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Shaping the Future - Book Cover

Shaping the Future

Four Leadership Pivots for Lasting Educational Impact

Public education is in crisis. Shaping the Future provides strategies, insights, and tools to address challenges, align leadership, and inspire impactful change for student success.

Full description

Shaping the Future - Book Cover
Product Details
  • Grade Level: K-12
  • ISBN: 9781071949788
  • Published By: Corwin
  • Year: 2025
  • Page Count: 200
  • Publication date: May 27, 2025
Price: $39.95

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Description

Description

Elevate your leadership to inspire lasting change and student success.

Public education is facing an unprecedented crisis. Exhausted educators are leaving the profession in record numbers, while persistent systemic issues and polarizing debates distract from the core mission of education—student success. Shaping the Future offers educational leaders a compelling guide to meet these challenges head-on and transform their leadership approach to improve outcomes for students and staff alike.

Grounded in original research and rich experience in over 400 school districts, Lyle Kirtman introduces four pivotal leadership shifts to align vision, leadership practices, and student success. Additional features include:

  • Practical frameworks and real-world examples demonstrating how to overcome persistent barriers in workforce challenges and accountability
  • Strategies to integrate diversity and social emotional learning into goals and actions for academic excellence
  • Reflection tools, case studies, and step-by-step guidance to help you act immediately and effectively in your unique context.

This book equips leaders with tools to address misalignment in improvement strategies, low morale, and the retention crisis, while reigniting a collective focus on student achievement. Shaping the Future is more than a leadership guide—it’s a solution-driven call to action for anyone dedicated to sustaining public education and unlocking the potential of every learner.

Author(s)

Author(s)

Lyle Kirtman photo

Lyle Kirtman

Lyle Kirtman has been a leadership development consultant for more than 30 years. As CEO, Future Management Systems Inc. has worked on developing leaders to increase results for students in 350 school districts in 15 states. Kirtman’s publications are influencing educators nationally and internationally. His books, Leadership and Teams: The Missing Piece of the Educational Reform Puzzle, Leadership: Key Competencies for Whole System Change (with Michael Fullan), and Coherent School Leadership: Forging Clarity from Complexity (with Michael Fullan) have influenced educational practice throughout the US.

Kirtman’s focus on innovation in education is a key element of his presentations, keynotes, and publications. He was able to help former Governor Patrick in Massachusetts by chairing the Governors strategic planning task force on innovation in education. Kirtman brings a unique background to his leadership work in education through his consulting experience in the federal government (EPA), Health care (Massachusetts General Hospital), Universities (Harvard University), Corporate (Cisco Systems) and non- profit worlds (United Way). He has also worked as a senior administrator in central office for the Boston Public Schools in the organizational development and leadership field for school operations.

Kirtman’s field based research has already made major contributions to the educational leadership arena through his 7 Competencies for educational leaders, the use of leadership assessments for self- reflection and hiring, and the importance of getting a “C” in compliance to increase focus on results for student achievement.

Lyle earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the State University of New York (SUNY) and a Master’s degree in Counseling with a concentration in career development from SUNY and Fairfield University, Connecticut.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Introduction: Why Your Leadership Must Change Now

