Welcome to our special summer issue of Educational Leadership. In addition to being digital only, this issue is free and open in its entirety to all readers, non-ASCD members and members alike. This is our way of both expressing gratitude to educators and broadening awareness of the publication. We hope you'll find much in the issue that stirs your curiosity and gives you new insights—and that you'll return to Educational Leadership many times in the coming months.
A little background on the focus of this issue. We have a relatively formal process for pre-selecting the editorial themes of our regular issues, but with the summer issue we have more leeway to be spontaneous. We basically hold an editorial team meeting (or two) and talk about issues educators are likely to be thinking about as they transition to the next school year and how we might be able to support their reflection and provide new ideas.
When we had this meeting a couple months ago, one topic kept surfacing, albeit in various permutations: Change. Change is a constant in K–12 education, of course, but it seems particularly prevalent—and perhaps unsettling—right now. On top of rapid advances in technology, changing student demographics, and evolving instructional priorities, we have a new presidential administration, a revamped federal educational law, and a shifting policy framework. For schools and educators, the situation is fluid, as the saying goes.
So we decided to focus on that reality in this issue—but we also realized it was important to do so in way that wasn't doom-laden or cynical. Instead, we sought content that could help empower educators to respond effectively to change or find opportunities, in a climate of transition, to lead change in positive ways.
As for key ideas, one of the things that struck me as I reread the pieces in this issue is their focus not so much on individual heroism or resolve but on school climate and culture. Many of the pieces emphasize the importance of creating conditions in schools that make it easier for educators to adapt to changing circumstances—and that provide fertile ground for constructive change. Thus school-transformation expert Michael Fullan discusses the importance of fostering collaborative professionalism in schools, an idea that Ariel Sacks echoes in her piece on how teachers in her charter school respond to new challenges. ("Where top-down leadership has fallen short under 'normal' circumstances, it will fall even shorter in tumultuous times," Sacks notes.)
Along similar lines, Karen Hawley Miles and Melissa Galvez recount one school's effort to re-examine and realign its resources in the face of rising challenges, while Ann Mausbach and Kim Morrison emphasize the importance of staying focused on student learning amidst regulatory mandates. Thomas Hoerr offers pointers on developing a faculty culture of "grit," and Mark Hofer and Lindy L. Johnson advise fostering a "hack mindset" in schools to spur innovation.
There are also plenty of examples of individual effort and creativity in these pages. See, for example, Kim Greene's piece on teachers who've taken it on themselves to advocate for policy changes and Brad Rumble's beautiful account of his efforts to bring nature back to Los Angeles school yards. But even in those pieces, there's an acknowledgement that making a true, sustainable impact requires both individual initiative and systemic support. In that regard, we hope that Educational Leadership becomes a regular source of inspiration and idea-sharing as you work with change in your school.
