A PRINCIPAL'S TALE, at turns is personal and humorous, insightful and engaging. A PRINCIPAL'S TALE democratizes the public school administration conversation and offers insight and wisdom to anyone who wishes to show up more authentically, effectively, and ultimately powerfully in today's challenging education world. More personal in tone than traditional educational books, A PRINCIPAL'S TALE acknowledges that leadership requires risk and commitment, and the greatest risk of all is discovered as we learn how to educate our own way and lead with impact in today's ever-shifting educational world. My personal stories in the office to the classroom will shine at times personal and at times a humorous look into the everyday life of a principal. Written on a daily basis, similar to a diary or journal entry, the book details thirty-one days in the life of an urban school principal, painting a true picture of the professional, emotional, and personal experiences of those who lead a school and a family of educators and learners.

What happens when a Canadian principal, guided by the teachings of Fullan and Hargreaves, takes on the role of school leader in an inner-city charter school in the United States? This inside story of a principal in the DC charter school system, reveals much about the desire for educators and students to experience more than a life of multiple-choice testing that tends to be so commonplace in these schools. While such a case adds to the mound of research that supports the ‘change takes time’ findings, it nevertheless demonstrates the reality, on a day-to-day basis, of what’s worth fighting for in schools. Student and teacher engagement and empowerment matter, and to get to such ends, a school must fiercely focus on targets well beyond test scores. This book speaks about how a budget reveals school values, and by shifting resources to support staff and student development, a school, coping with regular turnover, can be filled with more confident and capable community members. A school crawling with leaders emerged as more student, teacher and non-instructional staff were supported in new roles, aimed at building an inspired culture, with the talent and capacity to move others to action. The old ways of ‘doing school’ do not address the needs of the 21st century learner, and while many forces with limited views of education were at play, this story does provide an example of what promising things can and should happen to increase engagement and learning in more charter schools across America. “Dr. Barbara Smith’s narrative of her times in public charter schools offers all of us insights into the struggle to create schools of high academic quality and compassionate care, worthy of her educational mandate and mission.” – David Booth, Professor Emeritus, The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto “Dr. Smith’s message inspires me to be an advocate for education and her work will inspire you as well!” – Jalen Rose, Chair of Board of Directors, Jalen Rose Leadership Academy, Detroit, Michigan, ESPN Commentator “This inside look provides an opportunity for innovation in a field that has held to aging standards for far too long!” – Diane C. Manica, Former Director, Leadership and Accreditation, University of Detroit Mercy

From an elementary school principal and popular YouTube personality, inspiration and humor for educators to tackle the challenges they face day-in and day-out Gerry Brooks is an elementary school principal turned YouTube celebrity who entertains K-12 teachers, administrators, and parents across the country. He tells jokes with the kind of mocking humor that gets a laugh, yet can be safely shared in school. After all, even great schools have bad days -- when lesson plans fall through, disgruntled parents complain, kids throw temper tantrums because they have to use the same spoon for their applesauce and mashed potatoes, and of course, dealing with...The Horror! The Horror!...dreaded assessments. Ranging from practical topics like social media use in the classroom and parent-teacher conferences to more lighthearted sections such as "Pickup and Dropoff: An Exercise in Humanity" and "School Supplies: Yes, We Really Need All That Stuff," Go See the Principal offers comic relief, inspiration, and advice to those who need it the most.

Self Determination Theory Autonomy Competence Relatedness "A Principal's Tale: A Self Determined Leader by Shelley McIntosh, Ed.D., is an engaging book that will help readers comprehend urban school administration and self-determination theory of urban school principals... A Principal's Tale is informative and educational and will help future and current urban school principals and administrators, and all those who are keen to learn how principals do their job." Mamta Madhaven ~ Readers' Favorite

For use in schools and libraries only. In this version of the Andersen tale, the vain principal of P.S. 88 is persuaded by two tailors that they will make him an amazing, one-of-a-kind, suit that will be visible only to intelligent people.

It was never in author Joe Gilliland's plan to become a teacher, certainly not a college teacher and most certainly not an English teacher. But that's what happened, and he's never looked back. In A Teacher's Tale, he explains how by neither planning for nor seeking a life of learning and teaching, lacking a syllabus or lesson plan, he discovered that a life in academe lay in his path-a path he's followed for more than fifty years. A Teacher's Tale begins in 1932 with Gilliland's first experiences in schooling and concludes in the summer of 1955 just as he completes his apprenticeship and stands on the brink of becoming a qualified instructor in a small college in east Texas. This memoir presents a collection of stories about his experiences as a teacher and a college student. A story of schooling deeply immersed in the arts and humanities, A Teacher's Tale shares Gilliland's love of the university and how it compelled him to seek a life devoted to teaching, primarily in the community college arena. Through this narrative, he brings together a philosophy of higher education based on the importance of arts and humanities in today's high-tech world.

In this mischievous and utterly original debut, Hansel and Gretel walk out of their own story and into eight other classic Grimm-inspired tales. As readers follow the siblings through a forest brimming with menacing foes, they learn the true story behind (and beyond) the bread crumbs, edible houses, and outwitted witches. Fairy tales have never been more irreverent or subversive as Hansel and Gretel learn to take charge of their destinies and become the clever architects of their own happily ever after.