Leading with Vitality and Hope

Leading with Vitality and Hope provides a practical resource for educators who want to move beyond the challenges schools are facing today. It both provides inspirational ideas from an impressive group of educational leaders and also practical ideas that you can take back to your local schools and communities for implementation.

What is needed to move beyond the chaotic scenes we are continuing to face as schools reopen for in-person learning? The voices we hear from in Leading with Vitality and Hope suggest that we must first re-introduce a sense of vitality and hope. This can be done with mindfulness, visioning, and strategic leadership that attends to self-care, advocacy, and collective efficacy. Each of these themes is woven throughout case study scenarios presented by 20 leaders as they describe their vision, how they garnered support, and how their visions have set the stage for transformational change to enhance equity, reduce discrimination, alleviate trauma, and lead to greater well-being for students and staff in schools.

Christine Y. Mason, an educational psychologist, an assistant clinical professor at Yale University, and the founder and executive director of the Center for Educational Improvement, has developed Heart Centered Learning® and joined with others to foster innovations and uplift schools and staff. Recognized as a “Pioneer in Well-Being” by the Robert Wood Foundation and Ashoka, she continues to lead the way, addressing student mental health needs, and collaborating with others to foster compassionate school practices, alleviate childhood trauma, and stimulate creative solutions to bring a sense of meaning and purpose to staff, families, and communities.

Melissa Patschke, EdD, is Principal of the Upper Providence Elementary School in Royersford, Pennsylvania, and a national principal leader and co-author of Visioning Onward – a Guide for all Schools. She is also an adjunct professor at Wilkes University, Neumann University, and Immaculata University, and serves on several national leadership initiatives.

Kevin Simpson is Founder and CEO of Global KDSL and AIELOC (Association for International Educators and Leaders of Color). Kevin is also currently a Transformative SEL Specialist in Dallas, Texas where he provides support for the implementation of a newly designed SEL professional development program via leading online learning activities and providing clinical support on social-emotional learning practices for 30 novice teachers in urban schools.