A School Leader’s Guide to Dealing with Difficult Parents PDF
Preview A School Leader’s Guide to Dealing with Difficult Parents
A S l ’ chool eAder S G d uide to eAlinG d with ifficult P ArentS This new supplement to the bestselling Dealing with Dif- ficult Parents, Second Edition is designed to help you with the specific challenges you face as a school leader when dealing with parents. The main book, Dealing with Difficult Parents, Second Edition, shows how your teachers and other educa- tors can communicate with parents more effectively. With this new supplement, you’ll learn how you, as a leader, can—and must—support and coach teachers along the way. Topics covered include how to . . . ♦ Make sure your teachers understand the families they’re dealing with; ♦ Help your teachers communicate effectively with parents by being positive and proactive, so problems don’t escalate to the main office; ♦ Establish expectations for dealing with parents, so teachers understand how to be appropriate even when a parent is not; ♦ Ensure your teachers feel supported by you when they’re dealing with difficult parents; and ♦ Help teachers become more confident and empow- ered in challenging situations. With these practical books, you’ll be able to get parents on your side so they can become a positive force in your school’s success. Other Eye On Education Books Available from Routledge (www.routledge.com/eyeoneducation) DEALING WITH DIFFICULT PARENTS, 2ND EDITION Todd Whitaker and Douglas J. Fiore STUDY GUIDE TO DEALING WITH DIFFICULT PARENTS Todd Whitaker and Douglas J. Fiore DEALING WITH DIFFICULT TEACHERS, 3RD EDITION Todd Whitaker WHAT CONNECTED EDUCATORS DO DIFFERENTLY Todd Whitaker, Jeffrey Zoul, and Jimmy Casas WHAT GREAT TEACHERS DO DIFFERENTLY, 2ND EDITION: 17 Things That Matter Most Todd Whitaker WHAT GREAT PRINCIPALS DO DIFFERENTLY, 2ND EDITION: 18 Things That Matter Most Todd Whitaker SCHOOL-COMMUNITY RELATIONS, 4TH EDITION Douglas J. Fiore INTRODUCTION TO EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION, 2ND EDITION Douglas J. Fiore SEVEN SIMPLE SECRETS, 2ND EDITION: What the BEST Teachers Know and Do! Annette Breaux and Todd Whitaker 50 WAYS TO IMPROVE STUDENT BEHAVIOR: Simple Solutions to Complex Challenges Annette Breaux and Todd Whitaker This page intentionally left blank A S l ’ chool eAder S G d uide to eAlinG d with ifficult P ArentS Todd Whitaker and Douglas J. Fiore First published 2016 by Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 and by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2016 Taylor & Francis The right of Todd Whitaker and Douglas J. Fiore to be identified as authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalog record for this book has been requested ISBN: 978-1-138-96345-0 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-315-65877-3 (ebk) Typeset in Palatino by Apex CoVantage, LLC Contents About the Authors � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � ix IntroductIon: Why thIs book? � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � xi 1 Understanding Is Not an Excuse .................................................1 2 Identify the Problem Before You Try to Solve It ....................5 3 Supporting Your Staff ...................................................................13 4 Be Aware of What You Don’t Know ..........................................19 5 Dealing from the Role of the Leader ......................................25 6 The Principal Must Focus on the Future ................................31 7 Always Show Concern ..................................................................37 8 The Fairness Doctrine ..................................................................41 9 What If We Are Wrong? ...............................................................49 10 Build Relationships Before You Need Relationships ..........55 PArtIng thoughts 61 references 63 This page intentionally left blank About the Authors Dr. Todd Whitaker is a professor of education leadership at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana. Prior to com- ing to Indiana, he coached and taught at the middle and high school levels in Missouri. Following his teaching experience, he served as a middle school, junior high, and high school princi- pal. In addition, Dr. Whitaker served as middle school coordi- nator for new middle schools. Dr. Whitaker has been published in the areas of principal effectiveness, teacher leadership, change, and staff motivation. He has written 40 books including What Great Teachers Do Dif- ferently, Dealing with Difficult Teachers, Motivating & Inspiring Teachers and What Connected Educators Do Differently. He is a highly sought after speaker for educators. Todd is married to Beth, a former teacher and principal, who serves as director of the Faculty Center for Teaching Excel- lence at Indiana State. Beth and Todd have three children, Kath- erine, Madeline, and Harrison. Dr. Douglas J. Fiore is currently the interim provost at Ashland University in Ashland, Ohio. Prior to coming to Ohio, he served in faculty and leadership roles at Virginia State Uni- versity, Virginia Commonwealth University, and the Univer- sity of West Georgia. Dr. Fiore began his educational career teaching at the elementary school level in Indiana. Following his teaching experience, he served as an elementary school principal in two Indiana schools. Dr. Fiore has been published in the areas of school-community relations, leadership theory, principal effectiveness, and school culture and has presented at numerous national and state conferences. He is the author of eight books including the best-selling textbook, School-Community Relations, as well as
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