Strengthening the Heartbeat (ePub)

Study after study has concluded that no matter how competently
managed a school may be, it is the bringing together of leadership
and learning that makes the difference between ordinary and
extraordinary performance. Strengthening the Heartbeat
offers leaders a clear and compelling way to help their schools
achieve extraordinary results. The proven principles outlined
in this book can help any school build a culture of leadership and
learning. Thomas J. Sergiovanni?a leading thinker in the
educational leadership arena?shows how a strong heartbeat is a
school's best defense against the obstacles leaders face as they
work to change schools for the better. But strengthening the
heartbeat of schools requires that we rethink what leadership is,
how leadership works, what leadership's relationship is to
learning, and why we need to practice both leadership and learning
together. Filled with illustrative examples, Strengthening
the Heartbeat shows how to build trust that leads to the
creation of a vision and the building of a covenant that brings
together principals, teachers, parents, and students to honor
shared values, goals, and beliefs. When leaders are able to
strengthen the heartbeat, their schools become stronger and more
resilient. These qualities help leaders to share the burdens
of leadership with others, to create collaborative cultures, and to
be continuous learners. Leadership inevitably involves change
and change inevitably involves learning. Using this book,
school leaders will have the tools they need to make their schools
the best they can be.