The Human Side of School Change

In this insightful look at school reform, Robert Evans examines the real-life hurdles to implementing innovation and explains how the best-intended efforts can be stalled by educators who too often feel burdened and conflicted by the change process. He provides a new model of leadership along with practical management strategies for building a framework of cooperation between leaders of change and the people they depend upon to implement it.

Introduction xi

The Author xvii

Part One: The Nature of Change

1 Changing Paradigms 3

2 The Meanings of Change 21

3 The Culture of Resistance 40

Part Two: Dimensions of Change

4 Implementation: Tasks of Transition 55

5 Substance: New Agendas, Old Problems 74

6 Staff: Understanding Reluctant Faculty 91

7 Setting: Assessing Organizational Capacity 119

8 Leadership: Old Paradoxes, New Promise 145

Part Three: Leading Innovation

9 The Authentic Leader 183

10 Clarity and Focus: The Power of Concentration 206

11 Participation — Without Paralysis 229

12 Recognition: Reversing the Golden Rule 254

13 Confrontation: Avoiding Avoidance 272

14 Reach and Realism, Experience and Hope 289

References 301

Index 311

"A unique, superb, and penetrating analysis of the human side of educational change. Evans knows the human realities of change and portrays them vividly in both individual and organizational terms. His discussion of hope and realism in the final chapter is a gem." (Michael Fullan, dean, Faculty of Education, University of Toronto)

"Evans certainly understands what gets in the way of real school change and what the simple, key elements are that can make it happen. No board member, superintendent, or school principal should make one more decision or host one more meeting without reading this book." (Judy Cunningham, principal, South Lake Middle School, Irvine, Calif.)

Evans has written a realistic yet hopeful book that sets a new standard for providing the leadership needed to implement school improvements. An engaging and much-needed update of the critical, but often overlooked, human side of change. (Thomas J. Sergiovanni, Lillian Radford Professor of Education and senior fellow, Center for Educational Leadership, Trinity University)

School leaders will find this book realistic about the difficulties of change, rich in practical advice about school improvement, and useful in showing how to transcend the limits of their own experience to practice effective leadership. (Thomas W. Payzant, superintendent, Boston Public Schools)

Robert Evans is a clinical and organizational psychologist and director of the Human Relations Service in Wellesley, Massachusetts. A former high school and preschool teacher, he has consulted with hundreds of schools and districts throughout America and around the world and has worked extensively with teachers, administrators, school boards, and state education officials

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"A unique, superb, and penetrating analysis of the human side of educational change. Evans knows the human realities of change and portrays them vividly in both individual and organizational terms. His discussion of hope and realism in the final chapter is a gem."

—Michael Fullan, dean, Faculty of Education, University of Toronto

"Evans certainly understands what gets in the way of real school change and what the simple, key elements are that can make it happen. No board member, superintendent, or school principal should make one more decision or host one more meeting without reading this book."

—Judy Cunningham, principal, South Lake Middle School, Irvine, California

"Evans has written a realistic yet hopeful book that sets a new standard for providing the leadership needed to implement school improvements. An engaging and much-needed update of the critical, but often overlooked, human side of change."

—Thomas J. Sergiovanni, Lillian Radford Professor of Education and senior fellow, Center for Educational Leadership, Trinity University

"School leaders will find this book realistic about the difficulties of change, rich in practical advice about school improvement, and useful in showing how to transcend the limits of their own experience to practice effective leadership."

—Thomas W. Payzant, superintendent, Boston Public Schools

In this insightful look at school reform, Robert Evans examines the real-life hurdles to implementing innovation and explains how the best-intended efforts can be stalled by educators who too often feel burdened and conflicted by the change process. He provides a new model of leadership along with practical management strategies for building a framework of cooperation between leaders of change and the people they depend on to implement it.