Principals under pressure : the growing crisis / Alexander W. Wiseman.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Wiseman, Alexander W., 1968-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

School principals--United States.

School principals.

United States.

School management and organization--United States.

School management and organization.

Educational leadership--United States.

Educational leadership.

Physical Description:

xii, 148 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Lanham, Md. : ScarecrowEducation, 2005.

Summary:

Principals under Pressure: The Growing Crisis examines the increasing peril for American principals-of becoming victims of growing U.S. accountability policies, of buying in to the hype about their own influence over their schools, and of becoming absolute rulers in a largely democratic educational system. Being a principal is not about taking personal charge as much as it is about assembling and directing an excellent team and providing trusted team members with the resources and opportunities to do their best work. Invisibility, or "leading from behind," is one of the best characteristics of many good principals.

This book describes the international context in which the American educational system is situated and in which American school principals operate, providing a contextual framework for understanding the blend of global, national, and local conditions. This framework addresses the needs of school communities and students and the pressures to which principals typically respond. Alexander Wiseman presents a critical yet supportive perspective of both the present and future of school principals-providing readers with a fresh look at the principalship in light of current expectations and educational trends.

Contents:

Preface: Reflecting on School Principals vii

Part 1 The American School Principal Crisis 1

1 Getting a Perspective on Principals 5

2 Expectations for American School Principals 17

3 American Principals in a Global Context 29

Part 2 Questioning Conventional Wisdom 35

4 The Leadership Dilemma 39

5 Are Principals Instructional Leaders? 47

6 Are Principals Accountable for School Performance? 65

7 Are Principals Public Servants? 79

Part 3 New Ways of Thinking about Principals 91

8 The New Institutionalism in Schools 93

9 The Complexity of School Principals' Work 101

10 Why School Principals Do What They Do 111

11 The Mixed School Principal Model 123

12 Averting the Crisis 129.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 139-144) and index.

ISBN:

1578861837

OCLC:

55737952