Leading the PLC Journey at the District Office

School districts have the unique opportunity and challenge of educating the diverse population they serve. We know there is compelling research on the impact that professional learning communities have on student achievement.

As a result, shouldn’t all school districts take on the challenge of doing this work at the district level to ensure all of their schools are on this journey?

Here are two resources to build leadership capacity in the district office:

• What’s the Key to Growth: It’s The Manager
• Best Place to Work: Art and Science of Creating an Extraordinary Workplace

It’s The Manager

Gallup research finds that it’s the managers and team leaders that are the keys to long-term success in your school district. Mid-level leadership is the fulcrum point.

Leadership is a more popular term than management.

Quite possibly because management practices are over 30 years old and not updated.

This resource is packed with 52 discoveries from Gallup’s largest study on the future of work, It’s the Manager shows leaders how to adapt their school districts to rapid change, ranging from new workplace demands to managing multiple departments, a diverse workforce, the changing tide of technology, and attracting – and keeping – today’s best teachers.

Who is the most important person in your organization to lead your teams through these changes? Gallup research reveals: It’s your principals, directors, and executive directors.

Creating an Extraordinary Workplace

Why do successful companies reward failure? What can casinos teach us about building a happy workplace? How do you design an office that enhances both attention to detail and creativity? In The Best Place to Work, award-winning psychologist Ron Friedman, Ph.D. uses the latest research from the fields of motivation, creativity, behavioral economics, neuroscience, and management to reveal what really makes us successful at work.

Combining powerful stories with cutting edge findings, Friedman shows leaders at every level how they can use scientifically-proven techniques to promote smarter thinking, greater innovation, and stronger performance.

Among the many surprising insights, Friedman explains how:

• learning to think like a hostage negotiator can help you diffuse a workplace argument,
• why placing a fishbowl near your desk can elevate your thinking,
• and how incorporating strategic distractions into your schedule can help you reach smarter decisions.