Unshakable leaders share a willingness to be better than they once were, ruffle feathers for the good of students, say the tough things that need to be said, and hold adults accountable.

Unlock the potential of your school and improve student outcomes with Unshakable Leadership. This fast-paced and accessible guide is rooted in real-world examples from challenging urban school environments and provides practical guidance that you can implement immediately in any location to improve your performance as a leader, the effectiveness of your teachers, and the success of your students.

Veteran educators Michael Sonbert and M. Antonio Vance cut through the jargon to deliver 21 straightforward strategies that K–12 school leaders can use to strengthen and solidify the following:

The authors describe why each strategy matters and share best practices for planning how to use it, rolling it out, and maintaining it, along with possible pitfalls.

Whether you're an urban school leader or simply a highly committed one, this book is an essential guide to becoming the kind of leader every school needs. Sonbert and Vance's proven strategies and expert insights will empower you to create lasting improvements in your school community and drive better learning experiences for the students you serve.

Introduction

Part I. Planning and Preparation
1. Create and Embody a School Vision
2. Define and Live School Values
3. Clarify and Communicate Adult Expectations
4. Define and Disseminate Roles and Responsibilities
5. Exemplify Effective Communication

Part II. Teaching and Coaching
6. Embrace and Model Explicit Instruction
7. Engage in Instructional Coaching
8. Collect and Share Data
9. Practice Real-Time Coaching
10. Design and Deliver Meaningful Practice
11. Set and Track Coaching Goals

Part III. School Culture
12. Ensure Universal Accountability
13. Create and Communicate Your Culture Systems
14. Define and Embody Culture Team Expectations
15. Build Relationships

Part IV. Bringing It All to Life
16. Design and Adhere to Calendars
17. Build and Execute Schoolwide Routines
18. Evaluate Teacher Performance
19. Set Schoolwide Goals
20. Manage Your Meetings
21. Offer High-Impact Professional Development

Closing
References
Index
About the Authors