Passionate Principalship

<p>This book puts 'real life' back into the literature on school principalship. Through a life history approach it portrays daily life in schools as a much more messy contested and precarious existence where principals struggle with passionate commitment to find continuity amongst frequently changing and often conflicting policy initiatives.<br>The book draws on comprehensively in-depth interview data with new experienced and veteran principals. Their life stories illustrate the struggles involved in the ongoing negotiation of identities through unprecedented change. The authors lucidly argue that:<br>* The realities of principals' lives are much more demanding that rational linear approaches to reform suggest;<br>* A revolving door approach to the appointment of principals is inadequate<br>* Passion is central to the lives and work of principals but this passion needs to be rejuvenated and rekindled through opportunities for learning<br>* There is a need for further research on the relationship between the lifecycles of principals the leadership legacies of school communities and the cycles of mandated reforms as a means of lending coherence to leadership learning and sustained and renewed leaders.<br>This is essential reading for principals and their professional bodies academics and researchers school leaders on leadership courses internationally.</p>