Customer Reviews

Change Forces: Probing the Depths of Educational Reform (History of Civilization)

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This book came across my desk at just the right time for a teacher, at the end of the school year and when I had the summer to read and absorb. I found it to be an afirming presentation of the process of educational reform, in that it described the process of change as non-linear that cannot be preplanned. Fullan feels that if by the time a carefully preplanned initiative has begun, the circumstances that influence the change have been altered and are no longer what needs to be considered. Rather change is the evolution of ideas and is in constant flux. Responding to these influences is the process of change. A strong school/school district is able to respond as it evolves and sees this process as the challenge rather than a disturbance.

Fullan delineates the characteristics of a school staff that is able to respond to this environment. He talks about the need for collaboration but also supports the need for a strong sense of individuality for any working staff to work effectively and change.

"Change Forces" offered me a comfortable model for school change, as well as a functional idea of how to work together as a school organization.