First published 2024
Brian Fleming steps into his new role as principal at Riverside Elementary with ambitious plans to transform the struggling school. He faces immediate resistance from veteran teachers who doubt his methods, parents who question every decision, and a district administration that demands quick results with limited resources. Fleming discovers that leading a school requires more than educational theory. He must navigate budget cuts, handle difficult personnel decisions, and mediate conflicts between staff members who have worked together for decades. When a crisis threatens to derail his reforms, Fleming must choose between his idealistic vision and the practical compromises that keep schools running. The story explores the gap between educational leadership theory and the messy reality of managing people, politics, and competing priorities in a public school system.
Genres: fiction, leadership, education, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, underdog
Setting: Riverside Elementary
262 pages · Hardcover · Peter Lang