Michael Brick is one of those writers who never leaves your side, and what pleasurable company he provides.In reading this collection of his newspaper and magazine stories from Brooklyn, Houston, and beyond, picture the man. Tall, and lanky, and so proud to be Texan, wearing a brown vest and cowboy boots, his narrow reporter's notebook in his back pocket slapping at his flat ass, as if urging him onward because these blank pages needed filling.Brick's words breathe life int...

Recipient of three National Endowment for the Arts grants and with works exhibited at the prestigious Biennale de Paris, New York’s Whitney Museum, the de Menil Collection in Houston, and other venues, Bob “Daddy-O” Wade started “keeping it weird” in 1961 when he arrived in Austin with his ’51 custom Ford hot rod and his slicked-back hair. Primed to study art at the University of Texas, Wade’s coif and dragster earned him his trademark moniker, and the abstract, welded sculptures he fashio...

Inside the race to save a great American high school, where making the numbers is only the beginningBeing principal was never her dream. Anabel Garza, the young widow of a young cop, got by teaching English to immigrant children, taking college classes at night and raising her son.And Reagan High was no dream assignment. Once famous for its state football championships, educational achievements and award-winning design, the school was a shadow of its former self. “...

Break free to make real change for yourself and othersHave you ever felt like your progress was being blocked, not just by your own circumstances, but by the presence and actions of others? Freedom to Change releases you from the trap of constantly telling yourself that you'd be more successful at teaching, leading, or contributing to an organization if only others didn't stand in your way. In his engaging, irreverent style, bestselling author Michael Full...

The highly anticipated sequel to the bestselling Fires in the Bathroom—filled with practical, honest advice from middle school students to their teachersFollowing on the heels of the bestselling Fires in the Bathroom, which brought the insights of high school students to teachers and parents, Kathleen Cushman now turns her attention to the crucial and challenging middle grades, joining forces with adolescent psychologist Laura Rogers.As te...

A principal's job is astonishingly complex, and its competing demands can be overwhelming, especially in the first few years. In this book, Jen Schwanke, a principal herself, provides a mentor's guidance to steer new principals through the period of adjustment and set the foundation for a long and rewarding career. The topics you wish your graduate program had covered are covered here—directly, practically, and without the jargon.Drawing on her own experience, Schwanke provides str...

Drawing on his thirty years in newspapers, the former editor-in-chief of The Globe and Mail examines the crisis of serious journalism in the digital era, and searches for ways the invaluable tradition can thrive in a radically changed future.John Stackhouse entered the newspaper business in a golden age: 1980s circulations were huge and wealthy companies lined up for the privilege of advertising in every city's best-read pages. Television and radio could ne...

This CHOICE award-winning author has teamed up with national school resource experts to write a comprehensive book on supervision and improvement of learning. Everything you need to know about supervision and student learning, professional development, coaching and evaluation, standards, and creating an environment for professional growth are covered. The book starts with a history of supervision and then addresses models and standards for effective teaching, state and federal frameworks, ...

“The more the Eagle Academy approach and its successes can be shared, the more opportunities young people will have to find their way to their own triumphs.” —Wes Moore, New York Times bestselling author of The Other Wes MooreFrom New York City public schools chancellor David Banks—a respected educator who has advised Hillary Clinton and Cory Booker on scholastic issues—comes a “rare book that can bring tears to your eyes while showing the...

When a machine-gun bullet ended the life of war correspondent Ernie Pyle in the final days of World War II, Americans mourned him in the same breath as they mourned Franklin Roosevelt. To millions, the loss of this American folk hero seemed nearly as great as the loss of the wartime president.If the hidden horrors and valor of combat persist at all in the public mind, it is because of those writers who watched it and recorded it in the faith that war is too importa...

Over the last forty years, the estimated number of international schools worldwide has increased from fewer than 300 to 6400 in 2012. This explosion is a response to the needs of a world in which borders are being traversed with ever greater ease and children increasingly need to be prepared for the global opportunities that await them. In this book, international school specialists reflect on where the movement has come from, how it stands and where developments are heading, offering insi...

There are no job descriptions for saving or improving lives. Kids who graduate high school have better lives than kids who drop out. Making sure our kids in urban areas succeed is much more than instruction, tests, and homework. It takes a mindset that creates partnerships between communities, parents, schools, and students. WE ALL HAVE TO DO BETTER!