Alan M. Blankstein

Out of the Crisis: A Supplement to Breakthrough Leadership Out of the Crisis: A Supplement to Breakthrough Leadership, offers educators and policy makers the processes, strategies and solutions they need to reimagine schools and close the opportunity gaps that have never been more apparent. The Breakthrough Leadership book was born out of a sense of urgency to meet the twin crises of COVID 19 and racial injustice. This supplement provides specific strategies being used to address the real challenges schools are facing right now, including what to do when Families are overwhelmedStudents are disengaging and facing new levels of traumaStudents have inequitable access to solid instruction and learning environmentsCompeting interests in the community, resistance to change, and lack of trust add to instability for student learning Each section begins with a current challenge faced by school leaders across the nation, connects it to one of the six guiding principles of Breakthrough Leadership, a realistic case study, and an essential question to make connections to their own contexts and lay the groundwork for finding solutions. It also includes recommended solutions, an accountability chart which includes solutions for stakeholder groups and individuals plus recommended resources and a conclusion. It’s a new day; the time is now for breakthrough leadership at all levels.

Now is the time for Breakthrough Leadership This book was borne out of urgency. We face the consequences of a raging pandemic, coupled with an unprecedented call to end racial injustice. COVID-19 has exposed longstanding structural inequities, while at the same time offering a rare "breakthrough" opportunity to dismantle inequitable systems that have harmed our most marginalized students for generations. Breakthrough Leadership is rooted in moral courage and calls us to act upon a new discovery, or epiphany about a fundamental truth that challenges previous beliefs. While this book offers examples of schools that were "beating the odds" pre-COVID-19 as well as strategies for changing those odds in the future. Breakthrough Leadership also spotlights professionals now leveraging crises like this to shape local and national priorities toward a more equitable and healthy society for our children in order to: Create and sustain Equitable Learning Communities (ELCs) that are grounded in relational trustEstablish comprehensive systems to ensure that all students thriveImplement cutting-edge principles of effective curriculum, instruction, and assessment including culturally responsive teaching, trauma-informed practice, and blended learningMeaningfully engage families and community Leadership from the classroom to the board room is needed to advance an agenda of equitable and successful outcomes for our students. The facts stakes couldn’t be starker. Good leadership saves lives both in pandemics, and in our profession. "The critical variable that determines whether or not our schools can respond adequately to the numerous challenges that they and their children face is leadership. . . This book is about the work of such leaders. In big cities, small towns, and rural areas, a small number of principals and superintendents are showing that progress can be made when leaders have the resourcefulness and courage to address equity challenges directly. The educational leaders profiled in this book have a clear sense of how to systematically build the capacity of teachers and schools to meet the needs of the students they serve. I urge other leaders to learn from them so that great schools that serve all children well, will be the norm, rather than the exception." ~Pedro Noguera "With all its devastation, COVID-19 also presents the opportunity of the century to transform the public education system that, to say the least, has become stalled and stagnant in the past 50 years. . . . Breakthrough Leadership makes a significant contribution to our next phase, which must be one of definable and targeted transformation of equity-based learning. ~Michael Fullan

Excellence Through Equity is an inspiring look at how real-world educators are creating schools where all students are able to thrive. In these schools, educators understand that equity is not about treating all children the same. They are deeply committed to ensuring that each student receives what he or she individually needs to develop their full potential and succeed.To help educators with what can at times be a difficult and challenging journey, Blankstein and Noguera frame the book with five guiding principles of Courageous Leadership:Getting to your core.Making organizational meaning.Ensuring constancy and consistency of purpose.Facing the facts and your fears.Building sustainable relationships.They further emphasize that the practices are grounded in three important areas of research that are too often disregarded: (1) child development, (2) neuroscience, and (3) environmental influences on child development and learning.You'll hear from Carol Corbett Burris, Michael Fullan, Marcus J. Newsome, Paul Reville, Susan Szachowicz, and other bold practitioners and visionary thinkers who share compelling and actionable ideas, strategies, and experiences for closing the achievement gap in your classrooms and school.Ensuring that all students receive an education that cultivates their talents and potential is in all our common interest. As Andy Hargreaves writes in the coda: ""The opportunity for all Americans is to articulate and believe in an inspiring vision of educational change that is about what the next generation of America and Americans should become, not about a target or ranking that the nation should attain.""From the Foreword by Archbishop Desmond Tutu:""Letting go of a system of winners and losers in favor of what is proposed in this book is a courageous leap forward that we all must take together. Let this bold, practical book be a guide; and may you travel into this new exciting vista, in which every child can succeed.

This is a book for district and school leaders that describes how to reshape the school culture to become a high performing school and professional learning community that is able to sustain success for every student. Anchored in the moral purpose of sustaining success for all students, the book demonstrates how to reshape school cultures to support continuous student success by building trust as a foundation for the learning community and then implementing the 6 principles of the FNO Framework:1) Establishing a common mission, vision, set of values and goals2) Ensuring achievement for all students by setting up systems for prevention and intervention and building on student strengths3) Engaging in collaborative teaming that is focused on teaching for learning4) Using data based decision-making for continuous improvement5) Actively engaging families and the community6) Building sustainable leadership capacity With contributions from Pedro A. Noguera, Andy Hargreaves, and Dean Fink, this book not only outlines the Who, What, and How of becoming a high-performing school and learning community, but also shows how to avoid ten common routes to failure, and provides numerous resources, many case stories and examples from Alan's work in schools and districts around the U.S.

