The Hope for Audacity

The Hope for Audacity: From Cynicism to Hope in Educational Leadership and Policy is authored by educators who feel compelled to make their voices heard – fueled by their passion for authentic learning, their vision for the future of education, and their deep concern with the nurturing of our democracy, which they believe is being endangered by market-logic decisions in educational policy. This book is a thoughtful affirmation of the very tenets of President Obama’s hopeful vision for this nation, not mere empty or cynical critique of his policies. However, the book also challenges him to examine the contradictions in his stated philosophy and policies. The book is a plea to translate his beliefs into political action and to, thus, transform hope into reality. Ultimately, the authors express their genuine commitment and eagerness to work hand in hand with President Obama in educational reform and to attain his vision of «Yes, we can.»

Stella C. Batagiannis is Associate Professor of Educational Leadership in the College of Education and Public Policy at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne. Her research interests are in qualitative research focused on courage in leadership, the dispositions of leadership, the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), and action research. She serves as co-editor of scholarlypartnershipsedu. Barry Kanpol is Dean of the College of Education and Public Policy at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne. His research, which includes 12 books and more than 75 articles, has linked the «critical» role of teachers in the social order to race, class, and gender-structural configurations Anna V. Wilson is Associate Professor of Cultural and Curricular Studies in the College of Educational Studies at Chapman University. Her publications include LGBTQ Teacher and Student Voices: Changing the Culture of Schooling (2012); Oh Do I Remember: African American Teachers’ Voices During Desegregation (2001); and Introduction to Education: Teaching in a Diverse Society (2004).