Human-Centered Schools

Instead of doubling down on high stakes accountability, what would it look like if we created more human-centered schools that prioritize people, distributed leadership, relational trust, and sustainable practices?

Drawing on twenty years of classroom teaching and education policy work in Washington, D.C. and beyond, Scott Goldstein argues that sustainable school improvement has always depended on the quality of human relationships — between students and teachers, educators and leaders, schools and families, and between policymakers and the communities they serve. You’ll learn how to prioritize relationships, promote student and staff wellbeing, create a culture that is responsive to student interest and educator expertise, foster a growth-based approach to data and accountability, focus on productive feedback, and more. Finally, the book provides a playbook to bring these components into actionable strategies for those who work at the school, district, state and national levels.

Human-Centered Schools is a call to action for educators who know something is deeply wrong but need the language and evidence to name it, for school and district leaders ready to build something better, and for policymakers willing to look honestly at what actually helps children thrive.