Lived democracy is a pivotal aspect of school life, and thus it must be also of school leadership, regardless of external pressure for measurable outcomes. In Leading for Democracy, we get a number of very inspiring cases taken from the complex lives of school principals to read and discuss and be better prepared to take on school leadership in the relational work with teachers, students and parents.

Lejf Moos, president, European Educational Research Association, and professor, Institute for Education, Aarhus University, Copenhagen, Denmark

The art of leading schools in a manner that reinforces democratic principles is nurtured in this unique and inspiring book. The cases readers puzzle over demonstrate that school leadership is so much more than compliance with the No Child Left Behind Act. Bolstered by informative theory and research, each case presents real-world challenges from multiple perspectives, providing ample grist for follow-up analysis and discussion based on helpful guiding questions. Leading for Democracy: A Case-Based Approach to Principal Preparation meets a critical need for leadership preparation programs to help their candidates grapple with the fundamental social justice issues of our time.

S. David Brazer, PhD, Brazer Education Consulting LLC

With the myriad challenges in an era of neo-accountability, democratic leadership will not happen by chance in American schools. In such a crucial time, this relevant discourse forces readers to reflect upon and adjust their practices to be strategic in the aim for democratic-mindedness and implementation. Democratic leadership, as supported through this book, is not an event—it's a way of life!

Cade Brumley Ph.D, assistant superintendent, DeSoto Parish Schools (Louisiana), and author of Leadership Standards in Action: The School Principal as Servant Leader

There are many calls to improve educational leadership preparation university programs. The book, Leading for Democracy: A Case-Based Approach to Principal Preparation, provides a great tool to assist in that effort. It covers material crucial to today’s educational leadership in an eloquent and powerful way. This book ought to be required reading for any program which professes to emphasize social justice.

A. William Place Ph.D, director of doctoral studies, School of Education and Allied Professions, and associate professor, Department of Educational Leadership, The University of Dayton

The call of the educational leader is clear: to investigate, interrogate, and illuminate issues of social injustice, social inequity, and marginalization of diverse groups which threaten the prosperity of America's democratic promise. These are critical issues that the educational leader constantly bumps up against in one's daily work and must be prepared to address as public intellectuals while modeling democratic practice. Through the case study approach, the reader is challenged to bring theoretical and practical dimensions of one's leadership praxis into communion with the other to inform leadership decision making which results in socially just, socially equitable and liberating consequences.

Nichole E. Bourgeois Ed.D, principal, Parkway High School, Bossier City, LA

The major priorities that should guide the preparation of educational leaders for their work of leading schools in a democratic society are teaching leaders to understand the inequities of our society, to serve as agents for social transformation, and to help each and every student learn and succeed! Leading for Democracy: A Case-Based Approach to Principal Preparation is a powerful, rich array of eighteen complex, real-life scenarios that offers students a reflective catalyst to do just that (i.e., to develop the will and the skill to end oppression, to increase equity, and to make bold possibilities happen for all students)!

Kathleen M. Brown, professor and chair of educational leadership, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill