other themes that substantiate the literature on effective leadership for urban education and trust establishment emerged and are discussed. The findings imply that the tenets of relational trust are viable and effective constructs that can be materialized in the behaviors of principals in urban educational districts.
Book In the second edition of this renowned book, you will find pearls of wisdom, heartfelt advice, and inspiration from one of the nation’s leading authorities on staff motivation, teacher leadership, and principal effectiveness. With wit and understanding, Todd Whitaker describes the beliefs, behaviors, attitudes, and interactions of great teachers and explains what they do differently. New features include: Meaning what you say Focusing on students first Putting yourself in their position DVD Bundle This bundle includes a DVD featuring Todd Whitaker speaking about what great teachers do differently. It runs for approximately two hours and is the perfect addition to teacher training events and professional development meetings/workshops. Filled with pearls of wisdom, humor, and practical strategies, the video will motivate your staff and inspire them to be the best they can, each and every day. The DVD comes with a free copy of What Great Teachers Do Differently as well as a Facilitator's Guide.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “An impassioned book, laced with anger and indignation, about how our public education system scorns so many of our children.”—The New York Times Book Review In 1988, Jonathan Kozol set off to spend time with children in the American public education system. For two years, he visited schools in neighborhoods across the country, from Illinois to Washington, D.C., and from New York to San Antonio. He spoke with teachers, principals, superintendents, and, most important, children. What he found was devastating. Not only were schools for rich and poor blatantly unequal, the gulf between the two extremes was widening—and it has widened since. The urban schools he visited were overcrowded and understaffed, and lacked the basic elements of learning—including books and, all too often, classrooms for the students. In Savage Inequalities, Kozol delivers a searing examination of the extremes of wealth and poverty and calls into question the reality of equal opportunity in our nation’s schools. Praise for Savage Inequalities “I was unprepared for the horror and shame I felt. . . . Savage Inequalities is a savage indictment. . . . Everyone should read this important book.”—Robert Wilson, USA Today “Kozol has written a book that must be read by anyone interested in education.”—Elizabeth Duff, Philadelphia Inquirer “The forces of equity have now been joined by a powerful voice. . . . Kozol has written a searing exposé of the extremes of wealth and poverty in America’s school system and the blighting effect on poor children, especially those in cities.”—Emily Mitchell, Time “Easily the most passionate, and certain to be the most passionately debated, book about American education in several years . . . A classic American muckraker with an eloquent prose style, Kozol offers . . . an old-fashioned brand of moral outrage that will affect every reader whose heart has not yet turned to stone.”—Entertainment Weekly
The 12 Laws of Urban School Leadership was written to give urban school principals strategies for successfully implementing change, and achieving systemic reforms. The book also gives aspiring and novice principals a window into the real issues that affect the principalship, and the circumstances that can determine success or failure. Veteran principals can also learn how to better deal with some of the most challenging issues associated with students, parents, staff, and community members. This is an essential resource for any school leader working in an urban, or public school setting.
Many teachers who work in urban schools find classroom management to be very problematic. Their university course work, and training, didn’t prepare them for the heavy demands of being an urban school teacher. Urban educators need to be equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively manage adverse behaviors, and still deliver a quality education to all students. Classroom Management: A Guide for Urban School Teachers is designed to give educators practical strategies that will help them deal with the unique challenges faced by urban school teachers today. Whether the teacher is a novice teaching professional, or an experienced veteran; he/she will be able to learn how to establish and maintain control over the classroom environment, effectively deal with the most extreme student misbehaviors, establish rapport with students and parents, and reduce the amount of students sent to the principal’s office on referrals. After reading this book, teachers will be able to combat the negative forces that adversely affect the classroom setting, and be able to concentrate on teaching and learning.
The Warrior Principal: New Leadership for Urban Schools is a marriage between the Art of War and effective school leadership principles. It describes the mentality and actions school principals need in order to spearhead the process of successfully reforming a failing and/or struggling urban public school. This book also instructs principals on how to deal with resistance caused by change, district- and building-level politics, and ineffective staff members. It also provides a framework for improving staff morale, boosting student achievement, delegating authority, and creating a positive school culture.
