Leading School Change: How to Overcome Resistance, Increase Buy-In, and Accomplish Your Goals

by Todd Whitaker

Being a cheerleader for innovation or change is great. Implementing specific strategies to increase the likelihood of success is essential. In this key book from bestselling author and speaker Todd Whitaker, you'll discover clear ways to lead and manage school change by setting realistic goals, planning your approach, and tracking your progress. You'll also find out how to work effectively with others, overcome resistance, and gain widespread acceptance. Whether you are a district leader, building leader, instructional coach, or teacher-leader, you'll come away from this book with all the tools and inspiration you need to make a positive, immediate, results-oriented change with the support of your staff.

Bonus: This enhanced second edition includes a special Action Plan and Implementation Guide. The Action Plan will help you apply the ideas, step by step, to your own situation. The Implementation Guide can be used for independent reflection or as a study guide with book groups or professional learning communities.

178 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2018

Reviews

[Jordan Fernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book for graduate school and rated it according to other educational texts.

This may be the most practical book I have ever read in the field of education. It was easy to digest and offered actual, tangible solutions to many of today's most common problems. Whitaker's arguments were clear, and he was aided by the step-by-step questions and diagrams that he provided in the appendices at the end.

Highly recommend to any school leader, especially prior to the start of a new school year!

[Cindy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This author makes fun of teachers through his entire book. He refers to them as naysayers, eye rollers and foot draggers. Then he suggests the importance of aligning with an "alpha male" to make change happen. I'm very disappointed that future leaders are being trained with this kind of negativity.

[Aaron Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book for any leader to reflect on before initiating changes. Examples are focused on schools, but can be applied to any field.