George J. Petersen - Böcker

Reforming schools in an information-based society has made communication an even more crucial skill for district and school administrators. Although communication has been identified as an essential area of practice, it has largely been ignored in the study of school administration. In Effective Communication for School Administrators: A Necessity in an Information Age, Kowalski, Petersen, and Fusarelli blend research, theory, and practice as they examine the critical nature of communication in contemporary practice for administrators. Divided into two parts, this book examines relationships among communication, public relations, and school reform and addresses effective communicative behavior in learning organization, democratic leadership, organizational networks, conflict, positive relationships, and site-based management. Effective Communication for School Administrators is truly a unique text for education professionals and school administrators, as well as those wishing to communicate more successfully.

Reforming schools in an information-based society has made communication an even more crucial skill for district and school administrators. Although communication has been identified as an essential area of practice, it has largely been ignored in the study of school administration. In Effective Communication for School Administrators: A Necessity in an Information Age, Kowalski, Petersen, and Fusarelli blend research, theory, and practice as they examine the critical nature of communication in contemporary practice for administrators. Divided into two parts, this book examines relationships among communication, public relations, and school reform and addresses effective communicative behavior in learning organization, democratic leadership, organizational networks, conflict, positive relationships, and site-based management. Effective Communication for School Administrators is truly a unique text for education professionals and school administrators, as well as those wishing to communicate more successfully.

The primary contribution of this book, is not its advocacy of a specific position but rather, its objective analysis of cogent topics. The content prompts us to consider governance in relation to quality education and to ponder alternative policy strategies that have yet to be fully evaluated. As a young doctoral student more than a few years ago, William Van Til, an eminent scholar and a mentor, reminded me almost daily that members of the education profession had a moral responsibility to address the most difficult questions about education and democracy. These enduring queries, he argued, extended to determining how this critical social service should be organized and controlled and to determining the appropriate roles for administrators and teachers. Those in our profession who fail to heed his advice by remaining indifferent to these philosophical dilemmas should consider Plato’s long-standing warning: “One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors."