My Reading Library

2017

Hello My Name is Public School and I have an Image Problem - L. Milder & J. Braddock

Having been in education since 1999, I have seen first-hand the negativity that surrounds not only the public school I am an educator in, but also surrounding public schools around our country and the institution of public schools as a whole. This book outlines the reasons this negativity exists and what we can do to start gaining ground in demonstrating all the great things that happen in our public schools every day. "if we are not telling our school's story, then someone else is" has become a motto I have lived by since reading this book and I work hard to celebrate the amazing things my teachers, staff, and students are doing in our public school every day.

Digital Leadership - Changing Paradigms for Changing Times - E. Sheninger

With the age of technology growing and expanding at an alarming rate, the way to get information about what is happening at our school is changing at the same rate. The days of mailings and printed newsletters are long gone and our stakeholders expect almost real-time information at their fingertips. This book illustrates the need for school leaders to be proficient in the latest communication tools available in order to not only keep stakeholders informed, but also to "brand" your school as a place where students are learning and growing. There will be numerous things posted and put out there about your school that you cannot control. So, control the message by continually putting great things out there.

Charting the Course to Standards-Based Grading - T. Westerberg

As society and jobs change from assembly lines and compliance-based environments to innovation, creativity, and problem-solving environments, our schools must change how we see learning and how we assess learning that takes place in our classrooms. The days of teachers being the dispensers of knowledge and students getting points for reciting information back to the teacher are over. Classrooms today need to be innovative, creative, and reward students for taking risks through assessment styles that measure proficiency on learning tasks and objectives that students are very aware of. In this book, Tim Westerberg lays out strategies for making this transition.

The Innovator's Mindset - Empower Learning, Unleash Talent, and Lead a Culture of Creativity - G. Couros

After visiting Minnetonka High School and seeing all the innovative and creative things their teachers and students were doing, I was made aware of this book and the transformation that occurred after the Faculty read this book. George Couros points out that kids walk into school full of wonder and curiosity and asks what we, as educators are doing to respond to this curiosity in our classrooms? In our traditional system of education, students are expected to hold their questions and "compliantly stick to the scheduled curriculum." Teachers need to break free from compliance and embrace and facilitate ways to incorporate student curiosity on a daily basis. Our students need to be able to practice critical thinking, problem-solving, and innovative thinking now so they can be successful in the world of today and tomorrow.

2018

Top 20 Teachers - The Revolution in American Education - P. Bernabei, T. Cody, W. Sweeney

After seeing Tom Cody speak at the MN Middle School Conference, I was drawn to the concepts he presented about confusion in learning and how to transform our school and culture the Top 20 way. Our administrative team read this book together before having Tom come and speak to our students in January to start this transformation of our teachers and students from Bottom 80 where negativity and living below the line exist to Top 20 where we are above the line and embrace confusion and frustration as a part of the learning process.

Hacking Assessment: 10 Ways to Go Gradeless in a Traditional Grades School - S. Sackstein

How does a teacher transform how they assess students and eliminate the use of grades in their classroom when our schools and systems rely on traditional grades for many things? "If you want your students to care more about learning than they do about labels, then it is time to hack assessment" in your classroom. In this book, Starr Sackstein presents 10 practical ways to get students focused more on learning than on "what they got" on assignments to produce a grade.

Culturize - Every Student, Every Day, Whatever it Takes - J. Casas

How does a school leader "culturize" their school in a way that all students feel they belong and all members of the school community carry the banner as to what the school is all about? In this book, Jimmy Casas shares many practical "Culture Builder" tips that can be implemented today to begin the process of changing the culture of a school where everyone is a champion for students, everyone expects excellence, everyone carries the banner and all teachers and staff are a merchant for hope for all students. One of the biggest take-aways for me from this book is the reminder that leaders do not need a title in order to lead. We should be calling on all of our staff and students to be leaders in making the school a great place to learn and teach.

2019

Measure What Matters - How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs

John Doerr illustrates the effectiveness of OKR's (Objectives and Key Results) in helping Google, Intel, and many other organizations world-wide grow and exceed expectations. In the process of utilizing OKR's, any organization can get all members to buy in when they see how their work supports their own objective and that of the overall organization's objective. Many times, people in organizations do not see how their day to day work relates to the overall goal of the organization and, thus, are inefficient and focusing on the wrong things. With OKR's, people see how their work is important and they are focused on what needs to be done to move the whole organization forward. In addition, through CFR's (conversations, feedback, and recognition), leaders can keep that focus among their employees at every level.

The Culture Code - The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups

Daniel Coyle examines the keys to creating a culture where people feel they belong, are free brave enough to reveal their vulnerabilities so that others can pick up where they lack, and where they know their purpose. Coyle uses concrete examples within the world including an in depth look at why the San Antonio Spurs are so successful under Greg Popovich and how the Navy SEALS create the culture and team chemistry they must have to be successful. The three keys to a quality culture are where safety has been built, vulnerabilities have been shared, and purpose has been established.

