Successful school leadership is an issue currently being debated up and down Caribbean territories. Key issues in the ongoing debate include: students’ outcomes and participation in the regional Caribbean Secondary Examinations (CSEC); teacher recruitment and retention; teacher training and continuing professional development (upgrading); and parental involvement. These issues point to leadership at various levels, whether in its exercise or in its influence, and are examined within and across national and regional education systems. Particular attention is given to debates around improving outcomes for students, teacher development and the role of the principal in leading school improvement. A source of debate about practice of school leadership in the Caribbean surrounds the issue of gender. Where are men in teaching? Where are men in leadership positions and positions of responsibility? Unlike in some countries where, for example, men tend to hold more leadership positions than women, especially at the secondary phase of education, in the Caribbean this is not the case: there are more female teachers at every level and more female teachers occupy leadership positions at every level. Within this book, gendered leadership as practised and enacted in the Caribbean is examined from religious, social, historical and political positions, pointing to a clear political dichotomy. There is no unitary definition of what can count as school leadership in the Caribbean, despite clear similarities of practices and approaches. What this volume argues, however, is that within the Caribbean region there are many similarities of experience for the practice and exercise of school leadership which draw on a common framework of teacher training, a common language and a common socio-political history that existed well before the formation of CARICOM through British colonisation. This book does not dwell on the period of British colonisation but discusses the extent to which this period in Caribbean history has influenced the practice of school leadership today, most notably in areas such as curricular and teacher training models. Education in emergency situations, such teaching and learning in severe weather conditions such as hurricanes, is also spotlighted. As a whole, the themes in this edited volume proffer an evidence-based approach to contemporary issues in school leadership in the Caribbean and extend the current literature in the field.

· What drives school leaders? · What do they do on a day to day basis? · What helps or constrains their decision-making? · What keeps them focused amidst challenges? Rather than applying theory to practice, Exploring School Leadership in England and the Caribbean draws on how school leaders practice and experience their own leadership. Paul Miller draws on case studies from Jamaica and England to explore what it means to be a school leader and explores a wide-range of issues, including accountability, performativity, inclusion and multiculturalism, technology, staffing and resourcing decisions. While no two school leaders will have identical experiences as a school leader, Paul Miller draws on the first-hand accounts of school leaders to show that regardless of school size, type and location there are a number of common experiences and themes. Miller acknowledges that the practice of school leadership is occurring in an uncertain economic environment, buoyed by a fast paced policy context where by targets linked to national economic development are the new normal. He concludes that school leadership is a continuous balancing act driven by and experienced through an “Economic-motor model” of schooling- which he proposes.

The chapters in this book should stimulate the reader not only to think about the kind of leadership that is needed to improve schools in the Caribbean (using 'schools' in the widest sense to range from early childhood to higher education institutions) but also other forms of support. The book deals in detail with issues of leadership. At the theoretical level there is exploration of appropriate models of leadership in the effort to create effective schools. At the practical level the importance of the principal's role is explored. This book is very timely and should prove informative not only to current and prospective leaders but also to students and scholars both locally and internationally with an interest in Caribbean education. The chapters are written in a sufficiently user- friendly style to be of interest also to the general public who want to see the process of transformation realised in our education systems.

The chapters in this book should stimulate the reader not only to think about the kind of leadership that is needed to improve schools in the Caribbean (using 'schools' in the widest sense to range from early childhood to higher education institutions) but also other forms of support. The book deals in detail with issues of leadership. At the theoretical level there is exploration of appropriate models of leadership in the effort to create effective schools. At the practical level the importance of the principal's role is explored. This book is very timely and should prove informative not only to current and prospective leaders but also to students and scholars both locally and internationally with an interest in Caribbean education. The chapters are written in a sufficiently user- friendly style to be of interest also to the general public who want to see the process of transformation realised in our education systems.

This book offers an international perspective of philosophical, conceptual and praxis-oriented issues that impinge on achieving education for all students. It sheds light on the historical, systemic, structural, organizational, and attitudinal barriers that continue to be antithetical to the philosophy and practice of inclusive education within the Caribbean. The first section of the book examines how globalized views of inclusion informed by philosophical ideas from the North have influenced and continue to influence the equity in education agenda in the region. The second section considers how exclusion and marginalization still occur across selected Caribbean islands. It provides both quantitative and qualitative data about the nature and experience of exclusion in selected Caribbean islands, the UK and USA. The third section tackles the practical realities of transforming education systems in the Caribbean for inclusion. In particular, it identifies teacher practices as the main site of interrogation that needs to be tackled if inclusion is to be successful. The fourth and final section examines the contribution of principals and exemplars to the development and advocacy for inclusive education. It discusses how educational leadership is understood, as well as the role of school principals in making inclusion a reality in schools, the challenges experienced and the qualities of education leaders.

Includes appendix (pages 103-106): survey questionnaire.

This book explores various factors that contribute to successful schools in the Caribbean. Based on my own personal and professional experience, I define successful schools as those schools where high-quality teaching takes place in a supportive environment. In these schools, spiritual leaders seek to work with educational stakeholders to develop and facilitate a culture of excellence. Therefore, I have decided to examine teacher development, community involvement, spiritual leadership, servant leadership, and an established culture of success as additional factors that can contribute to successful schools in the Antiguan context. However, this study can yield valuable information that can be used to assess educational practices within different types of schools regionally and globally since one of its main aims is to explore stakeholders’ perceptions on the contributing factors to schools’ academic success. In this book, educational practitioners, policy makers, and institutional leaders will find principles of success that will affect principal leadership, classroom learning, and student achievement.