Meaningful Conversations The Way to Comprehensive and Transformative School Improvement

Imagine a school where gathering around the table to have meaningful conversations is commonplace and unencumbered by roles and positions. Such discourse is not only meaningful but significant, purposeful, valuable, filled with intention, and results-oriented. There is a spirit of trust that affords an interchange of thoughts and ideas that promote dialogue and heart-to-heart communication. Meaningful Conversations invites the reader to the table for a nine-course meal of how the people who earnestly desire high achievement for all students in all American schools can make it happen. Graciously addressing critical issues in contemporary schools, this book offers Conversation Pieces that describe Success Standards for schools and Conversation Points that specifically address the unique responsibilities of district leaders, school leaders, and teachers. The book goes as far as to provide features such as sections to Think About and Discuss, questions to Ask and Discuss, along with scripts as Conversation Starters. For educators that are ready for change in schools, Meaningful Conversations prepares a table before you to feast upon comprehensive and transformative school improvement.

Angela Webster-Smith, PhD, serves as an associate professor at the University of Central Arkansas in the Department of Leadership Studies. With experience as founding principal of schools, she serves as an executive coach for public school leaders and as a trustee for an open-enrollment public charter school. She writes and speaks nationally oh the topic of self-reflection and is passionate about cultivating hope-based schooling for all learners. Shelly Albritton, PhD, serves as an associate professor at the. University of Central Arkansas in the Department of Leadership Studies. By working with at-risk students as a school and district administrator in public schools, she has dedicated herself to executive coaching and engaging existing and emerging school leaders in meaningful conversations as they acquire the knowledge, skills, and dispositions required of 21st century institutional leaders in preK-12 schools. Patricia Kohler-Evans, EdD, serves as an associate professor at the University of Central Arkansas in the Department of Early Childhood, and Special Education. With many years of experiment in special education in schools and in district administration, she serves as an executive coach for public school leaders and works with teachers across the state of Arkansas, providing professional development in research-validated methodologies.