Win-Win: W. Edwards Deming, the System of Profound Knowledge, and the Science of Improving Schools

by John A. Dues, United Schools Network

W. Edwards Deming, the System of Profound Knowledge, and the Science of Improving Schools is for systems leaders who lead our country’s school districts, charter management organizations, and educational nonprofits and government agencies, as well as for those who train these system leaders in our graduate schools of education. The strategies for school improvement detailed in this book are based on the theories of W. Edwards Deming, who was known as the father of the quality movement and was hugely influential in post-WWII Japan. He is most well-known for his theories of management.



Win-Win offers real-world strategies to education leaders of improvement, based on Demings’ System of Profound Knowledge. A leader of improvement does not need to be expert in the four components of profound knowledge, but they do need to understand the basic theory, their interconnectedness, and why they are necessary for these efforts. Win-Win provides this basic understanding. This book equips the reader with the knowledge and skills needed to harness the power of the System of Profound Knowledge to improve the performance of schools systems, students, and teachers. It can be used in a variety of classrooms in Colleges of Education, and it is the perfect teaching tool in professional development efforts.

Perfect for courses such  Organizational Change; Strategies of Educational Leadership; School/District Improvement Using Data Analysis; Supervision Theory and Practice; Theory, Research, & Leadership; Transformational Systems Leadership; Philosophical and Theoretical Foundations of Leadership; The Philosophy of Scientific Knowledge; Systemic Educational Reform; Applied Improvement Science Investigations

Genres: Business

266 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 19, 2023

Reviews

[Cedric Chin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a straightforward re-explanation of Deming’s ideas but for the education sector. This *may* be worth a skim if you’re already familiar with Deming’s ideas, but unfortunately there aren’t that many concrete examples of process improvement applications (there are a total of perhaps four concrete examples, and what wonderful examples they are, but I wish there were more!)

Overall, you’re not going to learn anything new if you’re familiar with Deming’s ideas. What little detail of systemic application is scattered throughout the book. And that’s fair; this was primarily written for educators who have not yet been exposed to the System of Profound Knowledge.

[Celeste Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing! I can’t say enough good things about this book. It makes Deming’s work so accessible for educators and incredibly practical throughout. All teachers should read!