ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a complex, real-life, accessible case study in expecting the best to provoke and stimulate conversation around practical problems and alternative solutions that confront educational leaders today. These cases cover a wide range of topics, including: teacher evaluations, educational reforms, school safety, cultural differences, undocumented students, and social media. Each case study has three alternative responses written by experienced educational administrators and academics. The respondents were asked to identify the primary problem, along with secondary problems, and to provide a strategy that will address the problems identified. By providing three alternative responses to each case, a diverse range of problems and solutions are available for each case study. The chapter explains that working toward improvement within any organization is complex, so there was not any one magic solution. Rather, there were multiple actions that have made a difference that we can quantify through use of staff and stakeholder surveys and trend lines in student outcomes.
