The Lead Learner
Improving Clarity, Coherence, and Capacity for All
- Michael McDowell - Ross School District, Superintendent
Foreword by Douglas Fisher, Epilogue by Peter M. DeWitt
To make a lasting impact, start with your own learning.
What’s better: a rigorous system that emphasizes traditional academics, or an innovative one that prepares students for tomorrow’s world? With McDowell’s new model of educational leadership, you don’t have to choose. You can create an impactful system that ensures growth for all students in both core academic content and 21st-century skills.
The Lead Learner shows you how starting with your own professional learning helps you plan for and meet the unique learning needs of staff and students—while getting the biggest impact from your limited time. You’ll also find ways to:
- Ensure clarity in strategic planning
- Establish coherence throughout the system
- Enact system-wide capacity-building processes
- Craft your personal leadership skills
With practical examples, stories from the field, and numerous activities and reflective questions, this insightful book takes you step-by-step through the work of the learning leader—so you can ensure engaged learning for all.
The enduring contribution of this book is in the guidance it provides leaders to recognize that they are part, an important part, but just a part, of a networked system. As such, their decisions and actions send messages throughout the system about what is valued and what is not. Take heed to McDowell’s advice and you’ll have a healthy, growth-producing system that will be the envy of those around you. The work is possible, the information is available, and the results are clear.
Douglas Fisher
San Diego State University
The enduring contribution of this book is in the guidance it provides leaders to recognize that they are part, an important part, but just a part, of a networked system. As such, their decisions and actions send messages throughout the system about what is valued and what is not. Take heed to McDowell’s advice and you’ll have a healthy, growth-producing system that will be the envy of those around you. The work is possible, the information is available, and the results are clear.
As the rules governing the practice of education evolve, educational leaders must be at the forefront of learning to be able to lead effectively. Through my experience in research, professional development and as a school district administrator, I know firsthand that the evolution of any practice – including education – must be informed by those on the frontline who are thought leader practitioners. In his book, The Lead Learner, Dr. McDowell, provides a case for why it is important for the leaders of learning organizations to continue their learning and to be at the forefront of discovery. He provides practical examples though empirical research and storytelling of ways that educational leaders can achieve the status of the Lead Learner.
It is great to pick up a book that puts learning first. This book offers an elegant set of resources that make leading learning so much easier. This is an essential resource for practicing and aspirant school leaders.
These tools, ideas, and resources will help you develop a shared commitment to improved learning for all. This book builds upon the work of respected researchers and practitioners, with the goal of achieving the outcomes that are most essential for ALL students.
