Shaking Up the Schoolhouse: How to Support and Sustain Educational Innovation

by Phillip C. Schlechty

Book Overview

"Once again, Phil Schlechty demonstrates why I consider him to be one of the clearest minds in American education. He knows how important public education is to our democracy and has real ideas for making it better. This book is a must-read for policymakers at any level and for those who think and care about school improvement."
--Paul D. Houston, executive director, American Association of School Administrators

"Schlechty shares leading-edge...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0787972134
• ISBN13: 9780787972134
• Release Date: April 2004
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass
• Length: 248 Pages
• Weight: 5.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.6" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

accountability

I found this book to be spot on. Talking about accountability as apposed to test scores is so important for the future success our schools. Being allowed to evolve is critical. The book is so well written that it read like a thriller. This is a five star book.

A book full of educational administration wisdom.

In his latest book, "Shaking up the school house." Phil Schlechty hits lots of home runs. I am always amazed at the clarity and intelligence of his thoughts. This is probably not something that you would read in a review of a book about educational administration, but I found the book gripping and difficult to put down. The theme that came through from "Inventing better schools" that the teacher's job is to engage the students in meaningful learning is developed in the "WOW" (working on work) framework.To be hung in lights is his argument that judging schools on student outcomes or standardised tests is fallacious and he argues that students produce scores not schools. Accountability processes therefore need to examine the educational processes not just the outcomes.Part 3 which examines transformational leadership is very good and Schlechty's 14 competencies for school leaders is very useful to practitioners who wish to review their performance against descriptors of an excellent model of school leadership.I have just finished my first reading of the book and I was blown away by reading so much common sense in one book. Now, I am off to get my pencil and see what I missed in the first reading!Neil MacNeill Principal Perth, Western Australia.