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 distance—especially 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. What’s 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. The Distance Learning Playbook for School Leaders provides practical strategies, rubrics, surveys, and activities to address the problems faced in the new “normal.” Utilizing essential questions paired with a strategic goal, the authors enter the world of school leadership and provide actionable insights. For any administrator seeking a hands-on guide to maximize their impact and increase engagement in uncertain and complex settings, this book is your must-have, go-to resource.
Megel Barker, MYP Coordinator
Assistant Principal
ABA Oman International School
Muscat, Oman
Adjusting to the present norm effectively is a major concern for most educators. The Distance Learning Playbook for School Leaders is a timely and relevant guide for leaders on how to carry out their roles virtually without compromising standards and expectations. Leaders will learn how every stakeholder’s—including parents, families, communities, and teachers—interests can be fully protected in an online learning environment.
Ngozi Umoru, Educator
Association of International Educators and Leaders of Color
Lagos, Nigeria
In our lifetime we have not had to consider how to lead schools during a worldwide crisis. The Distance Learning Playbook for School Leaders reminds us that what teachers and leaders do is really what matters, not the medium which they do it through. With the right skills and attitude, this timely playbook offers excellent tips and reminders that can easily guide school leaders on every level through crisis and into a strong climate of excellence.
Zetha Nobles, International School Leader
Chief Strategist, Nobles Global Consultants
Cypress, TX
Timely advice for leadership teams to make instructional leadership a priority by providing opportunities, guidance and explicit action steps to increase administrator and teacher agency. No longer is teacher self-care, accountability partnerships, and applying safe practices before implementation taking a back seat; The Distance Learning Playbook for School Leaders shares how to set the foundation for supporting teachers, families, and students in this rapid transition to online teaching and learning through easy to apply research-based strategies. A must read for school district and K–12 administrators.
Dr. Sonja Lopez Arnak, Faculty in Teacher Education
Alliant International University
Teach-Now/Moreland University
Washington, DC
This is a great practical guide for managing both the stress and priorities associated with distance learning. As a new school leader navigating my way through principalship, this book references many obstacles that I have already faced in the first month of school and challenges that have presented itself along the way. The section on virtual learning walks really hit home because my district heavily focuses on this practice, so I was able to make meaningful connections. Also, the reflective guides embedded in the book give me useful tools to implement in either my leadership team meetings or schoolwide faculty meetings.
Amanda Austin, Director
Iberville STEM Academy
Addis, LA
This book is insightful, progressive, and just what school leaders need to move their organizations forward. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the field of education was forced to shift its ethos on a dime. This guide to distance learning will support the nimbleness and flexibility needed to create and implement and sustain a high-quality distance learning program with fidelity.
Mona Fairley-Nelson, Deputy Head of School, Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
Carol Morgan School
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
This is the book school leaders need to be reading right now. The Distance Learning Playbook for School Leaders provides just-in-time support while also being timeless in nature. The authors tackle the very things we are wrestling with in a highly relatable and action-oriented way.
Brad Gustafson
National Distinguished Principal and Best-Selling Author
St. Michael, MN
As schools transition into a new way of operating, The Distance Learning Playbook for School Leaders helps us to dot our I’s and cross our T’s as we move into learning, leading, and continuously growing in a virtual setting. Not only does the playbook ensure a well-rounded view of our current situation, it provides leaders an opportunity to pause and carefully develop plans of action based on guided reflection. This book will enable leaders to persevere through today’s challenges and keep the focus on student learning.
Connie Hamilton, Speaker and Education Consultant
Author, Hacking Questions and Hacking Homework
Detroit, MI