Confronting Today's Issues

This book examines some of the most important challenges facing administrators and other professionals in PreK-12 schools today: safety and security, hiring and evaluating members of the faculty and staff, dealing with students' academic and behavioral challenges, assessing student performance, responding to disengaged or overly engaged parents, and handling external pressures from the community. It also explores ideas for how to design the types of school our students will need in the future and cope with the realities of trying to develop these schools in a difficult educational environment. Preferring practical advice over unsupported hypotheses and adopting clear, instructive language rather than educational jargon, the authors draw upon their own experience as well as some of the best research currently being conducted in the field of educational leadership. The book is suitable for self-study, workshops, education courses, and in-serve programs. The target audience is current and prospective PreK-12 administrators, teachers, student teachers, and staff.

Chad Prosser has more than fifteen years of experience in public education where he has specialized in improving school culture through process enhancements in such areas as school improvement plans, the promotion of school safety, student and teacher scheduling, stakeholder involvement, behavior management practices, and teacher evaluation and coaching.
Denise Spirou is a highly effective administrator who has provided superior leadership to teachers, support and guidance to parents, and educational direction to students. She is often hired by schools to consult with principals and train teachers and currently serves as the founding Head of School at The Greene School, an independent PreK through eighth grade school for high-performing students in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Jeffrey L. Buller is a senior partner in ATLAS Leadership Training, an international partnership that trains administrators and leaders in every aspect of their complex assignments. He holds a doctorate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has published nineteen other books on educational leadership as well as numerous articles, including nearly two hundred on higher education administration.

Dedication
Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1. A New Model of School Leadership
Chapter 2. The Elephant in Every Room: Safe Schools and Security
Chapter 3. Hiring for Excellence
Chapter 4. Faculty and Staff Evaluation
Chapter 5. Student Academic Challenges
Chapter 6. Student Behavioral Challenges
Chapter 7. Effective Student Evaluation
Chapter 8. Disengaged and Overly Engaged Parents
Chapter 9. External Pressures on Schools and School Leaders
Chapter 10. Conclusion: Creating the Schools Today's Students Deserve
About the Authors
Other Books by Jeffrey L. Buller
More About ATLAS