New Primary Leaders: International Perspectives

New primary leaders face significant challenges worldwide and this book brings together the range of those experiences and challenges for the first time. It includes interviews with primary school leaders in the early years of leadership in 12 different countries. Each chapter begins with an introduction to the principal and the local context before the principal's own description of her or his experience as a new leader. The leaders discuss how they prepared for principalship, their experiences after taking up the post, the extent to which the job meets with their expectations and their hopes and fears for the future. The final chapter provides a comparative overview, exploring new principals' perceptions of key influences on schools and their communities, their reactions to the multiple, heightened and often-conflicting expectations, pressures and challenges they encounter and the implications for principal preparation internationally. The voices of principals from around the world provide a vivid and authentic picture of new school leaders in different contexts at the beginning of the 21st century.

New primary leaders face significant challenges worldwide and this book brings together the range of those experiences and challenges for the first time. It includes interviews with primary school leaders in the early years of leadership in 12 different countries. Each chapter begins with an introduction to the principal and the local context before the principal's own description of her or his experience as a new leader. The leaders discuss how they prepared for principalship, their experiences after taking up the post, the extent to which the job meets with their expectations and their hopes and fears for the future. The final chapter provides a comparative overview, exploring new principals' perceptions of key influences on schools and their communities, their reactions to the multiple, heightened and often-conflicting expectations, pressures and challenges they encounter and the implications for principal preparation internationally. The voices of principals from around the world provide a vivid and authentic picture of new school leaders in different contexts at the beginning of the 21st century.

Acknowledgements \ Editor's Note \ Contributors \ 1. New Principals:Context, Culture, Preparation, Induction and Practice Michael Cowie \ Part 1:Australasia \ 2. At the Edge of the Silent Centre: An Australian Principal's Reflectionson Leading an Isolated School Helen Wildy and Simon Clarke \ 3. Tihei Mauri Ora:Becoming a Primary School Principal in New Zealand Reynold Macpherson \ Part 2:Americas \ 4. Leadership Based in Love of People and Place: A Novice Principalin an Economically Poor Community in Texas, United States Sarah W. Nelson andIsrael Aguilar \ 5. Changing School Perspective: A Challenge for an ElementarySchool Director in Mexico in Her First Years Gema López-Gorosave, Charles L.Slater, Susana Martínez Martínez and José María García Garduño \ 6. ‘Something GreaterWas Happening': A Novice Principal Reflects on Creating Change through BuildingCommunity Relationships Diane Purvey and Charles Webber \ Part 3: Asia \ 7. ‘OurSchool is Our Independence': A Novice School Director's Perspective on School Leadershipand Post-Conflict Reconstruction in East Timor Reynold Macpherson \ 8. ‘I Wantto Do the Best Job That I Can, So I Worry': A Novice Principal in China Reflectson the Complexity of Leading an Urbanizing Rural School Xiao Liang \ Part 4:Africa \ 9. Life in the Principalship during Challenging Times: A New SouthAfrican Principal's Perspective Kobus Mentz \ 10. One Classroom, Seven Gradesand Three Teachers: Challenges Faced by a Novice Headteacher in Tanzania BrownOnguko \ Part 5: Europe \ 11. ‘I Think I do a Good Job but I Could Do a Better Job':Becoming and Being a School Principal in Scotland Michael Cowie \ 12. ‘ProbablyMore Than I Bargained For': A Head Teacher in England Reflects on Her First HeadshipMegan Crawford \ 13. When You Enter on the Dance Floor, You Have to Dance: A NewSchool Director in Romania Reflects on Leading an Inclusive Community School OvidiuGavrilovici and Carmen Cretu \ 14. Comparing the Experience of Principals inDifferent Contexts Michael Cowie and Megan Crawford \ Index