Books Worth Reading By George Manthey, assistant executive director, ACSA Educational Services
F
ormer California superintendents (and ACSA members) Mary Frances Callan and Bill Levinson have created an excellent resource for those interested in be-
coming superintendents as well as those new to the job. In fact, this book will be featured at the New Superintendents Workshop at ACSA’s January Superintendents Symposium. Not only do the authors provide guidelines for being offered that first superintendency, they also provide an overview of the most critical aspects one will encounter during the first three years in the job. The book is a collection of practical ideas written in an engaging style.
Achieving Success for New and Aspiring Superintendents: A Practical Guide. By Mary Frances Callan and William J. Levinson. Corwin Books, 2011.
I
n “Schools Cannot Do it Alone,” which is both a defense of public educators and a call to do things very differently, Jamie Vollmer argues that the American system
of education has been designed to leave some students behind. He writes that leaders must push for “greater public accountability for student success: a shared sense of ownership for local schools, combined with a communitywide willingness to accept partial responsibility for their results.” Vollmer says leaders must convince the public that schools must be re-designed to be fundamentally different than they are today.
Schools Cannot Do it Alone. By Jamie Vollmer. Enlightenment Press, 2010.
demic language and concepts the students are expected to understand and use. Teachers regularly question students and
expect them to answer in complete sentences using academic language. When they frame the questions, teachers are careful to provide initial assistance (often referred to as “scaf- folding”) to students who need language support. Teachers also make sure that they challenge the more advanced students.
A future-oriented mission At Los Amigos School in northern Los
Angeles County – a K-8 Spanish/English immersion school that serves about 900 pri- marily Latino students – teachers meet in- dividually with students to discuss their test scores, set academic goals, and talk about their future. Every time a student reaches a goal, the teacher and student together set a new one, keeping in mind a broader, overall objective. Teachers also talk with students about high school and college. Principal Elena Esquer also works with
the principal of the high school located Continued on page 38
28 Leadership
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