 | MESPA Home > Professional Development | | Book Read: MESPA MN Education Administrator Book Read
9/13/2009 - 6/3/2010
Read, discuss, blog:
"Building Strong School Cultures: A Guide To Leading Change" by Sharon D. Kruse and Karen Seashore Louis
Join this year-long collaboration of Minnesota education
administrators: MESPA, MASSP, and MASA (Minnesota's elementary and
secondary principals, and superintendents).
THE PLAN
This is a year-long professional development opportunity
with many paths. MESPA members may
choose to take part in some or all of the options.
- Read the book. Complete a Book Response form.
- Take part in the blog (Web-based) discussion led by Mary Hanson (MESPA Ed Ad Committee chair) -- open from January 4 - April 30, 2010.
- Take part in division book discussions. MESPA divisions may opt to schedule one or two book discussions at division
meetings (led by Ed Ad Committee representatives).
- Attend the feature session with Sharon D. Kruse, Ph.D. (one of the two authors) at the MESPA Institute, February 3.
- Attend a regional
seminar to be scheduled in the spring of 2010, and held in conjunction with MASA and MASSP.
- Take part in local planning following the spring regional seminars, to embed and continue the strong school culture concepts throughout your school districts.
THE BOOK
MESPA, MASSP, and MASA are
uniting in a yearlong study to develop integrated school cultures that engage
educators with their colleagues and communities. The book Building Strong School Cultures: A Guide to Leading Change (Sharon
D. Kruse and Karen Seashore Louis) will serve as our guide.
This practical handbook shows school leaders how to build a
climate of collaboration with staff, teachers, and parents as well as how to
develop connections with foundations, business groups, social service
providers, and government agencies.
The goal in this collaboration of education administrators
is to help districts work together, rather than continuing to too often have
schools go their separate ways. School culture is our strength; it is the way
to improve educational achievement for all children. If we do not strengthen
culture, we will continue to unduly focus on test scores -- which is only part
of the complex formula in helping students achieve. With all Minnesota
education administrators working together, within and between districts, we
will strengthen our schools.
The authors call on principals to create a viable,
sustainable school culture using organizational learning and trust to involve the
professional community and to affect teaching and learning. This presents a
leadership approach that integrates teachers, parents, and community members
into a coherent team. The authors
examine schools that have achieved lasting cultural change and present
practical strategies for:
- Diagnosing
and shaping a school culture
- Revising
leadership functions to broaden decision-making processes
- Rethinking
organizational structures
- Supporting
continuous improvement while ensuring stability
MESPA_Building_Cultures_Reading_Response.pdf
Response Form to be completed after reading the book, and submitted to your division Educational Advisory Committee representative in order to receive CEUs.
MESPA_Book_Read_Overview.pdf
Summary of the "Building Strong School Cultures" book read plan.
BSSC_Study_guide_chap1.doc
Study guide for leading book discussions: chapter 1.
BSSC_Study_guide_chap2.doc
Study guide for leading book discussions: chapter 2.
BSSC_Study_Guide_chap3.doc
Study guide for leading book discussions: chapter 3.
BSSC_Study_Guide_chap4.doc
Study guide for leading book discussions: chapter 4.
BSSC_Study_Guide_chap5.doc
Study guide for leading book discussions: chapter 5.
BSSC_Study_Guide_chap6.doc
Study guide for leading book discussions: chapter 6.
BSSC_Study_Guide_chap7.doc
Study guide for leading book discussions: chapter 7.
BSSC_Study_Guide_chap8.doc
Study guide for leading book discussions: chapter 8.
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| Blog your way to CEUs | Take part in a blog (Web-based) discussion of "Building Strong School Cultures" -- led by Mary Hanson (MESPA
Ed Ad Committee chair).
The blog is open to all members of MESPA, MASSP, and MASA (Minnesota elementary and middle level principals and superintendents).
If you post six blog responses from January 4 - April 30, 2010, you will receive 3 administrator CEUs.
The blog is a Google Group overseen by MESPA. To sign into the blog, click on the link above!
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| Ready to join the blog? | Any MESPA/MASSP/MASA member may join the book discussion blog. - Click on the "Visit this group" link above to get to the Google Group page. NOTE: The blog is a Google Group -- which means that Google makes it possible for us to post and respond messages to from one another at no cost.
- Click on “Sign in and apply for membership.”
- Click on “Create an account now.”
- Enter your e-mail address, create a password, and follow other instructions for opening your account. NOTE: You don't have to use your school e-mail. Some school technology firewalls block Google Groups and other blogs as spam; if so, you could use your personal e-mail account -- or ask your school technology coordinator to create an exception for this blog.
- You will be asked if you are a MESPA, MASSP, or MASA member: type in your name and where you are a school administrator. All MESPA/MASSP/MASA members will be approved for membership within one day. You’ll receive an e-mail notice from the Google Group that you’re in!
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| To post an answer to questions from the blog moderator | - Click on the blog link above. (You must go to the blog page to post an answer; you can't do it through e-mail.)
- Enter your e-mail address and password.
- Click on the “Discussion” title you would like to respond to. (You will
then see a list of all postings for that discussion.)
- Click on “Reply” below the posting.
- Type your answer and click “Send” at the bottom of the answer box.
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| Buy the book on your own | Individuals may buy books on their own through
Corwin Press, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, etc. Corwin’s price is $31.95 + 5.95
for shipping and handling = $38.
Or purchase books during the MESPA Institute from Kubitz Educational Services for the special Institute price of $28.75. Click here for details.
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| Buy the book through MESPA | Click here to order your book through MESPA -- and get a discount price!
Cost with shipping/handling =
$30.
- MESPA
will take in member book orders: online order, fax, paper (mail).
- Order
sent to Corwin when MESPA receives member payment (check).
- Corwin
will mail books to members within the week.
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| Read the book and get CEUs | The Minnesota Board of School Administrators has approved 10 CEUs (administrator continuing education units) for reading and responding to "Building Strong School Cultures." To obtain your CEUs: - Read the book.
- Complete a Reading Response form (scroll down for a copy of the form).
- Submit the Reading Response form to your division's Educational Advisory Committee representative.
Who is your division's Educational Advisory Committee representative? For each representative's contact information, visit MESPA Committees in About MESPA.
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| Division meeting book discussions | MESPA divisions may opt to hold one or two book discussions -- with participants receiving 3 CEUs for each discussion. Discussions will be lead by the Division Educational Advisory Committee representative and Division President. -- using study guides developed by the authors. (To download copies of the study guides for each chapter, scroll down.)
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