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

In this fable told by Patrick Lencioni, a fictional CEO takes over a fictional company (Decision Tech) and begins the process of building a team of executives that will take this company to new heights. Through is fable, Lencioni outlines the five dysfunctions of a team which include:

Absence of Trust (lack of vulnerability)
Fear of Conflict
Lack of Commitment
Avoidance of Accountability
Inattention to Results

In addition to using the fable to outline the dysfunctions, Lencioni also provides practical strategies and examples to help teams avoid these dysfunctions in any workplace environment.

The Soul of a Team - A Modern Day Fable for Winning Teamwork

One of the most highly respected coaches ever describes four key components of developing winning teams. If a team has SOUL, they will be successful. SOUL stands for

Selflessness - Putting individual needs aside for the good of the team
Owning Your Role - Fulfilling your role by learning it thoroughly and consistently giving it 100%
Unity - Understanding and rallying around your team's mission, philosophy, and culture through open communication and positive conflict resolution.
Larger Purpose - Contributing to the wider community in a lasting and significant way.

The Trust Edge - How Top Leaders Gain Faster Results, Deeper Relationships, and a Stronger Bottom Line

There are very few books that I would call transformational, but this one fits that description. David Horsager's writing has helped shape my leadership philosophy and has helped me learn the value of trust in every relationship. Having the "Trust Edge" is the foundation of genuine success and includes the following 8 pillars: Clarity, Compassion, Character, Competency, Commitment, Connection, Contribution, and Consistency. I am eager to utilize David's tips in building these 8 pillars in my life and role as a school principal. In addition, I am excited to utilize the resources included at www.trustedge.com.

7 Skills to Make Mills: 21st Century Skills = D-O-L-L-A-R-S

As we worked to implement at Pathways Model into my school, I had the good fortune to meet Brooks Harper who is a national speaker who works to help students recognize the skills they have that can translate into careers and money down the road. This book summarizes his seven skills that all students have and can cultivate to give themselves a leg up on others out in the real world. We are excited to have Brooks speak to our students on January 23rd, 2020. For more information about Brooks Harper, go to his website at www.brooksharper.com.

Your Students, My Students, Our Students - Rethinking Equitable and Inclusive Classrooms

This book is also a book I would call transformational to a school leader. For years, I have been working hard to find ways to help my students who have special rights (not needs) achieve at the same rate as their general education peers. For years, I have not been successful. This book describes how to establish a culture of equity and inclusion in your school, how to leverage the strengths of all educators, and how to relentlessly pursue change to realize true inclusion. This book will become my new bible for transforming my school's approach to inclusion and revamping our special education department to help all students succeed.

2020/2021

Innovate Inside the Box: Empowering Learners Through UDL and the Innovator's Mindset

In a follow up to his "Innovator's Mindset" book, George Couros teams up with Katie Novak to shed light on practical ways to be innovative in addressing ALL student needs within a system that may not be receptive to change. I had the privilege of studying this book along with peers from all roles within our school district and we were able to have amazing discussions about grading, professional development, relationship-building with students, and more as a result of reading this book together.

EMPOWER: What Happens When Students Own Their Learning?

I had the privilege of leading a book club with teachers and staff at PHS around this book and the conversations that were born from the contents of this book were transformational. Teachers were put outside their comfort zone and really had to look long and hard at their teaching and their mindset around curriculum, content, pacing, and the ability to let go of ownership of the learning. From this book, the teachers who have taken the leap to EMPOWER their students instead of just engaging them have seen results from the start with their students. It is not always clean and there are bumps along the way, but instead of looking at it as "what is the worst that can happen?" we now look at it as "what is the best that could happen?" and we are seeing alot of great things come out of our efforts. Much of our Proctor Pathways program is born out of Empowering our students and instead of just trying to make our curriculum and content interesting to students, we are now tapping into their interests to connect them with our curriculum and empowering the students to take it from there with our assistance. While there is still much work to be done, we have taken the first step on this journey and I cannot wait to see where our school and our students go from here.

THE ENERGY BUS: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy

Jon Gordon's book was given to me by our school's Athletic Director and is a book that he will be using to guide our coaches in how they approach their work with our students. George's story in this book is a journey that many of us have to make. A flat tire, let him to take a bus driven by Joy and filled with people who have gotten on her Energy bus. Over the course of two weeks, George was introduced to ten rules that not only saved his job, but also his marriage and relationship with his kids. John Gordon writes"Noone goes through life untested and the answer to these tests is positive energy - The kind of positive energy that consists of the vision, trust, optimism, enthusiasm, purpose, and spirit that defines great leaders and their dreams."

