Leading Schools in Disruptive Times: How to Survive Hyper-Change

From surviving to thriving during constant disruption

The updated edition of this handbook couldn’t have come at a better time. Focusing on lessons learned from the disruptions of 2020, including the COVID school closures and the renewed pursuit of social justice, the authors show school leaders how to prepare for and respond to disruptions that are leading to a "new normal."

Educators are racing to stay ahead of pandemic-scale disruptions and need a blueprint for transformation. This book will walk you through the decision-making process so you’ll be able to transform as a leader to confront the issues you’ll face in the 2020s. Features include:

• Practical strategies for identifying and responding to disruptions
• An overview of the CAT framework: coping, adjusting, transforming
• Real-life stories from exceptional educational leaders
• Tips on guiding teachers, staff, and students through the many lessons learned during the pandemic
• Activities, scenarios, and practical actions to lead through complex topics that include remote learning, social justice issues, education reforms, generational differences, and social media issues

The pandemic has been the biggest disruption in school history, and this will be a decade of monumental change for schools. Your stakeholders will look to you to guide them―and this book gives you the tools you need to have the mindset and practical steps to be successful in an ever-changing world.

Mark White is a school leadership and training consultant. Previously, he was the director of education and outreach at Mindset Digital and academic principal in the International Department of the Beijing National Day School in Beijing, China. As the superintendent of the Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools in Gahanna, Ohio, he played a key role in the design of Clark Hall and the implementation of global skills and technology into its curriculum. During his tenure as superintendent, the district earned the state′s highest academic ranking, opened Clark Hall, and achieved financial stability. Mr. White has been a consultant to both the College Board and the ACT and has served on two national education reform committees. He has frequently been a guest speaker at schools and universities and at local, state, and national conferences. Prior to being a superintendent, Mr. White was a band director, high school English teacher and department head, high school assistant principal, principal, and assistant superintendent.

Dwight Carter is a nationally recognized school leader from Central OH. Because of his collaborative and innovative leadership, in 2010, he was inducted into the Jostens Renaissance Educator Hall of Fame. He was also named a 2013 National Association of Secondary School Principals Digital Principal of the Year, the 2014 Academy of Arts and Science Education High School Principal of the Year, and the 2015 Ohio Alliance of Black School Educators Principal of the Year. He has served as principal at Gahanna Lincoln High School, New Albany High School and has been a leadership coach and consultant. Mr. Carter has frequently been a guest speaker in schools, universities, and at local, state, and national conferences that deal with Generations Z and Alpha, technology integration, staff development, school culture, and other 21st Century education topics. He has authored numerous blogs and has written on behalf of NASSP. He has also been a high school social studies teacher, a high school assistant principal, and a middle school principal during his twenty-seven career. He is currently an Assistant Director at Eastland Career Center in Groveport, OH.