The Moral Imperative of School Leadership
- Michael Fullan - Michael Fullan Enterprises Inc., Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, Canada
Foreword by John I. Goodlad
Continuing Professional Development | Leadership | School Change, Reform, & Restructuring
"Fullan shows how moral leadership can reinvent the principalship and bring about large-scale school improvement. This is a masterfully crafted and accessible book by North America's foremost expert on change."
—Thomas J. Sergiovanni, Lillian Radford Professor of Education
Trinity University, San Antonio, TX
"Fullan challenges all who work in education to rethink the critical role of the principal as school leader in the current era of accountability. With clarity and insight, he offers a series of strategies to reshape the culture and context of leadership in schools to create learning communities where both students and teachers can excel."
—Paul D. Houston, Executive Director
American Association of School Administrators
"Once again, the writing of Michael Fullan is a tour de force. The Moral Imperative of School Leadership is a must-read for those who want to make a difference!"
—Gerald N. Tirozzi, Executive Director
National Association of Secondary School Principals
The time has come to change the context of school leadership!
The role of the principal is pivotal to systemic school change. That is the fundamental message of The Moral Imperative of School Leadership, which extends the discussion begun in Fullan's earlier publication, What's Worth Fighting for in the Principalship? The author examines the moral purpose of school leadership and its critical role in "changing the context" in which the role is embedded. In this bold step forward, Fullan calls for principals to become agents as well as beneficiaries of the processes of school change. In an effort to make the position more rewarding and exciting, he shifts the principal's role from one of a site-based superman or superwoman, and recasts it as one in which principals figure prominently both within their school and within the larger school system that surrounds them.
Concepts explored in-depth include:
- Why "changing the context" should be the main agenda for the principalship
- Why barriers to the principalship exist
- Why the principal should be seen as the COO (chief operating officer) of a school
- Why the role of the principal should figure more prominently within the system
- What individuals and the system can do to transform school leadership to a powerful new force
The challenge, and moral imperative, for today's principal is to lead system transformations to resolve the top-down/bottom-up dilemma that exists in systemic change. To end the exodus from the principalship, and for great school leaders to evolve in large numbers, the time to redefine the position is now!
See Facilitator's Guide to The Moral Imperative of School Leadership
"Fullan challenges all who work in education to rethink the critical role of the principal as school leader in the current era of accountability. With clarity and insight, he offers a series of strategies to reshape the culture and context of leadership in schools to create learning communities where both students and teachers can excel."
"Once again, the writing of Michael Fullan is a tour de force for those who toil in the vineyards of the school principalship. In this latest book, Fullan brings into clear focus the critical role of school leaders to "change the content" within schools—stressing the need to elevate the moral purpose of schooling in an era of accountability for academic achievement. Fullan makes the critical point—and sets an insightful direction—as to the equally important case for public schools to promote the personal and social development of students. Therein lies Fullan’s challenge to school principals. The Moral Imperative of School Leadership is a must read for those who want to make a difference!"
"Fullan shows how moral leadership can reinvent the principalship and bring about large-scale school improvement. This is a masterfully crafted and accessible book by North America's foremost expert on change."
"This is a must read for any school leader interested in making a difference. Fullan goes to the core of what it takes to transform our schools and, not surprisingly, principals are at the center of the transformation."
"Without moral purpose, nothing of value is achieved. We learn how it is deployed effectively, and Fullan makes the difficult but important case that truly moral school leadership recognizes its obligations to the wider community and other schools, an argument that those of us pushing for collegiates will welcome."
"As one has come to expect from this eminent writer, this is a highly readable, well structured, and accessible text that is above all positive. Indeed I have no doubt that many will find the work inspirational."
"As one has come to expect from this eminent writer this is a highly readable, well structured, and acceeible text that is above all postitive. Indeed...many will find the work inspirational."
"Excellent book, not only for principals, but for all educators who believe that the 'moral imperative is in the hands of school leaders.'"
"The Moral Imperative of School Leadership is a practical handbook for educators focusing on the pivotal role played by principals as agents of systematic change…Fullan appeals to something all educators have: the desire to do the right thing and the wish to make a difference."
"The Moral Imperative of School Leadership is an important read for school leaders and system administrators, not so much because it provides a prescription for the future of public education, but more because it elevates the moral imperative of public schooling, and enshrines the view that effective school leadership must be driven from a deep moral purpose. "