Not long ago, public education in Ontario, Canada, was in deep trouble. Student achievement was stagnating, labor disruptions were rampant, and public satisfaction with the schools was low. In 2003, a new provincial government initiated a series of reforms that embodied a positive, outcome-focused agenda for public education. Today, student outcomes have improved, labor disruption has vanished, and teacher morale is high. In this book, Ben Levin, former deputy minister of education for the province of Ontario, draws on his experience overseeing these and other major systemwide education reforms in Canada and England to set forth a refreshingly positive, pragmatic, and optimistic approach to leading educational change at all levels.

A personal odyssey -- The Ontario education strategy -- How much can we expect from public education? -- Why improving schools is so hard to do -- An agenda for improving teaching and learning -- Organizational supports for an education agenda -- Building public confidence in public education -- Leadership for improvement -- Managing the distractions without losing focus -- What can and should be done?.