Foreword; Acknowledgements; List of Figures; Introduction; Beginning Sketches; Trust; Day 1; Ten Days of Preparations; The First Reach – WEDJ Parents; First Week of School; Parent Communications; Connecting with Staff; Initial Board of Trustees Communications; Arts to the Core; Learning That Sticks; Building Relationships; Safety, Supervision, and Discipline; Bodies in Their Seats; Student and Staff Performance Reviews; Learning Communities for Staff and Parents; November 2012 Qualitative Site Review; Investing Time to Recognize Others; Welcomed Visitors; Tears in Heaven; Arts on Fire; Other People’s Money; Never-Ending Talent Search; The DCCAS Experience; Middle States Candidacy; First Spring Rising; Summer Highs and Lows; Year 2 – Welcome Back Wolves; The Sting of the 2013 Qualitative Site Review; Response to the Charter Board Qualitative Site Review; Board Retreat; WEDJ through the Eyes of TenSquare; Dismantling Leadership; Catching Fire; The Chill of January; The Ambush… “And So It Begins”; Valentine Bundle – February 14; Leadership Performance Review; Cracks in the Foundation; Apology Accepted; Opportunity Denied; Built to Last; Annotated Toolbox; References.

What happens when a Canadian principal, guided by the teachings of Fullan and Hargreaves, takes on the role of school leader in an inner-city charter school in the United States? This inside story of a principal in the DC charter school system, reveals much about the desire for educators and students to experience more than a life of multiple-choice testing that tends to be so commonplace in these schools. While such a case adds to the mound of research that supports the ‘change takes time’ findings, it nevertheless demonstrates the reality, on a day-to-day basis, of what’s worth fighting for in schools. Student and teacher engagement and empowerment matter, and to get to such ends, a school must fiercely focus on targets well beyond test scores. This book speaks about how a budget reveals school values, and by shifting resources to support staff and student development, a school, coping with regular turnover, can be filled with more confident and capable community members. A school crawling with leaders emerged as more student, teacher and non-instructional staff were supported in new roles, aimed at building an inspired culture, with the talent and capacity to move others to action. The old ways of ‘doing school’ do not address the needs of the 21st century learner, and while many forces with limited views of education were at play, this story does provide an example of what promising things can and should happen to increase engagement and learning in more charter schools across America. “Dr. Barbara Smith’s narrative of her times in public charter schools offers all of us insights into the struggle to create schools of high academic quality and compassionate care, worthy of her educational mandate and mission.” – David Booth, Professor Emeritus, The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto “Dr. Smith’s message inspires me to be an advocate for education and her work will inspire you as well!” – Jalen Rose,Chair of Board of Directors, Jalen Rose Leadership Academy, Detroit, Michigan, ESPN Commentator “This inside look provides an opportunity for innovation in a field that has held to aging standards for far too long!” – Diane C. Manica, Former Director, Leadership and Accreditation, University of Detroit Mercy