Breaking Out of Isolation: Becoming a Connected School Leader (Corwin Connected Educators Series)

Fresh ideas to help you meet the challenges of innovative leadership!

Overcome the hurdles of being a school leader and stay ahead with this helpful guide to battling isolation and getting connected. Through powerful vignettes and strategies, you’ll discover how innovation-minded school leaders connect to avoid isolation, lower stress, find support, and share ideas. Grow your professional practice and learn to:

• Jumpstart and sustain your Professional Learning Network
• Strategically and meaningfully connect with colleagues and staff
• Overcome isolation for lasting impact

Includes tips for Twitter, Google Hangouts, Pinterest and more. Get real-world solutions with this easy-to-follow roadmap to transformational change!  

The Corwin Connected Educators series is your key to unlocking the greatest resource available to all educators: other educators. Being a Connected Educator is more than a set of actions: it’s a belief in the potential of technology to fuel lifelong learning. To explore the other books in this series, visit the 

"School leadership is a challenge that is made more difficult through isolation, but it doesn’t have to be that way. The authors lead you to reflect on what isolates you and share practical ways to help get connected.  A must read for connected and soon to be connected leaders!"
Todd Whitaker, Professor of Department of Educational Leadership
Indiana State University

"Filled with real-time examples and reflection questions from three dynamic, active principals who′ve crafted their own connected and growing practices, this book is a comforting guide for anyone seeking to establish a personal or professional learning network, and lays a Twitter-connected path to the next steps of leadership development."
Kirsten Olson, Ed.D, PCC
Author of The Mindful School Leader and Wounded By School

Dr. Spike C. Cook is currently serving in a leadership position as the Principal of RM Bacon Elementary for the Millville Public School District located in the City of Millville, New Jersey. He joined RM Bacon staff in April of 2011. Since that time, he has been influential in increasing technology use with students and teachers, reorganized the Basic Skills Program, and worked on improving the climate and culture of the building.

He began his educational career in 1999 and has worked in higher education, middle school and elementary school. Dr. Cook has served as a counselor, teacher, adjunct professor, Executive Director, vice principal, guidance director and principal. His blog “Insights Into Learning” received a nomination for the Best Administrator Blog by Edublogs.

Dr. Cook has presented at numerous state and local conferences. In addition, he has presented at the 2012 ASCD Texas in Dallas, 2013 ASCD National Conference in Chicago, and the 2013 National Association for Elementary School Principals in Baltimore. He was the keynote speaker at the Millville Public Schools Opening Day for over 1,200 staff. Dr. Cook was one of the featured “connected educators” in the 2014 Corwin Press book, “Digital Leadership” by Eric Sheninger.

Jessica Johnson is an Elementary School Principal and District Assessment Coordinator for Dodgeland School District in Juneau, Wisconsin. She is the 2014 Wisconsin Elementary School Principal of the Year. She has previously taught in Minnesota, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree at Bemidji State University. She also taught and worked as an Instructional Coach and Assistant Principal in Arizona, earning her Master degree at Arizona State University. As an continuing learner, she is passionate about literacy principal productivity, social media, technology integration, and the concept of leading with a “coaching hat” as an administrator. She has a self-published children′s novel, Adventures in Blockworld: A Novel for the Young Minecraft Fans. She co-moderates the #educoach chat on Twitter each Wednesday night at 9pm CST and also co-hosts the PrincipalPLN Podcast. You can follow Jessica on Twitter as@PrincipalJ, follow her blog at principalj.net or contact her at jessica@principalj.net.

Theresa Stager earned her Bachelor of Music Education from Wayne State University in Detroit, MI in 2003 and a Master in Educational Administration (Assessment and Evaluation) at University of Michigan-Dearborn in 2007. She taught for 8 years as a public school music educator teaching general music, band and high school choir. She worked for 2 years as an Implementation Director at an Human Resources company until 2013. Theresa has presented at many music, administration and technology conferences in her career. Her music education blog was nominated and chosen as one of the Top 75 eCollegeFinder Music and Arts Enthusiasts Award Winners. Theresa was featured in Dr. Spike Cook′s first book "Connected Leadership: It′s Just a Click Away."

Theresa is a Co-Host of PrincipalPLN podcast which can be found at principalpln.com and on iTunes. She is currently in her second year as Lead Learner and Building Principal at St. Mary Catholic School in Rockwood, MI. She has implemented a 1:1 iPad program and is excited to be able to merge her love of technology, learning and education with this position. She lives in Huron Township, MI with husband Brian and two children Audrey and Jacob. Theresa believes her biggest educational accomplishment is yet to come.