The Moral Imperative of School Leadership

Michael Fullan

SAGE Publications, Mar 12, 2003 - Education - 88 pages

The time has come to change the context of school leadership!

The role of the principal is pivotal to systemic school change. That is the fundamental message in The Moral Imperative of School Leadership, which extends the discussion begun in Fullan's earlier publication, What’s Worth Fighting for in the Principalship? The author examines the moral purpose of school leadership and its critical role in "changing the context" in which the role is embedded. In this bold step forward, Fullan calls for principals to become agents as well as beneficiaries of the processes of school change. Concepts explored in-depth include:

• Why "changing the context" should be the main agenda for the principalship
• Why barriers to the principalship exist
• Why the principal should be seen as the COO (chief operating officer) of a school
• Why the role of the principal should figure more prominently within the system

About the author

Michael Fullan is special advisor on education to Dalton McGuinty, the premier of Ontario. He formerly served as dean and professor emeritus at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. He holds honorary doctorates from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland and from Nipissing University. Fullan currently works as adviser and consultant on several major education reform initiatives around the world. He bases his work on research and practice on both the public and private sectors, finding an increasing convergence in this literature. He has written several bestsellers on leadership and change that have been translated into several languages, and four of his books have won book of the year awards.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Moral Imperative of School Leadership
• Author: Michael Fullan
• Editor: Michael Fullan
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: SAGE Publications, 2003
• ISBN: 0761938737, 9780761938736
• Length: 88 pages
• Subjects: Education / Administration / General; Education / Administration / School Superintendents & Principals; Education / Educational Policy & Reform / General; Education / Leadership