If you are looking for a timely book that combines educational leadership theory and practice for transformational leaders you have found it in Robert Palestini and Christopher Heasley’s collaborative book Aligning Mind and Heart: Leadership and Organization Dynamics for Advancing K-12 Education. In addition to expertly presenting several leadership styles these two professors from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia clearly examine comprehensive theories from, among others, Bolman/Deal and Hershey/Blanchard. Drs. Palestini and Heasley use theorists as anchors and bring them to life through practical case studies. Their own backgrounds and perspectives – Palestini as a former superintendent of Philadelphia’s Archdiocese schools and Heasley as a bright emerging leader in higher education – make this a rich resource for anyone desiring to navigate educational leadership during these challenging times.
— Terrance L. Furin, PhD, author of Combating Hatred: Transformational Educators Striving for Social Justice
Drs. Chris Heasley and Robert Palestini continue to inform our profession, practice, and person with clearly defined diagnostic tools supported by theoretical constructs for organizational health, coherence, and effectiveness. Decades of experience represented and reflected on in Aligning Mind and Heart: Leadership and Organization Dynamics for Advancing K-12 Education assist educational leaders with awareness, understanding, maintenance, and improvement of their organizations’ culture and attention to mission.
— Samuel Lee, EdD, superintendent, Bristol Township School District
In Aligning Mind and Heart: Leadership and Organization Dynamics for Advancing K-12 Education, Chris Heasley and Bob Palestini share some of the insights that they have gleaned from their more than seventy collective years of experience at all levels of educational administration. They offer us a step-by-step process for improving the organizational health of our educational institutions. By following their Diagnostic Debrief and using the Heart Smart surveys, teachers, administrators, and aspiring educational leaders will be able to develop an improvement plan for their teaching departments, educational institutions, and school districts that can lead them to new heights.
— Maureen McDermott, IHM, PhD, Chief Academic Officer and Superintendent of Secondary Schools, Archdiocese of Philadelphia Schools
Leaders seeking improvement regarding how their educational institutions function are encouraged to explore Chris Heasley and Bob Palestini’s newest book, Aligning Mind and Heart: Leadership and Organization Dynamics for Advancing K-12 Education. This leadership handbook is intended to provide educational administrators with a valuable guide for addressing the organizational weaknesses in their institutions and turning them into strengths. Their scholar-practitioner approach to learning follows a diagnostic application to school improvement and can make a real difference in the smooth operation of a teaching unit, school system, or district.
— Mwenyewe Dawan, EdD, Assistant Superintendent at Wissahickon School District