Too often educational leaders are caught in a "culture of nice," finding it difficult to give their teachers and staff critical feedback to improve their practice. This important book helps leaders become both candid and compassionate, unrelenting and supportive, and demanding yet caring. Exploring real scenarios and situations, this book helps you through the common traps of trying to improve performance, and the strategies to move beyond these pitfalls to achieve desired results. Addressing best practices for driving change such as informal feedback mechanisms, collaborative decision-making, and teacher leadership, this important book will help you create a trusting and supportive environment where you can have candid educational conversations in person and in writing, during informal chats, in PLCs, and with other leaders.

Joseph Jones is the Director of Assessment and Accountability in the New Castle County Vocational-Technical School District, Delaware, USA. He is a cofounder of TheSchoolHouse302, a leadership development institute.

T.J. Vari is the Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Schools and District Operations at Appoquinimink School District, Delaware, USA. He is a cofounder of TheSchoolHouse302, a leadership development institute.

Contents

Chapter 1-Introduction: The Circle of Nice

Chapter 2-Blending Instructional Rounds to Guide Walkthroughs

Chapter 3-Candid and Compassionate Feedback that Works: Examples to Guide Practice

Chapter 4--Leading Effective Meetings and PLCs

Chapter 5-Improved Meetings with Compassion and Candor: Examples to Guide Practice

Chapter 6-The Need for Teacher Leadership in Schools

Chapter 7-Candid and Compassionate Conversations to Restructure Leadership Learning: Examples to Guide Practice