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The first volume of The Skillful Leader taught us that big gains in instructional quality and learning can only be realized by focusing on mediocre instruction and the conditions that underlie it. Educators have learned to look in a tough-minded way at the problems of mediocrity and have pushed their practice beyond comfortable euphemism to concrete practices that address concrete practices that address fundamental issues of instructional quality.

Now The Skillful Leader II takes on the central issue of building strong communities of practice in schools that support and nurture high high-quality instructional practice. With the same flinty, skeptical eye toward the culture of mediocrity that characterized Skillful Leader I, with authors have taken on address the central issue of school culture in the United States. Under what conditions does cultural consensus in schools support, and under what conditions does it undermine, instructional improvement? When does collegiality work to change the conditions of success for students, and when does it reinforce the pathologies of mediocre instruction? This is a wise and much-needed, practical and supportive, guide for school leaders, aspiring and practicing, for on how to make schools places where adults and students learn at high levels.

This book provides educators with practical "how to" strategies for building a community of learners at the district and school levels. The case studies are effective for examining and solving real-life educational dilemmas that prevent sustained success in student learning.

The Skillful Leader II provides a practical, accessible framework for helping district, school and teacher leaders recognize and tackle some of the most persistent challenges in school improvement. It provides relevant strategies, models and cases to support the collaborative work of educators who understand the urgency of improving teaching and learning for every child and embracing accountability for results.

Improving the quality of instruction students receive is ultimately the only way to improve learning and close the achievement gap. The Skillful Leader II provides practical guidance for principals and other leaders to increase teacher effectiveness by building accountable learning communities anchored in high expectations. This book is an invaluable resource for educators who understand that student learning depends on excellent teaching and that excellent teaching depends on high-quality teacher learning.

This book is a natural complement to The Skillful Leader I: Confronting Mediocre Teaching. The authors are proficient at setting the tone, examining issues, providing casework, and including well-researched strategies that enable adult learners to strengthen collaborative teams that function with student learning as the paramount outcome.

The reader is constantly engaged in thought-provoking contact between the text and real-life experience. This is a handbook that can be referred to as needed to enhance the work of groups within a building or system. Within this work, the reader is taken from the “good enough” or complacency arena to one of accountability. Continuous improvement is expected in response to learning needs. The authors encourage everyone to be engaged in the push for excellence; we are encouraged to stretch beyond the norm.

Effective and meaningful supervision and evaluation of classroom teachers is incredibly difficult to do well. This book offers a unique blend of theory and application focused predominantly on building professional communities to support high-quality instruction. Concerned that much group work passes as high-level collaboration, the authors present a diagnostic framework detailing five levels of group interaction ranging from toxic to accountable. Leaders who need to coach under performing teams and stretch higher performing teams will find this an invaluable practical handbook that provides many tools to improve the conditions that support learning of both student and adults.