Chapter 1: Our Findings and New Leadership Approach - It’s Research-Based

Chapter 2: Integrate Don’t Separate: A New Leadership Mindset

Chapter 3: Finding Your North Star

Chapter 4: Hiring, Developing, and Retaining Talented Staff

Chapter 5: Setting High Expectations for All Students and Staff

Chapter 6: Intrinsic Accountability: Student and Staff Agency

Chapter Seven – Call to Action – Rediscover your North Star

Appendix A: Evaluating Your Seven Competencies

Appendix B: Workplace Personality Inventory Information

Reviews

Reviews

Quote by Peter DeWitt, Author, Facilitator, Coach, Instructional Leadership Collective: Lyle Kirtman not only has deep experience in many facets of education, but he also has a unique ability to think both quantitatively and qualitatively. In Shaping the Future, Kirtman provides actionable strategies to for creating sustainable student success and empowered educational teams.
Lyle Kirtman not only has deep experience in many facets of education, but he also has a unique ability to think both quantitatively and qualitatively. In Shaping the Future, Kirtman provides actionable strategies to for creating sustainable student success and empowered educational teams.
Peter DeWitt
Author, Facilitator, Coach, Instructional Leadership Collective
Quote by Tom Vander Ark, CEO, Getting Smart: Shaping the Future is a powerful guide for educators seeking to create a culture of high expectations. By focusing on individual student needs, fostering a supportive environment, and building community partnerships, Kirtman provides a practical and inspiring roadmap. This book is a must-read for education leaders committed to student success.
Shaping the Future is a powerful guide for educators seeking to create a culture of high expectations. By focusing on individual student needs, fostering a supportive environment, and building community partnerships, Kirtman provides a practical and inspiring roadmap. This book is a must-read for education leaders committed to student success.
Tom Vander Ark
CEO, Getting Smart
Quote by Pedro A. Noguera, Dean, Rossier School of Education Distinguished Professor of Education: Shaping the Future provides educational leaders with sound and practical advice on how to shift their work so that they can meet the needs of their students and staff and stay relevant. For leaders who seek to lead rather than react to change, this book is essential reading.
Shaping the Future provides educational leaders with sound and practical advice on how to shift their work so that they can meet the needs of their students and staff and stay relevant. For leaders who seek to lead rather than react to change, this book is essential reading.
Pedro A. Noguera
Dean, Rossier School of Education Distinguished Professor of Education
Quote by David P. Driscoll, Former Massachusetts Commissioner of Education: Kirtman makes the thoughtful and crucial case for shifting our thinking and practice for the good of all students. It is not for a lack of trying that American public education has not moved the needle on student success - but we need a new north star and this book is a great beginning.
Kirtman makes the thoughtful and crucial case for shifting our thinking and practice for the good of all students. It is not for a lack of trying that American public education has not moved the needle on student success - but we need a new north star and this book is a great beginning.
David P. Driscoll
Former Massachusetts Commissioner of Education
Quote by Kevin Brown, Executive Director, Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA): Kirtman cuts through the noise of the times, providing us with very relevant, practical, researched-based steps to help lead and shape the futures of those we serve. He captures the moment we are in and gives us a roadmap to rediscover our north star, thereby guiding us to lead our schools through these rough seas to safer shores.
Kirtman cuts through the noise of the times, providing us with very relevant, practical, researched-based steps to help lead and shape the futures of those we serve. He captures the moment we are in and gives us a roadmap to rediscover our north star, thereby guiding us to lead our schools through these rough seas to safer shores.
Kevin Brown
Executive Director, Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA)
Quote by Kate Dias, President, Connecticut Education Association: Kirtman focuses on two things that matter the most to educators, simplifying the work and empowering, collaborative leadership. This book is an excellent resource for school leaders seeking a path to success. By pivoting as he suggests, everyone wins.
Kirtman focuses on two things that matter the most to educators, simplifying the work and empowering, collaborative leadership. This book is an excellent resource for school leaders seeking a path to success. By pivoting as he suggests, everyone wins.
Kate Dias
President, Connecticut Education Association
Quote by Sherida Britt, Education Strategists: Shaping the Future challenges us to rethink what effective leadership looks like and who we trust to lead. By uncovering biases that limit innovation and emphasizing traits like persistence, flexibility, and intrinsic accountability, Kirtman offers a bold framework to align leadership with student success. This book isn’t just a guide—it’s a wake-up call to build schools where everyone rises.
Shaping the Future challenges us to rethink what effective leadership looks like and who we trust to lead. By uncovering biases that limit innovation and emphasizing traits like persistence, flexibility, and intrinsic accountability, Kirtman offers a bold framework to align leadership with student success. This book isn’t just a guide—it’s a wake-up call to build schools where everyone rises.
Sherida Britt
Education Strategists
Quote by Michael Fullan, Professor Emeritus, Author of The New Meaning of Educational Change, V 6, 2025, Teachers College Press: Kirtman is a genius. He gets inside the weeds of organizational change. Not only does he extricate us from the constraints for change, he liberates us from the daily grind. If you want novel, high leverage levers for changing cultures using existing hidden forces this is the book for you.
Kirtman is a genius. He gets inside the weeds of organizational change. Not only does he extricate us from the constraints for change, he liberates us from the daily grind. If you want novel, high leverage levers for changing cultures using existing hidden forces this is the book for you.
Michael Fullan
Professor Emeritus, Author of The New Meaning of Educational Change, V 6, 2025, Teachers College Press
Quote by Sinthia Sone-Moyano, Deputy Commissioner, Educational Supports and Wellness, Connecticut State Department of Education: Shaping the Future empowers educational leaders with practical and equity-driven guidance to transform their work in ways that address the diverse needs of students and staff. The insights offered are both compelling and actionable, reflecting Kirtman’s deep understanding that effective leadership requires clarity, preparation, and a willingness to rethink traditional approaches.
Shaping the Future empowers educational leaders with practical and equity-driven guidance to transform their work in ways that address the diverse needs of students and staff. The insights offered are both compelling and actionable, reflecting Kirtman’s deep understanding that effective leadership requires clarity, preparation, and a willingness to rethink traditional approaches.
Sinthia Sone-Moyano
Deputy Commissioner, Educational Supports and Wellness, Connecticut State Department of Education
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