Mark Forner has penned a readable, much-needed account of the superintendency in the nation's small school districts. Where accounts of the superintendency have long focused on the nation's big cities, Forner talks concretely and constructively about the distinctive challenges of small district leadership. This illuminating volume offers both important insights and useful advice for those focused on rural education and small school systems. -- Frederick Hess, author of Letters to a Young Education Reformer; director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute
The majority of districts in America are small and rural, though the focus of most public discussion, research, and policymaking is focused on big cities. This book is a must-read for all leaders and aspiring leaders in the tens of thousands of small communities that educate our students. With warmth, specific strategies, and the insight of a leader who has been in the trenches, Forner defines success and how to get there in the rural context. -- Celine Coggins, PhD, founder and CEO, Teach Plus, Boston, Massachusetts
Dr. Mark Forner is a practitioner, not merely a theoretician. His experience as a business man, rural school board member, urban city teacher, founding charter school leader, and principal provides this book with a sense of authenticity that I have seldom seen in my years as an educator. This is a must-read for anyone looking for real solutions for real issues that teachers, administrators, and superintendents face on a daily basis in our country's rural schools. -- Joshua Woodward, lead teacher, Carpe Diem Meridian, Indianapolis, Indiana
There aren't too many times I pick up a leadership book and am immediately engaged; Hardball Leadership is the exception. The author does a great job of blending a childhood story into a real book about real leadership. If you are a current superintendent or have aspirations of becoming one, put Hardball Leadership at the top of your list. The content is practical and the data makes you think. This book is a refreshing read for anyone interested in becoming a superintendent or understanding their own school district. When over 70% of the school districts in this country have enrollment of 2,500 or less students, there is no doubt that this will be a book applicable to a district near you. -- Mark D. Platt, superintendent, Hart Public Schools, Hart, Michigan
Dr. Mark Forner's wit, humor, and well-earned wisdom help paint both a hopeless and hopeful picture for rural educational leaders. Only someone who has had both an inside and outside view of rural and urban educational reform efforts could write such an insightful book, and Forner has done just that. This book should be required reading for existing and aspiring educational leaders who need to know that both tears and laughter are part of the fight to improve educational outcomes for our students. If only we had about a thousand more educational leaders and authors like Forner. -- Dr. Louann Bierlein-Palmer, professor of educational leadership, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan
I see many first time Superintendents 'cut their teeth' in a small rural district often being unprepared for the multitude of expertise they are expected to have to be successful. Not only do they have to wear many hats, but there are also cultural issues and challenges that come with living many miles from a metropolitan area, which they may have never considered or experienced before. This book will help open the eyes of candidates seeking a leadership role in a rural community. -- Jeanne Oakes, Mason County foundation executive director and former RESA superintendent, Ludington, Michigan
As a former school board member in a rural district with a high poverty level and as someone who prepared pre-service teachers to work in this type of district, I found Dr. Forner's book to be on target. It combines a philosophy of how to best serve these students, their parents, and their community with practical advice and solutions. His data base is sound, including academic research and real-world input from successful superintendents who successfully faced the day-to-day challenges. It is a very readable book. -- Carole McKinney, education professor, Franklin College, Franklin, Indiana
