by Richard Lee Colvin (2013)
"Between 1998, when Alan Bersin became superintendent of the San Diego school system, and 2005, when he left that post, San Diego undertook a sustained and notably ambitious effort to reform its public school system. Bersin's efforts were controversial from the start, both within San Diego and throughout the United States. Yet everyone agreed that the San Diego story was an immensely important one--and that it was a harbinger of reform efforts to come throughout the United States. As an early and ambitious instance of the types of reforms that by now have been implemented in city schools across the nation, San Diego has received scattered attention within the scholarly and policy worlds. Yet till now there has been no comprehensive account of Bersin's tenure and the reforms he undertook during those seven stormy years. Tilting at Windmills fills that gap. A book that draws equally on Richard Lee Colvin's deep acquaintance with contemporary education reform and the unique circumstances of the San Diego experience, Tilting at Windmills is a penetrating and invaluable account of Bersin's contentious superintendency. At the heart of Colvin's researches are years of interviews with Bersin, who granted Colvin unprecedented insight into his experiences and thoughts about the reforms he initiated. The result is a detailed and nuanced narrative of the reform process in San Diego and its relationship to comparable school reform efforts throughout the country. The definitive account of the San Diego story, Tilting at Windmills is also a crucial contribution to our more general understanding of the education reforms that have swept the nation during the past fifteen years."--Back cover of book.
Terrence E. Deal, Kent D. Peterson
Explores the importance of school culture and the symbolic roles of leaders in shaping cultural patterns and practices in school communities; and presents numerous examples that demonstrate how culture influences school functioning.
Michael Imber and Tyll van Geel
"Education Law provides a comprehensive survey of the legal problems and issues that confront school administrators and policy makers. The greater the likelihood of litigation or error in a particular area of professional practice, the more extensive the discussion. The book is organized in accordance with the authors' belief that students need to read cases to understand the subtlety and richness of the law - but that for legal neophytes, cases without discussion and interpretation are often difficult to comprehend. Thus the text both explains the important concepts of principles of education law and presents court decisions to illuminate them. By employing this structure, the book combines the strengths of the traditional casebook and those of the legal treatise. It also discusses the implications of the law for educational policy and practice."--Jacket.
Pundy Pillay
"This nine-country study of higher education financing in Africa includes three East African states (Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda), five countries in southern Africa (Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and South Africa), and an Indian Ocean island state (Mauritius). Higher Education Financing in East and Southern Africa explores trends in financing policies, paying particular attention to the nature and extent of public sector funding of higher education, the growth of private financing (including both household financing and the growth of private higher education institutions) and the changing mix of financing instruments that these countries are developing in response to public sector financial constraints. This unique collection of African-country case studies draws attention to the remaining challenges around the financing of higher education in Africa, but also identifies good practices, lessons and common themes"--Cover.
W. Grant Hambright
"The case studies provide discussion-starters for educational administration and leadership classes. Topics discussed include accountability, climate, communication, sonflict management, curriculum, diversity, ethics, law, politics, and technology at campus and/or district levels. Cases depict events involving various internal and external stakeholders: students, parents/guardians, community members, teachers, ausiliary personnel, counselors, technologists, assistant principals, principals, central office personnel, superintendents, and school boards."