Kevin Fahey, Angela Breidenstein, Jacy Ippolito, Frances Hensley
Foreword by: Joseph P. McDonald
Publication Date: April 19, 2019
Pages: 144
This book is for educators who believe that schools need to be improved and are hopeful that real change can be achieved. The authors argue that if educators want to create more equitable, socially just, and learner-focused schools, then they need a more robust, transformational theory of school change—an UnCommon Theory. After describing the limits of current school improvement initiatives, the authors explain what is needed to actually engage in deeper school reinvention work. They take a deep dive into the most difficult work that school leaders do: questioning, rethinking, and reinventing the fundamental assumptions upon which our schools are built. The result is a practical book that provides readers with the knowledge and tools needed to do more than just tinker at the edges of school improvement.
Book Features:
Kevin Fahey, professor emeritus at Salem State University, works with school leaders to use critical friendship, facilitative leadership, and equitable practice to lead student, adult, and organizational learning. Angela Breidenstein is a professor of education at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. Jacy Ippolito is an associate professor and department chair at Salem State University, where he coordinates programs in educational leadership. Frances Hensley was a founding member and director of the School Reform Initiative.
“…provides the reader with an alternative to the well-practiced Common Theory of school reform…The stories shared in each chapter provide the reader with real-life examples of how the three components of the deep dive can be used to reinvent schools. Moreover, the book offers an approach to change that can make a difference in the way our students are educated."
—Teachers College Record
“Articulates clear behaviors to show leaders how and when they might work differently as they manage their most tangled dilemmas in the schools.”
—School Administrator
“This book will serve as a trusty coaching guide. The writing is clear and powerful. The testimony of the courageous and inventive school practitioners the authors studied is rich and exceedingly useful. “
―From the Foreword by Joseph P. McDonald, New York University
“This book is wonderful, well written, thoughtful, and practical, with vivid case studies of school leaders who have changed the culture of their schools to become uncommon places of inspiration for all. Those educators contemplating or already on the journey of re-imagining their schools will find comfort and guidance to forge ahead.”
― Carl Glickman, The University of Georgia
“School reform is complex, and as a result, most schools closely resemble their predecessors from decades ago. However, fundamental change in schools is possible, and the deep-dive process proposed in this book will equip readers with the tools necessary to create powerful transformations. An UnCommon Theory of School Change can help each of us become the advocates for change that result in a better future for every student in every school.”
―Douglas Fisher, San Diego State University
"In An UnCommon Theory of School Change, the authors have captured beautifully what real school change looks like: messy, muddy, deep work that is often challenging to name and hard to implement. There are no quick fixes, and tweaking around the edges does not create lasting change. With thoughtful stories of real people, combined with specific tools and processes, this book will support educators to think differently about what it means to not only improve schools, but also to move toward sustainable change that has the capacity to truly support the learning of each and every student."
—Kari Thierer, former executive director, School Reform Initiative
Contents
Foreword Joseph P. McDonald vii
Preface ix
Acknowledgments xi
1. Navigating the Waters of School Change 1
The 21st-Century Context for Schools 2
What is the Common Theory for Improving Schools? 4
What This Book Is About:
An UnCommon Theory of School Change 11
2. The Deep Dive: An UnCommon Theory 14
Where the Common Theory Ends
and the UnCommon Theory Begins 14
Challenging the Common Theory and “Solutionitis” 15
The UnCommon Theory: Exploring the Deep Dive in Schools 15
Theory and Practice: The Deep Dive in Context 22
Deep Dives Over Time 23
3. Observing: The First Phase of the Deep Dive 27
Observing at Prospect Hill Academy 27
Observing at Mathis High School for International Studies 28
Observing Culture, Building Capacity, and Managing Anxiety 30
Culture, Capacity, and Anxiety: It All Works Together 41
4. Observing: In Practice 42
Tools for Observing and Uncovering 43
Protocols in Action: A Trajectory of Risk 46
Supporting Observing with Protocols 53
Preparing for the Turn: The Second Phase of the Deep Dive 55
5. Turning: The Second Phase of the Deep Dive 56
The Turn at Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School 57
The Turn at North Reading Middle School 58
School Culture 59
What to Expect in the Turn 62
Why Is This So Hard? 66
6. Turning: In Practice 67
Shaping Culture 68
Developing External Capacity 72
Managing Anxiety 75
A Final Word About Turning 80
7. Enacting: The Third Phase of the Deep Dive 82
Enacting the Future at Attucks Middle School 83
Enacting the Future at Barrow Elementary School 84
Enacting and Realizing the Dimensions of
Culture, Capacity, and Anxiety 85
Utilizing Strategies for Enacting the Future 86
Enacting a Better Future 92
8. Enacting: In Practice—Co-Enacting 93
Co-Enacting a Better Future at Barrow Elementary School 93
Co-Enacting a Better Future at Attucks Middle School 96
Co-Enacting an Aspirational Future 97
The Good News About This Hard Work:
Creating Enduring Capacity 104
9. A Book for Activists 105
Beyond Turning Up The Heat 106
Contradictory Advice on Navigating the Deep Dive 107
Reminders About Contradictory Advice and Reframing 115
What Was It All About? 116
References 119
Index 123
About the Authors and the Educators Profiled 129
Professors: Request an Exam Copy
Print copies available for US orders only. For orders outside the US, see our international distributors.