The Elementary Principal's Personal Coach

Diana Raney Williams, Ph.D., PCC is a leadership coach with Coaching For Results, Inc. where she serves as Chief of Evaluation Services and as a member of the Board of Directors. She consults across the country in professional development activities related to school improvement, school leadership and leadership coaching. She served as an urban educator for over thirty years in the Columbus, Ohio City School District. In addition to being an elementary teacher and evaluation specialist, she also served as a principal, a staff development supervisor, and a central office administrator for Effective Schools. She designed and implemented a parent and community involvement initiative for the district. She has authored several articles which have been published in The Journal of Staff Development including "Kent Elementary-A School that Can" and "Building Systemic Change through Staff and Community Collaboration." She was a featured principal in an article entitled "Principals as Staff Developers: A Portrait of Diana Williams." She served as a member of the Board of Trustees for the National Staff Development Council and is a Past President of the Board. She was co-founder and Past President of the Staff Development Council of Ohio. She was awarded the prestigious Distinguished Service Award from the National Staff Development Council in 2005. She served as a program coordinator and a leadership coach for The Ohio State University. There she supervised students and provided leadership coaching to accelerated administrative candidates. She also served as Editor for the Ohio State University Web Publication, The Principal's Office. In addition to her work with educators across the United States, she has presented and consulted in China and Africa.

List of Tables Preface Extraordinary Gift Haiku Acknowledgements Foreword About the Authors 1. Stewardship of a Vision 2. Negotiating a School Culture of Advocacy for Students 3. Managing an Effective Organization 4. Leading a Diverse Family and Community Connection 5. The Ethics of Leadership 6. Tuning In To the Larger Context 7. Bodies of Work for School Improvement References Index

"The Elementary Principal's Personal Coach provides school leaders with both inspiration and guidance for their challenging and important work. Diana Raney Williams and Essie Hayden Richardson bring to life the abstractions and aspirations of the ISLLC standards through helpful explanations, vivid examples, and compelling stories. Their reflective questions and use of journal writing honor the uniqueness of each reader, and they offer practical suggestions for further learning and action." -- Dennis Sparks, President "There is such authenticity when educators speak from true experiences. I found myself unwilling to put this book down. There are so many ways this book can be used by educators, but probably none more important than by the individual principal seeking support, affirmation, and inspiration for continuing the efforts necessary to achieve the vision for his or her school and students." -- Stephanie Hirsh, Executive Director