Customer Reviews

Change Wars

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Change Wars Hargreaves & Fullan (Eds.)

Change in schools is not something that is done well. In the past schools were seen as conservative institutions, and change has been resisted by the inmates. All of that changed in the 1960s, 70s and 80s as it was realised that the ubiquitous school systems were failing to accommodate changing demands made by society and its politicians. Change in schools became a highway littered with half baked, failed ideas, and so, the array of brilliant writers assembled by Hargreaves and Fullan provides a huge injection of optimism and hope. It is rare to get a book packed with cutting edge thought about change in schools, and written by such a stellar array of authors. While all of the chapters are interesting, I will briefly comment on the chapters that have been written by authors who are household names:
1. Andy Hargreaves: The fourth way of change. Andy Hargreaves provides a potted history of change since the 1970s (three ways). He then introduces a fourth way of change based on five pillars (an inspiring and inclusive vision; public engagement; no achievement without investment; corporate educational responsibility; and students as partners for change). The four catalysts of cohesion are particularly relevant.
2. Linda Darling-Hammond: Teaching and the change wars. Darling-Hammond sees four competing theories of change (bureaucratic, professional, market approach, and democratic approach). The author argues for systems of support for high quality teaching and learning .
3. Sir Michael Barber: System effectiveness to system improvement. Importantly, Barber noted that in the 1990s the focus of change moved from school effectiveness to school improvement (how to achieve effectiveness). In a strategic sense he has noted the current emphasis is on how systems become effective. In Table 1, the phases of development, provide a very useful tool that can be applied in schools.
4. James Spillane: Emerging practice. A world authority on distributed leadership, noted that a distributed perspective provides a conceptual framework between designed and lived organisations.
5. Richard Elmore: Institutions, improvement and practice. Elmore is a highly credible practitioner and his work for the Albert Shanker Institute recognises his standing with school-based leaders. Elmore recognises that improvement cannot occur without some conflict as the school culture changes.
6. Douglas Reeves: Level-Five Networks. Reeves argues that networks are a balance for hierarchies. Significantly, this article sets out a developmental model of five levels of effective networks: Level 1= contrived; level 2= spontaneous; level 3= co-opted; level 4= nurtured; and level 5= value-driven networks.
7. Ben Levin: Reform without (much) rancour. Ben Levin, like Michael Barber, is interesting because he moved between the public service and academia. Acknowledging the need to recognise the importance of politics in educational change, Levin suggested that there are four key elements to successful change.
8. Michael Fullan: Have theory will travel. In this article Fullan proposes a Theory of Action for System Change, which supports Barber's approach.
This handsome book is a valuable resource in any professional library but it is more than that. Importantly, this book allows school-based staff to effectively run professional learning for school leaders and aspirant school leaders. The publisher (Solution Tree) provides a study guide that is very useful for supporting and directing collegial discussion: Click: Free Resource-study guide- http://www.solution-tree.com/Public/Media.aspx?ShowDetail=true&ProductID=BKF254