Leading for Learning

Leading for Learning Written by acclaimed school reform advocate Phillip C. Schlechty, Leading for Learning offers educators the framework, tools, and processes they need to transform their schools from bureaucracies into dynamic learning organizations. Schlechty explains how to move beyond some of the deeply ingrained and negative conceptions of schooling that guide so much of their practice. He shows educators how they can take advantage of new learning technologies by increasing their organization's capacity to support continuous innovation. "e;Clearly not for the fainthearted, Schlechty's engrossing appraisal of American education calls for a bold, truly fundamental transformation of how we run our public schools. Some books are thought-provoking; this one is action-provoking."e; W. JAMES POPHAM, professor emeritus, UCLA "e;Dr. Schlechty has once again written an insightful book that educational leaders can use as a road map in transforming our schools into learning organizations designed to serve twenty-first century students."e; DR. RANDY BRIDGES, superintendent, Alamance-Burlington School System, NC "e;Because education is ultimately a community responsibility, Schlechty's proposal to shift school systems from bureaucracies to learning organizations can open doors to citizens who are frustrated by the bureaucracy in their efforts to reclaim their role in education. This book is as much for them as it is for professional educators."e; DAVID MATHEWS, president, Kettering Foundation "e;Anyone in a school leadership position from the board room to the classroom should read this engaging and thought-provoking book. It's a must-read for all immersed in or contemplating the transformation of public education."e; CLAUDIA MANSFIELD SUTTON, chief communications and marketing officer, American Association of School Administrators

Leading for LearningWritten by acclaimed school reform advocate Phillip C. Schlechty, Leading for Learning offers educators the framework, tools, and processes they need to transform their schools from bureaucracies into dynamic learning organizations. Schlechty explains how to move beyond some of the deeply ingrained and negative conceptions of schooling that guide so much of their practice. He shows educators how they can take advantage of new learning technologies by increasing their organization's capacity to support continuous innovation."Clearly not for the fainthearted, Schlechty's engrossing appraisal of American education calls for a bold, truly fundamental transformation of how we run our public schools. Some books are thought-provoking; this one is action-provoking."W. JAMES POPHAM, professor emeritus, UCLA"Dr. Schlechty has once again written an insightful book that educational leaders can use as a road map in transforming our schools into learning organizations designed to serve twenty-first century students."DR. RANDY BRIDGES, superintendent, Alamance-Burlington School System, NC"Because education is ultimately a community responsibility, Schlechty's proposal to shift school systems from bureaucracies to learning organizations can open doors to citizens who are frustrated by the bureaucracy in their efforts to reclaim their role in education. This book is as much for them as it is for professional educators."DAVID MATHEWS, president, Kettering Foundation"Anyone in a school leadership position--from the board room to the classroom--should read this engaging and thought-provoking book. It's a must-read for all immersed in or contemplating the transformation of public education."CLAUDIA MANSFIELD SUTTON, chief communications and marketing officer, American Association of School Administrators

Preface ixThe Author xixPart One Making the Case for Transformation 1One: The Case for Transformation 3Why Reformation is Not Enough 4The Need for Transformation 5Why We Tinker: The Problem Defined 19Two: Systems and Technological Change 23Understanding Schools as Complex Social Organizations 25The Nature of Systemic Change 26Disruptive and Sustaining Innovations 27Critical Social Systems 29Why Reform is So Difficult 31Common Language, Power, and Separation 38Three: Bureaucracies Versus Learning Organizations 39Ideal Types: A Tool for Analysis 40How is Social Control Established? 50What is the School's Function? 61Images of School 68Four: Bureaucratic Images of Schools 69About the Metaphors 70A Basic Framework 71The School as Factory 74The School as Professional Service Delivery Organization 87The School as Warehouse or Prison 99Getting the Problem Right 110Five: A New Image of Schools 113Learning Organization or Learning Community? 113Transmitting the Knowledge Work Culture 123The School as a Small Community or a Family 134Critical Steps to Transformation 138Part Two Getting Our Bearings: The Sociopolitical Landscape 141Six: The Bureaucratic Impulse 143Historic Roots 143From Community Institutions to Government Agencies 148The Consequences of Bureaucratization 153The Need for Grassroots Action 156Seven: Reassessing Standards 159An Upstream Struggle 160The Profit Motive 161Who Are the Customers? 164The Meaning of Standards 169The Trivialization of Standards 170No Tests for Standards 172The Effects of Standards 173Different Constituencies, Differing Standards 180Eight: Restoring Civic Capacity and Building Social Capital: Two Keys to School Transformation 187Schooling and the Decline of Communities 188The Need for Community Building 191Politics, Economics, and the Moral Order of Communities 193The Need for School Board Leadership 195Public Education as a Moral Imperative 199Building Social Capital 201Can It Be Done? 204A Concluding Comment 206Part Three Taking the First Steps: How Transformation Can Happen 207Nine: Painting a New Image of Schools 209The Uses of Metaphors and Mental Models 209Lessons Learned About the Use of Metaphors 216Selecting Metaphors to Aid in Transformation 218A Suggested Exercise 219Other Uses of Metaphors 219A Concluding Comment 221Ten: Creating the Capacity to Support Innovation 223Capacity Building: A Point of View 223System Capacity Standards 224Persistence of Effort 238Eleven: Standards as Sources of Direction 241Reframing the Problem of Standards 242Helping Communities Hold Schools Accountable 248Organizational Performance Standards 253Some Thoughts on State and Federal Policy 258Accountability and Equity 259A Word of Caution 262Twelve: A Theory of Action 265First Steps 265Toward a Theory of Action 271Subsequent Steps 275A Theory, Not a Prescription 276A Closing Comment 278Thirteen: Engaging the Heart and Recapturing Our Heritage 281Developing a Marketing Mentality 281Some Additional Suggestions for Action 284A Common Cause 287Appendix A Organizational Properties and Systemic Qualities 289Appendix B Images of School 307Bibliography 313Index 319