P.T. Begley – författare

Among the many significant features of this volume is the dedication to the late Don Willower, Professor of Education at Pennsylvania State University. It is significant in light of Willower’s long record of major contributions to the empirical literature in Educational Administration and his mentorship of many students steeped in the tradition of the so-called science of administration. These include scholars like Wayne Hoy and Peter Cistone who readily acknowledge their personal and intellectual debt to Willower. How is it, then, that Willower, a colleague of the giants of Educational Administration in the 60s and 70s, people such as Dan Griffiths, Jack Culbertson, and Roald Campbell, to name just a few, came to associate himself with this relatively upstart group of academics and practitioners interested in values, of all things? As an inheritor of the mantle thrown down by Getzels and Guba all those years ago, it might seem strange to see Willower consorting with people who argue about the distinction between fact and value. It is true, of course, that Willower majored in philosophy at the State University of New York at Buffalo as an undergraduate. So the language and the ways of thinking among many of those interested in values and ethics were not all that foreign to him. He could certainly hold his own in debate with his friend, Chris Hodgkinson, the foremost philosopher of Educational Administration in the field today, and a contributor to this volume.

Covering valuation processes in educational administration, this text has a particular focus on the notions community and professionalism. The topic is addressed comprehensively bringing together in one volume the work of some of the best-known and most respected philosophers, theorists and researchers working in this field. The work of several promising young academics is also featured. Values have traditionally been considered an important influence on administrative practices. Chester Barnard's work, "The Functions of the Executive", proposes a definition of leadership, dating back to 1938, that highlights the moral dimension of leadership as essential to administration. More recent works by Herbert Simon, Christopher Hodgkinson, Thomas Greenfield, Don Willower, Jerry Starratt and Paul Begley have reinforced the relevance of values as influences on administration and promoted active international debate on the subject. This book should be of special interest to university faculty, graduate students and educational administrators working in schools, district offices, senior departmental roles and administrators working in closely related fields.