Douglas Fisher - The Distance Learning Playbook for School Leaders: Leading for Engagement and Impact in Any Setting

Fisher, Frey, Smith, and Hattie have provided a practical, user-friendly playbook that supports school leaders as they strive to leverage their leadership skills in what is called the new normal. My main take-away from this playbook is that the ideas within these pages will enhance instructional leadership well beyond distance learning and allow school leaders to extend the reach of their impact to any setting at any time. This playbook will enhance leading for engagement and impact for years to come.

John Almarode, Associate Professor and Executive Director of Teaching and Learning
College of Education, James Madison University
Co-Author, Great Teaching by Design and The Distance Learning Playbook for College and University Instruction
Waynesboro, VA

Learning can happen from a distanceespecially when leaders support teachers, students, and parents, also from a distance. This essential guide offers practical steps for leaders to foster a sense of community and lead professional learning with teachers. With resources like this, we just might all emerge from this crisis as better educators than we were before.

Julie Stern, International Consultant and Educator
Author, Tools for Teaching Conceptual Understanding, Learning That Transfers, and Visible Learning for Social Studies
Washington, DC

The Distance Learning Playbook for School Leaders is an essential companion for any leader who is looking for measured, actionable, and practical insights. Fisher, Frey, Smith, and Hattie have created a resource that supports leaders as they navigate through the uncharted territory of leading from a distance.

Vince Bustamante, Consultant and Instructional Coach
Co-Author, Great Teaching by Design
Edmonton, AB, Canada

In this time of uncertainty and continual change, The Distance Learning Playbook for School Leaders provides educational leaders a practical yet profound framework on how to reflect, understand, and act on the effective practices that uniquely tie together our students, our teachers, and ourselves to collectively achieve optimal outcomes. The practical tools provided throughout this book make it accessible and actionable for all readers.

Joseph Jones, Superintendent
New Castle County Vo-Tech School District
Wilmington, DE

With The Distance Learning Playbook for School Leaders, Fisher, Frey, Smith and Hattie have created an accessible and thorough guide for educators addressing the complex needs of all members of their school communities in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. This book arrives just in time to be an invaluable resource for educators and school communities across the country looking to uphold high standards for teaching and provide students with quality educational experiences, even when it is at a distance.

Martha Staeheli, Instructor
Program for Recovery and Community Health
Yale School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry
New Haven, CT

Most leadership books tell you how to work harder or more efficiently, without acknowledging the mental health burden school leadership often takes. Whats refreshing in this book is that it starts with individual self-care and self-care for your colleagues. I intend to use the planning frameworks the authors suggested in order to ensure self-care is prioritized for myself and my colleagues at my school site.

Courtney Miller, Assistant Principal
California School of the Arts, San Gabriel Valley
Culturally Responsive Teaching and Restorative Practices Consultant, Inclusive Teacher Academy
Covina, CA

Both a guidebook and reflective workbook in one, The Distance Learning Playbook for School Leaders coaches you to lead successful distance learning with all stakeholders in mind. Each segment identifies clear goals and guiding questions for you to consider in your own context, so you can address the needs of your staff, students, and parents. This is a must-read for any school leader who wants to empower their teams to respond to new challenges and shape an effective distance learning environment.

Janine Slaga, Head of Primary Music
United World College of South East Asia Singapore

In these tumultuous times, effective leadership is critical. This book provides a compelling view into the complex art of leading schools today. This is an invaluable book for any school leader who seeks to be balanced, wise, and engaged with all stakeholders.

Fatma Trabelsi, Independent Educational Consultant
Association of International Educators and Leaders of Color
Tunis, Tunisia

With school systems now consigned to an online learning model as a response to the ongoing pandemic, school leaders need to deeply consider how to lead learning from a distance.