American public school education is changing at a rapid pace. With new demands of accountability come new expectations to accomplish more with less. There is no question that these demands affect everyone within the school, from the students, teachers, professional staff and yes, the administration. What does this mean for educational leaders? According to Isaacson: “This means the new leader must learn and understand all aspects of curriculum, instruction, and assessment analysis” (p. ix). Yet what we find in most of our schools are new principals asking the same question: “I'm here, now what?”
Isaacson's book, “Smart, Fast, Efficient: The New Principal's Guide to Success” takes the newly hired principal on a journey that begins prior to arrival, goes to the completion of the first academic year, and serves to elaborate on the role of the school principal by examining traditional roles and expectations within this new era of accountability. Isaacson provides a much needed expansion on the role of the school principal to include not only those roles traditionally defined by scholars (e.g. managers, coordinators, leaders) but also the personal roles (e.g. relationships with staff, self‐reflection) that often go unseen or have been deemed insignificant in the day‐to‐day operation of any given school.
The key concept presented in Isaacson's book focuses on the process of leadership; of building effective relationships with teachers, students, and the school community and ties them nicely to the traditional roles that the new principal/leader is expected to assume. Such focus permits the school leader to understand the culture of their school which in turn will help them effectively understand contemporary pedagogy while allowing for the development of talent in both the students and the teachers who teach them while supporting the mission and vision of their respective institutions.
The organization of themes and sequence of text found within this book are exceptional. Found within each chapter are anecdotes from real principals/administrators, as well as a question and answer section that identify some of the most common questions that new principals are expected to know the answer to. Most importantly, found at the end of each section are survival tips which provide the reader with identification and suggestions for important issues. In addition, each chapter provides the reader with the opportunity for reflection, pertaining to both self and the issue presented. This type of organization not only makes the chapters fairly easy to read and comprehend but it also establishes credibility to the text as a whole. In many classes it is common to hear those already established in their principalship telling newly hired principals that they should be prepared to hear teachers and staff say “that isn't the way things are done around here” whenever a new vision or strategy is attempted. Isaacson tackles this topic head on by suggesting strategies that have been thoroughly researched and successfully implemented based on numerous observations and interviews with principals newly hired and already established. How was this accomplished? Well, the suggested strategies were all coupled to performance data. That is, Isaacson postulates that most decisions should be based on data; however, it should not be a one‐person job. Research indicates that a principalship performed in a bureaucratic fashion in which leadership is demonstrated by issuing orders in a top‐down manner tend to have a high mortality rate in our schools. However, by involving others in the decision making process and using data to drive this process of interactive decision making, a (newly hired) principal not only earns the respect of his/her school community, but demonstrates a willingness to understand the school's culture which can be a driving force for any change initiative.
Isaacson also understands that leadership is contextual and best exemplifies this is the chapter titled, “Expecting and Handling the Unimaginable: Crisis vs Conflict‐Triage and Bandages”. Here, Isaacson outlines possible scenarios ranging from natural disasters, missing students, and school shootings (although it is impossible to provide a set list of what to do in those situations or to outline every possible scenario). She then talks the reader through a network of responses while asking several questions that will engage the reader in self‐reflection, which, in effect, will lead to policy evaluation and analysis in order to provide the best possible response to any situation, crisis or conflict. Such reflection encourages the principal and staff to be proactive rather than reactive, a very real problem with most of our public schools.
One of the interesting chapters in this book, “Getting and Keeping Organized: Working Smarter, not Harder” goes in depth on how to best organize your new office as well as making the transition from your old office to your new one. The suggestions outlined in this chapter have implications that can reach a much wider audience than those of the newly hired school principal. In point of fact, may non‐administrators and even graduate students would definitely find the suggestions mentioned to be very beneficial. These suggestions are simple ones (e.g. how to organize your folders and office, etc.) intended to make the job flow as efficiently and effectively as possible without any unnecessary stress.
Again, what Isaacson provides here is a book intended for new principals but its application can be applied to anyone, anywhere in the field of education. The author does an excellent job of outlining the expectations and responsibilities of assuming a position of leadership in today's US schools. It is both theoretical and practical‐ citing adequate research pertaining to a given topic while using interviews/case studies to validate the research. It is also introspective and retrospective in that it encourages the new principal to focus on the importance of forming relationships to sustain or create core values and beliefs that can accomplish common goals while also focusing on yourself as a person and evaluating who you are, why you are here, and what you intend to do. This book ought to be on the desks and shelves of principals' offices as well as being used as a text book for a graduate course in educational leadership. The information provided is invaluable.
