Leading and Learning Together

“This is not your typical book on education leadership. Rather than a list of what leaders should and shouldn't do, the authors set a different goal—to create schools where kids are prepared to foster and live in a socially just society. Written for educators who seek to make a positive difference, this book will inspire and provide guidance on how to do so.” —Pedro A. Noguera, coauthor of A Search for Common Ground and City Schools and the American Dream 2

Leading and Learning Together offers a set of evidence-based principles, processes, and protocols that increase equitable access and support educators to breathe joy and justice into schools and communities.

Leadership, coupled with learning, is an ongoing process in which everyone has a participatory role in school or district change efforts. Providing a useful antidote to the plethora of packaged curriculum and external professional development providers, this book focuses on reclaiming agency, advocacy, and inquiry for leaders and teachers in the places they know best—their schools and districts. Doing so requires imagination, cooperation, and transparency. As such, the authors provide evidence from multiple school and district educators who are cultivating change from within by disrupting and dismantling systems and drawing on internal assets to address equity-driven challenges. As a result, educators can and should become researchers of their own practices.

Book Features:

• Educational change reimagined as reinvesting in the collective power of the people closest to the issues.
• Guidance based on evidence from multiple school and district change efforts documented and described by the authors.
• Use of evidence to organize more productive informal and formal professional learning driven by practitioner agency and inquiry.
• Text boxes called “Voices From the Field” provide stories of practices from practitioner-researchers.
• Access to equitable processes and protocols, including downloadable forms and tools for teacher professional learning.
• Evidence from school and district leaders underscores the complex work of leading and learning from within, and how to do it.

Lynda Tredway is a program coordinator at East Carolina University. Matthew Militello is the Wells Fargo Distinguished Professor of Educational Leadership at East Carolina University. Joseph Flessa is an associate dean and a professor in the Department of Leadership, Higher, and Adult Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.

“The authors do not promise easy solutions. They do promise that by following the practices shared here—from the inside out—we can all lead and learn in ways that help us reclaim who we are and who we are becoming.”
—From the Foreword by Mónica Byrne-Jiménez, executive director, University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA)

“Any experienced teacher, principal, and superintendent knows in their heart of hearts that changes externally foisted upon educators might get media attention, but such reforms too often have a short shelf life. Yet changing schools from within is hardly a stroll in the park. The authors of Leading and Learning Together understand fully the challenges of changing schools from within. They offer both practitioners and researchers a conceptual guide anchored deeply in both research and intimate knowledge of how U.S. schools work. Leading and Learning Together will help those educators committed to improving their schools from within negotiate these complexities. And that is a gift to educators.”
—Larry Cuban, professor emeritus, Stanford University

“Leading and Learning Together is not your typical book on education leadership. Rather than a list of what leaders should and shouldn't do, the authors set a different goal—to create schools where kids are prepared to foster and live in a socially just society. With such an ambitious goal the authors draw on their vast experience to describe how those who aspire to lead schools can undertake this work guided by pragmatism, vision, and values that affirm the humanity of those they lead. Written for educators who seek to make a positive difference in their schools and society, this book will inspire and provide guidance on how to do so.”
—Pedro A. Noguera, dean, Rossier School of Education, Distinguished Professor of Education, University of Southern California

“Have you ever felt a desire to transform your leadership but didn’t know how? This book is for you. Leading and Learning Together: Cultivating School Change from Within describes a transformative process of educational leaders—starting from listening to those they lead and valuing wisdom from within the community—in order to drive practice and decisions that hold meaning and relevance to people and places. The book details leaders and their journeys in breaking away from the joyless hum-drum of institutional patterns to uplifting the voices of those on the margins. Learn from others how their experiences in giving and receiving regular attention to practice transformed their ability to lead for equitable outcomes by looking, listening, learning, and leading from within.”
—Diane Lau-Yee, principal, San Francisco Unified School District

"This book validates the deep knowledge and expertise of teachers, leaders, and all those connected to our schools. The heart of this work lies in leading and learning together—a collaborative spirit that unlocks the power of community to design schools centered on equity, belonging, and the boundless possibilities that lie within all learners."
—LaShawn Routé Chatmon, executive director, National Equity Project

“Through using the tools and resources described in this book, our educators have learned to use authentic classroom experiences as real-time student performance data. Their work with this text has resulted in a measurable impact on student learning and engagement. As researchers with meaningful experiences as classroom teachers, Lynda Tredway, Matthew Militello, and Joseph Flessa honor the complicated work of change and offer clear strategies that will immediately resonate with teachers and school leaders.”
— Kelly McGuire -凱立 · 麥奎爾 Superintendent - 校监 New York City Public Schools, District 2

"As a former superintendent of the fifth-largest district in the USA, Leading and Learning Together is a must-read for every executive cabinet. The book reimagines educational change for school districts by sharing insight on reinvesting in the collective power of those closest to the issues—our educators. The authors provide invaluable guidance, backed by evidence from
numerous school and district change efforts, making this book a practical resource for all educational leaders. This book stands out as a beacon of hope and practicality in an era where professional development often falls short. It is an essential read for anyone committed to fostering meaningful and sustainable educational change in their respective school district."
—Jesus F. Jara, Former Superintendent of Clark Nevada County School District; President, J. Jara Associates, LLC

Contents

Foreword  ix

Appreciations  xi

Introduction  1
Our Stories  3
Leading and Learning Together  4
Structure of the Book  6

Part I: The Capacity We Need to Cultivate Change

1.  The Leadership Pivot: From Single to Many  11
Disciplinary Approaches to Leadership  11
Circular Leadership  13
Leadership for Social Justice  16
Conclusion  17
Resources and Tools for Chapter 1  17

2.  The Pedagogy of Trust: Setting the Necessary Conditions  18
Gracious Space  19
Dynamic Mindfulness  22
Arts Integration  23
Personal Narratives  23
Addressing Conflict  27
Organizational Meetings: In-Person and Virtual Learning Exchanges  29
Conclusion  30
Resources and Tools for Chapter 2  31

3.  Community as Text: Harnessing the Assets of People and Place  32
Community Learning Exchange Axioms  33
Ecologies of Knowing  34
Our Communities as Text  36
The Role of Storytelling: Pláticas and Testimonios  38
Conclusion  41
Resources and Tools for Chapter 3  42

Part II: Changes in Practice

4.  Practitioner-Research in Action  45
Leaders and Teachers as Practitioner-Researchers  45
Community Learning Exchange Pedagogy and Protocols  47
Liberatory Design: Modes, Mindsets, and Actions  56
Conclusion  61
Resources and Tools for Chapter 4  61

5.  Evidence-Based Observations  62
Equitable Access and Rigor  64
Instructional Antidotes: Tried-and-True Practices  67
Useful Observation Processes  68
Conclusion  78
Resources and Tools for Chapter 5  78

6.  Effective Conversations, Not Feedback  79
Shifting to Post-Observation Conversations  81
Effective Conversation Guide  82
Results of Engaging in Effective Post-Observation Conversations  87
Analysis of Post-Observation Conversations  89
Resources and Tools for Chapter 6  91

7.  Authentic and Meaningful Professional Learning  92
Transfer to Classroom Practices: Temporary or Permanent?  94
Reimagining District and School Leadership  101
Conclusion  105
Resources and Tools for Chapter 7  105

8.  Leading and Learning With Joy and Justice  106

Glossary  112

Appendix A: Resources  115

Appendix B: EdD Dissertations of Practitioner-Researchers  117

Appendix C: General Resources for Leading and Learning Together: Cultivating School Change From Within Community Learning Exchange  122

References  123

Index  137

About the Authors  145

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