Educational Leadership for the 21St Century

Building a Capacity for Change

Public education, once considered a dogmatic institution in the 20th century, now finds itself challenged at almost every level in todays sociopolitical environment. New realities, as evidenced by the political complexities of the global village, widespread technological advances that undermine established educational practices, and ever mounting pressures on the curriculum to appease corporate interests have altered the face of public education forever, leaving educators seemingly stranded in the middle of a pedagogical minefield without a map or compass to get out. This book is written to help educational leaders who want to make a difference. Each chapter is devoted to the sociopolitical realities being faced by educators who are not only in leadership positions, but also those who are either aspiring to be in leadership positions, or those who have had leadership thrust upon them. In every case, this book will help to clarify the issues and challenges that every good leader must face. At the end of each chapter you will find carefully constructed questions that will help guide you or your study group through a process of discussion of the presented concepts. We know when you finish working through this book that your leadership and that of your team will function fully informed and capable of addressing the needs of the 21st century school.