Why open a school? To close a prison

Great by Choice takes an in-depth look at the characteristics of successful companies and their leaders. For those who have ever heard, "you are working too hard," this book validates why hard work and being relentless in your vision, yields results.

It can be very challenging working with people and their different personalities, but as a principal, it is my goal to achieve one thing, student achievement, both academically and social-emotionally. Coaching superstars with enormous talents and egos can be challenging, but having a strong mission to build a team that works together for the common purpose of winning a championship builds a culture of success. In this book, Phil Jackson offers anecdotes and practical lessons on how he has been able to earn eleven NBA championship titles with various teams. This book is essential for any leader who wants to rally their teams to achieve success.

This inspiring and heartfelt tale offers hope and inspiration when you are in search of your life’s purpose. If you find yourself wanting to live beyond mediocrity, this is the book puts vision building into perspective.

I have given this book to several teachers both newbies and veterans as a reflection that educators throughout our nation have encountered the same adversities education. Lack of resources, along with classrooms filled with children who have academic gaps and behavior issues are unfortunate circumstances in our education system, yet there are small successes that every teacher should recognize and celebrate.

It’s virtually impossible escaping the use of data, it’s what allows us to reflect on what works and what needs improvement. In this book, Paul Bambrick-Sontayo offers the blueprint for using data to improve teacher outcomes, monitor progress, and set benchmarks to achieve school-wide goals. There is a CD included with templates to gather data, which is helpful for teacher teams.