In How to Change 5000 Schools, Ben Levin, former deputy minister of education for the province of Ontario, draws on his experience overseeing major systemwide education reforms in Canada and England to set forth a refreshingly positive, pragmatic, and optimistic approach to leading educational change at all levels.
Not long ago, public education in Ontario, Canada, was in deep trouble. Student achievement was stagnating, labor disruptions were rampant, and public satisfaction with the schools was low. In 2003, a new provincial government initiated a series of reforms that embodied a positive, outcome-focused agenda for public education. Today, student outcomes have improved, labor disruption has vanished, and teacher morale is high.
Ben Levin holds a Canada Research Chair in Education Leadership and Policy at the University of Toronto. He recently completed a term as deputy minister for education for the province of Ontario. He is the author of numerous articles and three books and writes a regular column, "In Canada," for Phi Delta Kappan.