ABOVE THE LINE: Lessons in Leadership and Life From a Championship Season

In this book, Urban Meyer affirms many of my leadership beliefs and outlines how to create and sustain a winning culture in any organization. After reading this book, it is easy to see how he is able to get the best out of his players and teams to be as successful as they have been. His "Nine Units Strong" and "E+R=O" formula are very tangible ways to stay above the line and prepare like a champion. I would recommend this book to any leader in any line of work.

EMPOWERED AT A DISTANCE: How to Build Student Self-Direction Into Remote and Hybrid Learning

FLIP THE SCRIPT: Lessons Learned on the Road to a Championship

Ed Orgeron shares his learnings about leadership and how to set a standard when working with any type of team from the years of coaching football at the highest collegiate levels. If you like a good story, this is a great book and shows the makings of a great coach, leader, and championship culture in the 2019 National Champion LSU Tigers.

WIN FOREVER: Live, Work, and Play Like a Champion

In this book, Pete Carroll shares his journey in developing his philosophy of Win Forever and how it shaped his leadership style as a coach and in other parts of his life. Pete's Win Forever philosophy has been shared to thousands of people including high ranking military leaders in developing the training for elite units of our nation's military. Competition and striving to be better today than you were tomorrow in everything you do is the centerpiece to this philosophy.

STOP LEADING START BUILDING: Turn your school into a success story with the people and resources you already have.

This book appealed to me from the get-go because I really like the idea that I have all I need to make my school great within the staff and resources currently within my school. Robyn Jackson does a great job of outlining steps to create a vision and purpose in your school that everyone can understand. She explains that all employees want to know 3 things: where are we going, why is it important, and what is my role? If you read this book you will get strategies in how to build staff members of all kinds whether they are high skill/low will, or low will/high skill. Finally, Robyn provides a very detailed road map for finding out what the one biggest constraint is in your school's ability to improve and how to work to eliminate that constraint with your staff.

THE URGENCY OF AWARENESS: Unlocking the power within individual, organizational, and community efforts

In this book, Jodi and Allison do a great job of helping the reader understand how society caters to certain groups over others based on many different traits. This book has really helped me in working with students and families from different backgrounds and experiences than what I have experienced so that I can understand where they are coming from during our interactions. This is a great book for school administrators to read especially if you are just starting.

2022/2023

THE POWER AND PROMISE OF PATHWAYS: How to prepare all American students for career and life success

In this book, Hans Meeder provides educators and community leaders with a comprehensive look at pathways from the early planning stage to full implementation. Topics are presented with current research and best practice examples. The book is broken down into four parts: Defining career and life readiness; Building a career development model; Creating dynamic pathway programs; and Collaborating meaningfully with employer and community organizations, and across education and workforce partners. This book was extremely helpful as I guided Proctor high school down the path of developing a pathways culture for our students.

THE TEN-MINUTE INSERVICE: 40 quick training sessions that build teacher effectiveness

This book helped develop my instructional leadership capacity as Todd Whitaker and Annette Breaux provide very easy to follow and implement in-services you can do with your staff and the beginning or end of a staff meeting that will enable them to go back into their classrooms and be better for their students immediately. The book is broken down into 5 areas with eight to ten inservices in each area. They are classroom management, teaching practices, improving school climate, learning from others, and what makes a great teacher. This is a great tool for any school leader to have at the ready.

THE KNOWLEDGE GAP: The hidden cause of America's broken education system - and how to fix it

"The Knowledge Gap" by Natalie Wexler emphasizes the importance of content knowledge in reading comprehension. Wexler argues that focusing solely on reading skills, like decoding, without building broad background knowledge contributes to the achievement gap.

Key points include:

The Knowledge Gap: Disparities in student achievement are linked to unequal access to essential knowledge.
Content Knowledge is Key: Strong reading comprehension depends on what students know about the world.
Skills vs. Knowledge: Teaching specific content, not just reading strategies, is crucial for success.
Curriculum Reform: A knowledge-rich curriculum in subjects like history and science helps close the gap.
Addressing Inequality: Disadvantaged students are most affected by the lack of content-based instruction.

Wexler calls for a shift to a curriculum that prioritizes both knowledge and reading skills for all students.

2024

Homerun Leadership: Your Guide to Better, Faster Team Decisions

"Home Run Leadership" by Mark Miller offers practical leadership insights that are highly relevant for school principals. Key concepts include:

Leadership as a Team Effort: Successful leadership is about working together with staff, students, and the community to achieve common goals.
The Five Pillars of Leadership: Passion, People, Process, Performance, and Progress guide strong leadership. In schools, this means fostering relationships, setting high standards, and improving continuously.
Leading with Purpose: A clear vision aligns the school community and drives focused efforts toward success.
Building Relationships: Trust and communication with staff, students, and families are key to a strong school culture.
Executing with Excellence: Achieving goals with consistency and high standards is essential.
Continuous Improvement: Ongoing reflection and growth are necessary to meet evolving challenges.

The book emphasizes leading with clarity, collaboration, and a focus on continuous progress.

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