New Book
The Mindful School Leader (releases December 23, 2014, Corwin Press)
Co-Authors: Kirsten Olson and Valerie Brown
For educational leaders who feel overwhelmed, stressed, and underappreciated, this book offers explicit practices to help readers avoid burnout and become the mindful, poised, effective leaders they were meant to be. The book also offers real-time encouragement with portraits of educational leaders who are incorporating mindfulness practices, like attentive breathing, mindful walking about the school building, or calming pauses in the office throughout the school day into their leadership portfolios and everyday lives. Chapters present a brief overview of school culture and climate, research that describes the effectiveness of mindfulness practices, and helpful tips for incorporating mindfulness in daily life.
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Named one of the “Best Courageous Books of 2014”
by The Center for Courage and Renewal.
About The Authors
Valerie Brown is Principal of Lead Smart Coaching, LLC in New Hope, PA, specializing in leadership coaching of school leaders. She is a certified Leadership Coach and leadership educator and is passionate about working with school leaders and teams toward greater authenticity and integrity in work and life. Her expertise spans over two decades as a successful attorney-lobbyist representing legal and educational institutions, giving her a keen client-centered, results-oriented perspective.
A organizational consultant, activist and retreat leader for over twenty years, Kirsten is a co-founder of the Institute for Democratic Education in America, an emerging national not-for-profit linking youth and progressive educational activists for educational transformation, an organization with over 15000 members. Now a full-time leadership coach, her clients include the Kennedy School at Harvard University, the New York City Department of Education, the National Charter School Association, and the Massachusetts Center for Public Charter School Excellence, and many emerging leaders and entrepreneurs involved in transformation of the educational sector.