Book • October 2012 • By Amy Junge, Kim Farris-Berg, Ed Dirkswager

Lately, our nation’s strategy for improving our schools is mostly limited to “getting tough” with teachers. Blaming teachers for poor outcomes, we spend almost all of our energy trying to control teachers’ behavior and school operations. But what if all of this is exactly the opposite of what is needed? What if trusting teachers, and not controlling them, is the key to school success?

This book explores answers to these questions, by reporting on a literature review of “highly effective organizations” in other sectors, and through case studies of 12 schools where teachers call the shots.