Professional Development for Leaders and Managers of Self-Governing Schools

ISBN-13: 9789048172290 / Angielski / Miękka / 2010 / 306 str.

David Gamage

Opis

Current Context Currently, self-governing schools (SGS) or school-based/site-based management (SBM) or local management of schools (LMS) identifies the individual school as the primary unit of improvement. It relies on the redistribution of decision-making authority to stimulate and sustain impro- ments in a school. For this purpose, varying degrees of formal authority to make decisions in the domains of school s mission, goals, priorities, and school policies relating to financial, material and human resources are not simply delegated but transferred by legislation to a representative governing body called the school council or board. Accordingly, it is the position of the principal or the head-teacher, previously at the apex of the hierarchical str- ture of the school which undergoes the most radical reform. Under the new concept, authority is shifted to the corporate body that is to the council or board while the principal becomes an ex-officio member of that body and the chief executive officer (CEO) of the school. Traditionally and legally, the principal or the head-teacher was vested with the full authority for the total management of the school. But, in terms of SGS or SBM, the principal becomes a partner with the representatives of other relevant stakeholders in a democratic structure. When the bureaucratic model of a school gets modified with the school governing body occupying the apex of the school hierarchy, it becomes the key power centre with legal authority."

Spis treści

Preface and Acknowledgments PART 1: FOUNDATIONS IN SCHOOL MANAGEMENT. 1. New Challenges Confronted by School Leaders.- 2.Decentralization and Devolution of Authority Towards Self-Governing Schools.-3.The Importance of Educational Administration.-4.How Does School Culture Helps Improve Performance?- 5. Employing Organisational Behaviour as a Management Perspective. PART 2: EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT 6.Flexibility in Style in the Key to Providing Effective Leadership.-7. Management of Organizations Staffed by Professionals.-8.Adopting Strategic Planning for School Improvement.-9.Leading and Managing Human Resources.-10. Leading and Managing Change towards Organisational Improvement.-11.Importance of Effective Communication.-12. Need for Well Informed Effective Decision-Making.-13.Meetings as Forums for Effective Communication & Decision-Making.-14.Management and Resolution of Conflicts. Bibliography Index

Blurb

Today, the self-governing schools (SGS) have become a global phenomenon. It has liberated school heads from the bureaucratic shackles, making them leaders in their own right. Accordingly, the principal’s role has undergone the most radical transformation and has been widely acknowledged as the vanguard of stability and the agent of change in creating effective schools.

As the CEO, the principal has to develop a shared vision with the capacity to incorporate diverse leadership styles such as Transformational, Distributed, Shared and Strategic. Under the SGS model the governing body formulates school policies in consultation with the principal, making him/her responsible and accountable for implementation.

However, to face the new challenges posed by the SGS model (otherwise known as Site-based/School-based management (SBM) and Local management of schools (LMS)), it has become imperative that school leaders undergo further professional development in leadership and management. This is evidenced by recent research conducted in countries such as the USA, China, Australia, Japan, Sweden, Thailand and the Philippines.

This book is the culmination of the author’s 34 years of research, administrative and academic experience in guiding, educating and training both aspiring and practicing educational/school leaders from around the world.

It is a cutting edge response to the widely acknowledged need for further professional development in school leadership.