Leadership Work
Author
My new book, Superintendent as Civic Leader, will be coming out in October 2026 and is available for pre-order now. You can also learn more about my book on leadership entry, which has become a staple for leadership programs across the country.
Read My Book
Superintendent as Civic Leader: Stewarding the Future of Public Education
Edited by Jennifer Perry Cheatham, Christina Grant, and Ross Wiener
Overview
An evidence-based guide for educational leaders who want to make positive change for our nation’s youth, with an original, in-depth look at the political role of superintendents.
The superintendent’s role looks different today. What was once viewed as an organizational leadership role is now understood as a civic leadership role, which requires unique political expertise. Superintendent as Civic Leader introduces an original framework for superintendents that will help them develop the necessary knowledge, skills, and dispositions to successfully perform as educational leaders in their local communities.
In this book, the editors argue that understanding and dealing with complex political situations requires attention to three axes: the micro (understanding and navigating self), the meso (understanding and navigating the local community), and the macro (understanding and navigating the state and national context). With field-tested guidance from a collective made up of superintendents from across the US, leaders of influential educational organizations, and scholars of the politics of education, chapters offer real-world examples of leaders’ political skills in action, re-building local trust, and mobilizing for change. Readers will come away with strategies to transform challenges into opportunities through key efforts such as relationship building, clear communications, and community engagement.
Education leaders must embrace political leadership if they are to ensure that every child has access to a high-quality education. Their job is to bring people together in service of children, even when everything seems contested. For superintendents and other educational leaders, this book is an essential resource to not only understand today’s politicized climate but also to navigate and serve as successful, effective leaders within it.
Read My Book
Entry-Planning for Equity-Focused Leaders: Empowering Schools and Communities
By Jennifer Perry Cheatham, Rodney Thomas, and Adam Parrott-Sheffer
Overview
A vital resource for educational leaders, Entry Planning for Equity-Focused Leaders introduces an equity-minded process for intentional entry planning that sets the stage for sustainable change within organizations.
In this practitioner-focused and action-oriented work, Jennifer Perry Cheatham, Rodney Thomas, and Adam Parrott-Sheffer consolidate their extensive experience centering equity in leadership. They affirm that the entry of a new leader, or the pivot of an established one, affords an unparalleled opportunity to garner the insight, trust, and commitment that will establish a basis for positive, equitable transformation within a system.
To learn more, and gain access to sample entry plans and resources, check out: https://leadershipentry.com/
Book Reviews
“Entry Planning for Equity-Focused Leaders will change how superintendents think about entering a new role or school district. Offering both a conceptual framework and hands-on guidance, the authors provide leaders with what they need to begin their role proactively and deeply from an equity stance. Stories throughout the book provide additional inspiration and modeling to show what can be done on behalf of students, families, and communities.“
Max Silverman
Executive Director, University of Washington Center for Educational Leadership.
“Courageous vision and planning are the bedrock of any successful implementation, especially when it comes to blending an equity-centered approach into the frontier offered by a new job. This book offers neophytes and seasoned school leaders guidance, tools, and a charge to effectively navigate politics, long-held norms, and misplaced energies in pursuit of opportunities for all students.”
Sonja Santelises
CEO, Baltimore City Public Schools
“Disrupting inequities and creating more culturally responsive schools and systems requires intentional leadership moves. Cheatham, Thomas, and Parrott-Sheffer offer the gift of lifting stories of leaders who entered their leadership journeys with purpose and who model what it looks like to display your values and center equity in how you listen, learn, and iterate even when things get tough.”
Nancy Gutierrez
President & CEO of The Leadership Academy
More Leadership Work
Let’s explore how I might be useful to you in your own work.
Learn more about my courses, including how to sign up for my professional courses.
Learn more about the Initiative on Superintendent as Civic Leader at Harvard and how to get involved.
Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or comments on ways I can enhance my leadership programs and courses.