A central role of any educational leader is that of an accomplished communicator—one who can relate to diverse communities, promote cooperative interaction, and unify stakeholders around the larger cause of quality education for every student. This sixth volume in the Soul of Educational Leadership series provides innovative ideas on diplomacy and practical strategies for strengthening communications skills. With contributions from top leadership figures like Paul D. Houston, John R. Hoyle, Richard Bagin, and Daniel H. Pink, this resource emphasizes the importance of clear and purposeful communication in gaining support, avoiding misunderstandings, and establishing productive communitywide relationships. Individual chapters demonstrate how readers can: - Create dynamic, effective districtwide communication systems - Respond to district challenges and issues - Use electronic communication tools effectively - Secure and increase funding for their schools and districts - Increase avenues for informing the public about issues that affect schools and students This insightful book offers all school leaders a rich array of creative, thoughtful communication approaches to empower their leadership and inspire everyone who has a stake in preparing today's students for tomorrow's challenges.

"This resource brings together an incredible blend of leading educational thinkers. Their diverse experiences, perspectives, and wisdom will stimulate in leaders the 'deep work' of the heart, mind, and soul essential for creating schools that continuously improve teaching, learning, and relationships in ways that benefit all members of the school community."—Dennis Sparks, Emeritus Executive DirectorNational Staff Development CouncilA concise volume packed with research and innovative ideas from today's key thinkers! Professional learning communities have become a significant factor in improving instructional effectiveness and student achievement. In the third volume of The Soul of Educational Leadership series, educators and leaders will discover key concepts and strategies for sustaining the critically important work of these communities. Contributions from Shirley M. Hord, Maurice J. Elias, Karen Seashore Louis, Andy Hargreaves, Stephanie A. Hirsh, and other nationally known educators highlight:Leadership teams and a collaborative culture The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Multiple approaches for supporting social-emotional learning in schools Leadership, real-world challenges, and moral choices A thought-provoking collection from educational visionaries, Sustaining Professional Learning Communities is essential reading for all school leaders committed to strengthening learning environments.

"This resource brings together an incredible blend of leading educational thinkers. Their diverse experiences, perspectives, and wisdom will stimulate in leaders the 'deep work' of the heart, mind, and soul essential for creating schools that continuously improve teaching, learning, and relationships in ways that benefit all members of the school community."—Dennis Sparks, Emeritus Executive DirectorNational Staff Development CouncilA concise volume packed with research and innovative ideas from today's key thinkers! Professional learning communities have become a significant factor in improving instructional effectiveness and student achievement. In the third volume of The Soul of Educational Leadership series, educators and leaders will discover key concepts and strategies for sustaining the critically important work of these communities. Contributions from Shirley M. Hord, Maurice J. Elias, Karen Seashore Louis, Andy Hargreaves, Stephanie A. Hirsh, and other nationally known educators highlight:Leadership teams and a collaborative culture The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Multiple approaches for supporting social-emotional learning in schools Leadership, real-world challenges, and moral choices A thought-provoking collection from educational visionaries, Sustaining Professional Learning Communities is essential reading for all school leaders committed to strengthening learning environments.

"A useful book for those who want to find balance in their lives and add a dimension of spirituality to their leadership." —Kenneth Killian, Assistant Professor Vanguard University of Southern California "The information is approachable, nonthreatening, and personal. The authors discuss their own past roles as educational leaders, providing instant credibility."—Jennifer Baadsgaard, Assistant Principal Roosevelt High School, San Antonio, TX Revitalize your leadership and help shape a better future for the students you serve! This fourth volume of The Soul of Educational Leadership series offers key strategies for identifying the moral and ethical dimensions of school leadership practice. With thought-provoking contributions from top leadership figures like Terrence E. Deal, Dawna Markova, and Scott Thompson, this enlightening resource combines research with innovative ideas for practice and emphasizes: Spirituality within a life-sustaining context The role of spirituality in empowering leaders as agents for transformative change A moral obligation to create safe and supportive learning spaces for students Spirituality in Educational Leadership helps educators align everyday practice with core values in ways that will make a significant difference in their professional and personal lives.

"A useful book for those who want to find balance in their lives and add a dimension of spirituality to their leadership." —Kenneth Killian, Assistant Professor Vanguard University of Southern California "The information is approachable, nonthreatening, and personal. The authors discuss their own past roles as educational leaders, providing instant credibility."—Jennifer Baadsgaard, Assistant Principal Roosevelt High School, San Antonio, TX Revitalize your leadership and help shape a better future for the students you serve! This fourth volume of The Soul of Educational Leadership series offers key strategies for identifying the moral and ethical dimensions of school leadership practice. With thought-provoking contributions from top leadership figures like Terrence E. Deal, Dawna Markova, and Scott Thompson, this enlightening resource combines research with innovative ideas for practice and emphasizes: Spirituality within a life-sustaining context The role of spirituality in empowering leaders as agents for transformative change A moral obligation to create safe and supportive learning spaces for students Spirituality in Educational Leadership helps educators align everyday practice with core values in ways that will make a significant difference in their professional and personal lives.