The Savvy Superintendent: Leading Instruction to the Top of the Class

(Paperback)

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Description

The Savvy Superintendent examines the art of district leadership from the perspective of top practitioners in the field of education. Insights and comments from in-depth interviews with over fifty current and former successful superintendentsincluding American Association of School Administrators (AASA) Superintendents of the Year and runners up for the awardare woven throughout the narrative to exemplify best-in-class, real-world applications of the behaviors, attitudes, and attributes that great instructional leaders employ as they carry out their most important work: instructional leadership. This book provides practical, hands-on advice for school district superintendents. It is designed to provide needed but rarely taught ideas, insights, and information that superintendents can use to incorporate effective practices into their own school districts.

Reviews

For a new superintendent, this book is instrumental in developing foundational pillars of knowledge to allow for a successful career and avoid pitfalls others have experienced. Each chapter forced me to reflect on my current situations and practice to make modifications necessary for improving student achievement. The practical application to real-world situations from successful superintendents across the country is invaluable. -- Steve Doyle, twenty-year superintendent
Linda K. Wagner's contribution to the superintendency is invaluable! As a new generation of leaders embarks on this important leadership role, there is a need to have practical knowledge and guidance in the beginning years of district leadership. Her ideas, culled from successful superintendents, will encourage and instill confidence as new leaders emerge in districts across the country. -- Gwen Gross, fifteen-year superintendent and author of three leadership books for educators
Linda K. Wagner's book is an excellent source for the new administrator anticipating her first staff meeting or for a seasoned superintendent looking for ways to make things better in the boardroom. Filled with practical applications and spot-on advice from those who have lived it, this book provides a wealth of support to anyone smart enough to read it. Easy-to-read and eminently useful, it belongs on every administrator's desk. -- Ken Noonan, past member and past president, California State Board of Education, and thirty-year superintendent, Superintendent Emeritus, Oceanside, California and former President, State Board of Education
For school district superintendents, Wagner, who has been a teacher, administrator, and superintendent, culls interviews with about 50 current and former successful superintendents, including American Association of School Administrators Superintendents of the Year and finalists (as well as consultants and county office administrators), to describe the behaviors, attitudes, and attributes of effective instructional leaders. She addresses the first year of the position, communication and leadership characteristics that build trust, the governance team, personnel issues, assessment and accountability, and equity. * Book News, Inc. *

Author Bio

Linda K. Wagner is a credentialed teacher and administrator with over twenty-two years of experience in the field of education, the last seven as a superintendent. She was named 2009 Superintendent of the Year for the Association of California School Administrators, Region 15.