Can simply talking about policy strengthen democracy? Drawing on data collected for case studies ... more Can simply talking about policy strengthen democracy? Drawing on data collected for case studies of one Canadian and two U.S. grassroots organizations, we demonstrate that taking part in policy dialogues hosted by grassroots organizations enables participants to gain greater clarity regarding policy issues, policy processes, and citizens' perspectives and enhances some participants' ability to take direct action in policy processes. These outcomes, and the opportunities for authentic engagement in policy processes offered by grassroots policy dialogues, can help challenge contemporary policy processes characterized as political spectacle, and, ultimately, enhance democracy in education. Implications of the findings for grassroots organizations and the field of community organizing are also discussed.
An increasing number of community-based organizations are engaging with educational reform. Some ... more An increasing number of community-based organizations are engaging with educational reform. Some groups are applying hybrid organizational models to engage with the public and education policy makers. In this article, the authors use a multiple case study approach to better understand the development of organizational hybridity in three such groups. The fi ndings indicate that shifts in political environments and the evolving desires of publics are the primary motivators for organizational change.
ABSTRACT Maple Leaf School is a large English elementary school in Ontario, Canada. Wanda Miller,... more ABSTRACT Maple Leaf School is a large English elementary school in Ontario, Canada. Wanda Miller, the principal, has been at the school for 2 years. Upon arrival, she engaged the teachers in a collaborative exercise to determine their school goal (as required by the province). Character education was selected. The district insisted that the school adopt an academic goal instead. Wanda determined that character education would be the school’s primary goal and writing its secondary one. Since then, students’ behavior and the school’s climate have improved markedly, but test scores have declined. This case focuses on the tension between a locally identified, collaboratively determined school focus and conflicting district and provincial demands.
From Zero Tolerance to Student Success in Ontario, Canada
Educational Policy, 2013
ABSTRACT
A Review of: Mary Lee Smith, Linda Miller-Kahn, Walter Heinecke, and Patricia F. Jarvis (2004). Political Spectacle and the Fate of American Schools . London: Routledge Falmer
Leadership and Policy in Schools, 2008
Struggling Towards Equity and Safe Schools in Toronto, Canada
Advances in Education in Diverse Communities: Research, Policy and Praxis, 2012
Meanings of success and successful leadership in Ontario, Canada, in neo-liberal times
Uploads
Papers by Sue Winton