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The Perfect School
Everybody wants a perfect school, but what does that really mean? If you could start over, what could you do to make your school perfect? That s what three top award-winning educators from Illinois asked each other, then dug into their respective areas of strength to answer. The result is a no-nonsense look at perfect teachers, perfect staff, perfect parents, and perfect principals, plus the features and steps required to spread perfec-tion throughout any K-12. Rather than spend time defining an educational utopia, here is a book that provides a roadmap for every teacher, principal, superintendent, School Board member, parent, tax payer and you. The table of contents? A Perfect School? The Perfect Teacher and Perfect Staff The Perfect Parent The Perfect Principal Service Makes or Breaks the Perfect School Infuse Character, Build Characters Perception is Reality Eliminate the Weakest Link The Devil is in the Details Gathering Data to Help Improve Student Success Bridging the Academic Gap Financing Education Total Curriculum This is natural continuation of this trio's much-acclaimed first book, What Every Superintendent and Principal Needs to Know.
188 pages, Paperback
First published May 25, 2007
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December 14, 2025
This collection of essays by three excellent and experienced education leaders, Jim Rosborg, Max McGee (former state superintendent of Illinois and of IMSA), and Jim Burgett, is a thoughtful and realistic guide for school leaders and school board members on how to move toward having "the perfect school."
As a school board member, I read it with a combination of recognition and excitement. Recognition of the challenges we all face and excitement over the possibilities that are within our ability to realize to the benefit of our students. Needless to say, this is one book I marked up ... underlining, putting stars in the borders, and dialoging with. Mortimer Adler (How to Read a Book) would be so proud!
The authors provide questions to ask yourself about your school. It's a bit like having them as consultants. And it fosters a collegial, servant leadership mindset for school leaders, whose job is to do what is best for students, even if that means moving out teachers or other staff who don't share the same vision, who are mediocre rather than effective, disinterested rather than passionate.
Although each essay is credited to one individual author, it's clear that they spent a great deal of time talking with each other as certain themes run through all the essays. For example, I like the sense of inclusiveness that pervades the book. All member of the staff from administrators to teachers to custodial and office staff are essential to creating the perfect school. Each person is important, valued, respected for their contribution and their ability to provide. And no weak links are tolerated, also everyone is provided the support they need to improve.
I highly recommend this book to school leaders and school board members who got into education to make a positive difference in the lives of students. It's both practical and inspiring and the writing is laced with the deep personal experiences of the authors from their various leadership roles. Excellent resource.
As a school board member, I read it with a combination of recognition and excitement. Recognition of the challenges we all face and excitement over the possibilities that are within our ability to realize to the benefit of our students. Needless to say, this is one book I marked up ... underlining, putting stars in the borders, and dialoging with. Mortimer Adler (How to Read a Book) would be so proud!
The authors provide questions to ask yourself about your school. It's a bit like having them as consultants. And it fosters a collegial, servant leadership mindset for school leaders, whose job is to do what is best for students, even if that means moving out teachers or other staff who don't share the same vision, who are mediocre rather than effective, disinterested rather than passionate.
Although each essay is credited to one individual author, it's clear that they spent a great deal of time talking with each other as certain themes run through all the essays. For example, I like the sense of inclusiveness that pervades the book. All member of the staff from administrators to teachers to custodial and office staff are essential to creating the perfect school. Each person is important, valued, respected for their contribution and their ability to provide. And no weak links are tolerated, also everyone is provided the support they need to improve.
I highly recommend this book to school leaders and school board members who got into education to make a positive difference in the lives of students. It's both practical and inspiring and the writing is laced with the deep personal experiences of the authors from their various leadership roles. Excellent resource.
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