Working for Kids

James H. "Torch" Lytle is practice professor of educational leadership at the Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania. From 1998–2006 Lytle was superintendent of the Trenton, NJ Public Schools; prior to his appointment in Trenton, he served in a variety of capacities in the School District of Philadelphia as an elementary, middle, and high school principal; executive director for planning, research, and evaluation; regional superintendent; and assistant superintendent.

Working for Kids is a must-read for current and prospective educational leaders interested in leading in the twenty-first century and beyond. It is a masterfully written account of the evolution of a school leader's entrepreneurial approach to both public and private school reform. The triumphs and challenges of this unconventional and transformative leader speaks from and to the heart of the matter, learning to lead and leading for learning. Lytle takes you on a journey as he boldly and intentionally crosses traditional boundaries and conventions by challenging the status quo of schooling and creating a space to improve outcomes for student students, teachers, and administrators. Although intended for educational leaders it transcends the educational sector and offers pearls of wisdom for anyone interested in the art of leadership.

• Part 1 Emergence of a School LeaderChapter 2 PrincipalChapter 3 Central Office and "Sabbatical"Chapter 4 Regional and Assistant SuperintendentChapter 5 Principal, AgainPart 6 Changing States: Superintendent, Trenton, New JerseyChapter 7 Learning the ContextChapter 8 Determining the WorkChapter 9 Designing and Getting Under WayChapter 10 Building CapacityChapter 11 High School ReformChapter 12 To What End?Part 13 Leadership for LearningChapter 14 Considering the Teaching of Leadership