Customer Reviews

Improving Schools from Within: Teachers, Parents, and Principals Can Make the Difference (Jossey-Bass Education Series)

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I did a book report and presentation for my secondary education class at Oakland University on this book. The first few chapters are excellant. Barth has an excellant conception on schools and has brilliant ideas on what, we as teachers can do to improve our schools and make our communities a "community of learners". I love his ideas on how there is always room for learning on all levels of the education spectrum. He has exellent advice for principals who are having trouble with their jobs. This is an excellent book, but for every excellent book there are a few downfalls. While doing my presentation and discussing Barth's views, I received negative comments because my audience felt that his ideas could only work in a utopia community. But you will just have to read this book to find out. My other complaint is in the latter part of the book, where Barth discussed Principal Centers. In these last chapters he becomes an advertiser for these "principal centers" that he runs instead of conveying his own ideas on how to improve schools. I highly recommend this book for principals, but if you are a future teacher, then I would not recommend reading this book, because it is not directed to you.

The role of school principal can be very isolated (and isolating) and Roland Barth's book, 'Improving schools from within', is a personal trainer/ coach that all principals need. Barth (like Boyer in 'The Basic School') describes benchmarks of excellent practice and offers collegial advice on how to get there. The thing I liked about the book was that I could personally identify with the issues and the writer's point of view. The book is easy to read, relevant to today's education and it has an heuristic quality even though it was published in 1990. Neil MacNeill Principal March 1997

Several of our Site Based Council members read this book a few years ago in planning for a staff-wide summer retreat. This book changed the way we looked at staff development and helped us bring everyone (well almost everyone) on board with whole school change. We continue to use quotes from this book during current staff development opportunities. We've shared this at numerous national conventions and at workshops that we put on in our own school. We now see many of the same excerpts (the bee story!)that we've shared at other conferences that we go to.

In Improving schools from within, Roland S. Barth shares his ideas regarding educational reform. He offers insights into effectively running a school. He captured my interest immediately by discussing the need for collegiality among employees in a school. He explained that a collegial school will drive out incompetent staff and support the ones who are temporarily weak (1990). I thought this was insightful because it seems that few authors have addressed the importance of relationships between adults in a school. A school that is characterized by collegiality is ideal because teachers feel a sense of support and are more likely to take risks.
Barth explored current feelings of school teachers about their profession and determined that they are often discontent, untrusting of administration, compartmentalized, powerless, and frustrated (p. 12). I am new to the teaching profession and I haven't seen these negative feelings to the extent that Barth describes. I would agree that the job is highly routinized but teachers typically have freedom to adjust their routine within the classroom. To illustrate his point about teachers being compartmentalized Barth used a great analogy comparing teachers to toddlers who engage in parallel play (p. 16). He says that we tend to observe each other tentatively and continue to engage in our own separate activities because we are unsure how to engage.
Barth describes his ideal school and gives reasons why he would design the school in that manner. He discusses a community of learners where the principal is seen as the 'head learner' as opposed to a 'headmaster'. Interestingly, he states that some principals say they desire a community of learners in their school but they do little to create a community or learning opportunities for teachers (p. 103). His ideal school would have a collegial environment where the relationships are supportive. In an ideal school teachers and principals would write about their experiences with the hope that this journalizing would help them learn from past mistakes and document successes. He believes that insights that are not recorded tend to vanish (p. 97).
One thing Barth emphasizes in his book is the importance for universities and secondary schools to form a collaborative relationship. While I agree that universities should create a preparation program that is responsive to the changing educational climate I do not agree that secondary schools should be closely tied into their local universities. Researchers are given access to secondary classrooms frequently by teachers who agree to the intrusion for a variety of reasons. I think this type of collaboration should continue but universities should not be expected to play a role in professional developed or ongoing teacher education without some type of paid tuition to the university.
I enjoyed reading about the need for teachers to step outside of their expertise and responsibility to take on leadership responsibilities for the good of their school. I share his beliefs that teachers must have courage to step outside of their traditional responsibilities because they open themselves up to criticism (p. 131). Barth encourages principals to share leadership with teachers and to also share praise and knowledge.
Two distinct images stood out for me in this book. One was that of a goat and a lamb. Barth said that on his farm he had a goat that was fun, affectionate, and mischievous. He said the goat gave a little but required a lot. He also discussed a lamb that lacked personality. He thought the lamb gave a little and expected little. This image made me ponder my teaching career and ask myself how much I gave in relationship to how much I required. Secondly, Barth shares a poem from Stomberg in which he theorizes that most people want to be an eagle but that we are more like geese that have a moment to lead but then must step aside and let another take over. Indeed, we are all part of a community in which we each have an important role to play. Sometimes we lead, sometimes we will follow.

In his book, Roland S. Barth offers insights into effectively running a school. He describes his ideal school and gives reasons why he would design the school in that format. For instance, his vision includes a community of learners where the principal is seen as the 'head learner' as opposed to a 'headmaster'. His ideal school is one in which adults and students are encouraged to take risks, and they will know there is a safety net to protect them. Collegiality and humor have a place in Barth's vision since, "the quality of adult relationships within a school has more to do with the quality and character of the school and with the accomplishments of students than any other factor". (p.163) Practitioners are encouraged to write about their craft for a variety of reasons including the fact that "written insights have a 'memory' and they can subsequently be drawn upon. Insights not recorded vanish." (p. 97) The vast array of ideas offered for different ways of looking at schools is refreshing. A very good read!

This is a good book so far. No markings, new condition and arrived on time. Thank you.

After being an educator for many years I found Roland Barth's suggestions doable in any school setting. Is your team congenial? Than it is not enough. Teams that are collegial can make the biggest difference in a student's life. This text was also a very quick read and that was also a plus. I did find the chapter on what universities can offer schools a bit "soap-boxy" since not everyone has easy access to universities but other than that I would recommend this text to teachers and principals as a full staff read if you are trying to improve your school or team.

The book was in excellent condition. The information was wonderful and the insight that it gave was excellent. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to understand the administration point of view. Anyone looking to develop their leadership skills or a better work environment should read this book.

Wonderfully practical and relevant advice for making schools as effective as they can be. Written from the viewpoint of both principal and professor. Sensitive to the issues of both teacher and administrator.

I approached the book with anticipation of finding answers for me now as a teacher and in my future as an administrator. I was inspired to be a better visionary, but left in the dark when it came to practical applications.