Leading with Heart and Soul (eBook)

IRVIN L. SCOTT, Ed.D. is senior lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and founder of its Leadership Institute for Faith and Education, an initiative that brings education and faith communities together. Before serving as deputy director of K-12 education for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Dr. Scott spent more than twenty years as a teacher, principal, assistant superintendent, and chief academic officer.

Preface xiii

Introduction xvii

Chapter 1 "Without a vision the people perish." (Proverbs 29:18) 1

A Vision for Life 1

In the Church Pew 5

Act from Where You Are 7

"The way you start has a lot to do with the way you end." (Bishop Edgar L. Scott) 8

"Educators make a lot of withdrawals." (Beverly Daniel Tatum) 11

A Walking Vision 14

Chapter 2 "These are other people's children." (Lisa Delpit) 17

Students at Home 17

Visiting Daquan 23

A Weighty Request 26

Driving Daquan 28

The Fast- Food Poet 32

"They don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." (Anonymous) 36

"I will not steal your students' struggles." (A Fairfax Math Teacher) 39

Chapter 3 "Trust God; move on." (I. L. Scott) 43

Waiting for Hezekiah 43

Starting a Choir 45

The Day We Were All Waiting for 49

"Fore!" (Golfers) 58

"Love Lifted Me" (James Rowe and Howard E. Smith) 61

Chapter 4 "You can't raise America's children if yours don't know you." (I. L. Scott) 65

Car Seats 65

"My Life Is in Your Hands." (Kirk Franklin) 70

"Suck it up and get it done!" (Coach Joseph McCoskey) 72

Goodnight, Leon 75

Chapter 5 "Cherish the person; challenge the employee." (I. L. Scott) 83

The Third Person 83

Cherish the Person 88

Challenge the Employee 91

"What the . . . parent wants for his child, that must we want for all the children of the community." (John Dewey) 92

"Does it pass the ILN test?" (I. L. Scott) 94

Chapter 6"Don't work for a jerk." (A Harvard Professor) 101

A Principal's Story: Groove, off! 101

Servant-Leadership 109

Please, Don't Go 111

"No one knows teaching like teachers." (Vicki Phillips) 116

"Leadership Matters." (I. L. Scott) 118

Chapter 7 "Shoot for the stars, even if you only hit the treetops." (Bishop Edgar L. Scott) 121

The Principal's Center 121

Flying Away 125

Shoot for the Stars 126

". . . smart is something you get." (Jeff Howard) 127

"You can't lead if you don't read." (Phillip Schlechty) 132

Thank You, but. . . 134

Chapter 8 "People don't think their way into a new way of acting . . ." (Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan) 139

"Yes, We Can!" (President Barack Obama) 139

I Don't Need This Class 141

"Politics are in education to stay." (Richard Elmore) 151

Fighting for Dropouts in Boston 157

Chapter 9 "If I could save time in a bottle . . ." (Jim Croce) 165

Time in a Bottle 165

The Offer 168

We Need a Name 173

Treat Them Like Royalty 175

"Know your story; share your story." (ECET² Teachers) 177

"I knock unbidden . . ." (John Ingalls) 181

Chapter 10 "Never forget the bridge that brought you over." (Mother Minnie P. Scott) 185

Pictures on the Wall 185

A Love Story 190

". . . pass on to others what [you] have learned." (Robert Evans) 196

"Period. New paragraph." (Richard Elmore) 199

Acknowledgments 203

About the Author 207

Index 209

"An insightful and topical expedition of the resilience and dedication of educators throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Leading with Heart and Soul shares the remarkable achievements of teachers to overcome unprecedented challenges and inequities, along with valuable insights into the future of education leadership."
--Sito Narcisse, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools, Louisiana

"Heartfelt, thought provoking and deeply reflective, Irvin Scott literally pours his soul into this book, using his experience as an educator to teach others why education remains so vital to the kind of nation we are becoming. For any reader who wants to understand our system of education, this book will be an amazing resource. Written through stories from the perspective of someone who knows and understands schools inside and out, Leading with Heart and Soul will be eye opening and a source of inspiration."
--Pedro A. Noguera, Ph.D., Emery Stoops and Joyce King Stoops Dean, Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California

"Dr. Scott inspires those around him through his profound impact as a leader and educator. His ability to brilliantly intersect life, faith, education and leadership is remarkable."
--James Franklin, Coach, Penn State Football

"In a succession of stirring stories in Leading with Heart and Soul, Dr. Scott illustrates thirty ways that, in and out of the classrooms of under-resourced urban districts, its teachers and administrators must approach their work as a mission that demands expertise, passion, empathy and existential well-being to thrive and excel. Indeed, the thirty lessons are universally applicable for educators' use in all districts and educational settings."
--Melvin Allen, J.D., Associate Professor and Administrator Emeritus, Millersville University of Pennsylvania

"Dr. Scott delivers a riveting, nuanced, and heartfelt amalgamation of moral and impactful superintendence. A true gem for all parents and leaders."
--William J. W. Jr., Former student and Barber Entrepreneur, Sharper Image Barbershop

"Irvin Scott is the epitome of a servant leader - insightful, compassionate, empowering, visionary. He leads with intellectual humility, a deep abiding faith, and a fiery passion for meeting the needs of young people and those charged with their education and care. In Leading with Heart and Soul, Irvin shares his leadership journey, revealing the actions of impactful leaders and inspiring us to cultivate our calling."
--Vicki Phillips, Chief Executive Officer, The National Center on Education and the Economy

"Having worked alongside Irvin, I can attest to his deep and abiding commitment to transforming the lives of students, educators, and communities. He's remained true to that commitment in multiple parts of the education sector. Through story and with powerful and accessible prose, this book allows readers behind the curtain of his personal and professional life to better understand how educators bring their whole selves to building America's future through its children."
--John E. Deasy, Ph.D.

"Scott's Leading with Heart and Soul is, without question, a gift of knowledge. Brilliantly weaving together both the Sacred and the secular, Scott's text is a must-read for aspiring and current educational leaders."
--Travis J. Bristol, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Teacher Education and Education Policy, School of Education, University of California, Berkeley