Leading Against the Grain

What new ideas and ways of thinking can educational leaders learn from great world leaders who have moved their societies to greater equity and expanded educational opportunity? In this lively, accessible volume, the editors have brought together an impressive group of senior and early-career educational scholars to study the lives and contributions of a wide range of outstanding historical and contemporary leaders from the United States and across the globe. This rich collection of brief biographical commentaries profiles leaders like Wangari Mathaai, John Tippeconic III, Fannie Lou Hamer, Saul Alinsky, Antonia Pantoja, Jimmy Carter, Golda Meir, Sun Yat Sen, José Rizal, and Jesus Christ. Each profile focuses on a single individual and includes (1) an introduction and biographical sketch, (2) a discussion of their context and activities as a leader, (3) a list of the key lessons we can learn from their leadership, and (4) an explanation of how these lessons are relevant for today. This unique collection bridges cultures, professions, and callings to help American education leaders create more just and equitable schools.

Book Features:

• Profiles of a wide range of world leaders.
• Insights from leading educational scholars and practitioners.
• A diversity of international location, gender, race, and conceptual focus.
• An engaging style that bridges theory and practice—perfect for courses and training programs.
• Lessons school leaders can use to improve their practice.

Jeffrey S. Brooks is professor of educational leadership at Monash University and author of Black School/White School: Racism and Educational (Mis)Leadership and co-editor of What Every Principal Needs to Know to Create Equitable and Excellent Schools. Anthony H. Normore is professor of educational leadership and chair of graduate education at California State University, Dominguez Hills.

"Brooks and Normore have brilliantly designed and edited an exceptional book on leadership."

—Teachers College Record

"This is not a typical leadership book. As the editors note, this book is designed to 'pique interest.' It succeeds. Not only did I learn about inspiring leaders, the essays drew connections to my work that sparked personal reflection and a renewed commitment."

—School Administrator

“The book is clearly intended for school leaders. Education leaders can use this book as a resource to motivate current and future administrators, having them reflect on qualities of great leaders. Perhaps the book could also appeal to late career teachers or administrators who would like to reflect on their motivations to enter the profession…We think a second audience could be community leaders, as we found ourselves learning more about community activism and grassroots movements… a fun summer read that might provide readers with an opportunity to gradually rethink school leadership."

—Education Review/Reseñas Educativas

“This book introduces many new ways to think about leadership in education, and we desperately need to reinvent, rethink, and reconnect leadership in schools in new and innovative ways.”
—From the Foreword by William Ayers, education activist and bestselling author

"For those of us who have suffered through the staid, unimaginative prose of most educational leadership texts, this book is a godsend: Gifted authors guide us to study leadership through the eyes and lives of our world's great leaders. The lessons they reveal are eye-opening, pragmatic, and greatly needed!"
—Dr. Lisa D. Delpit, Southern University School of Education, Felton G. Clark Distinguished Professor; Southern University Laboratory School liaison

"A fresh and essential perspective on leadership, going beyond the norm, engaging the essence of leadership, which is always, in some respect, about going against the grain. Linking leadership to equitable schooling is an especially important challenge for our times, and this amazing cast of diverse scholars engages in this critical issue. "
—Dr. James P. Spillane, Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Professor in Learning and Organizational Change at the School of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University

"Brooks and Normore provide a unique and powerful voyage into diverse models of leadership from around the world. A brilliant format introduces the reader to new ideas, and the narratives prompt some wonderful reflection. Leading Against the Grain is the perfect combination: Great leaders, great authors, and great leadership lessons."
—Dr. Joseph Murphy, Frank W. Mayborn, Chair of Education and Associate Dean at Peabody College of Education of Vanderbilt University

Foreword by William Ayers

Introduction: Leading Against the Grain: Listening to Leaders from Around the Globe and Throughout Time 
Jeffrey Brooks and Anthony H. Normore

Chapter 1. A Woman for All Seasons: Learning from the Wisdom of Antonia Pantoja
Sonia Nieto

Chapter 2. Grassroots Leadership for Ecological Sustainability, Empowerment, and Political Change: Wangari Maathai and the Green Belt Movement
Melanie C. Brooks

Chapter 3. In the Shadow of Totalitarianism: Tsunesaburo Makiguchi and the Struggle for Value-Creating Educational Leadership
John M. Heffron

Chapter 4. Sun Yat-sen: A Boundary-Crosser
Haiyan Qian and Allan Walker

Chapter 5. Peter McLaren's Liberation Theology: Karl Marx Meets Jesus Christ
Peter McLaren and Petar Jandrić

Chapter 6. Saul Alinsky: The Magnificent Rebel
Lisa Catherine Ehrich and Fenwick W. English

Chapter 7. The Resurrection of Educational Leadership: Lessons from Rev. Dr. Samuel DeWitt Proctor
Atiya S. Strothers and Catherine A. Lugg

Chapter 8. José Rizal: Leadership Lessons from the National Hero of the Philippines
Jeffrey S. Brooks and Anthony H. Normore

Chapter 9. A Life Lived Well: American Indian Educator, Scholar, and Leader Dr. John W. Tippeconnic III (Comanche/Cherokee)
Susan C. Faircloth (Coharie)

Chapter 10. Jimmy Carter: A Portrait of Moral and Ethical Leadership
Michelle D. Young and Bryan A. VanGronigen

Chapter 11. Harold Gatensby: Tlingit Peacemaker and Leader
Polly Hyslop and Brian Jarrett

Chapter 12. Golda Meir: A Leader for National Revival and Social Justice
Izhar Oplatka

Chapter 13. Passing the Torch: The Legacy of Fannie Lou Hamer
Gaëtane Jean-Marie

Chapter 14. Incrementalism Beats Flamboyance: Ethel M. Smith
Catherine M. Marshall and Becca Merrill

Chapter 15. Ella Flagg Young: Individuality, Freedom for the Teacher, and Freedom for the Pupil
Jackie M. Blount

Chapter 16. Aung San Suu Kyi: A Leadership Journey Toward Peace and Democracy 
Whitney McIntyre Miller and Margaret Grogan

Chapter 17. Understanding Real "Black Girl Magic": Anna Julia Cooper as a Thought Leader
Gloria Ladson-Billings

About the Contributors 

Index