Schools have a well-established history of working together but the persistent challenge of achieving excellence and equity within education systems has renewed interest in generating context-specific solutions through localised networks.
As networking and collaboration have become more mainstream activities, they have raised new leadership challenges for existing school leaders and prompted discussion about whether new types of leaders and leadership are required for the future. Based around the lifecycle of a network, Leading School-Based Networks traces the development of a network from its initial inception, exploring the ways in which it can be sustained and remain capable of meeting the future challenges faced by schools and their communities. The book explores a series of important issues facing school leaders, including:
the benefits of investing time and energy in networks with other schools and communities
the particular problems faced by schools and the education system which are best tackled by network-based solutions
the advantages for schools and communities of engaging with collaborative reform agenda
the ways in which networks can be managed, and the differences between leading a school or a team and a network
the elements which make an effective network.
The book draws on UK and international research to discuss the development and leadership of networks and to outline a number of tried-and-tested leadership approaches. In addition, the authors draw on their own experience and research to provide accounts of real networks to expose the realities of networking. Each chapter tackles a key leadership issue and ends with a series of tools to support those leading and facilitating networks tackle these in practice.
This book is of interest to practising school leaders, network co-ordinators, public sector officers, postgraduate students and those researching educational leadership and school improvement.
Kamis, 19 Maret 2009
The Role in the Education & Development of Children and Adolescents
Are boys and girls really so different? There is much that parents and educators can learn about gender differences in cognitive and emotional development that can help them make decisions about school and parenting.
WASHINGTON - Throughout the campaign, Barack Obama made many promises to the American people. Msnbc.com has chosen 14 of these to explain, explore, and track. See if the new president keeps his word, and vote on his progress during the first 100 days.
Obama’s words: “I think it's important to foster competition inside the public schools. And we also agree on the need for making sure that if we have bad teachers that they are swiftly — after given an opportunity to prove themselves, if they can't hack it, then we need to move on because our kids have to have their best future.”
The issue: A recent study by the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center showed that the average public school graduation rate is 58 percent. The study also revealed that graduation rates are 15 percent lower in urban schools compared to suburban schools.
During the campaign, President Barack Obama embraced several education ideas considered generally more popular with Republican candidates including extra funding for charter schools, performance-based pay for teachers, and layoffs for educators with poor performance evaluations.